CHAP. I.

PIety and Policy are like Martha, and Mary, Sisters: Martha fail's, if Mary help not: and Mary suffers, if Martha be idle: Happy is that Kingdom where Martha com­pla [...] of Mary; but most happy where Mary complies with Martha: Where Piety and Policy go hand in hand, there Warr shall be just; and Peace ho­nourable.

CHAP. II.

LEt not civil discords in a forreign Kingdom encourage thee to make invasion. They that are factious among themselvs, are jealous of one another, and more strongly prepar'd to encounter with a common Enemy: Those whom civill commotions set at variance, for­reign Hostility reconciles. Men rather affect the possession of an inconvenient [Page]Good, than the possibility of an uncer­tain Better.

CHAP. III.

IF thou hast made a Conquest with thy Sword, think not to maintain it with thy Scepter: Neither conceive, that new favours can cancell old injuries: No Conquerer sits secure upon his new­got Throne, so long as they subsist in power, that were dispoyl'd of their pos­sessions by his Conquest.

CHAP. IV.

LEt no price nor promise of Honour bribe thee to take part with the Ene­my of thy naturall Prince: Assure thy self who ever wins, thou art lost: If thy Prince prevail, thou art proclaimed a Rebell, and branded for death: If the Enemy prosper, thou shalt be reckoned but as a meritorious Traytor, and not secure of thy self: He that loves the Treason hates the Traytor.

CHAP. V.

IF thy strength of parts hath rais'd thee to eminent place in the Common­wealth, [Page]take heed thou sit sure: If not, thy fall will be the greater: As Worth is fit matter for Glory; so Glory is a fair mark for Envy. By how much the more thy Advancement was thought the Reward of Desert; by so much thy fall will ad­minister matter for disdain: It is the ill fortune of a strong brain, if not to be dignifi'd as meritorious, to be deprest as dangerous.

CHAP. VI.

IT is the duty of a Statesman, espe­cially in a free State, to hold the Com­mon-wealth to her first frame of Go­vernment, from which the more it swervs, the more it declines: which being declin'd is not commonly reduced with­out that extremity, the danger whereof rather ruines than rectifies. Fundamen­tall Alterations bring inevitable perils.

CHAP. VII.

THere be three sorts of Government; Monarchicall, Aristocraticall, De mocraticall; and they are apt to fall three severall ways into ruine: The first, by Tyranny; the second, by Ambition; [Page]the last, by Tumults. A Common-wealth grounded upon any of these is not of long continuance; but wisely mingled, each guard the other, and make that Go­vernment exact.

CHAP. VIII.

LEt not the proceedings of a Captain, though never so commendable, be confin'd to all Times: As these alter, so must they: If these vary, and not they, ruine is at hand: He lest fails in his de­sign, that meets Time in its own way: And he that observes not the Altera­tions of the Times, shall seldom be victo­rious but by chance: but he that can [...]ot alter his course according to the Altera­tions of the Times shall never be a Con­querour: He is a wise Commander, and onely He, that can discover the change of Times, and changes his Proceedings according to the Times.

CHAP. IX.

IF thou desir'st to make warr with a Prince, with whom thou hast formerly ratified a league; assail some Ally of his, rather than himself: If he resent it, and [Page]come, or send in ayd, thou hast a fair Gale to thy desires: If not, his infidelity in not assisting his Ally, will be discoverd: Hereby thou shalt gain thy self advan­tage, and facilitate thy designs.

CHAP. X.

BEfore thou undertake a War, let thine Eye number thy forces, and let thy judgement weigh them: if thou hast a rich Enemy, no matter how poor thy Souldiers be, if couragious and faith­full: Trust not too much the power of thy Treasure, for it will deceive thee, being more apt to expose thee for a Prey then to defend thee: Gold is not able to find good Souldiers; but good Soul­diers are able to find out Gold.

CHAP. IX.

IT the Territories of thy Equall Ene­my are situated far South from thee, the advantage is thine, whether he make offensive, or defensive war; If North, the advantage is his: Cold is less tole­rable then heat: This is a friend to Na­ture; that, an Enemy.

CHAP. XII.

IT is not onely uncivill, but danger­ous for Souldiers, by reproachful words, to throw disgrace upon the Ene­my. Base Terms are Bellows to a slaking Fury, and Goads to quicken up revenge in a fleeing Foe: He that ob­jects Cowardize against a failing enemy, adds spirit to him, to disprove the asper­sion, at his owne cost: It is therefore the part of a wise Souldier to refrain it; or of a wise Commander, to punish it.

CHAP. XIII.

IT is better for two weak Kingdoms rather to compound an injury (though to some loss) than seek for satifaction by the sword; lest while they two weak­en themselvs by mutual blows, a third decide the Controversie to both their Ruines. When the Frog and the Mouse could not take up the quarrell, the Kite was Umpire.

CHAP. XIV.

LEt that Common-wealth which de­sires to flourish, be very strict, both [Page]in her punishments, and Rewards, ac­cording to the merits of the Subject, and offence of the Delinquent: Let the Ser­vice of the Deserver be rewarded, lest thou discourage worth; and let the Crime of the offender be punish't, lest thou encourage Vice: the neglect of the one weakens a Common-wealth; the omission of both ruines it.

CHAP. XV.

IT is wisdom for him that sits at the Helm of a setled State, to demean himself toward his subjects at all times, so, that upon any evill accident, they may be ready to serve his occasion: He that is onely gracious at the approach of a danger, will be in danger, when he expects deliverance.

CHAP. XVI.

IN all designs, which require not sud­den Execution, take mature delibera­tion, and weigh the convenients, with the inconvenients, and then resolve; after which, neither delay the execution, nor bewray thy intention. He that dis­covers himself, till he hath made him­self [Page]Master of his desires, lay's himself open to his own Ruine, and makes him­self prisoner to his own tongue.

CHAP. XVII.

LIberality in a Prince is no Vertue, when maintained at the Subjects unwilling Cost. It is less reproach, by miserableness, to preserve the popular love, then by liberality to deserve the private thanks.

CHAP. XVIII.

IT is the excellent property of a good and wise Prince, to use War as he doth Physick, carefully, unwillingly, and seasonably; either to prevent ap­proaching dangers, or to correct a pre­sent mischief, or to recover a former loss. He that declines Physick till he be accosted with the danger, or weakned with the disease, is bold too long, and wise too late. That Peace is too pre­cise, that limits the justness of a War to a sword drawn, or a Blow given.

CHAP. XIX.

LEt a Prince that would beware of Conspiracies, be rather jealous of such whom his extraordinary Favours have advanced, then of those whom his pleasure hath discontented: These want means to execute their pleasures; but they have means at pleasure to exe­cute their desires: Ambition to rule is more vehement, than Malice to Re­venge.

CHAP. XX.

BEfore thou undertake a War, cast an impartiall Eye upon the Cause: If it be just, prepare thy Army; and let them all know, they fight for God and thee: It adds fire to the spirit of a Soul­dier, to be assured, that he shall either prosper in a fair War, or persh in a just Cause.

CHAP. XXI.

IF thou desir'st to know the power of a State, observe in what correspondence it lives with her neighbouring State: If She make Alliance with the Contri­bution of Money, it is an evident [Page]sign of weakness: If with her valour, or repute of forces, it manifests a na­tive strength: It is an infallible sign of power, to sell friendship; and of weak­ness to buy it: That which is bought with Gold, will hardly be maintained with Steel.

CHAP. XXII.

IN the Calms of Peace it is most re­quisite for a Prince, to prepare against the storms of Warr, both Theorically, in reading Heroick Histories; and prac­tically, in maintaining Martiall disci­pline: Above all things, let him avoid Idleness, as the Bane of Honour; which in Peace, indisposes the Body; and in Warr, effoeminates the Soul: He that would be in War victorious, must be in Peace laborious.

CHAP. XXIII.

IF thy two neighbouring Princes fall out, shew thy self, either a true Friend, or a fair Enemy: It is indis­cretion, to adhere to him whom thou hast least cause to fear, if he vanquish: Neutrality is dangerous, whereby thou [Page]becomest a necessary Prey to the Con­querour.

CHAP. XXIV.

IT is a great argument of a Princes wisdom, not onely to chuse, but also to prefer wise Councellors: And such are they, that seek less their own ad­vantages, than his; whom wise Princes ought to reward, lest they become their own Carvers; and so, of good Servants, turn bad Masters.

CHAP. XXV.

IT much conduces to the dishonour of a King, and the ilfare of his King­dom, to multiply Nobility, in an over-proportion to the Common people: Cheap Honour darkens Majesty; and a numerous Nobility brings a State to ne­cessity.

CHAP. XXVI.

IT is very dangerous, to try experi­ments in a State, unless extream necessity be urgent, or popular utility be palpable: It is better for a State to connive a while, at an inconvenience, [Page]too suddenly to rush upon a Reforma­tion.

CHAP. XXVII.

IF a valiant Prince be succeeded by a weak Successour, he may, for a while, maintain a happy State, by the re­maining vertue of his glorious Prede­cessour: But if his life be long; ordying he be succeeded by one less valiant then the first, the Kingdom is in danger to fall to ruine. That Prince is a true Fa­ther to his Countrey, that leaves it the rich inheritance of a brave Son. When Alexander succeeded Philip, the world was too little for the Conquerour.

CHAP. XXVIII.

IT is very dangerous for a Prince, or Republick, to make continuall prac­tice of cruell exaction: For where the Subject stands in sense, or expectation of evill, he is apt to provide for his safe­ty, either from the evill he feels, or from the danger he fears; and growing bold in Conspiracy, makes Faction, which Faction is the Mother of Ruine.

CHAP. XXIX.

BE carefull to consider the good or ill disposition of the people towards thee upon ordinary occasions: if it be good, labour to continue it; if evill, provide against it: As there is nothing more terrible then a dissolute Multitude without a Head; so there is nothing more easie to be reduc'd; (if thou canst en­dure the first shock of their fury;) which if a little appeas'd, every one begins to doubt himself, and think of home, and secure themselvs, either by flight, or Agreement.

CHAP. XXX.

THat Prince who stands in fear more of his own people, than strangers, ought to build Fortresses in his Land: But he that is more afraid of Strangers than his own People, shall build them more secure in the Affections of his Sub­jects.

CHAP. XXXI.

CArry a watchfull Eye upon dan­gers before they come to ripeness, [Page]and when they are ripe, let loose a speedy hand: He that expects them too long, or meets them too soon, gives advantage to the evill: Commit their beginnings to Argus his hundred Eyes, and their ends to Briareus his hundred Hands, and thou art safe.

CHAP. XXXII.

OF all the difficulties in a State, the Temper of a true Government most felicifies and perpetuates it: Too sud­den Alterations distemper it. Had Nero turned his Kingdom as he did his Harp, his Harmony had been more honoura­ble, and his Reign more prosperous.

CHAP. XXXIII.

IF a Prince, fearing to be assaild' by a forreign Enemy, hath a well-arm'd people, well addrest for War, let him stay at home, and expect him there: But if his subjects be unarm'd, or his King­dom unacquainted with the stroke of War, let him meet the enemy in his Quarters. The farther he keeps the Warr from his own Home, the less danger. The Seat of War is always mi­serable.

CHAP. XXXIV.

IT is a necessary wisdom for a Prince to grow in strength, as he encreases in Dominions: it is no less vertue to keep, than to get: Conquests not having power answerable to their greatness, in­vite new Conquerors to the ruine of the old.

CHAP. XXXV.

IT is great prudence in a Statesman, to discover an inconvenience in the birth; which, so discovered, is easie to be supprest: But if it ripen into a Cus­tom, the sudden remedy thereof is often worse than the disease: in such a Case, it is better to temporize a little, than to struggle too much. He that op­poses a full-ag'd inconvenience too sud­denly, strengthens it.

CHAP. XXXVI.

IF thou hast conquerd' a Land, whose Language differs not from thine, change not their Laws and Taxes, and the two Kingdoms will in a short time incorporate, and make one body: [Page]But if the Laws and Language differ, it is difficult to maintain thy Conquest; which that thou maist the easier do, ob­serve three things: First, to live there in person, (or rather send Colonies:) Secondly, to assist the weak inhabitants, and weaken the mighty: Thirdly, to ad­mit no powerfull Forreigner to reside there: Remember Lewis the thirteenth of France; How suddenly he took Mi­lain, and how soon he lost it.

CHAP. XXXVII.

IT is a gracious wisdom in a Prince, in civill Commotions, rather to use Juleps, then Phlebotomy; and better to breath the distemper by a wise delay, then to correct it with too rash an Onset: it is more honorable, by a slow prepara­tion to declare himself a gracious Fa­ther, than by a hasty Warr to appear a furious Enemy.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

IT is wisdom for a Prince in fair wea­ther to provide for Tempests: He that so much relies upon his peoples faith, to neglect his own preparation, discovers [Page]more Confidence than wisdom: He that ventures to fall from above, with hopes to be catch't below, may be dead ere he come to ground.

CHAP. XXXIX.

HE that would reform an ancient State in a free City buy's conve­nience with a great danger: To work this Reformation with the less mischief, let such a one keep the shadows of their ancient Customs, though in substance they be new: Let him take heed when he alters the natures of things, they bear at lest the ancient names. The Common people, that are naturally im­patient of innovations, will be satisfied with that which seems to be, as well as that which is.

CHAP. XL.

UPon any difference between for­reign States, it is neither safe nor honorable for a Prince, either to buy his Peace, or to take it up at interest: He that hath not a Sword to command it, shall either want it, or want Honour with it.

CHAP. XLI.

IT is very requisite for a Prince, not onely to weigh his designs in the flower, but likewise in the fruit: He is an unthrift of his honour that enter­prizes a design, the failing wherein may bring him more Disgrace, than the success can gain him Honour.

CHAP. XLII.

IT is much conducible to the happi­ness of a Prince, and the security of his State, to gain the hearts of his Sub­jects: They that love for fear, will seldom fear for love: it is a wise Go­vernment which gains such a Tie upon the Subject, that he either cannot hurt, or will not: But that Government is best and most sure, when the Subject joy's in his obedience.

CHAP. XLIII.

LEt every Souldier arm his mind with hopes, and put on courage: Whatsoever disaster falls, let not his heart sink. The Passage of providence lyes through many crooked ways; Ades­pairing [Page]heart is the true Prophet of approaching evil: his actions may weave the webs of fortune, but not break them.

CHAP. XLIV.

IT is the part of a wise Magistrate to vindicate a man of power or State-imployment from the malici­ous scandals of the giddy-headed mul­titude, and to punish it with great se­verity; Scandall breeds Hatred; Hatred begets Division; Division makes Fac­tion, and Faction brings Ruine.

CHAP. XLV.

THe strongest Castles a Prince can build, to secure him from Do­mestick commotions, or forraign In­vasions, is in the hearts of his Sub­jects; And the means to gain that strength is, in all his actions to ap­pear for the publick good, studious to contrive, and resolute to perform.

CHAP. XLVI.

A Kingdom is a great building, whose two main supporters are the Go­vernment of the State, and the Govern­ment of the Church: It is the part of a wise Master to keep those Pillars in their first posture, irremovable: If ei­ther fail, it is wisdom rather to repair it, than remove it: He that pul's down the old, to set up a new, may draw the roof upon his head, and ruine the foun­dation.

CHAP. XLVII.

IF is necessary wisdom in a Prince to encourage in his Kingdom, Ma­nufacture, Merchandize, Arts, and Arms. In Manufacture lie the vitall spirits of the body politique: In Merchandize, the spirits naturall: In Arts and Arms, the Animall: If either of these languish, the Body droops; As these flourish, the Body flourishes.

CHAP. XLVIII.

TRue Religion is a setler in a Sta­te, rather then a Stickler; While [Page]she confirms an establisht Govern­ment, she moves in her own Sphere. But when she endeavours to alter the old, or to erect a new, she works out of her own Vineyard: When she keeps the Keys, she sends showers of Milk: But when she draws the Sword, she sayls in Seas of Bloud: Labour there­fore to settle Religion in the Church; and Religion shall settle Peace in thy Land.

CHAP. XLIX.

IF thou entertain any forraign Soul­diers into thine Army, let them bear thy Colours, and be at thy Pay, lest they interest their own Prince: Auxilia­ry Souldiers are the most dangerous: A forreign Prince needs no greater invita­tion to seiz upon thy City, then when he is required to defend it.

CHAP. L.

BE cautious in undertaking a design, upon the report of those that are ba­nished their Countrey, lest thou come off with shame or loss, or both. Their end expects advantages from thy Actions, whose miseries lay hold of all opportu­nities, and seek to be redrest by thy Ruine.

CHAP. LI.

IF thou endeavourest to make a Re­publique in a Nation where the Gen­try abounds, thou shalt hardly pro­sper in that design: And if thou would­est erect a Principality in a Land, where there is much equality of people, thou shalt not easily effect it. The way to bring the first to pass, is to weaken the Gen­try: The means to effect the last, is to advance and strengthen ambitious, and turbulent spirits; so that being placed in the midst of them, their forces may maintain thy power; and thy favour may preserve their Ambition: Other­wise there shall be neither proportion nor continuance.

CHAP. LII.

IT is more excellent for a Prince to have a provident Eye for the pre­venting future mischiefs, than to have a potent Arm for the suppressing present evils: Mischiefs in a State are like Hectique Feavers in a body: In the beginning hard to be known, but easie to be cured; but, let it alone a [Page]while, it becomes more easie to be known, but more hard to be cured.

CHAP. LIII.

IF a Kingdom be apt to Rebellion, it is wisdom to preserve the Nobili­ty and Commons at variance: Where one of them is discontented, the dan­ger is not great: The Commons are slow of motion, if not quickned with the Nobility; the Nobility is weak of power, if not strengthened by the Com­mons: Then is danger, when the Com­monalty troubles the water, and the Nobility steps in.

CHAP. LIV.

IT is very requisite for a Prince to have an Eye that the Clergy be elect­ed and come in, either by collation from him, or particular Patrons, and not by the People; and that their power hold dependance upon home, and not forreign Authority: It is dangerous in a Kingdom, where the Crosiars receive not their power from the Regall Sword.

IT is a perillous weakness in a State, to be slow of resolution in the time of Warr: To be irresolute in determina­tion is both the sign, and the ruine of a weak State: such affairs attend not Time: Let the wise Statesman there­fore abhor delay, and resolve rather what to do, than advise what to say: Slow deliberations are symptoms, either of a faint courage, or weak Forces, or false Hearts.

CHAP. LVI.

IF a Conquerour hath subdued a Countrey, or a City abounding with pleasures, let him be very circumspect to keep himself and his Souldiers tem­perate. Pleasures bring effoeminacy; and effoeminacy fore-runs ruine: such conquests, without blood or sweat, sufficiently do revenge themselvs upon their intemperate Conquerours.

CHAP. LVI.

IT is an infallible sign of approaching ruine in a Republick, when Reli­gion is neglected, and her establish't ceremonies interrupted: let therefore [Page]that Prince that would be potent, be pious; and that he may punish loosness the better, let him be religious: the joy of Jerusalem depends upon the peace of Sion.

CHAP. LVIII.

LEt that Prince that desires full so­vereignty, temper the greatness of too potent a Nobility: a great and po­tent Nobility quickens the people, but presses their fortunes: it adds Majesty to a Monarch, but diminishes his power.

CHAP. LIX.

IT is dangerous for a Prince to use ambitious Natures, but upon neces­sity, either for his Warrs, or to be instruments for the demolishing inso­lent greatness: and that they may be the less dangerous, let him chuse them ra­ther out of mean births then noble; and out of harsh natures, rather then plausi­ble. And always be sure to ballance them with those that are as proud as they.

CHAP. LX.

LEt Princes be very circumspect in the choyce of their Councellours, chusing ueither by the greatness of the beard, nor by the smoothness of the face: let him be wise, but not crafty: active, without private ends: coura­gious, without malice: religious, without faction: secret without fraud; one better read in his business, than his Nature: and a riddle only to be read above.

CHAP. LXI.

IN a mixt Monarchy, if the Hierarchy grow too absolute, is is wisdom in a Prince, rather to depress it then sup­press it: all altertions in a fundamen­tal Government bring apparent dangers; but too sudden alteration threatens inevitable ruine: when Aaron made a molten Calf, Moses altered not the Government, but reproved the Gover­nour.

CHAP. LXII.

BEfore thou build a Fortress, con­sider to what end: if for resistance against the Enemy, it is useless; a va­liant Army is a living Fortress: if for suppressing the subject, it is hurtfull: it breeds Jealousies, and Jealousies be­get hatred: if thou hast a strong Army to maintain it, it adds nothing to thy strength: if thy Army be weak it con­duces much to thy danger: the surest Fortress is the hands of thy Souldiers, and the safest Citadel is the hearts of thy subjects.

CHAP. LXIII.

IT is a Princely Alchymie, out of a necessary Warr to extract an honoura­ble Peace, and more beseeming the Majesty of a Prince to thirst after Peace, than conquest: blessedness is promis'd to the Peace-maker; not to the con­querour: it is a happy State, whose Prince hath a peaceful Hand, and a Martial Heart, able both to use Peace, and to manage Warr.

CHAP. LXIV.

IT is a dishonourable thing for a Prin­ce to run in debt for State-service; but to pay it in the pardon of a Criminall Offence, is most dangerous. To can­cell the faults of subjects, with their de­serts, is not onely the symptom of a di­sordered Common-wealth, but also of her Ruine.

CHAP. LXV.

LEt not a Commander be too for­ward to undertake a Warr, without the person of his Prince: it is a than­kless employment, where mischief at­tends upon the best success; and where (if a Conquerour) he shall be in danger, either through his onwn Ambition, or his Princes suspition.

CHAP. LXVI.

IT is great oversight in a Prinnce, for any respects, either Actively, or Passively to make a forreign Kingdom strong: he that gives me­ans to another to become powerfull, weakens himself, and enables him to [Page]take the advantage of his own weak­ness.

CHAP. LXVII.

WHen the humours of the people are stirr'd by discontents, or popular grief, it is wisdom in a Prince to give them moderate liberty to evaporate: he that turn's the humour back too hastily makes the wound bleed inwardly, and fils the body with malignity.

CHAP. LXVIII.

IF having levyed an Army, thou fin­dest thy self too weak, either through the want of men or money; the lon­ger thou delay'st to fight, the greater thy Inconvenience grow's: if once thy Army falls asunder, thou certainly loo­sest by thy delay: where hazarding thyfortunes betimes, thou hast the ad­vantage of thy men, and may'st by fortune win the day: it is less disho­hour to be overcome by force than by flight.

CHAP. LXIX.

IT is the part of a wise Commander in Warrs, eether Offensive or Defen­sive, towork a necessity of Fighting in­to the breasts of his Souldiers: Neces­sity of action takes away the fear of the Act, and makes bold Resolution the favorite of Fortune.

CHAP. LXX.

CLemency and mildness is most pro­per for a Principality, but reser­vedness and severity for a Republique; but moderation in both: Excess in the one breads contempt: in the other, Hatted; when to sharpen the first, and when to sweeten the last, let Time and Occasion direct thy judgment.

CHAP. LXXI.

IT is very requisite for a Prince that desires the continuance of Peace, in time of Peace to encourage, and re­spect his Commanders: When brave Spirits find neglect to be the effect of quiet times, they devise all means to remove the Cause, and by suggesting [Page]inducements to new Warrs, disturb and unsettle the old Peace, buying pri­vate honour with publique danger.

CHAP. LXXII.

BE not covetous for priority in ad­vising thy Prince to a doubtful At­tempt, which concern's his State; if it prosper, the Glory must be his; if it fail, the dishonour will be thine: When the Spirit of a Prince is stopped in the discharge, it will recoyl and wound the first Adviser.

CHAP. LXXIII.

IF being the Commander of an army, thou espiest a gross and manifest er­rour in thine Enemy, look wel to thy self, for treachery is not farr off: He whom desire of victory binds too much, is apt to stumble at his own Ruin.

CHAP. LXXIV.

IT is the heigh of a provident Com­mander not onely to keep his own de­signs indiscoverable to his Enemy; but likewise to be studious to discover his: He that can best do the one, and nearest [Page]guess at the other, is the next step to a conqueror. But he that fail's in both, must either ascribe his Overthrow to his own Folly, or his victory to the Hand of Fortune.

CHAP. LXXV.

IF thou be ambitious of Honour, and yet fearfull of the Canker of Honour, Envy; so behave thy self, that Opi­nion may be satisfied in this, that thou seekest Merit, and not Fame; and that thou attributest thy Preferment rather to Providence, than thy own Vertue: Honour is a due debt to the deserver; and who ever envyed the paymēt of a debt? a just advancement is a providen­tiall act of Providence.

CHAP. LXXVI.

IT behoves a Prince to bee very cir­cumspect before he make a League; which, being made, and then broke, is the forfeiture of his Honour: He that obtain's a Kingdom with the rupture of his faith, hath gain'd the Glory of a Con­quest, but lost the honour of a Con­querour.

CHAP. LXXVII.

LEt States that aim at greatness, be­ware lest new Gentry multiply too fast, or grow too glorious; Where there is too great a disproportion be­twixt the Gentry and the common Sub­ject, the one grow's insolent; the o­ther slavish When the body of the Gentry grow's too glorious for a Cor­slet, there the heads of the vulgar wax too heavy for the Helmet.

CHAP. LXXVII.

UPon the beleaguering of a city, let the Commander endeavour to take from the Defendants, all scruples which may invite them to a necessity of defen­ce: Whom the fear of slavery necessi­tates to sight, the boldness of their re­solution will disavantage the assaylants, and dissicilitate their design: Sense of necessity justifies the Warr; and they are hopefull in their arms, who have no other hope but in their ams.

CHAP. LXXIX.

IT is good for States & Princes (if thy use ambitious men for their ad­vantage) so to order things, that they be still progressive, rather than retrogra­de: When ambitious men find an open passage, they are rather busie than dangerous; and if well watcht in their proceedings, they will catch themselvs in­their own snare, and prepare a way for their own destruction.

CHAP. LXXX.

OF all Recreationis, Hunting is most proper to a Commander; by the frequency whereof he may be instructed in that necessary knowledge of situati­on, with pleasure; which, by earnest experience, would be dearly purchas'd. The Chase is a fair Resemblance of a ho­pefull Warr, proposing to the Pursuer a flying Enemy.

CHAP. LXXXI.

EXpect the army of thy Enemy on plain and easie ground, and still a­voyd mountainous and rocky places, [Page]and straight passages, to the utmost of thy power: it is not safe to pitch any where thy forces cannot be brought to­gether: He never deserv'd the name of good Gaimster, that hazards his whole Rest, upon less than the strength of his whole Game.

CHAP. LXXXII.

IT matters not much whether in go­vernment, thou tread'st, the steps of severe Hannibal, or gentle Scipio, so thy actions be honourable, and thy life vertuous: Both in the one, and the o­ther, is both defect and danger, if not corrected, and supported by the fair Re­pute of some extraordinary Endow­ments: No matter, whether black or white, so the Steed be good.

CHAP. LXXXIII.

IT is the safest way in a Martiall expe­dition, to commit the main charge to one: Companions in command beget confusion in the Camp: When two able Commanders are joyned in equall Com­mission, each is apt to think his own way best, and by mutuall thwarting each [Page]other, both give opportunity to the Ene­my.

CHAP. LXXXIV.

IT is a high point of Providence in a Prince to observe popular Sects in their first Rise, and with a severe hand, to nipp them in the Budd: But being once full ag'd, it is wisdom not to op­pose them with too strong a hand; lest in suppressing one, there arise two: a soft Current is soon stopped; but a strong stream resisted, breaks into many, or overwhelm's all

CHAP. LXXXV.

IT makes very much to thy advantage to observe strictly the Nationall ver­tues, and vices and humours of for­rein Kingdoms, whereby the times past shall read usefull Lectures to the times present: He that would see what shall be, let him consider what hath been.

CHAP. LXXXVI.

IF, like Manlius, thou commandest stout and great things, be like Man­lius stout to execute great commands: [Page]it is a great blemish in Sovereignty when the Will rores, and the Power whispers: if thou canst not execute as freely as thou commandst, command no more than what thou maist also freely execute.

CHAP. LXXXII.

IF one Prince desire to obtain any thing of another, let him (if occasi­on will bear it) give him no time to advise: Let him endeavour to make him see a necessity of sudden resolution, and the danger either of Deniall, or De­lay; Hee that gives time to resolve, gi­ves leasure to deny, and warning to pre­pare.

CHAP. LXXXVIII.

L Let not thine army at the first en­counter be too prodigall in her strength for a dead lift: When the ene­my hath abated the fury of his first heat, let him then feel thou hast reserved thy forces for the last blow; So shall the ho­nour he hath gained by his valour encre­ase the glory of thy victory: Fore-ga­mes when they prove are speediest, but after-games, if wisely play'd, are surest.

CHAP. LXXXIX.

IT is very requisite for a Prince to keep the Church always in proportion to the State. If the Government of the one be Monarchicall, and the other Democra­ticall, they will agree, like Metall joy­ned with clay, but for a while. Dura­ble is that State, where Aaron commands the people, and where Moses commands Aaron: But most happy in the continu­ance, where God commands both.

CHAP. XC.

LEt not the Covetousness of a Captain purloyn to his own use, or any way bereave his souldiers of any profit due unto their service, either in their means or spoyls: Such injuries (being qui­ckn'd by their dayly necessities) are ne­ver forgot: What Souldiers earn with the hazard of their lives, (if not enjoy'd) prophesies an overthrow in the next Battell.

CHAP. XCI.

IF a Prince expect vertuous Subjects, let his Subjects have a vertuous prin­ce; [Page]So shall he the better punish the vi­ces of his degenerate Subjects; So shall they trulier prize vertue, and follow it, being exemplified in their Prince.

CHAP. XCII.

IT is the property of a wise Comman­der, to cast an eye rather upon Acti­ons, than upon persons; and rather to reward the merits of men than to read the Letters of Ladies: He that for fa­vour, or reward, preferr's a worthless Souldier, betray's a Kingdom, to ad­vance a Traytor.

CHAP. CXIII.

WHere Order and Fury are well ac­quainted, the Warr prospers, and Souldiers end no less men then they be­gun: Order is quickened by Fury, and Fury is regulated by Order: But where Order is wanting, Fury runs her own way, and being an unthrift of its own strength, failing in the first assault, cra­vens; and such beginning more than men, end less than women.

CHAP. XCIV.

IT is the quality of a wise Comman­der, to make his Souldiers confident of his wisdom, and their own stren­gth: if any danger be, to conceal it; if manifest, to lessen it: Let him possess his army with the justness of the Warr, and with a certainty of the victory. A good cause makes a stout heart, and a strong arm. They that fear an overth­row, are half conquered.

CHAP. XCV.

IT is requisite in a Generall to mingle love with the severity of his Discipli­ne: they that cannot be induced to fear for love, will never be inforced to love for feare: Love opens the heart, Fear shuts it: That encourages, This compell's: And victory meets encou­ragement, but flees Compulsion.

CHAP. XCVI.

IT is the part of a well advised State never to entrust a weighty service, un­to whom a noted injury or dishonour hath been done; He cannever be zea­lous [Page]in performance of Service, the height of whose expectation can rather recover a lost name, than gain a fresh honour.

CHAP. XCVII.

THree ways there be to begin a Re­pute, and gain dignities in a Com­mon-wealth: The first by the vertue of glorious Parents, which, till thou dege­neratest too much, may raise thee upon the wings of Opinion: The second is by associating with those, whose actions are known to be eminent: The third, by acting some exploit, either publique or private, which in thy handhath proved honourable. The two first may miss, be­ing founded on Opinion: the last seldom fail'es, being grounded upon Evidence.

CHAP. XCVIII.

IF thou art cal'd to the Dignity of a Commander, dignify thy place by thy Commands: and that thou maist be the more perfect in com­manding others, practice upon thy self: Remember, thou art a servant to the publick weal and therefore forget all private respects, either of kin or [Page]friend: Remember thou art a Cham­pion for a Kingdom; forget therefore all private affections either of Love or Hate: He that would do his Countrey right, must not be too sensible of a per­sonall wrong.

CHAP. XCIX.

IT is the part of a wise Commander to read Books, not so much as Men; nor men so much as Nations: He that can discern the inclinations, conditi­ons, and passions of a Kingdom, gain's his Prince a great advantage both in Peace and Warr.

CHAP. C.

ANd you most High and Mighty Princes of this lower World, who at this intricate and vatious game of Warr, vie Kingdoms, and win Crowns; and by the death of your renowned Sub­jects, gain the lives of your bold-hear­ted Enemies; Know there is a Quo War­ranto, Whereto you are to give account of vour Eye-Glorious actions, accord­ing to the righteous rules of Sacred Ju­stice: How warrantable it is to rend [Page]imperiall Crowns from off the Sovera­ign heads of their too weak possessours; or to snatch Scepters from out the con­quer'd hand of heaven-anointed Maje­sty, and by your vast ambitions still to enlarge your large Dominions, with Kingdoms ravisht from their naturall Princes, judge you. O let your brave designs, and well-weighed actions, be as just as ye are glorious; and consider, that all your Warrs, whose ends are not to defend your own Possessions, or to recover your dispossessions, are but Princely injuries, which none but hea­ven can right. But where necessity strikes up her hard Alarms, or wrong'd Reli­gion beats her zealous Marches, Go on, and let both Swords and Stratagems pro­claim a victory, whose nois'd renown may fill the world with your eternall Glory.

CHAP. I.

APromise is a child of the un­derstanding and the under­standing begets it, the will brings it forth: he that per­forms it, delivers the mo­ther: he that brerks it, murthers the child. If he be begotten in the absence of the understanding, it is a Bastard; but the child must be kept. If thou mi­strust thy understanding, promise not; if thou hast promised, break it not: it is better to maintain a Bastard then to mur­ther a child.

CHAP. II.

CHarity is a naked child, giving ho­ney to a Bee without wings: naked, because excuseless and simple; a child, [Page]because tender and growing: giving honey, because honey is pleasant and comfortable: to a Bee, because a Bee is laborious and deserving; without win­gs, because helpless, and wanting. If thou deniest to such, thou killest a Bee; If thou giv'st to other than such, thou preserv'st a Drone.

CHAP. III.

BEfore thy undertaking of any de­sign, weigh the glory of thy action with the danger of the attempt: if the glory ontweigh the danger, it is cowar­dize to neglect it: if the danger exceed the glory, it is rashness to attempt it: if the Balances stand poiz'd, let thy own Genius cast them.

CHAP. IV.

WOuldest thou know the lawfulness of the action which thou desirest to undertake? let thy devotion recom­mend it to divine blessing: if it be law­full, thou shalt perceive thy heart en­couraged by thy prayer: if unlawfull, thou shalt find thy prayer discourag'd by thy heart. That action is not warran­table, [Page]which either blushes to beggs blessing, or having succeeded, dares not present thanksgiving.

CHAP. V.

IF evill men speak good, or good men evill of thy conversation, examin all thy actions, and suspect thy self. But if evill men speak evill of thee, hold it as thy honour, and by way of thankful­ness, love them, but upon condition, that they continue to hate thee.

CHAP. VI.

IF thou hope to please all, thy hopes are vain; if thou fear to displease so­me, thy fears are idle. The way to please thy self is not to displease the best; and the way to displease the best, is to please the most: if thou canst fashion thy self to please all, thou shalt displease him that is All in All.

CHAP. VII.

IF thou neglectest thy love to thy neigh­bour, in vain thou professest thy love to God: for by thy love to God, the love to thy neighbour is begotten, [Page]and by the love to thy neighbour, thy love to God is nourisht.

CHAP. VIII.

THy ignorance in unrevealed Myste­ries, is the mother of a saving Fa­ith; and thy understanding in revealed Truths, is the mother of a sacred Know­ledge: understand not therefore that thou maist believe, but beleeve that thou maist understand: understanding is the wages of a lively Faith, and Faith is the reward of an humble ignorance.

CHAP. IX.

PRide is the ape of charity, in shew not much unlike; but somwhat ful­ler of action. In seeking the one, take heed thou light not upon the other: they are two Paralells; never but asunder: charity feeds the poor, so does pride: charity builds an Hospitall, so does pri­de: in this thy differ: charity gives her glory to God; pride takes her glory from man.

CHAP. X.

HAst thou lost thy money, and dost thou mourn? another lost it before thou hadst it; be not troubled: perchance if thou hadst not lost it, now it had lost thee for ever: think therefore what thou rather hast escaped then lost: perhaps thou hadst not been so much thy own, had not thy money beene so little thine.

CHAP. XI.

FLatter not thy self in thy faith to God, if thou wantst charity for thy neighbour; and think not thou hast cha­rity for thy neighbour, if thou wantest faith to God; where they are not both together, they are both wanting; they are both dead, if once divided.

CHAP. XII.

BE not too slow in the breaking of a sinfull custom: a quick couragious resolution is better then a graduall de­liberation: in such a combate, he is the bravest souldier that lay's about him wi­thout fear or wit. Wit pleads; fear dis­heartens; he that would kill Hydra, had [Page]better strike off one neckthen five heads: fell the Tree, and the Branches are soon cut off.

CHAP. XII.

BE carefull rather of what thou do'st, then of what thou hast: for what thou hast is none of thine, and will leave thee at thy death, or thou the pleasure of it, in thy sickness. But what thou do'st, is thine, and will follow thee to thy grave, and plead for thee or against thee at thy Resurrection.

CHAP. XIV.

IF thou enjoyest not the God of love, thou canst not obtain the love of God, neither untill then canst thou enjoy a desire to love God, nor relish the love of God: thy love to God is nothing but a faint reflection of Gods love to thee: till he please to love thee, thy love can never please him.

CHAP. XV.

LEt not thy fancy be guided by thine eye; nor let thy will be gover­ned by thy fancy: thine eye may be de­ceived [Page]in her object; and thy fancy may be deluded in her subject: let thy under­standing moderate between thine eye, and thy fancy; and let thy judgement arbitrate between thy fancy and thy will; so shal thy fancy apprehend what is true: so shall thy will elect what is good.

CHAP. XVI.

ENdeavour to subdue as well thy iras­cible, as thy concupiscible affecti­ons: to endure injuries with a brave mind, is one half of the conquest; and to abstaine from pleasing evils with a couragious spirit is the other: the summ of all humanity, and height of morall perfection, is Bear and Forbear.

CHAP. XVII.

IF thou desire not to be too poor, de­sire not to be too rich: He is rich, not that possesses much, but he that covets no more: and he is poor, not that en­ioy's little, but he that wants too much: the contented mind wants nothing which it hath not: the covetous mind wants not onely what it hath not, but likewise what it hath.

CHAP. XVIII.

THe outward senses are the common Cinque-ports where every subject lands towards the understanding: The ear hear's a confused noise, and presents it to the common sense. The common sense distinguishes the severall sounds, and convey's it to the fancy: the fancy wildly descants on it: the understanding (whose object is truth) apprehending it to be Musick, commends it to the jud­gement: The judgement severally and joyntly examines it, and recommends it to the will: the will (whose object is good) approves it, or dislikes it; and the memory records it, And so in the other senses according to their subjects. Observe this progress, and thou shalt ea­sily find where the defect of every acti­on lies,

CHAP. XIX.

THe way to subject all things to thy self, is to subject thy self to Reason, thou shalt govern many, if Reason go­vern thee: wouldst thou be crowned the Monarch of a little world? Command thy self.

CHAP. XX.

THough thou givest all thou hast for charity sake, and yet retainest a sec­ret desire of keeping it for thy own sake, thou rather leavest it then forsakest it: He that hath relinquisht all things, and not himself, hath forsaken nothing; he that sets not his heart on what he pos­sesses, forsaketht all things, though he keep his possessions.

CHAP. XXI.

SEarch into thy self before thou ac­cept the ceremony of honour: if thou art a Palace, honour (like the Sun beams) will make thee more glorious: if thou art a Dunghill, the Sun may shine upon thee, but not sweeten thee. Thy Prince may give thee hononr, but not make thee honourable.

CHAP. XXII.

EVery man is a King in his own King­dom. If Reason command, and passion obey, his government speaks a good King: if thine inordinate affection rules, it shews a proud Rebell; which, [Page]if thou destroy not, will depose thee: there is no mean between the death of a Rebell, and the life of a Prince.

CHAP. XXIII.

AVouw, promise, and a resolution, have all one object, onely differ in respect of the persons to whom they are made; the first, is between God and man. The second, between man and man; the third, between man and his own soul; they all bind, if the object be lawfull, to necessity of performance: if unlawfull, to the necessity of sin: they all take thee prisoner: if the object be lawfull, thy performance hath redeem'd thee; if unlawfull, blood and tears must ransom thee.

CHAP. XXIV.

IF thou hast any business of Conse­quence in agitation, let thy Care be reasonable, and seasonable: continuall standing bent weakens the Bow: too hasty drawing breaks it. Put off thy ca­res with thy colaths: so shall thy Rest strengthen thy labour; and so shal thy labour sweeten thy Rest.

CHAP. XXV.

WHen thy inordinate affections do flame towards transitoty happi­ness, quench them thus: think with thy self; if my Prince should give me what honour he hath to bestow, or bestow on me what wealth he hath to give, it could not stay with me, because it is transitory; nor I with it, because I am mortall: then revise thy affections, and weigh them with their object, and thou wilt either confess thy folly, or make a wiser choice.

CHAP. XXVI.

WIth three sorts of men enter no se­rious friendship: the ingratefull; man; the Multiloquious man; the Co­ward: the first cannot prize thy favours; the second cannot keep thy Counsell; the third dare not vindicate thy Honour.

CHAP. XXVII.

IF thou desire the time should not pass too fast, use not too much pastime: thy life in Jollity blazes like a Ta­pour in the wind: the blast of honour [Page]wasts it, the heat of pleasure melts it; if thou labour in a painfull calling, thou shat be less sensible of the flux of Ti­me, and sweetlier satisfied at the time of Death.

CHAP. XXVIII.

GOd is Alpha and Omega, in the gre­ [...]t world; endeavour to make him so in the little world; make him thy eve­ning Epilogue, and thy morning Pro­logue; practice to make him thy last though at night when thou sleepest; and thy first, thought in the morning when thou awakest; so shall thy fancy be san­ctified in the night, and thy understan­ding rectified in the day; so shall thy rest be peacefull, thy labours prosperous, thy life pious, and thy death glorious.

CHAP XXIX.

BE very circumspect in the choise of thy company. In the society of thi­ne equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasu­re; in the society of thy superiours thou shalt find more profit: to be the best in the company, is the way to grow worse: the best means to grow better, is to be the worst here.

CHAP. XXX.

THink of God (especially in thy de­votion) in the abstract, rather then the concrete: if thou conceive him good, thy finite thoughts are ready to termi­nate that good in a conceiv'd subject; if thou think him great, thy bounded con­ceit is apt to cast him into a conpre­hensible figure: conceive him therefo­re, diffused goodness without quality, and represent him an incomprehensible greatness without quantity.

CHHP. XXXI.

IF thou and true Religon be not as yet met; or met, unknown; by these marks thou shalt discove it. First, it is a Religion that takes no pleasure in the expence of blood. Secondly, it is a Re­ligion whose Terents cross not the book of Truth. Thirdly, it is a Reli­gion, that takes most from the creatu­re, and gives most to the creatout: if such a one thou meet with, assure thy self it is the right, and therefore pro­fessit in thy Life, and protect it to thy Death.

CHAP. XXXII.

LEt anothers passion be a lecture to thy reason, and let the Shipwrack of his understanding be a Seamark to thy passion: so shalt thou gain strength out of his weakness; safty out of his dan­ger; and raise thy self a building out of his ruines.

CHAP. XXXIII.

IN the height of thy prosperity expect adversity, but fear it not; if it come not, thou art the more sweetly possest of the happiness thou hast, and the mo­re strongly confirmed; if it come, thou art the more gently dispossest of the hap­piness thou hadst, and the more firmly prepared.

CHAP. XXXIV.

TO tremble at the sight of thy sin, makes thy faith the less apt to trem­ble: the Devils beleeve, and tremble, because they tremble at what they be­leeve; their belief brings trembling: thy trembling brings belief.

CHAP. XXXV.

AUthology is the way to Theology: untill thou seest thy self empty, thou wilt not desire to be fil'd: he can never truly relish the sweetness of Gods mercy, that never tasted the bitterness of his owne Misery.

CHAP. XXXVI.

IS any outward affliction fallen upon thee, by a temporary loss? advise with thy self, whether it be recoverable, or not: if it be, use all such lawfull and speedy means (the violence and unsea­sonableness whereof may not disadvan­tage thee in the pursuit) to recover it; if not recoverable, endure with patien­ce what thou canst not recure with pa­ins: he that carnally asslicts his soul for the loss of a transitory good, casts away the kernell, because he hath lost the shell.

CHAP. XXXVII.

NAturall anger glances into the breasts of wisemen, but rests in the besom of fools: in them, it is infirmity; [Page]in these, a sin: there is a naturall anger; and there is a spirituall anger; the com­mon object of that, is the person; of this, his vice: he that is always angry with his sin, shall seldom sin in his an­ger.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

IF any hard affliction hath surprized thee, cast one eye upon the hand that sent it; and the other, upon the sin that brought it; if thou thankfully receive the message, he that sent it will discharge the messenger.

CHAP. XXXIX.

ALl passions are good or bad, accor­ding to their objects: where the object is absolutely good, there the gre­atest passion is too little: where absolu­tely evill, there the lest passion is too much: where indifferent, there a little is enough.

CHAP. XL.

WHen thou dost evil that good may come thereby, the evill is surely thine: if good should happen to ensue [Page]upon the evill which thou hast done; the good proceeds from God; if there­fore thou do evill, thereby to occasio­nate a good, thou laist a bad foundati­on for a good building; and servest the Devill that God may serve thee: where the end of evill is good in the intention, there the end of that good is evill in the extention.

CHAP. XLI.

BE as farr from desiring the popular love, as fearfull to deserve the po­pular hate: ruine dwels in both: the one will hug thee to death; the other wil crush thee to destruction: to escape the first, be not ambitious; to avoid the se­cond, be not seditious.

CHAP. XLII.

WHen thou seest misery in thy bro­thers face, let him see mercy in thine eye; the more the oyl of mercy is powr'd on him by thy pity, the more the oyl in thy Cruse shall be encreased by thy Piety.

CHAP. XLIII.

REad not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thy self: if thou find any thing questionable the­re, use the Commentary of a severe fri­end, rather then the gloss of a sweet­lipt flatterer: there is more profit in a distastfull truth, then deceitfull sweet­ness.

CHAP. XLIV.

IF the opinion of thy worth invite any to the desire of thy acquaintance, yeeld him a respect sutable to his qua­lity: too great a reservation will expose thee to the sentence of Pride; too easie access will condemn thee to the censure of Folly: things too hardly endeavour'd, discourage the seeker: too easily ob­tain'd, disparage the thing sought for: too easily got, is lowly priz'd; and quic­kly lost,

CHAP. XLV.

WHen conveniency of time hath ri­pen'd your acquaintance, be cau­tious what thou say'st, and courteous in [Page]what thou do'st: observe his inclinati­on: if thou find him weight, make him thine own, and lodg him in a faithfull bosom: be not rashly exceptious, nor rudely familiar: the one will breed con­tention; the other contempt.

CHAP. XLVI.

WHen Passion is grounded upon Fan­cie, it is commonly but of short continuance: Where the foundation is unstable, there the building is not last­ing, He that will be angry for any Cause, will be angry for no Cause; and when the understanding perceives the cause vain, then the judgement proclaims the the effect voyd.

CHAP. XLVII.

IF thou desire to purchase Honour with thy wealth; consider first how that wealth became thine: if thy labour got it, let thy wisdom keep it: if Op­pression found it, let Repentance resto­re it: if thy parent left it, let thy vertues deserve it: Solet thy vertues deserve it: So shall thy honour be safer, better, and cheaper.

CHAP. XLVIII.

SIn is a Basilisk whose eyes ar full of Venom, if the eye of thy soul see her first, it reflects her own poyson and kills her: if she see thy soul, unseen, or seen too late, with her poyson, she kills thee: Since therefore thou canst not escape thy Sin, let not thy Sin escape thy ob­servation.

CHAP. XLIX.

IF thou expect'st to rise by the means of Him, whom thy Fathers greatness rais'd'from his service to Court prefer­ment, thou wilt be deceiv'd: For the more in esteem thou art, the more sensi­ble is He of what he was, whose former servitude will be Chronicled by thy ad­vancement, and glory obscured by thy greatness: However he will conceive it a dead service, which may be interpre­ted by thee, as a merited Reward, ra­ther than a meritorius benefit.

CHAP. L.

TRust not to the promise of a com­mon swearer, for he that dare sin [Page]a gainst his God, for neither profit nor pleasure, will trespass against thee for his own advantage. He that dare break the precepts of his Father, will easily be perswaded to violate the promise unto his Brother.

CHAP. LI.

LEt the greatest part of the news thou hearest be the lest part of what thou beleevest, lest the greatest part of what thou beleevest be the lest part of what is true. Where lies are easily ad­mitted, the Father of lies will not easily be excluded.

CHAP. LII.

DEliberate long, before thou con­secrate a Friend; and when thy im­partiall judgement concludes him wor­thy of thy bosom, receive him joy fully, and entertain him wisely: impart thy se­crets boldly, and mingle thy thoughts with his: He is thy very self; and use him so: if thou firmly think him Faithfull, thou mak'st him so.

CHAP. LIII.

AS there is no worldly gain, with­out some loss; so there is no world­ly loss without some gain. If thou hast lost thy wealth, thou hast lost some trou­ble with it: if thou art degraded from thy Honour thou art likewise freed from the stroke of envie; if sickness hath blurr'd thy beauty, it hath deliver'd thee from pride; Set the allowance against the loss, and thou shalt find no loss gre [...]; He loses little or nothing, that reser­ves himself.

CHAP. LIV.

IF thou desire to take the best advan­tage of thy self (especially in matters where the Fancy is most imploy'd) keep temperate diet, use moderate exercise, observe seasonable, and set hours for Rest; Let the end of thy first sleep raise thee from thy Repose: Then hath thy Body the best temper; Then hath thy Soul the lest incumberance: Then no noise shall disturb thy Ear; No object shall divert thine Eye: Then, if, thy sprightly Fancie transport thee not be­yond [Page]the common pitch, and shew thee not the Magazin of high invention, re­turn thee to thy wanton Bed, and there conclude thy self more fit to wear thy Mistresses Favour, then Apollos Bayes.

CHAP. LV.

IF thou art rich, strive to command thy money, lest she command thee: if thou know how to use her, she is thy Servant: if not, thou art her Slave.

CHAP. LVI.

BRing thy daughter a husband of her own Religion, and of no hereditary disease; Let his wisdom outweigh his wealth: Let his parentage excell his person, and let his years exceed hers: Let thy prayers recommend the rest to providence: if he prove, thou hast found a Son: if not, thou hast lost a Daugh­ter.

CHAP. LVII.

SO use Prosperity, that Adversity may not abuse thee: if in the one, Securi­ty admits no fears; in the other, Despair will afford no hopes: He that in Prospe­rity [Page]can foretell a danger, can in adver­sity foresee deliverance.

CHAP. LVIII.

IF thy faith have no doubts, thou hast just cause to doubt thy faith; and if thy doubts have no hope, thou hast just reason to fear despair; When there fore thy doubts shal exercise thy faith, keep thy hopes firm to qualifie thy doubts; So shall thy Faith be secured from doubts: So shall thy doubts be pre­served from despaire.

CHAP. LIX.

IF thou desire to be truly valiant, fear to do any injury: He that fears not to do evill, is always afraid to suffer evill: He that never fears is desperate: And he that fears always, is a Coward: He is the true valiant man, that dares no­thing but what he may, and fears no­thing but what he ought.

CHAP. LX.

ANger may repast with thee for an hour, but not repose for a night: The continuance of Anger is Hatred, [Page]the continuance of Hatred turns Mali­ce. That anger is not warrantable, which hath seen two Suns.

CHAP. LXI.

IF thou standest guilty of oppression, or wrongfully possest of anothers Right; see, thou make Restitution before thou givest an Alms: if otherwise, what art thou but a Thief, and makest God thy Receiver?

CHAP. LXII.

WHen thou pray'st for spirituall Gra­ces, let thy prayer be absolute; When, for temporall Blessings, add a Clause of Gods pleasure: in both, with Faith and Humiliation: So shalt thou undoubtedly receive what thou desi­rest, or more, or better; Never prayer rightly made, was made unheard, or heard, ungranted.

CHAP. LXIII.

HEe that gives all, though but lit­tle, gives much; because God looks not to the quantity of the Gift, but to the quality of the Giver; He [Page]that desires to give more then he can, hath equall'd his Gift to his desire, and hath given more then he hath.

CHAP. LXIV.

BEe not too greedy in desiring Riches, nor too eager in seeking them: nor too covetous in keeping them; nor too passionate in losing them: the first will possess thy soul of discontent; The second will dispossess thy body of Rest; The third will possess thy wealth of thee; The last will dispossess thee of thy self: He that is too violent in the con­cupiscible, will be as violent in the ira­scible.

CHAP. LXV.

BE not too rash in the breaking of an inconvenient custom: As it was gotten, so leave it by degrees. Danger attends upon too sudden Alterations: He that pulls down a, bad building by the great, may be ruin'd by the fall: But he that takes it down Brick, by Brick, may live to build a better.

CHAP. LXVI.

IF thou desire that inestimable Grace of saving Faith, detest that insatiable vice of damnable Covetousness: it is impossible, one heart (though never so double) should lodge both: Faith pos­sesses thee of what thou hast not; Cove­tousness dispossesses thee of what thou hast: Thou canst not serve God, unless Mammon serve thee.

CHAP. XLVII.

BEware of him that is slow to Anger: Anger when it is long in coming, is the stronger when it comes, and the lon­ger kept. Abused patience turns to fu­ry: When Fancy is the ground of pas­sion, that understanding which compo­ses the Fancy qualifies the passion; But when judgement is the ground the Me­mory is the Recorder.

CHAP. LXVIII.

HE that professes himself thy open enemy, arms thee against the evill he means thee, but he that dissembles himself thy secret Friend, strikes bey­ond [Page]Caution, and wounds above Cure: From the first, thou maist deliver thy self: From the last, good Lord deli­ver thee.

CHAP. LXIX.

IF thou hast wrong'd thy brother in thought, reconcile thee to him in thought; if thou hast offended him in words, let thy reconciliation be in words: if thou hast trespassed against him in deeds, by deeds be reconciled to him: That Reconciliation is most kindly which is most in kind.

CHAP. LXX.

NOt to give to the poor is to take from him: Not to feed the hungry, if thou hast it, is the utmost of thy po­wer to kill him: That therefore thou maist avoid both Sacriledg and Mur­ther, Be Charitable.

CHAP. LXXI.

SO often as thou remembrest thy sins without Grief, so often thou repecaest those sins by thy not grieving: He that will not mourn for the Evill which he [Page]hath done, gives earnest for the Evill he means to do; Nothing can asswage that fire which Sin hath made, but one­ly that Water which Repentance hath drawn.

CHAP. LXXII.

LOok well before thou leap into the chair of Honour: The higher thou climbest the lower thou fallest, un­lesh Vertue preserve thee: if Gold or Favour advance thee, thy Honour is pinn'd upon the wheel of Fortune: When the wheele shall turn, thy Ho­nour falls, and thou remain'st an ever­lasting Monument of thy own ambiti­ous folly.

CHAP. LXXIII

WE are born with our temptations: Nature somtimes presses us to e­vill, somtimes provokes us unto good, therefore thou givest her more then her due, thou nourishest an enemy; if less then is fufficient, thou destroyest a friend: Moderation will prevent both.

CHAP. LXXIV.

IF thou scorn not to serve Luxury in thy Youth, Chastity will scorn thy service in thy Age; and that the Will of thy green years thought no Vice in the acting, the necessity of thy gray hairs makes no Vertue, in the forbearing: Where there is no Con­flict, there can be no Conquest; where there is no Conquest, there is no Crown.

CHAP. LXXV.

THou didst nothing towards thy own Creation, for thou wert created for thy Creators glory; Thou must do som­thing towards thy own Redemption, for thou wert redeemed for thy own good: He that made thee without thee, will not save thee without. thee.

CHAP. LXXVI.

WHen thy tongue and heart agree not in confession, that confession is not agreeable to Gods pleasure: He that confesses with his tongue, and wants confession in his heart, is either a vain [Page]man, on an Hypocrite: He that hath confession in his heart, and wants it in his tongue, is either a proud man, or a timerous.

CHAP. LXXVII.

GOld, is Caesars Treasure, Man is Gods: Thy Gold hath Caesars ima­ge, and thou hast Gods; Give therefo­re those things unto Caesar which are Caesars; and unto God, which are Gods.

CHAP. LXXVIII.

IN the Commission of evill, fear no man so much as thy own self: Ano­ther is but one witness against thee: Thou art a thousand: Another thou maist avoid, but thy self thou canst not; Wickedness is its own punishment.

CHAP. LXXIX.

IN thy Apparell avoyd Singularity, Profuseness, and Gaudiness; Be not too early in the fashion; nor too late: Decency is the half-way between Affe­ctation and Neglect: The Body is the shell of the Soul; Apparell is the Husk of that Shell; The Husk often tels you what the Kernell is.

CHHP. LXXX.

LEt thy recreation be manly, mode­rate, seasonable, lawfull; if thy life be Sedentary, more tending to the ex­ercise of thy Body; if active, more to the refreshing of thy mind: The use of Recreation is to strengthen thy Labour, and sweeten thy Rest.

CHAP. LXXXI.

BEe not censorious, for thou know'st not whom thou judgest; it is a mo­re dextrous errour to speak well of an evill man, then ill of a good man. And safer for thy judgement to be misled by simple Charity, then uncharitable Wis­dome: He may tax others with privi­ledge, that hath not in himself, what others may tax.

CHAP. LXXXII.

TAke heed of that Honour, which thy wealth hath purchased thee, for it is neither lasting, nor thine own. What, money creates, money preserves: if thy wealth decays, thy Honur dies; it is but a slippery happiness which For­tunes [Page]can give, and Frowns can take; and not worth the owning which a nights Fire can melt, or a rough Sea can drown.

CHAP. LXXXIII.

IF thou canst desire any, thing not to be repented of, thou art in a fair way to Happiness; if thou hast attain'd it, thou art at thy ways end; He is not happy who hath all that he desires, but that desires nothing but what is good; if thou canst not do what thou need'st not repent, yet endeavour to repent what thy necessity hath done.

CHAP. LXXXIV.

SPend a hundred years in Earths best pleasures; and after that, a hundred more; to which being spent, add a thousand; and to that, ten thousand more; the last shall as surely end, as the first are ended, and all shall be swallowed with Eternity: He that is born to day, is not sure to live a day; He that hath lived the longest, is but as he that was born yesterday: The Happiness of the one is, That he hath [Page]liv'd; the Happiness of the other is, That he may live; and the lot of both is, That they must die: it is no hap­piness to live long, nor unhappiness to die soon: Happy is he that hath liv'd long enough, to die well.

CHAP. LXXXV.

BE carefull to whom thou givest, and how: He that gives to him that deserves not, loses his gift, and betrays the giver. He that conferrs his gift upon a worthy receiver, makes many deb­tors, and by giving, receives. He that gives for his own ends, makes his gift a bribe, and the receiver a prisoner: He that gives often, teaches requittance to the receiver, and discovers a crafty con­fidence in the giver.

CHAP. LXXXVI.

HAth any wronged thee? Be bra­vely reveng'd: Sleight it, and the work's begun; Forgive it, and 't is finisht: He is below himself that is not above an injury.

CHAP. LXXXVII.

LEt not thy passion miscall thy Child, least thou prophesie his fortunes: Let not thy tongue curse him, last thy curse return from whence it came: Curses sent in the room of blessings are driven back with a double vengeance.

CHAP. LXXXVIII.

IN all the Ceremonies of the Church which remain indifferent, do accor­ding to the constitution of that Church where thou art: The God of Order and Unity, who created both the Soul and the Body, expects Vnity in the one, and Order in both.

CHAP. LXXXIX.

LEt thy religious Fast be a voluntary abstinence, not so much from Flesh, as Fleshly thoughts: God is pleased with that Fast which gives to another, what thou deniest to thy self; and when the afflicting of thy own Bo­dy, is the repairing of thy Brothers. He fasts truly that abstains sadly, griev's really, gives cheerfully, and forgives charitably.

CHAP. XC.

IN the hearing of Mysteries keep thy tongue quiet: five words cost Zacha­rias forty weeks silence: In such he­ights, convert thy Questions into Won­ders; and let this suffice thee, The Rea­son of the Deed, is the power of the Doer.

CHAP. XCI.

DEride not him whom the looser world cals Puritan, lest thou offend a little one: if he be an Hypocrite, God, that knows him, will reward him; if zealous, that God that loves him, will revenge him: if he be good, he is good to Gods Glory: if evill, let him be evill at his own charges: He that judges, shall be judged.

CHAP. XCII.

SO long as thou art ignorant, be not asham'd to learn: He that is so fond­ly modest, not to acknowledge his own defects of knowledge, shall in time, be so fondly impudent to justifie his own ignorance: ignorance is the greatest of [Page]of all infirmities; and, justified, the chie­fest of all Follies.

CHAP. XCIII.

IF thou be a Servant, deal just by thy Master, as thou desirest thy Servant should deal with thee: Where thou art commanded, be obedient: where not commanded, be provident: Let dili­gence be thy Credit; Let faithfulness be thy crown: Let thy Masters credit be thy care, and let his welfare be thy con­tent: Let thine Eye be single, and thy heart humble: Be Sober, that thou maist be circumspect: He that in Sobri­ety is not his own man, being drunk, whose is he? Be neither contentious, nor Lascivious: The one shew's a tur­bulent Heart; The other an idle Brain. A good Servant is a great Master

CHAP. CXIV.

LEt the Foundation of thy Affection be Vertue, then make the Buil­ding as rich, and as glorious as thou canst: if the Foundation be Beauty, or Wealth, and the building Vertue the [Page]Foundation is too weak for the Buil­ding; and it will fall: Happy is he, the Pallace of whose affection is founded upon Vertue, wal'd with Riches, glaz'd with Beauty, and Roof'd with Honour.

CHAP. XCV.

IF thy mother be a widow, give her double honour, who now acts the part of a double Parent. Remember her nine moneths burthen, and her tenth moneths travell: forget not her indul­gence, when thou didst hang upon her tender breast. Call to mind her prayers for thee before thou cam'st into the world; and her cares for thee when thou wert come into the world. Re­member her secret Groans, her affectio­nate tears, her broken slumbers, her dayly fears, her nightly frights. Relie­ve her wants; cover her imperfections; comfort her age: and the widows hus­band will be the Orphans Father.

CHAP. XCVI.

AS thou desirest the love of God & man, beware of Pride: it is tumor in [Page]thy mind that breaks and poysons all thy actions; it is a worm in thy treasure which eats and ruines thy estate: it lo­ves no man; is beloved of no man; it disparages vertue in another by detra­ction; it disrewards goodness in it self, by vain glory: the friend of the flatterer, the mother of envy, the nurse of fury, the baud of luxury, the sin of devils, and the devill in mankind: it hates su­periours, it scorns inferiours, it owns no equals: in short, till thou hate it, God hates thee.

CHAP. XCVII.

SO behave thy self among thy chil­dren, that they may love and honour thy presence: be not too fond, least they fear thee not: be not too bitter, least they fear thee too much; too much familiarity will embolden them; too little countenance will discouragethem: so carry thy self, that thy may rather fear thy displeasure, than thy correction; when thou reprov'st them, do it in sea­son; when thou correct'st them, do it not in passion: as a wise child makes a [Page]happy father, so a wise father makes a happy child.

CHAP. XCVIII.

WHen thy hand hath done a good act, ask thy heart if it be well do­ne: the matter of a good action is the deed done; the form of a good action is the manner of the doing: in the first, another hath the comfort, and thou the glory; in the other, thou hast the com­fort, and God the glory: that deed is ill done wherein God is no sharer.

CHAP. XCIX.

WOuld'st thou purchase Heaven? advise not with thy own ability. The prize of Heaven is what thou hast? examin not what thou hast, but what thou art: give thy self, and thou hast bought it: if thy own vileness be thy fears, offer thy self and thou art pre­cious.

CHAP. C.

THe Birds of the air die to sustain thee; Beasts of the field die to nou­rish thee; the Fishes of the Sea die to feed thee. Our stomacks are their com­mon Sepulcher. Good God! with how many deaths are our poor lives patcht up! How full of death is the miserable life of momentany man!

CHAP. I.

IF thou take pains in what is good, the pains vanish, the good remains: if thou take pleasure in what is evil, the evil remains, and the pleasure vanishes: what art thou the worse for pains, or the better for plea­sure, when both are past?

CHAP. II.

IF thy fancy, and judgement have agreed in the choice of a fit wife, be not too fond, least she surfeit, nor too peevish, least she languish: love so, that thou mayst be fear'd; rule so, that thou mayst be honour'd: be not too dif­fident, least thou teach her to deceive thee, nor too suspicious, least thou teach her to abuse thee: if thou see a fault, let [Page]thy love hide it; if she continue it let thy wisdom reprove it: reprove her not openly, least she grow bold: rebuke her not tauntingly, least she grow spitefull: proclaim not her beauty, least she grow proud: boast not her wisdom, least thou be thought foolish; shew her not thy imperfections, least she disdain thee: pry not into her Dairy, least she despise thee: prophane not her ears with looss communication, least thou defile the sanctuary of her modesty: an understan­ding husband makes a discreet wife; and she, a happy husband.

CHAP III.

WRinkle not thy face with too much laughter, least thou become ridi­culous; neither wanton thy heart with too much mirth, least thou become vain: the suburbs of folly is vain mirth, and profuseness of laughter, is the City of fools.

CHAP. IV.

LEt thy tongue take counsell of one eye, rather then of two ears; let the news thou reportest be rather stale then [Page]false, least thou be branded with the name of lyer. It is an intolerable disho­neur to be that which onely to be call'd so, is thought worthy of a Stab.

CHAP. V.

LEt thy discourse be such as thy jud­gement may maintain, and thy company may deserve. In neglecting this, thou losest thy words; in not ob­serving the other, thou losest thy self. Give wash to swine, and wort to men; so shalt thou husband thy gifts to the ad­vantage of thy self, and shape thy dis­course to the advancement of thy he­arer.

CHAP. VI.

DOst thou roar under the Torments of a Tyrant? weigh them with the suf­ferance of thy Saviour, and they are no plague. Dost thou rage under the Bon­dage of a raving Conscience? compare it to thy Saviours passion, and it is no pain. Have the tortures of Hell taken hold of thy dispairing soul? compare it to thy Saviours torments, and it is no punishment: what sense unequally com­pares, [Page]let faith enterchangeably apply, and thy pleasures have no comparison. Thy sins are the Authors of his suffe­rings; and his hell is the price of thy heaven.

CHAP. VII.

ARt thou banisht from thy own Co­untry? thank thy own folly: hadst thou chosen a right home, thou hadst been no Exul: hadst thou commanded thy own Kingdom, all Kingdoms had been thy own: the fool is banisht in his own Countrey; the wiseman is in his owne Countrey, though banisht: the fool wanders, the wiseman traruls.

CHAP. VIII.

IN seeking vertue, if thou find pover­ty, be not ashamed: the fault is none of thine. Thy honour, or dishonour is purchased by thy own actions. Though vettue give a ragged livery, she gives a golden Cognizance: If her service ma­ke thee poor, blush not. Thy poverty may disadvantage thee, but not disho­nour the [...].

CHAP. IX.

GAze not on Beauty too much, least it blast thee; nor too long, least it blind thee; nor too near, least it burn thee: if thou like it, it deceives thee; if thou love it, it disturbs thee; if thou lust after it, it destroys thee: if vertue accompany it, it is the hearts paradise, if vice associate it, it is the souls purga­tory: it is the wisemans Bonefire, and the fools Furnace.

CHAP. X.

IF thou wouldst have a good servant, let thy servant find a wise master: let his food, rest, and wages be seasonable; let his labour, recreations, and atten­dance depend upon thy pleasure: be not angry with him too long, least he think thee malicious; nor too soon, least he conceive thee rash; nor too often, least he count thee humorous. Be not too fierce least he love thee not; nor too re­miss, least he fear thee not; nor too fa­miliar, least he prize thee not. In brief, whil'st thou giv'st him the liberty of a servant, beware thou losest not the Ma­jesty of a Master.

CHAP. XI.

IF thou desirest to be chast in Wed­lock, keep thy self chast before thou wedd'st: he that hath known pleasu­re unlawfully, will hardly be restrained from unlawfull pleasure. One woman was created for one man. He that strays beyond the limits of liberty, is brought into the verge of Slavery. Whe­re one is enough, two are too many, and three are too few.

CHAP. XII.

IF thou would'st be justified acknow­ledge thy injustice: he that confesses his sin, begins his journey towards sal­vation: he that is sorry for it, mends his pace: he that forsakes it, is at his journeys end.

CHAP. XIII.

BEfore thou reprehend another, take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend. He that cleanses a blot with blotted fingers, makes a greater blur.

CHAP. XIV.

BEware of drunkenness, lest all good men beware of thee; where drun­kenness reigns, there reason is an Exul; vertu a stranger; God an Enemy; Bla­sphemy is wit, Oaths are Rhetorick, and Secrets are Proclamations. Noah disco­ver'd that in one hour, drunk, which sober, he kept secret six hundred years

CHAP. XV.

WHat thou givest to the poor, thou securest from the Thief, but what thou withhold'dst from his necessity, a Thief possesses. Gods Exchequer is the poor mans Box: when thou strik'st a Tally, he becomes thy debtor,

CHAP. XVI.

TAke no pleasure in the folly of an Idiot, not in the fancy of a Lunatick nor in the frenzie of a Drunkard. Make them the object of thy pity, not of thy pastime; when thou behold'st them, be­hold how thou art beholding to him that fuffered thee not to be like them There is no difference between thee and them, but Gods favour.

CHAP. XVII.

IF being in eminent place, thou hast incurr'd the Obloquy of the multitu­de, the more thou endeavourest to stop the stream, the more it overflow's; wisely rather divert the course of the vulgar humour, by divulging and spre­ading some ridiculous noveltie, which may present new matter to their various fancy, and stave their tongues from off thy worried name. The first subject of the common voice, is the last news.

CHAP. XVIII.

IF thou desire to see thy child vertu­ous, let him not see his fathers vices: Thou canst not rebuke that in them, that they behold practis'd in thee; till reason be ripe, examples direct more then precepts: Such as thy behaviour is before thy childrens faces, such commonly is theirs behind their parents backs.

CHAP. XIX.

USe Law and Physick onely for ne­cessity; they that use them otherwi­se, [Page]abuse themselvs into weak bodies, and light purses: they are good reme­dies, bad buisnsses, and worse recre­ations.

CHAP. XX.

BE not over curious in prying into mysteries; lest, by seeking things which are needless, thou omittest things which are necessary: it is more safe to poubt of uncertain matters, then to di­spute of undiscover'd Mysteries.

CHAP. XXI.

IF what thou hast received from God thou sharest to the poor, thou hast gained a blessing by thy hand; if what thou hast taken from the poor, thou gi­vest to God, thou hast purchased a Cur­se into the Bargain. He that puts to pious uses, what he hath got by impious Usury, robs the Spittle to raise an Hos­pitall; and the cry of the one, will out-plead the prayers of the other.

CHAP. XXII.

LEt the end of thy argument be rather to discover a doubtfull Truth, than [Page]a commanding Wit; In the one, thou shalt gain substance; in the other, Froth: that flint strikes the steel in vain, that propagates no sparkles; covet to be Truths champion, at lest to hold her co­lours: he that pleads against the truth, takes pains to be overthrown; or, if a conquerour, gains but vainglory by the conquest.

CHAP. XXIII.

TAke no pleasure in the death of a creature, if it be harmeless or use­less, destroy it not: if usefull, or harm full destroy it mercifully: He that mer­cifully made his Creatures for thy sake, expects thy mercy upon them for his sake. Mercy turns her back to the un­mercifull.

CHAP. XXIV.

IF thou art call'd to the dignity of a Priest, the same voice calls thee to the honour of a Judge; if thy life and doctrin be good, thou shalt judge o­thers: if thy doctrin be good, and thy life bad, onely thy felf: if both be good, thou teachest thy people to escape con­demnation: [Page]if this be good, and that bad, thou teachest God to condem thee.

CHAP. XXV.

IF thou be not a Prometheus to advise before thou do'st; be an Epimetheus to examine when thou hast done: when the want of advise hath brought forth an improvident act, the act of ex­amination may produce a profitable Repentance.

CHAP. XXVI.

IF thou desire the happiness of thy soul, the health of thy body, the pro­sperity of thy estate, the preservation of thy credit, converse not with a Harlot: her eyes run thy reputation in debt; her lips demand the payment; her breasts arrests thee; her arms imprison thee; from whence, beleeve it, thou shalt hardly get forth till thou hast either en­ded the days of thy credit, or pay'd the utmost farthing of thy Estate.

CHAP. XXVII.

CAarry a watchfull eye upon those familiars that are either silent at thy faults, or sooth the in thy frailties, or [Page]excuse thee in thy follies; for such are either cowards, or flatterers, or fools: if thou entertain them in prosperity, the Coward will leave thee in thy dangers, the Flatterer will quit thee in thy adver­sity: but the fool will never forsake thee.

CHAP. XXVIII.

IF thou hast an Estate, and a son to inherit it, keep him not too short, least he think thou livest too long; what thou allowest him, let him receive from thy hand, as gift; not from thy Tenants, as Rent: keep the reins of thy Estate in thy own hand, least thou forsaking the soveraignty of a father, he forget the reverence of a child: let his liberty be grounded on thy permission, and keep him within the compass of thy instruction: let him feel, thou hast the Curb, though occasion urge thee not to check. Give him the choise of his owne wife, if he be wise. Counsell his affection rather than cross it, if thou beest wise; least his marriage-bed be made in secret, or depend upon thy gra­ve. If he be given to lavish company, [Page]endeavour to stave him off with lawfull recreations: be cheerfull with him, that he may love thy presence; and wink at small faults, that thou maist gain him: be not always chiding, least thou hard­en him: neither knit thy brow too of­ten, least thou dishearten him: remem­ber the discretion of a father oft times prevents the destruction of a child.

CHAP. XXIX.

IF thou hide thy Treasure upon the Earth, how can'st thou expect to find it in Heaven? Can'st thou hope to be a sharer where thou hast reposed no stock? What thou givest to God's glory, and thy soul's health, is laid up in Heaven, and is onely thine; that alone, which thou exchangest, or hidest upon Earth is lost.

CHAP. XXX.

REgard not in thy Pilgrimage how difficult the passage is, but whi­ther it tends; nor how delicate the jour­ney is, but where it ends: If it be easie, suspect it; if hard, endure it: He that [Page]can not excuse a bad way, accuseth his own sloth; and he that sticks in a bad passage, can never attain a good jour­ney's end.

CHAP. XXXI.

MOney is both the generation and corruption of purchas'd honour: honour is both the child and stave of po­tent money: the credit which honour hath lost money hath found: When honour grew mercenary, money grew honourable. The way to be truly No­ble, is to contemn both.

CHAP. XXXII.

GIve not thy tongue too great a liber­ty, lest it take thee prisoner: A word unspoken is like the sword in thy scab­berd, thine; if vented, thy sword is in anothers hand: if thou desire to be held wise, be so wise as to hold thy tongue.

CHAP. XXXIII.

IF thou be subject to any great vanity, nourish it not: if it will be entertai­ned, encourage it not: if it grow strong, more strongly strive against it; if too [Page]strong, pray against it; if it weaken not, joyn fasting to thy Prayer; if it shal continue, add perseverance to both; if it decline not, adde patience to all, and thou hast conquered it.

CHAP. XXXIV.

HAth any wounded thee with Inju­ries? meet them with patience; hastie words ranckle the wound, soft language dresses it, forgiveness cures it, and oblivion takes away the scarr. It is more noble, by silence to avoid an in­jury, then by argument to overcome it.

CHAP. XXXV.

BE not instable in thy resolutions, nor various in thy actions, nor in thy affections: so deliberate, that thou maist resolve; so resolve, that thou maist perform; so perform, that thou maist persevere: Mutability is the badg of Infirmity.

CHAP. XXXVI.

LEt not thy good intention flatter thee to an evill action; what is essentially evill, no circnmstance can [Page]make good; it matters not with what mind thou did'st that, which is unlaw­full, being done: if the act be good, the intention crown's it; if bad, it de­poses thy intention: no evill action can be well done.

CHAP. XXXVII.

LOve not thy children too unequal­ly; or, if thou do'st, shew it not; least thou make the one proud, the o­ther envious, and both Fools: if Na­ture hath made a difference, it is the part of a tender Parent to help the wea­kest. That triall is not fair, where af­fection is the judge.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

IN giving of thy alms, enquire not so much into the person, as his necessi­ty: God looks not so much upon the merits of him that requires, as in­to the manner of him that releiv's: if the man deserve not, thou hast given it to Humanity.

CHAP. XXXIX.

IF thou desirest the Eucharist should be thy Supper, let thy life be thy Chaplain; if thy own worthiness in­vites thee, presume not to come; if the sorrowfull sense of thy own sins forbid thee, presume not to forbear; if thy faith be strong, it will confirm it; if weak, it will strengthen it: He onely that wants Faith is the forbidden guest.

CHAP. LX.

WOuldst thou traffick with the best advantage, and Crown thy ver­tues with the best return? Make the poor thy Chapman, and thy purse thy Factor: So shalt thou give trifles which thou coul'st not keep, to receive treasure which thou canst not lose: There's no such Merchant as the charitable man.

CHAP. LXI.

FOllow not the multitude in the e­vill of sin, lest thou share with the multitude in the evill of punishment: [Page]The number of the Offenders dimi­nisheth not the quality of the offence: As the multitude of Suiters draw's mo­re favour to the Suit; So the multitude of Sinners draw's more punishment on the Sin: The number of the Faggots multiplies the fury of the Fire.

CHAP. XLII.

IF thou be angry with him that repro­ves thy Sin, thou secretly confesseth his reproof to be just: if thou ac­knowledg his Reproof to be just, thou secretly confessest thy anger to be unjust He that is angry with the just Repro­ver, kindles the fire of the just Reven­ger.

CHAP. XLIII.

DOe well while thou maist, lest thou do evill when thou wouldst not: Pe that takes not advantage of a good Hower, shall lose the Benefit of a good Will.

CHAP. XLIV.

LEt not mirth be thy profession, lest thou become a Make-sport. He [Page]that hath but gain'd the Title of a jester, let him assure himself, The Fool's not farr off.

CHAP. XLV.

IN every Relative action, change con­ditions with thy brother; Then ask thy conscience what thou woudest be done to; Being truly resolved exchan­ge again, and doe thou the like to him, and thy Charity shall never err: it is in­justice to do, what without impatience thou canst not suffer.

CHAP. XLVI.

LOve thy neighbour for Gods sake, and God for his own sake, who cre­ated all things for thy sake, and redee­med thee for his mercy sake: If thy love have any other Object, it is false love: if thy object have any other end, it is self-love.

CHAP. XLVIII.

LEt thy conversation with men, be sober and sincere: Let thy devo­tion to God be dutifull and decent: Let the one be hearty, and not haughty; Let [Page]the other be humble, and not homely: So live with men, as if God saw thee; So pray to God, as if men heard thee.

CHAP. XLVIII.

GOd's pleasure is the wind our acti­ons ought to sayl by: Man's will is the Stream that Tides them up and down; if the wind blow not, thou maist take the advantage of the Tide; if it blow, no matter which way the Stream runs, if with thee, thy voyage will be the shorter; if against thee, the Sea will be the rougher: it is safer to strive aga­inst the Stream, then to sail against the Wind.

CHAP. XLIX.

IF thou desire much Rest, desire not too much: there is no less trouble in the preservation, then in the acquisition of abundance; Diogenes found more rest in his Tub than Alexander on his Throne.

CHAP. L.

WOuld'st thou multiply thy riches? Diminish them wisely: Or wouldst [Page]thou make thy Estate entire? divide it charitably: Seeds that are scattered, en­crease; but hoarded up, they perish.

CHAP. LI.

HOw cam'st thou by thy Honour? By Money: How cam'st thou by thy Money? By Extortion: Compare thy penny worth with the price, and tell me truly, how truly Honourable thou art? It is an ill purchase that's encum­bred with a curse, and that Honour will be ruinous that is built on Rui­nes.

CHAP. LII.

IF thy Brother hath priyately offen­ded thee, reprove him ptiyately, and having lost himself in an injury, thou shalt find him in thy forgiuness: He that rebukes a private fault openly, betray's it, rather then reproves it.

CHAP. LIII.

WHat thou desirest, inspect through­ly before thou prosecute: Cast one eye upon the inconveniences, [Page]as well as the other upon the Conveniences. Weigh the fulness of the Barn with the Charge of the Plough: Weigh Honour with her Burden, and Pleasure with her Dangers; So shalt thou undertake wisely what thou desi­rest; or moderate thy desires in under­taking.

CHAP. LIV.

IF thou owest thy whole self to thy God for thy Creation, what hast thou left to pay for thy Redemption, that was not so cheap as thy Creation? In thy Creation, he gave thee thy self, and by thy self to him: In thy Redemption he gave himself to thee, and through him restor'd thee to thy felf: Thou art given and restor'd: Now what owest thou unto thy God? if thou hast paid all thy debts, give him the Surplusage, and thou hast merited.

CHAP. LV.

IN thy discourse take heed what thou speakest, to whom thou speakest, how thou speakest, and when thou speakest: What thou speakest, speak [Page]speak truly; when thou speakest, speak wisely. A Fools heart is in his Ton­gue; but a Wise mans Tongue is in his heart.

CHAP. LVI.

BEefore thou act a Theft, consider what thou art about to do: if thou take it, thou losest thy self; if thou keep it, thou disenablest thy Redemption: Till thou rest or'st it, thou canst not be restored; When it is restor'd, it must cost thee more pain, and sorrow, than ever it brought thee pleasure or profit. It is a great folly to please the Palate with that which thou knowest must ei­ther be vomited, or thy death.

CHAP. LVII.

SIlence is the highest wisdom of a Fool, and Speech is the greatest tri­al of a Wise man, if thou would'st be known a Wise man, let thy words shew thee so; if thou doubt thy words, let thy silence feign thee so. It is not a grea­ter point of Wisdome to discover knowledg, then to hide ignorance.

CHAP. LVIII.

THe Clergy is a Copy book, their Life is the Paper, whereof some is purer, some Courser: Their Doctrine is the Copies, some written in a plain Hand others in a Flourishing Hand, some in a Text Hand, some in a Roman Hand, others in a Court Hand, others in a Bastard Roman: if the choice be in thy power, chuse a Book that hath the finest Paper, let it not bee too straight nor too loosely bound, but easie to lye open to every Eye; follow not every Copy, least thou be good at none: A­mong them all chuse one that shall be most Legible and usefull, and fullest of Instructions. But if the Paper chan­ce to have a Blot, remember, the Blot is no part of the Copy.

CHAP. LIX.

VErtue is nothing but an act of lov­ing that which is to be beloved, and that act is Prudence, from whence not to be removed by constraint is For­titude; not to be allur'd by entice­ments is Temperance; not to be di­verted [Page]by Pride is justice. The decli­ning of this act is Vice.

CHAP. LX.

REbuke thy Servants fault in priva­te: publique reproof hardens his shame: if he be past a youth, strike him not: he is not fit for thy service, that after wise reproofs will either deserve thy strokes, or digest them.

CHAP. LXI.

TAke heed rather what thou recei­vest, then what thou givest; What thou givest leaves thee, what thou ta­kest, sticks by thee: He that presents a gift buys the Receiver; he that takes a gift sells his liberty.

CHAP. LXII.

THings Temporal, are sweeter in the Expectation: Things Eternal are sweeter in the Fruition: The first shames thy Hope, the second crown's it: it is a vain Journey, whose end af­fords less pleasure then the way.

CHAP. LXIII.

KNow thy self that thou maist Fear God: Know God, that thou maist Love him; in this, thou art initiated to wisdom; in that, perfected: The Fe­ar of God is the beginning of Wisdom: The Love of God is the fulfilling of the Law.

CHAP. LXIV.

IF thou hast Providence to foresee a danger, let thy Prudence rather pre­vent it, than fear it. The fear of fu­ture evils brings oftentimes a present mischief: Whilst thou seek'st to pre­vent it, practise to bear it. He is a wise man that can avoyd an evill; he is a pa­tient man that can endure it; but he is a vailiant man can conquer it.

CHAP. LXV.

IF thou hast the place of a Magistrate, deserve it by thy Justice, and digni­fie it with thy Mercy: Take heed of early gifts: an open hand makes a blind eye: be not more apt to punish Vice, then to encourage Vertue. Be not too [Page]severe, least thou be hated, nor too re­miss, least thou be sleighted: So execu­te Justice, that thou mayst be loved: so execute mercy, that thou mayest be feared.

CHAP. LXVI.

LEt not thy Table exceed the fourth part of thy Revenu: Let thy pro­vision be solid, and not farr fetcht, ful­ler of substance than Art: Be wisely fru­gall in thy preparation, and freely cheer­full in thy entertainment: If thy guests be right, it is enough; if not, it is too much: Too much is a vanity; enough is a Feast.

CHAP. LXVII.

LEt thy apparell be decent, and sui­ted to the quality of thy place and purse: Too much punctualitie, and too much morositie, are the two Poles of Pride: Be neither too early in the Fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it: what custom hath civi­liz'd, is become decent, till then, ridi­culous: Where the Eye is the Jury, thy apparell is the evidence.

CHAP. XLVIII.

IF thy words be too luxuriant, con­fine them, least they consine thee: He that thinks he never can speak enough, may easily speak too much. A full ton­gue, and an emty brain, are seldom parted.

CHAP. LXIX.

IN holding of an argument, be nei­ther cholerick, nor too opinionate; The one distempers thy understan­ding; the other abuses thy judgement: Above all things decline Paradoxes and Mysteries: Thou shalt receive no ho­nour, either in maintaining rank falshoods, or medling with secret truths? as he that pleads against the truth, makes with the mother of his Errour: so he that argues beyond warrant, makes wisdom the midwife of his folly.

CHAP. LXX

DEtain not the wages from the poor man that hath earn'd it, least God withhold thy wages from thee: If [Page]he complain to thee, hear him, least he complain to Heaven, where he will be heard: if he hunger for thy sake, thou shalt not prosper for his sake. The poor mans penny is a plague in the rich mans purse.

CHAP. LXXI.

BE not too cautious in discerning the sit objects of thy Charity, least a soul perish through thy discretion: What thou givest to mistaken want, shall re­turn a blessing to thy deceived heart: Bet­ter in relieving idleness to commit an accidental evil, then in neglecting mi­sery to omit an essential good: Better two Drones be preserv'd, then one Bee perish.

CHAP. LXII.

THeology is the Empress of the world; Mysteries are her Privy Covncell; Religion is her Clergy; The Arts her Nobility; Philosophy her Secretary: The Graces her Maids of Honour; The Moral vertues, the Ladies of her Bed-chamber; Peace is her Chamberlain; True joy, and endless plea­sures [Page]are her Courtiers; Plenty her Treasurer; Poverty her Exchequer; The Temple is her Court: If thou de­sire access to this great Majesty, the way is by her Courtiers; if thou hast no po­wer there, the common way to the So­vereign is the Secretary.

CHAP. LXXIII.

IT is an evill knowledg to know the good thou shouldst embrace, unless thou likewise embrace the good thou knowest: The breath of divine know­ledg, is the bellows of divine love, and the flame of divine love, is the perfecti­on of divine knowledg.

CHAP. LXXIV.

IF thou desire rest unto thy soul, be just: He that doth no injury, fears not to suffer injury: The unjust mind is always in labour: It either practises the evill it hath projected, or projects to avoid the evill it hath deserved.

CHAP. LXXV.

ACcustome thy palate to what is most usuall: He that delights in rariti­es, [Page]must often feed displeased, and som­times lie at the mercy of a dear market: common food nourishes best, delicates please most: The sound stomack pre­ferr's neither. What art thou the worse for the last years plain diet, or what now the better for thy last great Feast?

CHAP. LXXVI.

WHo ever thou art, thou hast done more evill in one day, than thou canst expiate in six; and canst thou think the evill of six days can require less then one? God hath made us rich in days, by allowing six, and himself poor by reser­ving but one; and shall we spare our own flock, and shear his Lamb? He that hath done nothing but what he can justifie in the six days, may play the se­venth.

CHAP. LXXVII.

HOpe and Fear, like Hippocrates Twins, should live and die toge­ther: If hope depart from fear, it travels by security, and lodges in presumption; if fear depart from hope, it travels to insidelitie, and Inns in despair the one [Page]shuts up heaven, the other opens hell; the one makes thee insensible of Gods frowns, the other, incapable of Gods favours; and both teach God to be un­mercifull, and thee to be most misera­ble.

CHAP. LXXVIII.

CLose thine ear against him that shall open his mouth secretly against an­other: If thou re [...]eive not his words, they [...]ie back, and wound the Report [...]: If thou receive them, they flee forward, and wound the receiver.

CHAP. LXXIX.

IF thou wouldst preserve a sound bo­dy, use fasting and walking; if a healthfull soul, fasting and praying; Walking exercises the body, praying exercises the soul, fasting cleanses both.

CHAP. LXXX.

WOuld'st thou not be thought a fool in anothers conceit? Be not wise in thine own: He that trusts to his own wisdom, proclaim's his own folly: He is truly wise, and shall [Page]appear so, that hath folly enough to be thought not worldly wise, or wisdom enough to see his own folly.

CHAP. LXXXI.

DEsir'st thou knowledg? know the end of thy desire: Is it only to know? Then it is curiosity: Is it be­cause thou mayst be known? then t'is vanity: If because thou may'st edifie, it is charity: If because thou may'st be edified, it is wisdom. That knowledg turns to meer excrement, that hath not some heat of wisdom to digest it.

CHAP. LXXXII.

WIsdom without innocency is kna­very; Innocency without wis­dom is foolery: Be therefore as wise as serpents, and innocent as doves: The subtilty of the serpent, instructs the innocency of the dove: The inno­cency of the dove, corrects the subtilty of the serpent: What God hath joyn'd together, let no man seperate.

CHAP. LXXXIII.

THe more thou imitatest the vertues of a Saint departed, the better thou celebrat'st that Saints day. God is not pleased with surfeiting for his sake, who with his fasting so often pleas'd his God.

CHAP. LXXXIV.

CHuse not thy serviceable souldier out of soft apparell, lest he prove effoeminate, nor out of a full purse, lest he grow timorous: They are more fit for action, that are fiery to gain a fortu­ne abroad, then they that have fortunes to lose at home. Expectation breeds spirit; Fruition brings fear.

CHAP. LXXXV.

GOd hath given to mankind a com­mon Library, his creatures; and to every man a proper book, Himself, being an abridgement of all the other: If thou read with understanding, it will make thee a great master of Philosophy, and a true servant to the divine Authour. If thou but barely read, it will make thee thy own Wise man, and the Au­thours fool.

CHAP. LXXXVI.

DOubt is a weak child lawfully be­gotten between an obstructed judg­ment, and a fair understanding. Opi­nion is a bold bastard gotten between a strong fancie, and a weak judement; it is less dishonourable to be ingenuosly doubtfull, then rashly opinionate.

CHAP. LXXXVII.

AS thou art a morall man, esteem thy self not as thou art, but as thou art esteem'd. As thou art a Christian, e­steem thy self as thou art, not as thou art esteem'd: Thy price in both rises and fals as the market goes. The mar­ket of a morall man is wild opinion. The market of a Christian is a good consci­ence.

CHAP. LXXXVIII.

PRovidence is an exercise of reason; experience an act of sense: by how much reason excel's sense, by so much providence exceeds experience. Pro­vidence prevents that danger, which experience repents: Providence is the [Page]rational daughter of wisdom: experi­ence the Empirical mistress of fools.

CHAP. XXXIX.

HAth fortune dealt thee ill Cards? let wisdom make thee a good Game­ster: in a fair Gale, every fool may sail; but wise behaviour in a storm com­mends the wisdom of a Pilot: To bear adversity with an equal mind, is both the sign and glory of a brave Spirit.

CHAP. XC.

IF any speak ill of thee, flee home to thy own conscience, and examin thy heart: if thou be guilty, 't is a just cor­rection: if not guilty, 't is a fair instru­ction: make use of both, so shalt thou distill Honie out of Gall, and out of an open enemy, create a secret friend.

CHAP. XCI.

AS the exercise of the body natural is moderate recreation, so the ex­ercise of the body politick, is military discipline: by that the one is made mo­re able; by this, the other is made mo­re active: Where both are wanting, [Page]there wants no danger to the one, through a humorous superfluity; to the other, by a negligent security.

CHAP. XCII.

GOd is above thee, Beasts are bene­ath thee: acknowledg him that is above thee, and thou shalt be acknow­ledg'd by them that are under thee: Whil'st Daniel acknowledg'd God to be above him, the Lions acknowledg'd Daniel to be above them.

CHAP. XCIII.

TAke heed whil'st thou shewest wis­dom in not speaking, thou betrayest not thy folly in too long silence: if thou art a fool, thy silence is wisdom; if a wise man, too long silence is folly; As too many words from a fools mouth, gives a wise man no leave to speak; so too long silence in a wise man, gives a fool the opportunity of speaking, and makes thee guilty of his folly.

CHAP. XCIV.

COnsider what thou wert, what thou art, what thou shalt be: What's [Page]within thee, what's above thee, what's beneath thee, what's against thee: what was before thee, what shall be after thee; and this will bring to thy self humility, to they neighbour charity, to the world contempt, to thy God obedience: He that know's not himself Positively, can not know himself Relatively.

CHAP. XCV.

THink not thy love to God merits Gods love to thee: his acceptance of thy duty crowns his own gifts in thee: Mans love to God is nothing but a faint reflection of God's love to man.

CHAP. XCVI.

BE always less willing to speak then to hear; what thou hearest thou re­ceivest; what thou speakest thou gi­vest. It is more glorious to give, more profitable to receive.

CHAP. XCVII.

SEest thou good dayes? prepare for evil times: No Summer but hath his Winter: He never reap'd comfort in adversity, that sow'd it not in prosperity.

CHAP. XCVIII

IF being a magistrate, thou connivest at vice, thou nourishest it; if thou sparest it, thou committest it: What is not, by thee, punisht in others, is ma­de punishable in thee. He that favours present evils, en tails them upon his po­sterity: He that excuses the guilty, condemns the Innocent.

CHAP. XCIX.

TRuth haunts no corners, seeks no by-ways: If thou profess it, do it openly: if thou seek it, do it fairly: he deserv's not to profess Truth, that pro­fesses it fearfully he deserv's not to find the Truth that seeks it fraudu­lently.

CHAP. C.

IF thou desire to be wiser yet, think not thy self yet wise enough: and if thou desire to improve knowledg in thy self, despise not the instructions of another: He that in­structs him, that thinks himself wise enough, hath a fool to his schollar: He that thinks himselfe wise enough to instruct himself, hath a fool to his master.

The end of the Third Century.

CHAP. I

DEmean thy self more warily in thy study, then in the street. If thy public acti­ons have a hundred witnes­ses, thy private have a thou­sand. The multitude look's but upon thy actions: Thy conscience look's into them: the multitude may chance to excuse thee, if not acquit thee, thy con­science will accuse thee, if not con­demn thee.

CHAP. II.

OF all vices take heed of Drunken­ness; Other vices are but fruits of disordered affections: this disorders, nay, banishes reason: Other vices but impair the soul, this demolishes her two chief faculties; the Understanding, and the Will: Other vices make their own way; this makes way for all vices: He that is a Drunkard is qualified for all vice.

CHAP. III.

IF thy sin trouble thee, let that trou­ble comfort thee; as pleasure in the remembrance of sin exasperats Ju­stice, so sorrow in the repentance of sin mollifies mercy: it is less danger to com­mit the sin we delight in, than to delight in the sin we have committed.

CHAP. IV.

THe way to God is by thy self, The way to thy self is by thy own cor­ruptions: he that balks this way, err's; he that travels by the creatures, wan­ders. The motion of the Heavens shall give thy soul no rest: the vertue of Herbs shall not encrease thine. The height of all Philosophy, both natural and moral, is to know thy self, and the end of this knoweledg is to know God.

CHAP. V.

INfamy is where it is receiv'd: if thou art a Mudd-wall, it wil stick: [Page]if Marbl, it will rebound: if thou storm at it, 'tis thine: if thou contemn it, 't is his.

CHAP. VI.

IF thou desire Magistracy, learn to forget thy self; if thou undertake it, bid thy self farewell; he that looks upon a common cause with private eyes, looks through false Glasses. In the exercise of thy politic office, thou must forget both Ethicks and Oecono­micks. He that puts on a public Gown, must put off a private Person.

CHAP. VII.

LEt the words of a Virgin, though in a good cause, and to as good purpose, be neither, violent, many, nor first, nor last: it is less shame for a Virgin to be lost in a blushing silence, then to be found in a bold Eloquence.

CHAP. VIII.

ARt thou in plenty? give what thou wilt: Art thou in poverty? give what thou canst: as what is receiv'd, is receiv'd according to the manner of [Page]the receiver; so what is given, priz'd according to the measure of the giver: he is a good workman that makes as good work as his matter will permit.

CHAP. IX

GOd is the Author of Truth; the Devill, the Father of Lies: If the telling of a truth shall endanger thy life, the author of Truth will protect thee from the danger, or reward thee for thy dammage. If the telling of a Lie may se­cure thy life, the father of Lies will be­guil thee of thy gains, or traduce the security. Better by losing of a life to sa­ve it, then by saving of a life to lose it. However, better thou perish than the Truth.

CHAP. X.

Consider not so much what thou hast, as what others want: what thou hast, take heed thou lose not. What thou hast not, take heed thou covet not: if thou hast many above thee, turn thy eye upon those that are under thee: If thou hast no Inferiours, have patience a while, and thou shalt have no Supe­riours. The grave requires no marshal.

CHHP. XI.

IF thou seest any thing in thy self, which may make thee proud, look a little further, and thon shalt find e­nough to humble thee; if thou be wise, view the Peacock's feathers with his feet, and, weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections. He thar would rightly prize the man, must read his whole Story.

CHAP. XII.

LEt not the sweetness of contempla­tion be so esteem'd, that action be despis'd, Rachel was more fair, Lea more fruitfull: as contemplation is more delightfull, so is it more dangerous: Lot was upright in the City and wicked in the Mountain.

CHAP. XIII.

IF thou hast but little, make it not less by murmuring: if thou hast e­nough, make it not too much by un­thankfulness: He that is not thankfully contented with the lest favour he hath receiv'd, hath made himself incapable of the lest favour he can receive.

CHAP. XIV.

WHat thou hast taken unlawfully, restore speedily, for the sin in ta­king it, is repeated every minute thou keep'st it: if thou canst, restore it in kind: if not, in value; if it may be, restore it to the party; if not, to God: the Poor is Gods Receiver.

CHAP. XV.

LEt the fear of a danger be a spur to prevent it: He that fears other­wise, gives advantage to the danger: It is less folly not to endevour the pre­vention of the evil thou fearest, then to fear the evil which thy endeavor can­not prevent.

CHAP. XVI.

IF thou hast any excellence which is thine own, thy tongue may glory in it without shame; but if thou hast re­ceiv'd it, thy glory is but usurpation; and thy pride is but the prologu of thy shame: Where vainglory commands, there folly counsels; where pride Ri­des, there shame Lacquies.

CHAP. XVII.

GOd hath ordained his creatures, not onely for necessity, but de­light; since he hath carv'd thee with a bountifull hand, fear not to receive it with a liberal heart: He that gave thee water to allay thy thirst, gave thee wine to exhilarat thy heart. Restore him for the one, a necessity of thanks, return him for the other, the chearfulness of prais.

CHAP. XVII.

IF the wicked flourish and thou suf­fer, be not discourag'd: thy are fatted for destruction; thou art Dieted for health; they have no other Heaven but the hopes of a long Earth; thou hast no­thing on Earth but the hopes of a quick Heaven: if there were no journeys end, the travell of a Christian were most com­fortless.

CHAP. XIX.

IMp not thy wings with the Churches feathers, least thou flie to thy own Ruine: impropriations are bold Me­taphors; [Page]which continued, are deadly Allegories: one foot of land in Capite, encumbers the whole estate: The Ea­gle snatcht a coal from the Altar, but it fired her Nest.

CHAP. XX.

LEt that table which God hath ple­as'd to give thee, please thee: He that made the Vessell knows her bur­then, and how to ballast her; He that made all things very good, cannot but do all things very well; If thou be con­tent with a little, thou hast enough: if thou complainest, thou hast too much.

CHAP. XXI.

WOuld'st thou discover the true worth of a man? Behold him na­ked: dis-treasure him of his ill-got We­alth, degrade him of his dear bought honour dis-robe him of his purple Habit. Discard his pamper'd body; then look upon his soul, and thou shalt find how great he is: Naturall sweetness is never sented but in the absence of artificiall.

CHAP. XXII.

IF thou art subject to any secret folly blab it not, last thou appear impu­dent; nor boast of it lest thou seem insolent: Every mans vanity ought to be his greatest shame: and every mans folly ought to be his greatest secret.

CHAP. XXIII.

IF thou be ignorant, endeavour to get knowledg, least thou be beaten with stripes: if thou hast attain'd know­ledg, put it in practice, least thou be beaten with many stripes: Better not to know what we should practise, then not to practise what we know; and less danger dwell's in unaffected ignorance, then unactive knowledg.

CHAP. XXIV.

TAke heed thou harbour not that vice call'd Envy, least anothers hap­piness be thy torment, and God's bles­sing becom thy Curse: vertue corrup­ted with vain-glory, turn's Pride: Pride poyson'd with malice, becoms En­vy: joyn therfore Humility with thy [Page]Vertu, and Pride shall have no foo­ting, and Envy shall find no entrance.

CHAP. XXV.

IF thy endeavour cannot prevent a Vice, let thy Repentance lament it: the more thou remembrest it without heart's grief the deeper it is rooted in thy heart: take heed it please thee not, especially in cold blood: Thy pleasure in it makes it fruitfull, and her fruit is thy destruction.

CHAP. XXVI.

THe two knowledges, of God, and thy self, are the high way to thy Salvation; that breeds in thee a filial love; this a filial fear: The ignorance of thy self is the begining of all sin, and the ignorance of God is the perfection of all evil.

CHAP. XXVII.

RAther do nothing to the purpose, then be idle, that the Devil may find thee doing: the Bird that sits is easily shot, when fliers' scape the Fowler: idle­ness is the dead Sea that swallow's [Page]all Vertues, and the Self-made Sepul­cher of a living man: the idle man is the Devils hireling; whose livery is rags whose diet and wages are famin, and diseases.

CHAP. XXVIII.

BE not so mad as to alter that Coun­tenance which thy Creatour made thee: Remember it was the work of his Hands; if it be bad, how dar'st thou mend it? If it be good, why dost thou mend it? art thou asham'd of his work, and proud of thy own? he made thy face to be known by, why desirest thou to be known by another: it is a shame to adulterate modesty, but more to adul­terate nature. Lay by thy art, and blush not to appear what he blushes not to make thee. It is better to be his Picture than thy own.

CHAP. XXIX.

LEt the ground of all thy Religious actions be obedience, examine not why it is commanded, but observe it, because it is commanded. True obedience neither procrastinates, nor questions.

CHAP. XXX.

IF thou wouldst buy an inheritance in Heaven, advise not with thy Purs, least in the mean while thou lose thy purchase: The Widow bought as much for two mites, as Zaccheus did for half his estate: the prize of that purchase is what thou hast, and is not lost for what thou hast not, if thou desire to have it.

CHHP. XXXI.

WIth the same height of desire thou hast sinn'd, with the like depth of sorrow thou must repent: thou that hast sinn'd to day, deferr not thy repentance till to morrow: he that hath promised pardon to thy Repentance, hath not promised life till thou repent.

CHAP. XXXII.

TAke heed how thou receivest prais from men: from good men nei­ther avoid it, nor glory in it. From evil men, neither desire it, nor expect it: To be praised of them that are evil, or for that which is evil, is equal disho­nour: [Page]He is happy in his worth, who is praised by the good, and imitated by the bad.

CHAP. XXXIII.

PRoportion thy chatity to the strength of thy estate, least God pro­portion thy estate to the weakness of thy charity: Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, least in seeking ap­plause, thou lose thy Reward: Nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand, and a close mouth.

CHAP. XXXIV.

DOst thou want things necessary? Grumble not: perchance it was a necessary thing thou should'st want: Endeavour lawfully to supply it; if God bless not thy endeavour, bless him that knoweth what is fittest for thee. Thou art Gods Patient: Prescribe not thy Physician.

CHAP. XXXV.

IF anothers death, or thy own de­pend upon thy confession, if thou canst, say nothing: if thou must, say [Page]the Truth: it is better, thou lose thy life, than God his Honour: it is as ea­sie for him to give thee life, being con­demn'd; as repentance, having sinn'd: it is more wisdom to yeeld thy Body, than hazard thy Soul.

CHAP. XXXVI.

CLoath not thy language, either with Obscurity, or affectation: in the one thou discover'st too much dark­ness, in the other, too much lightness: He that speaks from the understanding, to the understanding, is the best inter­preter.

CHAP. XXXVII.

IF thou expectest death as a friend, prepare to entertain it: If thou ex­pectest death as an enemy, prepare to overcom it: Death has no advantage, but when it coms a stranger.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

FEar nothing, but what thy industry may prevent: Be confident of no­thing but what fortune cannot defeat: it is no less folly to fear what is impossi­ble [Page]to be avoided, then to be secure when there is a possibility to be depriv'd.

CHAP. XXXIX.

LEt not the necessity of Gods decree discourage thee to pray, or dishear­ten thy prayers; doe thou thy duty, and God will do his pleasure: if thy prayers make not him sound that is sick, they will return, and confirm thy health that art sound: If the end of thy prayer be to obtain thy request, thou confinest him that is infinite: if thou hast done well, because thou wert commanded, thou hast thy reward in that thou hast obeyed. Gods pleasure is the end of our prayers.

CHAP. XL.

MArry not too young, and when thou art too old, marry not, least thou be fond in the one, or thou dote in the other, and repent for both: let thy liking ripen before thou love: let thy Love advise before thou choos; and let thy choice be fixt before thou marry: Remember that the whole happiness or unhappiness of thy life depends upon [Page]this one Act. Remember nothing but death can dissolve this knot. He that weds in haste, repents ofttimes by lei­sure: And he that repents him of his own act, either is, or was a fool by con­fession.

CHAP. XLI.

IF God hath sent thee a Cross, take it up and follow him: use it wisely, least it be unprofitable; Bear it pa­tiently, least it be intolerable: Behold in it Gods anger against sin, and his love towards thee; in punishing the one, and chastening the other: if it be light, sleight it not; if heavy, murmur not: Not to be sensible of a judgement is the symptom of a hardned heart; and to be displeas'd at his pleasure, is a sign of a rebellious will.

CHAP. XLII.

IF thou desirest to be magnanimous, undertake nothing rashly, and fear nothing thou undertak'st: Fear no­thing but infamy: Dare any thing but injury; the measure of magnanimity is, neither to be rash, nor timorous.

CHAP. XLIII.

PRactise in health, to bear sickness, and endeavour in the strength of thy life to entertain death: He that hath a will to die, not having power to live, shew's necessity, not vertue: It is the glory of a brave mind to embrace pangs in the very arms of pleasure: What name of vertu merits he, that goes when he is driven?

CHAP. XLIV.

BE not too punctual in taking place: If he be thy superiour, 'tis his due; if thy inferiour, 'tis his dishonour: It is thou must honour thy place; thy Pla­ce, not thee: It is a poor reward of worth that consists in a right hand, or a brick-wall.

CHAP. XLV.

PRay often, because thou sinn'st always: Repent quickly, lest thou die suddenly. He that repents it, be­cause he wants power to act it, repents not of a sin: for He that wants power to actuate his sin, hath not forsaken his sin, but his sin him.

CHAP. XLVI.

MAke Philosophy thy journey, Theology thy journeys end: Phi­losophy is a pleasant way, but dangerous to him that either tires or retires: in this journey it's safe, neither to loyter, nor to rest, till thou hast attained thy journeyes end: He that sits down a Philosopher, rises up an Atheist.

CHAP. XLVII.

FEar not to sin, for God's sake, but thy own? Thy sin overthrow's not his glory, but thy good: He gain's his Glory not onely from the salvation of the Repentant, but also from the con­fusion of the Rebellious: There be vessels for honour, and vessels for disho­nour, but both for his honour. God is not grieved for the glory he shall lose for thy improvidence, but for the horror thou shalt sind for thy impenitence.

CHAP. XLVIII.

INsult not over misery, nor deride infirmity, nor despise deformity. The first, shews thy inhumanity: [Page]the second, thy folly; the third, thy pride: He that made him miserable, made thee happy to lament him: He that made him weak, made thee strong to support him: He that made him de­form'd, gave thee favour to be hum­bled: He that is not sensible of ano­thers unhappiness, is a living stone; but he that makes misery the object of his triumph is an incarnate Devil.

CHAP. XLIX.

MAke thy recreations, servants to thy business, least thou become slave to thy recreations: When thou goest up into the Mountain, leave this servant in the Valley: When thou goest to the City, leave him in the Suburbs. And remember, The servant must not be greater than his Master.

CHAP. L.

PRaise no man too liberally before his face, nor censure him too la­vishly behind his back; the one savours of flattery; the other, of malice; and both are reprehensible: The true way to advance anothers vertue, is to fellow [Page]it; and the best means to cry down anothers vice, is to decline it.

CHAP. LI.

IF thy Prince command a lawfull act, give him all active obedience: if he command an unlawfull act, give him passive obedience. What thy well gro­unded conscience will suffer, do chear­fully without repining; where thou maist not do lawfully, fuffer couragi­ously without Rebellion: Thy life and livelihood is thy Princes, Thy consci­ence is thy own.

CHAP. LII.

IF thou givest, to receive the like, it is Exchange: if to receive more, it is covetousness: if to receive thanks, it is vanity: if to be seen, it is vain-glo­ry; if to corrupt, it is Bribery; if for Example, it is formality; if for com­passion, it is Charity; if because thou art commanded, it is obedience: The affection in doing the work, gives a name to the work done.

CHAP. LIII.

FEar death, but be not afraid of Death. To fear it, whets thy ex­pectation: To be afraid of it, dulls thy preparation: if thou canst endure it, it is but a sleight pain; if not, it is but a short pain: to fear death is the way to live long; to be afraid of Death, is to be long a dying.

CHAP. LIV.

IF thou desire the love of God and man, be humble; for the proud heart, as it loves none but it self, so it is beloved of hone, but by it self: The voice of humility is God's music, and the silence of Humility is Gods Rheto­ric: Humility enforces, where nei­ther verrue nor strength can pravail, nor Reason.

CHAP. LV.

LOok upon thy burning Taper, and there see the Emblem of thy Life: The slame is thy Soul; The wax, thy Body, and is commonly a span long; The wax, (if never so well tempered) [Page]can but last his length; and who can lentghen it? If ill tempered, it shall wast the faster, yet last his length; an open window shall hasten either, an Extinguisher shall put out both: Hus­band them the best thou canst, thou canst not lengthen them beyond their date: leave them to the injury of the Wind, or to the mercy of a wastfull, hand, thou hastnest them, but still they burn their length: But puff them out, and thou hast shortned them, and stopt their passage, which else had brought them to their appointed end: Bodies according to their constitutions, stron­ger or weaker, according to the equa­lity or inequality of their Elements, ha­ve their dates, and may be preserv'd from shortning, but not lengthened. Neglect may wast them, ill diet may hasten them unto their journe's end, yet they have liv'd their length; A violent hand may interrupt them; a sudden death may stop them, and thy are short­ned. It lies in the power of man, ei­ther permissively to hasten, or actively to shorten, but not to lengthen or ex­tend the limits of his naturall life. He [Page]only, (if any) hath the art to leng­then out his Taper that puts it to the best advantage.

CHAP. LVI

DEmean thy self in the presence of thy Prince with reverence and chearfulness: That, without this, is too much sadness; This without that is too much boldness: Let thy wisdom endeavour to gain his opinion, and la­bour to make thy loyalty his confiden­ce: Let him not find thee false in words, unjust in thy actions, unseasonable in thy suits, nor careless in his service: cross not his passion, question not his pleasures, Press not into his Secrets; Pry not into his Prerogative: Displease him not, lest he be angry; appear not displeas'd, lest he be jealous: the an­ger of a King is implacable: the jealou­sie of a Prince is incurable.

CHAP. LVII.

GIve thy heart to thy Creator, and Reverence to thy Superiors: Give diligence to thy Calling, and ear to good Counsel: Give Alms to the poor, [Page]and the Glory to God: Forgive him that ignorantly offends thee, and him that having wittingly offended thee, seeks thee: Forgive him that hath for­cibly abused thee, & him that hath fraudulently betray'd thee: Forgive all thine enemies, but lest of all, thy self: Give and it shall be given thee: Forgive, and it shall be forgiven thee. The sum of all Christianity is, Give and Forgive.

CHAP. LVIII.

BE not too great a niggard in the commendations of him that profes­ses thy own quality: if he deserve thy praise, thou hast discovered thy Judg­ment; if not, thy modesty: Ho­nour either returns to, or reflects on the Giver.

CHAP. LIX.

IF thy desire to raise thy Fortunes enco­urage thee to place thy delights a'midst the casts of Fortune, be wise betimes, lest thou repent too late; What thou gettest, thou gainest by abused Providence; what thou losest, thou losest by abused [Page]Patience; What thou winnest is pro­digally spent; what thou losest is pro­digally lost: it is an evill trade that pro­digality drives: and a bad voyage where the Pilot is blind.

CHAP. LX.

BE very wary for whom thou beco­mest Security, and for no more then thou art able to discharge, if thou lovest thy liberty. The borrower is a slave to the lender: The Security is a slave to both: Whilst the Borrower and Len­der are both eased, the Security bears both their burdens: He is a wise secu­rity that secures himself.

CHAP. LXI.

LOok upon thy affliction as thou doest upon thy Physick: Both im­ply a disease; and both are applyed for a Cure; That, of the Body; This of the Soul: If they work, they promise health: if not, they threaten death: He is not happy that is not asslicted, but he that finds happiness by his affliction.

CHAP. LXII.

IF the Knowledg of Good whet thy desire to good, it is a happy Know­ledg: if by thy ignorance of Evill, thou art surpriz'd with Evill, it is an unhappy ignorance. Happy is he that hath so much Knowledg of Good, as to desire it, and but so much Know­ledg of evil, as to fear it.

CHAP. LXIII.

WHen the flesh presents thee with delights, then present thy self with dangers Where the world possesses thee with vain Hopes, there possess thy selfe with true fear: When the Devill brings thee Oyl, bring thou Vineger. The way to be safe, is never to be secure.

CHAP. LXIV.

IF thy brother hath offended thee, forgive him freely, and be reconci­led: To do Evil for Evil, is hu­man corruption: To do Good for Good is civil retribution: To do Good for Evil is Christian perfection: The act of Forgiveness is Gods Precept: The [Page]manner of Forgiveness is Gods Presi­dent.

CHAP. LXV.

REverence the Writings of holy Men, but lodg not thy Faith upon them, because but men: They are good Pools, but no Fountains: Build on Paul himself no longer then he builds on Christ: if Peter renounce his Master, renounce Peter: The word of man may convince Reason; But the word of God alone can compell conscience.

CHAP. LXVI.

IN civil things follow the most; in matters of Religion, the fewest; in all things follow the best: So shal thy ways bee pleasing to God; so shal thy behaviour be plausible with men.

CHAP. LXVII.

WHat counsel thou administrest to thy Brother under any loss or miserie, register carefully and when the Case is thine, follow it: So shall thy own Reason convince thy passion, or thy [Page]passion confess her own unreasonable­ness.

CHAP. LXVIII.

WHen thou goest about to change thy moral Liberty into a Christi­an Servitude, prepare thy self to be the world's laufing-stock: if thou over­comest her Scoffs, thou shalt have dou­ble Honor: if overcome, double Shame: He is unworthy of a good Master, that is asham'd of a bad Livery.

CHAP. LXIX.

LEt not the falling of a Salt, or the crossing of a Hare, or the crying of a Cricket trouble thee: They por­tend no evil, but what thou fearest: He is ill acquainted with himself that know's not his own Fortunes more then they: If evill-follow it, it is the punish­ment of thy Superstition; not the ful­filling of their Portent: All things are lucky to thee, if thou wilt, nothing but is ominous to the Superstitious.

CHAP. LXX.

SO be have thy self in thy course of life, as at a banquet: Take what is offer'd with modest thankfulness: And expect what is not as yet offer'd with hopefull patience: let not thy rude Appetite press thee, nor a sleight care­fulness indispose thee, nor a sullen dis­content deject thee; Who desires mo­re than enough, hath too much: And he that is satisfied with a little hath no less than enough: Benè est cui Deus ob­tulit parcâ, quod satis est, manu.

CHAP. LXXI.

IS thy Child dead? He is restor'd, not lost: is thy treasure stol'n? it is not lost, it is restored: He is an ill debtor, that counts repayment loss: But it was an evill chance that took thy child, and a wicked hand that stole thy Treasure: What is that to thee? it mat­ters not by whom he requires the things from whom he lent them: What goods are ours by loan, are not lost when willingly restored, but when un­worthily receiv'd.

CHAP. LXXII.

CEnsure no man, detract from no man: Praise no man before his fa­ce; traduce no man behind his back: Boast not thy self abroad, nor flatter thy self at home: if any thing cross thee, ac­cuse thy self: if any one extoll thee, humble thy self: Honour those that instruct thee, and be thankfull to those that reprehend thee: Let all thy desires be subjected to Reason, and let thy rea­son be corrected by Religion: Weigh thy self by thy own Ballances, and trust not the voice of wild opinion: Obser­ve thy self as thy greatest enemy, so shalt thou becom thy greatest friend.

CHAP. LXXIII.

ENdeavour to make thy discourse such as may adminster profit to thy Self, or Standers by, least thou incurr­the danger of an idle Word: Above all Subjects, avoid those, which are Scur­rilous, and obscean; Tales that are impertinent, and improbable; ard dre­ams.

CHAP. LXXIV.

IF God hath blest thee with a son, bless thou that son with a lawfull calling: choos such employment, as may stand with his Fancie, and thy Judgment: His countrey claim's his ability toward the building of her honour. If he can­not bring a Cedar, let him bring a shrub. Hee that brings nothing usurps his life, and robs his countrey of a Servant.

CHAP. LXXV.

AT the first entrance into thy Estate, keep a low sail; Thou maist rise with Honour; Thou canst not decline without shame: He that begins as his Father ended, shall end as his Father begun.

CHAP. LXXVI.

IF any Obscure Tale should chance to slip into thine Ears, among the varie­ties of Discourse (if opportunity ad­mit) reprove it: if otherwise, let thy silence, or change of countenance in­terpret thy dislike: the attentive Ear is Baud to the lascivious Tongue.

CHAP. LXXVII.

BE more circumspect over the works of thy Brain, then the Actions of thy Body: These have infirmity to plead for them: but they must stand upon their own bottoms: These are but the objects of few; They, of all: These will have Equals to defend them: they have Inferiours to envie them; Supe­periours, to deride them; all to censure them: It is no less danger for these to be proclaim'd at Paul's Cross, then for them to be protested in Pauls Church­yard.

CHAP. LXXVIII.

USe Common place-books, or Col­lections, as Indexes to light thee to the Authours, lest thou be abus'd: He that takes Learning upon trust, ma­kes him a fair Cup-board with anothers Plate. He is an ill advised purchaser, whose title depends more on Witnesses than Evidences.

CHAP. LXXIX.

IF thou desire to make the best advan­tage of the Muses, either by Reading, to benefit thy self, or by Writing, others; keep a peacefull soul in a temperate bo­dy: A full belly makes a dull brain; and a turbulent Spirit, a distracted Judg­ment: The Muses starve in a Cooks shop, and a Lawyers Study.

CHAP. LXXX.

WHen thou communicatest thy self by Letters, heighten or depress thy stile according to the quality of the par­ty and business; That which thy ton­gue would present to any, if present, let thy Pen represent to him, Absent: The tongue is the minds Interpreter, and the Pen is the Tongues Secretary.

CHAP. LXXXI.

KEep thy soul in exercise, lest her faculties rust for want of motion: To eat, sleep, or sport too long, stops the natural course of her natural acti­ons: To dwel too long in the employ­ments of the body, is both the cause, and sign of a dull Spirit.

CHAP. LXXXII.

BE very circumspect to whose Tuiti­on thou committ'st thy child: Eve­ry good Schollar is not a good Master: He must be a man of invincible patien­ce, and singular observation: he must study children that will teach them well, and reason must rule him that would rule wisely: he must not take advantage of an ignorant father, nor give too much ear to an indulgent Grandmother: the common good must outweigh his private gains, and his cre­dit must out-bid Gratuities: he must be deligent, and sober, not too familiar, nor too reserv'd, neither amorous nor phantastick: Just, without fierceness, mercifull, without fondness: if such a one thou meet with, thou hast found a Treasure, which, if thou know'st how to value, is invaluable.

CHAP. LXXXIII.

LEt not thy laughter handsell thy owne jest, least whilst thou laugh at it, others laugh at thee: neither tell it often to the same hearers, least thou [Page]be thought forgetfull, or barren: There is no sweetness in a Cabage twice sod, or a tale twice told.

CHAP. LXXXIV.

IF opinion hath lighted the Lamp of thy Name, endeavour to encourage it with thy own Oyl, lest it go out and stink: The Chronical disease of Popu­larity is shame: If thou be once up, be­ware: From Fame to Infamy is a bea­ten Road.

CHAP. LXXXV.

CLeans thy morning soul with pri­vate and due Devotions; till then admit no buisness: The first-born of thy thoughts are God's, and not thine, but by Sacriledg: think thy self not ready till thou hast prais'd him, and he will be always ready to bless thee.

CHAP. LXXXVI.

IN all thy actions think God sees thee; and in all his actions labour to see him; that will make thee fear him; this will move thee to love him; The fear of God is the beginnining of [Page]Knowledg [...], and the Knowledg of God is the perfection of Love.

CHAP. LXXXVII.

LEt not the expectation of a rever­sion entice thy heart to the wish of the possessours death, lest a judgement meet thee in thy expectation, or a Curse overtake thee in thy fruition: Every wish makes thee a murtherer, and mo­ves God to be an Accessory; God often lengthens the life of the possessour with the days of the Expectour.

CHAP. LXXXVIII.

PRize not thy self by what thou hast, but by what thou art; hee that va­lues, a Jewell by its golden frame, or a Book by its silver clasps, or a man by his vast estate, errs: if thou art not worth more then the world can make thee, thy Redeemer had a bad penny worth, or thou an un-curious Redeemer.

CHAP. LXXXIX.

LEt not thy Father's, nor The Fa­thers, nor the Church, thy Mother's beleef, be the ground of thine: The [Page]Scripture lies open to the humble heart, but lockt against the proud Inquisitour; he that beleeves with an implicit Faith is a meer Emperick in Religion.

CHAP. XC.

OF all sins, take greatest heed of that which thou hast last, and most re­pented of: He that was last thrust out of doors, is the next readiest to croud in again: and he that thou hast forest baf­fled, is likeliest to call more help for a revenge: it is requisite for him that hath cast one devill out, to keep strong hold least seven returne.

CHAP. XCI.

IN the meditation of divine Mysteries, keep thy heart humble, and thy thoughts holy; let Philosophy not be asham'd to be confuted, nor Logick blush to be confounded; what thou canst not prove, approve; what thou canst not comprehend, beleev; and what thou canst beleev, admire; so shall thy ignorance be satisfied in thy Faith, and thy doubts swallowed up with wonders: the best way to see [Page]day-light, is to put out thy candle.

CHAP. XCII.

IF opinion hath cried thy name up let thy modesty cry thy heart down, lest thou deceive it; or it thee; there is no less danger in a great name than a bad; and no less honor in deserving of praise, then in the enduring it.

CHAP. XCIII.

USe the holy Scriptures with all reverence; let not thy wanton fan­cy carve it out in jests, nor thy sinfull wit make it an advocate to thy sin: it is a subject for thy faith, not fancy; where Wit and Blasphemy is one Trade, the understanding's Banckrupt.

CHAP. XCIV.

DOst thou complain that God hath forsaken thee? it is thou that hast forsaken him: 'tis thou that art muta­ble: in him there is no shadow of chan­ge, in his light is life; if thy Will drive thee into a Dungeon, thou mak'st thy own darkness, and in that darkness dwels thy death; from whence, if he [Page]redeem thee, he is mercifull; if not, he is just; in both, he receiv's glory.

CHAP. XCV.

MAke use of Time, if thou lov'st Eternity: know, yesterday can­not be recall'd, to morrow cannot be assured: to day is only thine, which if thou procrastinate, thou losest; which lost, is lost for ever: One to-day, is worth two to morrows.

CHAP. XCVI.

If thou be strong enough to encounter with the times, keep thy Station; if not, shift a foot to gain advantage of the Times: He that acts a Begger to prevent a Thief, is never the poorer; it is a great part of wisdom, somtimes to seem a fool.

CHAP. XCVII.

IF thou intend thy writings for the public view, lard them not too much with the choice lines of ano­ther Authour, lest thou lose they own Gravy: what thou hast read and dige­sted being delivered in thy own Stile [Page]becoms thine: it is more decent to wear a plain suit of one entire cloth, then a gaudy garment checquer'd with divers richer fragments.

CHAP. XCVIII.

IF God hath blest thee with inheritan­ce, and children to inherit, trust not the staff of thy family to the hands of one: Make not many Beggers in the building up of one great heir, lest if he miscarry thro a prodigal Will, the rest sink thro a hard necessity. Gods allowance is a double portion: when heigh bloud, and generous breed­ing break their fast in plenty, and dine in poverty, they often sup in Infamy: if thou deny'st them Faulcons wings to prey on Fowl, thou givest them Kites stomachs to seiz on Garbage.

CHAP. XCIX.

BE very vigilant over thy child in the April of his understanding, least the frosts of May nipp his Blossoms. While he is a tender Twig, streighten him; whilst he is a new Vessell, season [Page]him; such as thou makest him, such commonly thou shalt find him. Let his first lesson be Obedience, and the se­cond shall be what thou wilt. Give him Education in good Letters, to the utmost of thy ability, and his capacity. Season his youth with the love of his Creatour, and make the fear of his God the beginning of his knowledg: If he have an active spirit, rather rectifie then curb it; but reckon idleness a­mong his chiefest faults: Above all things, keep him from vain lascivious and amorous Pamphlets, as the Prim­mers of all Vice. As his judgement ri­pens, observe his inclination, and ten­der him a Calling, that shall not cross it: Forced Marriages and Callings sel­dom prosper; shew him both the Mow, and the Plough; and prepare him as well for the danger of the Skirmish, as possess him with the honour of the pri­ze: If he chuse the profession of a Schol­lar, advise him to study the most prosi­table arts: Poetry, and the Mathema­ticks, take up too great a latitude of the Soul, and moderately used, are good Recreations, but bad Callings, being [Page]nothing but their own Reward: if he chuse the profession of a Souldier, let him know, withall, Honour must be his greatest wages, and his enemies his surest Paymaster: Prepare him against the danger of a Warr, and advise him of the greater mischiefs of a Garnison; let him avoid Debauchedness, and Duels to the utmost of his power, and remem­ber he is not his own man, and (being his Countries servant) hath no estate in his own life: If he chuse a Trade, teach him to forget his Fathers House, and his Mothers Wing: Advise him to be conscionable, carefull, and constant: This done, thou hast done thy part, leave the rest to Providence, and thou hast done it well.

CHAP. C.

COnvey thy love to thy Friend, as an Arrow to the Mark, to stick there, not as a Ball against the Wall, to rebound back to thee: that friend­ship will not continue to the End that is begun for an End.

MEditation is the life of the soul; Action is the soul of Medita­tion; Honour is the reward of acti­on: So meditate, that thou maist do; So do, that thou mai'st purchase Ho­nour: For which purchase, give God the Glory.