try, to the Sluggard; nay, Study itself is a Torment to him: Not that these things are hard to us by Nature, but we ourselves are vain and irrefolute: Nay, we wonder many of us, how any Man can live without Wine, or endure to rife fo early in a Morning.

+ Virtue is glorious in Extre». mity.

A BRAVE Man muft expect to be tulled; for he is to fleer his Courfe in the Teeth of Fortune, and to work againft Wind and Weather. In the fuffering of Torments, though there appears but one Virtue, a Man exercifes many. That which is most emiBent is Patience (which is but Branch of Fortitude) But there is. Prudence alfo in the Choice of the Action, and in the bearing what we cannot avoid: and there is Conftancy in bearing it refolutely: And there is the fame Concurrence alfo of feveral Virtues in other generous Undertakings. When Leonidas was to carry his 30c Men into the Straits of Thermopyla, to put a Stop to Xerxes his huge Army: Come, Fellow Soldiers, fays he, eat your Dinner here, as if you were to fup in another World. And they answered his Refolution. How plain and inperious was that short Speech of Caditius to his Men up. on a defperate Action; and how glorious a Mixture was there in it both of Bravery and Prudence? Soldiers, fays he, it is neceffary for us to go, but it is not neceffary for us to return. This brief, and pertinent Harangue was worth ten thousand of the frivolous Cavils, and Distinc tions of the Schools, which rather break the Mind, than fortify it; and when 'tis once perplexed, and pricked with Difficulties and Scruples, there they leave it. Our Paffions are numerous and strong, and not to be maftered with Quirks and Tricks, as if a Man fhould undertake to defend the Caufe of God and Man with a Bulrush. It was a remarkable Piece of Honour and Policy together, that Action of Cæfar's, upon the taking of Pompey's Ca-` binet at the Battle of Pharfalia: 'Tis probable that the Letters in it might have discovered who were his Friends, and who his Enemies; and yet he burnt it, without fo much as opening it: Efteeming it the noblest way of pardoning, to keep himself ignorant both of the Offender, and of the Offence. It was a brave Prefence of Mind alfo in Alexander, who, upon Advice that his Physician

Philip intended to poifon him, took the Letter of Advice in one Hand, and the Cup in the other; delivering Philip the Letter to read, while he himself drank the Potion

SOME are of Opinion, that Death Virtue is invin gives a Man Courage to fupport Pain, cible. and that Pain fortifies a Man against Death: But I fay rather, that a wife Man depends upon himself against both, and that he does got either fuffer with Patience in hopes of Death, or die willingly because he is weary of Life; but he bears the one, and waits for the other; and carries a divine Mind through all the Accidents of human Life. He looks upon Faith and Honefty, as the most facred Good of Alankind, and neither to be forced by Neceffity, nor corrapted by Reward: Kill, burn, tear him to Pieces, he will be true to his Truft; and the more a Man labours. to make him difcover a Secret, the deeper. he will hide. it. Refolution is the inexpugnable Defence cf human Weakness, and it is a wonderful Providence that attends it. Horatius Cocles oppofed his fingle Body to the whole Army, 'till the Bridge was cut down behind him, and then he leapt into the River with his Sword in his Hand, and came off fafe to his Party. There was a Fellow questioned about a Plot upon the Life of a Tytant, and put to the Torture to declare his Confederates: He named, by one, and one, all the Tyrant's Friends that were about him; and still as they were named, they were. put to Death: the Tyrant afked him at last, if there were any more; Yes, fays he, you yourself were in the Plot; and now you have never another Friend left you in the World: Whereupon the Tyrant cut the Throats of his own Guards. He is the happy Man that is the Master, of himself, and triumphs over the Fear of Death, which. Has overcome the Conquerors of the World..

CHAP. XVII.

Our Happiness depends in a great Measure upon the Choice of our Company.

T

HE Comfort of Life depends upon Conversation. Good Offices and Concord, and human Society, is like the Working of an Arch of Stone; all would fall to the Ground, if one Piece did not fupport arother. Above all things, let us have a Tenderness for Blood; and it is yet too little not to hurt, unless we profit one another. We are to relieve the Diftreffed; to put the Wanderer in his Way; and to divide our Bread with the Hungry: Which is but the doing of Good to ourfelves; for we are only feveral Members of one great Body. Nay, we are all of a Confanguinity; form'd of the fame Materials, and defign'd to the fame End: This obliges us to a mutual Tenderness, and Converse; and the other to live with a Regard to Equity, and Juftice. The Love of Society is natural; but the Choice of our Company is Matter of Virtue and Prudence. Noble Examples ftir us up to noble Actions; and the very Hiftory of large and public Souls, infpires a Man with generous Thoughts. It makes a Man long to be in Action, and doing of fomething that the World may be the better for, as protecting the Weak, delivering the Oppreffed, punishing the Infolent. It is a great Bleffing, the very Confcience of giving a good Example, befide that it is the greatest Obligation any Man can lay upon the Age he lives in. He that converfes with the Proud, fhall be puffed up: a luftful Acquaintance makes a Man lafcivious; and the way to fecure a Man from Wickedness, is to withdraw from the Examples of it. 'Tis too much to have them near us, but more to have them within us fil Examples, Pleafure, and Eafe, are no doubt of it, great Corrupters of Mancers. A rocky Ground hardens the Horfes Hoof: The Mountaineer makes the beft Soldier, the Miner makes the best Pionier, and Severity of Difcipline fortifies the Mind. In all Exceffes, and Extremities of good, and of ill Fortune, let us

have Recourfe to great Examples, that have contemned both. Thofe are the beft Inftructors that teach in their Lives, and prove their Words by their Actions.

+ Avoid even diffolute Places, as well as lose Companions.

As an ill Air may endanger a good Conftitution, fo may at Place of ill Example endanger a good Man. Nay, there are fome Places that have a kind of Privilege to be licentious, and where Luxury and Diffolution of Manners feem to be lawful; for great Examples give both Arthority, and Excufe to Wickednefs. Thofe Places are to be avoided as dangerous to our Manners. Hannibal himfelf was unmann'd by the Loofenefs of Campania, and though a Conqueror by his Arms, he was overcome by his Pleafures. I would as foon live among Butchers as among Cooks; not, but that a Man may be temperate in any Place; but to fee drunken Men ftaggering up and down every where; and only the Spectacles of Luft, Luxury, and Excefs, before our Eyes, it is not fafe to expofe ourselves to the Temptation. If the victorious Hannibal himself could not refift it, what fhall become of us then that are fubdued, and give ground to our Lufts already? He that has to do with an Enemy in his Breaft, has a harder Tak upon him than he that has to encounter one in the Field: His Hazard is greater if he lofes Ground, and his Duty is perpetual; for he has no Place or Time for Reft. If I give way to Pleafure, I muft alfo yield to Grief, to Poverty, to Labour, Ambition, Anger, 'till I am torn to Pieces by my Mis fortunes, and my Lufts. But, against all this, Philofo phy propounds a Liberty, that is to fay, a Liberty from the Service of Accidents, and Fortune. There is not a ny thing that does more Mifchief to Mankind than mercenary Matters of Philofophy, that do not live as they teach; they give a Scandal to Virtue. How can any Man expect that a Ship fhould fteer à fortunate Courfe, when the Pilot lies wallowing in his own Vomit? 'Tis an ufual thing, first to learn to do ill ourselves, and then to inftruct others to do fo: But that Man muft needs be very wicked, that has gather'd into himself the Wickednefs of other People.

a

THE best Converfation is with the Philofophers :

Practical Phi lofophers are the best Company.

That is to fay, with fuch of them as teach us Matter, not Words: That preach to us Things neceffary, and keep us to the Practice of them.There i can be no Peace in human Life, without the Contempt of all Events. There is nothing that puts better Thoughts linto a Man, or sooner sets him right that is out of the way, than a good Companion. For, the Example has the Force of a Precept, and touches the Heart with an Affection to Goodness. And not only the frequent Hearing, and Seeing of a wife Man delights us, but the very Encounter of him fuggefts profitable Contemplations; fuch as a Man finds himself mov'd with, when he goes into a holy Place. I will take more Care with whom I eat and drink, than what; for without a Friend, the Table is a Manger. Writing does well; but perfonal Difcourfe, and Conversation does better: For Men give great Credit to their Ears, and take stronger Impressions from Example than Precept. Gleanibes had never hit Zeno fo to the Life, if he had not been with him at all bis Privacies; if he had not watch'd, and obferv'd him, whether or no he practifed as he taught. Plato got more from Socrates his Manners, than from his Words; and it was not the School, but the Company, and Familiarity of Epicurus that made Metrodorus, Hermachus, and Polyænus fo famous.

The more Company the more Danger.

Now though it be by Inftinct that we covet Society, and avoid Solitude, we should yet take this along with us, that the more Acquaintance the more Danger. Nay, there is not one Man of an Hundred that is to be trufted with himself. If Company cannot alter us, it may interrupt us; and he that fo much as stops upon the Way, lofes a great deal of a fhort Life; which we yet make shorter by our Inconftancy. If an Enemy were at our Heels, what Hafte fhould we make ? But Death is fo, and yet we never mind it. There is no venturing of tender and easy Natures among the People; for it is odds that they'll go over to the major Party. It would perhaps fhake the Conftancy of Socrates, Cato, Lælius, or any of us all, even when our Refolutions are at the Height, to stand the Shock of Vice that preffes

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