of his Domestics, and of Strangers; the Faith of his Friends, and the Piety of his Children, and flies to ac tual Violence to fecure him from the Violence he fears. When he comes to look about him, and to confider what he has done, what he muft, and what he is about to do; what with the Wickedness, and with the Torments of his Confcience, many times he fears Death, oft ner he wishes for it; and lives more odious to himself, than to his Subjects; whereas on the contrary, he that takes a Care of the Public, though of one Part more perhaps than of another, yet there is not any Part of it, but he looks upon as part of himself. His Mind is tender and gentle, and even where Punishments is neceffàry and profitable, he comes to it unwillingly, and without any Rancour or Enmity in his Heart. Let the Authority, in fine, be what it will, Clemency becomes it, and the greater the Power, the greater is the Glory of it. It is a truly royal Virtue, for a Prince to deliver his People from other Mens Anger, and not to opprefs

them with his own,

EPISTLE I.

Certain general Directions for the Government of the Voice; as in speaking soft or loud, quick or flow: The Speech is the Index of the Mind..

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There

OU fay well, that in Speaking, the very Ordering of the Voice (to fay nothing of the Actions, Countenances, and Circumftances, that accompany it) is a Confideration worthy of a wife Man. are that prefcribe certain Modes of Rifing and Falling: Nay, if you will be governed by them, you shall not fpeak a Word, move a Step, or eat a Bit, but by a Rule: And thefe perhaps are too critical. Do not understand. me yet, as if I made no Difference betwixt entering upon a Difcourfe loud or foft; for the Affections do naturally rife by Degrees; and, in all Difputes, or Pleadings,. whether public or prudent, a Man fhould properly begin with Modelty and Temper; and fo advance by little, if need be, into Clamour, and Vociferation. Voice rifes by Degrees, let it fall fo too; not fnapping off upon a fudden, but abating, as upon Moderation: The other is unmamerly and rude. He that has a pre

And as the

cipitate Speech, is commonly violent in his Manners: Befide, that there is in it much of Vanity and Emptiness; and no Man takes Satisfaction in a Flux of Words, without choice; where the Noife is more than the Va lue. Fabius was a Man eminent, both for his Life and Learning; and no lefs for his Eloquence. His Speech was rather eafy and fliding, than quick; which he ac counted to be not only liable to many Errors, but to a Sufpicion of Immodefty. Nay let a Man have Words never fo much at will, he will no more speak fast, than he will run; for fear his Tongue fhould go before his Wit. The Speech of a Philofopher fhould be like his Life, compofed, without Preffing or Stumbling; which is fitter for a Mountebank, than a Man of Sobriety and Bufinefs. And then to drop one Word after another, he is as bad on the other fide. The Interruption is tedious and tires out the Auditor with Expectation. Truth and Morality fhould be delivered in Words plain, and without Affectation; for, like Remedies, unless they stay with us, we are never the better for them. He that would work upon his Hearers, muft no more expect to do it upon the Poft, than a Physician to cure his Patients only in paffing by them. Not but that I would have a wife Man, in fome Cafes, to raise himself, and mend his Pace; but still with a Regard to the Dignity of his Manners; though there may be a great Force alfo in Moderation. I would have his Difcourfe fmoothe, and flowing like a River; not impetuous, like a Torrent. There is a rapid, lawless and irrevocable Velocity of Speech, which I would fcarce allow, even to an Ora tor; for if he be tranfported with Paffion, or Oftentation, a Mar's Attention can hardly keep him Company. It is not the Quantity, but the Pertinence, that does the Bufinefs. Let the Words of an antient Man flow foft and gentle; but not run on without fear, or Wit, as if a whole Declamation were to be but one Period. Cicero wrote with Care, and that which will for ever stand the Teft. All public Languages are according to the Humour of the Age. A Wantonnefs and Effeminacy of Speech, denotes Luxury; for the Wit follows the Mind: If the latter be found, compofed, temperate, and grave; the Wit is dry, and fober too: But if the one be

corrupted, the other is likewife unfound. Do we not fee, when a Man's Mind is heavy, how he creeps, and draws his Legs after him? A finical Temper is read in the very Gestures and Cloaths; if a Man be choleric and violent, it is alfo difcovered in his Motions. An an

gry Man fpeaks fhort and quick; the Speech of an effeminate Man is loofe and melting. A queint and folicitous. Way of Speaking, is the Sign of a weak Mind; but a great Man fpeaks with Eafe, and Freedom; and with more Affurance, though lefs Care. Speech is the Index of the Mind: When you fee Man drefs, and fet his Clothes in Print, you fhall be fure to find his Words fo too, and nothing in them that is firm and weighty: It does not become a Man to be delicate. As it is in Drink, the Tongue never trips, 'till the Mind be over-born; fo it is with Speech, fo long as the Mind is whole and found, the Speech is mafculine and strong, but if one fails, the other follows.

EPISTLE II.

Of Stiles, Compofitions, and the Choice of Words. That is the best Way of Writing, and Speaking, which is free and natural. Advice concerning Reading.

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cannot expect any certain, and univerfal Rule, either for the Stile, or for the manner of Speaking or Writing; because they vary according to Ufage and Occafion. So that we must content ourselves with Generals. Men write, and speak commonly according to the Humour of the Age they live in: And there is alfo a Correfpondence betwixt the Language and the Life of particular Perfons; as one may give a near Guefs at a Man, by his very Gate, Furniture and Clothes. In the first Place, let the Senfe be honest, and noble ;

not pinched up in Sentences, but fubstantial; and of higher Defign, with nothing in it fuperfluous. Let the Words be fitted to the Matter: And where the Subject is familiar, let the Stile be fo too. But great Thoughts must have fuitable Expreffions; and there ought to be a kind of Tranfport in the one, to anfwer it in the other. It is not enough to compofe a pleasant Fable, and tickle the Fancy; but he that treats of weighty Matters, must do it in the grave, and fober Terms. There are some that have not fo much of the Vigour of an Orator, or that of fententious Sharpness; and yet the worthiness of the Senfe makes amends for the lownefs of the Stile. Our Forefathers were not at all delighted with fine Words, and Flowers But their Compofitions were ftrong, equal,. and manly. We have now-a-days here and there a Point; but the Work is uneven, where only this, or that Particular is remarkable. We never admire this, or that fingle Tree, where the whole Wood is all of a Height. A fpecious Title Page may commend a Book to Sale, but not for Ufe. An eminent Author is to be taken down whole, and not here and there a Bit. 'Tis a Maiming of the Body to take the Members of it apart; nor is it a handfome Leg, or Arm, that makes a hand fome Man; but the Symetry, and Agreement of all together. It is the Excellency of Speaking and Writing, to do it clofe, and in Words accommodate to the Intention; and I would yet have fomewhat more to be fignifed, than is delivered: It being also a Mark of Strength,. and Solidity of Judgment. The Propriety of Words, in fome Cafes, is wonderful; efpecially when we are: well read in the Knowledge of Things, and of Duties, and there is a fingular Grace in the Gentleness of Numbers when they run fmoothe, and without PerturbatiSome are raised and startled at Words, as a Horfe is at a Drum; and indulge the very Paffion of the Spea ker. Others are moved with the Beauty of Things; and when they hear any thing bravely urged againft Death or Fortune, they do fecretly with for fome Occafion of experimenting that Generofity in themselves. But not one of a thousand of them, that carries the Refolution home with him that he had conceived. It is an easy Matter to excite an Auditory to the Love of

on.