}）-----→ "-** |-*----~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~ ~） · · · · -** • • • • • • -- （~~~~）. — — ^ ^•*.*） - - P R A CT I C A L W IS DO M LETTE R S TO YOUNG MEN Letters to Young Men by SIR WALTER RALEIGH FRANCIS OSBORN LORLD BURLLEIGH SIR MATTHEW HALE WILLIAM, EARL OF BEDFORD NEW Y O R. K. A. WESSELS COMPANY (Ph. #5 j Ó. 2.3 ºne. 1902 A. WESSELS COMPANY {ARD Col. - * 4- {& HEC 21 1928 O £ is n a ºn 7%. 4-tº- (2 A. “y P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M estate; for so shalt thou make thyself a bond-slave to him that thou trustest, and leave thyself always to his mercy: and be sure of this, thou shalt never find a friend in thy young years, whose conditions and qualities will please thee after thou comest to more discretion and judgment, and then all thou givest is lost, and all wherein thou shalt trust such a one, will be discovered. Such therefore as are thy inferiors, will follow thee but to eat thee out, and when thou leavest to feed them, they will hate thee; and such kind of men, if thou pre- serve thy estate, will always be had. And if thy friends be of better quality than thy- self, thou mayest be sure of two things: the first, that they will be more careful to keep thy counsel, because they have more to lose than thou hast: the second, they will esteem thee for thyself, and not for that which thou dost possess. But if thou [ Iol P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M be subject to any great vanity or ill (from which I hope God will bless thee), then therein trust no man; for every man's folly ought to be his greatest secret. And although I persuade thee to associate thy- self with thy betters, or at least with thy peers, yet remember always that thou ven- ture not thy estate with any of those great ones that shall attempt unlawful things; for such men labour for themselves, and not for thee; thou shalt be sure to part with them in the danger, but not in the honour; and to venture a sure estate in present, in hope of a better in future, is mere madness: and great men forget such as have done them service, when they have obtained what they would, and will rather hate thee for saying thou hast been a means for their advancement, than ac- knowledge it. I could give thee a thousand examples, [11 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M and I myself know it, and have tasted it in all the course of my life; when thou shalt read and observe the stories of all nations, thou shalt find innumerable ex- amples of the like. Let thy love therefore be to the best, so long as they do well; but take heed that thou love God, thy Country, thy Prince, and thine own Estate, before all others: for the fancies of men change, and he that loves to-day, hateth to-morrow ; but let reason be thy school-mistress, which shall ever guide thee aright. GREAT CARE TO BE HAD IN THE cHoosing of A WIFE.-The next and greatest care ought to be in the choice of a wife, and the only danger therein, is beauty, by which all men in all ages, wise and foolish, have been betrayed. And though I know it vain to use reasons or arguments to dissuade thee from being captivated therewith, there being few or [12] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M none that ever resisted that witchery, yet I cannot omit to warn thee, as of other things, which may be thy ruin and de- struction. For the present time, it is true, that every man prefers his fantasy in that appetite, before all other worldly desires, leaving the care of honour, credit, and safety, in respect thereof. But re- member, that though these affections do not last, yet the bond of marriage dureth to the end of thy life. Remember, sec- ondly, that if thou marry for beauty, thou bindest thyself all thy life for that which per- chance will neither last nor please thee one year; and when thou hast it, it will be to thee of no price at all; for the desire dieth when it is attained, and the affection perisheth when it is satisfied. Remem- ber, when thou wert a sucking child that then thou didst love thy nurse, and that thou wert fond of her; after a while thou [13] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M didst love thy dry-nurse, and didst forget the other; after that thou didst also despise her: so will it be with thee in thy liking in elder years; and therefore, though thou canst not forbear to love, yet forbear to link; and after a while thou shalt find an alteration in thyself, and see another far more pleasing than the first, second, or third love; yet I wish thee above all the rest, have a care thou dost not marry an uncomely woman for any respect; for comeliness in children is riches, if nothing else be left them. And if thou have care for thy races of horses, and other beasts, value the shape and comeliness of thy children, before alliances or riches. Have care therefore of both together, for if thou have a fair wife, and a poor one, if thine own estate be not great, assure thyself that love abideth not with want; for she is the companion of plenty and honour. This [14] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M stranger, and most times to an enemy; for he that shall marry thy wife, will despise thee, thy memory, and thine, and shall possess the quiet of thy labours, the fruit which thou hast planted, enjoy thy love, and spend with joy and ease what thou hast spared, and gotten with care and tra- vail. Yet always remember, that thou leave not thy wife to be a shame unto thee after thou art dead, but that she may live according to thy estate; especially if thou hast few children, and them provided for. But howsoever it be, or whatsoever thou find, leave thy wife no more than of necessity thou must, but only during her widowhood; but leave thy estate to thy house and children, in which thou livest upon earth whilst it lasteth. To con- clude, Wives were ordained to continue the generation of men, not to transfer them, and diminish them, either in con- [16] PRACTICAL WIS DOM tinuance or ability; and therefore thy house and estate, which liveth in thy son, and not in thy wife, is to be preferred. Thy best time for marriage will be towards \ thirty, for as the younger times are unfit, either to choose or to govern a wife and family, so if thou stay long thou shalt hardly see the education of thy children, who being left to strangers, are in effect lost: and better were it to be unborn, than ill-bred; for thereby thy posterity shall either perish, or remain a shame to thy name and family. Bestow therefore thy youth so, that thou mayest have comfort to remember it, when it hath forsaken thee, and not sigh and grieve at the account thereof. Whilst thou are young thou wilt think it will never have an end; but be- hold, the longest day hath his evening, and that thou shalt enjoy it but once— that it never turns again; use it therefore [17] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M as the spring-time which soon departeth, and wherein thou oughtest to plant, and sow all provisions for a long and happy life. THE WISEST MEN HAVE BEEN ABUSED BY FLATTERERs.—Take care thou be not made a fool by flatterers, for even the wisest men are abused by these. Know therefore, that flatterers are the worst kind of traitors; for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing, but so shadow and paint all thy vices and follies, as thou shalt never, by their will, discern evil from good, or vice from virtue. And because all men are apt to flatter themselves, to entertain the additions of other men's praises, is most perilous. Do not therefore praise - thyself, except thou wilt be counted a vain- glorious fool, neither take delight in the praise of other men, except thou deserve [18] PRACTTGATE W I S D O M it, and receive it from such as are worthy and honest, and will withal warn thee of thy faults; for flatterers have never any virtue, they are ever base, creeping, cow- ardly persons. A flatterer is said to be a beast that biteth smiling; it is said by Isaiah in this manner: “My people, they that praise thee, seduce thee, and disorder the paths of thy feet:” and David desired God to cut out the tongue of a flatterer. But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protes- tations; for as a wolf resembles a dog, so doth a flatterer a friend. A flatterer is compared to an ape, who because she cannot defend the house like a dog, labour as an ox, or bear burdens as a horse, doth therefore yet play tricks and provoke laughter. Thou mayest be sure that he that will in private tell thee thy faults, is thy friend, for he adventures thy dislike, [19] PRACTICAL w ISDOM country; for there is nothing more dis- honourable, next to treason itself, than to be an accuser. Notwithstanding I would not have thee for any respect lose thy reputation, or endure public disgrace: for better it were not to live, than to live a coward, if the offence proceed not from thyself: if it do, it shall be better to compound it upon good terms, than to hazard thyself; for if thou overcome, thou art under the cruelty of the law, if thou art overcome, thou art dead or dis- honoured. If thou therefore contend, or discourse in argument, let it be with wise and sober men, of whom thou must learn by reasoning, and not with ignorant per- sons; for thou shalt thereby instruct those that will not thank thee, and will utter what they have learned from thee for their own. But if thou know more than other men, utter it when it may do [ 22 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M thee honour, and not in assemblies of ignorant and common persons. Speaking much, also, is a sign of vanity; for he that is lavish in words, is a niggard in deeds ; and as Solomon saith, “The mouth of a wise man is in his heart, the heart of a fool is in his mouth, because what he knoweth or thinketh, he utter- eth.’ And by thy words and discourses, men will judge thee. For as Socrates saith, “Such as thy words are, such will thy affections be esteemed; and such will thy deeds as thy affections, and such thy life as thy deeds.” Therefore be advised what thou dost discourse of, what thou maintainest; whether touching religion, state, or vanity; for if thou err in the first, thou shalt be accounted profane; if in the second, dangerous; if in the third, indiscreet and foolish. He that cannot refrain from much speaking, is like a city [23] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M and I myself know it, and have tasted it in all the course of my life; when thou shalt read and observe the stories of all nations, thou shalt find innumerable ex- amples of the like. Let thy love therefore be to the best, so long as they do well; but take heed that thou love God, thy Country, thy Prince, and thine own Estate, before all others: for the fancies of men change, and he that loves to-day, hateth to-morrow; but let reason be thy school-mistress, which shall ever guide thee aright. GREAT CARE TO BE HAD IN THE cHoosing of A WIFE.-The next and greatest care ought to be in the choice of a wife, and the only danger therein, is beauty, by which all men in all ages, wise and foolish, have been betrayed. And though I know it vain to use reasons or arguments to dissuade thee from being captivated therewith, there being few or —l [12] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M none that ever resisted that witchery, yet I cannot omit to warn thee, as of other things, which may be thy ruin and de- struction. For the present time, it is true, that every man prefers his fantasy in that appetite, before all other worldly desires, leaving the care of honour, credit, - and safety, in respect thereof. But re- member, that though these affections do not last, yet the bond of marriage dureth to the end of thy life. Remember, sec- ondly, that if thou marry for beauty, thou bindest thyself all thy life for that which per- chance will neither last nor please thee one year; and when thou hast it, it will be to thee of no price at all; for the desire dieth when it is attained, and the affection perisheth when it is satisfied. Remem- ber, when thou wert a sucking child that then thou didst love thy nurse, and that thou wert fond of her; after a while thou [13] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M without walls, and less pains in the world a man cannot take, than to hold his tongue; therefore if thou observest this rule in all assemblies, thou shalt seldom err–restrain thy choler, hearken much and speak little; for the tongue is the in- strument of the greatest good and greatest evil that is done in the world. According to Solomon, life and death are in the power of the tongue: and as Euripides truly affirmeth, “Every unbridled tongue, in the end, shall find itself unfor- tunate; ” for in all that ever I observed in the course of worldly things, I ever found that men's fortunes are oftener made by their tongues than by their virtues, and more men's fortunes overthrown thereby also, than by their vices. And to con- clude, all quarrels, mischief, hatred, and destruction, arise from unadvised speech, and in much speech there are many errors, [24] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M out of which thy enemies shall ever take the most dangerous advantage. And as thou shalt be happy, if thou thyself ob- serve these things, so shalt it be most profitable for thee to avoid their com- panies that err in that kind; and not to hearken to tale-bearers, to inquisitive per- sons, and such as busy themselves with other men’s estates; that creep into houses as spies, to learn news which concerns them not; for assure thyself such persons are most base and unworthy, and I never knew any of them prosper, or respected amongst worthy or wise men. Take heed also that thou be not found a liar; for a lying spirit is hateful both to God and man. A liar is commonly a coward, for he dares not avow truth. A liar is trusted of no man, he can have no credit, either in public or private; and if there were no more arguments than this, [25 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M know that our Lord, in St. John, saith, ‘that it is a vice proper to Satan, lying being opposite to the nature of God, which consisteth in truth; and the gain of lying is nothing else, but not to be trusted of any, nor to be believed when we say the truth. It is said in the Proverbs, “that God hateth false lips; and he that speaketh lies shall perish.” Thus thou mayst see and find in all the books of God, how odious and contrary to God a liar is ; and for the world, believe it, that it never did any man good, except in the extremity of saving life; for a liar is of a base, un- worthy, and cowardly spirit. THREE RULES TO BE OBSERVED FOR THE PRESERVATION OF A MAN's ESTATE.— Amongst all other things of the world, take care of thy estate, which thou shalt ever preserve, if thou observe three things; first, that thou know what thou hast; [ 26 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M what every thing is worth that thou hast; and to see that thou art not wasted by thy servants and officers. The second is, that thou never spend any thing before thou have it; for borrowing is the canker and death of every man’s estate. The third is, that thou suffer not thyself to be wounded for other men’s faults, and scourged for other men's offences; which is, the surety for another; for thereby millions of men have been beggared and destroyed, paying the reckoning of other men’s riot, and the charge of other men's folly and prodigality; if thou smart, smart for thine own sins, and above all things, be not made an ass to carry the burdens of other men. If any friend desire thee to be his surety, give him a part of what thou hast to spare ; if he press thee farther he is not thy friend at all, for friendship rather chooseth harm to itself, than offer- [ 27 J P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M eth it. If thou be bound for a stranger, thou art a fool; if for a merchant thou puttest thy estate to learn to swim; if for a church-man, he hath no inheritance; if for a lawyer, he will find an evasion by a syllable or word, to abuse thee; if for a poor man thou must pay it thyself; if for a rich man he needs not : therefore from suretyship, as from a manslayer or en- chanter, bless thyself; for the best profit and return will be this—that if thou force him for whom thou art bound, to pay it himself, he will become thy enemy; if thou use to pay it thyself, thou wilt be- come a beggar. And believe thy father in this, and print it in thy thought—that what virtue soever thou hast, be it never so manifold, if thou be poor withal, thou and thy qualities shall be despised: besides, poverty is oftentimes sent as a curse of God, it is a shame amongst men, an im- [ 28 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M prisonment of the mind, a vexation of every worthy spirit; thou shalt neither help thyself nor others; thou shalt drown thee in all thy virtues, having no means to show them ; thou shalt be a burden and an eye-sore to thy friends; every man will fear thy company, thou shalt be driven basely to beg, and depend on others, to flatter unworthy men, to make dishonest shifts: and, to conclude, poverty provokes a man to do infamous and detested deeds. Let not vanity, therefore, or persuasion draw thee to that worst of worldly miseries. If thou be rich, it will give thee pleasure in health, comfort in sickness, keep thy mind and body free, save thee from many perils, relieve thee in thy elder years, re- lieve the poor and thy honest friends, and give means to thy posterity to live and de- fend themselves and thine own fame. [29] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M Where it is said in the Proverbs, that “he shall be sore vexed that is surety for a stranger, and he that hateth suretyship is sure’: it is farther said, ‘the poor is hated even of his own neighbour, but the rich have many friends.” Lend not to him that is mightier than thyself, for if thou lendest him, count it but lost. Be not surety above thy power, for if thou be surety think to pay it. WHAT sort of SERVANTs ARE FITTEST To BE ENTERTAINED.—Let thy servants be such as thou mayest command, and entertain none about thee but yoemen, to whom thou givest wages; for those that will serve thee without thy hire, will cost thee treble as much as they that know thy fare: if thou trust any servant with thy purse, be sure thou take his account ere thou sleep; for if thou put it off, thou wilt then afterwards for tediousness, neg- [3o J P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M lect it. I myself have thereby lost more than I am worth. And whatever thy servant gaineth thereby, he will never thank thee, but laugh thy simplicity to scorn; and besides, ’tis the way to make thy servants thieves, which else would be honest. BRAVE RAGs weAR soon EST OUT OF FASHION.—Exceed not in the humour of rags and bravery, for these will soon wear out of fashion; but money in thy purse will ever be in fashion ; and no man is esteemed for gay garments, but by fools and women. RICHES NOT TO BE sought BY EVIL MEANs.-On the other side, take heed that thou seek not riches basely, nor attain them by evil means; destroy no man for his wealth, nor take any thing from the poor: for the cry and complaint thereof will pierce the heavens. And it is most I 31 J P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M detestable before God, and most dishon- ourable before worthy men to wrest any thing from the needy and labouring soul. God will never prosper thee in aught, if thou offend therein: but use thy poor neighbours and tenants well, pine not them and their children to add superfluity and needless expenses to thyself. He that hath pity on another man's sorrow, shall be free from it himself; and he that de- lighteth in, and scorneth the misery of another, shall one time or other fall into it himself. Remember this precept, “He that hath mercy on the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and the Lord will recompense him what he hath given.” I do not under- stand those for poor, which are vagabonds and beggars, but those that labour to live, such as are old and cannot travel, such poor widows and fatherless children as are ordered to be relieved, and the poor tenants I 32 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M that travail to pay their rents and are driven to poverty by mischance, and not by riot or careless expenses; on such have thou compassion, and God will bless thee for it. Make not the hungry soul sorrow- ful, defer not thy gift to the needy, for if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him. WHAT INCONVENIENCEs HAPPEN TO such As Delight IN WINE.—Take especial care that thou delight not in wine, for there never was any man that came to honour or preferment that loved it; for it transformeth a man into a beast, decayeth health, poisoneth the breath, destroyeth natural heat, brings a man’s stomach to an artificial heat, deformeth the face, rot- teth the teeth, and to conclude, maketh a man contemptible, soon old, and despised of all wise and worthy men; hated in thy [33] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M breath in the morning, and an utter for- getfulness of all things. Whosoever loveth wine, shall not be trusted of any man, for he cannot keep a secret. Wine maketh man not only a beast, but a madman; and if thou love it, thy own wife, thy children and thy friends will despise thee. In drink, men care not what they say, what offence they give, forget comeliness, commit disorders; and to conclude, offend all virtuous and honest company, and God most of all, to whom we daily pray for health, and a life free from pain; and yet by drunkenness and gluttony (which is the drunkenness of feeding), we draw on, saith Hesiod, a swift, hasty, untimely, cruel, and an in- famous old age. And St. Augustine des- cribeth drunkenness in this manner: * Ebrietas est blandus Daemon, dulce vene- num, suave peccatum; quod qui habet [36] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M chief doth it not design whom have not plentiful cups made eloquent and talking * * When Diogenes saw a house to be sold, whereof the owner was given to drink, “I thought at the last, quoth Diogenes, “he would vomit a whole house.’ Let GoD BE THY PROTECTOR AND DIRECTOR IN ALL THY ACTIONS.—Now, for the world, I know it too well, to per- suade thee to dive into the practices thereof; rather stand upon thine own guard against all that tempt thee there- unto, or may practise upon thee in thy conscience, thy reputation, or thy purse; resolve that no man is wise or safe, but he that is honest. Serve God, let him be the author of all thy actions, commend all thy endeavours to him that must either wither or prosper them; please him with prayer, lest if he frown, he confound all thy fortunes and [38] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M labours like the drops of rain on the sandy ground: let my experienced advice, and fatherly instructions, sink deep into thy heart. So God direct thee in all his ways, and fill thy heart with his grace. [39] ſ FRANCIS OSBORN'S ADVICE TO A SON P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M FRANCIS OSBORN'S ADVICE TO A SON wº DUCATION. — Though I can never pay enough to your grand- father's memory, for his tender care of my education, yet I must observe in it this mistake; that by keeping me at home, where I was one of my young masters, I lost the advantage of my most docile time. For not undergoing the same discipline, I must needs come short of their experience, that are bred up in free schools; who, by plotting to rob an orchard, etc., run through all the subtleties required in taking of a town; being made, by use, familiar to secrecy and compliance with opportunity; qualities never after to be attained at cheaper rates than the hazard of all: whereas these see the danger of trusting others, and the rocks [43] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M they fall upon, by a too obstinate adhering to their own imprudent resolutions; and all this under no higher penalty than a whipping: and 'tis possible this indulgence of my father might be the cause I afforded him so poor a return for all his cost. Let not an over-passionate prosecution of learning draw you from making an honest improvement of your estate; as such do, who are better read in the bigness of the whole earth, than that little spot, left them by their friends, for their support. A mixed education suits employment best : scholars and citizens, by a too long plodding in the same track, have their ex- perience seldom dilated beyond the circle of a narrow profession; of which they carry so apparent marks, as bewray in all places, by their words and gestures, the ped and company they were brought up in ; so that all ways of preferment are [44] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M stopped against them, through others’ pre- judice, or their own natural insufficiency; it being ordinary in their practice to mis- take a wilful insolence for a resolute con- fidence, and pride for gravity; the short- ness of the tether their long restraint confined them to, not affording convenient room to take a decent measure of virtue and vice. So by using others as they were dealt with themselves, repute is lost when they come to command; it being justified in history, that slaves after they have forgot all fear of the sword, cannot shake off the terror of the whip. There- fore few not freely educated, can wear decently the habit of a court, or behave themselves in such a mediocrity, as shall not discover too much idolatry towards those in a superior orb, or disdain in rela- tion to such, as fortune rather than merit hath possibly placed below them. [45] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M I have observed in collegiate discipline, that all the reverence to superiors, learned in the hall or chapel, is lost in the irrever- ent discourse you have of them in your chambers; by this, you leave the principal business of youth neglected, which is, to be perfect in patience and obedience; habits nowhere so exactly learned, as in the foundations of the Jesuits, could they be fetched thence without prejudice to religion or freedom. If a more profitable employment pull you not too soon from the university, make some inspection into physic; which will add to your welcome wherever you come; it being usual, especially for ladics, to yield no less reverence to their physi- cians, than their confessors: neither doth the refusal of fees abate your profit pro- portionably to the advancement it brings to your credit: the intricacy of the study is not [46] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M great, after an exact knowledge in anatomy and drugs is obtained; not hard, by reason of the late helps. Yet I advise you this, under such caution, as not to imagine the diseases you read of, inherent in yourself; as some melancholic young men do, that make their first experiments upon their own bodies, to their perpetual detriment; there- fore you may live by, not upon physic. Huge volumes, like the ox roasted at Bartholomew Fair, may proclaim plenty of labour and invention, but afford less of what is delicate, savoury and well con- cocted, than smaller pieces: this makes me think, that though, upon occasion, you may come to the table, and examine the bill of fare, set down by such authors; yet it cannot but lessen ingenuity, still to fall aboard with them ; human sufficiency being too narrow, to inform with the pure soul of reason, such vast bodies. [47] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M When I consider with what contradic- tion reports arrived at us, during our late civil wars, I can give the less encourage- ment to the reading of history: romances, never acted, being born purer from sophis- tication than actions reported to be done, by which posterity hereafter, no less than antiquity heretofore, is likely to be led into a false, or at best, but a contingent belief. Caesar, though in this happy, that he had a pen able to grave into neat language what his sword at first more roughly cut out, may in my judgment, abuse his reader: for he, that for the honour of his own wit, doth make people speak better than can be sup- posed men so barbarously bred were able, may possibly report they fought worse than really they did. Of a like value are the orations of Thucydides, Livy, Tacitus, and most other historians; which doth not a little prejudice the truth of all the rest. [49] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M Were it worthy or capable to receive so much illumination from one never made welcome by it, I should tell the world, as I do you, there is as little reason to believe men know certainly all they write, as to think they write all they imagine: and as this cannot be admitted without danger, so the other, though it may in shame be de- nied, is altogether as true. A few books well studied, and thor- oughly digested, nourish the understanding more than hundreds but gargled in the mouth, as ordinary students use: and of these choice must be had answerable to the profession you intend : for a states- man, French authors are best, as most fruitful in negotiations and memoirs, left by public ministers and by their secretar- ies, published after their deaths: out of which you may be able to unfold the rid- dles of all states: none making more [ 5ol P RTA CTTC ATWTSDO M indiscretion may let slip : neither is it a small advantage to gain so much time for deliberation, which is fit farther to urge: it being besides, too much an honouring of their tongue, and undervaluing your own, to profess yourself a master therein, especially since they scorn to learn yours. And to show this is not grounded on my single judgment, I have often been in- formed, that the first and wisest Earl of Pembroke, did return an answer to the Spanish ambassador, in Welsh, for which I have heard him highly commended. It is an aphorism in physic, that un- wholesome airs, because perpetually sucked into the lungs, do distemper health more than coarser diet, used but at set times: the like may be said of company, which if good, is a better refiner of the spirits, than ordinary books. Propose not them for patterns, who - [52] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M make all places rattle, where they come, with Latin and Greek; for the more you seem to have borrowed from books, the poorer you proclaim your natural parts, which only can properly be called yours. Follow not the tedious practice of such as seek wisdom only in learning; not at- tainable but by experience and natural parts. Much reading, like a too great repletion, stopping up, through a concourse of diverse, sometimes contrary opinions, the access of a nearer, newer, and quicker invention of your own. And for quota- tions, they resemble sugar in wine, mar- ring the natural taste of the liquor, if it be good; if bad, that of itself: such patches rather making the rent seem greater, by an interruption of the style, than less, if not so neatly applied as to fall in without drawing: nor is any thief in this kind [53] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M sufferable, who comes not off, like a Lacedemonian, without discovery. The way to elegancy of style, is to em- ploy your pen upon every errand; and the more trivial and dry it is, the more brains must be allowed for sauce : thus by check- ing all ordinary invention, your reason will attain to such a habit, as not to dare to present you but with what is excellent; and if void of affection, it matters not how mean the subject is: there being the same exactness observed, by good archi- tects, in the structure of the kitchen, as the parlour. When business or compliment calls you to write letters, consider what is fit to be said, were the party present, and set down that. Avoid words or phrases likely to be learned in base company; lest you fall into the error the late Archbishop Laud [54] P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M . did; who though no ill speaker, yet blunted his repute by saying in the Star Chamber, men entered the church as a tinker and his bitch do an alehouse. The small reckoning I have seen made, especially in their lifetime, of excellent wits, bids me advise you, that if you find any delight in writing, to go on : but, in hope to please or satisfy others, I would not black the end of a quill: for long experience hath taught me, that builders always, and writers for the most part, spend their money and time in the pur- chase of reproof and censure from en- vious contemporaries, or self-conceited posterity. Be not frequent in poetry, how excellent soever your vein is, but make it rather your recreation, than business: because though it swells you in your own opinion, it may render you less in that of wiser [ 55] PRACT TO ALTwº TSDOM really diseased, who by such boldness do sometimes hear of a remedy. The art of music is so unable to refund for the time and cost required to be per- fect therein, as I cannot think it worth any serious endeavour: the owner of that quality being still obliged to the trouble of calculating the difference between the morose humour of a rigid refuser, and the cheap and prostituted levity and forward- ness of a mercenary fiddler. Denial being as often taken for pride, as a too ready compliance falls under the notion of os- tentation: those so qualified seldom know- ing when it is time to begin, or give over; especially women, who do not rarely de- cline in modesty, proportionably to the progress they make in music. Wear your clothes neat, exceeding rather than coming short of others of like fortune; a charge borne out by acceptance [57] PRACTICAL w ISDOM wherever you come; therefore spare all other ways rather than prove defective in this. Never buy but with ready money; and be drawn rather to fix where you find things cheap and good, than for friendship or acquaintance, who are apt to take it unkindly, if you will not be cheated. For if you get nothing else by going from one shop to another, you shall gain experience. Next to clothes, a good horse becomes a gentleman : in whom can be no great loss, after you have got the skill to choose him; which once attained, you may keep yourself from being cozened, and pleasure your friend: the greatest danger is haste : I never loved to fix on one fat, for then I saw him at the best, without hope of im- provement: if you have fallen on a bar- gain not for your turn, make the market your chapman, rather than a friend. [58] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M Gallop not through a town, for fear of hurting yourself or others; besides the in- decency of it, which may give cause to such as see you, to think your horse or brains none of your own. Wrestling and vaulting have ever been looked upon by me as more useful than fencing, being often out-dared by resolu- tion, because of the vast difference between a foyn and a sword, a house and a field. Swimming may save a man, in case of necessity; though it loseth many, when practised in wantonness, by increasing their confidence; therefore, for pleasure exceed not your depth; and in seeking to save another, beware of drowning yourself. Though Machiavel sets down hunting and hawking in the bill of advice he pre- scribes to a prince, as not only the whole- somest and cheapest diversions, both in relation to himself and his people, but the [59] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M best tutors to horsemanship, stratagems and situations on which he may have after occasion to place an army. Yet these are so much under the disposition of chance, the most delightful part being wholly man- aged according to the sense of the crea- ture, that by such cross accidents, as do not seldom intervene, storms of choler are often raised, in which many humours flash out, that in a greater serenity pru- dence would undoubtedly conceal: so as I could name some reputed owners of a habit of policy, more ruffled, and farther put out of their bias, by a small rub lying in the way of their pleasure, than a greater could cause in that of their profit. And as sinister events in these pastimes deject a man below the ordinary level of discre- tion, so a happy success doth as often wind him up to such a jovial pin, that he becomes a familiar companion to those [60 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M who can inform his judgment in little, but what signifies nothing, and whom in a more reserved temper he would think it tedious to hear, yet cannot after shake off their acquaintance, without incurring the censure of pride or inconstancy. Neither am I led to this opinion by any particular disaffection, but out of the greater rever- ence I bear to the wisdom of Sir Philip Sidney, who said, that next hunting he liked hawking worst. However though he may have fallen into as hyperbolical an extreme, yet who can put too great a scorn upon their folly that to bring home a rascal deer, or a few rotten coneys, submit their lives to the will or passion of such as may take them, under a penalty no less slight than there is discretion shown in exposing them. Such as are betrayed by their easy nature, to be ordinary security for their [61 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M He that lends upon public faith is se- curity for his own money, and can blame none more than himself, if never paid; common debts, like common lands, lying ever most neglected. Honesty treats with the world upon such vast disadvantage, that a pen is often as useful to defend you as a sword, by making writing the witness of your con- tracts; for where profit appears, it doth commonly cancel the bands of friendship, religion, and the memory of anything that can produce no other register than what is verbal. In a case of importance, hear the reasons of others pleaded, but be sure not to be so implicitly led by their judgments, as to neglect a greater of your own, as Charles of England did, to the loss of his crown; for as the ordinary saying is, Count money after your father, so the same prudence [63 ] PRACT TO ALTwº TSDOM quisitive after the blemishes than the beauties of a proud person; whereas the humble soul passeth the strictest guards with more faults, like the fair-mouthed traveller, without scorn or searching. Though it be common with the King of Heaven to punish the wicked and re- ward the good, yet we find him said to re- sist no vice but pride, nor exalt other vir- tue than humility, that being the only sin we read of ever brake into his court un- washed by forgivenness, where she became the first precedent of God’s lessening his family, and the foundress of hell. Nor are his vicegerents upon earth more aus- picious to a lofty look, for any affection they do naturally bear to it or its owners, though sometimes they dissemble their dislike, out of the use they make of such good parts as have the ill-fortune to be so accompanied, this vice being taken as in- [65 J P R A C T I C A L W 1 SD O M fidence, or honesty, dejected eyes confess- ing, to most judgments, guilt or folly. Impudence is no virtue, yet able to beggar them all, being for the most part in good plight when the rest starve, and capable of carrying her followers up to the highest preferments: found as useful in a court as armour in a camp. I do not find you guilty of covetousness, neither can I say more of it, but that like a candle ill made, it smothers the splendour of an happy fortune in its own grease. Yet live so frugally, if possible, as to reserve something that may enable you to grapple with any future contingency ; and provide in youth, since fortune hath this proper with other common mistresses, that she deserts age, especially in the company of want. 'Tis generally said of the fox, that he supplants the badger, and nestles himself [67 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M in his den. What may be pure nature in him, wise Seneca adviseth for the highest prudence—rather to purchase a house ready built, than endure the tedious and troublesome expectation and charge at- tending the most diligent and able con- triver, who cannot find so much pleasure in seeing his ideas brought into form, as he shall meet discontent from the mistakes of his commands, greatness of the expense, and idleness of the workmen, who, the better to draw men into this labyrinth, make things appear more cheap and easy than any undertaker of such a task ever yet found, knowing, if once engaged, the spurs of shame and necessity will drive him on ; when the buyer may take or leave, having a world to choose in, and the choicest conveniences at another's cost, without participating of their dis- grace for such faults as curiosity may find, [68 ) PRACTTGATWTSDOM and he himself might have fallen into had he been operator, since nothing was ever yet so exactly contrived, but better inform- ation, or a new discovery of a more com- modious fashion or situation did arraign of defect—which altogether proves it the best advice, rather to endure the absurdi- ties of others gratis, than to be at the cost to commit greater yourself. Keep no more servants than you have full employment for; and if you find a good one, look upon him under no severer aspect than that of an humble friend, the difference between such an one and his master residing rather in fortune than in nature. Therefore, do not put the worst constructions upon anything he doth well, or mistakes. Thus, by proportioning your carriage to those below, you will the better bring your mind to a safe and easy deportment to such as fate hath set above [69 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M you. To conclude, servants are ever sharers with their masters in prosperity, and not seldom an occasion of their de- struction in bad times, by fomenting jeal- ousy from without, or treachery within. Leave your bed upon the first desertion of sleep; it being ill for the eyes to read lying, and worse for the mind to be idle: since the head during that laziness is com- monly a cage for unclean thoughts. It is nowhere wholesome to eat so long as you are able; especially in England, where meat, aptest to inveigle the stomach to an over-repletion, comes last. But in case you transgress at one meal, let no persuasion tempt you to a second repast, till by a fierce hunger you find yourself quite discharged of the former excess. An exact observance of this hath, under God, made me reach these times, and may through his mercy preserve you for better. [7o J PRACTTGATWTSDOM Drink, during the operation of the dis- temper, will act all the humours habitual in madmen; amongst both which I have seen some very zealous and devout, who, the fit once over, remained no less pro- fane. This proves godliness capable of being feigned, and may raise an use of circumspection, in relation to such as pro- fess more than is suitable to human frailty. Beware what company you keep, since example prevails more than precept, though by the erudition dropping from these tutors, we imbibe all the tinctures of virtue and vice: this renders it little less than impossible for nature to hold out any long siege against the batteries of custom and opportunity. º Let your wit rather serve you for a buckler to defend yourself, by a handsome reply, than the sword to wound others, though with never so facetious a reproach, [71] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M to extort, in point of honour, an unsav- oury word, never suitable to the mouth of a gentleman, sword-men advise, to second it with a blow by way of prevention, lest he striking first, which cannot but be ex- pected, you should be cast behind-hand. But this their decree not being confirmed by act of Parliament, I cannot find it suit- able with prudence or religion, to make the sword umpire of your own life and another's, no less than the law, upon no more serious an occasion, than the vindi- cation of your fame, lost or gained, by this brutish valour, in the opinion of none that are either wise or pious; it being out of the reach of question, that a quarrel is not to be screwed up to such a height of indiscretion, without arraigning one or both parties of madness : especially since formal duels are but a late invention of the devil’s, never heard of in relation to pri- - [73] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M vate injuries; among the Romans the gladiators fighting for their pleasure, as the Horatii and Curatii for the safety of the people. It cannot be denied, but that story lays before us many killed for private revenge, but never accompanied with so ridiculous a formality as the sending of challenges, which renders the dead a greater murderer than he is that kills him, as being without doubt the author of his own death. This makes me altogether believe, that such wild manhood had its original from romances, in which the giant is designed for death and the knight to marry the lady, whose honour he hath pre- served; not so gently treated by the Eng- lish law, where if his legs or friends be not the better, he is hanged and his estate confiscated, to the perpetual detriment of his family: besides the sting of conscience, and a natural fear, like that of Cain’s, at- [74] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M tending blood, by which the remainder of life is made tedious and miserable to such unfortunate men, who seem in all honest company to smell too strong of blood, to be taken into any intimate relation. Prosecute not a coward too far, lest you make him turn valiant to your disadvan- tage; it being impossible for any standing even in the world’s opinion, to gain glory by the most he can have of those that lie under such a repute; besides, valour is rather the product of custom, than nature, and often found where least expected; do not therefore waken it to your prejudice, as I have known many that would still be insult- ing, and could not see when they were well. Speak disgracefully of none at ordin- aries, or public meetings; lest some kins- man, or friend, being there, should force you to a base recantation, or engage you in a more indiscreet quarrel: this renders [75] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M TRAVeL.—Some to starch a more serious face upon wanton, impertinent, and dear- bought vanity, cry up travel as the best accomplisher of youth and gentry, though detected by experience in the generality, for the greatest debaucher; adding affect- ation to folly, and atheism to the curiosity of many not well principled by education: such wanderers imitating those factors of Solomon, that together with gold, returned apes and peacocks. They, and only they, advantage them- selves by travel, who, well fraught with the experience of what their own country affords, carry over with them large and thriving talents, as those servants did, commended by our Saviour: for he that hath nothing to venture but poor, despica- ble, and solitary parts, may be so far from improvement, as he hazards quite to lose and bury them in the external levity of [77] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M rebated, no less than your charge of diet defrayed; inconsiderable in such a retinue as persons of their magnitude are forced to entertain. Or if your genius, tempted by profit, incline to the life of a merchant, you have the law of nations, and articles of a recip- rocal amity, to protect you from other in- conveniences, than such as indiscretion draws upon rash and unadvised strangers. Now if it be your fortune, on any such like accounts to leave your native country, take these directions from a father, wearied, and therefore possibly made wiser, by ex- perience. Let not the irreligion of any place breed in you a neglect of divine duties; remem- bering God heard the prayers of Daniel in Babylon, with the same attention he gave to David in Sion. Shun all disputes, but concerning re- [79 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M ligion especially; because that which com- mands in chief, though false and erron- eous, will, like a cock on his own dung- hill, line her arguments with force, and drive the stranger out of the pit with in- significant clamours. All opinions, not made natural by complexion, or imperious education, being equally ridiculous to those of contrary tenets. Though it may suit no less with your years, than mine that advise you, to follow such fashions in apparel, as are in use as well at home as abroad, those being least gazed on that go as most men do; yet it cannot be justified before the face of dis- cretion, or the charity due to your own countrymen, to esteem no doublet well made, nor glove worth wearing, that hath not passed the hands of a French tailor, or retains not the scent of a Spanish per- fumer. A vanity found incident to Eng- [8o J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M land, and the people our ordinary account reckons east of us; a strong presumption, the last arrived within the pale of civility, else they would be more confident of their own inventions, had they not still fresh in memory, from whence they derived the arts of building, clothing, behaviour, etc. A fancy, though foolish, yet easier excused, did it not ascend to the more rare and use- ful endowments of the mind, so far as to put a miraculous estimation upon the writings of strangers, and a base alloy on better of their own. So he that beyond sea frequents his own countrymen, forgets the principal part of his errand, language; and possibly the op- portunity to get experience how to manage his expense ; frugality being of none so perfectly learned, as of the Italian and Scot; natural to the first, and as necessary to the latter. The English also are ob- [81 | P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M served abroad more quarrelsome with their own nation than strangers, and therefore marked out as the most dangerous companions. An injury in foreign air is cheaper passed over than revenged, the endeavour of which hath, not seldom, drawn on a greater. Play is destructive and fatal to estates everywhere, but to the persons of game- sters abroad, rendering them the objects of cheating and quarrels; all bystanders being apt to attest to the prejudice of a stranger. Where you never mean to return, ex- tend your liberality at the first coming, as you see convenient, during your abodes; for what you give at parting is quite lost. Make no ostentation of carrying any considerable sum of money about you; lest you turn that to your destruction, [82 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M which under God is a stranger's best preservation: and remove not from place to place, but with company you know : the not observing whereof is the cause of so many of our countrymen’s graves never being known, having been buried in as much obscurity as killed. Inns are dangerous, and so are all fresh acquaintance, especially where you find their offer of friendship to outbid a stranger's desert: the same may be said of servants; not to be entertained upon ordinary com- mendations. Next to experience, languages are the richest lading of a traveller; among which French is most useful, Italian and Spanish not being so fruitful in learning (except for the mathematics and romances), their other books being mutilated by the Fathers of the Inquisition. Gover NMENT.—Contract not the com- [83] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M mon distemper, incident to vulgar brains, who still imagine more ease from some untried government, than that they lie under; not having passed the first form of experience, where we may learn, that tyranny is natural to power. If happy for the present, it is no better than madness to endeavour a change; if but indifferently well, folly: for though a vessel may yield the more for tilting or stirring, it renders all in it unpleasant to the present use: the die of war seldom turning to their advantage, that first cast it; such therefore as cannot make all well, discharge their conscience in wishing it so; government being the care of provi- dence, not mine. But if it be your for- tune to fall under such commotions, imi- tate not the wild Irish or Welsh, who during the eclipses, run about beating ket- tles and pans, thinking their clamour and [841 P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M vexations available to the assistance of the higher orbs, though they advance nothing but their own miseries, being often maimed, but at best laid by, without respect or reward, so soon as the state is returned to its former splendour: common soldiers resembling cocks, that fight for the benefit and ambition of others, more than their own: this proves it the whole- somer counsel, to stay within doors, and avoid such malignant effects, as people at- tribute to the supposed distempers of the superior planets. But if forced to take a stream, let it be that which leads to the desires of the metropolis, the chief city being for the most part preserved, who ever prevails in a civil commotion, abound- ing in money and friends, the readiest commodities to purchase quiet. Be not the pen or mouth of a multitude congregated by the jingling of their fetters; [85 ) PRACT TO ALTWTSDOM lest a pardon or a compliance knock them off, and leave you, as the soul of that de- formed body, hanging in the hell of the law, or to the vengeance of an exasperated power; but rather have patience and see the tree sufficiently shaken, before you run to scramble for the fruit; lest instead of profit and honour, you meet with a cudgel or a stone; and then, if possible, seem to fall in rather out of compulsion, than de- sign; since the zeal of the rabble is not so soon heated by the real oppressions of their rulers, but may be easily cooled by the specious promises and breath of au- thority. Wherefore nurse not ambition with your own blood, nor think the wind of honour strong enough to blow away the reproachful sense of a shameful, if possibly that of a violent death; for if Solomon’s rule be true, that a living dog is better than a dead lion, a quick evasion [86 J P R A CT I C A L W 1 SD O M cannot but be deemed more man-like than a buried valour. A multitude inflamed under a religious pretence, are at first as unsafely opposed, as joined with ; resembling bears exasper- ated by the cry of their whelps, and do not seldom, if unextinguished by hope or delays, consume all before them, to the very thing they intend to preserve: zeal, like the rod of Moses, devouring all for diabolical, that dares but appear before it in the same shape: the inconsiderate rab- ble, with the swine in the gospel, being more furiously agitated by the discontented spirits of others, than their own; who cannot be so happy in a sea of blood and devastation, the dire effects of war, as in peace, though invaded with some oppres- sion; a scab that breaks out oftentimes in the most wholesome constituted bodies of states, and may with less smart be con- [87 ) P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M head of the Baptist the frolic to a feast. Own the power, but not the fault of the magistrate: nor make law, assigned for a buckler to defend yourself, a sword to hurt others; lest partiality should allure you to pass the sentence of approbation upon any thing unwarrantable in its own nature. Neither let any formalities used at a mimical tribunal (as that was, set up in the case of Naboth) persuade you to more than a passive compliance: since such may seem to make greater, rather than diminish the wages of their iniquity, that seek to cover rapine with a gown; which the sword might patronise with more decency: and this observed, the people might cheaper receive all their in- jury at the first hand, which these retailers of wickedness utter at more intolerable rates: the result of all is, Ahab might better have committed murder single, than [89 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M render so many accessory, under the formal pretence of a religious fast, etc. Before you fix, consult all the objections discretion is able to make ; but once re- solved desert not your party upon access of a fever, as many melancholy spirits did these wars; who, by their often and un- seasonable flittings, wore themselves so out on both sides, as they were not worth owning, when success undertook for them, that they did turn in earnest: irresolution rendering pardon more difficult from either faction, than it could have proved, had they remained constant to any : divesting themselves of the ensigns of fidelity, looked upon by all with the eyes of pity, and which often meet with honour, seldom fail of forgiveness, from a noble enemy, who cannot but befriend virtue, though he hath found it in arms against him. Yet if you perceive the post you have con- [90 | P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M tracted, to totter, through undermining treachery or weakness, you may purchase your preservation by all honest endeavors; for he that prolongs his life by the for- feiture of a trust he has undertaken, hus- bands it worse than if he buried it in the field of honour, traitors in all ages being equally detested on both sides. Think it no disparagement to your birth or discretion to give honour to fresh fam- ilies, who cannot be denied to have as- cended by the same steps those did we style ancient, new being a term only respecting us, not the world; for what is was before us, and will be when we are no more : war follows peace, and peace war, as summer doth winter, and foul weather fair: neither are any ground more in this mill of vicissitudes, than such obstinate fools as glory in the repute of state-mar- tyrs after they are dead, which concerns [91] P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M them less than what was said one hundred years before they were born, it being the greatest odds their names shall not be registered, or if they be, after death, they are no more sensible of the honour, than Alexander’s great horse, or any beast else, his master's indulgence or the writer’s are pleased to record. Neither, in a strict sense, do they deserve such honour for being able to date their possessions from before the Conquest, since, if any be due, it wholly belongs to them that were buried in the ruins of their country’s liberty, and not to such as helped to make their graves, as in all likelihood most did whom the Normans suffered to remain. Therefore, it is madness to place our felicity out of our own reach, or to measure honour or repute by any other standard than the opinion we conceive of it ourselves, it being impossible to find a general agree- [92 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M ment in any good or evil report, the reign of Queen Elizabeth being no less traduced, than that of Richard the Third is justified. Be not, therefore, liquorish after fame, found by experience to carry a trumpet, that doth for the most part congregate more enemies than friends. If you duly consider the inconstancy of common applause, and how many have had their fame broken upon the same wheel that raised it, and puffed out by their breath that kindled the first report of it, you would be as little elevated with the smiles as dejected by the frowns of this gaudy goddess, formed, like Venus, out of no more solid matter than the foam of the people, found by experience to have pois- oned more than ever she cured; being so volatile, as she is unable of fixation in the richest jewels of nature, virtue, or grace; the composition of that body wholly con- [93 ] P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M not easy to be discerned whether the re- quest or denial were most decent. Do not hackney out your promise to the full stage of desire, lest, tiring in per- formance, and becoming a bankrupt in power, you forfeit repute, and purchase certain enemies for uncertain friends. Yet when the suffrages of many, in relation to your particular profit, are to be purchased, wise men's practice hath proved it no in- discretion to be lavish in this kind; where the dishonour of non-performance with others is quite buried in the greater benefit accruing to yourself, it being as ordinary for hope to exceed modesty in asking, as an engaged power comes short of the ability, if not the will, to perform: therefore, in this case, you must supply with thanks what you are not able to do in effect. Be not nice in assisting, with the ad- vantages nature or art may have given you, [95 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M such as want them, who do not seldom in exchange part with those of fortune to such as can manage their advice well, as they only do that never give counsel till called, nor continue it longer than they find it acceptable. If one in power ask your advice in a business of consequence, it may appear rashness, if not folly, to answer suddenly upon the place, it not being impossible but that the design of his question may as well be to try your sufficiency, as to strengthen his own. However, so much time as may be borrowed with safety from the emergency of any occasion, is likelier to increase than abate the weight of a re- sult, and in this interim you may gain leisure to discover what resolution suits best the mind of the party, who is com- monly gratified most by such as comply nearest with his own judgment, which it [96] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M - is ever wisdom to observe, where all the counsels given are indifferent. Nor will it savour of so much respect to his person, or care of his affairs, to determine extem- pore, as upon premeditation, it being the custom of great ones to value things, not proportionable to their worth, but the sweat and time they cost. It is not safe for a secretary to mend the copy his master hath set him, unless owned as from his former inspirations, lest he should grow jealous that you valued your conceptions before his, who measures his sufficiency by the altitude of his em- ployment, not the depths of his natural parts. This made the Lord Chancellor Egerton the willinger to exchange incom- parable Doctor D. for the less sufficient, though in this more modest, Mr. T. B. But in case his affairs be wholly left to your management, you must not only look [97 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M to correspond for his miscarriages, but as obstinately renounce any honour that may be given you to his prejudice, imputing all to his single sufficiency, yourself owning no higher place than that of the execu- tioner of his commands; for though many great men, like properties or puppets, are managed by their servants, yet such are most dear to them, as can so carry their hand in their actings, that they make them appear less fools than in truth they are— easily done, by giving them the honour to concede or deny in public, without inter- posing any other arguments against it than may become the mouth of a servant, how- ever you may order him in private. Court him always you hope one day to make use of, but at the least expense you can, observing the condition of men in power, to esteem better of such as they have done courtesies for, than those they have [98 J P RTA CTTGATE W I S D O M Avoid in your pleadings such unneces- sary digressions as some of the long-robe do ordinarily make from the merit of the cause to the defamation of the contrary party; a quicksand wherein Coke, that leviathan of the law, mired his repute: nor could he divest this vanity after he was made a judge : from which height it cast him to the hazard of his neck, had not the soft nature of King James broke his fall. Nor doth the antiquity of it plead a better excuse, than that he retained the effeminate and weaker part, leaving the Roman elegancy unimitated. At a conference, to speak last is no small advantage, as Mr. John Hampden wisely observed, who made himself still the goal-keeper of his party, giving his opposite leisure to lose their reasons in the loud and less significant tempest, com- monly arising upon a first debate; in [ Ioo J P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M which, if he found his side worsted, he had the dexterous sagacity to mount the argu- ment above the heads of the major part, whose single reason did not seldom make the whole parliament so far suspicious of their own, as to approve his, or at least give time for another debate, by which he had the opportunity to muster up more forces; thus, by confounding the weaker, and tiring out the acuter judgments, he seldom failed to attain his ends. If you be to vote in any public assem- bly, avoid as much as you may, giving concession under your hand to any private man’s written opinions; for you cannot, without experiment, believe how much your own judgment will be altered, and , how crude your former reasons will appear to yourself, after they are ruminated and digested by debate. Having since these wars been admitted [ IoI J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M to councils, where many of no great ca- pacity have assisted, I never knew any thing come so exactly framed out of one man's sense, that did not receive a palpa- ble amendment from the debates of some- times much inferior judgments. Nay, I have known some that have had the for- tune to start the idea, which, when it hath been presented to them again in a perfect result, have not been able to see the bottom of the wisdom of it, without much difficulty and admiration: neither is this miraculous, but natural; for the ful- ler, dyer, weaver, etc., understand not each other's trades, yet between them all a good piece of cloth is made. Before I came to have leisure to observe them, I thought princes and ministers of state something above human—not hear- ing a word fall from them upon which I did not put a politic construction; but [Io2 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M growing more familiar with them, I found their discourses mingled with the same follies ours are, and their domestical affairs carried on with as little, if not less discretion sometimes than ordinary men’s. He that seeks perfection on earth leaves nothing new for the saints to find in heaven ; for whilst men teach, there will be mistakes in divinity; and as long as no other govern, errors in the state: there- fore be not liquorish after change, lest you muddy your present felicity with a future greater, and more sharp inconvenience. RELIGION.—Read the book of God with reverence, and in things doubtful take fixation from the authority of the church, which cannot be arraigned of a damnable error, without questioning that truth, which hath proclaimed her proof against the gates of hell. This makes me [103 ] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M wish that our Samsons in success, who have stripped her of her ornaments (riches, powers and honours, which the ancient piety left her to cover her nakedness withal), and given them to vain expounders of riddles, may not one day have cause to repent, when they find themselves an- noyed, no less than the eyes of truth put out by the dust and rubbish the fall of so great and antique a frame is likely to make. Therefore be content to see your judgment wade rather than swim in the sense or the scriptures, because our deep plungers have been observed to bring up sandy assertions, and their heads wrapt about with the venomous weeds of error . and schism, which may for the present discountenance the endeavours of modester learning, yet will, no doubt, sink and van- ish, after some time and experience had of their frequent mistakes, as those of our [Ioa J PRACTICALTWTSDOM bold expositors of the Revelation have most shamefully done. Despise not a profession of holiness, because it may be true; but have a care how you trust it, for fear it should be false: the coat of Christ being more in fashion than in practice, many pulpit-men, like physicians, forbidding their patients that you may ordinarily find on their own trenchers. I can approve of none for magisterial divinity, but that which is found floating in the unquestioned sense of the scriptures; therefore, when cast upon a place that seems equally inclined to different opinions, I would advise to count it as bowlers do for dead to the present understanding, and not to torture the text by measuring every nicety, but rather turn to one more plain, referring to that all disputes, without knocking one hard place against another, [ IoS ] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M as they have done since this iron age, till an unquenchable fire of contention is kindled, and so many jarring and uncertain sounds of religion heard, as men stand amazed, not knowing which to follow—all pretending to be in the right, as if it were possible for truth to contradict herself. And yet it was no unhappy rencontre in him that said, “a good religion might be composed out of the Papists’ “charity,” the Puritans’ “words,” and the Protestants’ “faith.” For where works are thought too chargeable, outward profession too cumbersome, the third renders itself sus- pected; the two first being only palpable to sense and reason, stand firm like a rock; whereas the other shakes under the weight of every fancy, as Peter did when he walked upon the sea: to speak English, in good works none can be deceived but the doer, in valuing them too high; in the [106 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M two latter, all but God, who only knows the heart. Religions do not naturally differ so much in themselves, as fiery and uncharitable men pretend, who do not seldom persecute those of their own creed, because they profess it in other terms. Then do not only ask thy conscience what is truth but give her full leisure to resolve thee; for he that goes out of the way with her consent, is likelier to find rest, than he that plods on without taking her directions. Therefore do nothing against the coun- sel of this guide, though she is observed in the world to render her owners obnoxious to the injury and deceit of all that con- verse without her; nothing being more hard and chargeable to keep than a good conscience. Let no seeming opportunity prevail so far upon your curiosity, as to entice you [107 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M to an inspection into your future fortune, since such inquisitiveness was never an- swered with good success; the world, like a lottery, affording multitudes of crosses for one prize, which reduced all into a sum, must, by a necessary consequence, render the remainder of life tedious, in re- moving present felicities, to make room for the contemplations of future miseries. Do not pre-engage hope or fear by a tedious expectation, which may lessen the pleasure of the first, yet cannot but ag- gravate the weight of the latter, whose arrival is commonly with a less train of inconveniences, than this harbinger strives to take up room for; evil fortune being no less inconstant than good: therefore render not thyself giddy, by poring on despair, nor wanton with the contempla- tion of hope. Stamp not the impress of a divine ven- [108 | P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M geance upon the death or misfortunes of others, though never so prodigious, for fear of penning a satire against yourself, in case you should fall under the same chance: many things being taken up as dropped out of an immediate celestial hand, that fell from no higher pitch than where God in his providence hath placed such events, as wait upon all times and occasions, which prayers and prudence are not able always to shroud you from ; since upon a strict inquiry, it may appear, that in relation to this world, the godly have as little cause to brag, as the wicked to complain. CoNCLUSION.—Bear always a filial rev- erence to your dear mother, and let not her old age, if she attain it, seem tedious unto you ; since the little she may keep from you, will be abundantly recompensed, not only by the prayers, and by the tender [109] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M care she hath, and ever will have of you; therefore in case of my death (which weariness of this world will not suffer me to adjourn, so much as by a wish), do not proportion your respect by the mode of other sons, but to the greatness of her desert, beyond requital in relation to us both. Continue in love and amity with your sister, and in case of need, help her what you are able; remembering, you are of a piece, and hers and yours differ but in name; which I presume, upon want of issue, will not be denied to be imposed on any child of hers, you shall desire to take for your own. Let no time expunge his memory that gave you the first tincture of erudition; to which he was more invited by love than profit, no less than his incomparable wife: therefore if God make able, requite them, II Iol PRACTICAL w TSDOM and in the meanwhile register their names among those you stand most obliged to. What you leave at your death, let it be without controversy; else the lawyers will be your heirs. Be not solicitous after pomp at my burial, nor use any expensive funeral cere- mony; by which mourners, like crows, devour the living under pretence of hon- ouring a dead carcase: neither can I ap- prehend a tombstone to add so great a weight of glory to the dead, as it doth of charge and trouble to the living; none being so impertinent wasters, in my opin- ion, as those that build houses for the dead : he that lies under the hearse of heaven is convertible into sweet herbs and flowers, that may rest in such bosoms, as would shriek at the ugly bugs, that may possibly be found crawling in the magnifi- cent tomb of Henry the Seventh; which [ I I I P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M also hinders the variety of such contingent resurrections as unarched bodies enjoy, without giving interruption to that, which He that will not again die, hath promised to such as love Him and expect His ap- pearing. Besides, that man were better forgotten, who hath nothing of greater moment to register his name by than a grave. Neither can I apprehend such horror in death, as some do that render their lives miserable to avoid it, meeting it oftentimes by the same way they take to shun it. Death, if he may be guessed at by his elder brother sleep (born before he was thought on, and fell upon Adam ere he fell from his Maker), cannot be so terrible a messenger, being not without much ease, if not some voluptuousness. Be- sides nothing in this world is worth com- ing from the house-top to fetch it, much : [112 | P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M less from the deep grave; furnished with all things, because empty of desires. And concerning a future account, I find the bill to swell rather than shrink, by continuance; or if a stronger propensity to religion resides in age, than youth (which I wish I had no cause to doubt of), it relates more to the temperature of the body, than an improvement of the mind; and so unworthy of any other reward, than what is due to the effects of human infirmities. To conclude, let us serve God with what reverence we are able, and do all the good we can, making as little unnecessary work for repentance as is possible: and the mercy of our heavenly Father supply all our defects in the Son of his love. Amen. [ 113 | P R A CT I C A L W 1 SD O M or that thou shouldst have cause to derive thy whole felicity and welfare rather from others than from whence thou receivedst thy breath and being; I think it fit and agreeable to the affection I bear thee, to help thee with such rules and advertise- ments for the squaring of thy life, as are rather gained by experience than by much reading. To the end, that entering into this exorbitant age, thou mayest be the better prepared to shun those scandalous courses whereunto the world, and the lack of experience, may easily draw thee. And because I will not confound thy memory, I have reduced them into ten precepts; and, next unto Moses’ Tables, if thou im- print them in thy mind, thou shalt reap the benefit, and I the content. And they are these following:— I. When it shall please God to bring thee to man’s estate, use great providence [118 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M plentiful than sparing, but not costly. For I never knew any man grow poor by keeping an orderly table. But some con- sume themselves through secret vices, and their hospitality bears the blame. But banish swinish drunkards out of thine house, which is a vice impairing health, consuming much, and makes no show. I never heard praise ascribed to the drunk- ard, but the well-bearing his drink; which is a better commendation for a brewer’s horse or a drayman, than for either a gen- tleman, or a serving-man. Beware thou spend not above three of four parts of thy revenues; nor above a third part of that in thy house. For the other two parts will do no more than defray thy extraor- dinaries, which always surmount the ordin- ary by much : otherwise thou shalt live, like a rich beggar, in continual want. And the needy man can never live happily nor [12o J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M inclinations. Marry thy daughters in time, lest they marry themselves. And suffer not thy sons to pass the Alps, for they shall learn nothing there but pride, blasphemy, and atheism. And if by travel they get a few broken languages, that shall profit them nothing more than to have one meat served in divers dishes. Neither, by my consent, shalt thou train them up in wars; for he that sets up his rest to live by that profession, can hardly be an honest man, or a good Christian. Besides it is a science no longer in request than use. For soldiers in peace, are like chimneys in summer. III. Live not in the country without corn and cattle about thee. For he that putteth his hand to the purse for every expense of household is like him that keep- eth water in a sieve. And what provision thou shalt want, learn to buy it at the best [ 122 J P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M hand. For there is one penny saved in four, betwixt buying in thy need, and when the markets and seasons serve fittest for it. Be not served with kinsmen, or friends, or men entreated to stay; for they expect much, and do little ; nor with such as are amorous, for their heads are intoxicated. And keep rather two too few, than one too many. Feed them well, and pay them the most ; and then thou mayest boldly require service at their hands. IV. Let thy kindred and allies be wel- come to thy house and table. Grace them with thy countenance, and farther them in all honest actions. For by this means, thou shalt so double the band of nature, as thou shalt find them so many advocates to plead an apology for thee behind thy back. But shake off those gldw-worms, I mean parasites and sycophants, who will feed and fawn upon thee in the summer of [ 123 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M prosperity; but, in an adverse storm, they will shelter thee no more than an arbour in winter. V. Beware of suretyship for thy best friends. He that payeth another man's debt, seeketh his own decay. But if thou canst not otherwise choose, rather lend thy money thyself upon good bonds, although thou borrow it. So shalt thou secure thy- self, and pleasure thy friend. Neither borrow money of a neighbour or a friend, but of a stranger; where, paying for it, thou shalt hear no more of it. Otherwise thou shalt eclipse thy credit, lose thy freedom, and yet pay as dear as to another. But in borrowing of money, be precious of thy word; for he that hath care of keeping days of payment, is lord of another man’s purse. VI. Undertake no suit against a poor man, even with receiving much wrong: for besides that thou makest him thy II 24 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M compeer, it is a base conquest to triumph where there is small resistance. Neither attempt law against any man, before thou be fully resolved that thou hast right on thy side and then spare not for either money or pains. For a cause or two so followed and obtained, will free thee from suits a great part of thy life. VII. Be sure to keep some great man thy friend, but trouble him not for trifles. Compliment him often with many, yet small gifts, and of little charge. And if thou hast cause to bestow any great gratu- ity, let it be something which may be daily in sight. Otherwise, in this am- bitious age, thou shalt remain like a hop without a pole, live in obscurity, and be made a football for every insulting com- panion to spurn at. VIII. Towards thy superiors be hum- ble, yet generous. With thine equals, [125 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M | familiar, yet respective. Towards thine inferiors show much humanity and some familiarity; as to bow the body, stretch forth the hand, and to uncover the head, with such like popular compliments. The first prepares thy way to advancement. The second makes thee known for a man well bred. The third gains a good re- port; which, once got, is easily kept. For right humanity takes such deep root in the minds of the multitude, as they are more easily gained by unprofitable cour- tesies than by churlish benefits. Yet I advise thee not to affect or neglect popu- larity too much. Seek not to be Essex: shun to be Raleigh. - IX. Trust not any man with thy life, credit, or estate. For it is mere folly for a man to enthral himself to his friend, as though, occasion being offered, he should not dare to become an enemy. [I26 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M X. Be not scurrilous in conversation, nor satirical in thy jests. The one will make thee unwelcome to all company; the other pull on quarrels, and get thee hated of thy best friends. For suspicious jests, when any of them savour of truth, leave a bitterness in the minds of those which are touched. And, albeit I have already pointed at this inclusively; yet I think it necessary to leave it to thee as a special caution ; because I have seen many so prone to quip and gird, as they would rather lose their friend than their jest. And if perchance their boiling brain yield a quaint scoff, they will travail to be delivered of it as a woman with child. These nimble fancies are but the froth of wit. [ 127 lt SIR MATTHEW HALE’S NAD- VICE TO HIS GRAND- CHILDREN ~~ ~~~~ - - - - - - ） ） ） ---æ***æ， æ-- P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M SIR MATTHEW HALE’S AD- VICE TO HIS GRAND- CHILDREN *ya ONCERNING CoMPANY, AND THE CHOICE OF IT.-There is a certain magic or charm in company, for it will assimilate, and make you like to them, by much conversation with them; if they be good company, it is a great means to make you good, or confirm you in good- ness; but if they be bad, it is twenty to one but they will infect and corrupt you. And therefore you must have a special care in the choice of your company, es- pecially when you come abroad in the world, to Oxford, or the Inns of Court; for you must know that when a young gentleman or gentlewoman, especially if [131 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M he or she have an estate or fortune, comes abroad in the world, especially to the Inns of Court, or Oxford, there are a sort of beasts of prey that lie in wait for them, as wolves and foxes lie in wait for young lambs, namely, a sort of necessitous and indigent sharks, gamesters, drinkers, and debauched persons; and these will attack you under forty disguises, if you be not aware of them, and will confound you; and therefore I must needs again and again give you warning hereof: for these are a sort of harpies and ravens, that pur- sue your very life, or at least your estates and reputations, and yet many times under pretence of love and kindness. First.—Therefore be very wary and shy in choosing, and entertaining, or fre- quenting any company or companions; be not too hasty in committing yourself to them : stand off awhile till you have in- [132 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M quired of some that you know by experi- ence to be faithful, what they are; observe what company they keep ; be not too easy to gain acquaintance, but stand off and keep a distance yet awhile, till you have observed and learnt touching them. Men or women that are greedy of ac- quaintance, or hasty in it, are oftentimes snared in ill company before they are aware, and entangled so that they cannot easily get loose from it after when they would. When you are sent to Oxford, you will be put under a tutor that is able to advise you. The first thing I shall do with you, if I live to send you to the Inns of Court, is to inquire and find out some person with whose acquaintance I dare trust you; - a man of discretion, fidelity, and prudence. Before you entertain any new acquaint- ance in the university, advise with your [ 133 ] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M tutor, whether he thinks him fit for you, and the like you are to do with that per- son that I shall commend you to, when you come to the Inns of Court. For they having more experience, and more oppor- tunity to satisfy themselves therein, than you can have, will be able better to advise you in the choice of your company than you can yourselves. Secondly.—Do not choose for your friends and familiar acquaintance those that are of an estate or quality too much above yours. The inconveniences thereof are these. You will hereby accustom yourselves to live after their rate in clothes, in habit, and in expenses, whereby you will learn a fashion and rank of life above your degree and estate, which will in the end be your undoing. Or, if you live not up to their rate of clothes, diet, or ex- pense, you shall be despised both by them [ 134 P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M ‘and others; so that which way soever you take, you shall be a fool, or be esteemed so by all that observe you. Therefore give all persons of higher rank or greater estate than yourselves all due respect; but make not choice of such for your intimate acquaintance, or daily companions. Thirdly.—On the other side, consort not with beggary, base or necessitous companions; for these will be both to your discredit and disprofit; for it is a thousand to one but they will make a prey of you. It is true, they will flatter you, and give you goodly titles (esquire at the least); they will set you up at the upper end of the table; but the design all the while is to shark upon you, to make you pay their reckonings, and supply their wants. Indeed you shall be honoured by them, in outward appearance, as the best man in the company, but you must pay [ 135 | P R A CT I C A L W 1 S D O M in that company that committed it, you can neither avoid the suspicion of being a partner in it, but you must be put upon your trial to clear yourself. These are the common and necessary inconveniences of such company; and the only way to avoid these and the like inconveniences, is wholly to avoid such company. Fifthly.—And what I have said con- cerning your quarrelsome company, I say concerning intemperate drinkers, or de- bauched companions: you must avoid them, as you will avoid the company of him that is infected with the plague, and the reasons of it are these that follow. It is a thousand to one but they will corrupt you into the same quality and ill condition with themselves: there is a kind of magic or witchcraft in evil company, that makes others like themselves. They will use all the tricks and artifices imaginable to make [ 138 J ** º * P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M to commit it. The places of judicature which I have long held in this kingdom, have given me opportunity to observe the original cause of most of the enormities that have been committed for the space of near twenty years; and by a due observa- tion I have found, that if the murders and manslaughters, the burglaries and robber- ies, the riots and tumults, the adulteries, fornications, rapes, and other great enor- mities, that have happened in that time, were divided into five parts, four of them have been the issues and product of ex- cessive drinking at taverns, or alehouse meetings. Therefore, if you meet any person given to excess of drinking, if he invite you to go to a tavern or alehouse, or any such house of disorder, or if he be- gin to set you, or any else, into a posture of drinking, remember that your grand- father tells you such a person is not for [ 14ol P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M - tion, and example, will habituate you to virtue, wisdom, and goodness, as much and oftentimes much more than a man’s own reading and observation. Such a con- versation makes your time as profitably spent in their company as at your book, and will confirm and establish you in ways of piety and virtue. I have observed among young men, that possibly are not vicious nor given to any ill course, the kinds of choice of company. Some affect such company as are younger than themselves, and are such as have less learning, prudence, or understanding, than they themselves have ; and this they do, not so much to inform and better them, for then it is a worthy design, but out of a natural desire to be the best, and the wis- est, and the learnedest in the company they choose, and to overmatch any of them therein. But this is, though a harm- [ 143 l P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M less, yet an imprudent choice of company; for such a man shall never advance much in knowledge, wisdom, or goodness, that converseth only with such as are no pro- ficients therein. There be that choose such for their companions, that are equals in age, and parts, or education, to them; and this is a much better choice than the former; because natural emulation in equals many times advanceth learning and wisdom, and goodness, especially if there be a wise inspector and superintendent to all the company; and besides, equality of age and education seems a common natural invitation to consortship and ac- quaintance, and therefore it is by no means wholly to be condemned, but rather much to be cherished, if they are no otherwise than good and virtuous. Again, there be others that neither disdain the company of inferiors either in age or parts, nor decline [ 144 l P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M eligible company that exceed you in age, learning, and experience, and choose out of that number a person for your principal confidant, and intimate acquaintance, still taking care that he be a sober, pious, and virtuous man. Eighthly.—You must take notice that there is a great difference to be made be- tween these three—namely, an acquaint- ance, a companion, an intimate friend. For I may choose such a man for my acquaintance, which yet I would not choose to make my ordinary companion; and such a man for my ordinary companion, which yet I would not make my choice and intimate friend; so that such a friend- ship is of a narrower consideration than an ordinary companion, and such a com- panion is of a narrower consideration than an acquaintance. Therefore, although I would not have you too hasty in being [1461 PRACT TO ALTwº TSDOM acquainted, nor yet to multiply your ac- quaintance too much, for that may be troublesome, chargeable, and inconvenient to you; and although in the choice of your acquaintance, I would have you avoid all such kind of persons as I have before in this chapter warned you to forbear, yet I cannot advise you better, especially when you come to some ripeness of age, than to propound to you that course, which I knew an excellent person to observe, who, though he made choice of few ordinary companions, and fewer intimate friends, yet did single out some for acquaintance, that might be useful to him in all the con- cerns and instances of his life: he selected such or such a person for his physician or . apothecary ; such or such a person for his lawyer or attorney: such a person for ad- vice or assistance in building, surveying, planting, husbandry and the like ; and in [147 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M this used a great deal of prudence in his choice; and as any occasions offered themselves, so he applied severally to those men for their assistance, and was not to seek for advice or assistance upon any such emergency: and of these, as he made his choice with great consideration and prudence, so he rarely changed those he had thus chosen for their assistance upon variety of occasions. And this may be convenient to be done by any man of estate and business in the world. CoNCERNING YoUR CARRIAGE To YoUR INFERIORS, SUPERIORS, AND EQUALS.— Before I shall fall to particulars, I shall spend a few words in general, touching your carriage to all men. First.—You must know, that there is no person that lives, but may, at some time or other, have occasion to make use of another's help and assistance or kind- [ 148 J PRACTICAL WIS DOM to do you a mischief; and therefore it will be your wisdom to oblige as many as you can, without detriment to yourself, and to disoblige none without great necessity. Esop's fables, though they seem but light and trivial, yet many of them contain ex- cellent morals; I shall mention two to this purpose. A little ant being fallen into the water, and like to be drowned, a pigeon flying by, and observing the ant’s extremity, let fall a little branch into the water to relieve the ant, upon which she got, and so saved herself and got to the land. A short time after, a fowler aimed to shoot the pigeon : the little ant being near at hand, and re- membering the kindness the pigeon had showed her, and observing the design of the fowler, bit him by the foot, whereby the fowler lost his aim and the pigeon escaped. [I5ol P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M Again he tells us, that a lion sleeping in the forest, a little mouse running up and down awakened and so angered the lion, that the lion in a rage clapped his paw upon the mouse, intending to have crushed him : the fable tells us the mouse entreated the lion to spare him; for, said he, if thou kill me, it is but an inglorious act for a lion to kill a mouse, but if thou spare me, it is possible it may be to thy advantage; the lion thereupon let him go. Shortly after the lion was taken in a net that the hunters laid for him, and could by no means extricate himself; but the mouse passing by, and remembering the former kindness of the lion, bit asunder the threads of the net, and so delivered the lion. The fables show us these few observa- bles: that many times small and incon- siderable instruments may procure great [ 151 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M or give him more than a man is able; for as touching such I shall give you a caution hereafter; but I speak of those ordinary, easy, familiar kindnesses and respects, which may be performed without any con- siderable damage to yourself. And in showing of these kindnesses, I would have you perform them cheerfully and readily, and they will oblige the more. It is a true saying of old Sir Francis Bacon, that for the most part, men are more taken with unprofitable courtesies than with churlish benefits. Fourthly.—There is no one thing in the world that doth make a man more enemies, or doth disoblige more, than a proud and haughty carriage; it is a thing that gives a general distaste to all man- kind, and to all dispositions; to poor and to rich, to great and to small, to them that are humble, and to them that are proud as * [154 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M they ; and as it makes a man many ene- mies, so it gives his enemies a great ad- vantage against him, it makes a man ridic- ulous, and exposeth a man not only to hazard, but also to contempt and scorn. . On the other hand, a decent yet humble deportment, especially in a man of worth, place, and estate, makes almost every man his friend; but certainly it makes no man his enemy. Therefore in all your deportment and carriage, avoid pride, haughtiness, arro- gancy, contempt of others; and let your carriage be gentle, courteous, and with a decent and becoming humility to all men. It is true, the demonstration of humility is not of one and the same standard or measure unto persons of differing qualities; namely, to superiors and inferiors. A man of a truly humble spirit and humble car- riage is not bound to show the same ex- [ 155 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M ternal tokens of respect to a beggar as to a prince ; to a servant, as to his master: but still there must be a real humility, and perfect avoiding of pride in every instance; though the external demonstration of that humility may, and must be varied, accord- ing to the variety of the condition of the person whom it concerns. I stand bare in the presence-chamber of the king; but I do not so in the presence-chamber of a lord. I stand bare to a great man, I put off my hat only to an equal, but I do neither to one that begs an alms of me; yet I may in all use the same humility of mind, and also of deportment, though under a different ceremony and external gesture. Custom hath made a difference, and so may an humble man, and yet still be the same humble man in all those dif- fering external postures, and as free from pride, not only in his mind but also in his - - [156] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M carriage, when he talks with a beggar, as with a prince. And you must take this always along with you as a great truth, that pride, or haughtiness of mind or carriage, is not only displeasing to men, but displeasing to the great God of heaven and earth. I do not in my remembrance find any expres- sion in the Holy Scriptures, declaring so much indignation of the glorious God against any one sin, as against pride. ‘Surely he scorneth the scorners, but he giveth grace unto the lowly ’: which text is rendered by St. James and by St. Peter, “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” The God of heaven sets himself against the proud, to abase and bring them down. A proud man hath the great God of heaven and earth for his enemy and opposer: and no man, no prince, no angel, can bear up against his [157 | P R A CT I C A L W 1 SD O M opposition, which will most certainly overmatch him. The short of all this general direction is this: I would have you have but few intimate familiar friends in whom you repose, especially, trust and confidence; but yet have as many friends at large as you can, and as few enemies, and order your conversation accordingly. Now as to the particular directions. And first, in relation to your inferiors. Avoid in an especial manner all con- tentions, as much as you can, with in- feriors; rather forgive and pass by a small injury than use any revenge, even by court of law or otherwise; for if you pre- vail, you shall gain little by your victory where there is little to make recompense; and you shall be counted an oppressor, or at best, a very hard and cruel man; but if you be worsted, it will cast a very great contempt upon you, to be overmatched by [ 158 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M your inferior. But if the case be of such a nature that you are in a manner enforced to repair yourself against an injury com- mitted by your inferior (or indeed by any person); observe that you make not your- self your own judge or avenger, but com- plain to the civil magistrate. When you have gotten the better upon such a com- plaint, do not prosecute an inferior to the utmost extremity, but take a reasonable satisfaction; or if he be very poor, forgive it altogether: you have this great advan- tage by it, that by how much the more it was in your power to use your advantage upon him, by so much the more your mercy and goodness in forgiving him will appear and oblige him to you, and not only make him cautious of injuring you for the future, but also the more ready to serve you in all offices of kindness. Overmuch familiarity will make them [ 159 | PRACTTC ATWTSDOM - by this means they will both fear and love you. Never use any words or carriage, that may savour of contumely, reproach, or scorn, to the most inferior persons in the world, no, not to a beggar. If you do not give them an alms, tell them so, but give no reproachful words to the meanest person in the world. In relation to your equals observe these directions: Be courteous and respectful to them both in words and gestures; offer them the precedence, and take not place of an equal, unless it be earnestly pressed upon you; for such a small trifle will procure you many friends, and will not abate any thing of your respect. It is a foolish and ridiculous thing for any man or woman to be contending or shuffling for precedence. Give it to any, rather than take it against their mind. It will not abate the value that others will have [ 161 P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M of you, and among wise and discreet per- sons it will give you the reputation of a discreet person. In your choice of a companion, rather choose an equal than an inferior or superior. But touching this, I shall say more in the next general head. In relation therefore to superiors. Su- periors are in seversl kinds: as superiors in age ; superiors in estates; superiors in authority, as magistrates; superiors in place, as noblemen; superiors in relation, as parents, husbands, masters: and touch- ing your carriage to all superiors, observe these directions. First.—Give all due respect and rever- ence to your superiors; as by uncovering the head, making obeisance, giving them the place and precedence, giving them leave to speak before you, not catching the words out of their mouths before they [162 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M have the better in the suit, yet you make him an implacable enemy, that will be always watching an opportunity to be quits with you, and, one time or other, it is a thousand to one but he will do you a dis- pleasure. Therefore let your suit at law, with a man greater or more powerful than yourself, be your last refuge, and that in case of great and extreme necessity. Thirdly.—Never make a man that is much your superior in wealth or honour your ordinary companion, for the reasons given before in the foregoing chapter. Fourthly.—Visit your superior at his house sometimes, to testify your respect; but let it be very seldom, and that not at meals, but in an afternoon: for your often visits will be but troublesome; and your visiting at meals, besides other inconven- iences, will draw you into this great one, that you will draw the like inconvenience - [ 164 ) P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M upon yourself, in which if you do not equal his, it will make you ridiculous; and if it do equal his, it will be too chargeable for you to bear. And what I say touching visits of su- periors, I would have you observe as to equals; for one entertainment invites an- other, which if it fall out often, will be not only a perpetual trouble, but an occa- sion of excessive expense. If my friend come to me to eat with me uninvited, he must content himself with welcome, and what he finds; but if it once come to an invitation, the preparation must be more costly than ordinary, or it answers not expectation. Fifthly.—And therefore never invite any great man to your house to an enter- tainment; for possibly his ordinary meals are as good as your feast, or better, and then you shall be laughed at for your par- [ 165 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M simony; and if you go to exceed, you shall be laughed at for your prodigality; however your purse shall suffer beyond what it is well able to bear. Sixthly.—Never receive any kindness from any man, either superior or equal, which you are not able to repay without great charge and detriment to yourself; for then you are in very great danger to be made his slave or his enemy: and, many times, great kindnesses from great men are but preambles to some great kindness to be done to them, and if they are disap- pointed therein they become the most bitter enemies. I have oftentimes known, when extraordinary respect and favours or kindnesses are shown from great men to their inferiors, that within a little time after, a message hath been sent, or desire made to be bound for him or to sell him such a parcel of land that lies convenient [166 J PRACTICAL w is DOM for him, or to do him such piece of ser- vice as is either unseemly or dangerous; and then the man that received the kind- ness is either so taken or mollified by the kindness received, that he must perform that which is requested; or if he be so hardy as to deny it, the great man becomes his great enemy. Therefore be wary how you receive great kindnesses from great men, lest they be attended with an ex- pectation of such services from you, as are either unfit, or unsafe, or inconvenient to be performed by you. Seventhly.—It is an excellent rule of Sir Francis Bacon to his son, that if there be occasion for an inferior to make a present to his superior, that it be not too costly, nor such as is in danger to be quickly forgotten; but the present to be small, and such as may have continuance and always in view, as some slight picture, [167] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M or a staff, or a book: but never present a judge with any thing of what kind soever; for if he be wise and just, he will suspect your business, and reject your present as a bribe; and if he be unjust and receive your present, you may be overcome by your adversary, and so lose your gift and your cause too : and bribery is a base offence, both in the giver and in the taker. And thus much shall serve touching your civil deportment to your inferiors, equals, and superiors. [168 J ADVICE OF WILLIAM, EARL OF BEDFORD, TO HIS SONS P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M ADVICE OF WILLIAM, EARL OF BEDFORD, TO HIS SONS *ya GNORANCE and vice are the usual effects of an unlearned and undis- ciplined education. Of my passionate desire to free you and your brother from both these, I suppose I have given you and the world sufficient testimony, sure I am, I have satisfied myself; and you may guess how violent my longings are to ad- vance your piety and understanding, that is, to render you perfect men, in that, death is only displeasing, when I think of dying before I see this my desire accom- plished, or at least so far as my hopes may be greater than my fears: and as death every day makes his approaches nearer and nearer (God knows how soon he will [ 171 || P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M make a long separation between us); and in this other regard too, that whilst I live I shall always be with thee. Be this, then, received, either as a legacy for the will of a dying, or the advice of a living father, if it be observed or obeyed in either capacity, I shall think myself neither dead nor ab- sent; I put it into your hands with a prayer, that God will give it his blessing, and then you have mine. It was the wisest saying of the wisest man, The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Holiness then is the introduc- tion of all wisdom; so it shall be the first of my advice, fear God, and if holiness give knowledge, knowledge will give thee happiness, long life, riches, and honour. Length of days is in the right hand of wisdom, and in her left hand are riches and honour, said the wise King: how ex- alted a thing, then, is religion, which is [172 P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M the mother of so great blessings, and who will pity thy complaints for the want of any of these, if they be obtained by the pleasure of (that which will also crown thee with heaven) an holy life; be pious, and thou art all these ; fear God, and thou shalt not fear man, or devil, for it will set thee above the reach of fortune, or malice. RELIGION.—For thy religion, distinguish not thyself by, be not factious for, nor serve under any sect whatsoever; be thou a Christian, the most pure, certain, noblest worshipper of God of all others. But if thou art pressed to give up thy name to any one profession, inquire after and em- brace that whose principles conduce most to piety, that which comes nearest the doctrine of Christ. And in the examina- tion of questions in religion, though I am no divine, yet I dare venture to guide your conscience thus far. Be careful still [173 ] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M follow it constantly, and be sure to give it honour by your conversation. Loyalty.—Next to the fear of God, the Apostle commands honour to the King, which if it be not the sum of the second table, as the other is of the first, it cannot be denied to be the principal and main pillar thereof. And let me tell thee, if thou dost honour thy father and thy mother, thou canst neither be rebel nor schismatic, disloyal to the sovereign power, or disobedient to the church. DUTY. To PARENTs.-As for your duty to me, I doubt not but it will grow up with your understanding; and when you know how nice and curious my care hath been over your education, even to the least circumstance, my prying into your inclina- tion, observing the bent of your soul, her very first putting forth, heightening the good, and checking the ill, placing guards [I75 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M upon your senses and conversation, not only pointing out the way to virtue, by putting your feet into it, and teaching you to tread it (I speak not of fashioning or adorning your body, for I would not have you to measure my love and care by gay clothes, noble diet, and recreation, though you enjoyed these in some measure); when you come to know and judge of this, I have reason to expect, and therefore may boldly challenge, that if you were to choose a father, you would seek me out. Should you now so behave yourself, that as if I were to choose a son, to adopt a gentle- man into my family to inherit my name and fortunes, you only I should pitch upon ; besides the joy of beholding it, I should have a requital even to my wish. Nor were it possible for you to die in my debt for your education, if you observe this, with like care to bring up your chil- [ 176 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M dren also, if it shall please God to give you that blessing; and because I have an ambition to oblige posterity, I do here charge this duty upon you, that you also lay the like charge upon yours, and they on their children successively. For in- genuous manners first made us noble, marked out and advanced our family first to honour; with equal reason and more facility, will such manners preserve us noble, which is most certainly effected by education, otherwise the estate I leave you will be but as rich trappings upon an ass, and render you more ridiculous : wherefore, whatsoever you leave your heirs (and now I speak to your posterity in you), be sure to give them a learned and liberal education; there being, in my judgment, no other way to secure you from falling from honour, and the despite of fortune. This which I have said con- [ 177 P R A CT I C A L W 1 SD O M cerning your duty to me, is also applicable to the memory of your excellent mother, for a personal observance you cannot pay her. I most strictly charge you often to call to mind, that you and your brother have entered into a solemn engagement unto me, under your hands, to imitate the honours and excellencies of that dear saint, the best of wives, the best of mothers and friends. Be religious in the performance of it, as you expect my blessing. Re- member she had more pangs in your bringing up, than bringing forth, and she hath been an excellent nurse to your mind, regarding more the health and straitness of that, than of your body, though this were cared for with the greatest tenderness imaginable. The truth is, you owe her so much, that you cannot clear your ob- ligation by any other way; nothing can discharge you, and acquit you to her also, [ 178 ) P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M but by being such to yours, as she has been to you, and thus her memory is hon- oured, and I profess myself satisfied. AFFECTION To BROTHERS AND SISTERs. —As for your carriage towards your brothers and sisters, I must need say, that your natural kindness towards them now, gives me great hopes that you will be a loving brother hereafter. And be so, as you expect the blessing of God, and my favour. Besides, your interest will require this from you, because a numerous, wealthy, and ancient family, entire, and agreeing within itself with all its depend- ants and relatives, cannot easily be wronged in such a country as this. I know very well how little it can suffer, and how , much it can do; but then it must be as I said, entire. The dying father's bundle of arrows in the fable, has an excellent moral, to show how invincible love and [179 | PRACTICAL w TSDOM union are. And that you may rightly un- derstand me, this love of yours to them, must not only be in affectionate words, kind entertainment, and the like, but in a hearty real performance of all good offices that may tend to the advantage of their estates and reputation; study to do them good, and stay not for opportunities of fered, snatch them rather and prevent their wishes. This is a noble way of obliging, and by this means you may make them your friends, a dearer name by far than that of brother or sister, and which, perhaps, may be repaid to yours, though yourself may not need the return; for I must tell you, kind offices have been re- membered when the bestower has been rotten: and a grandchild hath been thanked, sometimes relieved, for the grandfather's kindness: insomuch as the courtesy to your brother may prove a charity to your [ 18o J P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M tect it from abuse. I should say more concerning this, but I refer you to my more secret instructions, where you shall have, God enabling me, a particular of those friends and servants to your family, whose counsels you may follow, and whose service you may trust. You are now setting your foot into the world, but before you place it, look about you, and consider that you can hardly set it but upon a snare, or a thorn, which calls upon you both for care, and courage: with these, take my experience for your guide; and, if you follow not my directions ex- actly, which free you from all danger, yet tread as near as you can, you shall suffer the less ; slip you may, fall you cannot. MANNERS.—I have observed that the greatest mischief to our manners, proceed- eth from a mistake of the nature of things; learn, therefore, first to make a right judg- [ 183 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M - ment of things; esteem not a feather, and slight a jewel; know that nothing is beauti- ful, great, or your own, but only virtue and piety; riches are not great revenues, noble houses, money, or plate; but not to want that which is necessary to support a moderate and ingenuous condition: that glory, is to be well spoken of for doing good; honour, a reverence for being vir- tuous ; power and command, an ability to oblige noble persons; nobility, heroic actions, or to be like noble ancestors: generosity, a natural inclination to virtue; health, such a constitution of the body as renders the mind vigorous; beauty, a fair soul lodged in no unhandsome body; strength, not to be weary in virtuous actions; pleasure, those pure, firm, lasting delights, which arise from those things alone which belong to the understanding and soul. All which definitions of things [ 184] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M of things, and have kept off the servile yoke which opinion hath laid upon most men, by imposing false names, and gov- erning the world by that cheat, and that you can plainly see a rich man to want those things which he has, and a high content in poverty, discern a great man in all his liberty, chained like a slave to his lusts and idleness, and another free in his fetters: this done, to fit you for conversa- tion, receive these following directions. First, because the eye doth make the first report of the man, and as she tells her tale, so for the most part the presence is liked or disliked, sometimes very unjustly. To avoid prejudice, be sure to put your- self into good fashion; and, without flat- tery, I may tell you, but do not hear it without thankfulness to God, you have a body every way fit to bear a graceful presence, answerable to your rank and [ 186 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M quality. But take heed of affectation and singularity, lest you act the nobleman instead of being one. And whether you stand, sit, or move, let it be with such a becoming, pleasing gravity, as that your very behaviour may commend you, and prevail for a good opinion with the be- holder. Before you speak, let your mind be full of courtesy; the civility of the hat, a kind look, or a word from a person of honour, has bought that service which money could not. And he that can gain or preserve a friend, and the opinion of civility, for the moving of the hat, or a gentle look, and will not, is sillily severe; spare not to spend that which costs noth- ing; be liberal of them, but be not prodi- gal, lest they become cheap. I remember Sir Francis Bacon calls behaviour the gar- ment of the mind; it is well resembled, and rightly expresses the behaviour I [ 1871 P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M various, it is requisite that your abilities be various also. As in all things else, so in this of speech, be a strict observer of decorum. Speak not scholastically to a lady, nor courtly to a plain man. And take heed of surfeiting the ears of your hearers, seeing that the best discourse, like sweetmeats, quickly cloys, if it become constant food; and like perpetual music, loses its charms. Therefore, still leave your company in an appetite to hear more, baiting them sometimes with short offers, so cunningly as that they may invite you, and press you to speak on ; did I fear in you a poverty of speech, or should you find at any time a slender stock, I should entreat you to a good husbandry; above all things avoid commonplaces, they are fulsome and ridiculous. If your genius leads you, and I hope it does, to affect a pleasantness of wit, this [ 190 J P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M mirth or triumph over a fool, whom to overcome can be no victory, when the contention itself was dishonourable. If you meet with a proud, vain, self-con- ceited man, it may become you well to put such a one out of countenance, so it be done handsomely, and like a person of honour, for all men are well pleased to see a vain man well rallied. Be not dogmatical and peremptory in your opinion—it will be long before that become you; but having spoken, as you think, reason, if it be not allowed of, speak it again, and leave it calmly to cen- sure. Be very careful of falling into pas- sion: for why should you be angry, that another is not able or willing to understand you. Let me tell you, it is the sign of a very feeble spirit not to be able to endure contradiction; and therefore, if you have a mind to gain reputation upon any by [192 l P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M dispute, try if he can be moved; if he may be, then anger him, but without of fence; you cannot wish for a greater advantage than his passion will give you; for anger, in dispute, is like an unquiet horse in a dusty way,+it raises so much dust in the eyes of the understanding, that it blinds it, and puts it out. It will lay the enraged disputant so open, that you may hit him where you please, and he cannot put by one fallacy. Besides, many have overcome by suffering the enemy to beat himself out of breath. But if you would render yourself pleasing to any person you have a mind to oblige, propose then such a subject as you know he is very skilled in, most men being desirous and pleased to show their own excellency; and you will not lose by it neither; for the experienced soldier shall tell you more of the art of war, and a well-practised [ 193 ) P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M EMPLOYMENT.—I will now oversee your employment, which at present is your study; and I shall be less careful herein, upon a presumption of your tutor's care and sufficiency in the kind hath pre- vented me; however, I shall tell you what I have heard a very learned man to speak concerning books and the true use of them. You are to come to your study as to the table, with a sharp appetite, whereby that which you read may the better digest. He that has no stomach to his book will very hardly thrive upon it. And because the rules of study do so exactly agree with those of the table, when you are from your tutor, take care that what you read be wholesome, and but suf- ficient. Not how much, but how good, is the best diet. Sometimes, for variety, and to refresh and please the palate of your understanding, you may read something [ 196] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M table, so you rise from your book, with an appetite; and being up, disturb not the concoction, which is infinitely improved by a rumination or chewing of the cud. To this end, recollection with yourself will do well, but a repetition with another far better; for thereby you will get a habit of readily expressing yourself, which is a singular advantage to learning; and by the very discoursing of what you learn, you again teach yourself: besides, some- thing new, and of your own, must of ne- cessity stream in. For your choice of your books, be ad- vised by your tutor; but, by my consent, you should not have above one or two at the most in every science, but those very choice ones. I will commend one book to you, we begin with it when we are boys, yet it will become the oldest and gravest man's hand,-it is Tully's Offices; [198] P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M E wander, but compel it to be fixed and present. If any other thought comes across thee in thy study, keep it off, and refer it to some other time: this wander- ing of your spirit you know I have often reproved, therefore, whatsoever you do, do it, and nothing else. Suffer not thy memory to rest; she loves exercise, and grows with it; every day commend something notable to her custody; the more she receives, the better she keeps ; and when you have trusted any thing to her care, let it rest with her awhile, then call for it again, especially if it be a fault corrected. You must not err twice; and by this frequent calling her to account, she will be always ready to give you satisfaction; and the sooner, if what she was entrusted with was laid up orderly, and put, as it were, in the several boxes of a cabinet. [ 202 | P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M If thou wouldst seem learned, the best way is to endeavour to be learned; for if thou dost not strive to be that which thou desirest to be, thou desirest to no purpose, which gives me occasion to recommend this following advice to your especial regard. It is an extreme vanity to hope to be a scholar, and yet to be unwilling to take pains: for what excellent thing is there that is easily composed ? Its very diffi- culty doth imply, and, as it were, doth invite us to something worthy and rare. Consider it is a rose that thorns do com- pass; and the forbidden object sharpens the desire in all other things. Thus a difficult mistress makes a lover more pas- sionate; and that same man hates an offered and a prostitute love. I dare say, if learning were easy and cheap, thou wouldst as much slight her; and, indeed, [293 ) P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M who would have any thing common with a carter or a cobbler Something there is, doubtless, in it, that none but noble and unwearied spirits can attain her; and these are raised higher, and heightened by its difficulty, and would not gain her other- wise. Something there is in it, that no money or jewels can buy her. No, noth- ing can purchase learning but thy own sweat: obtain her, if thou canst, any other way. Not all my estate can buy thee the faculty of making but one quick epigram —the trifling part of her; wherefore I entreat thee, to raise thy spirit, and stretch thy resolution. And so often as thou goest to thy book, place before thy eyes what crowns, sceptres, mitres, and other ensigns of honour, learning hath conferred upon those that have courted her with labour and diligence; besides the rare pleasure of satisfaction, which, of itself, is [204] P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M an honourable reward. And let me tell thee, a learned holy man (and such a one would I fain have thee to be) looks like an angel in flesh—a mortal cherubim. And because letters are great discoverers of the man, therefore, when you write, let your style be genteel, clean, round, even, and plain, unless the subject or matter re- quire a more manly and vigorous expres– sion. I cannot allow you a curiosity, unless it be like a lady’s dress, negligently neat. Go not to counsel for every word, yet neglect not to choose. Be more care- ful to think before you write than before you speak; because letters pass not away as words do; they remain upon record, are still under the examination of the eye, and tortured they are, sometimes, to con- fess that of which they were never guilty. That is rare, indeed, that can endure read- ing. Understand the person well to whom [ 205 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M ness, swelling, poverty, and looseness in your style; let it be rather riotous than niggardly. The flowing pen may be helped, but the dry never. Especially shun obscurity, because it must go a-beg- ging for an interpreter: and why should you write to entreat him to understand you if he can. Be this your general rule, both in your writing and speaking- labour for sense, rather than words; and for your book, take this also, study men and things. Perhaps you will expect, after all these instructions, I should commend unto you some copy or example to imitate. As for the Greek and Latin tongues, I leave it to your tutor's choice. In the English, I know no style I should sooner prefer to your imitation, than that of Sir Francis Bacon, that excellent unhappy man. And to give you direction for all imitation in [ 207 ) P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M too. I shall add but one caution more, and that is this—as he can never run well who shall resolve to set his foot in the footsteps of one that went before, so neither shall any man write well, who pre- cisely and superstitiously ties himself to another's words. And with this liberty I wish you still happy. And such will all your studies be, if you constantly put in practice this my last admonition, which I reserved purposely for this place. It is, that you be careful every night, before you go to bed, to per- form your devotions, to withdraw yourself into your closet, or some private part of your chamber, and there call memory, your steward, to account what she has heard or read that day worthy of observa- tion; what she hath laid up, what she spent; how the stock of knowledge im- proves, where and how she decays. A [ 209 | P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M notable advantage will this bring to your studies at present, and hereafter, if that way employed, to your estate. But if this course be strictly observed each night between God and your soul, there will the true advantage appear. Fail not, therefore, what employment soever you have, every night, as in the presence of God and his holy angels, to pass an inquisition on your soul what ill it hath done, what good it hath left undone; what slips, what falls it hath had that day; what temptation hath prevailed upon it; and by what means, or after what manner. Ransack every cor- ner of thy dark heart, and let not the least peccadillo, or kindness to a sin, lurk there, but bring it forth, bewail it, protest against it, detest it, and scourge it by a severe sorrow. Thus each day's breach between God and your soul being made up, with more quiet and sweet hope thou mayest [21 o J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M dispose thyself to rest. Certainly, at last, this inquisition, if steadily pursued, will vanquish all customary sins, whatever they be. I speak it upon this reason, because I presume thou wilt not have the face to appear before God every night confessing the same offence; and thou wilt forbear it, lest thou mayest seem to mock God, or despise him, which is dreadful but to imagine. This finished, for a delightful close to the whole business of the day, cause your servant to read something that is excellently written or done, to lay you to sleep with it, that, if it may be, even your dreams may be profitable or learned. This you will find, by your own experi- ence, true, that things will appear more naked to the eye of the soul, when the eye of the body is shut ; which, together with the quiet of the night, that time is rendered a most fit season for contemplation and [211 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M contrivance. As a great advantage, not only to your book, but health and business also, I cannot but advise and enjoin you to accustom yourself to rise early ; for, take it from me, no lover of his bed did ever yet form great and noble things. Now, though I allowed eight hours for your bed, with the preparation to it and from it, yet this was rather to point out the utmost limits beyond which you should not go, rather than to oblige you to ob- serve such a proportion exactly. Borrow, therefore, of these golden morning flowers, and bestow them on your book. A noble person, of all others, has need of learning, and therefore should contribute most time to it; for, besides that it gilds his honour, and sets off his birth, it becomes his em. ployment, which a nobleman, of all others, must not want, if he will secure his soul, honour, and estate, all which are in most [212 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M of your mind, which I recommend to your yearly practice during your life. This, if you flatter not yourself, will be your best looking-glass, and must needs have a sin- gular influence upon your religion, and serve your soul extremely well to very high purposes; for, by this means, your growth or decay in virtue will be discovered, and, consequently, ways for the increase of that growth, or for repairing those decays and breaches in the soul, will more readily be found out, and more easily cured. When you have found both your forces and infirmities, then look with one eye upon them, and with the other on the realms you live in, whereby, comparing yourself with the general state of affairs, you shall soon discern whether there may be a correspondency and compliance be- tween you and them, that you may there- upon either draw yourself within your [2 15 J P R A CT I C A L W I S D O M private walls, to enjoy the happiness of an holy, quiet, and innocent repose, in case , the times are rough and dangerous to sail in ; or else, if calm and suitable, to engage yourself in some public employment, for the service of your country and advance- ment of your family: though, if I may guess at the future constitution of your mind by what I observe at present, were the times never so calm and inviting, you should not be easily enticed to embark yourself into the world or engage in busy and great employments. Your best course, in my judgment, were to say your prayers at home, manage your little affairs inno- cently and discreetly, and enjoy, with thankfulness, what God has bestowed upon me. But it may so happen that your inclinations may be active, and your parts correspondent, and that good fortune may find you out in your privacy, and [216 J PRACTTGAL w TSDOM court you to employment, if she does, refuse her not, but embrace her with these cautions: First, be sure to ballast yourself well, by calling in to your aid all the ad- vantages of learning, art and experience; then consider to fit your sails to the bulk of your vessel, lest you prove a slug, or overset. And because commonwealths have their shelves and rocks, therefore get the skill of coasting and shifting your sails: I mean, to arrive at your journey’s end by compassing and an honest com- pliance. Yet, if honesty be the star you sail by, doubt not of a good voyage, at least be sure of a good harbour. 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