Occasional reflections upon several subiects, whereto is premis'd a discourse about such kind of thoughts

DISCOURSE XII.

Upon Clouds rising out of the Sea, and falling down in Rain not Brackish.

THis Discourse had already lasted so long, that as well my Unwillingness that one Theme should detain us any lon∣ger, as my Desire to keep Eugenius from making any Reply, which on such an occa∣sion might perchance have begot some Dis∣pute, made me forward to divert the Dis∣course, by inviting the Company to take notice of a black Cloud that was coming towards us, which soon after, in its passage under the Sun, interpos'd betwixt our Sight and that gloriousest Object of it. Lindamor then having a while attentively enough con∣sider'd it, took thence an occasion to say: This Cloud, Gentlemen, whensoever it shall fall down in Rain, will sufficiently shew that it was before but VVater, which whilst it lay mingl'd with the rest of the River, or the Sea, whence 'tis Exhal'd, may be sup∣pos'd as Clear and Limpid as any of the rest; but now that the Sun has by its pow∣full Beams elevated this VVater in the form of Vapours, and drawn it near it self, we see it Composes a Cloud, which does no

longer receive or transmit the Light, but robs the Earth of it, and eclipses the Sun that rais'd it, and sometimes too, produces dismal storms of Rain, and Wind, and Hail. Thus (pursues Lindamor) there are many, who while they continu'd in a low and private Fortune, were as blame∣less as others; and yet, when by a peculiar Vouchsafement of Providence, they are rais'd from that humble state to a conspi∣cuous height, they seem to have as much chang'd their Nature as their Fortune, they grow as much worse than meaner Men, as their condition is better than that of such; and the principal things by which they make their Exaltation be taken notice of, are, the Prejudice they do to their Inferiours, and the Ingratitude they exercise towards that Monarch of the VVorld, that rais'd them above others. Of so perverting a Nature, is so high a Station, that the gaining of an Earthly Crown, is very far from being a furtherance to the acquiring of an Heavenly one: And many, whom an humble condi∣tion of Life kept as Innocent as Lowly, are, by the highest Advancement in point of Fortune, impair'd in point of Morality; and these supreme Dignities, which the ambitious World so fondly Courts and Envies, do so often manifest those that

have attain'd them, to be unworthy of them.

I know not whether Eugenius imagin'd that Lindamor did in this Discourse make some little Reflection, upon what we had lately said on the behalf of Princes: But I afterwards suspected, that it was partly to reply to this Observation, as well as en∣tertain the Company with a new one that he subjoyn'd. As this Cloud has furnish'd Lindamor with one Reflection, so that which lately brought us the Showr of Rain, whose marks are yet upon our Hats, may supply us with another, which may shew, that Themes of this Nature are applicable to very differing purposes, according as one or other of their Circumstances happens to be consider'd and employ'd: For as far (pursues he) as we can judge by the Neighbourhood of the Sea, and by that Cloud's being driven hither by a VVind blowing thence, it consisted of the Sea-water rais'd in the form of Vapours. But though the Water of the Ocean is Salt and Brackish, Unpleasant and Unwholesome whilst it lies there Unelevated; yet that Water which has the Advantage of being rais'd to the second Region of the Air, ap∣pears, when 'tis turn'd into Rain, to have left all its Brackishness behind it, and proves

both wholesome for Mens Bodies, and fer∣tilizing to their Fields.

Thus (continues Eugenius) we some∣times see, that Men, who in a private con∣dition were subject to divers Vices, devest them when they are advanc'd to the honour of putting on Royal Robes, as Silk-worms leave their Husks behind them, when by acquiring Wings they turn into (a nobler sort of Creatures) flying Animals; as most Men change, so some improve their Minds with their Condition, and seem to have mis-behav'd themselves in a lower Station, but because they were Born to a higher, and were, whilst beneath it, detain'd out of their proper Sphere. And indeed, as a Throne exposes those that sit on it to peculiar Temptations to Vice, so does it afford them peculiar Engagements to Vir∣tue, as so Elevated a Station is apt to make Men giddy, so is it proper to make them circumspect, by letting them see that all the VVorld sees Them; the Sublimity of such a Condition would make any Soul, that is not very mean, despise many mean things that too often prevail upon Inferiour per∣sons. If Princes have any sense of Shame and Honour, it will be a great Curb to them, to consider, that, as there are too many Eyes upon them to let their Vices be

secret, so their Faults can as little escape Censure as Discovery; and Men will be the more severe to their Reputations, be∣cause 'tis the only thing wherein Subjects can punish their Soveraigns. If they have any thing of Generosity in their Natures, their very Condition, by placing them above other Objects, will make them aspire to Glory, and that is a Mistress, that ev'n Monarchs cannot successfully court, but with great and good Actions. And if they have withall a sense of Piety, they cannot, but, in Gratitude to him, whose Vice∣gerents they are, endeavour to promote his Interests that made them so, and so make themselves as like him as they can in his other Attributes of Clemency, Justice, and Bounty, as he has vouchsaf'd to make them in his Power and Authority: And besides, that the actual Possession of an Earthly Grown leaves them nothing worth aspi∣ring to but a Heavenly one: The conside∣ration of the great Advantages they have above other Men of doing Good, and the Exemplariness and Influence as well of their Vices as of their Virtues, will make them tremble at the thoughts of the Ac∣count they must one Day render of so many Thousands, perhaps of so many Millions, (of Subjects) committed to their Charge,

if, as they are sure it will be a great one, they shall not make it a good one. Nor (pursues Eugenius) is History altogether unfurnish'd with Examples of those whom a Throne has as well Improv'd as Dignify'd: Saul was not the only Person, who when he was created King had another Spirit, and became another Man; That Titus, who was the Head of it, was justly styl'd the Darling of Mankind, though his Virtue and Noble∣ness did, more than his Crown, keep the greatest part of Posterity from taking no∣tice of any thing in him, but an Obliging∣ness proportionate to his Greatness: Yet I find in some antient VVriters, to whom Truth was more dear than ev'n this Favou∣rite of Mankind, that before he came to that supreme Pitch of humane Dignity, his course of Life did not promise the Roman World the happiness it deriv'd from his Government; His Life before he came to be Emperour, having not been so free from Blemishes of Lust and Blood: But that I may, in writing his Character, invert what the Roman Historian said of one of his Pre∣decessours, and say, that Titus had been thought Indignus Imperio nisi imperasset. And, without going as far as Rome, our own Hi∣story affords us a Henry the Fifth, who,

before he came to the Kingdome, was scarce thought worthy to Live in it, and did so degrade himself to the Practices of the meanest Malefactors, that a Judge, that was then his Fathers Subject, was fain to use him at that Rate; and yet this Prince, as soon as he had Seated himself in the Throne, did as suddenly as if the Place it self had some secret Virtue to improve those it admitted, behave himself as a Per∣son worthy of it; and not only Conquer'd France, but, which was a Nobler, as well as a more difficult Victory, his own Resent∣ments too, by preferring that Judge, when King, that had Imprison'd him, when Prince; and evincing by so memorable an Action, that he preferr'd Virtue above himself, and renouncing the Pleasure of Revenge, he scrupl'd not to promote one whom he could not commend without condemning him∣self; were it not, that in this Prince, accor∣ding to what I was saying, the King was become another Man than the Subject. And perhaps, (concludes Eugenius, a little Smiling) I could proceed to give you other Examples enough to keep it from being improbable; that one main Reason, why there are but few good Princes, is, because there are but few Princes; were it not that I see the VVater-man prepare to Land

us: And in effect, we were now come so near the place, where the Fisher-man de∣sign'd to set us Ashore, that whether or no Lindamor had a mind to return any thing to what Eugenius had said, it would then have appear'd unseasonable, either to resume the Debate, or prosecute the Discourse.

Notes

• 1 Sam. 10. 6. 9.