Humane prudence, or, The art by which a man may raise himself and fortune to grandeur by A.B.

SECT. 10.

NEver be so below your self as to let any Passion be a∣bove you: Be assured when Passion enters in at the Fore-gate, Wisdom goes out at the Postern.

He who commands himself, com∣mands the World too; and the more Authority you have over others, the more Command you must have over your self.

I cannot but admire at the tem∣per of that Persian, who in his fu∣ry threatned the Tempest and whipt the Sea.

It is a sorrow to me, to see a pas∣sionate Man scourge himself with his own Scorpions, and in the midst of his innocent Contentments fond∣ly to give himself Alarms.

It's the Infelicity of many Men, to sally into the greatest passion upon the least occasion: Not unlike

that Gentleman (though learned, yet none of the wisest) when seeing his Man at Plow, fell into a great Distemper, and was much incensed against him, because he did not plow, secundum Artem, in draw∣ing his Furrows mathematically, and in Linea Recta, as he said: A Friend of his standing by, told him that he had little reason to be displeased, if he considered the small difference between errare and arare.

I am not pleased, if I see a Butter-flie in the Air, and cannot catch it.

Be you like the Caspian Sea, which is said never to ebb or flow.

Have not to do with any Man in his Passion, for men, contrary to Iron, are worst to be wrought up∣on when they are hot.

It's more Prudence to pass by Tri∣vial Offences, than to quarrel for them; by the last you are even with

your Adversary, but by the first a∣bove him.

If you have an Injury done you, you do your Adversary too much honour to take notice of it, and think too meanly of your self to revenge it: Let me advise you, to dissemble an Injury, when you have not the power to revenge it, and generously to forgive it, when you have the means to do it.

It's a noble way of Revenge, to forget and scorn them; for Resent∣ment doth but encourage that Ma∣lice which neglect would dissipate. Lewis the Twelfth of France be∣ing advised by some of his Council to punish such as were Enemies to him when he was Duke of Orle∣ans, answered like a Prince, That it did not suit with the glory of a King of France to revenge the in∣juries done to the Duke of Orle∣ans.

If you be displeased with every

Peccadillo, you will become ha∣bitually forward: Learn to be pa∣tient, by observing the inconveni∣ences of impatience in other Men.

If you have an infelicity upon you, by your impatience you su∣per-add another to it: He who sub∣mits to his Passions, at the same time is a Slave to many Tyrants. I pre∣fer the freedom of my Mind and the serenity of my Soul (not clouded with Passions) before the Empire of the World.

It will be the test of Prudence in you, without any Passion to in∣dure the Injuries and Follies of o∣ther Men: If you cannot indure them in others, you may make them your own: For first you lose your Judgment, and then offend your Self; and so Passion will praecipitate you into that Ill which you would avoid.

If any Man doth me an Injury, I am not disturbed, but must pity

him; for he is the first offended, and receives the greatest damage; because in this he loseth the use of Reason.

Every day I meet with Bravo's, false and perfidious Persons, but they can do me no harm, because it's not in their power to disquiet me or to make me act any thing dishonourable; neither am I angry nor disaffected toward them, because they are by Nature near unto me; for they are all my Kinsmen by participation of the same Reason and Divine Particle: If at any time I have an injury done me by them, I convert it to my own advantage, I know how to avoid them; and they discover to me my own Weak∣ness, where I may be assaulted; therefore I study to fortifie that place: And if an Ass doth kick me (as many times he doth) I never use to put him into the Court.

I speak this to you; not that I would have you without sense, for Chi la fa Pecora il Lupo la mangia: He who maketh himself a Sheep, the Wolf will devour him.

It was a Maxime worthy of Cae∣sar's Gallantry, Nec inferre nec perpeti.