Tully's three books of offices, in English with notes explaining the method and meaning of the author.

CHAP. XXXIX.

What sort of House is fitting for a Person of Honour. What should be the End of Building. The Exam∣ples of Octavius and Scaurus. A great House brings a Reproach on its Master, if his Worth be not answerable to it; and if he don't keep up the Laws of Hospitality. Measures to be observ'd in Building. Three Rules to be observ'd for the keep∣ing a Decorum in our Actions.

ANd since a we take in (or desire at least to take in) all the several Branches of Duty, we must not forget to add a word or two, about what sort of House is becoming a Gentleman, or a Person of Honour. Now the main End of Building is Lodg∣ing, and the necessary Uses of an House, and there∣fore the Draught, or Contrivance of it, should be

suited accordingly. But we should not so much re∣gard bare Necessities, as not to have an eye to Conve∣nience and Magnificence. b Cneius Octavius, the first of that Family that was ever Consul, built himself a noble and magnificent House upon the Palatin Hill, which is said to have gain'd him a great deal of Reputation; insomuch that the People coming usu∣ally to see it, the very House was suppos'd to have gone a great way toward advancing its Owner (tho' a kind of c an Upstart) to the Dignity of Consul. This some time after was pull'd down by d Scaurus, that so he might make his own somewhat the big∣ger by it: But whereas e Octavius, by Building his House, had made himself Consul; this Man, on the contrary, by enlarging of his, (tho' the Son of a great and most eminent Citizen) not only caus'd himself to be put by that Office, but f was moreover brought into Shame and Dishonour, and at last ut∣terly Ruin'd. 'Tis well if a Man can enhance that Credit and Reputation he has got, by the Splendor of his House; but he must not depend upon his House alone for it: For the Master ought to bring Honour to his fine Seat, and not the fine Seat bring Honour to its Master. But as, in all other cases, a Man should not have Respect to himself alone, but to other People also; so 'tis in this of a Noble

Man's House, which ought to be made very large and capacious, because he must keep up the Laws of Hospitality, and entertain multitudes of all sorts of Persons in it. For a fine and large House that gives Entertainment to no body, serves but to re∣proach and upbraid its Owner; and especially if 'twere us'd to be frequently visited under its former Master: for 'tis an odious thing to have Passengers cry, as they go along,

Ah! good old House, alas thy present Lord Isn't like thy former one!

which may g justly be said of but too too many in our own Days. Care should be taken, especial∣ly when a Man Builds himself, that he ben't too extravagant in his Magnificence and Expences: which is a very ill thing tho' it had no other harm in it, but only that one of giving a bad Example: For most Men are apt, more than in any thing else, to imitate the Great Ones as to this Particular. Where, for Example, shall we find the Man, that Rivals the famous h Lucullus in his Virtues? Where∣as how many have done it in the Stateliness and Magnificence of his Country-houses? But there cer∣tainly ought to be some Bounds fix'd and prescrib'd to these things, and those to be according to the Rules of Moderation: But the Measure whereby we are to judge of their being Moderate, is their Subserviency to the Ornaments and Conveniencies of Life: And so much may suffice upon this Head.

As for our i Actions, the way to maintain this De∣corum in them, is constantly to observe these three following Precepts: First, That we keep all our Pas∣sions and Appetites under the Government and Directi∣on of Reason, than which there is nothing of greater Efficacy toward the constant Preservation of our Duty. Secondly, That we consider the Quality and Moment of the thing, which we go about; that so we may proportion our Endeavours accordingly, and take neither more nor less Pains about it, than it really deserves. And lastly, That in all those exte∣rior Circumstances, which are only design'd for a gen∣tile Show and Grace of the Action, we should keep within the Measures of Prudence and Moderation. Now the best Measure we can observe is this, To keep our Eyes fix'd on those Rules of Decorum I've before laid down, and never to transgress 'em. But of these three Rules the first is the most important, That the Sensitive Part be kept obedient to the Rea∣sonable.

Notes

• a

  Another thing, wherein Decency shews it self pretty much, is Building, which he therefore brings in here as 'twere by the bye; in which he would have a Mediocrity ob∣serv'd. 'Tis very becoming for a Person of Quality, to have such a House as is suitable to his Quality; neither too little, so as not to have room for the Reception of Strangers; nor yet too extravagantly great and magnificent.
• b

  A famous and great Man, (as our Author in another place calls him) Praetor and Admiral of the Roman Navy, in the Macedonian War with Perseus, when he triumph'd for a Sea-Victory. Afterwards he was Cos. about the Year of Rome, 588.
• c

  Not but that the Family was very ancient in Rome, even from the times of Numa Pompilius; but none of 'em had e∣ver been any way noted, till this Octavius.
• d

  See Note on ch. 16. Book 2.
• e

  Whom we spoke of chap. 22.
• f

  He was convicted of undue Ways of squezing Money out of the Allies, and at last forc'd to go away into Banish∣ment.
• g

  He reflects upon some of Caesar's Party, who possess'd the Houses of Pompey's Friends; and particularly Mark An∣thony, who was got into that, which had formerly been Pompey's own.
• h

  Lucius Lucullus, a noble and very wealthy Roman, fa∣mous for his Learning, Eloquence, and especially Valour; as well as Extravagance in Building, &c. See his Life in Plutarch.
• i

  Having spoken of our Carriage of Body and Discourse; he now proceeds to the third thing, in which Decorum shews it self, viz. Our Actions; concerning which he gives us three Rules.