CCXI sociable letters written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

XIV.

MADAM,

I Am of your opinion, that Philosophers & Po∣ets certainly should be the wisest men, for they having so deep an insight, as to peirce even into the Secrets of Nature, it should be easie for them to have an insight into the Designs, Counsels, and Actions of Men, & to foresee the Effects of Things; for they that can Judge of Hidden and Invisible Causes, and find out their Effects, may easily Judge of Visible Actions or Businesses a∣mongst Mankind; and there is no man that can be Wise, that hath not a deep peircing in∣sight, and a clear fore-sight to conceive and fore-see, what is, and what may probably be; for 'tis not History that makes men Wise, nor Law, nor Logick, nor to be Learn'd in all the Sciences, but to have a Natural Ingenuity, as to conceive Ra∣tionally, to judge Solidly, to understand Per∣fectly, to perceive Readily, to distinguish Clear∣ly, to compare Rightly, to search Narrowly, to examine Strictly, to observe Generally, to con∣sider Seriously, of all that hath been, is, or is not, or what may be, or cannot be; In all which, Na∣tural Philosophers and Poets are the most Inge∣nious men; But of this sort of men the world hath not many, indeed so sew, as the rest of mankind doth not understand them, for they think them rather Fools than Wise men; for

though Wise men know Fools, yet Fools know not Wise men, nay Fools do not know Fools, but Wise men know VVise men; for how should a Fool know a Fool, when he knows not Himself? But if any fault be in Natural Poets and Philosophers, 'tis that they are so delighted with Transcendency, as they will not Descend to consider, or regard the Actions and Designs of Men, no, not the outward and ordinary works of Nature; they are of Nature's privy Coun∣sel, wherefore they scorn to be in Temporal or Human Counsels of Men; they are Natural States-men, and will not be Temporal States-men, neither they will attend Temporal Prin∣ces, being Nature's Chief Courtiers; and when they chance to observe the Actions and Courses of other men, they view them with a despising smile, to see their gross Errours, ri∣diculous Follies, painful Pleasures, foolish Vi∣ces and unprofitable Labours: also Natural Philosophers and Poets are not only the Wi∣sest, but the Happiest men; not only in pleasing themselves with their vast Knowledge, supreme Wits, subtil Conceptions, delightful Imagina∣tions, and curious Fancies, having all the De∣lights of the Mind, and Pleasures of Thoughts, but in that they can Conquer their Unruly Pas∣sions, Unsatiable Appetites, and order their Minds according to their Fortunes; they are Happy in any Condition, having their Happi∣ness always with them, and in them, & not with∣out them, when other men's Happiness lies al∣wayes

without, and their Unhappiness with∣in them, their Minds are alwayes like trou∣bled Waters, and every cross Accident is apt to make a Storm, when Poets and Phi∣losophers Minds are like the fixt Stars, having onely a twinkling motion; or rather like the Sun, which keeps a constant Course, and ne∣ver alters, but yet moves swiftly about the world, and views every corner, and peirces in∣to the very bowels of the Earth, and their Sun-like Mind is the Light of their Thoughts; like as the rest of the Planets receive light from the Sun, so the Thoughts from the Mind; and as the Sun hath Heat and Light, so hath the Mind Reason and Knowledge; and as the Sun inlivens several Creatures, so their Mind conceives several Causes and Effects, and creates several Fancies; and as the Sun shews the World, and the World of Creatures, so the Mind finds and shews the Truth of Things. But leaving them to true Knowledge, Wisdom, Wit and Happiness, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Fr. and S.