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

CLXXXVII.

MADAM,

MY Imployment continues as yet, which is, to read Plutarch's Lives, and amongst the rest, I find Described the Life of Cato Uticensis, whose Story, if true, makes me love the Memo∣ry of this Cato, for his Courage, Honesty, and Wisdom, and for the Love to his Country; but yet I cannot Allow his Death for the Love of his Country, for surely he Mistook the Prin∣ciple, and Ground of his Love; for put the case Philip King of Macedonia had been alive when his Son did Conquer Persia, and he seeing his Son follow the Fashions of the Persians, should have Kill'd himself for the Change of Fashions, from the Macedonians to the Persians, (al∣though it was from a Worse to a Better) or he should have kill'd himself, if the Laws and Cu∣stoms

of Macedonia should have been Changed into the Laws and Customs of the Persians, although it might have made the Kingdom of Macedonia Flourish the more, and be more Happy and Peaceable; or put the case a man that hath been Born and Bred in this Country, and should chance to be carried into Turky, as there to live, should Kill himself for Changing Countries, although he neither Changed his Religion, nor lived in less Safety, Peace, or Plenty, and had all his Friends near, and round about him; or if one of the States should make himself Monarch, all the rest should Kill them∣selves, having as much Plenty, and Prosperity, and more Safety than they had, this would seem Strange, and like a Lunacy, as a Defect of Reason, indeed a mere Madness. The same is with Cato, for he perceiving his Country was like to be Govern'd as a Monarchy, which was before a Republick, Kill'd himself, although he knew the old Government was so Corrupted, as it caused great Riots, Tumults, Seditions, Fa∣ctions, and Slaughters, Killing and Murdering even in the Market-place, so as it could not be Worse what Chance soever came, but was Pro∣bable a Change of Government might make it more Peaceable and Safe; wherefore Cato did not Kill himself for the Peace and Safety of his Country, but for the Government, as choosing rather to have it Governed Ill by the Old way, than to have it Govern'd VVell another way; but if the Change of Government had been like∣ly

to Alter their Religion, to Destroy their Na∣tives, to Torture their Friends, to Disperse the Ashes of their Dead Ancestors, and to Pull down their Monuments, and his Country to be En∣joyed, Possess'd, Ruled and Governed by Stran∣gers, he had Chosen Well, to have Voluntari∣ly Died, rather than to Live to see those Mise∣ries, Calamities and Destructions, but he know∣ing his Country fell unto the Government of a Noble Native, who had Conquer'd many Nati∣ons to Inlarge it, and Brought in much Wealth to Inrich it, and many Vassals to Serve it, and had not only Courage, but Power and Skill to Protect it, Prudence and Justice to Rule and Govern it, and Clemency and Tenderness to Love it, and yet Cato to Kill himself, because Caesar was to be Chief in it, was strange; yet howsoever Cato did Nobler to Kill himself, than those that Killed Caesar, for Cato's Death shew'd only a Dislike to the Change of the Govern∣ment, and not a Hate to the Man that Govern∣ed, whereas the Murderers of Caesar shew'd more an Envy to the Governour, than a Dislike to the Government; But the Wisest men may Err sometimes, so did Cato in his Death in my Opinion; Wherefore leaving Honest Cato to Honourable Fame, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Friend and Servant.