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

CCV.

Noble Sir,

I Am of your Opinion, that most of Mankind are of Lazy Dispositions, and love not to Trouble themselves in Publick Affairs, but though they be Lazy to the Publick Good, yet

they are Active and Industrious to and for their Private Pleasure, or their Particular De∣signs; and though Mankind are Lazy to the Publick Good, yet they are oftentimes Active to the Publick Hurt, either for their Ambiti∣ous and Covetous Ends, or many times through Envy and Malice to some Particular Person who is more Eminent than the rest, for rather than they will Suffer One to Over-top All, they will Ruin All to Pull down that One; the truth is, Men are not like Beasts, to Work to a General Profit, but like Drones, to Rob the Particular Labours in the Commonwealth; neither is it amongst Mankind as amongst Beasts, for amongst Beasts there are more Bees than Drones, but amongst Mankind there are more Drones, as I may say, than Bees, that is, there are more Unprofitable, than Good Common∣wealths men; But Nature seems to be in Fault that Mankind is so Bad, for if it were only Custom, the Evil would be but in some Par∣ticular Nations, and not throughout the whole World as it is; but as Nature hath not made all Creatures alike, for all Flies are not like the Bee, nor all Worms like the Ant, nor all Beasts like the Sheep, nor all Birds like the Nightingal; so indeed Mankind is of a mix'd Nature, and as it were a Composition of all o∣ther Animal Creatures, for one may perceive the Natures of other Animal Creatures mix'd in Man, and there is no Motion that belongs most Properly to other Creatures, but Man can Imi∣tate

it, nay his very Shape is a Mix'd Shape of all other Creatures, for though he hath not directly four Legs, as Beasts, yet his Arms are something like Legs, and Birds have but two Legs, only Birds Legs are set in the Middle of their Bodies, and Mens are set Below their Bodies, and though Man hath not Fins as Fishes, yet his Arms serve him for the same Use, as to Swim, and so of e∣very Particular Part with the Whole you may find some Mixture, either more or less, of all o∣ther Creatures Shapes, as well as Dispositions; and by this Natural Mixture and Composition of Man, you may Compare every other Crea∣ture to Man, and Man to every other Creature; and since Man is a Creature made partly of all o∣ther Animal Creatures in Mind and Body, as Passions, Humors, Appetites, Senses and Shape, 'tis no Wonder if he be more Various than other Creatures are; but some Men have a Higher Composition than others, as having some Mix∣ture of Celestial Parts, Ingredients, or Influen∣ces, with their Terrestrial, yet those are but Few, and a Degree nearer to the Nature of Gods than other Men, and amongst those Few, Sir, you are one, for which I Admire you, and rest,

Sir,

Your Humble Servant and Affectionate Sister in Law.