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

XXIV.

MADAM,

IN your last Letter I perceive the Gallants of the Time, I mean Gallants for Youth and Bravery, for Vice and Vanity, for Expence and Prodigality, for foolish Quarrels, and rash Du∣els, these Gallants, it seems, condemn Age as unfit for State-affairs, as neither to Govern, Command, Direct, nor Advise; but certainly those States or Kingdoms that have young Go∣vernours and Counsellers, shall have more Combustions and Disorders committed by their Ignorance and Follies, than the most experien∣ced Age can Rectifie: indeed such Kingdomes and States are rather govern'd by Chance than Wisdom. 'Tis true, Fools have Good Fortune sometimes, but not so often as Bad, which shews they neither have a Politick Vlysses, nor a Counselling Nestor, for though Young men may Fight as Achilles, yet they can neither Counsel as Nestor, nor Speak as Ulysses; not but that some Old men may be Fools, but it is against Nature for Young men to be Wise, wherefore they are fitter to Obey than to Command, and to be Advised, than to give Counsel, for it is a wonder whenas young Counsellers keep Peace, or young Generals be Conquerours; and it makes them more Famous, because not Usual, especially when Fortune favours them, as she

doth many times their Rash Adventures, or haughty and Ambitious Enterprises; for good Fortune makes Youth appear more Glorious than Age; but Fortune many times favours Youth, as she favours Fools, for a time, and in the end leaves them to their own Ruin; but where Fortune hath little or nothing to do, as in wise Counsels, there their Ignorance and Fol∣lies, Passions and Partialities, Factions and Emu∣lations appear, especially in the success of their Counsels; wherefore Young men may better and more safely be trusted with an Army than a City, for 'tis more safe to leave them to For∣tune, than to trust them with Prudence; for Young men can tell better how to make Wars, than to keep Peace, being easier to Lead an Ar∣my, than to Rule a Kingdom, to Fight a Battel, than to Order a Commonwealth, to Distribute Spoils, than to Do Justice, for Fortune hath more power in Victory than Right. 'Tis true, sometimes there's such a Concurrence and Con∣junction in Affairs of State, as also in Armies, as the Wisest or Valiantest men cannot make bet∣ter, nor Fools nor Cowards worse, which is the cause that many times Wise or Valiant men, or both, may be thought Fools and Cowards, and Fools and Cowards Wise or Valiant men; and many times Fools are too hard for Wise men, by reason there be numbers of Fools for few Wise men, nay, numbers of Fools for One Wise man, which Wise man may be buried in the Rubbish of Fools; but if a Wise man be not

overpower'd, he treads down their Follies and Triumphs in Peace and Prosperity: But Aged men most commonly are assisted and atten∣ded by Mercury and Pallas, and Young men by Mars and Venus. The truth is, 'tis against Sense and Reason, that Young men can be so VVise, or proper for Affairs of a Common∣wealth, either to Command, Govern, or Coun∣sel, as Aged men, who have had long Experi∣ence, and great Observations, by Seeing, Hear∣ing, and Knowing much, so as there is nothing New, or Unacquainted to them, neither in Va∣rieties, Changes, nor Chances; for Nature, Fortune, and Time, is their long Acquaintance, by which they know the Appetites, Passions, Humours, Dispositions, Manners, and Actions of Men, with their Defects, Errours and Im∣perfections; also the Revolutions of Time, the Casualties of Chance, the Change of Fortune, and the Natural Course, Causes, and Effects of several Things in the VVorld, all which makes Aged men VVise, and want of such Experi∣ence and Observation, makes Young men Fools in comparison of Aged men; for Young men can have but a Relative, and not an Experienced Knowledge, nor can they have very much by Relation or Reading, having not time enough for Instruction & Learning; whereas Aged men have Read, Heard, Seen, Convers'd and Acted in and of several Ages, Societies, Nations, Men, and Business; also in several Places of several Subjects, and several Matters, to several Men,

at several Times: But Young men are so Con∣ceited, and Opinionative of themselves, as they think, they neither want Wit, Judgement, Un∣derstanding, nor Knowledge, and that Antient men rather Dote than Know; but though Young men cannot be Wise in Nature, unless by Inspiration, yet those are nearest to Wis∣dom that have been Bred up, Instructed, and Educated by Wise Age, and so much Better and more Knowing they are than others which have been Bred, Instructed, and Educated by Young Pedants or Governours, as the first shall be as Old men, although but Young, and the others shall be as Boyes when they are Young Men, and Young Men when they are Old, or rather Boyes all their life time, although they should live long; so that one may say, Happy is Youth that lives with Age: But lea∣ving as well Aged as Young men, to Knowledg and Ignorance, Wisdom and Folly, Prudence and Fortune, I rest,

Madam,

Your very faithful Friend and Servant.