Wisdom's better than money: or, The whole art of knowledge and the art to know men. In four hundred sentencious essays, political and moral. Written by a late person of quality; and left as a legacy to his son.

INSTITUTIONS AND MAXIMS Moral and Divine, &c. CENT. III.

MAXIM 1.

IF thou take pains in what is good, the Pains vanish, the Good remains; if thou take pleasure in what is evil, the Evil remains, and the Pleasure va∣nisheth: What art thou the worse for Pains, or the better for Pleasure, when both are past.

MAX. 2.

If thy Fancy and Judgment have agreed in the choice of a Wife, be not too fond, lest she surfeit, nor too peevish, lest she languish: Love so that thou may'st be feared; rule so that thou may'st be honoured; be not too diffident, lest thou teach her to deceive thee; nor too suspicious, lest thou teach her to abuse thee. If thou see a fault, let thy Love hide it; if she continue it, let thy Wisdom reprove it: Reprove her not openly, lest she grow bold; re∣buke her not tauntingly, lest she grow spiteful; proclaim not her Beauty, lest she grow

proud; boast not her Wisdom, lest thou be thought foolish; shew her not thy Imperfections, lest she disdain thee; pry not into her Dairy, lest she despise thee; prophane not her Ears with loose Communication, lest thou defile the Sanctuary of her Modesty. An under∣standing Husband makes a dis∣creet Wife; and she a happy Husband.

MAX. 3.

Wrinkle not thy Face with too much Laughter, lest thou become ridiculous; neither wanton thy Heart with too much Mirth, lest thou become vain. The Suburbs of Folly

is vain mirth; and profuseness of Laughter is the City of Fools.

MAX. 4.

Let thy Tongue take Coun∣sel of one Eye, rather than of two Ears; let the News thou reportest be rather stale than false, lest thou be branded with the Name of a Lyar: 'Tis an intollerable Dishonour to be that, which only to be called so, is thought worthy of a Stab.

MAX. 5.

Let thy Discourse be such as thy Judgment may maintain, and thy Company may deserve;

in neglecting this, thou losest thy Words; in not observing the other, thou losest thy self. Give wash to Swine, and Wort to Men; so shalt thou husband thy Gift to the advantage of thy self, and shape thy Dis∣course to the advancement of the Hearer.

MAX. 6.

Dost thou roar under the Torments of a Tyrant? Weigh them with the Sufferance of thy Saviour, and they are no Plague. Dost thou rage under the Bondage of a raving Con∣science? Compare it to thy Sa∣viour's Passion, and it is no Pain? Have the Tortures of

Hell taken hold of thy despai∣ring soul? Compare it to thy Saviour's Torments, and it is no Punishment. What Sense unequally compares, let Faith interchangeably apply, and thy Pleasure have no Comparison; thy Sins are the Authors of his Sufferings, and his Hell is the Price of thy Heaven.

MAX. 7.

Art thou banish'd from thy own Country? Thank thy own Folly: Hadst thou chosen a right home, thou hadst been no Exile; hadst thou comman∣ded thine own Kingdom, all Kingdoms had been thine own. The Fool is banished in his

own Country; the Wise man is in his own Country, though banished: The Fool wanders, the Wise man travels.

MAX. 8.

In seeking Virtue, if thou find Poverty, be not ashamed, the Fault is none of thine; thy Honour or Dishonour is pur∣chased by thy own Actions: Tho' Virtue give a ragged Li∣very, she gives a golden Cog∣nizance; if her Service make thee poor, blush not; thy Po∣verty may disadvantage thee, but not dishonour thee.

MAX. 9.

Gaze not on Beauty too much, lest it blast thee, nor too long, lest it blind thee, nor too near, lest it burn thee; if thou like it, it deceives thee; if thou love it, it disturbs thee; if thou lust after it, it destroys thee: If Virtue accompany it, it is the Heart's Paradice; if Vice associate it, it is the Soul's Purgatory: It is the Wise man's Bonfire, and the Fools Furnace.

MAX. 10.

If thou would'st have a good Servant, let thy Servant find a wise Master; let his Food, Rest,

and Wages be seasonable; let his Labour, Recreations, and Attendance, depend upon thy Pleasure; be not angry with him too long, lest he think thee malicious, nor too soon, lest he conceive thee rash, not too often, lest he count the humo∣rous; be not too fierce, lest he love thee not, nor too remiss, lest he fear thee not, nor too familiar, lest he prize thee not. In brief, whil'st thou givest him the Liberty of a Servant, be∣ware thou losest not the Maje∣sty of a Master.

MAX. 11.

If thou desire to be chast in Wedlock, keep thy self chast

before thou wed'est; he that hath known Pleasure unlawful∣ly, will hardly be restrained from unlawful Pleasure: One Woman was created for one Man. He that strays beyond the limits of Liberty, is brought into the Verge of Slavery: Where one is enough, two is too many, and three is too few.

MAX. 12.

If thou would'st be justified, acknowledge thy Injustice: He that confesseth his Sin, begins his Journey toward Salvation; he that is sorry for't, mends his Pace; he that forsakes it, is at his Journey's end.

MAX. 13.

Before thou reprehend ano∣ther, take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest a∣bout to reprehend: He that cleanseth a Blott with blotted Fingers makes a greater Blur.

MAX. 14.

Beware of Drunkenness, lest all good men beware of thee: Where Drunkenness reigns, there Reason is an Exul, Virtue a Stranger, God an Enemy; Blasphemy is Wit, Oaths are Rhetorick, and Secrets are Pro∣clamations. Noah discovered that in one hour, drunk, which

sober, he kept secret Six hun∣dred Years.

MAX. 15.

What thou givest to the poor, thou securest from the Thief; but what thou withol∣dest from his Necessity, a Thief possesses. God's Exchequer is the poorman's Box; when thou strikest a Tally, he becomes thy Debror.

MAX. 16.

Take no pleasure in the Fol∣ly of an Ideor, nor in the Fan∣cy of a Lunatrick, nor in the Frenzy of a Drunkard; make them the Object of thy Pity,

not of thy Pastime, when thou beholdest them, behold how thou art beholden to him that suffer'd thee not to be like them; there is no difference between thee and them, but God's Fa∣vour.

MAX. 17.

If being in an Eminent place thou hast incurr'd the obloquy of the Multitude, the more thou endeavourest to stop the Stream, the more it overflows: Wisely rather divert the course of the Vulgar humour, by di∣vulging and spreading some ri∣diculous Novelty, which may present new matter to their va∣rious fancy, and stave their

Tongues from off thy worri∣ed name; the first subject of the common Voice is the last News.

MAX. 18.

If thou desire to see thy Child. Virtuous, let him not see his Father's Vices: Thou canst not rebuke that in them that they behold practis'd in thee. Till Reason be Ripe, Examples di∣rect more than Precepts: Such as thy behaviour is before thy Childrens Faces, such com∣monly is theirs behind their Parents backs.

MAX. 19.

Use Law and Physick only for

necessity; they that use them otherwise, abuse themselves in∣to weak Bodies and light Purses. They are good Remedies, bad Businesses, and worse Recreati∣ons.

MAX. 20.

Be not over curious in pry∣ing into Mysteries, lest by seek∣ing things which are needless, thou omit things which are necessary; it is more safe to doubt of uncertain Matters than to dispute of undiscovered Mysteries.

MAX. 21.

If what thou hast received

from God thou sharest to the Poor, thou hast gained a bles∣sing by the hand: If what thou hast taken from the Poor thou givest to God, thou hast pur∣chased a Curse into the bar∣gain: He that puts to Pious Uses what he hath got by Im∣pious Usury, Robs the Spittle to raise an Hospital, and the Cry of the one, will our plead the Prayers of the other.

MAX. 22.

Let the end of thy Argu∣ment be rather to discover a doubtful Truth, than a Com∣manding Wit; in the one thou shalt gain substance, in the o∣ther Froth: That Flint strikes

the Steel in vain that propa∣gates no sparkles. Covet to be Truth's Champion, at least to hold her Colours: He that pleads against the Truth takes pains to be overthrown, or if a Conqueror, gains but a Vain-Glory by the Conquest.

MAX. 23.

Take no pleasure in the death of a Creature; if it be harm∣less or useless destroy it not, if useful or harmful destroy it mercifully: He that mercifully made his Creatures for thy sake, expects thy mercy upon them for his sake, mercy turns her back to the unmerciful.

MAX. 24.

If thou art called to the Dignity of a Priest, the same Voice calls thee to the honour of a Judge: If thy Life and Doctrine be Good, thou shalt Judge others; if thy Doctrine be Good and thy Life bad, on∣ly thy self: If both be Good, thou teachest thy People to es∣cape Condemnation: If this be good, and that bad, thou teachest God to Condemn thee.

MAX. 25.

If thou be not a Promethe∣us to advise, before thou dost be an Epimetheus to examine what

thou hast done, when the want of Advice hath brought forth an improvident act, the Exa∣mination may produce a profi∣table Repentance.

MAX. 26.

If thou desire the happiness of thy Soul, the health of thy Body, the prosperity of thy Estate, the preservation of thy Credit, converse not with a Harlot; her Eyes run thy Re∣putation in debt, her Lips de∣mand the Payment, her Breast arrest thee, her Arms imprison thee, from whence believe it thou shalt hardly get forth till thou hast either ended the days of thy Credit, or paid the ut∣most farthing of thy Estate.

MAX. 27.

Carry a watchful Eye upon those Familiars that are either silent at thy Faults, or sooth thee in thy Frailties, or excuse thee in thy Follies, for such are either Cowards, or Flat∣terers, or Fools: If thou en∣tertain them in prosperity, the Coward will leave thee in thy Dangers; the Flatterer will quit thee in thy Adversity; but the Fool will never forsake thee.

MAX. 28.

If thou hast an Estate and a Son to Inherit it, keep him not too short, lest he think thou

livest too long; what thou gi∣vest let him receive from thy hand as Gifts, not from thy Tenants as Rent; keep the Reins of thy Estate in thy own hand, lest thou forsaking the Sovereignty of a Father, he forget the Reverence of a Child: let his liberty be grounded up∣on thy permission, and keep him within the compass of thy Instructions: Let him feel thou hast the Curb, though occasi∣on urge thee not to Check: Give him the choice of his own Wife if he be wise, Counsel his affection rather than Cross it; if thou be'st wise let his Marriage-bed be made in se∣cret, or depend upon thy Grave. If he be given to Lavish Com∣pany

endeavour to stave him off with lawful Recreations: be cheerful with him that he may love thy presence, and wink at small faults that thou mayst gain him; be not always chiding lest thou harden him, neither knit thy brow too often lest thou dishearten him: Re∣member the discretion of a Fa∣ther oft times prevents the de∣struction of a Child.

MAX. 29.

If thou hide thy Treasure upon Earth, how canst thou expect to find it in Heaven? canst thou hope to be a sharer where thou hast reposed no stock? That thou gavest to

God's Glory and thy Soul's Health is laid up in Heaven, and is only thine: That alone which thou exchangeth or hidest upon Earth is lost.

MAX. 30.

Regard not in thy Pilgrimage how difficult thy passage is, but whither it tends; nor delicate thy Journey is, but where it ends, if it be easie, suspect it; if hard, endure it; He that cannot excuse a bad way, ac∣cuseth his own sloth; and he that sticks in a bad passage, can never attain a good Journey's end.

MAX. 31.

Money is both the Genera∣tion and Corruption of Pur∣chased Honour; Honour is both the Child and Slave to Potent Money: The Credit which Honour hath lost, Mo∣ney hath found; when Honour grew Mercenary, Money grew Honourable; the way to be truly Noble is to Contemn both.

MAX. 32.

Give not thy Tongue too great a liberty, lest it take thee Prisoner; a word unspoken is like the Sword in thy Scabbard, thine; if vented, thy Sword is

in another's hand: If thou de∣sire to be held wise, be so wise as to hold thy Tongue.

MAX. 33.

If thou be a subject to any great Vanity, nourish it not: If it will be entertained, encou∣rage it not; if it grow strong, more strongly strive against it; if too strong, Pray against it; if it weaken not, joyn Fasting to the Prayer; if it shall conti∣nue, add perseverance to them both; if it decline not, add Patience to all, and thou hast Conquered it.

MAX. 34.

Hath any wounded thee with

Injury, meet them with Pati∣ence; hasty words rankle the wounds, soft language dresses it; forgiveness cures it, and Obli∣vion takes away the scar; it is more noble by Silence to a∣void an Injury, than by Argu∣ment to overcome it.

MAX. 35.

Be not instable in thy Reso∣lutions, nor various in thy Acti∣ons, nor inconstant in thy Af∣fections; so deliberate, that thou mayst resolve; so resolve, that thou mayst perform; so per∣form, that thou mayst perse∣vere: Mutability is the badge of Infirmity.

MAX. 36.

Let not thy good intention flatter thee to an evil action; what is essential Evil, no circum∣stance can make Good: it mat∣ters not with what mind thou didst that which is unlawful being done; if the act be good the intention crowns it, if bad it deposeth thy intention; no evil action can be well done.

MAX. 37.

Love not thy Children too unequally, or if thou dost, shew it not, lest thou make the one Proud, the other Envious, and both Fools; if Nature hath

made a difference, it is the part of a tender Parent to help the weakest: That tryal is not fair where Affection is the Judge.

MAX. 38.

In giving of thy Alms, en∣quire not so much into the Person as his Necessity; God looks not so much upon the Merits of him that requires, as into the manner of him that relieves; if the Man deserves not, thou hast given it to Hu∣manity.

MAX. 39.

If thou desire the Eucharist should be thy Supper, let thy

Life be thy Chaplain; If thy own worthiness invites thee, presume not to come; If the sorrowful sense of thy own Sins forbid, presume not to forbear; If thy Faith be strong, it will confirm it, if weak, it will streng∣then it: He only that wants Faith is the forbidden Guest.

MAX. 40.

Wouldst thou traffick with the best advantage, and crown thy Virtues with the best re∣turn, make the Poor thy Chap∣man, and thy Purse thy Factor; so shall thou give trifles, which thou couldst not keep, to re∣ceive treasure which thou canst not lose: There is no such

Merchant as the Charitable Man.

MAX. 41.

Follow not the multitude in the evil of Sin, lest thou share with the multitude in the e∣vil of Punishment, the num∣ber of the offenders, diminish∣eth not the quality of the of∣fence; as the multitude of Sui∣ters draws more favour to the suit, so the multitude of Sin∣ners draws more punishment on the Sin, the number of the Faggots multiply the fury of the Fire.

MAX. 42.

If thou be angry with him

that reproves thy Sin, thou se∣cretly confessest his reproof to be Just: if thou acknowledge his reproof to be Just, thou secret∣ly confessest thy Anger to be unjust; He that is angry with the Just Reprover, kindles the fire of the Just Revenger.

MAX. 43.

Do well whilst thou mayst, least thou do evil when thou wouldst not: He that takes not advantage of a good pow∣er, shall lose the benefit of a good will.

MAX. 44.

Let not Mirth be thy pro∣fession,

lest thou become a make-sport: He that hath but gained the title of a Jester, let him assure himself the Fool is not far off.

MAX. 45.

In every Relative action change Conditions with thy Brother; then ask thy Conscience what thou wouldst be done to; being truly resolved exchange again, and do thou the like to him, and thy Charity shall never err: It is injustice to do, what with∣out impatience thou canst not suffer.

MAX. 46.

Love thy Neighbour for

God's sake, and God for his own sake, who created all things for thy sake, and re∣deemed thee for his mercy sake: if thy love have any other ob∣ject, it is false love; if thy ob∣ject have any other end, it is self-Love.

MAX. 47.

Let thy conversation with Men be sober and sincere; let thy Devotion to God be duti∣ful and decent; let the one be hearty and not haughty; let the other be humble and not homely; so live with Man as if God saw thee, so pray to God as if Men heard thee.

MAX. 48.

God's pleasure is the wind our actions ought to sail by, Man's will is the stream that Tides them up and down; if the wind blow not, thou mayst take the advantage of the Tide; if it blow, no matter which way the stream runs; If with thee, thy Voyage will be the shorter; if against thee, the Sea will be the Rougher. It is ea∣sier to strive against the Stream, than to fail against the Wind.

MAX. 49.

If thou desire much rest, de∣sire not too much; there is

no less trouble in the preserva∣tion, than in the acquisition of abundance; Diogenes found more Rest in his Tub, than Alexander on his Throne.

MAX. 50.

Wouldst thou multiply thy Riches, diminish them wisely; or wouldst thou make thy E∣state entire, divide it charitably; Seeds that are scattered en∣crease, but hoarded up they Perish.

MAX. 51.

How cam'st thou by thy Honour? by Money; How cam'st thou by thy Money?

by Extortion; compare the Pennyworth with the Price, and tell me truly, how truly Ho∣nourable thou art: It is an ill purchase that is Cumbred with a Curse, and that Honour will be Ruinous that is built on Ruines.

MAX. 52.

If thy Brother hath privately offended thee, reprove him privately; and having lost him∣self in an injury thou shalt find him in thy forgiveness; he that rebukes a private fault openly, betrays it, rather than reproves it.

MAX. 53.

What thou desirest inspect throughly before thou prose∣cute; cast one Eye upon the In∣conveniencies, as well as the o∣ther upon the Conveniencies; weigh the fulness of the Barn with the charge of the Plough; weigh Honour with her bur∣then; and Pleasure with her dangers; so shalt thou under∣take wisely what thou desirest, or moderate thy Desires in un∣dertaking.

MAX. 54.

If thow owest thy whole self to thy God for thy Creation,

what hast thou left to pay for thy Redemption, that was not so cheap as the Creation? In thy Creation he gave thee thy self, and by thy self to him; in thy Redemption he gave him∣self to thee, and through him restored thee to thy self: Thou art given and restored, now what owest thou to thy God? If thou hast paid all thy Debts, give him the Surplusage; and thou hast merited.

MAX. 55.

In thy Discourse, take heed what thou speakest, to whom thou speakest, how thou speak∣est, and when thou speakest: What thou speakest, speak tru∣ly;

when thou speakest, speak wisely: A Fool's Heart is in his Tongue, but a Wise man's Tongue is in his Heart.

MAX. 56.

Before thou act a Theft, con∣sider what thou art about to do; if thou take it, thou losest thy self; if thou keep it, thou disenablest thy Redemption; till thou restorest it, thou canst not be restored; when it is resto∣red` it must cost the more Sor∣row and Pain, than ever it brought thee Profit or Pleasure. It is a great Folly to please thy Palate with that which thou knowest must either be vomit∣ed or thy Death.

MAX. 57.

Silence is the highest Wis∣dom of a Fool, and Speech is the greatest Trial of a Wise man; if thou would'st be known a Wise man, let thy Words shew thee so; if thou doubt thy Words, let thy Silence feign thee so: It is not a greater point of Wisdom to discover Know∣ledge than to hide Ignorance.

MAX. 58.

The Clergy is a Copy-book; their Life is the Paper, whereof some is purer, some courser; their Doctrine is the Copies, some written in a plain hand,

others in a flourishing hand, some in a Text hand, some in a Roman hand, others in a Court hand, others in a Bastard Ro∣man. If the choice be in thy power, choose a Book that hath the finest Paper; let it not be too straight nor too loosely bound, but easie to lye open to every Eye: Follow not every Copy, lest thou be good at none; among them all choose one that shall be most legible and useful, and fullest of just Writing: But if the Paper chance to have a Blot, remem∣ber that Blot is no part of the Copy.

MAX. 59.

Virtue is nothing but an Act of loving that which is to be beloved, and that Act is Pru∣dence; from whence not to be removed by constraint, is For∣titude, not to be allured by En∣ticements is Temperance, not to be diverted by Pride is Ju∣stice; the declining of this Act is Vice.

MAX. 60.

Rebuke thy Servant's Fault in Private; publick Reproof hardens his Shame; if he be past a Youth, strike him not; he is not fit for thy Service that

after wise Reproofs will either deserve thy Stro aks or digest them.

MAX. 61.

Take heed rather what thou receivest, than what thou gi∣vest; what thou givest leaves thee, what thou takest sticks by thee; he that presents a Gift, buys the Receiver; he that takes a Gift, sells his Li∣berty

MAX. 62.

Things temporal are sweeter in expectation, things eternal are sweeter in the fruition; the first shames thy hopes, the se∣cond

crowns it: It is a vain Journey whose end affords less pleasure than the way.

MAX. 63.

Know thy self, that thou may'st fear God; know God, that thou may'st love him; in this thou art initiated to Wis∣dom, in that perfected: The Fear of God is the Beginning of Wisdom; the Love of God is the fulfilling of the Law.

MAX. 64.

If thou hast Providence to foresee a Danger, let thy Pro∣vidence rather prevent it than fear it; the fear of future Evils

brings often times a present Mischief; whil'st thou seekest to prevent it, practise to bear it: He is a wise man can pre∣vent an Evil; he is a patient man that can endure it; but he is a valiant man can con∣quer it.

MAX. 65.

If thou hast the place of a Magistrate, deserve it by thy Justice, and dignifie it with thy Mercy: Take heed of ear∣ly Gifts; an open hand makes a blind Eye. Be not more apt to punish Vice, than to encou∣rage Virtue; be not too severe, lest thou be hated, nor too re∣miss, lest thou be slighted: So

cute Justice, that thou may'st be loved; so execute Mercy, that thou may'st be feared.

MAX. 66.

Let not thy Table exceed the fourth part of thy Revenue; let thy Provision be solid, and not far fetch'd, fuller of Sub∣stance than Art: Be wisely fru∣gal in thy Preparation, and free∣ly cheerful in thy Entertain∣ment: If thy Guest be right, it is enough, if not, it is too much.: Too much is a Vanity; enough is a Feast.

MAX. 67.

Let thy Apparel be decent, and suited to the Quality of thy place and purse: Too much punctuality, and too much mo∣rosity, are the two Poles of Pride. Be neither too early in the Fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it; what Custom hath civilized is become decent, till then ridicu∣lous. Where thy Eye is the Jury, thy Apparel is the Evi∣dence.

MAX. 68.

If thy Words be too luxu∣riant, confine them, lest they

confine thee: He that thinks he never can speak enough, may easily speak too much; a full Tongue and an empty Brain are seldom parted.

MAX. 69.

In holding of an Argument, be neither cholerick nor too opinionate; the one distempers thy Understanding, the other abuseth thy Judgment. Above all things decline Paradoxes and Mysteries: Thou shalt receive no Honour either in maintain∣ing rank Falshoods, or medling with secret Truths. As he that pleads against the Truth makes Wit the Mother of his Error, so he that argues beyond War∣rant

makes Wisdom the Mid∣wife of his Folly.

MAX. 70.

Detain not the Wages from the poor man that hath earn'd it, lest God withold thy Wages from thee: If he complain to thee, hear him, lest he complain to Heaven, where he will be heard; if he hunger for thy sake, thou shalt not prosper for his sake: The poor man's Peny is a Plague in the rich man's Purse.

MAX. 71.

Be not too cautious in discer∣ning the fit Objects of thy Cha∣rity;

lest a Soul perish through thy Discretion: What thou gi∣vest to mistaken Want, shall re∣turn a Blessing to thy deceived Heart; better in relieving Idle∣ness to commit an accidental Evil, than in neglecting Mise∣ry to omit an essential Good; better two Drones be preserv'd than one Bee perish.

MAX. 72.

Theology is the Empress of the World, Mysteries are her Privy Council, Religion is her Clergy, the Arts are her Nobi∣lity, Philosophy her Secretary, the Graces her Maids of Ho∣nour, the moral Virtues the La∣dies of her Bedchamber, Peace

her Chamberlain, true Joy and endless Pleasures are her Cour∣tiers, Plenty her Treasurer, Po∣verty her Exchequer, the Tem∣ple is her Court. If thou de∣sire access to this great Majesty, the way is by her Courtiers; if thou hast not Power there, the common way to the Sove∣reign is by the Secretary.

MAX. 73.

It is an evil Knowledge to know the Good thou should'st embrace, unless thou likewise embrace the Good thou know∣est: The Breath of Divine Knowledge is the B llows of Divine Love; and the Flame

of Divine Love is the Perfecti∣on of Divine Knowledge.

MAX. 74.

If thou desire Rest unto thy Soul, be just; he that doth no Injury fears not to suffer Inju∣ry: The unjust mind is always in Labour; it either practiseth the Evil it hath projected, or projects to avoid the Evil it hath deserved.

MAX. 75.

Accustom thy self to what is most usual: He that delights in Rarities must often feed displea∣sed, and sometimes lye at the mercy of a dear market; com∣mon

food nourisheth best, Deli∣cates please most; the sound Stomack prefers neither; what art thou the worse for the last year's plain Diet, or what now the better for the last great Feast?

MAX. 76.

Whoever thou art, thou hast done more evil in one day than thou canst expiate in six, and canst thou think the evil of six days can require less than one? God hath made us rich in days by allowing six, and himself poor by reserving but one; and shall we spare our own Flock, and sheer his Lamb? He that hath done nothing but

what he can justifie in the six days, may play the seventh.

MAX. 77.

Hope and Fear, like Hypocra∣tes's Twins, should live and dye together; if Hope departs from Fear, it travels by Security, and lodgeth in Presumption; if Fear depart from Hope, it tra∣vels to Infidelity, and Inns in Despair; the one shuts up Hea∣ven, the other opens Hell; the one makes thee insensible of God's Frowns, the other inca∣pable of God's Favour; and both teach God to be unmer∣ciful, and thee to be most mi∣serable.

MAX. 78.

Close thine ear against him that shall open his mouth se∣cretly against another; if thou recieve not his words, they fly back, and wound the Report∣er; if thou receive them, they fly forward, and wound the Receiver.

MAX. 79.

If thou would'st preserve a sound Body, use fasting and walking; if a healthful Soul, Fasting and praying; walking exerciseth the Body, praying exerciseth the Soul; fasting cleanseth both.

MAX. 80.

Wouldest thou not be thought a Fool in another's Conceit? be not wise in thine own; he that trusts in his own Wisdom, proclaims his own Folly: He is truly wise, and shall appear so, that hath Folly enough to be thought not worldly wise, or Wisdom e∣nough to see his own Folly.

MAX. 81.

Desirest thou Knowledge? Know the end of thy desire: Is it only to know? then it is Cu∣riosity; is it because thou mayst be known? then 'tis Vanity; if

because thou mayst edifie, then 'tis Charity; if because thou mayst be edified, it is Wisdom. That Knowledge turns to mere Excrement, that hath not some heat of Wisdom to di∣gest it.

MAX. 82.

Wisdom without Innocency is Knavery; Innocency with∣out Wisdom is Foolery; be therefore wise as Serpents, and innocent as Doves: The Sub∣tilty of the Serpent instructs the Innocency of the Dove; the Innocency of the Dove cor∣rects the Subtilty of the Ser∣pent. What God hath joyned together, let no man separate.

MAX. 83.

The more thou imitatest the Virtues of a Saint departed, the better thou celebratest the Saint's day: God is not pleased with surfeiting for his sake, who with his Fasting so often plea∣sed his God.

MAX. 84.

Chuse not thy serviceable Soldier out of soft Apparel, lest he prove effeminate; nor out of a full Purse, lest he grow amorous: They are more fit for action that are fiery to gain a fortune abroad, than they that have Fortunes to lose at

home. Expectation breeds Spi∣rit, Fruition brings Fear.

MAX. 85.

God hath given to Mankind a common Library, his Crea∣tures; and to every man a pro∣per Book, himself; being an a∣bridgement of all the others. If thou read with Understand∣ing, it will make thee a great Master of Philosophy, and a true Servant to the Divine Au∣thor; if thou but barely read, it will make thee thy own wise man, and the Author's Fool.

MAX. 86.

Doubt is a weak Child, law∣fully

begotten between an ob∣structed Judgment and a fair Understanding. Opinion is a bold Bastard, gotten between a strong Fancy and a weak Judgment. It is less dishonou∣rable to be ingeniously doubt∣ful, than rashly opinionate.

MAX. 87.

As thou art a moral man, e∣steem thy self not as thou art, but as thou art esteemed. As thou art a Christian, esteem thy self as thou art, not as thou art esteemed: Thy Price in both rises and falls as the market goes; the market of a moral man is wild Opinion; the mar∣ket of a Christian is a good Conscience.

MAX. 88.

Providence is an Exercise of Reason, Experience an Act of Sense; by how much Reason excels Sense, by so much Pro∣vidence exceeds Experience: Providence prevents that Dan∣ger which Ezperience repents; Providence is the Rational Daughter of Wisdom, Expe∣rience the Empirical mistress of Fools.

MAX. 89.

Hath fortune dealt thee ill Cards, let Wisdom make thee a good Gamester; in a fair

Gale every Fool may sail, but wise behaviour in a Storm commends the wisdom of a Pilate; to bear adversity with an equal mind, is both the sign and glory of a brave Spirit.

MAX. 90.

If any speak ill of thee, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 home to thy own Conscience, and examine thy heart; if thou be guilty, 'tis a just Correcti∣on; if not guilty, 'tis a fair In∣struction: make use of both, so shalt thou distill Honey out of Gall, and out of an open Enemy, create a secret Friend.

MAX. 91.

As the exercise of the body Natural is moderate Recreati∣on, so the exercise of the body Politick, is Military-Discipline; by that, the one is made more able; by this, the other is made more active: where both are wanting there wants no dan∣ger; to the one, through a hu∣morous supply; to the other, by a Negligent security.

MAX. 92.

God is above thee, Beasts are beneath thee; acknowledge him that is above thee, and thou shalt be acknowledged by

them that are under thee; whilst Daniel acknowledge God to be above him, the Lyons acknowledge God to be above them.

MAX. 93.

Take heed, whilst thou shew∣est Wisdom in not speaking, thou betrayest not thy own Folly in too long silence; if thou art a Fool, thy silence is Wisdom; if a Wise man, too long silence is Folly: As too many words from a Fool's mouth, gives a Wise man no leave to speak, so too long si∣lence in a Wise man gives a Fool the opportunity of speak∣ing, and makes thee guilty of his Folly.

MAX. 94.

Consider what thou wert, what thou art, what thou shalt be, what is within thee, what is above thee, what beneath thee, what is against thee, what was before thee, what shall be after thee; and this will bring to thy self Humility, to thy Neighbour Charity, to the World Contempt, to thy God Obedience. He that knows not himself positively, cannot know himself relatively.

MAX. 95.

Think not thy love to God, merits God's love to thee; his

acceptance of thy Duty crowns his own Gifts in thee. Man's love to God is nothing but a faint reflection of God's love to man.

MAX. 96.

Be always less willing to speak than to hear; what thou hearest thou receivest, what thou speakest thou givest. It is more glorious to give, more profitable to receive.

MAX. 97.

Seest thou good days, pre∣pare for evil times; no Sum∣mer but hath its Winter: He never reapt Comfort in adver∣sity,

that sow'd it not in pro∣sperity.

MAX. 98.

If being a Magistrate thou con∣nivest at Vice, thou nourishest it; if thou sparest it, thou com∣mittest it; what is not by thee punished in others, is made pu∣nishable in thee; he that fa∣vours present Evils, entails them upon his Posterity: he that ex∣cuseth the Guilty condemns the Innocent.

MAX. 99.

Truth haunts no Corners, seeks no by-ways; if thou pro∣fess it, do it openly; if thou

feek it, do it fairly: he deserves not to profess Truth that pro∣fesseth it fearfully: he deserves not to find the Truth that seeks it fraudulently.

MAX. 100.

If thou desire to be wiser yet, think not thy self yet wise enough; and if thou desire to improve knowledge in thy self, despise not the Instructions of another: He that Instructs him that thinks himself wise enough, hath a Fool to his Scholar; he that thinks himself wise enough to Instruct himself, hath a Fool to his Master.

The End of the Third Century.