The Apophthegmes of the ancients taken out of Plutarch, Diogenes Laertius, Elian, Atheneus, Stobeus, Macrobius and others : collected into one volume for the benefit and pleasure of the ingenious.

THE PREFACE.

AN Apophthegme, called in French Un bon Mot, (a good Word) and which may be called in English, A good Saying, tho it's Signification is somewhat more extensive in the Original, is a pithy and short Sentiment upon a Subject; or a ••eady, and sharp answer, which causeth Laugh∣ter, or Admiration. From thence arises the great distinction in Apophthegmes, between those that are grave and sententi∣ous, and such as are purely pleasant; which I have purposely observed, and separated, because the mixture of serious, and ridicu∣lous together, hath something of monstrous in it; which appears not with a good deco∣rum. But, as we are compounded of two parts, which have nothing of common, but their being united together, and each of them standing often in need of different recreati∣ons; one may turn to those that are pleasant,

when Mirth is required, as we use Interlu∣des in Tragedies to unbend the mind, which is so much upon the stretch in Heroicks. An Apophthegme is properly therefore, neither a Sentence, nor Proverb, nor Example, nor Fable, nor Enigma, nor any the like; of which however Apophthegmes may some∣times be made, when well and fitly applyed, And I have therefore inserted many sen∣tences in this collection, because they seem as Apophthegmes of some Philosophers. There are others likewise which are mute ones, which by certain and significant signs make us know what is meant; tho all these are indeed but improperly reckoned for Apophthegmes. The foundation of this work is taken from Plutarch, and Diogenes Laertius, &c. But I have not omitted the addition of a great many others gathered from Erasmus, and such as Lycosthenes hath reduced into Chapters. Notwithstanding I have neither followed the Method of the one which is too confused, nor of the other, which smells too much of the Colledge. The mind loves to range freely here and there from Flower to Flower, like the Bees, without fixing too long upon any one, and so gather's that Honey which is distributed into little Cells, where every thing lyes in it's own place without disorder, and where every particular may

be found out upon occasion. One would say, ••he mind were jealous of it's prerogative, ••nd displeased when any one does undertake ••o cut out it's work, or prescribe any other Method besides it's own. Thence proceeds ••he disgust is often taken in the Learning of ••he Sciences, where the Mind must be con∣fined and obliged to certain rules for it's ••nstruction, which Plutarch has not per∣sued in this work, because nothing ought to be so surprizing, or so little Studyed, as a good Apophthegme. For this reason, I have set down no moral reflections, no more then he, as relishing too much of the Scholar or Preacher: And likewise because there ought somewhat to be left to the Rea∣ders, or the hearers guess and judgement to breed the greater delight in either. Only I have drawn some short notes and remarks to give light to some things that seemed most obscure.

In the mean time, I do not know any piece of Antiquity that stood in greater need of being revised and corrected then this same, which wanted the Authors last and Finishing touches. Erasmus himself has committed an hundred faults, thorough his great hast, and because he went about it but by piece-meal, some part at one time, others at another; nor hath Lycosthenes succeed∣ed

better. I have therefore transpos•• divers Apophthegmes of Plutarch's which were so strangely misplaced, that se∣veral, which belonged to the Lacedemon••∣ans were disjoyned from the main Body the•• belonged to, but are here united as they ough•• to be. The self same Saying was oft-times re∣peated under divers Names, which is as lit∣tle pleasing to the Gusto, as the serving of the same cold meat in several Dishes, •• have also taken away some that seemed to•• common, and others whose Beauty and smart∣ness consisted in the proprieties of the Greek and Latin Tongues, which could not be wel•• translated, considering that one bad one were enongh to spoil twenty good ones in the opinion of the Reader. I have likewise discarded some Examples that properly be∣longed not to the Subject they were listed under, tho several were so pertinent, I thought it were pitty to lay them quite aside.

On the other hand to make them the more quaint and concise, which is an essential property of an Apophthegme, I have pared away all the Superfluous Circumstances, because when we would see a thing perfectl•• well we must remove from about it every o| ther Body that might hide or obscure it,

Sometimes it was necessary to give things

another Air and expression then the Author, ••o adapt it to the Language we speak, and ••he Age we live in: Of which the Ancients themselves afford us examples, by often ••elating the same thing after divers man∣••ers, the truth not being here so material as the Beauty of the Apophthegme, accord∣ing to the Italian Proverb, Se non é 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 ben trovato, wherefore a nice and ••er∣••••bal translation was not intended. If there∣fore an Apophthegme be met with h••••e, which shall not be found in Plutarch, or that it speak otherwise then he relates it, let me not be rashly condemned, but first examine the reasons of it's variation upon the grounds above mentioned. Besides there are many in that Author under the name of him to whom they were spoken, as for Example, that of Parmenion; when he found the Grecian Ambassadors murmur∣red while they attended at the Door of Philip, because he made them wait so long before he gave them Audience, Do not won∣der, Sirs, said he, that he Sleeps while you are waking, for he was awake whilst you slep••; to reproach them what advantages they had suffered him to take during their Divisions. This Plutarch had placed on Philip, where∣••s it belonged to Parmenion. Others are likewise ranged in a different order, either

because they were put in the beginning, wh•• they should have been at the end, as tho•• which were spoken at their Death; or e•• because they were jumbled together unaware I need not to mention the many new ones i••••serted amongst those that are purely pleasan•• Nor shall I need excuse these, or any other for not being set down according to the o••••der of time; for time signifies but little 〈◊〉〈◊〉 an Apophthegme, and to bestow the pain of searching or computing the time woul•• be of more trouble then benefit. The name are not always mentioned neither, it wer•• not worth the while to search for them, be••sides that many in the Original are omit••ted.