CHAP. IV.
ANd as the consideration of the pruning of Trees, under the Notion of that which wounds them, may afford our Contem∣plator the Reflections already pointed at; so the considering of the same Action, under another Notion, may lead him to Refle∣ctions of another Nature: For if he ob∣serves, that, in certain cases, Gardeners of∣tentimes do not onely prune away all the Suckers, and many of the Luxuriant sprigs, but cut off some of the Branches themselves, provided they spare the Master boughs; and yet these Amputations, though they take much from the Tree, are design'd to add to the Fruit, as accordingly they are wont to do: If, I say, our Reflector takes notice of this, it may easily supply him with an illustration of what he may have observ'd among some Men, who, by Af∣flictions, ev'n in point of Fortune, are brought to be far more charitable than they would have been, if their peace and plenty had continued unimpair'd. As, besides that