Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A29590
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Humane prudence, or, The art by which a man may raise himself and fortune to grandeur by A.B.
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De Britaine, William.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing B4805A; ESTC R36376
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38,385
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145
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that when those storms arise he may rest assured to command them For whosoever perswades himself by present Benefits to gain the good will of Men when Perils are at hand shall be deceived 35. It 's not safe for a Prince to commit his Secrets to his greatest Favourite for if he that is concerned will give the Prince is certainly betrayed 36. It concerns a Prince to contain his best Friends within a moderate and convenient Greatness as to weaken and depress his greatest Enemies 37. Forreign Succours are most dangerous and therefore it must be the last resolve of every wise State for they are seldom gotten out but by the undoing that State which received them or else as most commonly it happens out they make themselves Masters of it 38. In all Distempers in a State Pilae Aureae are the best Physick for they ever work safely 39. Those People which by Arms do endeavour to deliver themselves from Oppression do many times change the Tyrant but not the Tyranny and after a Rebellion is suppressed the King is more King and the Subject more Subject 40. The chief Wisdom and Happiness of a Prince is to know well to enjoy the Soveraignty of his Power with the Liberty of his Subjects Love Fear and Reverence are the three Ligaments which tie the Hearts of the Subjects to their Soveraign Let the Prince have the first in height the second in good measure And of the last so much as he can 41. That State which doth affect Grandeur or the Preservation of its Interest must be bold and daring in the mean there is no safety And those attempts which begin with danger for the most part are crowned with Glory and end in Honour 42. That State which will preserve it self in Puissance must prevent Divisions to which States are subject and where People are Factious and apt to Divisions it 's Prudence to soften them with Pleasures for where they are subtile and proud they must be made voluptuous so their Wit and Malice will hurt the less It 's some security that a Faction is deboshed for it 's not safe to suffer sober Men to come to undo the Common-wealth As in a Tempest each Wave striving to be highest rides upon the Neck of that which hasted to the Shore before it and is it self suppressed by a following So it happens in a Civil Tempest of the Common-wealth each Party strive to suppress the other till a third undiscerned assaults and suppress the Conqueror 43. When a Nation is at War within it self it 's not safe for any State or Prince to attempt the Invasion of it for it will certainly reunite them 44. Whatsoever a Prince doth it 's to be presumed that it was done with great Reason If he commandeth any thing every one is bound to believe that he hath good reason to command the same his Actions are manifest but his Thoughts are secret It 's our Duty to tollerate the one and not to murmur against the other for the Books of Kings are written in dark Characters which few can uncipher and their Actions like deep Rivers whereof we see the course of the stream but know not the source of it 45. When a State is jealous of the Obedience and Loyalty of the Metropolis or Chief City in its Dominions the only means to secure its Obedience is to borrow great sums of Money of them for by that means they will not easily break out into any Action or Rebellious Attempts for fear of losing their Money Edward the Second of England being deprived by his own Subjects of his Royal Diadem had never been restored if he had not been indebted to the Citizens of London who upon his coming up to London purchased him the Favour and Friendship of the greatest part of the City of which being Master his Power encreased and thereby became so strong that he subdued most of his Enemies and thereby recovered his Kingdom 46. Eumenes understanding that divers Noble Men sought occasions to kill him to prevent their Malice against him pretended that he had need of great sums of Money which he borrowed of them who hated him most to the end they might give over the seeking of his Death whereby they were assured to lose all their Money 47. He who groweth great on the sudden seldom governeth himself in the change Extraordinary Favour to Men of weak or bad defects doth breed Insolency in them and Discontentment in others two dangerous Humours in a Common-wealth 48. Great Persons must not at all be touched but if they be they must be made sure from taking Revenge and there is nothing more dangerous than to bring a great Courage to the place of Execution and then grant him his Pardon for he will always remember the Affront and forget the Pardon 49. Sudden Resolutions are always dangerous and no less Peril ensueth of slow and doubtful delays 50. It 's the Interest of Princes that their Servants fortunes should be above Temptation for many times new Officers to Princes are like fresh Flies bite deeper than those which were chased away before them 51. Princes strike their Enemies more smartly with the Head than with the Hand and are as much to be feared for their Prudence as for their Valour 52. A good Magistrate must be like the Statue of Apollo which had a Lance in one hand and a Harp in the other that is Resolution to awe on the one side and Sweetness to oblige on the other 53. A Prince hath more reason to fear Money that is spent than that which is hoarded up because it 's easier for Subjects to oppose a Prince by Popularity than by Arms. 54. Outward Esteem to a Great Person is a Skin to Fruit which though a thin Cover yet preserves it 55. No Man can be Merry that hath more than one Woman in his Bed more than one Faith in his Heart 56. What wants a Soveraign says a flattering Courtier Truth said a serious King 57. A sound Faith is the best Divinity a good Conscience the best Law and Temperance the best Physick 58. A good Magistrate must be made up of Craterus and Hephestion who must love the Kings Interest and his Person For he that loves not his Interest hath no kindness for his Person 59. He that entertains a dangerous Design puts his Head into a Halter and the Halter into his Hands to whom he first discovers it 60. The dis-esteem of Religious Ceremonies argues the decay of the Civil Government Pious Princes have first kept their People Religious and thereby made them Vertuous and United 61. Heresies and Errors in the Church are rather to be suppressed by Discipline than increased by Disputations for in many Cases it's Impiety to doubt and Blasphemy to dispute 62. The Riches of the People are the Princes Safety but their Poverty his Calamity for they being Rich will not easily attempt against the Government For fear of loss whereas being poor and beggerly will upon
Victory is a fair Game but you must give them leave to divide the Stakes If it shall be your misfortune to engage in any have a care of a rich Fool for there is nothing more dangerous as to mischief than a rich obstinate Fool in the hands of a Cunning Knave There were two Lawyers very passionately pleading their Clients Case to their great satisfaction when the Case was done the Lawyers came out of the Court and hugged each other the Clients much admiring their Behaviour one of them asked his Lawyer How they could be Friends so soon Tush Man faith the Lawyer we were never Foes for we Lawyers are like a Pair of Sheers if you open them and then pull them down they seem to cut one another but they only cut that which cometh between them You remember the Epilogue of the Vulture sitting upon a Tree to see the Lion and the Bear fight and to make prey of him which fell first have you a care you do not make the Moral I speak not this to reflect upon that Honourable Profession to which I shall ever pay the greatest Tribute of my Service I know there are many excellent Persons towards the Law if it be your Fortune to meet with them But you will be sure at every Market in the Countrey to find some Fairies Elves and little Spirits with Hawking Bags or Snapsacks by their sides wherein they have their Familiars some with Green Coats others with Yellow Vests which they send forth to the disquiet of good Men as Aeolus did the Winds which he had gotten into his Bottle to the Disturbance of the World Certainly these Elves are much of the Nature of the Ant very good for themselves but exceeding pernicious in the Garden of a Common Wealth If ever you should flie to these for succour as the Sheep do to the Bushes in a Storm you will be sure to leave a good part of your Coat behind you These like a Quartane Ague will never leave you as long as any humour be left in you and if you shall have need to make use of them they will stirr no more without their Fee than a Hawk without a Lure My Advice to you is that you seriously imploy your self in the Study of the Laws of this Nation being the most excellent for their Justice and Wisdom if not to practise the Law yet to gain so much knowledge therein as to defend your self and estate from the Robbin-good-fellows of it If you be not so disposed you must lay up one third part of your Estate to preserve the other two or else you will be assuredly undone SECT 16. NExt Suits in Law which are but jactus aleae avoid Gameing it hath no satisfaction in it beside a sordid coveting of that which is anothers or a prodigality of that which is your own It 's a Madness beyond the cure of Hellebore to cast a Die whether your Estate shall be your own or not if you have not a care I can without an Augure tell what will be your Fate this like a Quick-sand will swallow you up in a moment and Goods which are so gotten are like Pyramides of Snow which melt away and are dissolved with the same ill Husbandry that did beget them and believe me you will find it more chargeable to you than the Seven Deadly Sins Remember that one Crown in your Purse will do you more honour than ten spent SECT 17. THere is one step more to make your Life comfortable and to advance your Fortune and that is well to dispose of your self in Marriage certainly a business which requireth grave consideration Ride not post for your Match if you do you may in the period of your journey take Sorrow for your Inn and make Repentance your Host If you marry espouse a Vertuous person a Celebrated Beauty like a Fair will draw Chapmen from all parts Never marry so much for a great Living as a good Life yet a fair Wife without a Portion is like a Brave House without Furniture you may please your self with the Prospect but there 's nothing within to keep you warm Be sure you love her Person better than her Estate for he who marrieth where he doth not love will be sure to love where he doth not marry Remember there 's a great difference between a Portion and a Fortune with your Wise If she be not Vertuous let her Portion be never so great she is no Fortune to you But if you be able to live of your self and out of Debt and design to Marry have a care you make not too great a Joynture out of your Lands especially if you have Children by a former Wife If you do it will be more Fatal and Calamitous to your Family than any Debt If you have Children it 's better to leave them a Competent Estate with a Profession than great Riches without it for in the one there is a place for Industry but the other like a Lure will bring all Birds of Prey to devour them Have a regard to a good Bishop to satisfie your Conscience for an Honest Lawyer to settle your Estate and marry into a good Family to keep your Interest Chuse such a Wife as may sympathise with you in your Afflictions for Marriage is just like a Sea Voyage he that enters into this Ship must look to meet with Storms and Tempests Methinks the Zeal of that Priest did trespass upon his Discretion when in a Wedding Sermon he much commended Marriage but compared the Women to a Grave For as every Grave saith he hath a Hic jacet so when you come to marry Hic jacet the Wisdom of Solomon Hic jacet the Valour of David Hic jacet the Strength of Sampson I must confess I ever had a Noble Affection for that Excellent Sex as great Instruments of good and the prettinesses of Society and ever thought that of all Follies in Man there is none more excusable than that of Love but I find by my self that Passion will grow old and wear out in time SECT 18. VVHen You come upon the Stage of Action as it 's your Duty so it will be your Glory to deal justly with all Persons Clear and round Dealing is the Honour of Man's Nature Hate nothing but what is dishonest Fear nothing but what is ignoble and love nothing but what is just and honourable To stoop to any sordid low action is to imitate the Kite which flieth high in the Air yet vouchsafes to condescend to Carrion upon the Ground Do Injury to none for by so doing you do but teach others to injure you Innocency will be your best Guard and your Integrity will be a Coat of Mail unto you It 's less difficult and more safe to keep the way of Honesty and Justice than to turn away from it yet commonly our Passions lead us into By-paths And be assured He that in any one Affair relinquisheth Honesty banisheth all Shame in succeeding Actions