A merciful man gains more by doing good than those very persons on whom his bounties are bestow'd XXIX IF it happen that one asks any thing of you be not tedious in answering him A man is but half-deceiv'd when he has a sudden and peremptory denyal XXX A Denyal is a kinde of heart-breaking to such as are despicably poor and have no way to help themselves but there is no evil more hardly supportable than ingratitude XXXI THere is a great resemblance between a liberal person and him who sows in the field The Labourer casts his grain at random the winde carries some away and shuffles it as it lists the Birds devour some part of it which is consequently turn'd into ordure but the other part which chanc'd to fall deep enough into the ground after it has continu'd there a while as it were interr'd will by its appearance glad the Labourer's fight and return into his Barn with interest XXXII DO all the good you can while you are in favour with Fortune and you will find the effects of it in the time of adversity He to whom you have done any good when he expected it not thinks himself doubly oblig'd All the world is beholding to him who is kinde to the good XXXIII HE who gives no body any thing is Treasurer to his Heir who after the death of that Miser will conceal the real joy of his Soul under feigned tears and a personated grief The avarice of old men is a very ordinary monster in the world but to speak exactly of the earnestness of rich persons to augment their revenue methinks it may be said that that very desire and passion is nothing else but a kinde of poverty very richly furnish'd XXXIV DEny not that to others which happly you will be oblig'd in your turn to ask of them and if you are wise ask not that which you have deny'd Do justice to him who desires it of you and do those a kindeness whom you shall think worthy of it XXXV NOthing is more easily blotted out than a good turn it is a loss of it if a man do but remember it or repent himself that he had done it It argues an extream imprudence for one to regret the good he has done for by that means he twice loses the thing he has given It is no longer his when another hath receiv'd it and the gift is lost again when a man thinks too much upon it XXXVI IT is ever more advantageous to give than to receive When you do good to others you engage them into your interests and you seem to assume to your self a supremacy over them whereas if you receive any thing of them you become in a manner their Slave Brag not of having oblig'd your Friend 't is an injury to him if you do but speak of it Leave it to him to celebrate your generosity you cannot desire a more remarkable testimony of his gratitude XXXVII THere is no great difference between an ungrateful person and him who complains too openly that he was deny'd the favour he hoped for He is much to blame to call that injustice which at most amounts but to a defect of liberality a man who demeans himself so not distinguishing what is due upon the score of justice from that which is granted out of liberality never thinks himself oblig'd to gratitude XXXVIII A Man is not oblig'd to give always when he has given often nay it seems he should have the priviledge to deny sometimes especially when he has lost his benefits by obliging ungrateful persons but it is out of all doubt that he who is a perpetual receiver has not upon that score ever the more right to ask XXXIX INgratitude is a very common thing amongst men It seldom happens that the remembrance of a good turn lasts longer than a day The greatness of a benefit is easily blotted out by the greatness of an injury and there is so much corruption amongst men that they think not themselves oblig'd to celebrate any commemoration of the favours they have receiv'd when they are once offended XL. SUffer not your self to be dazzled with the favour of great persons and if you will take my advice never rely too much on their friendship A man cannot fly very high with borrow'd wings Nothing more unconstant than Fortune she many times casts those down the precipice whom she had had the pleasure to exalt but though that should not happen yet let this be your perswasion that men have not alwayes the same inclinations XLI WHen you are admitted into the shade of some powerful person's prosperity and advancement work not out your own ruine by procuring that of others but remember that every day the Sun sets and disappears It argues simplicity in a man to think to be the Friend of one single person only that he may injure and prejudice all others XLII IF you are in favour with your Prince employ your credit and interest to oblige as many people as you can and make not your advantage of his countenance to injure any one Endeavour so prudently to husband your good fortune as that all your Friends may be oblig'd to look on it as their own In fine give all persons occasion to congratulate your being so highly in favour with him who can do all things XLIII MAke not an open profession of your being a Favourite if it be not already known to all people dissemble it for a time and content your self with a secret satisfaction of your own happiness till such time as it becomes publick and be known generally to both Grandees and those of the meaner sort and then you may freely own it and make the less difficulty to sollicit on their behalf who shall desire it of you even though they are not likely to obtain what they engage you to desire for them The very inclination you shall assure them of that you have to oblige them will no doubt abundantly satisfie them and if it happen that the affair which you have recommended does not succeed according to their expectation they cannot complain of any but him on whom it absolutely depend XLIV YOu never raise a Structure well when you do it too hastily What is done with precipitation easily falls as being not well supported Be not so fond as to imagine that you can raise your self all of a sudden though you think your self to be highly in favour for fear of a sudden precipitation into disgrace XLV LEvel your pretensions to a mean Fortune since of all the different conditions of men this is the most happy and most desirable a man lives in it with more tranquillity and is less expos'd to danger than in any of the rest A high pitch of Fortune is attended with a thousand vexations and every thing is to be fear'd in that station Excess of wealth o'rwhelms a man and brings him into danger every minute The thunderbolt more commonly reduces the loftiest houses
exact definition of the lives of persons addicted to Libertinism it must be said that it is but an imaginary phantasm of life When a man lives ill he has nothing but the trouble distraction and inconveniences of life but not the true use of it Idleness is nothing but the loss of a man's life and his absolute ruine proceeds from the wicked actions whereto he is thereby addicted There is a great difference between lasting and living It may be said of a man who grows old in crimes that he has lasted a long time but it cannot be said he hath liv'd much We must speak otherwise of a young man full of honour merits and vertue whom death snatches away in the flower of his age for though he has lasted but a short time yet was his life long since it was a noble one XXIV IT is of no advantage to a wicked person to have conceal'd his crime 't is possible indeed that for a time he may have kept it from the knowledge of others but what assurance has he that that secret will never be discover'd I say further It is of little importance that men should be ignorant of the Evil we have done since we are convinc'd of it our selves and that God knows it and therefore if we are at ease on the one side we ought to tremble on the other We may indeed sometimes secure our selves against the misfortunes and dangers which threaten us but we cannot exempt our selves from a thousand frights nor avoid the enduring of great losses XXV A Man is in greater danger than he imagines when he leads an irregular life A wicked man is ever in disturbance it signifies nothing to him that all the world forgives him since his own Conscience suffers him not to be at rest and that he alwayes carries his Tormenter about him The very knowledge of his having liv'd ill is a dreadful punishment to a vicious person XXVI BE more careful and tender of your Conscience than of your Reputation You are extreamly concern'd to have Virtue and yet it signifies but little to have it only in the opinion of men A man ought to make no other account of himself than according to what he effectually is and he does not judge aright of himself who does it by the character which is given him by others who haply have but a slight knowledge of him XXVII FRom the pleasures and enjoyments of the Body proceed the infirmities and indispositions of the Mind When the Flesh is too much made of the Soul loses its vigour but if a man come to make a custom of it he will not have so much as the force to attempt what at the beginning seem'd most easie and what he seriously desir'd He who is addicted to delights cannot have a noble gallant and couragious Soul XXVIII WHen Pleasure exceeds its limits it becomes a torture and a punishment It may well be said That Virtue implies great advantages since Vice it self is forc'd to imitate it to attain its end Vice studies the personation of Virtue in keeping certain measures and in receding at least in appearance from those extremities which are alwayes accounted an excess and irregularity XXIX A Lyon loses his fierceness and becomes tractable the more he is flatter'd but the Caresses you make to your Body render it more insolent and obstinate Eat not to satisfie your Appetite but only to satisfie the Hunger which torments you Live not to eat but eat in order to the preservation of your life Who eats little is likely to live long The excesses of the Palate bring more to their deaths than the edge of the Sword XXX VIces cannot cause any thing but disgust and let men say what they will of it they can never make any advantage thereof There 's nothing more prejudicial to the Body than the excessive tenderness and love which men have for it We find by experience That Good cheer and the other enjoyments which flatter the senses weaken the body consume the estate impair health and condemn the over-eager pursuers thereof to infinite cares troubles and inconveniences XXXI WE may give this definition of Sensuality That it is a sweet and delightful beginning of a most bitter and fatal end Vice cannot be invisible to it self so that being asham'd of its own deformity it courts darkness and hides it self as much as may be And yet hazard which is inseparable from fortune is more favourable to it than the obscurity of the darkest night XXXII A Man addicted to pleasure dishonours his body and the excessive care he takes to humour it becomes to him a source of afflictions discontents and maladies Who flatters his Body caresses the flesh and gives himself over to pleasure gives confidence to his enemy and arms him against himself XXXIII THe life of an unclean person is a bestial life That of a man who onely minds his mouth may justly be compar'd to the life attributed to Plants which consists onely in a constant seeking of that nourishment which is proper for them XXXIV PRide is nothing but a pompous excrescency of Folly for tell me I pray Whether there can be any thing more extravagant than for one to be desirous to enrich himself with a good that is purely accidental to him I think I should not injure a man in calling him a Fool if he expects to be esteem'd above others because he is better clad or has more rarities in his closet Mens merits never ought to depend on a good Taylor or an excellent Goldsmith but they are to be judg'd according to the standard of virtue and gallant actions XXXV YOu would not excuse him from the imputation of Folly who to get himself a heat should roll up and down in a great heap of Snow Now a vain and presumptuous person is no less a Fool for to compass his end he makes use of means that put him more and more from it Because he is highly conceited of his own merit and virtue he would have all the world of the same persuasion not considering That if a man has all the most eminent qualifications he renders himself contemptible as soon as he thinks of having the advantage over all others XXXVI OTher Vices covet to be in the dark and to lie conceal'd only Pride loves the Noon-light and it is extravagant in this That it would alwayes appear as if whatever is in the world were much below it And yet this of all the Vices seems to me the most to be abhorr'd XXXVII I Do not think any Sottishness equal to that of a vain person and one that has an overweening opinion of himself for whatever he thinks and does is of no advantage to his Body and withal extreamly prejudicial to his Soul A man gains nothing in being vain-glorious but the general hatred and aversion of other men XXXVIII WHatever we see here below has a love for what is like it only the vainglorious person has less
not be subject to so many diseases if they treated their bodies with less tenderness than they do XCIV DEath is an excellent Picture which faithfully represents virtue Let him who would learn to live well consult the dead True Philosophy is nothing but a serious reflection upon death let us make use of its precepts that we may discover the deformity of Vice and the vanity of all things in the world let us also follow the Rules it gives us to make a great progress in a short time in the study and exercises of virtue XCV YOu will never better remember your self than when you shall think that some day you must dye The consideration of death is admirably fruitful for it teaches us what we are now it shews us what we shall be one day and it instructs us what we ought to do during the course of this life In fine death is the most exact rule of mens lives and it does them more good than they imagine to themselves XCVI IMagine not that at your death you simply cease to live I say that it is then you cease to dye True it is you began to live the first day you came into the world but from that day also you began to dye you made but one entrance into both life and death the light which enlightens your life is like that of a Candle what keeps it in consumes it XCVII PRay tell me what was man before he was born You will grant he was not Now I hold that to be the greatest and most insupportable of all necessities And what is he who a little before was not and who after he hath received being is n a manner nothing and who within in a short time will be but a little heap of dust and ashes It must be acknowledged That all these things considered in themselves are extremely despicable only virtue comprehends so much greatness and excellence that it is able to exalt and ennoble whatever approaches it Let us therefore esteem that above all things which only can render us so considerable XCVIII THere is no difference between living long and suffering long Afflictions troubles tears and griefs are born with us The life of man is but a long and tedious series of dangers evils and torments but man has some reason to comfort himself since that when he begins to live he immediately begins to approach his end and to make some advancement towards death XCIX VIrtue receives no less lustre from the misfortunes which befal the followers of Vice and the punishment which the wicked commonly suffer than from the solid enjoyments and satisfactions which good men many times feel in the exercise of the most difficult virtues He must needs be the most miserable person in the world who has a Soul that serves only to keep his body alive and does not regulate its motions It may well be said this being acknowledged That the Soul is to the body but as salt to meat which it exempts from corruption only for a time C. VIrtue is but an accident to man to speak as the Philosophers do yet does that accident preserve his substance All things were created by God for the service of man and he created man that he might receive honour and service from him as well as from all the rest of the Creatures 'T is virtue that renders us capable of serving and honouring him who hath vouchsafed to bring us out of nothing and without it we cannot please our Creator STOICAL MAXIMES I. IT is not what 's possessed that gives satisfaction but what one loves In like manner the discontent of most men proceeds not from what is wanting to them but from what they desire He who desires nothing may be as happy as he who has all the accommodations in the world To be free from all desires is a treasure to be preferred before an Empire How many things are there which may be wanting to the greatest Kings upon earth whereas a man who desires not any thing can never be said to be indigent II. JOy is not within the jurisdiction of Fortune she cannot when she pleases make us a present of it 't is a moveable belonging to the heart not only because it cannot be met withal elsewhere but also because there only it has its birth They are not the things which please us that create our pleasure and satisfaction nor are those which disturb us the cause of our disquiet we must only call our own will to an account that being the right source from which joy pleasure vexation and sadness proceed Thence it comes that what is pleasing to one is extremely unpleasant to another 'T is not to be attributed to the variety of things but to the diversity of our wills that our hearts entertain so many affections opposite one to the other III. T Is an errour common to all men that they would attain felicity by following wayes which cannot lead them thereto How can they arrive at the point of not desiring any thing while they take the way of desires Would you spare your self abundance of trouble and pains-taking Regulate your concupiscence have no violent inclination for any thing whatsoever When a man desires nothing beforehand he is in no fear of being unhappy and he comes to the end of his Journey without being at any pains by the way The true felicity of a man upon earth consists rather in the not-possession of any thing than in being numbred among the living Let us once in good earnest renounce all our desires since it is a thing within our power IV. THe way for a man to free himself from many troubles cares and vexations is not to fear or desire any thing All your unhappiness if you reflect on it proceeds only from your not having what you wish or haply from the hapning of something to you which is not consonant to your inclination You will have no disgraces to overcome while your heart preserves its freedom and all things are indifferent to it V. THe more the affection is smother'd in us the more the discontent abates A man is never further from falling into affliction than when he feels his will at liberty and not bent by any strong inclination To make an exchange of inclination is the most easie and most certain way to get out of misery Adjust your desires to all sorts of emergencies and you will surmount the greatest difficulties without any trouble Vexation is rather taken than given VI. T Is a great art to know how to desire unless a man be very well vers'd in it he cannot live contentedly He who can moderate his desires is above all and the whole world has not any thing worthy of him It is an easie matter for one to find perfect repose here below and to keep at a distance from him the unfortunate accidents which render life burthensom and insupportable all that's to be done is to have an absolute independency to all
conception we may call it a most precious chanel which hath vertue for its source or which brings it down to us Without vertue no man can be happy in this life and it is vertue also that makes us happy after our death it is not only beneficial to the soul but also extreamly advantageous to the body contributing to our well being both in this life and the other XI KEep at the greatest distance you can from vice and imitate not those low-spirited persons who are so often observ'd to say In troth 't is all I was able to do my strength would not permit me to go any farther 'T were as good to say I can but I will not acquire vertue when a man as some ordinarily do makes this protestation I would with all my heart but it is not in my power to avoid that disorder nor reform my self of this or that Vice XII THe earth is at as great a distance from the Heavens as the Heavens are from the earth there is an equal distance from the one of those extremities to the other and we cannot observe any inequality but between vertue and vices True it is 't is a much shorter cut to get from vertue to vice than from vice to vertue XIII VErtue being the noblest and most advantageous of all qualities it is but just she should have the most honourable station and thence it comes that we finde her always in the middle 't is the work of Discretion to assign her her place and that does so adjust things that they neither have too much nor yet want ought requisite for their perfection XIV VIce is always lodg'd near Vertue and therefore 't is no wonder that many times men seeking the latter should meet with the former Stand therefore on your guard that you be not deceiv'd It is further to be observ'd that there are men in effigie and real men that is to speak without riddle there are solid vertues and others that have only the appearance of such Vertue disguis'd is a strange Monster Know that an action good of it self done without discretion and with an evil intention has only the bark and outside of vertue but it has indeed all the deformity of vice XV. NOr would I have you content your self with the vertues which are really such in regard that among those there are some called simple others solid The former indeed are extreamly weak and of short continuance the others are strong and resist any thing I acknowledge a little Lyon is as much a Lyon as a great one yet there is a great difference between them A strong and heroick vertue is always attended by several other vertues a weak vertue is indeed a vertue but in regard of its weakness it has not a retinue of other vertues XVI MAke use of reason as Lyons do of their Claws Harts of their Feet and Herons of their Wings to preserve their lives and to defend themselves against those who attack them There is no animal so small and despicable but Nature hath supply'd it with some Arms for its defence but endowing man with reason she hath made a greater account of him and more sensibly oblig'd him than all the rest of the creatures put together XVII A Lyon would not live long without his offensives which are his fore-feet a Wilde Boar that should have his Tusks struck or fil'd off would not be able to defend himself long So a man who does not act by the dictamen of reason can make no great progress without falling into some great disorder Pythagoras well observ'd that prudence was given to man instead of Fortresses Walls and Ramparts XVIII NO vice more dangerous than that which best represents vertue yet are not men careful to avoid it because it is disguis'd It is a great conjunction of folly and vice for one man to charge himself with the fault of another that he may be accounted innocent of the crime whereof he is guilty He who countenances a fault is more guilty than he who commits it for there may be frailty in the one but you cannot exempt the other from malice XIX TO give a just Idea of the reason wherewith it has pleas'd the Author of Nature to enlighten Mankind methinks it may be said that the good use which is made of it gives birth beauty and perfection to all the vertues and that there are any Vices proceeds from the abuse of it Can there be imagin'd a greater abuse of reason than to make use of it against it self I know there is nothing but disorder and abundance of confusion amongst the vices but I know also they agree in this particular that they are always contrary to reason and that they combine together to procure his ruine who is content to be a slave thereto How shameful is it to a man to employ the directive lights of his minde only to abase himself to the condition of animals XX. THere is nothing of greater disparagement to a man engag'd in vice than like a slave to obey his passions and his greatest punishment is that he cannot execute his designs for he either wants confidence to undertake what he desires or if he undertake it he loses his labour and meets only with cares and disturbances And so he is cruelly tortur'd by his own desires the hope of a pleasure of short continuance gives him a long suffering and Penance In fine it is a little sweetness dearly bought when a man must seek it with much danger in the midst of a River of bitterness XXI INterest is a constant attendant of all the vices but profit is not always of the retinue Vice is not sought for it self interest only engages men to pursue it Men are easily inclin'd to be corrupted by pride because of the honour consequent thereto by avarice upon the score of wealth and by sensuality upon that of pleasure There 's no vice but promises somewhat of good and from which men do not expect some satisfaction yet are they deceiv'd in that expectation for the final issue of all is mischief and misfortune XXII A Man ought to avoid evil and recede from vice out of aversion and not only out of fear I am content that he be called a fearful person who eschews evil without having an extream horrour for it but I shall never upon that score account him just or vertuous 'T is an easie thing to say that there is danger in becoming wicked it must be added that a man cannot be so without great injury to himself Whoever lives ill makes a real and most considerable loss and he ought not only to fear the danger wherein he involves himself but if he hath common sense about him he should always be in a trembling condition because his ruine is inevitable if he comply with his passions XXIII VIces may in some manner take up part of our lives but they deserve not to employ it wholly So that to give an
It was a greater pleasure to make Friends than to have such and I add That it is many times more advantagious LXXXI THe goodness or integrity of the Soul which we know under the precious and amiable name of Innocence implies the not committing of any fault and Justice has for its mark the not injuring of any body Yet to say truth is not this but one part of Charity to make it complete we must add mercifulness thereto And indeed the lustre of this virtue which does not permit the offending of any one is admirably heightned by the noble effusions of liberality LXXXII THe love of your self ought to be the standard and module of your justice by judging others by your self you cannot be deceived in regard you consider their persons goods affairs and concerns as if all were your own 'T is a kind of injustice for one to imagine that he has highly obliged a person when he hath done him no harm Justice does not require any acknowledgment and I should do ill to brag that I had done a man a kindness meerly because I had forborn to offend him LXXXIII TO suspect evil sometimes and to be mistrustful of it may pass for a piece of wisdom but to believe it without any ground argues lightness There is prudence in the suspension of a mans judgment and justice in keeping it secret Be wary in framing your judgment alwayes according to the testimony of the senses they may easily be surprized but you should be careful not to be deceived Never therefore declare your thoughts hastily upon any matter whatsoever time will instruct you and discover the truth to you that you may afterwards do the like to others LXXXIV JUstice without Clemency comes near Cruelty and Clemency without Justice is a very dangerous imprudence True it is we should alwayes assign the first rank to Justice but Lenity Meekness and Clemency ought to attend it nay we ought to give them a greater extent Justice is a quality so noble and precious that it ought to be commended even when it is not supported by prudence whereas prudence without the assistance of justice has neither merit nor lustre Justice has this advantage that being alone it is still very advantagious but prudence can only hurt when it is not supported by justice There is no venom more dangerous than that of Serpents so we receive greatest harm from those whose arms consist most in subtleties and insinuations LXXXV WHen a man pursues only what can give him satisfaction 't is a difficult matter for him to meet with what is good and beneficial If the will have the supremacy over reason it will make him conceive strange designs 'T is not possible for him to be just while he is govern'd by some affection Consider not the persons look only on the merit think it enough to examine who has the right of his side without reflecting on your own power or complying with your own particular inclination LXXXVI T Is an additional degree to ones malice for him to do evil only because he loves it but it is a very great progress in wickedness to love the evil because he has done it It is only the part of a Fool to become wicked that he may do harm to those that are such and it argues a clear loss of judgment for a man to renounce virtue because he has an aversion for those who love Vice LXXXVII A Man must have a great stock of courage and resolution to overcome shame but he comes to the highest pitch of generosity who suffers not himself to be brought down by necessity Whoever has the courage to make head against that acquires no less glory than he who overcomes himself LXXXVIII TRue generosity does not consist in the undertaking of many bold and difficult things but in constantly enduring all the evils that happen There 's no power so absolute upon earth but sometimes meets with resistance but patience continues alwayes firm and immoveable and nothing can be done against it To say that one will not support some disastrous accident or some injury is to speak like Women and to make too visible a discovery of weakness A man speaks otherwise and sayes with a generous resolution I will not do it LXXXIX GReat difficulties do only animate such as have courage the misfortunes that happen to them discover what they are They know not what it is to hearken to Fear being persuaded that a generous and magnanimous Soul can triumph over all its enemies It must be confess'd that patience is wonderfully strong since it compasses all without being assisted by any one 'T is a fortress that defends it self and stands not in any need of anger to force off such as attack it XC FOrtitude and Prudence are the two virtues that support the magnificent Chariot wherein Victory is seated A man is doubly fortifi'd when he knows how to make a conjunction of generosity and good counsel How gallant and daring soever a man may be yet cannot he be successful long in his enterprizes if he be not reliev'd by prudence XCI MEdiocrity must infallibly be admitted into the rank of the virtues because it keeps constantly in the middle The other virtues to be true ones must with much care and pains seek for that which mediocrity has naturally It s name sufficiently discovers That it is a virtue which alwayes takes up the middle or mean which all the other virtues endeavour to get into There 's nothing more true than what I am going to say though it be somewhat surprizing What is call'd the least in the moral virtues is what 's most great and most excellent therein the excess justly passes for a defect and mediocrity is acknowledged a rare virtue Moderation seasons all things without it the sweetest and most pleasant become bitter and insupportable It keeps up honour it offers pleasures and enjoyments that are pure and innocent In a word we are to look on it as the source and principle of whatever there is that is good of good repute and beneficial amongst men XCII A Moderate man has alwayes a sufficient Estate And as the passions ruine us by the excessive expences we are obliged to be at to satisfie them so our recession from Vices contributes not a little to enrich us A man acquires much when he is at no superfluous expence Moderation therefore is not only a virtue but a great treasure also Dice and Women consume more wealth than a great Conflagration and of all the engagements a man may have in the world I think there 's none stronger and more hard to get out of than Gaming and Debauchery XCIII A Man should not for any other reason care much for his body than that he cannot live without it since therefore you do not live for it trouble not your self so much to satisfie it Regulate its accommodations according to its exigencies and not according to the satisfactions it craves Men would