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He look'd to his own thoughts, and entertained no desire that would blush to appear in words.

. He abstain'd from offending, as if none ever pardon'd; yet pardon'd, as if he daily offended.

His passions he made servants to his reason and religion; and if they rebell'd, first conceal'd, and then suppress'd their mutiny.

He generally spake little, saw others tempers without discovering his own, yet when occasion served, shew'd his silence proceeded neither from affectation, nor weakness: For by running back to ages past, and recovering events out of memory, and then preventing time, in flying forward to future things, and comparing one with t'other, he would give a verdict well near prophetical; yet was so free from vanity, he could bear interruption patiently.

Such was his prudence, and so exact his judgment, as to discern betwixt pride and greatness-religion and superstition-quickness and rashness— government and tyranny-liberty and licentiousness-subjection and servitude-covetousness and frugality, &c. and give to every cause its proper actions and effects.

He maintained the strength of his body, not by

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delicacies but temperance; and drank wine, as sick men take physic, meerly for health.

Reason was his rule, conscience his counsellor, and his actions were ever contrary to those he found fault with.

Age render'd him neither morose nor imperious; his knowledge influenc'd and temper'd his mind with all the humanity, goodness, calmness, strength, and sincerity, of a sound and unaffected philosopher, and made his conversation so affable, pleasant, and instructive, young and old both delighted and profited in his company.

"Tho' deep, yet clear; tho' gentle, yet not dull; Strong without rage, without o'erflowing full.” He was grown old in the habit of not discovering secrets, and walk'd in this world as in an hospital full of brainsick people, whom he endeavour'd to cure by his example.

The scholar and the gentleman were so perfectly united, no critic cou'd find the least distinction. In short, all his deportment made vertue shine, and vice to blush.

The approach of death terrified him not, having the euge of a good conscience, he seem'd to fear recoiling back to childishness more than to dust. 360. Father. "O! what an excellent thing it is

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for a man to end his life before his death, in such sort, that at that hour he may have no other thing to do but to die; that he may have no more need of any thing, not of time, not of himself, but sweetly and contentedly depart this life."

"Good men live twice, it doubleth every hour To look with joy, on that which pass'd before." When a man hath obtained worthy ends and expectations, nunc dimittis is a sweet canticle.

363. The Assyrians make Mercury to be the planet of young men, because that planet is good or bad, as it's in conjunction with others.

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The conversation of wisemen is the best academy of breeding, and learning: It was not the school, but the company of Epicurus, that made Metrodorus, Hermactius, and Polyænus so famous.

He that walks with wise men, shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroy'd.1

366. Son. On a sudden the door flew open, and in bolted Xantippe, Newsmonger's wife; the knitting of her brow, like a bur about the moon, presag'd a storm, and upon sight of her husband she thus began.

367. 'Tis well, 'tis well, incorrigible wretch, is this the amends for last night's work? my fortune, alas, is spent and gone, you're o'er head and ears in debt, and have me and three poor innocent babes to maintain; yet if fool will sit and hear you any talk news, or nonsense, you'll treat him all day,

tho' forc'd to go a tick for the reckoning, and I and your children feed as usually upon brewer's grains.

When drunk, you set up for a politician, yet are very talkative, and possess'd with such a spirit of contradiction, as frequently engages you in bitter expensive quarrels, and law-suits: Witness three plaisters upon your head, and my poor weddingring and best petticoat in pawn for forty shillings, borrowed last year to pay your attorney's bill.

After midnight you reel home as peevish as a sick monkey, and when in bed only hawk, spit, pawl, hick-up, belch, spew, or worse, 'till a-sleep, nd then the neighbours are disturbed with your noring.

In the morning you're troubled with as many ualms as a breeding woman, 'till a jill of brandy na quart of purl has fetch'd the water (as you call ) off your stomach.

Then to avoid duns you sneak to some distant vern, where a pint of white for a whet sets you for all day. Thus you are always idle, or ill mploy'd.

Consider, wretch, consider, he that has children s loaf is not all his own; and he that spends ore than his own, is a thief,