Privileges to those who had Children. Baudouin, Iconolog. 59.

4. Auguftus Cafar laid a Tax on all who were found unmarry'd after twenty-five Years of Age, or who had not Children.

5. The chief Duties of a Wife are thefe: To preferve an inviolable Fidelity to her Husband's Bed; to preserve his Secrets as her Life; if he be rich, to augment his Wealth by her Industry; if poor, tó confole him, and be content with the shortest Allowance, when 'tis all he can afford; to partake in all his good and ill Fortune; in Youth to be fweet, fond, and affable; in an advanc'd Age to be agreeable, wife, and fincere.

6. Marcus Cato marry'd a Wife more noble than rich, believing, that an illuftrious Birth conduc'd greatly towards a Propenfity to good Actions. Plut. in his Actions.

7. Valeria, a Roman Lady, ought to ferve as an Example to the Widows of latter Ages. This virtu→ ous and faithful Matron, whenever follicited for Mar riage, faid, she must be guilty of Adultery to confent: For though her Hufband was dead to the reft of the World, he was still alive to her, and ever would be fo. Erafmus, 1.8. Apoph.

1.

Of MEMORY.

Emory is the Mother of the Mufes, fays Plu tarch, the Treafury of Sciences, the Ear of the Deaf, and the Eyes of the Blind.

2. Themiftocles knew the Perfon of every Citizen of Athens, and could call each by his proper Name. Plut. in his Life.

3. Cyneus, Ambaffador from King Pyrrhus, had been no more than one Day in Rome, before he faluted all the Lords, Senators, and Chevaliers, according to their Ranks, and by their particular Names.

4. Julius

4. Julius Cæfar would frequently dictate to his Secretary, read a Book, and hear the Difcourfe of those that stood by, at the fame Time. Plut. in his Life.

5. Seneca repeated two thoufand Names, having heard them but once, beginning at the laft, and calling them in order till he ended with the first.

6. Of all the Faculties of the Mind, Pliny maintains there is none more wonderful than Memory.

I.

"T

Of NECESSITY..

IS not without Reason that we fay Neceffity has no Law, fince it frequently compels us to that which is moft deteftable to our Natures. The Babylonians being befieg'd by Darius, and finding a Scarcity of Provifions, kill'd all the old Men, Women, and young Children, that they might maintain only fuch as were ufeful in War. Bapt. Campoful. 1.7.c.6.

2. The Defeat of Cannes was fo dreadful to the Romans, that they were constrain'd to take the Veffels confecrated to the Honour of their Gods to affift them in the War, to make Boys of feven Years old bear Arms, and to enlist among their Troops fix thoufand Criminals condemn'd to Death. All thefe Circumstances were fhameful in themselves, and doubly fo to the Roman Honour and Generofity; yet did Neceffity enforce them to it. Val. Max. 1. 7. c.8.

3. Cambyfes, King of Perfia, making War in Ethiopia, found his Army fo opprefs'd by Hunger, that he was oblig'd to kill fome of his least able Soldiers, for Nourishment to the others. Eapt. Campoful. I. 7.

2.6.

af

A

1.

Of OBEDIENCE.

Bedience is fo material a Point, that Samuel tells us, in the First of Kings, it is better

than Sacrifice.

2. Theopompus, King of Lacedemonia, being ask'd if the Profperity of Sparta confifted in their Kings knowing better how to command than any other Princes; No, answer'd he; the flourishing State fee it in, is owing to the Citizens knowing better how to obey. Fulgof. I. 7. c. 2.

T

Of OLD AGE.

I.. HE Lacedemonians, when they confulted the Oracle, always fent the oldest of their Citizens, to teftify, that nothing was fo venerable as Age.

2. Nothing, fays Pliny, difcovers more Merit in Youth, than the Refpect it pays to Age.

I.

PH

Of PARDON.

Hylon maintains, with a great deal of Juftice, that they who know not how to pardon, deferve not to find it. An Excefs of Clemency was never prejudicial to Glory. The wifeft and the braveft Men have appear'd most fo, when they most forgave.

2. Alexander the Great faid, it became a noble Heart to forgive, not revenge Injuries; because the one is the Property of a humane Mind, the other of a wild Beast.

3. Socrates

3. Socrates being advis'd to revenge himself of a Perfon who had greatly wrong'd him, anfwer'd in this Manner; If a Dog bites me, faid he, or an Afs brays at me, would it become me to return it in kind?

I.

·A'

Of PASSIONS.

LL Passions are vicious, whenever they arrive at Excefs: How careful, therefore, ought we to be in the Restraint of them!

2. Mischiefs committed in the Heat of Paffion, find Excufe by thofe liable to the like Faults: But methinks they deferve little, when we confider how eafy it is to fupprefs any Inclination in its Beginning.

3. All great Paffions, fays Seneca, deftroy Realon, and render us on a Level with that Brute which we resemble, whether it be a goatifh Luft, or wolf-like Rage.

I.

1. PE

Of PATIENCE.

Ericles, Prince of the Athenians, endur'd, for a whole Day, the Reproaches and Ca. lumnies thrown on him by a mean Perfon; and being come to his Palace, where the Upbraider ftill purfu'd him, he order'd one of his Domesticks to conduct him to his Houfe, left the People, enrag'd at his opprobrious Behaviour, fhould fall on him, and revenge it. Sabell. 1. 9. c. 2.

2. Socrates, the wifeft Man of his Time, having receiv'd a Blow from an indifcreet Perfon, was perfuaded by his Friends to return it; but he gravely reply'd, You fee not, perhaps, that it was an Afs that gave it me, and confequently beneath the Regard of a prudent Man. Sabell. i. 9. c. 2.

Of

I.

Of a PATRIOT.

Allicratides, General of the Lacedemonians,

in a Battle with the Athenians confulted the Oracle, as was the Custom in thofe Days; and was told, that the Army would be victorious, but that himself would be flain. On which, without feeming in the least dismay'd, he answer'd, Had I a thousand Lives, I owe 'em to my Country: Dying victorious, Sparta will have nothing to fear; but were I to live, and not to overcome, what might she not apprehend? Bleft, therefore, be the divine Decree. He had no fooner fpoke thefe Words, than he appointed Clean, der, a brave and worthy Man, to fucceed him in his Command, and fettled all the Affairs of the Army in fuch a Manner, that there might be no Confufion after his Death; then, with an undaunted Bravery of Mind, order'd the Trumpets to found a Charge, and began the Battle, which terminated as the Oracle had foretold.

2. Rare as are the Examples of royal Patriotism, that of Leonidas, King of Lacedemon, was fuch as might excite a noble Emulation in all who rule, and remind them, that a virtuous Prince will know he is plac'd in that high Station lefs for the Good of himfelf, than of thofe he governs. The Oracle of Delphos having foretold that Greece would be fubdu'd by Xerxes, then marching towards it with the greatest Force that ever were gather'd together, unless a King defcended from Hercules would voluntarily expofe himself to certain Death; the generous Leonidas hefitated not to be the Victim of his Country: And having taken Leave of his Queen and Children,

F.

fettled the Affairs of the Kingdom in the best Man... he could; went, attended with a few choice Spirits who preferr'd Death to the Lofs of Liberty, and defended the important Pafs of Thermophile against the whole Perfian Army, ftill continuing to fight till his

M

Body