fling Occafion. None can be too forward in vindicating the Honour of Religion, their Country, or their King; none too backward, when none of thefe are concern'd.

2. Demaratus obferves, that there are a Sort of People who take Delight in Quarrels, and those, he fays, are of all Fools the moft contemptible, and beneath the Notice of a Man of Honour: From fuch it is better to bear an Affront, than resent it.

I.

"T

Of RECOMPENCE.

HE Recompence of Service is as useful as it is honourable to him that makes it: People will hazard every thing where Profit, as well as Thanks, is to be expected. Hannibal never engag'd in a Battle without affuring his Soldiers of great Rewards, if Succefs attended their Arms.

2. Titus Gracchus being about to give Battle to the Carthaginians, promis'd a certain Reward to every. Soldier who fhould bring him the Head of an Enemy; but he was oblig'd afterwards to retract that Condition, because his Men were fo eager to cut off the Heads of the Dead, that they neglected to purfue the Living.

3. The Romans had fo great a Senfe of recompenc ing a Service done them, that they kept Persons to feed the Geefe about the Capitol; thofe Birds having, by their Cries, given them Notice of the Enemy's Approach.

4. Many there are who fuffer Virtue to be its own Reward, but a Man must have a more than ordinary Share of it when he takes any Pains to do Good for Perfons of that Principle.

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Of REMEMBRANCE.

F all Things, we ought always to remember a Favour done us: No Distance of Time or Place should make us forget it. Demaratus fays, past Kindneffes fhould dwell on our Tongues, and in our Hands, as well as in our Hearts.

2. 'Tis wonderful to confider the Remembrance of Brutes! The most learned Philofophers have been at a Lofs to account for the Senfibility of Horfes and Dogs, in following their Owners Steps, though a great Space of Time has feparated them; their attending the Graves of thofe they lov'd, when living, and a great Number of other Inftances of their Remembrance, which History is full of, and daily Experience convinces us of.

1.

Of RELIGION.

Ntiochus, furnam'd the Great, holding the City of Jerufalem befieg'd, was intreated by the Jews to grant them a Ceffation of Arms for feven Days, that they might perform Sacrifice, and other folemn Acts of Devotion to God; which this good Monarch not only comply'd with, but also knowing their Scarcity of Provifion, prefented them with many large and fat Oxen, conducting them himfelf to the Gates of the City, and delivering them to the Hands of the High-Prieft, defir'd him, that if there was any Thing else in his Camp worthy of being made a Victim, he would command it for the divine Service. The Jews, aftonish'd at his Bounty and Piety, voluntarily fubmitted themselves to him foon after, saying, fuch a King was worthy to reign over them. Plut.in his Life; alfo Juftin. 2. Calli

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2. Callicrates maintains, that thofe Perfons have no Religion at all, who fcruple to facrifice every Thing to it.

I.

Of RENOWN.

be renown'd for any particular Qualifica

Ttion, is, to fome, an Inftigation to perfift in doing well, that they may deserve it yet more; to others, it ferves only to make them careless of their future Behaviour, as thinking their Reputation already eftablifh'd, and they have nothing more to do. 2. As Alexander the Great was on his Conquefts through the Indies, a Prisoner was prefented to him who was fam'd for fuch extraordinary Skill in Shooting, that it was faid of him, he never fail'd to fend an Arrow from his Bow into the smallest Circle that could be drawn, and at as great a Distance as his Eye could reach. Alexander, who was paffionately fond of every Thing that was curious, commanded him to give a Proof of his Dexterity in his Prefence; which the Indian refufing, his Conqueror was fo incens'd, that he order'd him to be put to Death. Those who were employ'd in the Execution, told him, that his own Obftinacy had brought on his Fate; to which he answer'd, that he preferr'd Death to the Lofs of his Renown; and that it was the Fear of not being able, in the Prefence of fo great a Monarch, to do what he had been accustom❜d to, which had hinder'd him from obeying his Commands. This Reply being reported to Alexander, he granted him his Life, and, withal, his Liberty. Plut. in his notable Sayings.

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Of REPROOF.

Donging to Philip of Macedon, and brought Togenes being made Prifoner by a Soldier be

before him, at the Time he was making War on the Greeks; the King afk'd him if he were not a Spy. Yes, certainly, faid the Philofopher, I spy thy Imprudence; who, without being conflrain'd by any Perfon, hazards, every Hour, thy Glory, thy Kingdom, and thy Life. Plut. in his Treatife how to difcern the Flatterer from the Friend.

2. Demofthenes being afk'd by the Tyrant Epemetes why he wept for the Death of a Philofopher, his Companion, telling him it was unworthy of a wife Man to give way to the Paffion of Grief; reply'd in thefe Terms, I weep not, faid he, because my Friend is dead, but because thou art alive: For greater Mif chiefs happen to the Sciences by the Life of the Wicked, than by the Death of the Good.

3. The Lacedemonians had a Custom inviolably obferv'd, which was, to punifh all who pretended to reprove others for thofe Faults they were guilty of themselves, and alfo to chaftife with the fame Severity, all who refented Reproof, when given by a Person qualify'd for it.

4. Denis, Prince of Syracufe, having wrote a Tragedy, fent it to Polycenus the Poet, in order for his Correction of it; who having read it, scratch'd the Writing entirely out, from the Beginning to the End; and told him, he found nothing in it worthy to be preferv'd. Plut. in his Life.

5. A poor Peasant seeing the Archbishop of Cologne travelling with a very gay Equipage, and a great Number of Servants, well mounted and arm'd, burst into a Fit of Laughter at his Approach; which the Archbishop demanding the Caufe of, Would it not make any Man laugh, faid the Countryman, to think by what Means St. Peter, who was the Prince of Pre

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lates,

lates, and liv'd and dy'd in Poverty, should leave his Succeffors fo rich? To which the Archbishop, in his Juftification, reply'd, that he travell'd as a Duke, and not as a Prelate. Thefe Words made the Peafant laugh a fecond Time: I would fain know of you, my Lord, refum'd he, that if the Duke you speak of fhould happen to go to Hell, where do you think the Prelate would be? Fulgof. 1. 6. c. 2.

I.

N

Of REPUTATION.

EXT to being in Reality virtuous, there is nothing fo much to be priz'd as the Repu tation of being fo. Demof.henes fays, that without any other Motive than merely the Defire of preferving a good Reputation, many a grofs Crime has been prevented.

2. Alexander the Great had fuch a Reputation in his Time, that thofe who had been commanded by him, could afterwards fuffer no other to command them; thinking, as they had had the Honour to serve the greatest Man in the World, it was an Indignity to them to ferve ought beneath him.

3. Why do we fee the generous Man forgive his Enemies, the liberal Man do Acts of Benevolence to the Poor, the ftout Man fight, the wife Man advise, but to acquire the Reputation of fuch or fuch a meriTorious Action?

4. Pliny maintains, that the Pride of Reputation is laudable; and only thofe who are below Scandal imagine themselves above it, and fcorn the ill Opinion of the World.