A Man coming to the Water-fide is furrounded by all the Crew; every one is officious, every one making Applications, every one offering his Services; the whole Buftle of the Place feems to be only for him. The fame Man going from the Water-fide, no Noife is made about him; no Creature takes notice of him, all let him pafs with utter Neglect !-The Picture of a Minifter when he comes into Power, and when he goes out.

The tallest Trees are most in the Power of the Winds, and ambitious Men of the Blafts of Fortune. Great Marks are fooneft hit.

Many great Actions owe their Succefs to Chance, though the General and Statesman run away with the Applause.

The Example of the Great has an Effect on all below them, and Virtue in those of the most exalted Station generally propagates itself to all beneath it. The. truly wife State fman knows that the Virtues of a People are the greatest Security of a happy Government and therefore, even though he had not Virtue in himfelf, he would affect to appear to have it: And a continued Affectation has very many of the Effects of Reality.

He that is truly great will never be proud; as always the moft generous Wines carry the leaft Head.

Affiduity is one of the best Qualities in a Courtier to recommend him to his Mafter. As Prince Maurice was once at Dinner, in came a huge Maftiff, and took Sanctuary under the Table: The Page beat him out of the Room, and kick'd him; but, for all that, Monfieur le Chien came punctually at the fame Hour next Day, and fo continued his Vifits, though they ftill continued the fame Treatment to him. At last, the Prince order'd them to beat him no more, and made much of him: From that Time the Mastiff com menced a perfect Courtier, followed, the Prince whereever he went, lay all Night at his Chamber-Door, ran by his Coach-Side as duly as one of his Lacqueys; in fhort, fo infinuated himself into his Mafler's Favour,,

that

that when he died he fettled a Pension upon him for

Life.

The whole Series of Virtues are the Business, the Intereft of a Minifter; and he will find them all con.. tribute to his Greatness, and to the Continuance of it.

A Gentleman is judged by his Company, a Workman by his Tools, and a Prince by his Minifters.

All Superiority is odious, but in a Subject over his Prince it is ever foolish, or fatal: An accomplish'd Man conceals vulgar Advantages, as a modest Woman hides her Beauty under a negligent Dress.

When Minifters refufe to ferve but upon their own Terms, they are no longer Servants, but Mafters.

Minifters that are allow'd to put in and out when they please, make themselves Friends, but their Prince Enemies.

Men fhould be employ'd in what they are fit for A good Coachman fhould not be made your Cook, only because it is a better Place, and he has a mind to it.

Princes ufually make wifer Choices than the Ser vants whom they truft for the Difpofal of Places. I have known a Prince, more than once, chufe an able Minister; but I never obferved that Minister to use his Credit in the Difpofal of an Employment to a Perfon whom he thought the fittest for it. One of the greats eft of this Age owned and excufed the Matter, from. the Violence of Parties, and the Unreafonableness of Friends.

I have known feveral Perfons of great Fame for Wisdom in publick Affairs and Counfels, govern'd by

foolish Servants.

Ρ

Of POLITICIANS and PARTIES.

Oliticians of oppofite Parties are like the Waves of oppofite Currents, always deftroying each other ;and their Followers are their Bubbles.

There

There are Men who fhine in a Faction, and make a Figure by Oppofition, who would ftand in a worfe Light, if they had the Preferments they struggle for.

The beft Party is but a Kind of Confpiracy againft the rest of the Nation. They put every body elfe out of their Protection. Like the Jews to the Gentiles, all others are the Off-fcowring of the Earth.

Party cuts off one Half of the World from the other, fo that the mutual Improvement of Men's Un derstanding by converfing, &c. is loft; and Men are half undone when they lofe the Advantage of knowing what their Enemies think of them.

They forget infenfibly that there is any body in the World but themselves, by keeping no other Company; fo they mif-calculate cruelly. And thus Parties mistake their Strength, by the fame Reason that private Men over-value themfelves; for we, by finding Fault with others, build up a partial Efteem of our felves upon the Foundation of their Miftakes. So Men in Parties find fault with those in the Administra tion, not without Reafon, but forget that they would be expos'd to the fame Objections, and perhaps greater, if it was their Adverfaries Turn to have the faultfinding Part.

Ignorance makes moft Men go into a Party, and Shame keeps them from going out of it.

Popularity is a Crime from the Moment it is fought it is only a Virtue where Men have it whether they will or no.

A Man that will head the Mob is like a Bull let boofe, tied about with Squibs and Crackers. He mult be half mad that goes about it, yet at fome times fhall be too hard for all the wife Men in a Kingdom; for though good Senfe fpeaks against Madness, yet it is: out of Countenance whenever it meets it.

Party is the Madness of many, for the Gajn of a few.

There never was any Party, Faction, Secti .or Cabal whatsoever, in which the most Ignorant were not the most Violent; for a Bee is not a bufier Animat than a Blockhead, However, fuch Inftruments are neceffary

neceffary to Politicians; and perhaps it may be with States as with Clocks, which must have some dead Weight hanging at them, to help and regulate the Motions of the finer and more useful Parts.

To endeavour to work upon the Vulgar with fine Senfe, is like attempting to hew Blocks with a Razor. A Perfon who is too nice an Obferver of the Bufinefs of the Crowd, like one who is too curious in obferving the Labour of the Bees, will often be stung för his Curiosity.

Politicks, as the Word is commonly understood, are nothing but Corruptions, and confequently of no Ufe to a good King, or a good Miniftry; for which Reafon Courts are fo over.run with Politicks.

A Perfon was ask'd at Court, what he thought of an Ambassador and his Train, who were all Embroidery and Lace, full of Bows, Cringes, and Gestures: He faid it was Solomon's Importation, Gold and Apes,

Some People pretend to be zealous Patriots, only to cloak their Malice and Ambition; therefore they are always railing at Governments, if they can have no Hand in them.

An English Malecontent is like a Dog shut out of Doors in a cold Night, who only howls to be let in. Parties in a State generally, like Free-booters, hang out falfe Colours: The Pretence is the publick Good; the real Business is to catch Prizes. Like the Tartars, whenever they fucceed. instead of improving their Victory, they prefently fall upon the Baggage

People will ever fufpect the Remedies for the Difeases of a State, wherever they are excluded from feeing how they are prepared: For that Conduct often feems ridiculous, the fecret Reasons of which are wife and folid.

Debauching a Member of the House of Commons from his Principles, and creating him a Peer, is not much better than making a Woman a Whore, and afterwards marrying her.

He will never be thought a difinterested Member, who receives a Penfion from the Crown.

A Place

A Place ati Court is a continual Bribe.

It is harder to find an' honest Man thân an able one; Business, which improves the one, corrupts the

other.

They who live under Tyranny, and have learn'd to admire its Power as facred and divine, are debauch'd as much in their Religion as in their Morals.

When a Man is made a Spiritual Peer, he lofes his Sirname; when a Temporal, his Christian Name.

Greater Things might and would be done, were we not fo fevere upon Mifcarriages. A Roman Conful had the Thanks of the Senate, though he was beaten, because he did not despair; when if we lose one Ship, we are "prefently for changing the Admiralty.

A Traitor that impeaches is twice a Villain; yet we fee fome dignified, all rewarded, while Men of real good Service want Bread.

The Thoughts of Freedom make People eafy in a Republick, though they fuffer more than under an årbitrary Monarch.

He that would rife at Court must have a large Throat to fwallow Indignities, and a good ftrong Stomach to digeft them afterwards.

He that carries Merit to Court will foon he crowded out of the Ring.

Why fiould we wonder that Commadus is exalted, when Scum will be alway's uppermoft, as well as

Cream?

Of the PEOPLE, as a Body.

A People can

more ftand without

than a Child can go without Leading-Strings. As old and as big as a Nation is, it cannot go by itfelf, and must be led. The Numbers, that make its Strength, are at the fame time the Caufe of its Weaknefs, and Incapacity of acting.

There