Part XL

DEMOC KirV b.
467
own Body ; appoint to each a feveral Office.
Ser. 61. She that is belov’d, eafily forgivech the Of¬ fence of her Lover.
Ibid. A Woman is fharper- witted for mifchief than
a Man.
Set. 6i. To fpeak little, becomes a Woman ; plain At¬ tire adorns her.
Ibid. To obey a Woman is the greateft Ignominy
to a Mari.
Ser. 74. I approve not the having of Children ; for I fee the troubles of them are many and great; the Comforts and Pleafmes few and fmall.
Ibid. A rich Man, in my opinion, ftialldowell to
adopt the Sbn of fome Friend ; for, by this means, he may have fuch a one as he hath a mind to ; for he may chufe where he pleafeth , and take fuch a one as may beft agree with him. There is a great difference betwixt thefe two; he who Adopts a Son, hath the liberty to make choice out of many that are good, and will . pleafe him ; he that begets one, runs the hazard whether he will prove fuch, or no.
Ibid. The begetting of Children feemeth to come
from a moft ancient Inftitution, and inftinta: of Nature, as is manifeft even from brute Beafts, who beget young ones, though without hopes of receiving any advantage by them ; As foon as ’ they are brought forth, they feed and bring them up , and are folicitous for them ejen in the Icaft things: and if they come to any hurt, they grieve at it. Such is the difpofition of all Animals ; how much more of Mari, who hopes for a benefit from his Off fpring.
Ser 84. The excellency of Sheep confifteth in being
• * fat ^ of Men, in being virtuous.
c-j Qo As of Wounds, the worft is that which Gan¬ grenes ; fo, of the Difeafes of the Mind, is in- latiate Avarice.
Ser. 92. A prudent ufe of Money conducerh to the pfadlice of liberality and relief of others ; he that pfeth Money foolifiily, makes it the Prey of ail Men.
Ibid. To get Money, is not ill ; but to get it un-
juftly, is the worft of ills.
Ser. 95. Poverty and Riches are the Names of Want and Sufficiency : He who wants, ought not to be called Rich ; nor He who wants not, Poor.
Ibid. If you defil e many things, many things will
feem but a few.
Ibid. To defire little , makes Poverty equal with
Riches.
Ser. 95. Good things are hardly obtained by thofe that feek after them ; the ill come without Peeking.
Ibid. We muft confider that the Life of Man is
brittle , and momentany , involved in many troubles.
Ser. loi. He is happy who is chearful, though pofTef- fing little ;. he unhappy who is troubled, amidft much wealth. •
Ibid. He that will lead a fecure quiet life, muft not
engage himfelf in many things, neither publick nor private ; nor attempt any thing above his • own Ability and Nature ; but have fuch regard to himfelf, that he decline any exuberance of Fortune that is offer’d him, affuraing no more
than he is well able to bear; for the conveni¬ ence of what we enjoy is more excellent than the largenefs of it.
A publick calamity is greater than a private, for ii affords no hope of relief.
The hopes of Wife Men may come to pafs, but thofe of Fools are impoflible.
The hopes of Fools are beyond reafon.
They who rejoyce in the misfortunes of their Neighbours, know not that Fortune is common to all, and that they have not a Piopriety in joy. .
Strength and Beauty are the Goods of the Body ; Temperance and Prudence the Crown of old Age.
It is certain, that the Old Man was once young ; but whether theYoung Man fhallever come to be Old, is uncertain. A good thing that is compleat, is better than that which is to come, it being uncertain.
Old Age is a univerfal imperfedlion ; it hath all things, and yet wants all things.
Some Men, not underftanding the nature of moral Dilfolution, and being confeioas of their own ill adions in Life, are, during the whole, courfe of their Lives, miferably diftraded with Fears, fancying and feigning to thcmfelves ma¬ ny things that are falfe, as if they were to hap¬ pen after death. '
(a) Fits al'o bvas ihts (^) Speech a the
fhadow of ASl 'ion.
(c) He held, that from publick Offices, and the favour of great Perfons, accrue many Or¬ naments which grace and fet off this JLife.
C^) Hefaid, that Nature thruft down Truth, and hid her quite in the bottom.
f e) He faid, that none can be a great Poet without Madnefs.
To his Moral Sentences may be added, what is related of him by (/) Julian the Emperor, That not being able by Difeourfe to comfort Darias j who wasextreamly afflided at the death of his beautiful Wife, he promifed him to re- ftore her to Life, if he would fupply him with fuch things as were requifite for performance thereof. Darius bad him not fpare any thing, which lie thought might help him to bring it to pafs: Soon after he came to Danas and told^im, that he had furni/hed himfelf with all things except only one, which he could not get, but that He, who was King of all j/ia might haply procure it with little difficulty. Darim demand¬ ing what it was, that no Man could get but the King himfelf? Democritus told him, that if he could write on her Tomb the Names of three Perfons chat have never grieved, fiie would re¬ turn to Life. Darias perplexed hereat, there being no Man to whom fome occafion of Grief hath not happened ; Democritas, after his ufual manner laughed, faying. Can you then, the moft unreafonable ofal! Men, Weep with fuch confidence, as if you were the only Perfon that ever fuffer’d afflidion, and yet are not able to find out, thropgh all the ages of Mankind, one Perfon that hath not received fome particular Crofs ?
ier, 10 2.
Ser. X09.
Ihid.
Ser. rri.
Str. 112.
Ibii.
Ser. 115. Ser. ij9.
a Latrt. b Magne- VM mi- ftjkes ic for the Title of a Book ; but the cort- trary is maiiifefl from P/uf. di educ. libtris. c Plut. r,on peje Jua'V. vtv. d C;c. Mad quxft. 4. e Cic. de divi»a~
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