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this latter is worthier and more excellent than that other, because it tends to the conservation of a more ample body. The first may be called individual or self-good; the latter the good of communion. The iron by particular sympathy moves to the load-stone; (but yet, if it exceeds a certain quantity, it forsakes the affection to the load-stone,) and, like a good citizen and true patriot, moves to the earth, the region and country of its connaturals. To proceed a little further; water and many bodies move to the centre of the earth, to the great congregation of close compacted bodies: yet, rather than to suffer a divulsion in the continuance of nature, and that there should be (as they talk) a vacuum, these bodies will move upwards from the centre of the earth, forsaking their duty to it, that they may perform the general duty they owe to the world: so is it ever seen, that the conservation of the more general and public form, commands and governs the lesser and more particular appetites and inclinations.

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318. CHARACTER OF JAMES I, KING OF ENGLAND. prince, so little enterprising and so inoffensive, was ever so much exposed to the opposite extremes of calumny and flattery, of satire and panegyric. And the factions which began in his time, being still continued, have made his character be as much disputed to this day, as is commonly that of princes who are our contemporaries. Many virtues, however, it must be owned, he was possessed of; but scarce any of them pure or free from the contagion of the neighbouring vices. His generosity bordered on profusion, his learning on pedantry, his pacific disposition on pusillanimity, his wisdom on cunning, his friendship on light fancy and boyish fondness. While he imagined that he was only maintaining his own authority, he may perhaps be suspected, in a few of his actions, and still more of his pretensions, to have somewhat encroached on the liberties of his people; while he endeavoured, by an exact neutrality, to acquire the good-will of all his neighbours, he was able to preserve fully the esteem and regard of none. His capacity was considerable; but fitter to discourse on general maxims, than to conduct any intricate business. His intentions were just; but more adapted to the conduct of private life, than to the government of kingdoms. Awkward in his person and ungainly in his manners, he was ill qualified to com

mand respect; partial and undiscerning in his affections, he was little fitted to acquire general love. Of a feeble temper more than of a frail judgment: exposed to our ridicule from his vanity; but exempt from our hatred by his freedom from pride and arrogance.

319.

D. HUME

MOHAMMED now perceived the grievous error which he had committed and the prudent foresight of his son. “Did I not tell thee," said the latter, "that we should be driven from our palace and country?" "Thou wert indeed a true prophet,” replied the self-accused father, "but what power could avert the decrees of fate?" It seemed as if fate had indeed resolved that this misguided prince should fall by his own obstinacy.-He himself seemed to think that the knell of his departing greatness was about to sound, and the most melancholy images were present to his fancy even in sleep. But if he were superstitious, if he felt that fate had doomed him, and resistance would be useless, he resolved not to fall ignobly his defence was heroic, but it was vain. In his reverse of fortune his conduct was truly great. "My children," he exclaimed, "let us support our lot with resignation: our enjoyments here are but lent to us, to be resumed when heaven sees fit. Joy and sorrow closely follow each other but the noble heart is above the inconstancy of fortune."

320. DISTURBANCES IN LONDON. A brother of the Earle Ferrers was in the night privily slaine at London, which when the king understood, he sware that he would be avenged on the citizens: for it was then a common practice in the citie, that an hundred or more in a company of yong and old, would make nightly invasions upon the houses of the wealthy, to the intent to robbe them, and if they found any man stirring in the citie within the night, they would presently murther him, in so much, that when night was come, no man durst adventure to walk in the streetes. When this had continued long, it fortuned that as a crew of yong and wealthy citizens assembling together in the night, assaulted a stone house of a certaine rich man, and breaking through the wall, the good man of that house having prepared himselfe with other in a corner, when he perceived one of the theeves to leade the way,

with a burning brand in the one hand and a potte of coales in the other, which he assayed to kindle with the brande, he flewe upon him, and smote off his right hand, and then with a loud voice cried theeves, at the hearing whereof the theeves tooke their flight, all saving he that had lost his hand, whome the good man in the next morning delivered to the King's Justice. This theefe upon warrant of his life, appeached his confederats, of whom many were taken, and manie were fled, but among the rest that were apprehended, a certaine citizen of great countenance, credite, and wealth, surnamed John the olde, when hee could not acquite himself by the Watardome, offered the king for his life 500 markes, but the king commanded that he should bee hanged, which was done, and the citie became more quiet.

W. STOW

321. TRUTH. It is Plato's remark in his Theætetus, that while we sit still we are never the wiser; but going into the river and moving up and down, is the way to discover its depths and shallows. If we exercise and bestir ourselves, we may even here discover something. The eye, by long use, comes to see even in the darkest cavern: and there is no subject so obscure, but we may discern some glimpse of truth by long poring on it. Truth is the cry of all, but the game of a few. Certainly, where it is the chief passion, it doth not give way to vulgar cares and views; nor is it contented with a little ardour in the early time of life, active perhaps to pursue, but not so fit to weigh and revise. He that would make real progress in knowledge, must dedicate his age as well as youth, the later growth as well as first fruits, at the altar of truth.

G. BERKELEY

322. FALSE POLICY OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. When our ministers had once departed from the straight line of British policy, the difficulty of returning to it became every year greater, and the inclination every year less. We continued busy and bustling in every court of Europe. We negociated against the Emperor in concert with France, and gave her thereby the means of regaining more of that credit and influence in the Empire, which she had formerly had, than she could have acquired without our assistance. We contrived to make peace abroad almost as chargeable to us as war. Abuses of every kind were suffered at home. Trade

was neither eased nor encouraged; and the gradual payment of our debt was utterly neglected by a minister rather desirous to keep his country under this oppression than ignorant of the means to deliver her from it. Whilst we acted in this manner, France grew frugal, she made the debts she could not pay sit more lightly upon her, she raised her credit, and she extended her commerce. In short, her strength increased, and ours diminished. We were reduced to a state of weakness we had never felt before; and this very weakness was urged as a reason for bearing tamely the losses our merchants sustained, and all the affronts our government received, lest we should be drawn into a war by using reprisals, the common right of nations. LORD BOLINGBROKE

323. CHARACTER OF CLEON. Cleon, though master of impudence which nothing could abash, seems to have been not wholly unconscious of his own emptiness and incapacity; and he strove to cover his intrinsic feebleness by a show of energy, which cost him no effort, and was exerted at the expense or the risk of the state. He wished to be known as the blunt and straightforward man, of resolute counsels, and strong measures; who kept the good of the people steadily in view, and who would always take the shortest course to arrive at it. He thus gained credit for plain good sense and honest patriotism, while he watched every turn of the popular inclination, that he might anticipate or go beyond it. It belonged to the policy of Cleon to treat the allies of the commonwealth with despotic harshness, as subjects who had no rights that could be allowed to interfere with the will of their sovereign, and were bound to submit without a murmur to all his exactions. Probably, indeed, he had private motives, besides the affectation of patriotic zeal, for taking the most violent side on every question which arose between Athens and her confederates. The more he was dreaded as an advocate of stern measures, the more important it was to retain or silence him. He barked, as well as fawned, for food.

324. VARIOUS KINDS OF TESTIMONY. Testimony is of various kinds; but the distinction between them is so obvious, as well as the various circumstances which add to or diminish the weight of any testimony, that it is not necessary to enter into any detailed discussion of the subject.

It may be worth remarking however that one of the most important distinctions is between testimony to matters of fact, and to doctrines or opinions: in estimating the weight of the former, we look chiefly to the honesty of the witness, and his means of obtaining information; in the latter, his ability to judge is equally to be taken into consideration. With respect however to the credibility of witnesses, it is evident that when many coincide in their testimony (when no previous concert can have taken place) the probability resulting from this concurrence does not rest on the supposed veracity of each considered separately, but on the improbability of such an agreement taking place by chance. For though in such a case each of the witnesses should be considered as unworthy of credit, and even much more likely to speak falsehood than truth, still the chances might be infinite against their all agreeing in the same falsehood.

R. WHATELY

325. HISTORY. Nestor, who lived three ages, was accounted the wisest man in the world. But the historian may make himself wise, by living as many ages as have passed since the beginning of the world. His books enable him to maintain discourse, who besides the stock of his own experience may spend on the common purse of his reading. This directs him in his life, so that he makes the shipwrecks of others sea-marks to himself; yea accidents which others start from for their strangeness, he welcomes as his wonted acquaintance, having found precedents for them formerly. Without history a man's soul is purblind, seeing only the things which almost touch his eyes.

T. FULLER

326. REASON NOT, AS SOME THINK, AN ENEMY TO RELIGION. A number there are, who think they cannot admire as they ought the power and authority of the word of God, if in things divine they should attribute any force to man's reason. For which cause they never use reason so willingly as to disgrace reason. Their usual and common discourses are unto this effect. First, "the natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Secondly, it is not for nothing that St Paul giveth charge to "beware of philosophy," that is to say such

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