ARTY is the madness of many, for the gain of
a few.

There never was any party, faction, fect, or cabal whatsoever, in which the most ignorant were not the most violent for a bee is not a bufier animal than a blockhead. However, fuch inftruments are neceifary to politicians; and perhaps it may be with ftates as with clocks, which must have fome dead weight hanging at them, to help and regulate the motion of the finer and more ufeful parts..

To endeavour to work upon the vulgar with fine fense, like attempting to hew blocks with a razor:

IV...

Fine fenfe and' exaited fenfe are not half fo useful as common fenfe: there are forty men of wit for one man of sense; and he, that will carry nothing about him but gold, will be every day at a lofs for want of readier change.

V.

Learning is like mercury, one of the most powerful and excellent things in the world in skilful hands; in unskilful, the most mischievous.

VI

The nicest conftitutions of government are often like the finest pieces of clock work; which depending on fo maey motions, are therefore more fubject to be out of order.

VII.

Every man' has just as much vanity, as he wants understanding.

VIII.

Modefty, if it were to be recommended for nothing elfe, this were enough, that the pretending to little leaves a man at ease, whereas boasting requires a perpetual la bour to appear what he is not. If we have fenfe, modefty belts proves it to others; if we have none, it beft hides our want of it. For, as blushing will fometimes make a whore pafs for a virtuous woman, fo modesty may make a fool feem a man of sense,

IX.

It is not so much the being exempt from faults, as the having overcome them, that is an advantage to us; it be ing with the follies of the mind as with the weeds of a field, which, if destroyed and consumed upon the place of their birth, enrich and improve it more than if none had ever sprung there.

X.

To pardon those abfurdities in ourselves which we cannot fuffer in others, is neither better nor worse than to be more willing to be fools ourselves, than to have others fo.

XI.

A man fhould never be afhamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but faying, in other words, that he is wifer to-day than he was yesterday.

XII.

Our paffions are like convulfion fits, which, though they make us ftronger for the time, leave us weaker ever after.

XIII.

To be angry, is to revenge the fault of others upon ourfelves.

XIV.

A brave man thinks no one his fuperior who does him an injury, for he has it then in his power to make himfeif fuperior to the other, by forgiving it.

XV.

To relieve the oppreffed is the most glorious act a man is capable of; it is in some measure doing the business of God and Providence.

XVI.

Superftition is the spleen of the foul.

XVII.

Atheists put on a falfe courage and alacrity in the midst of their darkness and apprehenfions; like children, who when they go in the dark will fing for fear.

XVIII.

An atheift is but a mad ridiculous derider of piety, but a hypocrite makes a fober jeft of God and religion. He finds it easier to be upon his knees than to rise to do a good action; like an impudent debtor, who goes every day and talks familiarly to his creditor without ever paying what he owes.

XIX.

What Tully fays of war, may be applied to difputing; it fhould be always fo managed as to remember, that the only end of it is peace: but generally true difputants are like true fportfinen, their whole delight is in the pursuit ; and a difputant no more cares for the truth, than the Sportsman for the hare.

XX.

The feripture, in time of difputes, is like an open town in time of war, which ferves indifferently the occafions of both parties; each man makes use of it for the prefent turn, and then refigns it to the next comer to do the famc.

XXI,

Such as are ftill obferving upon others, are like thotë who are always abroad at other mess houses, reforming every thing there, while their own run to ruin.

XXII.

When men grow virtuous in their old age, they only. make a lacrifice to God of the devil's leavings.

XXIII.

When we are young, we are flaviflily employed in preeuring fomething whereby we may live comfortably when we grow old; and when we are old, we perceive it is too late to live as we [ropofed.

XXIV..

People are feandalized, if one laughs at what they call a ferious thing. Suppose I were to have my. bead cut off to-morrow, and all the world. were talking of it to day,. yet why might not I laugh to think,, what. a buftle is here about my head?

XXV.

The greatest advantage I know of being thought a wit by the world, is, that it gives one the greater freedom of playing the fool.

XXVI.

We ought in humanity no more to defpife a man for the misfortunes of the mind than for thofe of the body, when they are fuch as he cannot help. Were this tho roughly confidered, we fhould no more laugh at one for Having his brains cracked than for having his head broke.

XXVII.

A man of wit is not capable of bufinefs, but above it. A fprightly generous horfe is able to earry a pack-faddle. as well as an afs, but he is too good to be put to the drudgery.

XXVIII, Where

XXVIII.

Wherever I find a great deal of gratitude in a poor man, I take it for granted, there would be as much gene rofity if he were a rich man.

XXIX

Flowers of rhetoric in ferinons and serious difcourfes,are like the blue and red flowers in corn, pleafing to thofer who come only for amufement, but prejudicial to him. who would reap the profit..

XXX.

When two people compliment each other with the choice of any thing, each of them generally gets that which he likes leaft.

XXXI..

He who tells a lie, is not fenfible how great a task he undertakes, for he must be forced to invent twenty more to maintain that one..

XXXII:

Giving advice is many times only the privilege of laying a foolish thing one's felf, under pretence of hindering another from doing one..

XXXIII.

It is with followers at court,. as with followers on the road, who firit befpatter thofe that go before, and then tread on their heels.

XXXIV.

Falle happiness is like falle money, it paffes for a time as well as the true, and ferves fome ordinary occafions: but when it is brought to the touch, we find the lightness and allay, and feel the lofs.

XXXV..

Daftardly men are like forry horfes, who have but just spirit and mettle enough to be mischievous.

XXXVI. Some