An Hold your tongues, faith he, it were better he knew not you were here *: a faying that hath great doctrine in it; the devotion of the wicked doth them no good: it answers to that paffage in fcripture, The prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord"." ungodly man afking him, What godlinefs was? he was filent; but the other murmuring, faith he, What is that to thee? that is not thy concern. He was fo tender in his nature, that he seldom judged any criminal to death, but he wept; adding, One part goeth to God, and that other part I must give the law. That man is unhappy, faith he, that cannot bear affliction. It is a disease of the mind, to desire that which cannot, or is not fit to be had. It is an ill thing not to be mindful of other men's miferies. To one who asked, What is hard? he anfwered, To bear chearfully a change for the worse. Thofe, fays he, who bufy themfelves in vain knowledge, refemble owls that fee by night, and are blind by day; for they are sharp-fighted in vanity, but dark at the approach of true light and knowledge. He adds, Undertake deliberately; bur then go through. Speak not haftily, left thou fin. Be neither filly nor fubtil. Hear much; fpeak little, and seasonably. Make profeffion of God every where; and impute the good thou doft, not to thyself, but to the power of God. His country being invaded, and the people flying with the beft of their goods, afked, Why he carried none of his? I, faith he, carry my goods within me. Valerius Maximus adds, In his breast; not to be seen by the eye, but to be prized by the foul; not to be demolished by mortal hands; prefent with them that stay, and not forsaking those that fly. S. LIV. CLEOBULUS, a prince and philofopher of Lyndus. He would fay, That it was man's duty to be always employed upon fomething that was good. Again, Be never vain nor ungrateful. Bestow your daughters virgins in years, but matrons in difcretion. Do good to thy friend, to keep him; to thy enemy, to gain him. When any man goeth forth, let him confider what he Laert. Stob. a Prov. xv. 8. hath hath to do, when he returneth, examine what he hath done. Know, that to reverence thy father is thy duty. Hear willingly, but truft not haftily. Obtain by perfuafion, not by violence. Being rich, be not exalted; poor, be not dejected. Forego enmity: inftrut thy children: pray to God, and perfevere in godlinefs *. §. LV. PITTACUs being asked, What was beft? he anfwered, To do the prefent thing well. He would fay, What thou doft take ill in thy neighbour, do not thyfelf. Reproach not the unhappy; for the hand of God is upon them. Be true to thy truft. Bear with thy neighbour; love thy neighbour. Reproach not thy friend, though he recede from thee a little. He would fay, That common-wealth is beft ordered, where the wicked have no command; and that family, which hath neither ornament nor neceffity. To conclude: he advised to acquire honefty; love difcipline; obferve temperance; gain prudence; mind diligence; and keep truth, faith, and piety. He had a brother, who dying without iffue left him his eftate; fo that when Cræfus offered him wealth, he answered, I have more by half than I defire. He alfo affirmed That family the best, who got not unjustly, kept not unfaithfully, spent not with repentance: and, That happiness confifts in a virtuous and honest life, with being content with a competency of outward things, and in ufing them temperately. And to conclude, he earnestly enjoined all to flee corporal pleasure; for, fays he, it certainly brings forrow: but to obferve an honest life more ftrictly than an oath; and meditate on serious thingst. §. LVI. HIPPIAS, a philofopher: It is recorded of him, that he would have every one provide his own neceffaries; and, that he might do what he taught, he was his own tradefman. He was fingular in all fuch arts and employments, infomuch that he made the Laert. Plut. Sympof. Sap. Sep. Stob. Ser. Stob. 28. + Plutarch. very buskins he woret. A better life than an Alexander's. §. LVII. The Gymnofophiftæ were a fect of philofophers in Ægypt, that fo defpifed gaudy apparel, and the reft of the world's intemperance, that they went almost naked; living poorly, and with great meanness: by which they were enabled against all cold, and overcame that luft by innocence, which people, that are called Chriftians, though covered, are overcome withal*. §. LVIII. The Bambycatii were a certain great people that inhabited about the river Tygris, in Afia; who obferving the great influence gold, filver, and precious jewels had upon their minds, agreed to bury all in the earth, to prevent the corruption of their manners. They used inferior metals, and lived with very ordinary accommodation; wearing moftly but one very grave and plain robe to cover nakedness. It were well, if Chriftians would mortify their unsatiable appetites after wealth and vanity any way, for Heathens judge their excefst. S. LIX. The Athenians had two diftinct numbers of men, called the Gynaecofini and Gynaeconomi. These were appointed by the magiftrates to overlook the actions of the people: the firft was to fee that they apparelled and behaved themselves gravely; especially that women were of modeft behaviour: and the other was to be present at their treats and feftivals, to see that there was no excefs, nor disorderly carriage: and in cafe any were found criminal, they had full power to punish them. When, alas! when fhall this care and wisdom be seen among the Chriftians of these times, that fo intemperance might be prevented? But it is too evident they love the power and the profits, but defpife the virtue, of government; making it an end, instead of a means to that happy end, viz. The well-ordering the manners and converfation of the Cic. lib. de Orat. + Plin. VOL. II. Plin. 7. 2. Cic. Tufc. Queft. 5. R people. people, and equally diftributing rewards and punish ments. §. LX. ANACHARSIS, a Scythian, was a great philofopher; Cræfus offered him large fums of money, but he refused them. Hanno did the like; to whom he anfwered, My apparel is a Scythian rug; my fhoes, the hardness of my feet; my bed, the earth; my fauce, hunger: you may come to me as one that is contented; but thofe gifts which you so much efteem, bestow either on your citizens, or in facrifice to the immortal Gods*. §. LXI. ANAXAGORAS, a nobleman, but true philofopher, left his great patrimony to feek out wifdom: and being reproved by his friends for the little care he had of his eftate, answered, It is enough that You care for it. One asked him, Why he had no more love for his country than to leave it? Wrong me not, faith he, my greatest care is my country, pointing his finger towards heaven. Returning home, and taking a view of his great poffeffions, If I had not difregarded them (faith he) I had perished. He was a great. clearer and improver of the doctrine of One Eternal God, denying divinity to fun, moon and stars; faying, God was infinite, not confined to place; the Eternal Wisdom and Efficient Cause of all things; the Divine Mind and Understanding; who, when matter was confused, came and reduced it to order, which is the world we feet. He fuffered much from fome magiftrates for his opinion; yet, dying, was admired by them his epitaph in English thus: Here lies, who through the truest paths did pass §. LXII. HERACLITUS was invited by king Darius, for his great virtue and learning, to this effect; Come,. as foon as thou canft, to my presence and royal palace; for the Greeks, for the most part, are not obfequious Cic. Tuf. Queft. 5. Clem. Alex. Strob. Ufur. Lyfand. Cic. Tuf. Queft. 5. + Plut. contra to to wife men, but defpife the good things which they deliver. With me thou fhalt have the first place, and daily honour and titles: thy way of living shall be as noble as thy inftructions. But Heraclitus refusing his offer, returned this anfwer; Heraclitus to Darius the king, health. Most men refrain from juftice and truth, and purfue infatiablenefs and vain-glory, by reafon of their folly; but I, having forgot all evil, and fhunning the fociety of inbred envy and pride, will never come to the kingdom of Perfia, being contented with a little, according to my own mind. He also flighted the Athenians. He had great and clear apprehenfions of the nature and power of God, maintaining his divinity against the idolatry in fashion. This definition he gives of God; He is not made with hands. The whole world, adorned with his creatures, is his manfion. Where is God? Shut up in temples? Impious men! who place their God in the dark. It is a reproach to a man, to tell him he is a stone; yet the God you profefs is born of a rock. You ignorant people! you know not God: his works bear witness of him. Of himself he faith, O ye men, will ye not learn why I never laugh? it is not that I hate men, but their wickedness. If you would not have me weep, live in peace: you carry fwords in your tongues; you plunder wealth, ravish women, poifon friends, betray the truft people repofe in you: fhall I laugh, when I fee men do these things? their garments, beards, and heads, adorned with unneceffary care; a mother deserted by a wicked fon; or young men confuming their patrimony; a citizen's wife taken from him; a virgin ravished; a concubine kept as a wife; others filling their bellies at feasts, more with poifon than with dainties? Virtue would ftrike me blind, if I should laugh at your wars. By mufic, pipes, and ftripes, you are excited to things contrary to all harmony. Iron, a metal more proper for ploughs and tillages, is fitted for flaughter and death: men, raifing armies of men, covet to kill one another; and punish men that quit the field for not staying to murder men. They honour, |