Act; and that cannot be without Power and Place,as the Vantage and Commanding Ground. Merit and good Works is the end of mans motion; and Confcience of the fame is the accomplishment of mans reft: for if a man can be partaker of Gods Theater; he fhall likewife be partaker of Gods Rett. Et converfus Deus, ut afpicerét opera, quæ fecerunt manus fue, vidit quod omnia effent bona nimis; And then the Sabbath. In the Discharge of thy Place, fet before thee the best Examples; for Imitation is a Globe of Precepts. And after a time fet before thee thine own Example; and examine thy felf ftrictly whether thou didst not beft at firft. Neglect not also the Examples of those that have carried theinfelves ill in the fame Place: not to fet off thy felf by taxing their memory; but to direct thy felf what to avoid. Reform therefore without bravery or fcandal of former Times and Perfons; but yet fet it down to thy felf, as well to create good precedents as to follow them. Reduce things to the firft Inftitution, and obferve wherein, and how they have degenerated; but yet ask Counsel of both Times, of the Ancienter Time what is beft, and of the Latter Time what is fitteft. Seek to make thy Course Regular, that men may know before-hand what they may expect, but be not too pofitive and peremptory; and express thy felf well when thou digreffeft from thy Rule. Preferve the right of thy Place, but ftir not questions of Jurifdiction; and rather affume thy Right in Silence and de facto, than

voice it with Claims and Challenges. Preferve likewise the Rights of Inferior Places; and think it more Honour to direct in chief, than to be bufie in all. Embrace and invite Helps and Advices, touching the Execution of thy Place: and do not drive away fuch as bring the Information, as medlers, but accept of them in good part. The Vices of Authority are chiefly four: Delays, Corruption, Roughness and Faction. For Delays, Give eafie accefs, Keep Times appointed, Go through with that which is in hand, and interlace not business but of neceffity. For Corruption, Not only bind thine own hands, or thy Servants hands from taking, but bind the hands of Suitors alfo from offering: For Integrity used, doth the one; but Integrity profeffed, and with amanifest detestation of Bribery, doth the others and avoid not only the Fault, but the Sufpicion. Whofoever is found variable, and changeth manifeftly, without manifeft Cause, giveth fufpicion of Corruption. Therefore always when thou changest thine opinion or course, profefs it plainly, and declare it, together with the Read

that move thee to change, and do not think to fteal it. A Servant, or a Favourite, if he be in ward, and no other apparent Cause of Efteem, is commonly thought but a By-way to clofe Corruption. For Roughness, It is a needlefs caufe of Difcontent; Severity breedeth Fear, but Roughnefs breedeth Hate. Even Reproofs from Authority ought to be grave, and not taunting. As for Facility, It is worse than Bribery: for Bribes

come but now and then; but if Importunity,. or idle Refpects lead a Man, he fhall never be without, as Solomon faith, To refpect Perfons is not good; for fuch a Man will tranfgrefs for a piece of bread. It is molt true that was anciently fpoken; A Place fheweth the Man: and it fheweth fome to the better. and fome to the worse: Omnium confenfu, capax Imperii, nifi imperaffet; faith Tacitus of Galba: but of Vefpafian he faith, Solus Imperantium Vefpafianus mutatus in melius. Though the one was meant of Suf'ficiency, the other of Manners and Affection. It is an affured Sign of a worthy and generous. Spirit, whom Honour amends: for Honour is, or fhould be, the place of Vertue; and as in Nature things, move violently to their place, and calmly in their place fo Vertue in Ambition is violent, in Authority fetled and calm. All rifing to Great Place, is by a winding Stair, and if there be Factions, it is good to fide a Mans felt, whileft he is in the Rifing; and to ballance himfelf when he is placed. Ufe the memory of thy Predeceffor fairly and tenderly; for if thou doft not, it is a debt will fure be paid when thou art gone. If thou have Colleagues, refpect them, and rather call them when they look not for it,

than

exclude them when they have reason to took to be called. Be not too fenfible, or too remembring of thy Place in Converfation, and private Anfwers to Suitors, but let it rather be faid, When he fits in Place he is another Man.

Of

XIL

Of Boldness.

T is a trivial Grammar-School Text, but yet worthy a wife Mans confideration. Question was asked of Demosthenes, What was the chief part of an Orator? He answered, Action; What next? Action; What next again? Action; He faid it that knew it beft, and had by nature himfelf no advantage in that he commended. A ftrange thing, that that part of an Orator which is but fuperficial, and rather the vertue of a Player, fhould be placed fo high above those other noble parts of Invention, Elocution, and the reft: 'Nay, almost alone; as if it were All in All. But the reason is plain. There is in Human Nature generally more of the Fool than of the Wife; and therefore those faculties, by which the foolifh part of mens minds is taken, are moft potent. Wonderful like is the cafe of Boldneß in civil bufi- wise -nefs: What firft? Boldness; What fecond and third? Boldness. And yet Boldnefs is a Child of Ignorance and Bafenefs, far inferior to other parts. But nevertheless it doth fafcinate and bind hand and foot, thofe that are either thallow in judgment, or weak in courage, which are the greatest part; yea, and prevaileth with wife men at weak times. Therefore we fee it hath done Wonders in popular States, but with Senates D'4

and

and Princes lefs; and more, ever upon the first entrance of Bold Perfons into action, than foon after for Boldness is an ill Keeper of Promise. Surely, as there are Mountebanks for the Natural Body, fo are there Mountebanks for the Politick Body: Men that undertake great Cures, and perhaps have been lucky in two or three Experiments, but want the grounds of Science, and therefore cannot hold out. Nay, you shall fee a Bold Fellow many times do Mahomet's miracle: Mabomet made the people believe, that he would call an Hill to him; and from the top of it offer up his Prayers for the observers of his Law. The people affembled, Mahomet called the Hill to him again and again; and when the Hill stood still, he was never a whit abashed, but said, If the Hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the Hill. So thefe men, when they have promifed great matters, and failed moft fhamefully, yet (if they have the perfection of Boldness) they will but flight it over, and make a turn, and no more ado. Certainly to men of great judgment, Bold perfons are a fport to behold; nay, and to the Vulgar alfo, Boldness hath fomewhat of the Ridiculous. For if abfurdity be the fubject of laughter, doubt you not, but great Boldness is feldom without fome abfurdity. Especially it is a fport to fee, when a Bold Fellow is out of countenance; for that puts his face into a most fhrunken and wooden pofture, as needs it muft: for in bafhfulness the Spirits do a little go and come, but with Bold men, upon like occafion, they