considering all future time as present; indeed, such consideration would be a useful principle to all men in their conduct of life, as it respects both this world and the next. Bishop Watson.

CXXXI.

Death, of all estimated evils, is the only one whose presence never incommoded any body, and which only causes concern during its absence.-Arcesilaus.

CXXXII.

It might, methinks, somewhat abate the insolence of human pride, to consider, that it is but increasing or diminishing the velocity of certain fluids in the animal machine, to elate the soul with the gayest hopes, or sink her into the deepest despair; to depress the hero into a coward, or advance the coward into a hero.-Fitzosborne.

CXXXIII.

People seek for what they call wit, on all subjects, and in all places; not considering that nature loves truth so well, that it hardly ever admits of flourishing. Conceit is to nature what paint is to beauty; it is not only needless, but impairs what it would improve.Pope.

CXXXIV.

A man who has been brought up among books, and is able to talk of nothing else, is a very indifferent companion, and what we call a pedant. But we should enlarge the title, and give it to every one that does not know how to think out of his profession and particular way of life. What is a greater pedant than a mere man of the town? Bar him the play-houses, a catalogue of the reigning beauties, and you strike him dumb. The military pedant always talks in a camp, and in storming towns, making lodgments, and fighting battles from one end of the year to the other. Every thing he speaks smells of gunpowder; if you take away his artillery from him, he has not a word to say for himself. The law

pedant is perpetually putting cases, repeating the transactions of Westminster-hall, wrangling with you upon the most indifferent circumstances of life, and not to be convinced of the distance of a place, or of the most trivial point in conversation, but by dint of argument. The state pedant is wrapt up in news, and lost in politics. If you mention either of the sovereigns of Europe, he talks very notably; but if you go out of the gazette, you drop him. In short, a mere courtier, a mere soldier, a mere scholar, a mere any thing, is an insipid, pedantic character, and equally ridiculous.Spectator.

CXXXV.

High spirit in man, is like a sword, which, though worn to annoy his enemies, yet is often troublesome in a less degree to his friends: he can hardly wear it so inoffensively, but it is apt to incommode one or other of the company! it is more properly a loaded pistol, which accident alone may fire and kill one.-Shenstone.

CXXXVI.

As there are but few notoriously wicked men, in comparison with a shoal of fools and fops, so it is harder to make a man wise, than to make him honest: for the will is only to be reclaimed in one, but the understanding is to be informed in the other.-Dryden.

CXXXVII.

Inviolable fidelity, good humour, and complacency of temper, outlive all the charms of a fine face, and make the decays of it invisible.-Tatler.

CXXXVII.

I do not approve of the running of horses, there being much cheating in that kind of exercise; neither do I see why a brave man should delight in a creature, whose chief use is to help him run away.-Lord Herbert.

CXXXIX.

Wit, I consider as a singular and unavoidable manner of doing or saying any thing peculiar and natural to one man only, by which his speech and actions are distinguished from those of other men.—Congreve.

CXL.

We all of us complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are spent either in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do; we are always complaining our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.-Seneca.

CXLI.

In little trades more cheats and lying
Are used in selling, than in buying;
But in the great, unjuster dealing
Is us'd in buying, than in selling.

CXLII.

Butler.

He who always prefaces his tale with laughter, is poisoned between impertinence and folly.-Lavater.

CXLIII.

If a man's wits be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again.-Lord Bacon.

CXLIV.

Deference is the most complicate, the most indirect, and the most elegant of all compliments.-Shenstone.

CXLV.

Excellence is never granted to man but as the reward of labour. It argues indeed no small strength of mind to persevere in habits of industry without the pleasure of perceiving those advances, which, like the hand of a clock, while they make hourly approaches to their point, yet proceed so slowly, as to escape observation.Sir J. Reynolds.

CXLVI.

The patient mule which travels slowly night and day, will, in the end, go farther than the Arabian courser.— Persian Researches.

CXLVII.

Learning puffeth men up, words are but wind, and learning is nothing but words; ergo, learning is nothing but wind.-Swift.

CXLVIII.

Methinks to kiss ladies' hands after their lips, as some do, is like little boys, who, after they eat the apple, fall to the paring, out of love they have to the apple.Selden.

CXLIX.

The first three men in the world, were a gardener, a ploughman, and a grazier; and if any man object that the second of these was a murderer, I desire he would consider, that as soon as he was so, he quitted our profession, and turned builder.-Cowley.

CL.

The point most liable to objection (of the jury system) is the power which any one or more of the twelve have to starve the rest into compliance with their opinion; so that the verdict may possibly be given by strength of constitution, not by conviction of conscience: and "wretches hang that jurymen may dine."-Lord Orrery.

CLI.

Some modern zealots appear to have no better knowledge of truth, nor better manner of judging it, than by counting noses. By this rule, if they can poll an indifferent number out of a mob; if they can produce a set of Lancashire noodles, remote provincial head-pieces, or visionary assemblies, to attest a story of a witch upon a broomstick and a flight in the air; they triumph in the solid proof of their new prodigy, and cry, "Magna est veritas et prevalebit!"-Shaftesbury.

CLII.

If thou art rich, then show the greatness of thy fortune; or what is better, the greatness of thy soul, in the meekness of thy conversation; condescend to men of low estate, support the distressed, and patronise the neglected. Be great; but let it be in considering riches as they are, as talents committed to an earthen vessel. That thou art but the receiver, and that to be obliged and to be vain too, is but the old solecism of pride and beggary, which, though they often meet, yet ever make but an absurd society.-Sterne.

CLIII.

If life be miserable, to live is painful, if happy, to die is terrible; they both come to the same thing.Bruyere.

CLIV.

Whoever feels pain in hearing a good character of his neighbour, will feel a pleasure in the reverse. And those who despair to rise in distinction by their virtues, are happy if others can be depressed to a level with themselves.-Franklin.

CLV.

He who seldom speaks, and with one calm well-timed word can strike dumb the loquacious, is a genius or a hero.-Lavater.

CLVI.

We find this great precept often repeated in Plato, Do thine own work, and know thyself: of which two parts, both the one and the other generally comprehend our whole duty, and consequently do each of them complicate and involve the other; for he who will do his own work aright, will find that his first lesson is to know himself, and he who rightly understands himself, will never mistake another man's work for his own.-Montaigne.

CLVII.

He, whose pride oppresses the humble, may perhaps be humbled, but will never be humble.Lavater.