and by having our Zeal and Forces exercised by reason of this Opposition, I know not whether the Utility would not furmount the Damage. Whether the Marriage Tie We have thought to tie the Nuptial Knot more fast and firm, by having taken away all Means of dissolving it, but the Knot of the Will and Affection is so much the more flackened and made loose, by how much that of Constraint is drawn closer together: And, on the con is rendered the firmer by taking away the Means of diffolving it. trary, that which kept the Marriages at Rome so long in Honour, and inviolate, was the Liberty every one, that would, had to break them. They kept their Wives the better, because they might part with them if they would; and in the full Liberty of Divorces they lived fifty Years, and more, before any one made Ufe on't. Quod licet, ingratum est, quod non licet, acrius urit. i. e. What's free we are disgusted at, and flight; We might here introduce the Opinion of one of the Ancients, upon this Occasion, 'That Executions rather whet • than dull the Edge of Vices: That they do not beget • the Care of doing well, that being the Work of Reason ' and Discipline, but only a Care not to be taken in do• ing ill.' Latius excise pestis contagia ferpunt *. i. e. The Plague-fore being launc'd, th' Infection spreads. I do not know that this is true; but I experimentally know, that Civil Government never was, by that Means, reformed: The Order and Regulation of Manners depend upon some other Expedient. Ovid. Amor. lib. i. El. 19. v., 3. V. 397. The * Rutilius in Itinerario, lib. i. I have lived The Greek Hiftories make Mention of the Agrippians', Neighbours to Scythia, who live either without Rod or Stick to offend; that not only People who no one attempts to attack them, but who- contentedly and ever can fly thither is safe, by reason of their securely withVirtue and Sanctity of Life, and no one is fo out offensive Arms. bold as there to lay Hands upon them; and they have Applications made to them, to determine the Controverfies that arife betwixt Men of other Countries. There is a certain Nation, where the Inclosures of Gardens and Fields, which they would preserve, is made only of a String of Cotton-yarn; and, fo fenced, is more firm and fecure than our Hedges and Ditches. Furem fignata folicitant: Aperta effractarius præterit. Things sealed up, invite a Thief: House-breakers pass by open Doors. Peradventure, the Facility of entering my House, amongst other Things, has been a Means to Montaigne preserve it from the Violence of our Civil fafe, in a deWars: Defence allures an Attempt, and De- fenceless House, fiance provokes an Attack. I enervated the during the CiSoldiers Design, by depriving the Exploit of vil Wars. all Danger, and all Matter of Military Glory, which is wont to serve them for Pretence and Excuse. Whatever is done courageously, is ever done honourably, at a Time when the Laws are silent. I render the Conquest of my House cowardly and base to them; it is never shut to any one that knocks. My Gate has no other Guard than a Porter, by ancient Custom and Ceremony; who does not fo much serve to defend it, as to offer it with more Decency, and the better Grace. I have no other Guard or Centinel than the Stars. A Gentleman would be in the Wrong to make a Shew of Defence, if he be not really in a Condition to defend himself. He that lies open on one Side, is every-where so. Our Ancestors did not think of building Frontier Garrisons. The Methods of Affaulting, I mean, without Battery and Army, and of surprising our Houses, increase every Day above the Means to guard them. Mens Wits are generally sharp set that Way: Invasion every one is concerned in, none but the Rich in Defence. 1 1 Herodot. lib. iv. p. 263. Senec. Ep. 68. : Defence. Mine was strong for the Time wherein it was built; I have added nothing to it of that kind, and should fear left its Strength would turn against myself; besides which, we are to consider, that a peaceable Time would require it to be dismantled. There is Danger never to be able to regain it, and it would be very hard to secure it : For, in inteftine Commotions, your Man may be of the Party you fear; and where Religion is the Pretext, even a Man's nearest Relation becomes faithless with a Colour of Justice. The public Exchequer will not maintain our domeftic Garrisons; they would exhaust it: We ourselves have not wherewithal to do it without our Ruin, or, which is more inconvenient and injurious, without ruining the People: As to the rest, you thereby lofe all, and even your Friends will be ready to accuse your Want of Vigilancy, and your Improvidence, than to pity you, as well as to blame your Ignorance or Lukewarmness in the Duties of your Profession. That so many garrisoned Houses have been loft, whereas this of mine remains, makes me apt to believe, that they were only loft, by being guarded: This gives an Enemy both a strong Inclination and Colour of Reason: All Watching and Warding shews a Face of War. Let who will come to me in God's Name, but I shall not invite them: 'Tis the Retirement I have chosen for my Repose from War: I endeavour to sequester this Corner from the public Tempest, as I also do another Corner in my Soul. Our War may put on what Forms it will, multiply and diversify itself into new Parties; for my own Part I shall not budge. Amongst so many garrifoned Houses, I am the only Person, of my Condition, that I know of, who have purely intrusted mine to the Protection of Heaven, without removing either Plate, Deeds, or Hangings. I will neither fear, nor save myself by halves: If a full Acknowledgment can acquire the Divine Favour, it will continue with me to the End: If not, I have staid long enough, to render my Continuance remarkable, and fit to be recorded : How? Why, I have lived there thirty Years. CHAP. T CHAP. XVI. Of GLORY. HERE is the Name and the Thing; the Name is a Word, which denotes and fignifies the Thing; the Name is no Part of the Thing, or of the Substance; 'tis a foreign Piece joined to the Thing, and yet without it. God, who is all Fulness in himself, and the Height of all Perfection, cannot augment or add any How the Name Thing to himself internally; but his Name of God may be may be augmented and increased by the increased. Blessing and Praise we attribute to his exterior Works : Which Praise, seeing we cannot incorporate it in him, forasmuch as he can have no Accession of Good, we attribute to his Name; which is the Part out of him that is nearest to us. Thus is it, that to God alone Glory and Honour appertain ; and there is nothing so remote from Reason, as that we should go in Quest of it for ourselves; for being Indigent and Neceffitous within, our Effence being imperfect, and having continual Need of Melioration, 'tis for that we ought to labour: We are all hollow and empty; 'tis not with Wind and Voice that we are to fill ourselves; we want a more folid Substance to repair us. A Man, starved with Hunger, would be very fimple to look out rather a gay Garment, than a good Meal : We are to look after that whereof we have most Need: As we have it in our ordinary Prayers, Gloria in excelfis Deo, et in terrâ pax hominibus; Glory be to God on High, and in Earth Peace, &c.' We are in great Want of Beauty, Health, Wisdom, Virtue, and fuch-like effential Qualities: Exterior Ornaments should be looked after, when we have made Provision for necessary Things. Theology treats amply, and more pertinently of this Subject, but I am not much versed in it. * St. Luke, chap. ii. ver. 14. Chryfippus 1 1 4 Defence. Mip And Diogenes were the first, and the stouteft built; I hav Champions for the Contempt of Glory; and fear left which bed maintained, That, of all Pleasures, there was none more dangerous, nor more to be Con reopt of Glory. • ، ' avoided, than that which proceeds from the • Approbation of others. And, in Truth, Experience makes us sensible of its very hurtful Treachery. There is nothing that so much poisons Princes, as Flattery, nor any Thing whereby wicked Men more easily obtain Credit with them : Nor is there any Pandarism so proper, and so often made Use of, to corrupt the Chastity of Women, as to wheedle and entertain them with their own Praises. The first Charm the Syrens made use of to inveigle Ulyffes, is of this Nature. • Deca vers nous, deca ò tres louable Ulysse, To us, noble Ulyffes, this Way, this, Thou greatest Ornament and Pride of Greece. Those Philosophers said, • That all the Glory of the • World was not worth an understanding Man's holding out his Finger to obtain it : Gloria quantalibet quid erit, si Gloria tantum est'? What's Glory in the high'st Degree, Glory to be courted for the Advantages it brings. I say, That alone: For it often brings several Commodities along with it, for which it may be defired: It acquires us Good-will, and renders us less subject and exposed to the Injuries of others, and the like. It was also one of the principal Doctrines of Epicurus; for this Precept of his Sect, Live obscurely, that forbids Men to incumber themselves with Offices and public Negociations, does alfo, necessarily, presuppose a Contempt of Glory, which is the World's • Cic. de Finibus, lib. iii. c. 17. Petrarch. 9 Homer. Odyff. lib. xii. v. 184. Juv. Sat. vii, v. 81. |