difappointments that threatened his new courfe of life, could weaken or alter. And though this laid him under fome difadvantages for a time, his great integrity and abilities quickly broke through that obfcurity; fo that those of very differing fentiments did not only admire, but very often defired him to accept the most eminent negociations of his country, which he ferved according to his own principles with great fuccefs, and a remarkable felf-denial. This great man's maxim was, religion was the best master, and the best friend; for it made men wife, and would never leave them that never left it; which he found true in himself : for as it made him wifer than thofe that had been his teachers, fo it made him firmer than any hero, having fomething more than nature. to fupport him: which was the judgment as well of foreigners as others, that had the curiofity to fee him die. Making good fomemeditations of his own, viz. The day of death is the judge of all our other days: the very trial and touch-stone of the actions of our life. It is the end that crowns the work, and a good death honoureth a man's whole life. The fading corruption and lofs of this life, is the paffage into a better. Death is no less effential to us, than to live, or to be born. In flying death, thou fliest thyfelf; thy effence is equally parted into thefe two, life and death. It is no small reproach to a Christian, whose faith is in immortality, and the bleffedness of another life, to fear death much, which is the neceffary paffage thereunto.'

§. XXXI. Abraham Cowley, whom to name, is enough with the men of wit of our time and nation, fpeaks not lefs in favour of the temperance and folitude, fo much laboured in the preceding difcourfe: yet that his judgment may have the more force with the reader, it may be fit that I fhould fay, that he was a man of a fweet and fingular wit, great learning, and an even judgment; that had known what cities, universities, and courts could afford; and that not only at home, but in divers nations abroad. Wearied with the world, he broke through all the entanglements of it, and, which was hardeft, great friendship and a perpetual praise; and retired to a folitary cottage near Barn-Elms, where his garden was his pleasure, and he his own gardiner: whence he giveth us this following doctrine of retirement, which may serve for an account how well he was pleased in his change. • The first work," faith he, that a man must do to make himself capable of the good of folitude, is the very eradication of all lufts: for how is it poffible for a man to enjoy himself, while his affections are tied to things without himself. The first minister of ftate hath not so much business in public, as a wife man hath in private: if the one have little leisure to be alone, the other hath lefs leisure to be in company; the one hath but part of the affairs of one nation, the other all the works of God and nature under his confideration. There is no faying fhocks me fo much, as that which I hear very often, that a man doth not know how to pass his

time. It would have been but ill fpoken of Methuselah, in the nine hundred fixty-ninth year of his life; but that is not to deceive the world, but to deceive ourselves, as Quintillian faith, Vitam fallere, to draw on still, and amufe and deceive our life, till it be advanced infenfibly to the fatal period, and fall into that pit which nature hath prepared for it. The meaning of all this is no more, than that most vulgar faying, Bene qui latuit, bene vixit, He hath lived well, who hath lain well hidden. Which, if it be a truth, the world is fufficiently deceived; for my part, I think it is, and that. the pleasanteft condition of life is in incognito. What a brave privilege is it to be free from all contentions, from all envying, or being envied, from receiving, and from paying all kind of ceremonies. We are here among the vast and noble scenes of nature; we are there among the pitiful fhifts of policy: we walk here in the light and open ways of the divine bounty; we grope there in the dark and confufed labyrinths of human malice: our fenfes are here feafted with the clear and genuine taste of their objects, which are all fophifticated there; and for the most part overwhelmed with their contraries. Here pleasure looks, methinks, like a beautiful, conftant, and modeft wife: it is there an impudent, fickle, and painted harlot. Here is harmlefs and cheap plenty; there guilty and expenceful luxury: the antiquity of this art is certainly not to be contested by any other. The three firft men in the world were

'iner, a ploughman, and a grazier ; and if

any man object, that the fecond of thefe was a murderer, I defire he would confider, that as foon as he was fo, he quitted our profeffion, and turned builder. It is for this reafon, I fuppofe, that the fon of Sirach forbids us to hate husbandry; Because, faith he, the Most High hath created it. We were all born to this art, and taught by nature to nourish our bodies by the fame earth, out of which they were made, and to which they must return, and pay at last for their fuftenance. Behold the original and primitive nobility of all those great perfons, who are too proud now, not only to till the ground, but almoft to tread upon it. We may talk what we please of lilies and lions rampant, and spread eagles in fields d'Or, or d'Argent; but if heraldry were guided by reafon, a plough in a field arable would be the most noble and ancient arms.

-Bleft be the man, and bleft is he whom 'ere
Plac'd far out of the roads of hope or fear,
A little field, a little garden feeds;
The field gives all that frugal nature needs:
The wealthy garden lib'rally bestows
All fhe can afk, when fhe luxurious grows.
The fpecious inconveniences that wait
Upon a life of business of state,

He fees, nor doth the fight difturb his reft,
By fools defir'd, by wicked men possest.
-Ah wretched, and too folitary he
Who loves not his own company!
He'll feel the weight of't many a day,
Unless he call in fin or vanity
To help to bear't away.'

Out of Martial he gives us this following epigram, which he makes his by tranflation and choice, to tell his own folitude by: I place it here as his.

--Would you be free? 'Tis your chief wish you say:
Come on; I'll fhew thee friend, the certain way;
If to no feafts abroad thou lov't to go,

Whilft bounteous God doth bread at home beftow;
If thou the goodness of thy clothes doft prize,
By thy own ufe, and by other's eyes;
If only fafe from weathers, thou cant dwell
In a small house, but a convenient shell:
If thou without a figh, or golden wish,
Can't look upon thy beechen bowl, or dish:
If in thy mind fuch power and greatness be,
The Perfian king's a flave compar'd with thee.
- Whilft this hard truth I teach, methinks I see,
The monster, London, laugh at me;

I fhould at thee too, foolish city,

If it were fit to laugh at mifery ;
But thy eftate I pity.

Let but thy wicked men from out thee go,
And all the fools that crowd thee fo;
E'en thou, who doft thy millions boast,
A village lefs than Ilington wilt grow;
A folitude almost.'

I fhall conclude him with this prayer of his

own:

For the few hours of life allotted me,
Give me, great God, but bread and liberty;
I'll beg no more: if more thou'rt please to give,
I'll thankfully that overplus receive;

If beyond this no more be freely fent,

I'll thank for this, and go away content.❜

Here ends the wit, the praise, the learning, the city, the court, with Abraham Cowley, that once knew, and had them all.