a proof of his eating, but a very disagreeable

one.

When ambitious men are much disappointed, some of the ablest of them have been apt, out of peevishness, to give over the world : But often, a little patience is enough to bring things about again.

SOME people are troubling both themselves and others with making great feasts, which they think is living nobly, and Princes themselves are unable to escape them ; whereas a constant way of living politely, is much more estimable, as well as pleasant.

SCARCE one fat person in twenty, but
makes himself appear a great deal fatter by
fine clothes : and ugly women do the same
by their finery.

"Tis the fashion to carve at one's
table, a terrible trouble! which divided a-
mong

the

company, would be none at all to any one of them.

MUSICIANS, Painters, and even Poets, are generally thought a little fantastical; but 'tis the ill ones only, that are fo: the good ones in all ages have been eminently otherwise. As VIRGIL and HORACE, SPENCER, Milton and WALLER, MALHERBE, COR

NEILLE,

own

ز

.

NEILLE, and BOILEAU. For Painters, be
fides those of old, RAPHAEL and LEONARDO,
TITIAN, RUBENS, and VANDIKE, all of
them throughly accomplish'd, and fit for the
greatest affairs.

Mufick has scarce appear'd
in our climate ; but the only person remark-
able for it in France (I mean BAPTIST) was
an agreeable Wit, and all his life manag’d
a great and new diversion there with credir
and profit. The cause of this error is, the
multitude of odd fellows inclined to some
one of these three amusements, though not
in the least fitted by nature for any of them;
so that being so filly as to undertake they
know not what, they must needs appear
fantastical, because errant coxcombs; im-
ploying foolishly their whole time in arts
they are incapable of. That which shews
so many more fops in Poetry, than in any
other art or science, is very plain ; for how.
can the ableft Critick in that art convince
the most foolish Poet of his failings ? even
the most intimate acquaintance is unwilling
to tell a man that he is an Ass; which is
the very case, whenever any body pretends
to this accomplishment without any genius.'
Perhaps he may tell him that he is too

lazy to be a Lawyer, too nice to be a Phy? sician, or too gay to be a Priest : but to be told he wants either wit or judgment, goes very hard with a coxcomb.

BED

A

OU accuse me of fin-
gularity in resigning
the Privy Seal with a
good pension added to

it,and yet afterwards
stayingintown at a sea-
son when every body

else leaves, it; which you say is despising at once both Court and

Coun

IN

cordic

peop!

Country. You desire me therefore to defend
myself, if I can, by describing very particu-
larly in what manner I spend so many hours,
that

appear long to you who know nothing
of the matter, and yet, methinks, are but
too short for me.

No part of this task which you impose, is uneasy; except the necessity of using the singular number so often. That one Letter [I] is a most dangerous monosyllable, and gives an air of vanity to the modestest discourse whatsoever. But you will remember I write this only by way of apology ; and that, under accusation, it is allowable to plead any thing for defence, though a little tending to one's own commendation.

ieagle of fit

a.

geft të

To begin then without more preamble : I rise, now in summer, about feven a-clock, from a very large bed-chamber (intirely quiet, high, and free from the early sun) to walk in the garden; or, if rainy, in a Salon filled with pictures, some good, but none disagrecable : there also, in a row above them, I have so many portraits of famous persons in several kinds, as are enough to excite ambition in any man less lazy, or less at ease, than myself.

IN

once

magt

with

ting

2