not in their power to amend. Oh! 'tis cruelty to beat a cripple with his own crutches.

No time to break jests when the heart-strings are about to be broken.

He that will lose his friend for a jest, deserves to die a beggar by the bargain.

OF TRAVELLING.

TRAVEL not early before thy judgment be risen; lest thou observest rather shows than substance.

Get the language (in part) without which key thou shalt unlock little of moment.

sensual enjoyments, on magnificent schemes of pleasure, on charities, on subscriptions, on every profuse, liberal, and noble undertaking. Insomuch that these men who in the morning gathered with a hundred hands, in the evening scatter with a hundred hands that which they gathered; and are under the providence of God but instruments for changing the current of his beneficence, for gathering it where otherwise it would be wasted, and bestowing it where otherwise it would not be had. He gathered it at a thousand fountains, as the streams which come out of the recesses of a thousand solitudes are gathered into one lake; then he dispenseth it through the fertile places of society, and setteth in action, or engageth a thousand departments of business, just as if you should sluice off that lake into a thousand rills, with each of which to fertilize a productive field, or give force to the wheel of some more active machine. E. I.

As for jest, there be certain things which ought to be privileged from it; namely, religion, matters of state, great persons, any man's present business of importance, and any case that deserveth pity.-LORD BACON.

S

Know most of the rooms of thy native country before thou goest over the threshold thereof.

Travel not beyond the Alps. Mr. Ascham did thank God that he was but nine days in Italy, wherein he saw in one city (Venice) more liberty to sin than in London he ever heard of in nine years.†

To travel from the sun is uncomfortable. Yet the northern parts with much ice have some crystal. If thou wilt see much in a little, travel the Low Countries. Holland is all Europe in an Amsterdam print.

† I was once in Italy myself; but I thank God my abode there was but nine days; and yet I saw in that little time in one city, more liberty to sin, than ever I heard tell of in our noble city of London in nine years. I saw, it was there as free to sin, not only without all punishment, but also without any man's marking, as it is free in the city of London, to choose without all blame, whether a man list to wear shoe or pantofle. And good cause why: for being unlike in truth of religion, they must needs be unlike in honesty of living. For, blessed be Christ, in our city of London, commonly the commandments of God be more diligently taught, and the service of God more reverently used, and that daily in many private men's houses, than they be in Italy once a week in their common churches: where making ceremonies to delight the eye, and vain sounds to please the ear; do quite thrust out of the churches all service of God in spirit and in truth. Yea, the Lord Mayor of London, being but a civil officer, is commonly for his time more diligent in punishing sin, the bent enemy against God and good order, than all the bloody inquisitors in Italy be in seven years. For their care and charge is, not to punish sin, not to amend manners, not to purge doctrine, but only to watch and oversee that Christ's true religion set no sure footing where the Pope has any jurisdiction.-ASCHAM.

Be wise in choosing objects, diligent in marking, careful in remembering of them. Yet herein men much follow their own humours. One asked a barber who never before had been at the court, what he saw there? " Oh," said he, "the king was excellently well trimmed!"

Labour to distil and unite into thyself the scattered perfections of several nations. Many weed foreign countries, bringing home Dutch drunkenness, Spanish pride, French wantonness, and Italian Atheism; as for the good herbs, Dutch industry, Spanish loyalty, French courtesy, and Italian frugality, these they leave behind them; others bring home just nothing; and, because they singled not themselves from their countrymen, though some years beyond see, were never out of England.

OF COMPANY.

COMPANY is one of the greatest pleasures of the nature of man.

It is unnatural for a man to court and hug solitariness. Yet a desart is better than a debauched companion. The Nazarites who might drink no wine were also forbidden to eat grapes whereof wine is made.

If thou be cast into bad company, like Hercules, thou must sleep with thy club in thine hand and stand on thy guard; like the river Dee in Merionethshire, in Wales, which running through Pimble

Mere, remains entire, and mingles not her streams with the waters of the lake.

The company he keeps is the comment by help whereof men expound the most close and mystical man. Cæsar came thus to discern his two daughters' inclinations, for being once at a public show, where much people was present, he observed that the grave senators talked with Livia, but loose youngsters and riotous persons with Julia.

OF MEMORY.

It is the treasure-house of the mind, wherein the monuments thereof are kept and preserved. Plato makes it the mother of the Muses. Aristotle sets it in one degree further, making experience the mother of arts, memory the parent of experience. Philosophers place it in the rear of the head; and it seems the mine of memory lies there, because there naturally men dig for it, scratching it when they are at a loss. This again is twofold; one, the simple retention of things: the other, a regaining them when forgotten.

Brute creatures equal if not exceed men in a bare retentive memory. Through how many labyrinths of woods, without other clue of thread than natural instinct, doth the hunted hare return to her meuse? How doth the little bee, flying into several meadows and gardens, sipping of many cups, yet never intoxicated, through an ocean (as I may say) of air, steadily steer herself home, without help of

card or compass. But these cannot play an aftergame, and recover what they have forgotten, which is done by the mediation of discourse.

Artificial memory is rather a trick than an art, and more for the gain of the teacher than profit of the learners. Like the tossing of a pike, which is no part of the postures and motions thereof, and is rather for ostentation than use, to shew the strength and nimbleness of the arm, and is often used by wandering soldiers, as an introduction to beg. Understand it of the artificial rules which at this day are delivered by memory mountebanks; for sure an art thereof may be made (wherein as yet the world is defective) and that no more destructive to natural memory than spectacles are to eyes, which girls in Holland wear from twelve years of age. But till this be found out, let us observe these plain rules.

First, soundly infix in thy mind what thou desirest to remember. What wonder is it if agitation of business jog that out of thy head, which was there rather tacked than fastened? whereas those

notions which get in by "violenta possessio," will abide there till "ejectio firma," sickness, or extreme age, dispossess them. It is best knocking in the nail over night, and clinching it the next morning.

Overburthen not thy memory to make so faithful a servant a slave. Remember, Atlas was weary. Have as much reason as a camel, to rise when thou hast thy full load. Memory, like a purse, if it be over full that it cannot shut, all will drop out