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to be vitious; the devil knows it is to no purpose to tempt a busy man; be always, therefore, employed; and because some are triflingly active, that you may not with them be idly busy, your book will instruct you how. O Frank, did you but hear the complaints of excellent personages, for missing of that opportunity which you are now master of; or could you but suppose yourself old and ignorant, how tender would you be of the loss of one minute! what would you not give to return to these years you now enjoy! Let this consideration sink deep and settle in you. Be more curious of the expense of your time than of your gold; time being a jewel whose worth is invaluable, whose loss is irreparable; therefore secure the present time, that you may not hereafter lose more by a vain bewailing of the past. Now, be cause the best of learning is to study yourself, and I have reason to believe I have some skill in you, having so curiously observed your nature and inclination, I shall make some useful discourse in order to this knowledge, by which you may both see your defects and amend them.

YOURSELF.

The most profitable and necessary in the world is to know and study thyself; wherefore, with all the plainness, sincerity, and observation you can make in your best temper of mind and body, lay yourself open to yourself; take an impartial survey of all your abilities and weaknesses, and spare not to expose them to your eye by writing, which I conceive is the best done by framing your own character, and so to draw the picture of your mind, which I recommend to your yearly practice during your life. This, Frank, if you flatter not yourself, will be your best looking-glass, and must needs have a singular influence upon your religion, and serve your soul extremely well to very high purposes; for, by this means, your growth or decay in virtue will be discovered, and, consequently, ways for the increase of that growth, or for repairing those decays and breaches in the soul, will more readily be found out, and more easily cured. When you have found both your forces and infirmities, then look with one eye upon them, and with the other on the realms you live in, whereby, comparing yourself with the general state of affairs, you shall soon discern whether there may be a correspondency and compliance between you and them, that you may thereupon either draw yourself within your private walls, to enjoy the happiness of an holy, quiet, and innocent repose, in case the times are rough and dangerous to sail in; or else, if calm and suitable, to engage yourself in some public employment, for the

service of your country and advancement of your family; though, if I mayguess at the future constitution of your mind by what I observe at present, were the times never so calm and inviting, you should not be easily enticed to embark yourself into the world, or engage in busy and great employments. Your best course, in my judgment, Frank, were to say your prayers at home, manage your little affairs innocently and discreetly, and enjoy, with thankfulness, what God has bestowed upon me. But it may so happen that your inclinations may be active, and your parts correspondent, and that good fortune may find you out in your privacy, and court you to employment, — if she does, refuse her not, but embrace her with these cautions: First, be sure to ballast yourself well, by calling in to your aid all the advantages of learning, art, and experience: then consider to fit your sails to the bulk of your vessel, lest you prove a slug, or overset. And because commonwealths have their shelves and rocks, therefore get the skill of coasting and shifting your sails; I mean, to arrive at your journey's end by compassing and an honest compliance. Yet, if honesty be the star you sail by, doubt not of a good voyage, at least be sure of a good harbour.

APPENDIX, No. II.

EXTRACT RELATIVE TO LORD SHAFTESBURY.

THE following defence of Lord Shaftesbury, from the imputation of having advised the shutting up of the Exchequer, is taken from Belsham's character of Lord Shaftesbury, page 93, of his History of Great Britain :

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"Mr. Hume asserts, after Burnet, that Lord Shaftesbury suggested to Clifford the infamous advice of shutting up the Exchequer; although these statesmen were at this very time inveterate political adversaries. And there is extant a paper of objections, admirably penned, left by Lord Shaftesbury with the King, against that violent and iniquitous measure; and also a letter of the same nobleman, in which, adverting to this report, he styles it foolish, as well as false. If any man consider,' says he, the circumstance of the time when it was done, and that it was the prologue of making Lord Clifford Lord High Treasurer, he cannot very justly suspect me of the counsel for that business, unless he thinks me at the same time out of my wits.' wits.' And the Duke of Ormond, a man of honour, though of the Clarendon or York party, was heard to declare his wonder, why people accused Lord Ashley of giving that advice, for he himself was present when it was first moved by Lord Clifford, and he heard Lord Ashley violently oppose it.'

Mr. Belsham afterwards says, "Some of these particulars are extracted from original materials, not yet made public, but which will probably appear at no very distant interval."

294

APPENDIX, No. III,

CHARLES, REX.

Instructions to our right-trusty and well-beloved Cousin, Lewis, Earl of Feversham, sent by us to the Court of France.

You shall embark yourself at any of our ports, in order to your speedy passing the seas for France, and so to make what speed you can by land to that Court, wheresoever it is.

As soon as arrived, you shall desire an audience of our good brother the Most Christian King, to whom you shall deliver our letter, and desire to acquaint him with our desires, which are as followeth :

You shall represent to the Most Christian King, that we have entered, as far as we could possibly with the Prince of Orange, upon the subject of the peace, and find him disposed to it, provided it may be made with safety to Flanders, upon which he conceiveth that of Holland and those countries to depend:

That without Valenciennes, Tournay, and Condè, as well as Charleroy, Aeth, and Coustrecht, (Courtray,) and Audenard, the Prince doth not conceive Flanders can be left in any possibility of defence, and is therefore sure the States can never go lower than that, whatever propositions we should make to them, nor could he consent to it:

That we desire to know the Most Christian King's mind upon these terms, as those only which we see any probability of consenting to, for a peace even on the States' side; and in the obtaining of this peace, conceive ourselves as much concerned as any of the party themselves :

That the Most Christian King having said always he intended not the conquest of Flanders; we have, likewise, ever declared to our Parliament and subjects, as well as all foreign ministers, that we could not see it lost. But

the refusal of these towns, without which, indeed, it could not be said to have a frontier, would confirm the general opinion of the design of France to perfect that conquest. Since the loss of it, or leaving it indefensible, would be the same thing; nay indeed, the latter the more inconvenient to the Spaniard, who in time of peace must be at the charge of garrisons, repairing fortifica tions, and providing stores, which, whensoever the Most Christian King shall think proper to make war upon him, must be all sacrificed to his service; if so, considerable troops may have an open entry into the middle of the country at pleasure:

That how constant soever we have been to our friendship with France, and how desirous soever we are to continue it, yet we find the humour of our people so violently bent upon the preservation of Flanders, and for which we have so often assured them of our care and endeavours, that we do not see how we can live at any ease with them, if we should suffer it to be lost by any further conquest there during this war, or by the terms of a peace ruinous and destructive:

That this jealousy in the Parliament, and the desire thereupon of engaging us in the war, had for these three years last past run us into so many difficulties by hindering our supplies, and raising so general discontents among our subjects, because we alone have stemmed this tide for so long together, that we reasonably doubt, whether the heat of a whole nation be always to be resisted:

That we shall be necessitated to call a parliament in April, by reason of a very great branch of our revenue that will determine at Midsummer next; and that we cannot have the least hopes of getting it continued, if after these assurances we have given them of the preservation of Flanders, they shall find it in so much a worse condition than when they parted:

That if a peace shall not be concluded, or at least the main points agreed upon before that time, the great influence that some of the confederates' ministers (less inclined to a moderate peace than the Prince of Orange) seem to have amongst some warm men in the Parliament, may raise many difficulties, which by concluding it now, may safely be avoided :

How far the irresistible temper of the House did necessitate us to a peace with Holland, is well known to the Most Christian King; and they having the like advantage now upon us in respect of our revenue, they then had in respect of our expenses, to what streights they may, and are like to drive us, is not hard to guess:

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