having first confulted the Will of my Father; and fince I have been a Wife, pay the fame Obedience to that of my Husband: If what your Mafter defires be honest and juft, let him declare it to him, and he fhall find me ready to fubmit. This Anfwer being deliver'd with a modeft Sincerity, shut the Mouth of the Meffenger, and his Master's alfo, as foon as inform'd of it. Plut, in the notable Answers of the Lacedemonian Ladies. 7. Gifulphus, Duke of Frioul, being flain in Battle by Caranus, King of the Huns; and his Army totally vanquish'd; his Duchy was expos'd to all the Miseries of a conquer'd People: The Infolenee of the Soldiers was fo great, that they spar'd nothing which might gratify their Avarice, Cruelty, or Luft. The unhappy Prince had left behind him two Daughters, no lefs beautiful than chafte: To avoid the Violation of their Virginity, thefe Ladies, with others of their Train, put raw Livers, and other Inwards of Fowls, under their Arms, and to their Breasts, which imme diately corrupting, occafion'd fo offenfive a Stench to proceed from their Bodies, as forc'd their intended Ravishers to defift from their Enterprize. Baudier on the Religion of the Turks, l. 1. c. 12. 8. Matilda, a beautiful Nun in Northumberland, pluck'd out her Eyes, and fent them to King John, on being inform'd that he had threaten'd the Deftruc tion of the Monaftery for protecting her from his Violence. M Of COMMANDMENT. Anlius put his own Son to Death for having fought a Battle unknown to him, and with out his Command, though he gain'd an entire Victory over his Enemies. Plut. in the Life of Fabius Max. 2. Avidius 2. Avidias Caffidius punish'd with the utmost Se verity fome Officers, who, perceiving a favourable Opportunity, had charg'd the Enemy without Command, though they had gain'd him a confiderable Advantage by it. I. C Of COURAGE. Ourage, without Humanity, is no more than a brutal Force; and may be look'd upon rather as a Vice than Virtue. The chief Glory and Pleasure of fubduing ought to confift in the Power of faving: He who refufes Mercy to a fubmiffive Foe, and flaughters in cold Blood, deferves the Appcllation of a Butcher, not a Soldier. Marcus Antoninus, Emperor of Rome, in his Expedition against the Marcomarni, now call'd Bohemians, gave ftrict Orders to his Army to treat all who yielded up their Towns and Forts, or were any way Prisoners of War, with the utmoft Courtefy; faying, he wifh'd not to conquer, but to fhew the Difference between living under a Roman and Barbarian Government. Monfieur Dacier, in his Life. 2. Verus, a Roman General, being about to give Battle to the Quadi, was told, they were a very cruel Enemy, and never fpar'd thofe who fell into their Hands. So much the better, answer'd he; we shall vanquish them with more Eafe: For true Courage was wever the Companion of Cruelty. Gataker. 3. Courage is not confin'd to Feats of Arms He' who finks not beneath the Frowns of Fortune, and is above the Fears of Death, in what Shape foever prefented to him, is no lefs a Hero, than he who conquers Kingdoms. Elian. 4. A Confcioufnefs of fuperior Strength often in-, fpires a Courage which is not natural: He only is to be look'd upon as truly brave, who is intrepid amidst the Dangers of Inequality. Du Pleffe. Ot Of COUNSEL 1. Wife Counsellor is often of more Service to a Kingdom than a valiant General. Could Greece have boafted ten fuch Men as Ulyffes, ten such as Hector could not have defended Troy for fo long a Time. 2. The Romans paid a greater Regard to the Wifdom of Fabius Maximus, than to the Courage of Marcellus; calling the former the Buckler of their Republick, the other but the Sword: As judging it more praife-worthy to know how to preserve, than to acquire. 3. Cicero efteem'd Solon above Themifocles, the Valour of the General being but at fome Times ferviceable; but the Advice of the good Counsellor at all Times neceffary. 1. Co Of COURTESY. Ourtefy purchases the World's good Opinion at an eafy Rate. Abfalom, by his Affability only, and Freedom of Behaviour, gain'd the Hearts of the People in fuch a Manner, that they attempted to depofe his Father David, and make him King. 2. The Emperors Theodofius, Julianus, and Conftantine, were belov'd by their Subjets for nothing fo much as their Fafinefs of Accefs, and the Readiness with which they liften'd to all Addreffes, of what Nature foever. 3. Mithridates, King of Pontus, that he might the better entertain all People who came to him, learn'd the Language of twenty-two Nations he had under his Subjection. Val. Max. 1. 8. c. 7. 4. The Romans extended their Empire no lefs by their Courtesy, than Valour; for inftead of treating with Rudeness and Indignity those they had vanquish'd, they granted them Privileges they would not have prefum'd to afk. Florus, l. 1. 5. How greatly did it redound to the Advantage, as well as Glory of Cyrus, to treat Crafus in an henourable Manner, after he had overcome him. Crefus being belov'd by all Greece, a different Behaviour would have drawn on him the Refentment of many Princes. Herodotus, I. I. 6. Philip, King of Macedon, gain'd as much Love by his humane and courteous Ufage of the Athenian Prisoners, as he did Fame by having taken them. Alexander the Great was defervedly applauded for taking off his own Robe, and covering the dead Body of Darius with it, the greatest Enemy he had. Plut. in his Life. 7. Nothing fo much indear'd the Romans to the People of Celtiberia, as the fingular Courtesy and Generofity of Scipio; he reftoring a young and beautiful Prifoner unviolated to her Hufbad, and with her, as an Augmentation of her Portion, all the Gold that had been fent for her Ranfom. Val. Max. l. 4. 6.3. 8. Alexander the Great, invincible in all his Undertakings, being on his Conquefts through the Indies, Taxiles, one of the Kings of that Country, prefented himself before him, defiring they might not go to War. If thou art less powerful than I am, faid he, receive Peace from me; if more, confent that I receive it from thee. Alexander, admiring the Courtefy of the Indian, anfwer'd in this Manner: To be certain which of us is the ftrongest, we ought to try in Combat; but in Courtesy I will be at least thy Equal, and defire first a Peace with thee. Plut. in his Life. 9. Titus Vefpafian, for his great Courtefy, was call'd The Delight of Mankind. Jof, 1. 1. 10. Marcus TO. Marcus Aurelius, that his Subjects might have the more eafy Accefs to him, would have no Guards in his Palace. I. Of CURIOSITY. HILON the few faid, that Curiofity was the Rack of Nature; that it extended the Mind, by little and little, till it utterly deftroy'd all its Force. 2. Solomon affures us, that Curiofity was given to Man as a Punishment for his Sins. Eccl. iii. 3. Empedocles threw himself into the Flames of Mount Etna in a Transport of Curiofity, to know from what Source thofe eternal Fires were deriv'd. 4. Ariftophanes loft his Sight by gazing too cutiously on the Sun. 5. Polianthe had his Eyes pluck'd out for having had the Curiofity to fee Sophronia naked in the Bath. 6. Percides, by too curioufly fearching into the Principles of Folly, loft his Senfes, and became a Fool himself. 7. Pliny, who wrote a Hiftory of Natural Philofophy, was fuffocated with the Flames and Vapours of Mount Etna in Sicily, as he was endeavouring to find out the Cause of them. 8. Demaratus having been feveral Times afk'd, by a Person impertinently curious, who was the best Man in Sparta; anfwer'd, at laft, He who is leaft like thee.. Plut. in the Life of Lycurgus. Of DIFFIDENCE. HE diffident Man enjoys not a Moment's |