noble Kingdom of England. The Second Example is of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, who in his Life Time was perplexed by his Subje&s to a high Degree, but very happy in his Daughters, he had Four of them, and each of which liv'd to be a Queen. The eldeft, Named Margaret, was Marry'd to St. Lewis of France; Eleanor the Second, to Henry the Third of England: Sancia the Third, to his Brother Richard, who was elected King of the Romans; and the last was Marry'd to Charles, St. Lewis's Brother, who was King of Sicily.

But before we end this Chapter, I think it advisable to take Notice of fome generous, honourable, and juft Princes, who, far from coveting the Splendor and Glory of a Crown, to which they thought they had no Right or Title, have refufed it when offer'd them. Here is a great and a laudable Inftance of this in Dom Ferdinand, Count of Pegnafiel, Brother to Henry III. King of Caftile, who left a Son, we may fay, in the Cradle; he was fo young. The Council being affembled, would have made Choice of Ferdinand for their King, when out of a good and generous Principle he spoke to them thus: If you think me worthy to govern you at all, why not in the Name of my Nephew, to the end that I may preferve the Crown for him, to which his royal Birth gives him an unquestionable Right? No one durft reply to thofe Words, fo full of Equity, and he took upon him the Adminiftration of the Realm, and govern'd as Regent, in the Name of the King his Nephew, towards whom he demeaned himself to the end like a dutiful and faithful Subject: An Example well worthy Imitation, but now a-days People are more ready to commend noble Actions, than to Copy after them.

CHAP.

That Great Men fhould never tolerate Calumny and Detraction at their Tables, or elsewhere.

A

Lion that had been hard prefs'd by a Faction among the Beast, came at last to have all his Enemies under his Feet. This Lion was too generous not to do fome Sort of honourable Right to his Friends and Allies, who stood by him in the Action, and fo thought it reasonable for thofe, who had born a Part in the Hazard, to have their Share likewife in the Glory: Upon this Confideration he invited his Fellow-adventurers, to a Collation with him in a Meadow near at Hand, where he provided an Entertainment of all Varieties answerable to the Occafion, as Bread for the Elephants, Oats for the Horfes, Hay for the Oxen, Soup for the Dogs, Nuts for the. Squirrels, Apples for the Monkeys, and the like. The Guests were all highly pleased, only a Wolf and an A/s took it in Dudgeon, that there was neither Carrion, nor Thiftles, whether it was thro' Negligence, or out of a Defign to Affront them."

The MORAL

Noble Actions demonftrate a Man of Honour. The Satisfaction we give to our Friends feems to compleat our own. A neceffary and useful thing, being prefented us, is more agreeable than that of a greater Value not fit for our Purpofe. Not the most exquifite Meat, but the pleasantest to our Tafte, gratifies beft our Inclinations: The wicked

fa

fo run to Vice, as the Dog to the Soup, the Bee flies ftrait to Sweetnefs for Honey, the Viper to Bitterness for Venom.

As great Men's Tables, especially Princes, are the Emblem of Plenty and Generofity, fo ought they to be attended with Innocence, Honefty, and Refpect; and Scandal, Calumny, and Detraction ought for ever to be banish'd them. And indeed it is more than probable, that the Master of the Feast is of a depraved and vicious Temper, when he takes Pleasure in hearing a bafe Smell-Feaft, who recommends himself by fcandalizing and reflecting upon others: And I should not think it too bold to pronounce the Patron the most despicable Wretch of the two, for encouraging thofe Monsters against Honour and Integrity. But if, inftead of countenancing them by giving them Hopes, that by fuch Means they may procure his good Graces, he fhould ferve them after fuch an exemplary Manner, as John the Fifth Duke of Britanny did, he would foon put to filence all fuch opprobrious Tongues.

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A Courtier having taken upon him, to utter fome detracting Words against a Gentleman, this Prince generously told him, the Gentleman Speak of is at least as good as your felf: I know you both, and if he was prefent, you would not have the Affurance to fpeak against him after that Manner ; The Courtier immediately changed his Note, and fpoke a Thousand Things in his Praise, an undeniable proof that afpiringCourtiers conform themfelves to the Humour, Inclination, and Manner of Life of their Patron. Poftquam non eft cui fuadeatur,qui fuadeant non funt, faysPliny in his Panegyr.

It is certain that once Calumny, through the Degeneracy of good Manners, has found a kind Reception in any great Family, Virtue is neceffa

rily outed and cashier'd, the best Paffages of the moft worthy and pious Men are inverted, nay the facred Temple of Honour and Religion is rifled, not unlike a Spanish Garden by Cantharides, which fuck the most beautiful, and sweetest Flowers, and feem to defpife the lefs agreeable, as not worthy to be taken Notice of; and this made à Philofopher fay, with a great deal of Reason, that when Backbiters and Slanderers find any Encouragement, they are worse than Ravens and Wolves, because thofe cruel Beafts devour only Carrion, whereas Detracters licentioufly flay even living Perfons. Now these very Perfons who have it in their Power to curb the Volubility of detracting Tongues, and yet give them Toleration, muft not hope to be thereby free from their venemous Afperfions, they are often the firft whofe Reputation they attack, tho' perhaps not fo openly.

Some probably will fay, that it is reasonable nay neceffary, that a Prince fhould be acquainted. with the Lives of private Perfons,and as Dom John of Portugal faid, that he was obliged to learn the Truth from Enemies, because Friends conceal'd it. But at least this ought to be done privately, without Paffion, Bafenefs, or Envy, and efpecially in a Place where there is no other Witness than the Prince, that he may divulge it, or keep it fecret, as he thinks fit; far from allowing it at Table, which is defign'd for Alacrity and honeft Conversation.

The Lacedæmonians, whofe Common-Wealth flourish'd with Splendour for fo long a Time, would fuffer no one to talk ill of another at Table, and their chief Reafon for it was, because they train'd up their Children in the Practice of Virtue and Modefty; knowing that ill Example, and loofe Talk pierced the Soul as an Arrow does the Body But if they fhew'd fuch Reservednefs

to

to keep up the Innocence of their Children, what Guard must not thofe have on themfelves who speak in the Prefence of their Sovereign, whofe Perfon is altogether facred,and whofe Organs ought. to reprefent Purity of Life, and divine Converfation? An Entertainment, faid an ancient Philofopher, ought to begin by the Number of Graces, and end by that of the Mufes, intimating that one ought to behave one-felf Modeftly, and if the Dif course is not altogether ferious, at least ought it to be innocent, pure, agreeable, and instructive. If the Method of Queen Margaret were imitated by all those who keep a plentiful Table, it would raise a noble Emulation, and contribute much to the Advancement of Knowledge and Virtue: Her Table was free to all Comers, like a publick School, wherein all forts of Inftructions are given, and all the Learned had the Liberty to propose their Arguments, and give their Opinions upon the Queftions fhe ftarted; and this brought a Crowd of People to hear all that was moft Curious and Profitable; he was very Learned Herfelf, and Difcourfed as pertinently as a Philofopher: Tiberius ufed alfo to entertain Greek Philofophers at his Table, whom he difcourfed concerning what he had Read in his Chamber.

As the Lives of the Nero's, and Heliogabalus's were but a continual Scene of Cruelty, Vices, and Brutality; fo their greatest Pleasure at Table was to be entertain'd with an account of the Vices of private Perfons, by mercenary, impudent Detracters; whofe Business it was to condemn'd the Virtue of Men of Honour and Confcience, thereby to induce the Prince to facrifice their Fortune (the common Reward of Calumniators) if not their Lives and Reputation. The Enemies of King Henry the Third, and those, who were preK

poffeffed