There is nothing in thy own power, but thy own will and choice; all other things are in the hand of God, or in the power of other men. It was never in thy power to be handsome, or witty, or born of noble or virtuous parents, &c.: why then art thou troubled about such things? But it is in thy power to be good and virtuous thyself, to have a beauteous soul, and to be rich in good works, &c.; and if thou be not thus, then thou art concerned. If men's tongues be unruly, and their hands be violent, and thou sufferest unjustly by both, how canst thou help it? Thou art not troubled, if a dog bark or an ass kick, because it is their nature, and thou canst not rule their motions. And here the case is not at all altered; for the tongues of men are as little in thy hands, as the mouths of dogs. These do always bark (as a judicious author speaks 9) at those they know not, and it is their nature to accompany one another in those clamours: so it is with the inconsiderate multitude. Since these therefore are wholly in another's choice, they fall not under thy deliberation, and therefore are not fit for thy passion. Our anger at him that reproaches us may make us miserable, but it cannot prevent what he hath in his power. Thou mayest do well, and none can hinder it, but to meet with no opposition is not in thy choice. Do what thou canst, the world may make thee suffer; but do what they can, thou mayest suffer contentedly. A philosopher, they say, comforted himself on this fashion, when his daughter proved a wanton : It is none of my fault (said he) and therefore there is no reason it should be my misery. If our children be not as we would have them, if we endeavour they should be so, we may comfort ourselves with such arguments as these: It is in my power to instruct them, but not to make them good; I can do my duty to them, but cannot make them dutiful to me. Consider, I beseech you, what an unreasonable thing it is, that we should depend upon the will of other men for our peace, and not upon our own or as a great philosopher phraseth it, that 'we should have no more reverence to ourselves than to place our happiness in other men's souls.' If they have shown what is in their hand and power to do, let us next show what is in ours,

a Sir W. Raleigh. [Preface to History of the World, Works, vol. ii. p. ii.]

r ἐν ταῖς ἄλλων ψυχαῖς τιθέναι Tηy on evμopiav,-M. Anton. 1. iì. sect. 6. [p. 24.]

and that is, not to be troubled; and so let the matter rest, unless they have a mind to renew a vain attempt. By observing of this rule we shall reap sundry benefits. The censures of all men will not molest us, because it is no part of our duty that men should speak well of what is well done. That we should have the approbation of others, is not in our choice, and so it is not in our charge: it is not incumbent upon us that nothing we do be not misinterpreted, and wrong apprehended. In doing well is our comfort, and in speaking well of others; this let us mind, and think ourselves no further concerned. It will keep us likewise from intermeddling with other men's business, and engaging ourselves in matters that belong not to us, which breeds men no small trouble. It is our duty to do well, but not censure other men's doings. When the scholars of R. Nechoniah asked him, How he prolonged his days to such an age? he answered, I never sought my own honour by another's disgrace: nor ever spoke evil of another, and was liberal of the goods which God hath given me. This was his way to live in quiet, which he thought was the way to live long; but it is too common a fault among us, that we put our hands into other men's work, and so trouble both ourselves and them also. The business of a subject is to obey his prince, and of a servant to execute his master's commands, &c. But men foolishly disturb the world, by taking upon them the authority of calling their prudence in question, and finding fault with that which they have nothing to do withal.

This rids us likewise of curiosity, and inquiring into other men's affairs, or matters done abroad: which, as the wise man notes, may occasion some disquiet unto us, unless we relieve ourselves at last by this rule, whereby we might have found help at first ;-by not hearkening to private talk.

s Eccles. vii. 21.

CHAP. VI.

Two rules more concerning the choice of means and
carelessness about events.

III. IN THE DOING OF THY DUTY, MAKE A PRUDENT CHOICE OF THE FITTEST MEANS. Prudence is proper to a man: for angels have something better, (viz. intuition,) and brutes have nothing so good. Do therefore, like a man, be deliberate, and choose discreetly; which two are opposed unto rashness and carelessness, which are the authors of no small troubles. Prudence saves men a great deal of labour in the doing of their duty, and a great deal of trouble for the doing of it; i. e. it keeps us from being molested either by ourselves or others; and therefore Solomon bids us not only keep the command, (which is doing of our duty,) but also discern time and judgment, which relates to our discretion.

Some men will bring to pass the same thing which others do but endeavour, with more facility and less noise, because, as the same wise man saith, wisdom is better than strength". As far therefore as is lawful, let us become all things to all men, that we may live in peace and quietness; and let us not, by a tumultuous handling of any matter, give them any occasion to oppose themselves unto us. Yea, prudence will teach us to let some things alone, and not meddle with them, being either needless or else dangerous. As Diogenes said to a man that desired his letters of commendation; "That thou art a man, every one that sees thee will know; and whether thou beest good or bad, he will soon know that hath any skill to make a difference; but if he have no skill, he will not know thee, though I write a thousand times unto him." But when it is fit to do any thing, let us remember that there is a nearer way sometimes to the end of a business than that which is straight forward, and it will be less trouble to seek it out than to go on in the ordinary path. The purchase of peace is worth all our study, and if we can obtain it by art and prudent compliances, we shall find that we are gainers by our labour. Rashness and violence sometimes create us more trouble than men would

t Eccles. viii. 5, 6. " [ix. 16.]" ▾ Arrian. lib. ii. cap. 3. [p. 176.]

otherwise have brought upon us. We run ourselves into broils and tumults, and kindle flames about us with our own breath, when other men would let us live in peace and not disturb us*. Let us therefore not only be innocent, and mean well, but wise also, and manage well. Next after honesty and integrity, let us study prudence and discretion, so as not to be alike zealous in all things, not passionate and hasty in any thing: but, as St. James saithy, to show out of a good conversation our works with meekness of wisdom. This prudence is a large thing, and of great use in every action of our life; and therefore it must not be expected that I speak to every part of it; but I shall conclude this particular with a saying of one of the Hebrew doctors: There are three sorts of men whose life is no life, misericordes, iracundi, melancholici; those that pass by all faults; those that are angry at all, and will pass by none; those that are melancholy, as though they were angry and displeased, not only with all others, but with themselves.'

IV. WHEN THOU HAST USED THY PRUDENCE, BE NOT SOLICITOUS ABOUT EVENTS. This would be a great preservative against fears of what may happen, and against vexation for what is happeneda. For to what purpose should we trouble ourselves either with one or the other, when all our prudence and skill cannot help it? Fear indeed betrays our succours, and disarms us of our weapons, and makes us run into those dangers which our prudence might have prevented. If we can therefore act prudently and discreetly, it supposes that we are not dispirited, and will likewise secure us from so being. And if the doing as well as we can, and as wisely as we are able, will satisfy us beforehand, and make timorousness unreasonable; then so it will satisfy us afterward in cross events, and not let us trouble ourselves with a fruitless repentance. The counsel of the son of Sirach is excellently goodb, Do nothing without advice; and when thou hast once done, repent not. For I believe most men may say the same which that person did,

x Eccles. x. 10, 12.

y James iii. 13.

z V. Buxtorf. Lex. Talm. voc.

¡n. [col. 2295.]

a When one bade a friend to Gratilla to send her no relief be

cause Domitian would take it away, she bravely said, "I had rather he should take it away than I not send it." Duty, not success, is to be considered.

b Ecclus. xxxii. 19.

who had so many strange changes in his life: "If I had not used not to repent of any thing I had voluntarily done, even of that which fell out ill, I had lived altogether miserable b." Do thy best therefore, and then leave the success to God.

CHAP. VII.

The knowledge of ourselves, together with consideration of the necessary consequents of every thing, are two other remedies against trouble.

V. CONSIDER THY OWN SUFFICIENCY, AND UNDERTAKE NO MORE THAN IS FITTING FOR THEE. If we did live by this rule, and not strain beyond our ability, we should be kept from trouble in our employments. "As one may," was a saying of Socrates, and a sentence of great import. Let every one know what he can do, and let him not meddle with matters too high for him; and so he may quiet himself, as David tells us by his experience, Ps. cxxxi. 1, 2. Let our desires be according to our power, and let that also be the measure of our actions, and then we shall not implicate and entangle ourselves in things beyond our reach. The pie must not think to sing as well as the nightingale, nor the parrot to talk like a man: every one is not made to govern states, to distribute justice, to resolve great doubts, and to end controversies. Some men must be content to govern their families and themselves, to understand plain truths, and practise them, leaving the rest to men of greater depth and learning. So Siracides directsd: Seek not out things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength; that which is commanded thee, think upon with reverence; for it is not needful to see the things that are secret. What he saith in that one instance

b Quod si non consuevissem non poenitere ullius rei quam voluntarie effecerim, etiam quæ male cessisset, prorsus vixissem infelix,-Cardan. [de Vita Propria, cap. 13. tom.i.p.11.]

• Καλὸν τὸ εἰδέναι τὴν αὐτοῦ πα

ρασκεύην καὶ δύναμιν, ἵνα ἐν οἷς μὴ παρασκευάσαι ἡσυχίαν ἄγῃς, μηδ' ἀγανακτῇς εἴ τινες ἄλλοι πλεῖον σοῦ xovσiv év ékeívoɩs. — Arrian. 1. ii. c.6. [p. 182.]

d Ecclus. ii. 21.