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to Swear to the Author; nor, lastly, to fet off your felf in Talk and Difcourfe; but to Learn, to Weigh, and to Use in fome meafure your own Judgment.

SOME BOOKS there are which it is convenient just to tafte only Others, that we ought to fwallow down whole; Some, lastly, but those are very few, that we fhould Chew and Digeft: That is, fome Books are to be look'd into only in Parts; Others, to be read indeed, but not much Time to be spent upon them; And fome Few to be turn'd over diligently, and with fingular Attention. You will meet with many Book's alfo, which it may be fufficient to read by Others, and by Deputy, and to make only Extracts of them. But I would have this only done in the meaner fort of Arguments, and in lefs important Authors: For otherwife, Books (to use that Expreffion) Diftill'd, like common Diftill'd Waters, will be very Flashy Things.

READING makes a Full and Wellfurnish'd Man; Disputation and Confe

rence,

rence, a Ready and Fluent Man; And Writing, and Collecting of Notes, imprints what we read in the Mind, and fixes it deep. And therefore if a Man is flack and faftidious in Noting, he had need have a good Memory: If he Confers little, he had need have a prefent Wit; and if he READS little, there is nothing left, but to use a kind of Artifice, whereby he may seem to Know what he does not.

THE READING of History makes Men Wife; Poets, Witty; The Mathematicks, Subtil; Natural Philofophy, Deep; Moral, Grave; Logick and Rhetorick, Pugnacious, and ready at Contending. Abeunt ftudia in mores. Nay, there is scarce found any inbred, or natural Impediment in the Understanding, but may be amended, and wrought out by a proper Study: As Bodily Diftempers may be eas'd by appropriate Exercises. Bowling is good for the Stone and Reins; Shooting for the Lungs and Breaft; Gentle Walking for the Stomach; Riding for the Head,

and

and the like. Thus, if any Man has a Rambling Wit, let him ftudy Mathematicks: For in Mathematical Demonftrations, if the Mind ftrays never fo little, he must begin again. If a Man's Wit is not ready at finding out Diffe rences and Distinctions, let him betake himself to the Schoolmen; for they are Cumini Sectores. If he wants Quicknefs of Wit to run over Matters, and cannot with Dexterity call up one Thing to prove and illuftrate another; let him turn over the Lawyers Cafes: So every Indifpofition of the Understanding may have its proper Remedy from Learning.

LI. Of FACTIONS.

MA

ANY have an Opinion, by no means found, viz. That a Prince, in the Government of his State, and a great Perfon, in the Direction of his Affairs, ought efpecially to regard the FACTIONS

FACTIONS that prevail; and that this is a principal Part of Policy: Whereas, contrariwife, the Top of this Ability confifts chiefly, either in ordering those Things, which appertain indifferently to all in general, and wherein Men of divers FACTIONS do, nevertheless, agree; or in careffing, winning, and dealing with particular Perfons one by one. Yet I fay not, that a due Confideration of PARTIES is to be neglected.Men of a meani Fortune, in their› ‹Rifing, must adhere to some PARTY; but for great Men, and fuch as are in Poffeffion of Honour, it is more adviseable, to keep themfelyes Indifferent, and Neuters. Yet even in the Cafe of Purfuers, to adhere fo moderately, as that a Man may be thought of one PARTY, and yet not be odious to the Other, is the best Way to Preferment.co

THE lower and weaker FACTION, is commonly the firmer and steddier in Conjunction: And it is often feen, that a Few, that are stiff and obftinate, do,

in the end, tire out and drive down a greater Number that are more Mode

rate.

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WHEN One of the FACTIONS is ex

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tinguished, the remaining One fubdivideth: As the FACTION of Lucullus and the Nobles, held out awhile against the FACTION of Pompey and Cæfar; but when the Authority of the Senate and the Nobles was pulled down, Cafar and Pompey foon after brake. In like manner, the FACTION of Antonius and Octavianus Cæfar, a-, gainst Brutus and Caffius, held out for fome Time: But when Brutus and Caffius were overthrown, then foon after Antonius and Octavianus, with their Parties, brake and fubdivided. These Examples (you'll fay) relate to FACTIONS in War: But the fame Thing holdeth in private FACTIONS. And therefore those that were at first Seconds in FACTIONS, do, many Times, when the FACTION fubdivideth, prove Principals: Yet many Times alfo they lofe all Power: For

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