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3. As all Virtue is the Result of these four Qualities, Knowledge, Justice, Magnanimity, and Moderation; so in the Choice of a Duty, those Qualities must necessarily come in Competition with one another.

4. Compare the Life of each of them together, and you will not long doubt to which you should give the Preference.

III. Verba dandi, et reddendi, &c.

VERBS signifying to give, (as do, dono, largior, dedo, tribuo, ministro, suppedito, commodo, præbeo, exhibeo, &c.) also Verbs to restore, (as reddo, restituo, refero, repono, &c.) add to the Accusative of the Thing (given or restored) a Dative of the Person (to whom it is given, &c.)

1. GIVING.

1. God hath given Men Abilities, not only for. their own Use, but for the Advantage and Benefit of others.

2. Shall I call him liberal, that gives to himself. only; or good-natured, that pardons himself; or him pitiful, that is affected only with his own Misfortunes ?

3. He but late gives a Favor, who gives to one that asks it.

4. Fortune often gives her Gifts to the unworthy. 5. It is a difficult Thing to impose upon an old Man.

6. Nothing is so popular as Peace, in which not only they to whom God hath given Sensibility, but even the Houses and Fields seem to rejoice.

7. If any God would offer me, at this Age, to be a Child again, and cry in the Cradle, I would reject

it: for I should be unwilling to begin anew the Race I have finished, and be set back to the starting Post, just as I have run round the Course.

8. Lay aside these frivolous Excuses,-I have not got enough yet: when I have, I will give myself up entirely to Philosophy. First seek this, and you will want nothing more.

9. According as Affairs go with us, we are all either proud or humble.

10. When he heard of his Son's Death, he gave up his Mind to Sorrow; for he was a good Boy, and always attentive to his Preceptor.

11. Envy, which is the Canker of Honor, is best extinguished by attributing a Man's Successes rather to Divine Providence and Felicity, than to his own Qualifications and Virtues.

12. I attribute as much to your Judgment as to my own, when I say, that I am persuaded that the World will approve whatever Measures we shall agree upon.

13. Nature asks but little, and a wise Man will accommodate himself to Nature.

14. He that lends an attentive Ear to wholesome Reproof, and is obedient to it, is to be numbered among the Wise, and shall be able at last to give good Instructions to others.

15. Lend not to him, that is mightier than thyself: but if thou dost lend, count it lost.

16. If you would lend me your Hand, I should be obliged to you.

17. If I go on to supply my Son in his Extravagancies, I must be a Slave all my Life-time. This gives me great Trouble.

18. The Palm-tree, with its spreading Branches, afforded them, as they were drinking, a delightful

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Shade. And in their Return home, the Moon gare them Light.

19. Such was his Conversation, he was never uneasy, but gave himself up to his Companions: he closed with their Humours, thwarted no one, nor set himself up above them and surely this is the Way to get Reputation and Friends without Envy.

2. RESTORING, or RETURNING.

1. It is barbarous to return Injuries to those, from whom we have received a Kindness: and quite unnatural to return Evil to him, from whom we have received nothing but Good.

2. I returned my Master the Book he lent me : though Books delight me very much, I ought to restore them to the Owner.

3. When we die, the Body is returned to the Earth, and the Soul ascends into Heaven.

4. Remember to give me this again, when I shall demand it.

5. I am forced to take these Affronts, whilst I am endeavouring to help you to the Treasure you had lost, and to restore it to you.

6. I have not slept one Wink this Night, while I was considering how to restore your Son to you." 7. It is an easy Thing to return a Favor to your Benefactor, if you are covetous, without Expence; if lazy, without Trouble. He that accepts a Benefit willingly and thankfully, at the very Time he is obliged, hath returned it.

8. Should not I have returned him the Money? No: nor should you have bought any Thing of him, or sold any Thing to him, thereby to encourage his Profuseness.

9. They who honor an unworthy Person, seem foolish; but they who return not the like to those who have deserved well of them, incur the Suspicion of a bad Heart.

10. I beg you will not ask me, why I undertook his Defence, lest hereafter I should retort the Question upon you.

IV. Verba promittendi, &c.

VERBS signifying to promise, (as promitto, polliceor, spondeo, &c.) or to pay, (as solvo, exsolvo, pendo, numero, &c.) require a Dative Case of the Person, with an Accusative of the Thing promised, &c.

1. PROMISING.

1. I cannot promise you Success in your Design, but I promise you my Help towards the Accomplishment of it.

2. They promise themselves many Things in vain, who are led by Hope.

8. Who can promise the Sower a Crop? the Sailor his Haven? or the Soldier Victory? The Event of all Things is uncertain we go, however, where Probability leads us, and herein follow Reason, not Certainty.

4. These are what Philosophy promiseth her Pupils,-Common Sense, Humanity, and the social Virtues.

5. How ridiculous is it to promise ourselves a long Life, when we are not certain of to-morrow! How

great Folly is it, to stretch out and enlarge our distant Hopes, saying, I will buy, I will build! Believe me, all Things are doubtful and uncertain to the most happy: No one ought to promise himself any Thing to come.

6. Before my Arrival, he was very liberal in his Promises to all your Dependents.

7. This I promise you, and for this I answer to my Country; that, provided I myself have given Satisfaction to the State, his Conduct shall never be different from mine.

8. What I before promised you, that I again avow, and take upon me to make good, when Opportunity shall serve.

9. If Fortune does not deceive me, I promise you speedily to terminate this Business to your Satisfaction.

2. PAYING.

1. It is agreeable to Prudence, as well as Nature, to pay that Honor to your Parents, that you expect your Children should pay to you.

2. It is very ungenerous, and the worst of Usury, in a Man of Affluence, to force a poor Man, when he hath discharged the whole Debt, to pay him an extravagant Interest.

3. He paid as much to the Tything-Man as he was ordered to pay.

4. Such was the Tax they paid the King.

5. For three Years he paid his Soldiers their Wages from Contributions raised in the Cities of his Enemy.

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