little space it must have for its necessity. They would put themselves out of themselves, and escape from being men; 'tis folly; instead of transforming themselves into angels, they transform themselves into beasts; instead of elevating, they lay themselves lower. These transcendental humours affright me, like high and inaccessible cliffs and precipices; and nothing is hard for me to digest in the life of Socrates but his ecstacies and communication with demons; nothing so human in Plato as that for which they say he was called divine; and of our sciences, those seem to be the most terrestrial and low that are highest mounted; and I find nothing so humble and mortal in the life of Alexander, as his fancies about his immortalisation. Philotas pleasantly quipped him in his answer: he congratulated him by letter concerning the oracle of Jupiter Hammon, which had placed him amongst the gods: "Upon thy account, I am glad of it, but the men are to be pitied who are to live with a man, and to obey him, who exceeds and is not contented with the measure of a man." "Diis te minorem quod geris, imperas." 2 The pretty inscription wherewith the Athenians honoured the entry of Pompey into their city, is conformable to my sense: "By so much thou art a god, as thou confessest thee a man.' 'Tis an absolute and, as it were, a divine perfection, for a man to know how loyally to enjoy his being. We seek other conditions, by reason we do not understand the use of our own; and go out of ourselves, because we know not how there to reside. 'Tis to much purpose to go upon stilts, for, when upon stilts, we must yet walk with our legs; and, when seated upon the most elevated throne in the world, we are but seated upon our breech. 1 Quintus Curtius, vi. 9. "3 "1 The fairest "Because thou carriest thyself lower than the gods, thou rulest."Horace, Od. iii. 6, 5. 3 Plutarch, Life of Pompey, c. 7. VOL. III. 2 F lives, in my opinion, are those which regularly accommodate themselves to the common and human model; without miracle, without extravagance. Old age stands a little in need of a more gentle treatment. Let us recommend it to God, the protector of health and wisdom, but withal, let it be gay and sociable: "Frui paratis et valido mihi Latoë, dones, et, precor, integra 1 "Grant it to me, Apollo, that I may enjoy what I have in good health; let me be sound in body and in mind; let me live in honour when old, nor let music be wanting."-Horace, Od. i. 31, 17. INDEX. an, ii. 54 et seq. Accomplishments, suitable, should be Accusation, instance of a false, ii. 50. Actions, intention is judge of our, i. 32; should not be judged till Adventure with robbers, iii. 372. Emilius, Paulus, ii. 400. Eneid and Orlando Furioso com- Esop on physicians, ii. 587; anec- Affectation to be avoided, i. 208. is second only to self-preservation, Affections, our, carry themselves be- Age, on, i. 431; rare to die of old, Agesilaus, anecdote of, iii. 28; say- Aim, a fixed, is necessary to the soul, i. 35. Alcibiades, ii. 571; anecdote of, anecdote of, iii. 178; and Thales- Alexander VI., Pope, his death, i. 272. Alexia, the siege of, ii. 547. Alfonso XI., king of Castile, im- pious proclamation of, i. 24. i. 66; the duty of, i. 64. America, supposed notions of, amongst 166. Americans, their treatment of pri- Antigenides the musician, iii. 118. Ants, instinct of, ii. 178. Anxiety of mind about the future 137. Apologies, on, iii. 315. Archelaus of Macedon, anecdote of, Archias, tyrant of Thebes, story of, Archimedes, his defence of Syracuse, Areopagus, custom of the, ii. 317; Amurath, sacrifice of, at the taking Argument, advantages of, iii, 183. of the Isthmus, i. 247. plicity of his writings, ii. 42. Ancients, parsimony of the, i. 409. 190. Anger, of, ii. 512; great power of, ii. iii. 305. Arguments, we should not yield at Aristotle, on a saying of Solon, i. 14; Armed, how soldiers should be, i. 376. Armour, on the use of, ii. 95; not Arms of the Parthians, ii. 95; of the Arras, capture of, by Louis XI., i. 318. Artibius, a Persian general, death of, Art of conference, of the, iii. 181. Assassins, the, ii. 509. Assyrian horses very fierce, i. 390. Augustus, clemency of, towards Authors, favourite, of Montaigne, i. ii. 92. Battles on foot more fierce and better Beasts subject to power of imagina- Beauty of body, on the definition of, Beauvais, bishop of, his conduct in Bedouins, religious belief of, ii. 407; Bees, defence of a besieged city by, Beginnings of events should be care- Behaviour of persons sentenced to Belief in improbabilities, on, iii. 331. Benefits, on giving and receiving, iii. Besieged city, should its governor Bessus the Peonian, how he was Bible, danger arising from so many Bion, saying of, on grief, i. 23; death- Boccacio's Decameron, ii. 102. Bodin, Jean, on Plutarch, ii. 523. Bathing very common in Germany Body, involuntary movements of our, and Italy, ii. 598. Baths and springs, ii. 597; in Ger- i. 105. Books, on the choice of, i. 305; |