Se&t. 17.

Providence, governs as Queen Regent, and receives fo abfolute a Deference to all her Laws, that Man, may be here thought to be restor❜d to that Primitive Innocence, which he formerly forfeited by his Courtship.

For framing the Landskip of Greatnefs, repreThe Land- fent to your felf Alexander running like a Mad skip of Man up and down the World; and killing every Greatnefs. Man who would not call him Maftef(for certainly we would call any Man mad, who would behave himself fo in our Streets, and yet they might as juftly do the one as he the other) and all this to gain as much as might make him a Perfon worthy of being poyfon'd; and esteeming all his Greatness fo meanly, as to prefer to its Enjoyment the Embraces of a Whore, who would have proftituted herself to the meaneft of his Attenders. Here lies Tiberius, toiling more for the Title of Emperor, than a Porter would do for Bread, and yet preferring to all that Roman Pomp (after he knew what it was) the Pleasure of feeing a naked Strumpet, than which no Man is fo mean, as not to enjoy many greater Pleasures: There stands Hannibal, as a Switz, gaurding the King of Bithynia, here Chancellor Bacon ftarts at Liberty, and there the D. d' Alvaftarv'd in Prison; in this Bed lies a jealous Courtier, tortured with anothers growing not only greater,but even equal with him; & in another lies one loaded with Wounds, received for his Country or Princ but not regarded by them not far from these lies Anthony ftabbing himself, and Cæfar ftabb'd by the Senate. In ano ther Corner, ye may perceive a rich Heir felling that rich Suit to a Frippery, wherein he had but lately spent a great Fortune at Court; and another defpairing under thefe Wounds which he did receive, for challenging one who took

the

the Wall of him. Here ye may fee the Head of a Nobleman, who to be reveng'd of his Prince for complimenting another, was content to hazard the Happiness both of Prince and Country, in a Rebellion which at laft could not but ruin himself and his Family: And there you may fee the Quarters of another, who after he had gain'd much more Honour than he at firft defign'd, yet was fo defirous to have more, as that to fatisfy that defired fuper-addition, he would hazard what he was already poffeffed of in Jeopardies, which any Man, not blinded by Ambition, might have feen to be fatal. In a third Corner lies Heaps of fuch as Somerset, Marquis D' Ancre, Duke Murdock, Cardinal Wolfey and others, whom nothing but their Affronts have made famous, albeit they were the greatest Minifters and Minions of their Age. In a fourth Corner are reprefented many great Men, who having left a pleasant Countrey to come to a City, cover'd with Smoak and infected with Stink, are there vex'd to get Money to entertain their Ladies in that Luxury and Fineness, whereof the one tempts them, and the other tempts others to entertain thefe Amours which are dangerous, and may prove fatal: and who have likewife quit their own Families, wherein all these Respects were paid them, that they are glad to have occafion to pay at that Court, for which they exchang'd their former Refidence ; and who, by the Diseases occafion'd by want of that free Air which they have left, are rendred unable to relish all the other Pleafures which they expected to enjoy in the City. And if after all this, ye will not conclude a Solitary Life to be more noble than publick Employment, yet at least ye will, with Seraphick Mr. Boyle, confefs, That there is fuch a kind of difference betwixt Virtue shaded by a Private, and fhining in a Publick Life,

as there is betwixt a Candle carried aloft in the open Air, and inclofed in a Lanthorn; in the former of which Situations it gives more Light, but in the latter it is in lefs danger to be blown

out.

I fhall (Celador) in this laft place, close this Difcourfe with the laft Advantage of Solitude; which is, That by abftracting its Favourites from being Rivals to Great Men, and from being Sharers with Covetous, Men, it conciliates to them that Applaufe, which as it was due to their Merit, fo was obftructed by these and the like Incentives.

-----Defunctus amabitur idem,

hath been the Fate of many who were perfecuted whilft they were alive: And Death and Solitude have this in common, That they suffer Enemies and oblige Friends, to exprefs their former Efteems: Fame resembling in this a Shot, where the Ball is fled, before the Report arrive at our Ears.

But I have spent fo much of the Age of this Night, in ending this Letter, that it now begins to grow gray; and the dapling Twilight brings as much Light as to let me fee, that I have been rather Zealous than Mannerly, in fhewing you how much I am,

Dear Celador,

Your moft Humble Servant,

and Sincere Well-wisher.

+

Moral

A

DISCOURSE

WHEREIN

The AUTHOR endeavours to prove, That POINT OF HONOUR, ( abstracting from all other Ties) obliges Men to be Virtuous.

And that there is nothing fo Mean (or unworthy of a Gentleman) as Vice.

To which is Added,

A Confolation against Calummies : Shewing how to bear them Easily and Pleasantly.

Written in Return to a Person of Honour, and at his Defire fubjoin'd to this Discourse,because of the Contingency of the Subject.

By Sir GEORGE MACKENZIE, K.

Though God did not know, nor Men would not punish Vice, yet would I not commit it; so mean a thing is Vice. Seneca.

LONDON:

Printed in the Year M DCC XI.