employed and divided the beft Lawyers and Statefmen in Europe, but especially in Britain. And who, refiding among you, could fee in your Libraries the Fame of Learned Men of all Nations Still fo fresh, or could converfe with many of your own now living, who have made profound Learning even useful and witty, without being forced by a noble Emulation to leave all other Pleasures, that he might retire into your Libraries, or his own Closet, there to purchase fome Share of that Improvement, which every private Man's Breaft concurs with the World to efteem? I am 290 The Copy of a Letter fent together with the Dedication... I Mr. Hindmarsh, Have fent you the Dedication to the Univerfity of Oxford, which the Author of the Hiftory of Moral Frugality, now deceased, defigned for that Book. If there be any thing in it unworthy of that Society, or the Author, it must be imputed to the fatal Distemper of Body which he languished under, when he wrote it; and though it falls far below what that University might have justly expected from him, and he was inclined to have faid of them; yet as it is, I allow you to Print it, because the World may thereby know the high and just Esteem, that Sir George Mackenzie retained, even to his dying Day, of that Famous Society. The Moral History of Fru- DISCOURSE I. W Difcourfes. HEN I confider how many Se&. I. have had their Affections The Occafi warm'd by pious Sermons, how on of wrimany Moral Philofophers have ting thefe convinc'd those who have read them, and yet how few have been reform'd by either; I begin to think, that there muft lie fome strange hidden Engine in the Heart of Man, which is able to pull back even thinking Men from improving thefe Impreffions: And that which seems to be one of the chief Occafions of this, is, that Men are become fo poor, by the general Avarice and Luxury which now unreasonably tyrannize over the World, that they are tempted to be Wicked to fatisfy their Imaginary fantaftick Neceffities. Thus we are uncharitable, because we want Money for our Imaginary Wants: We are difloyal to get it by Rebellion; for fupplying these, Men betray their Country, King, Friends and Mafters, to get Employments whereon to live, and then betray their Truft in these Employments, that F that they may be able to live without them. And thus Luxury and Avarice offer not only the Temptations, but furnifh the Excufes, when they perfuade us to yield to them; they tell us that Charity muft begin at Home, that we muft prefer our felves to our Friends, and that Neceffity is exempted from Law. And whilft Preachers, Philofophers and Friends are arguing from the Principles of Religion, Reason and Honour, they by an Influence as latent, but ftronger than that of the Stars, draw Mens Attention from confidering the Force of these Arguments, to confider what Charms are in Riches, and the Eafe which Riches procure; and fo Men are not Profelytes, because they are not Hearers. A Therefore to fecure us against this reigning Diftraction, and thofe Temptations, let us embrace ancient Frugality, under whofe Empire Vice was of old curbed with great Success, and which by freeing us from Poverty, fecures us against all the Snares which it occafions. For if I can once bring my felf to live on a little, and to enjoy that little with as great Pleasure as others follow their Recreations, why should I ruin my Soul or Mankind', that I may get what Frugality will perfuade me to be fuperfluous? And ifI once be convinced by this faithful Counfellor, that a great Eftate is a great Snare, I will not pay down for it my Honour and Quiet, as a competent Price. I heard a Dutch Amballador tell King Charles the Second, That he had spent only a hundred Gilders in Meat and Drink in Holland during a whole Year after he had been Ambaffador in moft Courts, nor had he ever been in better Health, or Company. And when the King asked why he had done fo unufual a thing; He answered, To let his Country-men fee, that one needed not betray or injure their Native Country to get whereon to live; which, as it was the Design of this his Conduct, is now the Defign of my Book. This friendly, wife, and convenient Virtue of Sea. II. Frugality has two Capital Enemies, Avarice, and The EneLuxury; the one whereof furfeits it, and the o- mies of ther ftarves it. The one cheats us by reprefent- Frugality. ing a great Eftate as too little, and the other by representing a littleEstate as too great. But if these Idols, Avarice,& Luxury,were once thrown down in the High Places, we fhould no more fee Churchmen facrificing to them their Religion, Judges the Laws, Statesmen their Honour, and moft Men their Quiet and Tranquility. And fince Interest has got fuch an Afcendant over Mankind, that it has brought Law and Virtue within its Power, and under its Dominion, nothing now feeming reasonable or legal, but what it recommends; 'tis fit by this Method I now propofe, to make it confiftent with Virtue; and I hope fo to manage my Theme, as to render it fubfervient to that Virtue with which it has feemed to be fo long at Variance. It may seem that fome Grains of Avarice and Luxury, are mixt oft-times by the great Physician with Virtue, as Poison is with the best Medicaments, to make them active and ufeful; and as fome Pride heightens true Courage, and fome Jealoufie makes Prudence more cautious,fo without Avarice Merchants would not toil to bring us Neceffaries, nor Soldiers defend even the jufteft Quarrels; and a little Luxury is now requifite to diffuse Riches among the indigent: But when thefe Vices exceed their Allowance, and fet up |