Book 1 with, their Crowns neither defend them from the Rain, nor Sun. Why Diocle- Dioclefian who wore a Crown fo fortunate fian refigned the and revered, refigned it, to retire himself to Empire. the Felicity of a private Life: And fome Time after, the Neceffity of publick Affairs requiring that he should re-affume his Charge, he made Anfwer to those who came to court him to it, You would not offer, (said he) to perfuade me to this, bad you feen the fine Row of Trees I have planted in my Orchard, and the delicate Melons I have fowed in my Garden. The happiest be dealt to The vain Am rhus. In Anacharfis his Opinion, the happiest Eftate of Government would be, where all other Things being equal, Precedency should the Virtues, and Repulfes to the Vices " When King Pyrrhus prepared for his Exbition of Pyr- pedition into Italy, his wife Counsellor Cyneas, to make him fenfible of the Vanity of his Ambition: Well Sir, (faid het,) to what End do you make all this mighty Preparation? To make myself Master of Italy, (reply'd the King.) And what then? (faid Cyneas) I will pafs over into Gaul and Spain, (faid the other.) And what next? I will then go to reduce Africk; and lastly, when I have brought the whole World to my Subjection, I will reft content, and live at my own Eafe. For God's Sake, Sir, (reply'd Cyneas,) tell me what hinders, that you may not, if you please, be now in that Condition? Why do you not now, at this Inftant, Jettle yourself in the State you fay you aim at, and spare yourself the Labour and Hazard you must encounter. Nimirùm quia non benè norat quæ esset habendi Finis, & omninò quoad crefcat vera voluptas ‡. i. e. The End of being Rich he did not know; I will conclude with an old Verficle, that I think very pat to the Purpose. *Plutarch in the Banquet of the seven wife Men, ch. 13. Plutarch in the Life of Pyrrhus, ch. 7. of Amyor's Translation, Lucret. lib. v. V. 1431. Mores Mores cuique fui fingunt fortunam *. i. e. Himself, not Fortune, ev'ry one must blame, TH CHA P. XLIII. Of Sumptuary Laws. Gold and Sil ver more to be defpifed by a· Prince than the Subjects. HE Method by which our Laws at tempt to regulate idle and vain Expences in Meat and Cloaths, feem to be quite contrary to the End defigned. The true Way would be, to beget in Men a Contempt of Silks and Gold, as vain and ufelefs; whereas we add Honour and Value to them, which fure is a very improper Way to create a Difguft to them. For to enact, that none but Princes fhall eat Turbot, nor wear Velvet or Gold Lace, and interdict thefe Things to the People, what is it but to bring them into greater Efteem, and to fet every one more agog to eat, and wear them? Let Kings (without more ado,) leave off thefe Enfigns of Grandeur, they have enough befides; fuch Exceffes are more excufable in a Subject, than a Prince. We may learn by the Example of feveral Nations, better Ways for the external Diftinction of Rank and Quality (which truly I conceive to be very requifite in a State) without foftering fo manifeft Corruption and Inconvenience, for this Purpose. When Silk Cloath's firft began to be: defpifed in France. It is ftrange how fuddenly, and with how much ease, Custom, in thefe indifferent Things, establishes itself, and becomes Authority. We had scarce worn Cloth a Year, for the Court Mourning of Henry the Second, but that Silks were grown into fuch univerfal Contempt, that a Man fo clad, was presently concluded to be a Citizen. The Silks were divided betwixt the Phyficians and Chirurgeons, and Book L tho' all other People, almoft, went in the fame Dress, there were notwithstanding, in one Refpect or other, visible Diftinctions of Men's Qualities. How fuddenly are the greafy Chamois Doublets become the Fashion in our Armies, whilft all Neatness and Richnefs of Habit fall into Contempt? Let Kings but begin to leave off this Expence, and in a Month the Business will be done throughout the Kingdom; and without an Edict we fhall all follow. It fhould be rather proclaimed on the contrary, that no one fhould wear Scarlet or Gold Lace, but Whores and Tumblers. The Larus which Zaleu cus made to check Luxury. Zaleucus, with the like Invention, reclaimed the corrupted Manners of the Locrians. His Laws were*, That no free Woman fhould be allowed any more than one Maid to follow her, unless fhe was drunk: Nor was to ftir out of the City by Night, nor wear Jewels of Gold, or an embroidered Gown, unless fhe was a profeft and publick Whore: No Men but Ruffians were to wear a Gold Ring, nor to be seen in one of thofe effeminate Vefts woven in the City of Miletum. By which infamous Exceptions, he difcreetly diverted his Citizens, from Superfluities, and pernicious Pleasures, and it was a Project of great Utility to attract Men, by Honour and Ambition, to their Duty and Obedience. The Court Our Kings may do what they please in fuch external Reformations, their own Inclinations ftand in this Cafe for a Law. Quicquid Principes faciunt, præcipere videntur. i. e. What Princes themselves do they feem to enjoin others to do. Whatever is done at Court, paffes for a Rule through the rest of France. Let the Courtiers but discountenance those abominable Breeches, that discover fo much of thofe Parts which fhould be concealed; thofe Tun-bellied Doublets, that make us look like I know not what, and are fo unfit for the bearing of Arms; those long effeminate Locks of Hair; the filly Cuftom of kif fing what we prefent to our Equals, as well as our Hands in + Quintilian pro milite Decla *Diodor. Sicul. lib. xii. c. 20. mat. p. 38. lib. iii. in 8vo. ex Officinâ Hackianâ, 1665. in faluting them; a Ceremony in former Times only due to Princes: Let them not indulge a Gentleman to appear in a Place of Refpect without his Sword, unbuttoned and untruft, as though he came from the House of Office; and let it not be fuffered that, contrary to the Custom of our Forefathers, and the particular Privilege of the Nobleffe of this Kingdom, we fhall ftand a long Way off bareheaded to them in what Place foever, and the fame to a Hundred others, (fo many Tierces and Quarts of Kings we have got now-a-days,) and the like of other fuch vicious Innovations; they will fee them all prefently vanished and cried down. Thefe are, it is true, fuperficial Errors; but however a bad Prognoftick, and it is enough to inform us that the whole Fabrick is crazy and tottering, when we fee the rough-caft of our Walls to cleave and split. New Fashions Plato in his Laws, efteems nothing of more peftiferous Confequence to this City, fatal to Youth. than to give Youth† the Liberty of introducing any Change in their Habits, Geftures, Dances, Songs, and Exercifes, from one form to another; fhifting from this to that Side, hunting after Novelties, and applauding the Inventors; by which Means Manners are corrupted, and the old Inftitutions come to be naufeated and defpifed. In all Things, faving only in those that are evil, a Change is to be feared; even the Change of Seasons, Winds, Provifions and Humours. And no Laws are in their true Credit, but fuch to which God has given fo long a Continuance, that no one knows their Beginning, or that there ever were others. Lib. vii. p. 631. † At present the Wit and Politeness of feveral European Nations confift very much in frequently altering the Fafhion of their Cloaths, and in treating those they have juft quitted with infipid Raillery, if those Modes are ftill kept up by their Neighbours, or in any Town of the Country, remote from the Capital. As to this human Frailty, See Montaigne ch. xlix. of this Vol. CHAP. XLIV. Of Sleep. EASON directs, that we fhould always go the fame Way, but not always the fame Pace. confequently though a wife Man ought not fo much to give the Reins to human Paffions, as to let them turn him from the right Path; he may notwithstanding without prejudice to his Duty, leave it to them to haften, or to flack his Speed, and not to fix himself like a motionless, and infenfible Coloffus. Could Virtue itself put on Flesh and Blood, I believe the Pulse would beat faster going on to an Affault, than in going to Dinner: Nay, there is a Neceffity it should beat and be moved upon this Head. I have taken Notice, as of an uncommon Thing in fome great Men, who in the highest and most important Enterprizes, have been loth to rife from their Seat, or fo much as to fhorten their Sleep*. Alexander the Great on the Day affigned for that furious Battle with Darius, lept fo profoundly, and fo long in the Morning, that Parmenio was forced to enter his Chamber, go to his Bed-fide, and to call him feveral Times by his Name, in Order to awake him, because the Hour of Battle was just at Hand. The profound Sleep of fome great Perfoin their nages most important Affairs. The Emperor Otho, having put on a ReThe Emperor Otho, like Ca- folution to kill himself the fame Night, after to, fiept just be having fettled his domeftick Affairs, divided fore he killed his Money amongst his Servants, and fet a himself. good edge upon a Sword he had made Choice of for the Purpose †, and staying only to be fatisfied whether all his Friends were retired in Safety, he fell into fuch a found Sleep, that the Gentlemen of his Chamber heard · him Snore. The Death of this Emperor has in its many Circumftances parallel to that of the great Cato, and particularly *Plutarch in the Life of Alexander, ch. 11. of Amyot's Translation. + Plutarch in the Life of Otho, ch. 8. |