disinheriting of their children, the frequent changes in their family, promise to themselves great things; as if they would thence obtain peace of mind and a better management of their affairs; but commonly their hopes vanish into the winds. For both those changes generally turn out ill, and such disturbers of their family often experience trouble and ingratitude from those whom to the neglect of others they select and adopt; nay further, they thus draw upon themselves ill reports and dishonourable rumours; for it is well said by Cicero, "Every man's reputation proceeds from those of his own household." And both these evils Solomon elegantly expresses by "the inheritance of the winds;" for both the disappointment of expectation and the raising of rumours are not unaptly compared to winds. PROVERB. (10.) Better is the end of a speech than the beginning thereof.2 Explanation. This proverb reproves a very common error, not only of those who make an especial study of words, but even of the more wise and prudent; which is, that men are more careful of the entrances and commencement of their speeches than of the end, and study more diligently the prefaces and inducements than the conclusions and issues; whereas for the former, they ought not indeed to neglect them, but the latter as being of far greater importance they ought to have ready prepared and arranged at hand; considering within themselves and endeavouring as much as possible to anticipate what shall be the end of their speech, and how their business may be advanced and ripened thereby. Nor is this all; for it is not only proper to study perorations and conclusions of such speeches as relate to the business itself, but also to be prepared with some discourse which may be conveniently and gracefully thrown in at the close, although foreign to the matter in hand. Indeed I knew two great and wise councillors on whom the weight of business principally rested, with whom it was a constant care and especial art, whenever they conferred with their princes on matters of state, not to end their discourse with matters relating to the business itself, but always 1 De Petit. Cons. 5. 2 Eccles. vii. 8. The English version has, "Better is the end of a thing," &c. by way of divertissement to draw it away to some jest or some agreeable news, and so end by washing off (as the proverb has it) their salt water discourses with fresh. Nor was this the least valuable of their arts. PROVERB. (11.) As dead flies do cause the best ointment to stink, so does a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.2 Explanation. It is a very hard and unhappy condition (as the Proverb well remarks) of men pre-eminent for virtue, that their errors, be they ever so trifling, are never excused. But as in the clearest diamond every little cloud or speck catches and displeases the eye, which in a less perfect stone would hardly be discerned; so in men of remarkable virtue the slightest faults are seen, talked of, and severely censured, which in ordinary men would either be entirely unobserved, or readily excused. Hence a little folly in a very wise man, a small offence in a very good man, a slight impropriety in a man of polite and elegant manners detracts greatly from their character and reputation; and therefore it would be no bad policy for eminent men to mingle some harmless absurdities with their actions; so that they may retain some liberty for themselves, and make small defects less distinguishable. PROVERB. (12.) Scornful men bring a city to destruction, but wise men turn away wrath.3 Explanation. It may seem strange that Solomon in his description of men formed as it were by nature for the ruin and destruction of states, should have selected the character, not of a proud and insolent, not of a tyrannical and cruel, not of a rash and violent, not of a wicked and impious, not of an unjust and oppressive, not of a seditious and turbulent, not of an incontinent and sensual, not finally of a foolish and incapable person, but the character of a scorner. And this selection is worthy of the wisdom of a king who well knew how states were overthrown or pre 1 Erasm. Adag. iii. 3. 26. 2 Eccles. x. 1. 3 Prov. xxix. 8. served; for there is hardly a greater danger to kingdoms and states than that councillors or senators and those who stand at the helm should be of a scornful disposition. For such men ever undervalue dangers, that they may appear bold councillors, and insult those who make a just estimate of them, as cowards. They sneer at seasonable delays and careful discussions in consultation and deliberation, as mere matter of oratory, full of weariness, and contributing nothing to the completion of business. As for reputation, with a view to which the counsels of princes ought to be specially framed, they despise it as the breath of the people, that will quickly be blown away. They make no more account of the power and authority of laws, than of cobwebs which ought not to be in the way of more important business. Counsels and precautions looking far into the future they despise as dreams and melancholy apprehensions. They scorn with gibes and jests men of real wisdom and experience, of great minds, and deep judgment. In short, they weaken all the foundations of civil government; a thing the more to be attended to, because the mischief is wrought, not openly, but by secret engines and intrigues; and the matter is not yet regarded by men with as much apprehension as it deserves. PROVERB. (13.) A prince who readily hearkens to lies, has all his servants wicked.1 Explanation. When the prince is one who lends an easy and credulous ear without discernment to whisperers and informers, there breathes as it were from the king himself a pestilent air, which corrupts and infects all his servants. Some probe the fears and jealousies of the prince, and increase them with false tales; others excite in him passions of envy, especially against the most virtuous objects; others seek to wash away their own vileness and evil consciences by accusing others; others make way for the honours and wishes of their friends by traducing and calumniating their opponents; while others get up stage plots and a number of the like fables against their enemies. These are the machinations of servants who are of a more dishonest nature. But those also who are naturally of greater honesty and prin ciple, when they find no safeguard in their innocence (the prince not being able to distinguish truth from falsehood), throw off their honesty, and catching the court breezes allow themselves to be carried where they blow. "For," as Tacitus says of Claudius, "there is no safety with that prince, who has nothing in his mind, but what others put into it." And Comines well remarks, "It is better to be the servant of a prince whose suspicions have no end, than of one whose credulity has no (14.) A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.3 Explanation. There is implanted in man by nature a noble and excellent spirit of compassion, that extends itself even to the brutes which by the divine ordinance are subject to his command. This compassion therefore has a certain analogy with that of a prince towards his subjects. Moreover it is most true, that the nobler a soul is, the more objects of compassion it has. For narrow and degenerate spirits think that these things concern them not; but the spirit which forms a nobler portion of the universe has a feeling of communion with them. Whence we see that under the old law there were many commandments, not so much purely ceremonial as institutions of mercy; as was that of not eating the flesh with the blood thereof, and the like. The Essenes and Pythagoreans even abstained altogether from eating flesh and the same superstition still prevails among some of the inhabitants of the Mogul Empire. Nay, the Turks, though by race and habits a cruel and bloody people, yet are wont to give alms to brute creatures, and cannot endure to see them ill used or tortured. But lest these things which we have mentioned should seem to countenance every kind of mercy, Solomon wisely adds, " That the mercies of the wicked are cruel." Such is the sparing to use the sword of justice upon wicked and guilty men; which kind of mercy is more cruel than cruelty itself; for cruelty is only practised upon individual persons, but this mercy to crime by granting impunity arms and lets loose upon the innocent the whole army of villains. 1 Annals, xii. 3. 2 Histoire de Comines, i. 16. 3 Prov. xii, 10. PROVERB. (15.) A fool utters all his mind, but a wise man reserves something for the future.' Explanation. This proverb seems to be especially aimed not at the levity of foolish men, who with equal readiness let out what should be uttered, and what should be concealed; not at that plain speaking, with which they inveigh without discrimination and judgment against everybody and everything; not at that talkativeness, whereby they weary others usque ad nauseam; but at another fault which is less observed, namely, a method of discourse of all others most unwise and impolitic; I mean, when a man in private conversation so frames his discourse as to produce whatsoever he has to say pertinent to the matter in hand all at once and in a breath, without any stop or pause. Now this is a great impediment to business. For in the first place a speech that is broken and let fall part by part makes far more impression than a continuous one; because in the latter the matters touched are not distinctly and severally apprehended and weighed; and they have not time enough to settle; but one reason drives out another before it has taken firm hold. Secondly, no one is endowed with such powerful and persuasive eloquence as with the first stroke of his discourse to make his listeners dumb and speechless, but the other party will always have some answer to make, and will perhaps raise objections; and then it falls out, that the arguments which should have been reserved for refutation or reply, having being used and tasted beforehand, lose their strength and grace. Thirdly, if a man does not use all his arguments at once, but delivers them in parts, throwing in one after the other, he will detect by the countenance and answer of his opponent how each is taken, and what effect it produces, and he may thence take warning what to suppress and what to select in that which is to follow. PROVERB. (16.) If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for management pacifies great offences.2 Explanation. This proverb directs a man how to behave when he has in 1 |