if any fuch Violence was offered to himfelf. This Jofeph was much delighted with Mariamne's Converfation, and endeavoured with all his Art and Rhetorick to fet out the Excefs of Herod's Paffion for her; but when he ftill found her cold and incredulous, he inconfiderately told her, as a certain Inftance of her Lord's Affection, the private Orders he had left behind him, which plainly fhew'd, according to Jofeph's Interpretation, that he could neither live nor die without her. This barbarous Inftance of a wild and unreasonable Paffion, quite put out, for a Time, thofe little Remains of Affection fhe ftill had for her Lord: For now her Thoughts were fo wholly taken up with the Cruelty of his Orders, that fhe could not confider the Kindnefs that produced them, and therefore reprefented him in her Imagination, rather under the frightful Idea of a Murderer than a Lover. Herod was at length acquitted and difmiffed by Mark Antony, when his Soul was all in Flames for his Mariamne; but before their Meeting, he was not a little alarm'd at the Report he had heard of his Uncle's Converfation and Familiarity with her in his Abfence. This therefore was the firft Difcourfe he entertained her with, in which fhe found it no cafie Matter to quiet his Sufpicions. But at laft he appeared fo well fatisfied of her Innocence, that from Reproaches and Wranglings he fell to Tears and Embraces. Both of them wept very tenderly at their Reconciliation, and Herod poured out his whole Soul to her in the warmest Proteftations of Love and Conftancy; when amidst all his Sighs and Languifhings the asked him, whether the private Orders he left with his Uncle Jofeph were an Inftance of fuch an inflamed Affection. The jealous King was immediately roufed at fo unexpected a Question, and concluded his Uncle must have been too familiar with her, before he would have discovered fuch a Secret. In fhort, he put his Uncle to Death, and very difficultly prevailed upon bimfelf to fpare Mariamne.

AFTER this he was forced on a fecond Journey into Egypt, when he committed his Lady to the Care of Sobemus, with the fame private Orders he had before given his Uncle, if any Mischief befel himself. In the mean while Mariamne so won upon Sohemus by her Prefents

and

and obliging Converfation, that the drew all the Secret from him, with which Herod had intrusted him; so that after his Return, when he flew to her with all the Tranf ports of Joy and Love, fhe received him coldly with Sighs and Tears, and all the Marks of Indifference and Averfion. This Reception fo ftirred up his Indignation, that he had certainly flain her with his own Hands, had not he feared he himself fhould have become the greater Sufferer by it. It was not long after this, when he had another violent Return of Love upon him; Mariamne was therefore fent for to him, whom he endeavoured to foften and reconcile with all poffible conjugal Careffes and Endearments; but fhe declined his Embraces, and anfwered all his Fondnefs with bitter Invectives for the Death of her Father and her Brother. This Behaviour fo incenfed Herod that he very hardly refrained from striking her; when in the Heat of their Quarrel there came in a Witness, fuborn'd by fome of Mariamne's Enemies, who accused her to the King of a Design to poifon him. Herod was now prepared to hear any Thing in her Prejudice, and immediately ordered her Servant to be stretch'd upon the Rack; who in the Extremity of his Tortures confeft, that his Mittrefs's Averfion to the King arofe from fomething Sohemus had told her; but as for any Defign of poisoning, he utterly difowned the leaft Know ledge of it. This Confeffion quickly proved fatal to Sohemus, who now lay under the fame Sufpicions and Sentence that Jofeph had before him on the like Occasion. Nor would Herod reft here; but accufed her with great Vehemence of a Defign upon his Life, and by his Autho rity with the Judges had her publickly condemned and executed. Herod foon after her Death grew melancholy and dejected, retiring from the publick Adminiftration of Affairs into a folitary Foreft, and there abandoning himself to all the black Confiderations which naturally arife from a Paffion made up of Love, Remorfe, Pity and Defpair. He ufed to rave for his Mariamne, and to call upon her in his diftracted Fits; and in all Probability would foon have followed her, had not his Thoughts been feafonably called off from fo fad an Object by Pub

hick

lick Storms, which at that Time very nearly threatned

L

him.

N 172.

Monday, September 17.

Non folum Scientia, qua eft remota à Juftitia, Calliditas potiùs quàm Sapientia eft appellanda; verum etiam Animus paratus ad periculum, fi fua cupiditate, non utilitate communi impellitur, Audacia potiùs nomen habeat, quàm ForPlato apud Tull.

titudinis.

T

HERE can be no greater Injury to humane Society, than that good Talents among Men fhould be held honourable to thofe who are endowed with them, without any Regard how they are applied: The Gifts of Nature and Accomplishments of Art are valuable, but as they are exerted in the Interefts of Virtue, or governed by the Rules of Honour. We ought to abftract our Minds from the Obfervation of any Excellence in those we converfe with, till we have taken fome Notice, or received fome good Information of the Disposition of their Minds; otherwise the Beauty of their Perfons, or the Charms of their Wit, may make us fond of those whom our Reason and Judgment will tell us we ought to abhor.

WHEN we fuffer our felves to be thus carried away by meer Beauty, or meer Wit, Omniamante with all her. Vice will bear away as much of our Good-will as the most innocent Virgin or difcreeteft Matron; and there cannot be more abject Slavery in this World, than to doat upon what we think we ought to contemn: Yet this must be our Condition in all the Parts of Life, if we fuffer our felves to approve any Thing but what tends to the Promotion of what is good and honourable. If we would take true Pains with our felves to confider all Things by the Light of Reason and Juftice, tho' a Man were in the Height of Youth and amorous Inclinations, he would look upon a Coquet with the fame Contempt of Indifference

as he would upon a Coxcomb: The wanton Carriage in a Woman, would disappoint her of the Admiration which The aims at; and the vain Dress or Discourse of a Man, would deftroy the Comlinefs of his Shape, or Goodness of his Understanding. Ifay the Goodness of his UnderIftanding, for it is no lefs common to fee Men of Senfe commence Coxcombs, than beautiful Women become immodeft. When this happens in either, the Favour we are naturally inclined to give to the good Qualities they have from Nature, fhould abate in Proportion. But however just it is to measure the Value of Men by the Appli cation of their Talents, and not by the Eminence of thofe Qualities abftracted from their Ufe; I-fay, however just fuch a Way of judging is, in all Ages as well as this, the Contrary has prevailed upon the Generality of Mankind: How many lewd Devices have been preferved from one Age to another, which had perifhed as foon as they were made, if Painters and Sculptors had been efteemed as much for the Purpose as the Execution of their Designs? Modeft and well-governed Imaginations, have by this Means loft the Reprefentations of Ten Thousand charming Portraitures, filled with Images of innate Truth, generous Zeal, couragious Faith, and tender Humanity; inftead of which, Satyrs, Furies, and Monsters are recommended by thofe Arts to a fhameful Eternity.

THE unjuft Application of laudable Talents, is tolerated in the general Opinion of Men, not only in fuch Cafes as are here mentioned, but alfo in Matters which concern ordinary Life. If a Lawyer were to be esteemed only as he uses his Parts in contending for Juftice, and were immediately despicable when he appeared in a Caufe which he could not but know was an unjust one, how honourable would his Character be? And how honourable is it in fuch among us, who follow the Profeffion no otherwise, than as labouring to protect the Injured, to fubdue the Oppreffor, to imprifon the carelefs Debtor, and do right to the painful Artificer? But many of this excellent Character are overlooked by the greater Number; who affect covering a weak Place in a Client's Title, diverting the Courfe of an Enquiry, or finding a skilful Refuge to palliate a Falfhood: Yet it is called Elo

quence

quence in the latter, though thus unjustly employed: But Refolution in an Affaffin is, according to Reafon, quite as laudable, as Knowledge and Wisdom exercised in the Defence of an ill Caufe.

WERE the Intention ftedfaftly confidered, as the Measure of Approbation, all Falfhood would foon be out of Countenance: and an Address in imposing upon Mankind, would be as contemptible in one State of Life as another. A Couple of Courtiers making Professions of Efteem, would make the fame Figure after Breach of Promife, as two Knights of the Poft convicted of Perjury. But Converfation is fallen fo low in Point of Morality, that as they fay in a Bargain, Let the Buyer look to it; fo in Friendship, he is the Man in Danger who is most apt to believe: He is the more likely to fuffer in the Commerce, who begins with the Obligation of being the more ready

to enter into it.

BUT those Men only are truly great, who place their Ambition rather in acquiring to themselves the Confcience of worthy Enterprizes, than in the Profpect of Glory which attends them. These exalted Spirits would rather be fecretly the Authors of Events which are serviceable to Mankind, than without being fuch, to have the publick Fame of it. Where therefore an eminent Merit is robbed by Artifice or Detraction, it does but encrease_by fuch Endeavours of its Enemies: The impotent Pains which are taken to fully it, or diffufe it among a Crowd to the Injury of a fingie Perfon, will naturally produce the contrary Effect; the Fire will blaze out, and burn up all that attempt to fmother what they cannot extinguifh.

THERE is but one Thing neceffary to keep the Poffeffion of true Glory, which is, to hear the Oppofers of it with Patience, and preferve the Virtue by which it was acquired. When a Man is thoroughly perfwaded that he ought neither to admire, wish for, or purfue any thing but what is exactly his Duty, it is not in the Power of Seafons, Perfons or Accidents to diminish his Value. He only is a great Man who can neglect the Applaufe of the Multitude, and enjoy himself independent of its Fayour. This is indeed an arduous Task; but it should com

fort