who prove the Fathers of their Subjects, and the Promoters of his divine Law; and more particularly upon David, who was a Man after God's own Heart. But it would be Lofs of Time, to fay any more in Favour of Monarchy; fince it is obvious to every Body, that it has always pafs'd, both in the Minds and Writings of the best Politicians, and foundest Philofophers, for the moft Noble, the most Useful, and the moft Reasonable of all Go❤ vernments.

2

CHAP.

CHAPTER XXV.

That there ought to be kept a due Medium, in the Government of States, and Families.

A

Young Statuary, juftout of his Time,would needs undertake to try his Skill upon a Piece of Marble; and tho' uncapable of Perfecting what he had Undertaken, had yet the Vanity to Think, that no Man could better finish that Piece of Work, than Himfelf. His Father Carving a fmall Statue in the fame Shop, had Leifure nicely to obferve his Son's Miftakes; and wou'd willingly have Convinc'd him, that he ne'er would make a great Proficient in his Art, unless he had a due Regard to Proportion, which in that Business, ought efpecially to be obferv'd. The young Man however perfifted in his ufual Methods, ufing his Chifel without Art or Rule. At laft, after much Labour, having finish'd young Phaeton's Statue, he found it fo Deform'd and Shapeless, that even Himself cou'd not bear the Sight of it. One Day he thus bespoke it: Ungrateful Block! How ill thou haft requited my Trouble! near fix Months have I neglected all other Bufinefs to Polish Thee; and yet after all my Labour, thou refembleft more a Monster than the Perfon 1 intended thee for. Thy Nofe is too Large, thy Mouth's too Wide, thy Forehead too Narrow, thy Arms too Slender, and thy Hands too Long, thy Belly's too Big, and thy Legs frangely Crooked. The Statue then opening his Splay-Mouth thus reply'd; It is not owing to Me that I look no better; the Marble was well chofen and of a good Vein ; and I can tell you, bad

you

you not rejected the good Advice of that old Workman, if my Shape bad not been altogether Perfect, at leaft it would have been more tolerable than now it is. In one Word, fhall I tell you, from whence my Deformity, and your Errors proceeds. You have chipp'd too much off one Side of me, and left too much on the other.ime i

ན

The

MORAL.

From this Fable we may learn, that when a Man has not Judgment enough of his own to direct him, he ought to take Advice from a Perfon more skilful and experienc'd than himself. And let a Man be never fo pofitive a Fool, he must when thoroughly fenfible of his Folly, be afhamed of it. The Misfortunes that occur in the Education of a young Prince proceed from this, that the Perfon entrufted with him, is either too Severe, or Re mifs in his Duty.

We commonly fee, that in the Government of a State, the Management of a Family, the Conduct of an Army, and a Prince's Education, whatever Mifcarriages happen in any of these, must take their Rife from hence. For Inftance, if you give the Reins to a head-ftrong People, you fhew them the ready way to Rebellion; if you abridge them of their Priviledges and Liberties, you ex afperate and enrage them; and even your too close Reftraint, will be the ready Way to make them break thro' all Laws, how Juft foever.

Again, If in a Family a Man abuse his Wife, and is too fevere in correcting his Children, if he Lords over his Servants, and uses them as Slaves; the Inconveniency attending this, will be altoge ther as great, as though he had fuffer'd them to be their own Masters.

Again, If military Difcipline be used with too much Rigour, it generally happens, that either whole Troops revolt, or by their Mutinies, at leaft, put their Commander's Lives in Danger: But if on the Contrary, the General fuffer Robbery, and Free-booting to go unpunifh'd, nay if he should not feverely chaftife the Mutineers, there would be nothing in his Army, but Quarrels and Disorder.

And as to the Education of a young Prince, if the Governor indulge him too far, he will then run into all manner of Extravagances: But if he keeps too ftrict a Hand over him, and thinks to manage him by Severity and Ill-nature, no doubt but he will find proper Means to free himfelf, and do as he pleases, without Restriction.

If it be ask'd, What that Medium is, which mult prevent that Disorder in thefe Cafes? I anfwer, that it depends upon the Prudence of the Perion that has the Management of them. It is requifite, that he know well the Perfons under his Care: And as a Pilot ought to know thofe TradeWinds, which from Time to Time agitate that Part of the Sea, thro' which he muft fail, and know where thofe Rocks and Shelves are, that may obftruct his Paffage, for the better Prefervation of his Veffel; Even fo it becomes an able Minister of State, a General of an Army, a Master of a Family, or Tutor of a Prince, perfectly to understand the Difpofitions of thofe, whom they have the Care of; in order to manage them with that Exactness, that there fhall be no Occafion of a Spur, where a skilful Turn of the Hand only, and dexterous Management of the Reins will fuffice."

Terence gives us an Inftance of a Father that had two Sons; One of which being ftreighten'd in his Allowance, turn'd Debauchee. Again, the Per

fon

fon which educated the other, giving way fometimes to his Humour, which requir'd fome little Liberties, more than Ordinary, made him a fine Gentleman.

For which Reason, the divine Plato seeing the Difficulty attending a Prince'sEducation, thought no fingle Person fit for it; but wou'd have four employ'd in that Office. One of which was to inftill into Him the Principles of Wisdom, the other of Juftice, the Third of Temperance, and the Fourth Courage: So that whenever he might have Occafion to make ufe of any one of Thefe, he fhou'd have a Master with him, that profefs'd nothing but That.

How often have we feen Armies Ruin'd by Luxury? For Inftance, that of Hannibal before Capua; on the other fide, we have known them. mutiny and defert for Want of Pay and Provifion. The Swiss Army before Dijon, in the Time of Lewis the Twelfth, has given fufficient Evidence of it, as well as that of the Spaniards, in the first Wars in Flanders; who mutining for Want of Pay took Poffeffion of Anvers, and by their Plundering almoft Ruin'd that City. It is upon these Occafions that the Commander is often at a Lofs, his Prudence alone being not fufficient to change their Temper, and reduce the Mutineers to Reafon which have none.

Pericles never arm'd himself to Command in Chief, but he would fay to himfelf, Take Heed, Pericles, after what manner thou Behaveft thy felf to a Free People, the Grecians, nay, the Athenian Citizens, the Flower of all Greece. That is, obferve and respect all their Merit that you are to Command, but in fuch a manner, that they may take no Advantage against thee, or think all Licence tolerable on account of their Nobility: But