uttered, may either make you criminal, or at beft hand involve you into a great deal of trouble, without bringing any advantage to the Caufe you do affert. And befides, he that herds in Cabals, muft implicitely adhere to the opinion of that Company; for by afferting his own Judgment in oppofition to theirs, though he be never fo much in the right, he runs the hazard of being reproached for a Spye or Deserter.

As you ought not to refufe any danger, when a proportionable advantage will thereby accrue to the Caufe you would fupport; fo in fuch fore times you ought to avoid the doing of any thing unneceffary, hot and provoking, unless where you or the Caufe will reap benefit thereby. For young men, either through the heat of their years, or the instigation of more crafty people, are too of ten prevailed upon to do many things, that in appearance look very brave, and for the prefent may gain a popular applaufe, but in the end ferve only to expose the Perfons themselves and the Cause they stand by: For a hot-headed or rafh Action of any one Man, efpecially if he be of note, furnishes the other fide with fufficient matter to brand the whole Party with it. If therefore you shall at any time be put upon doing any fuch thing, do but defire thofe that propofe it to lead you the way; and if they refufe, you may be fure that it was not your good they intended, but to promote fome selfish end of their own, though they forefaw that it would expofe, if not ruine you.

These Directions, and what elfe can be given you, will not much avail without your own im provement of them, which must be done by reading and obfervation; and those forts of Studies C

feern

feem to be most eligible by men of generous tempers, which tend moft to fit a man for the publick Service; and next to God's Law, there is nothing more neceffary for an English-man than to be well acquainted with the Law of his own Country; to the attaining of it feveral Books are to be read, of which I do in particular recommend to you Coke's Inftitutes, Croke's, Hubbert's, Dyer's and Vaughan's Reports, and efpecially the latter, for though it contains but a few Cafes, yet they contain in them fuch strong reafon as gives great Light into other matters. Next to these, all my Lord Bacon's Works, and a Book called Bacon's Uniformed Government of the Laws of England, which is worth its weight in Gold. Next, Lambert's Saxon Laws, Fortescue of the Laws of England, A Book Intitled De Pace Regis & Regni, and another called the Rights of the Kingdom, and a small Book Intitled Nihil dictum, quod non dictum prius.

Moft, if not all of thefe you will find in my study, and they may eafily be read over in a few Months, and time enough allowed for Business and Recreation When you have gone through them, I am perfwaded that they will not only give you an appetite to read them over again, and make obfervations as you go along, but also to enquire after other Books of that fort.

Next to a knowledge in the Lam; Hiftory is very neceffary, and efpecially of our own Country. And though we have many Chronicles, yet the Lives of our Kings that are written by particular hands are the best, and give the trueft account of things. It is alfo neceffary to look into the Hiftories of other Countreys, and the Lives of Famous Men, as thofe that pals under the Title

of

of Plutarch's Lives, Grotius de jure belli & pacis is allowed by all to be one of the beft Books that ever was writ. And notwithstanding the clamour that is made against Machiavil, I would not have you to pafs him by; for that part of him against which the out-cry is made, it is only Inftructions what a Tyrant is to do if he will reign fafely; yet he does not perfwade any King to it, but is much against it, as you will fee in reading over his Works.

To read a Play or Romance now and then for diverfion, may do no hurt; but he that fpends moft of his time in fuch Books, will be able to give a very ill account of it.

Be your Studies what they will, yet be fure to drive the nail only as you find it will go. That is, in the first place, never go to your Study but when you find your felf very well difpofed to it; for to do otherwife, is to go against the grain, and nothing that way can be well done. In the fecond place, ftay no longer at it than you can tafte what you read; for after that your thoughts begin to be unfteady or wander, it is lots of time to profecute it: nay it will occafion you to lofe much of what you had gained before, and fo you will go backwards inftead of forwards: For nothing is more mischievous in ftudying, than to tye ones felf to a certain time of going to it, or ftaying fo long, or reading fo much together, for we are not at all times alike difpofed to our Book. Now by studying only when we are difpofed, though we do not feem to make fuch hafte, yet we make better fpeed; for a Book read over once this way, is of more advantage than thrice read over, if these precautions are not observed.

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When

When you are to debate in Parliament, or upoti any other publick occafion, and fince the end of fpeaking is to convince, Obferve these two following Directions.

Firft, Argue as directly and clofely to the matter as you can; for this is the fureft way to prevail, because it gives your Opponents the less advantage against what you fay. you fay. And befides, nothing is a greater argument of a found judgment, than to be able to bring the matter to a point.

Secondly, Be not over follicitous for words and Phrases, when either they hinder you from digesting your matter throughly, or occafion you to fay any thing that has not fome weight in it. Apt words and quaint Phrafes are very good adornments of Speech, yet they are not fo neceffary, as that for want of them a Man of good underftanding ought to be filent. For deep and weighty Notions, though delivered in a very rough ftile, will touch the reafon, and convince the understanding, many degrees beyond light and frothy thoughts, though dreft up in the best Language imaginable: For Senfe is beyond words, as much as the Subftance exceeds the fhadow. And certain it is, that you will in fpeaking gain applaufe by good Senfe, rather than by the finest Words and Phrafes. It's Senfe that pleases the Wife and Men of Judgment, and Words and Phrafes without Senfe Tickle the Ears of infipid people.

In private Converfation remember these things. Be the difcourfe merry or ferious, let what you fay be rather good, and to the purpose, than much For he that talks a great deal, does rather expose himself, than divert or oblige the Compa

ny.

ny. A Man is feldom accounted a Fool for fpeaking too little, but is too often fo esteemed for fpeaking too much, because in the multitude of words there will not want folly.

In the next place, let neither your behaviour or discourse be formal or ftarcht, for a tincture of that in either takes off the pleasure which the World does generally propofe and expect in Converfation; For as this does at first proceed from affectation, fo it will always appear to be fuch, and any thing that is forced or constrained in company is never welcome. He that affects an over. grave behaviour, or fet way of fpeaking, does it rather to admire himself, than to please others; and whatever fatisfaction they may take in it themselves, yet it tends to no other end than to render them ridiculous to every Company they come into.

Promote the Difcourfe you find is most agreeable to the Company, if it be not against your Opinion; but fay not any thing that may favour either of Fear or Flattery: For he that does fo, must at one time or other fay contrary things, which is very mean and contemptible; yet fay not any thing that unneceffarily may difoblige any of the Company, unless you feek for an occafion to affront that perfon. If any thing be faid that disobliges you, and the affront be fuch that for the present you cannot command your felf, withdraw and difpute it in another place; for by this you will thew more breeding and courage, than if you gave the Company more disturbance about it.

As you ought not to be over-referved to any, so you must not behave your felf alike to every Company;

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