things the world, and the pleafures thereof, are, that a fharp or a lingering fickness renders utterly taftelefs. Learn how vain and weak a thing human nature is, which is pulled down to the gates of death, and clothed with rottennefs and corruption by a little disorder in the blood, in a nerve, in a vein, in an artery. And fince we have fo little hold of a temporal life, which is fhaken and fhattered by any finall occurrence, accident, or distemper; learn to lay hold of eternal life, and of that covenant of peace and falvation which Chrift hath brought for all that believe and obey the Gospel of peace and falvation: there fhall be no death, no fickness, no pain, no weakness, but a state of unchangeable and everlasting happiness. And if you thus improve affliction, you are gainers by it; and most certain it is, that there is no more probable way under the heaven to be delivered from affliction (if the wife God fee it fit) than thus to improve it: For affiction is a meffenger, and the rod hath a voice; and that is, to require mankind to be the more patient, and the more humble, and more to acknowledge Almighty God in all our ways. And if men liften to this voice of the rod, and conform to it, the rod hath done his errand; and either will leave a .man, or at least give a man, fingular comfort, even under the sharpeft affliction. And this affliction, which is but for a moment, thus improved, will work for us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Twelfthly. Reverence your minifter; he is a wife and a good man, and one that loves you, and hath a tender care and refpect for you. Do not grieve him, either by neglect or difrefpect. Affure yourselves, if there be any person that sets any of you against him, or provokes or encourageth any of you to defpife or neglect him, that perfon,, whoever he be, loves not you, nor the office he bears. And therefore as the -laws of the land, and the Divine Providence, hath placed him at Alderly to have a care of your fouls, fo I must tell you I do expect you should reverence ...and

and honour him for his own, for your, and for his office fake.

And now I have written this long epiftle to you, to perform that office for me that I fhould have done in perfon if I could have taken this journey. The epiftle is long, but it had been longer, if I had had more time. And though, perchance, fome there may be in the world, that when they hear of it will interpret it to be but the excurfions and morofe rules of old age, unneceffary, and fuch as might have been fpared; yet I am perfuaded it will find better acceptation thereof from you that are my children. I am now on the fhady fide of three-fcore years. I write to you what you have often heard me in fubftance fpeak. And poffibly when I fhall leave this world, you will want fuch a remembrancer as I have been to you. The words that I now, and at former times have written to you, are words of truth and fobernefs; and words and advices that proceed from a heart full of love and affection to you all. If I fhould fee you do amifs in any thing, and should not reprove you; or if I fhould find you want counfel and direction, and fhould not give it, I fhould not perform the truft of a father; and you fhould not thankfully receive it, you would be fomewhat defective in the duty you owe to God and me, as children. As I have never fpared my purfe to fupply you, according to my abilities, and the reafonablenefs of occafions, fo I have never been wanting to you in good and prudent counfels. And the God of heaven give you wifdom, conftancy, and fidelity, in

if

the obfervance of them.

I am your ever loving father,

MATTHEW HALE.

MAY 20.

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LETTER

LETTER III.

CONCERNING THEIR SPEECH.

CHILDREN,

I THANK God I came well to Farrington this Satur day, about five of the clock, and because I have fome leifure time at my inn, I could not spend that time more to my own contentment, and your benefit, than by my letter to give you all good counsel; the fubjec whereof, at this time, fhall be concerning Speech, becaufe much of the good or evil that befalls perfons, doth occafionally happen by the well or ill managing of that part of human converfation. I fhall, as I have leifure and opportunity at other times, give you my directions concerning other fubjects.

And herein I fhall advise you, Firft, how you are to entertain the speeches of others, according to the di̟vers varieties thereof. Secondly, how you are to manage and order your own speech.

I. As concerning the former, obferve thefe directions: 1. Obferve and mark as well as you may, what is the temper and difpofition of thofe perfons whofe fpeeches you hear, whether they be grave, fe rious, fober, wife, difcreet perfons; if they be fuch, their speeches commonly are like themselves, and will deserve your attention and obfervation; but if they be light, impertinent, vain, paffionate perfons, their fpeech is, for the moft part, according; and the best advantage that you will gain by their speech, is but thereby to learn their difpofitions, to difcern their failings, and to make yourselves the more cautious both

in your converfation with them, and in your own fpeech and deportment; for in the unfeemlinefs of their speech, you may better difcern and avoid the like in yourselves.

2. If any perfon, that you do not very well know to be a perfon of truth, fobriety, and weight, relate ftrange ftories, be not too ready or eafy to believe them, nor report them after him: and yet (unless he be one of your familiar acquaintance) be not too forward to contradict him; or, if the neceffity of the occafion require you to declare your opinion of what is fo reported, let it be modeftly and gently, not too bluntly or coarfely; by this means, on the one fide, you fhall avoid being abused by your too much credulity; on the other fide, you shall avoid quarrels and diftaste.

3. If any man fpeak any thing to the disadvantage or reproach of one that is abfent, be not too ready to believe it, only obferve and remember it, for it may be it is not true, or it is not all true, or fome other circumstances were mingled with it, which might give the business reported a juftification, or at least an allay, an extenuation, or a reasonable excufe. In most actions, if that which is bad alone, or seems to be fo, be reported, omitting that which is good, or the cir cumftances that accompany it, any action may be easily misrepresented; be not too hafty, therefore, to believe a reproach till you know the truth, and the whole truth.

4. If any perfon report unto you fome injury done to you by another, either in words or deeds, do not be over hafty in believing it, nor fuddenly angry with the perfon fo accufed, for poffibly it may be falfe or miftaken; and how unfeemly a thing will it be, when your credulity and paffion fhall, perchance, carry you, upon a fuppofed injury, to do wrong to him that hath done you none; or, at least, when the bottom and truth of the accufation is known, you will be afhamed of your paffion. Believe not a report till the party accufed

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accufed be heard; and, if the report be true, yet be not tranfported either with paflion, hafty anger or revenge, for that will be your own torment and pertur bation. Ever when a perfon is accufed or reported to have injured you, before you give yourfelf leave to be angry, think with yourself, why fhould I be angry before I am certain it is true? or, if it be true, how can I tell how much I fhould be angry till I know the whole matter? Though it may be he hath done me wrong, yet poffibly it is not fo much as it is repres fented, or it was done by mistake, or it may be he is forry for it. I will not be angry till I know there be caufe; and if there be caufe, yet I will not be angry till I know the whole, caufe; for till then (if I must be angry at all), yet I know not how much to be angry, it may be it is not worth my anger; or, if it be, it may be it deferves but a little. This will keep your mind and carriage, upon fuch occafions, in a due temper and order; and will difappoint malicious or officious tale-bearers.

5. If a man, whofe integrity you do not very well know, makes you great and extraordinary profeffions and promises, give him as kind thanks as may be, but give not much credit to it. Caft about with yourfelf what may be the reafon of this wonderful kindness, it is twenty to one but you will find fomething that he aims at befides kindness to you; it may be he hath fomething to beg or buy of you, or to fell to you, or fome fuch bargain that fpeaks out at least. his own advantage, and not yours; and if he ferve his turn upon you, or if he be difappointed, his kindness will grow cool.

6. If a man flatter and commend you to your face, or to one that he thinks will tell you of it, it is a thoufand to one either he hath deceived and abused you fome way, or means to do fo. Remember the fa ble of the fox commending the finging of the crow, when he had fomewhat in her mouth that the fox liked.