2. Self-love. Man is very much addicted to love himfelf; and that felf-love blinds and feduceth his judgment, whereby he oftentimes attributes to himself fuch circumftances as render the very fame action done by him to another to be juft and righteous, when the very fame action done by another to him feems to be unjuft: for inftance, Caius hath donè Titus a trefpafs: Caius comes to him, and tells him he is forry for it; he is a poor man, and defires him to forgive him. Titus refufeth; Caius replies, Sir, had you done me the like trefpafs, and fought to me, I fhould have forgiven you, had you been as poor as I am, and I as rich and well able to bear it as you. Titus replies, But I have formerly obliged you by many kindneffes, and against all thefe you have trefpaffed in this trefpafs. This is not the first trefpafs you have committed; I have passed by many formerly; I fhall grow contemptible, and every one will be ready to do the like, if I pafs by this though I am richer than you, I have more dependants than you, more children and relations; and I must bear a part answerable to my place; and the damage that I have sustained by this trespass, hath made you richer than you were before, and me poorer; and therefore upon thefe, and many other circumftances, the cafes are different, and I must have full reparation of the damage, and also fecure myself against future injuries from you and others, by making you a fevere example for this. And by fuch kind of arguing as this, there will be a fair gloss put upon any thing; and the circumstances which a man will draw together, to exempt a man from his duty, will be endlefs. But let Titus now be but honeft to himself, and fincerely deal thus with himself;-I know the trespass that is committed, the damage that hath been done me, the condition I am in to bear it, the poverty of him that cannot make me fatisfaction; I fee his fubmiffion ; were I in Caius's ftead and place, would I not think it too fevere for Titus to exact the feverity of the law, law, or to deny a pardon for this trefpafs that he can never fatisfy. If I fhould be of that mind then, I will be of the fame mind now, and forgive him upon his fubmiflion, and promife of future amendment. The truth is, this precept doth discharge felf-love from having to do in this business of moral righteousness or charity; or at least, puts it in that condition, by tranfpofition of the perfons, that it fpeaks as much for Caius as it doth for Titus, when Titus, by tranfpofition, fuftains the perfon of Caius; and fo felf-love becomes equally an advocate for Titus, and againft him. Indeed, if a man will be wilfully and perversely unjust; and although he be convinced, that he would not have the fame thing done to him, that he is about to do to another, will, notwithstanding the conviction, do the thing: there is nothing to be faid to fuch a a man, but that he hath rejected his duty to God, and the common fentiments of righteoufnefs and goodness to mankind. But certainly he that defires to walk according to the true rules of justice and charity, hath, if he will be but fincere and true to himself in this rule of our Saviour's, a plain, eafy, and clear direction for all actions of righteoufnefs and charity. THE THE EPISTLE TO THE READER. READER, THIS book prefents thee with the Hiftory of the Life and Death of POMPONIUS ATTICUS, and the various concuffions and revolutions that happened in the Roman state and government in his time; and the wife methods which that excellent man ufed to preferve the honour, innocence and fafety of his perfon from the dangers that might occur by them. Two things I must caution thee in reading hereof; Firft, concerning the perfon and practice of Atticus. Many things in him are worthy of imitation; his prudence, learning, beneficence, compaffion; his great care to avoid engaging in any of thofe factions that gave thofe great difturbances to the ftate of Rome, his love to his country. But fome things were fo appropriate to his perfon, condition, and circumstances, and the manners and occurrences of that state wherein he lived, that are hardly to be matched in any other person, and therefore may poffibly in these respects rather give matter of admiration of his fortune, than matter of imitation of fome of the tranfactions of his life. Secondly, concerning the commonwealth of Rome, which in the time of Atticus, was the theatre whereupon the heads of the feveral parties and factions acted their parts, to the great disturbance of that ftate, whereof fome account is hereafter given. The conftitutions of kingdoms, ftates, and commonwealths, are in themselves very various, but oftentimes much more various in the circumftances that attend them; as the temper and difpofition of their officers, their different managements, their public concerns with other nations, and infinite more fo that it feems impoffible that two states may in all things exactly match one another; whereby it comes to pass that fome kingdoms, ftates, and commonwealths are more obnoxious to public evils, especially that of the collifon of factions than others. : |