A Character of King Charles the Second Part 16

The being kind to a Lyar, is abetting a Treason against Mankind.

A Man is to inform the first Magistrate, that he may be clap'd up.

Lies are embroidered with Promises and Excuses.

A known Lyar should be outlawed in a well ordered Government.

A Man that renounceth Truth, runneth away from his trial in the World.

The use of Talking is almost lost in the World by the habit of Lying.

A Man that doth not tell all the Truth, ought to be hanged for a Clipper.

Half the Truth is often as arrant a Lye, as can be made.

It is the more dexterous, but not the less criminal kind of Lying.

[Sidenote: _Names._]

Names to Men of Sense are no more than Fig-leaves; to the generality they are thick Coverings that hide the Nature of Things from them.

Fools turn Good-Sense upon its Head, they take Names for Things, and Things only for Names.

[Sidenote: _Partiality._]

It is a general Mistake to think the Men we like are good for every thing, and those we do not, good for nothing.

[Sidenote: _Patience._]

A Man who is Master of Patience, is Master of every thing else.

He that can tell how to bear in the right Place, is Master of every body he dealeth with.

[Sidenote: _Positiveness._]

Positive is the Perfection of c.o.xcomb, he is then come to his full Growth.

[Sidenote: _Prosperity._]

It sheweth Mens Nature, that when they are pampered in any kind, they are very apt to play jadish Tricks.

One of the Tricks of any Creature that is wanton, is to kick what is next them.

[Sidenote: _Quiet._]

Every thing that doth us good is so apt to do us hurt too, that it is a strong Argument for Men to be quiet.

If Men would think more, they would act less.

The greatest Part of the Business of the World, is the Effect of not thinking.

[Sidenote: _Reason and Pa.s.sion._]

Most Men put their Reason out to Service to their Will.

The Master and the Man are perpetually falling out.

A third Man will hazard a beating, if he goes about to part them.

Nothing hath an uglier Look to us than Reason, when it is not of our side.

We quarrel so often with it, that it maketh us afraid to come near it.

A Man that doth not use his Reason, is a tame Beast; a Man that abuses it, is a wild one.

[Sidenote: _Reputation._]

It is a self-flattering Contradiction, that wise Men despise the Opinion of Fools, and yet are proud of having their Esteem.

[Sidenote: _Self-love._]

Self-love rightly defined, is far from being a Fault.

A Man that loveth himself right, will do every thing else right.

[Sidenote: _Shame._]

A Man who doth not think he is punished when he is blamed, is too much hardened to be ever reformed.

The Court of Shame hath of late lost much of its Jurisdiction. It ought by right both to judge in the first Instance, and to exclude all Appeals from it.

Shame is a Disease of the last Age, this seemeth to be cured of it.

[Sidenote: _Singularity._]

Singularity may be good Sense at home, but it must not go much abroad.

It is a Commendation to be that which a crowd of mistaken Fools call Singular.

There can hardly be a severer thing said to a Man in this Age, than that he is like the rest of the World.

[Sidenote: _Slander._]

Slander would not stick, if it had not always something to lay hold of.

A Man who can allow himself the Liberty to slander, hath the World too much at his Mercy.

But the Man that despiseth Slander deserveth it.