A Character of King Charles the Second Part 17

[Sidenote: _Speakers in Publick._]

Speakers in Publick should take more Pains to hold in their Invention than to raise it.

Invention is apt to make such Sallies, that it cannot secure its Retreat.

He that will not make a Blot, will be pretty sure in his time to give a Stroke.

A patient Hearer is a sure Speaker.

Men are angry when others do not hear them, yet they have more Reason to be afraid when they do.

[Sidenote: _Time the loss of it._]

Mispending a Man's time is a kind of _self-homicide_, it is making Life to be of no use.

[Sidenote: _Truth._]

Truth is not only stifled by Ignorance, but concealed out of Caution or Interest; so if it had not a Root of Immortality, it must have been long since extinguished.

[Sidenote: _Wisdom._]

The most useful Part of Wisdom is for a Man to give a good guess, what others think of him.

It is a dangerous thing to guess partially, and a melancholy thing to guess right.

Nothing would more contribute to make a Man wise, than to have always an Enemy in his view.

A wise Man may have more Enemies than a weak one, but he will not so much feel the weight of them. Indeed the being wise doth either make Men our Friends, or discourage them from being our Enemies.

Wisdom is only a comparative Quality, it will not bear a single Definition.

[Sidenote: _Youth._]

A Man hath too little Heat, or Wit, or Courage, if he hath not sometimes more than he should.

Just enough of a good thing is always too little.

Long Life giveth more Marks to shoot at, and therefore old Men are less well thought of, than those who have not been so long upon the Stage.

Other Mens Memories retain the ill, whilst the good Things done by an old Man, easily slip out of them.

Old Men have in some degree their Reprisals upon younger, by making nicer Observations upon them, by virtue of their Experience.

_FINIS._

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Upon the Words of his Declaration.

[2] Two Papers in Defence of the _Roman Catholick_ Religion, found in this King's strong Box, in his own hand, and published by King _James_ II.

afterwards.

[3] The Dutchess of _Portsmouth_.