TO MY VERY GOOD LORD,

MY LORD R. B. E.

(PROBABLY RALPH (brownrigg), bishop of exeter.)

MY LORD,

I was never so proud, as to think I could write any thing that might abide the test of your judicious eye: what I now send, appeals to your candour, entreating you to lay aside the person of a judge for that of a friend. It is at best but a pamphlet, whether you consider its bulk, or worth. The result of a few pensive hours spent in recollecting what the memory had registered from public observance, or private reading, in a theme so sadly copious as this is. If it be not impertinent to tell you what hinted to this trifle, it was this:-Having had an opportunity to look abroad into the world, I took some notice of the contrastos of the Italian princes, I remarked the Spaniard's griping Portugal, his grounds for the challenge of that kingdom, and his way of managing those grounds; I looked upon his method of propagating Christianity in the West; (where, one says, the Indian is bound to be religious and poor, upon pain of death.) Moreover, I observed with what artifice the Pope moderated in the European quarrels, and with what devices he twisted the Gospel and the advantage of the chair together; and in all the strugglings and disputes, that have of late years befallen this corner of the world, I found, that although the pretence was fine and spiritual, yet the ultimate end, and true scope, was gold, and great

ness, and secular glory. But, my Lord, to come near, when I saw kingdoms tottering, one nation reeling against another, yea, one piece of a nation justling the other, and split into so many parties, and petty enmities; and each of these quoting Bible to palliate his mad and exorbitant opinions; I sighed, and it grieved me to see popular easiness and well meaning, abused by ambitious, selfseeking men; for there is a generation that is born to be the plague, and disquiet, and scourge of the age it lives in; that gladly sacrifice the public peace to private interest: and when they see all fired, with joy warm their hands at those unhappy flames which themselves kindle, tuning their merry harps, when others are weeping over a kingdom's funeral.

But, above all, it pierced my heart to see the clergy in such an high degree accessory to the civil distempers, and contentions, that have every where shaken the foundations of Church and State, so that (as the Catholic noted) there hath been no flood of misery, but did spring from, or at least was much swelled, by their holy-water. I searched the Evangelical records; and there was nothing but mild and soft doctrines: I inquired into the breathings of the Spirit, and they were pacificatory. I wondered from what precedents and Scripture encouragements these men deduced their practices, and at last was forced to conclude, that they were only pretended chaplains to the Prince of Peace: those torches that should have been for saving light, were degenerated into firebrands: those trumpets that should have sounded retreats to popular furies, knew no other music but martial All

arms.

I have endeavoured in the sequel, to represent to you

the arts of ambition, by giving you the picture of a person over covetous of glory: the piece is coarse, but yet like; drawn only in water colours, which some of greater leisure and abilities may possibly hereafter lay in oil.

You know, that the desires of man are vast as his thoughts, boundless as the ocean, a bored tub is not more insatiate.* It is pity that greatness should at any time be out of the road of goodness; and I would sometimes, if I durst, with Socrates, curse him that first separated profitable and honest.

It does to me a little relish of paradox, that wherever I come, Machiavel is verbally cursed and damned, and yet practically embraced and asserted; for there is no kingdom but hath a race of men that are ingenious at the peril of the public; so that as one said of Galba, in respect of his crooked body, Ingenium Galba male habitat; so may I say of these, in regard of their crooked use; that wit could not have chosen a worse mansion, than where it is vitiated, and made a pander to wickedness.

If you ask me, what I mean to trouble the world, that is already under such a glut of books, you may easily perceive, that I consulted not at all with advantaging my name, or wooing public esteem by what I now write; I knew there was much of naked truth in it, and thought it might possibly be of some caution to prevent the insinuation of pious frauds, and religious fallacies, into my native country; if any plain hearted, honest man shall cast away an hour in perusing it, he may perhaps find something in it resembling his own thoughts, and not altogether strange to his own experience. It is not the least of our misfortunes, that sins and vices are oft-times en

* Πίθος τετριμμένους, ἀπέραντος ἐπιθυμίας.—Jamblicus.

deared to us by false titles and compliments; being cozened with a specious name, though much incoherent to the thing we ascribe it: or else, omitting the vice which is the main, it intimates only the virtue, which is the by: as for example, we call an ambiguous man μεγαλεπήβολος, a person of noble aim and high enterprise: whereas, in truth, it signifies, an indirect affecter of grandeur. And I find, that by incautelous entertainment of these phrases, our judgments are often bribed to misapprehensions, and we seduced to bad actions. I have endeavoured in the ensuing discourse, to wipe off the paint and fucus: that so things may appear in their true complexion, unadulterated with the slights and subtleties of deluders.

My Lord, that your Lordship may be one of those which the dark poet calls soavla, that the youth of your honours may be renewed to you, that your happiness may know no other season but a spring, is the earnest vote of your bounden Servant.