Neither are our intellectual Advantages lefs indebted to Solitude. And here, tho' I have in a great measure anticipated this Confideration (there being nothing neceffarily required to compleat the Character of a Wifeman, befides the knowledge of God and himself) yet I fhall not confine my felf to this Inftance, but deduce the Matter further, and venture to affirm, That all kinds of Speculative knowledge as well as Practical, are beft improv'd by Solitude. Indeed there is much talk about the great Benefit of keeping great Men company, and thereupon 'tis ufually reckon'd among the Difadvantages of a Country Life, that thofe of that condition want the Opportunities of a Learned Converfation. But to confe's the Truth, I think there is not fo much in it as People generally Imagine. Indeed, were the Souls of Men lodg'd in tranfparent Cafes, that we might read their Thoughts, would they communicate what they know, were it the fashion to difcourfe Learnedly, it might be worth while perhaps to be fometimes in the Company of Great Men: But when it fhall be counted a piece of errant Pedantry, and defect of good Breeding to start any Queftion of Learning in Company; when every Man is as fhy of his Notions as of a Fairy-treasure; and makes his Head not a Repofitory or Exchequer of Knowledge, but a Grave to Bury it in: A Man may be a conftant attendant at the Conclaves of Learned Men all his Life long, and yet be no more the wifer for't than a Book-worm is for dwelling in Libraries; efpecially when 'tis confider'd what the Prejudices of thofe they call Learned Men are, how confufed are their Notions, and what with them paffes for Learning, namely, fuch as confifts in an Hiftorical Knowledge of Books, in Memory and Imagination, and not in any clear Intellectual fight of things. And therefore to fpeak ingeniously, I don't fee for my part wherein the great Advantage of great Converfation lies, as the Humours of Men are pleas'd to order it. Were I to inform my felf in Bufinefs, and the management of Affairs, I would fooner

ralk

talk with a plain illiterate Farmer or Tradefman, than the greatest Virtuofo of The Society; and as for Learning (which is the only thing they are fuppofed able to Difcourfe well of) that in point of Civility they decline: So that I find I must take refuge at my Study at laft, and there redeem the Time that I have loft among the Learned,

Of COURAGE..

A Riffetle in his Morals begins the Doctrine of Vir

tues with Courage; which has found work for his Interpreters to affigh the Reafon of his Method. But methinks, there is no great need they fhould either Study or Differ much about it. For certainly, among all the Virtues, this will juftly challenge the Precedency, and is the most Cardinal and Fundamental part of Morality. This Virtue is pre-required to the fufception of all the reft. For the very entrance into the School of Wisdom and a Virtuous Courfe, is a State of Difcipline, Difficulty and Hardship. And therefore 'tis fapere aude, a great piece of daring and boldness to fet up for a good Man: Efpecially, if to the proper Difficulties and Agonies of a Virtuous Engagement, we add thofe Calamities and Straits it oftentimes expofes us to, through the Malice and Folly of the World. So that as Plato writ upon his School, Αγωμέτρη]Θ- ονδεὶς ἐσίτω. Let none enter here that understands not Mathematics, it may be fet as a Motto upon the School of Virtue, Let none enter here that wants Courage.

And as 'tis neceffarily requifite to the fufception of all other Virtues, foit is their main Support, Guardian and Establishment. Without this, every other Virtue is precarious, and lies at the Mercy of every crofs Accident. Without this, let but a Piftol be held to the Breaft, and the feverest Challity will be frighted into Compliance,the most Heroic Friendship into Treachery, and the most ar

dent

dent Piety into renunciation of God and Religion. There is nothing among all the Frailneffes and Uncertainties of this fublunary World fo tottering and unftable, as the Vertue of a Coward. He has that within him that upon Occafion will infallibly betray every Virtue he has; and to fecure him from Sin, you must keep him from Temptation. This way the Principle the Devil went upon in his encounter with Job, Do but put forth thy Hand, (lays he to God) and touch all that he bath, and he will Curfe thee to thy Face. He was right enough in the Propofition, tho' miftaken in the Application.

Having now feen the ufefulness of this great Virtue, 'twill be worth while to enquire a little into its Nature. And that the rather, becaufe 'tis not only variously and falily Apprehended by the many, but perhaps too confufedly and darkly deliver'd even by Moralifts themfelves.

That which with the Vulgar paffes for Courage, is certainly nothing elfe but Stupidity, Defperatenefs or Fool-hardinefs; a Brutifh fort of Knight-errantry in seeking out needlefs Encounters, and running into Dangers without Fear or Wit; which is fo far from having the fore-mention'd property of Courage, of being a Guardian, and Security of our Virtues, that 'tis in it felf a Sin.

But are we like to have a better account of it from the Moralifts? Why they tell you that it is a Mediocrity between Fear and Boldnefs: So Ariftotle in his Ethics. But then as for defining what this Mediocrity is (wherein the very point of the Bufinefs lies) you are as much to feek as ever.

Others perhaps will tell you, that 'tis a firmnefs of Mind in fultaining Evils, and undertaking Dangers. According to thofe Two Affignal Parts of Courage, Suftinere & Aggredi. But what it is thus firmly to fuftain or undertake an Evil, or what Evils are to be thus fufain'd or undertaken, is the main thing which we want to be made acquainted with,

And as Society is in its own Nature an Inftrument of Happiness, fo is it made much more fo by the Indigencies and Infirmities of Men. Man of all Creatures in the World, is leaft qualify'd to live alone, because there is no Creature that has fo many Neceffities to be reliev'd. And this I take to be one of the great Arts of Providence, to fecure mutual Amity and the reciprocation of good turns in the World, it being the Nature of Indigency, like common Danger, to indear Men to one another, and make them herd together like Fellow-Sailers in a Storm. And this indeed is the true Cafe of Mankind, we all Sail in one Bottom, and in a rough Sea, and ftand in need of one anothers Help at every turn, both for the Neceffities and Refreshments of Life. And therefore I am very far from commending the undertaking of those Afceticks, that out of a pretence of keeping themselves unfpotted from the World, take up their Quarters in Defarts, and utterly abandon all Human Society: This is in fhort (to fay no more of it) to put themselves into an incapacity either of doing any good to the World, or of receiving any from it: and certainly that can be no defirable State. No, this Eremetical way of Living is utterly inconfiftent with the Circumftances and Inclinations of Human Nature; he must be a God, Self-fufficient and Independent that is fit for this State of abfolute and perfect Solitude, and in this rigorous fenfe, It is not good for Man (tho' in Paradice it felf) to be alone.

But tho' Society, as 'tis oppofed to a ftate of perfect and perpetual Solitude, be a Bleffing, yet confidering how little of it there is in the World that is Good, I think it advisable for every Man that has Senfe and Thoughts enough, to be his own Companion, (for certainly there is more required to qualifie a Man for his own company than for other Men's) to be as frequent in his Retirements as he can, and to communicate as little with the World as is confident with the Duty of doing good, and the discharge of the common Offices of Humanity. 'Tis true indeed (as Seneca fays) Mifcenda & alternanda funt

Solitudo & Frequentia: Solitude and Company are to have their turns, and to be interplaced. But Wife Men use to dedicate the largest share of their Lives to the former, and let the best and most of their Time go to make up the Canonical Hours of Study, Meditation and Devotion. And for this, befides the Practice of Wife Men, we have the Authentick Example of our Bleffed Lord himfelf, Who, as 'tis reafonably fuppofed (for he had pass'd the Thirtieth Year of his Life before he enter'd upon the Stage of Action, and then alio fought all Opportunities to be alone, and oftentimes purchas'd Retirement at the expence of Night-watches) allotted the greateft part of his little Time here on Earth, to Privacy and Retirement; and 'tis highly probable, would have liv'd much more Refervedly, had not the peculiar Bufinefs of his Function made it neceffary for him to be converfant in the World. The inclination of our Lord lay more toward the Contemplative way of Life, tho' the Interest of Mankind engaged him oftentimes upon the Active. And 'tis very obfervable, that there is fcarce any one Thing which he vouchfafed to Grace with fo many Marks and Inftances of Favour and Refpect, as he did Solitude. Which are thus fum'd up by the excellent Pen of a very Great Mafter of Learning and Language: It was Solitude and Retirement in which Fefus kept his Vigils; the Defart places heard him Pray, in a Privacy he was Born, in the Wilderness he Fed his Thonfands, upon a Mountain apart he was Transfigured, upon a Mountain he Died, and from a Mountain he afcended to his Father. In which Retirements his Devotion certainly did receive the Advantage of convenient CircumStances, and himself in fuch Difpofitions twice had the opportunities of Glory.

The Great

Exemplar.

Indeed, the Satisfactions and Advantages of Solitude (to a Perfon that knows how to Improve it) are very great, and far Tranfcending thofe of a Secular and Popular Life. First, as to Pleasure and Satisfaction, whọfoever confiders the great variety of Mens Humours, the Peevifh