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Chrift's blood's our balfam; if that cure us here,
Him, when our Judge, we fhall not find severe ;
His yoke is eafy when by us embrac'd,
But loads and galls, if on our necks 'tis caft.
Be juft in all thy actions, and if join'd
With those that are not, never change thy mind.
If aught obftruct thy courfe, yet stand not ftill,
But wind about, till you have topp'd the hill.
To the fame end men fev'ral paths may tread,
As many doors into one temple lead;
And the fame hand into a fist may close,
Which instantly a palm expanded fhews.
Juftice and faith never forfake the wife,
Yet may occafion put him in disguise;
Not turning like the wind; but if the state
Of things must change, he is not obstinate;
Things paft and future with the present weighs,
Nor credulous of what vain rumour fays.
Few things by wisdom are at first believ'd;
An eafy ear deceives, and is deceiv'd :'
For many truths have often pafs'd for lies,
And lies as often put on truth's disguise:
As flattery too oft' like friendship fhews,

So them who speak plain truth we think our foes.
No quick reply to dubious questions make;
Sufpenfe and caution ftill prevent mistake.
When any great defign thou doft intend,
Think on the means, the manner, and the end :
All great concernments must delays endure;
Rafhnefs and hafte make all things unfecure;
And if uncertain thy pretenfions be,
Stay till fit time wear out uncertainty ;
But if to unjust things thou doft pretend,
E'er they begin let thy pretensions end.
Let thy discourse be such that thou may'st give
Profit to others, or from them receive.
Infruct the ignorant; to those that live
Under thy care good rules and patterns give:
Nor is't the leaft of virtues to relieve
Those whom afflictions or oppreffions grieve.
Commend but fparingly whom thou dost love;
But lefs condemn whom thou doft not approve :
Thy friend, like flatt'ry, too much praise doth
wrong,

And too fharp cenfure fhews an evil tongue :
But let inviolate truth be always dear
To thee; ev'n before friendship truth prefer.
Than what thou mean'it to give still promise less:
Hold faft the pow'r thy promise to increase.
Look forward what's to come, and back what's paft,
Thy life will be with praise and prudence grac'd:
What lofs or gain may follow thou may'st guess,
Thou then wilt be secure of the fuccefs:

Yet be not always on affairs intent,

But let thy thoughts be eafy and unbent:
When our minds' eyes are difengag'd and free,
They clearer, farther, and diftinctly fee;
They quicken floth, perplexities untie,
Make roughness smooth, and hardness mollify;
And though our hands from labour are releas'd,
Yet our minds find (ev'n when we fleep) no reft.
Search not to find how other men offend,
But by that glass thy own offences mend;
Still feek to learn, yet care not much from whom,
(So it be learning) or from whence it come.
Of thy own actions others judgments learn;
Often by small great matters we discern.
Youth what man's age is like to be doth shew;
We may our ends by our beginnings know.
Let none direct thee what to do or say,
Till thee thy judgment of the matter sway.
Let not the pleafing many thee delight; [right.
Firft judge if thofe whom thou doft please judge
Search not to find what lies too deeply hid,
Nor to know things whofe knowledge is forbid;
Nor climb on pyramids, which thy head turn round
Standing, and whence no fafe defcent is found.
In vain his nerves and faculties he strains
To rife, whofe raising unfecure remains.
They whom defert and favour forwards thrust,
Are wife when they their measures can adjust.
When well at eafe, and happy, live content,
And then confider why that life was lent.
When wealthy, fhew thy wisdom not to be
To wealth a fervant, but make wealth serve thee,
Though all alone, yet nothing think or de
Which nor a witnefs nor a judge might know.
The highest hill is the most flipp'ry place,
And Fortune mocks us with a smiling face;
And her unfteady hand hath often plac'd
Men in high pow'r, but feldom holds them faft,
Against her then her forces Prudence joins,
And to the golden mean herself confines.
More in profperity is reason toft

Than fhips in ftorms, their helms and anchors loft
Before fair gales not all our fails we bear,
But with fide-winds into fafe harbours fteer:
More fhips in calms on a deceitful coast,
Or unfeen rocks, than in high ftorms are loft.
Who cafts out threats and frowns no man deceives;
Time for refiftance and defence he gives;
But flatt'ry ftill in fugar'd words betrays,
And poifon in high-tasted meats conveys:
So Fortune's fmiles unguarded man surprise,
But when the frowns, he arms, and her defies.

OF JUSTICE.

Tis the first fanction Nature gave to man,
Each other to afflist in what they can;
Juft or unjust this law for ever ftands;
All things are good by law which the commands.
The first step, man towards Chrift must justly live,
Who to' us himfelf, and all we have, did give.
In vain doth man the name of Juft expect,
If his devotions he to God neglect.

So must we rev'rence God, as first to know
Justice from him, not from ourselves, doth flow.
God thofe accepts who to mankind are friends,
Whofe Juftice far as their own pow'r extends;
In that they imitate the Pow'r divine;
The fun alike on good and bad doth fhine;
And he that doth no good, although no ill,
Does not the office of the juft fulfil.
Virtue doth man to virtuous actions steer;
Tis not enough that he should vice forbear :
We live not only for ourselves to care,
Whilft they that want it are deny'd their fhare.
Wife Plato faid the world with men was ftor'd,
That fuccour each to other might afford;
Nor are thofe fuccours to one fort confin'd,
But fev'ral parts to fev'ral men confign'd.
He that of his own ftores no part can give,
May with his counfel or his hands relieve.
If Fortune make thee pow'rful, give defence,
'Gainft fraud and force, to naked innocence:
And when our Juftice doth her tributes pay,
Method and order must direct the way.
First to our God we must with rev'rence bow;
'The fecond honour to our prince we owe;
Next to wives, parents, children, fit refpect,
And to our friends and kindred we direct :
Then we must those who groan beneath the weight
Of age, difeafe, or want, commiferate.
'Mongft thofe whom honeft lives can recommend,
Our Juftice more compaflion fhould extend:
To fuch who thee in fome diftress did aid,
Thy debt of thanks with int'rest should be paid.
As Hefiod fings, Spread waters o'er thy field,
And a moft juft and glad increase 'twill yield.
But yet take heed, left doing good to one,
Mischief and wrong be to another done:
Such moderation with thy bounty join,
That thou may't nothing give that is not thine :
That liberality's but caft away

Which makes us borrow what we cannot pay.
And no access to wealth let rapine bring;
Do nothing that's unjust to be a king,

Juftice must be from violence exempt,
But fraud's her only object of contempt.
Fraud in the fox, force in the lion dwells,
But Juftice both from human hearts expels :
But he's the greatest monster (without doubt)
Who is a wolf within, a fheep without.
Nor only ill injurious actions are,

But evil words and flanders bear their fhare.
Truth Juftice loves, and truth injuftice fears;
Truth above all things a juft man reveres.
Though not by oaths we God to witnefs call,
He fees and hears, and ftill remembers all;
And yet our atteftations we may wrest
Sometimes, to make the truth more manifeft.
If by a lie a man preferve his faith,
He pardon, leave, and abfolution hath;
Or if I break my promife, which to thee
Would bring no good, but prejudice to me.
All things committed to thy trust conceal,
Nor what's forbid by any means reveal.
Exprefs thyfelf in plain not doubtful words,
That ground for quarrels or difputes affords.
Unless thou find occafion hold thy tongue;
Thyself or others careless talk may wrong.
When thou art called into public pow'r,
And when a crowd of fuitors throng thy door,
Be fure no great offenders 'scape their dooms;
Small praise from len'ty and remiffness comes:
Crimes pardon'd, others to thofe crimes invite,
Whilft lookers-on fevere examples fright.
When by a pardon'd murd'rer blood is fpilt,
The judge that pardon'd hath the greatest guilt.
Who accufe rigour make a grofs mistake;
One criminal pardon'd may an hundred make.
When justice on offenders is not done,
Law, government, and commerce, are o'erthrown;
As befieg'd traitors with the foe confpire
T' unlock the gates and fet the town on fire.
Yet left the punishment th' offence excred,
Juftice with weight and measure must proceed:
Yet when pronouncing fentence feem not glad,
Such fpectacles, though they are just, are fad;
Though what thou dost thou ought'it not to repent,
Yet human bowels cannot but relent.
Rather than all muft fuffer fome muft die;
Yet nature must condole their mifery:
And yet, if many equal guilt involve,
Thou may't not these condemn and thofe abfolve.
Juftice, when equal fcales fhe holds, is blind;
Nor cruelty nor mercy change her mind.

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