body disdaining no light matters, nor shrinking from the heavy. Remark. If Alexander received more bravery of mind by the pattern of Achilles, than by hearing the definition of courage, the modern commander cannot dress himself by a finer mirror, than that which reflects the image of Charles the Twelfth of Sweden. Though the murder of Patkul blots the brightness of his moral character, yet, as a general who dared all dangers, who shared all hardships, who was the first in attack, and the last in retreat, none could exceed him. He was invincible in suffering: fasting, watching, fatigue, and wounds could not subdue him. His soul commanded as a king, while his body served, endured, and conquered as a soldier. AMBITION. 1. AMBITION thinks no face so beautiful as that which looks from under a crown. 2. An ambitious man will go far out of the direct way, even into crooked paths, to win to a point of height which he desires. 3. Ambition thinks it well, by humbleness, to creep, where, by pride, he cannot march. 4. Ambition, like love, can abide no lingering; and ever urgeth on his own successes, hating nothing but what may stop them. 5. In times of anarchy, ambition maketh use of the people, as ministers to its private views, and doth but use them to put on their own yokes. 6. Timautus is a man of extreme ambition; is one that has placed his uttermost good in greatness; thinking small difference by what means he comes by it: of a commendable wit, if he made it not a servant to unbridled desires: cunning to creep into men's favours, which he prizes only as they are serviceable unto him. He has been brought up in some soldiery, which he knows how to set out with inore than deserved ostentation. Servile (though envious) to his betters; and no less tyrannically minded to them he has advantage of; counted revengeful; but indeed measuring both revenge and reward, as the party may either help or hurt him. Rather shameless than bold; and yet more bold in practice than in personal adventures. In sum, a man that could be as evil as he lists; and lists as much as any advancement may thereby be gotten: and as for virtue, he counteth it but a schoolname; disbelieving the existence of that beauty, whose image he hath so defaced in his own soul. O! snaky ambition, which can winde thyself to so many figures, to slide whither thou desirest to come! O, corrupted reason of mankind, that can yield to deform thyself with so pernicious desires! And O, hopeless be those minds, whom so unnatural desires do not, with their own ugliness, sufficiently terrify! Remark. There is nothing so base as ambition, except the creature who willingly submits to be its tool: and even there we may trace the workings of a spirit similar with that which actuates its employer. He that is ambitious of a crown, engages a traitor in his service, who is ambitious of the favour of the great; and thus the vile principle of living to any thing but virtue, spreads from the prince to the peasant; increasing in desires, conspiracies, and crimes, ad infinitum; "like a circle in the water, PRIDE AND VIOLENCE. 1. VALOUR is abased by too much loftiness. Remark. Because the man who is proud of what he has done, shews that he has done more than he expected to do; and therefore he has arrived at the height of his genius, perhaps gone beyond it; for it often happens that fortune overshoots the aim of the archer; and he plumes himself on a success, which being without the compass of his wit, he vainly supposes can never be exceeded. On the reverse, men of the highest talent (when they speak frankly on the subject,) have ever declared, that in projection they imagine more than they can perform; the execution falls short of the design; and they almost always are dissatisfied with what is the burthen of praise to all around them.The reason of this is evident: the design is |