have a Season for them, when People believe Oracles them, and neither of these, I conceive, wrought

by the Devil.

XCVI

Opinion

OPINION and Affection extremely differ. I

may affect a Woman best, but it does not follow I must think her the handsomest Woman in the World. I love Apples best of any Fruit; it does not follow, I must think Apples to be the best Fruit. Opinion is something wherein I go about to give reason why all the World should think as I think. Affection is a thing wherein I look after the pleasing of myself.

2. 'Twas a good Fancy of an old Platonic: the Gods which are above Men, had something whereof Man did partake, an Intellect, Knowledge, and the Gods kept on their course quietly. The Beasts, which are below Man, had something whereof Man did partake, Sense and Growth, and the Beasts lived quietly in their way. But Man had something in him, whereof neither Gods nor Beasts did partake, which gave him all the Trouble, and made all the Confusion in the World; and that is Opinion.

3. "Tis a foolish thing for me to be brought off from an Opinion, in a thing neither of us know, but are led only by some Cobweb-stuff; as in such a Case as this, Utrum Angeli invicem colloquantur? if I forsake my side in such a case, I shew myself wonderful light, or infinitely com

Opinion plying, or flattering the other party: but if I be in a business of Nature, and hold an Opinion one way, and some Man's Experience has found out the contrary, I may with a safe Reputation give up my side.

4. "Tis a vain thing to talk of a Heretic, for a Man for his heart can think no otherwise than he does think. In the Primitive Times there were many Opinions, nothing scarce but some or other held. One of these Opinions being embraced by some Prince, and received into his Kingdom, the rest were condemned as Heresies; and his Religion, which was but one of the several Opinions first, is said to be Orthodox, and to have continued ever since the Apostles.

THIS

XCVII

Parity

HIS is the Juggling Trick of the Parity, they would have nobody above them, but they do not tell you they would have nobody under them.

XCVIII

Parliament

LL are involved in a Parliament.

ᎪᏞ

There

was time when all Men had their Voice in choosing Knights. About Henry the Sixth time they found the inconvenience; so one Parliament made a Law, that only he that had forty

Shillings per annum should give his Voice, they Parliaunder should be excluded. They made the ment Law who had the Voice of all, as well under forty Shillings as above; and thus it continues at this Day. All consent civilly in a Parliament; Women are involved in the Men, Children in those of perfect age; those that are under forty Shillings a Year, in those that have forty Shillings a year, those of forty Shillings in the Knights.

2. All things are brought to the Parliament, little to the Courts of Justice: just as in a room where there is a Banquet presented, if there be Persons of Quality there, the People must expect, and stay till the great ones have done.

3. The Parliament flying upon several Men, and then letting them alone, does as a Hawk that flies a Covey of Partridges, and when she has flown them a great way, grows weary and takes a Tree; then the Falconer lures her down, and takes her to his fist: on they go again, hei rett, up springs another Covey, away goes the Hawk, and as she did before, takes another Tree, &c.

4. Dissentions in Parliament may at length come to a good end, though first there be a deal of do, and a great deal of noise, which mad wild folks make: just as in brewing of WrestBeer, there's a great deal of Business in grinding the Malt, and that spoils any Man's clothes that comes near it: then it must be mashed; then comes a Fellow in and drinks of the Wort, and he's drunk; then they keep a huge quarter when

Parlia- they carry it into the Cellar, and a twelvemonth ment after 'tis delicate fine Beer.

5. It must necessarily be that our Distempers are worse than they were in the beginning of the Parliament. If a Physician comes to a sick Man, he lets him blood, it may be scarifies him, cups him, puts him into a great disorder, before he makes him well; and if he be sent for to cure an Ague, and he finds his Patient hath many diseases, a Dropsy, and a Palsy, he applies remedies to 'em all, which makes the cure the longer and the dearer: this is the

case.

as any

6. The Parliament-men are as great Princes in the World, when whatsoever they please is Privilege of Parliament; no man must know the number of their Privileges, and whatsoever they dislike is Breach of Privilege. The Duke of Venice is no more than Speaker of the House of Commons; but the Senate at Venice are not so much as our Parliament-men, nor have they that Power over the People, who yet exercise the greatest Tyranny that is any where. In plain truth, Breach of Privilege is only the actual taking away of a Member of the House; the rest are Offences against the House: for Example, to take out Process against a Parliament-man, or the like.

7. The Parliament Party, if the Law be for them, they call for the Law; if it be against them, they will go to a Parliamentary Way; if Law be for them, then for Law again: like him that first called for Sack to heat him, then

small Drink to cool his Sack, then Sack again Parliato heat his small Drink.

8. The Parliament Party do not play fair play, in sitting up till two of the Clock in the Morning, to vote something they have a mind to. 'Tis like a crafty Gamester, that makes the Company drunk, then cheats them of their Money. Young men and infirm men go away. Besides, a Man is not there to persuade other Men to be of his mind, but to speak his own heart, and if it be liked-so; if not, there's an end.

THO

XCIX

Parson

HOUGH we write Parson differently, yet 'tis but Person; that is, the individual Person set apart for the Service of such a Church; and 'tis in Latin Persona, and Personatus is a Personage. Indeed with the Canon-Lawyers, Personatus is any Dignity or Preferment in the Church.

2. There never was a merry World since the Fairies left Dancing, and the Parson left Conjuring. The Opinion of the latter kept Thieves in awe, and did as much good in a Country as a Justice of Peace.

C

Patience

PATIENCE is the chiefest fruit of Study.

A man that strives to make himself a

different thing from other men by much reading,

ment