selves every thing they take delight in; not look upon beauty, wear no good clothes, eat no good meat, &c. which seems the greatest accusation that can be upon the Maker of all good things. If they be not to be used, why did God make them? The truth is, they that preach against them, cannot make use of them themselves; and then again they get esteem by seeming to contemn them. But mark it while you live, if they do not please themselves as much as they can; and we live more by example than precept.

DUEL.

1. A DUEL may still be granted in some cases by the law of England, and only there. That the church allowed it anciently, appears by this, in their public liturgies, there were prayers appointed for the duelists to say; the judge used to bid them go to such a church and pray, &c. But whether is this lawful? If you grant any war lawful, I make no doubt but to convince it. War is lawful, because God is the only judge between two, that is supreme. Now, if a difference happen between two subjects, and it cannot be decided by human testimony, why may they

not put it to God to judge between them by the permission of the prince? Nay, what if we should bring it down for argument's sake, to the swordmen. One gives me the lie; it is a great disgrace to take it; the law has made no provision to give remedy for the injury (if you can suppose any thing an injury for which the law gives no remedy); why am not I in this case supreme, and may therefore right myself?

2. A duke ought to fight with a gentleman. The reason is this: the gentleman will say to the duke, It is true, you hold a higher place in the state than I; there is a great distance between you and me, but your dignity does not privilege you to do me an injury; as soon as ever you do me an injury, you make yourself my equal, and as you are my equal I challenge you; and in sense the duke is bound to answer him. This will give you some light to understand the quarrel betwixt a prince and his subjects: though there be a vast distance between him and them, and they are to obey him, according to their contract, yet he hath no power to do them an injury; then they think themselves as much bound to vindicate their right, as they are to obey his

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lawful commands, nor is there any other measure of justice left upon earth but arms.

ЕРІТАРН.

AN epitaph must be made fit for the person for whom it is made; for a man to say all the excellent things, that can be said upon one, and call that his epitaph, is as if a painter should make the handsomest piece he can possibly make, and say it was my picture. It holds in a funeral sermon.

EQUITY.

1. EQUITY in law is the same that the spirit is in religion, what every one pleases to make it; sometimes they go according to conscience, sometimes according to law, sometimes according to the rule of court.

2. Equity is a roguish thing; for law we have a measure, know what to trust to; equity is according to the conscience of him that is chancellor, and as that is larger or narrower, so is equity. It is all one as if they should make the standard for the measure, we call a foot, a chancellor's foot, what an uncertain

measure would this be? One chancellor has a long foot, another a short foot, a third an indifferent foot: it is the same thing in the chancellor's conscience.

3. That saying, Do as you would be done to, is often misunderstood, for it is not thus meant, that I, a private man, should do to you a private man, as I would have you do to me, but do as we have agreed to do one to another by public agreement. If the prisoner should ask the judge, whether he would be content to be hanged, were he in his case, he would answer, no. Then, says the prisoner, do as you would be done to; neither of them must do as private men, but the judge must do by him as they have publicly agreed; that is, both judge and prisoner have consented to a law, that if either of them steal, they shall be hanged.

EVIL SPEAKING.

1. HE that speaks ill of another, commonly before he is aware, makes himself such a one as he speaks against; for if he had civility or breeding he would forbear such kind of language.

2. A gallant man is above ill words: a

example we have in the old Lord of Salisbury, who was a great wise man. Stone had called some lord about court, fool. The lord complains and has Stone whipped. Stone cries, I might have called my Lord of Salisbury fool often enough, before he would have had me whipped.

3. Speak not ill of a great enemy, but rather give him good words, that he may use you the better, if you chance to fall into his hands. The Spaniard did this when he was dying; his confessor told him, to work him to repentance, how the devil tormented the wicked that went to hell: the Spaniard replying, called the devil my lord. I hope, my lord the devil is not so cruel; his confessor reproved him. Excuse me, said the Don, for calling him so, I know not into what hands I may fall; and if I happen into his, I hope he will use me the better for giving him good words.

EXCOMMUNICATION.

1. THAT place they bring for excommunication (put away from among yourselves that wicked person, 1 Cor. v. 13.), is corrupted in the Greek, for it should be, rò оvηρov, put away that evil from among you; not roV