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own mind trouble enough, in his own fortune evils enough, and in performance of his offices failings more than enough to entertain his own inquiry : fo that curiosity after the affairs of others cannot be without envy and an evil mind. What is it to me if my neighbour's Grandfather were a Syrian, or his Grandmother illegitimate, or that another is indebted five thousand pounds, or whether his Wife be expensive? But commonly curious perfons, or (as the Apostles phrase is) busie-bodies, are not follicitous or inquisitive into the beauty and order of a well governed family, or after the vertues of an excellent perfon; but if there be any thing for which men keep locks and bars and porters, things that blush to see the light, and either are shameful in manners, or private in nature, these things are their care and their Business. *But if great things will fatisfie our inquiry, the course of the Sun and Moon, the spots in their faces, the firmament of Heaven and the fuppofed Orbs, the ebbing and flowing of the Sea, are work enough for us: or, if this be not, let him tell me whether the number of the Stars be even or odd, and when they began to be so; since some ages have discovered new Stars which the former knew not, but might have seen if they had been where now they are fixed. * If these be too troublesome, fearch lower, and tell me why this Turf this year brings forth a Daisie, and the next year a Plantane; why the App'e bears his feed in his heart, and Wheat bears it in his head: let him tell why a graft taking nourishment from a crab-stock shall have a fruit more noble than its nurse and parent: let him say why the best of oil is at the top, the best of wine in the middle, and the best of honey at the bottom, otherwise than it is in some liquors that are thinner, and in some that are thicker. But these things are not such as please busie-bodies; they must feed upon Tragedies, and stories of misfortunes and crimes: and yet tell them ancient stories of the ravishment of chaste maidens, or the debauchment of nations, or the extream poverty of learned persons, or the perfecutions of the old Saints, or the changes

of

of Government, and fad accidents happening in Royal Families amongst the Arfacide, the Cafars, the Prolomies, these were enough to scratch the itch of knowing sad stories: but unless you tell them something fad and new, fomething that is done within the bounds of their own knowledge or relation, it seems tedious and unsatisfying; which shews plainly it is an evil spirit: envy and idleness married together and begot curiosity. Therefore Plutarch rarely well compares curious and inquisitive ears to the execrable Gates of Cities, out of which only Malefactors and Hangmen and Tragedies pass, nothing that is chaste or holy, * If a Physician should go from house to house unsent for, and enquire what woman hath a cancer in her bowels, or what man a fistula in his colick-gut, though he could pretend to cure it, he would be al most as unwelcome as the disease it self: and therefore it is inhumane to inquire after crimes and disasters without pretence of amending them, but only to difcover them. We are not angry with Searchers and Publicans when they look only on publick merchan dise: but when they break open trunks, and pierce vessels, and unrip packs, and open sealed letters.

Curiosity is the direct incontinency of the spirit; and adultery it self in its principle is many times nothing but a curious inquifition after, and envying of another man's inclosed pleasures: and there have been many who refused fairer objets that they might ravish an inclosed woman from her re tirement and single possessour. But these inquifitions are seldom without danger, never without baseness; they are neither just, nor honeft, nor delightful, and very often useless to the curious inquirer. For men stand upon their guards against them, as they secure their meat against Harpyes and Cats, laying all their councels and secrets out of their way; or as men clap their garments close about them when the searching and saucy winds would dif cover their nakedness: as knowing that what men willingly hear, they do willingly speak of. Knock therefore at the door before you enter upon your neigh

H2

Αἰσχύνη.

neighbour's privacy; and remember that there is no difference between entering into his house, and looking into it.

Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to Boldness. 1. Let us always bear about us such impressions of reverence and the fear of God as to tremble at his voice, to express our apprehenfions of his greatness in all great accidents, in popular judgements, loud thunders, tempests, earthquakes; not only for fear of being smitten our selves, or that we are concerned in the accident, but also that we may humble our selves before his Almightiness, and express that infinite distance between his infiniteness and our weaknesses, at fuch times especially when he gives such visible arguments of it. He that is merry and airy at shore, when he fees a fad and a loud tempest on the fea, or dances briskly when God thunders from Heaven, regards not when God speaks to all the world, but is pofsessed with a firm immodesty.

2. Be reverent, modest and reserved in the presence of thy betters, giving to all according to their quality their titles of honour, keeping distance, speaking litt'e, answering pertinently, not interpofing without leave or reason, not answering to a question propounded to another; and ever present to thy superiours the faireft fide of thy difcourse, of thy temper, of the ceremony, as being ashamed to serve excellent persons with unhandsome entercourse.

3. Never lye before a King, or a great person, nor stand in a lye when thou art accused, nor offer to juQuem Deus stific what is indeed a fault; but modestly be ashamed tee

tegit vere

of it, ask pardon, and make amends.

Ko, hujus maculas homioitus non oftendit. Maimon. Can. Eth.
Πρῶτον ἀγαθῶν ἀναμάρτητον, δεύτερον δ' αἰσχύναι. Μeliff.

Obstare primum eft velle nec labi via,
Pufor eft tecundus nôfle peccandi Modum.

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4. Never boast of thy fin, but at least lay a veil upon thy nakedness and shame, and put thy hand before thine eyes, that thou thou mayst have this beginning of repentance, to believe thy fin to be thy thame. For he that blushes not at his crime, but adds shamelesness to his shame, hath no instrument left to restore him to the hopes of vertue.

5. Be not confident and affirmative in an uncertain matter, but report things modestly and temperately, according to the degree of that perfuafion which is or ought to be begotten in thee by the efficacy of the authority or the reason of inducing thee.

6. Pretend not to more knowledge then thou haft, Eccluf. 2. but be content to seem ignorant where thou art, left 25. thou beest either brought to shame, or retirest into shamelesness.

Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to Undecency.

1. In your Prayers in Churches and places of Religion use reverent postures, great attention, grave ceremony, the lowest gestures of humility, remembring that we speak to God, in our reverence to whom we cannot possibly exceed; but that the expreffion of this reverence be according to law or custom, and the example of the most prudent and pious perfons: that is, let it be the best in its kind to the best of effences.

3. In all publick meetings, private addresses, in difcourses, in journeys, use those forms of falutation, reverence and decency, which the custom prescribes, and is usual amongst the most sober perfons; giving honour to whom honour belongeth, taking place of none of thy betters, and in all cases of question concerning civil precedency giving it to any one that will take it, if it be only thy own right that is in question.

3. Observe the proportion of affections in all meetings and to all persons: be not merry at a funeral, nor fad upon a festival, but rejoyce with them that rejoyce, and weep with them that weep.

4. Abstain from wanton and dissolute laughter, petulant and uncomely jests, loud talking, jearing, and all such actions which in civil account are called undecencies and incivilities.

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5. Το

Κοσμιότης, ευλαξία, ον εὐπρέπεια.

5. Towards your Parents use all modesty of duty

and humble carriage; towards them and all your kindred be severe in the modesties of chastity; ever fearing least the freedoms of natural kindness should enlarge into any neighbourhood of unhandfomness. For all incestuous mixtures, and all circumstances and degrees towards it, are the highest violations of Modesty in the world: for therefore Incest is grown to be fo high a crime, especially in the last periods of the world, because it breaks that reverence which the consent of all nations and the severity of humane laws hath injoyned towards our Parents and nearest kindred, in imitation of that law which God gave to the Jews in profecution of Modesty in this inftance.

Phil. 4. 8. 6. Be a curious observer of all those things which are of good report, and are parts of publick honesty. For publick fame, and the sentence of prudent and publick persons, is the measure of good and evil in things indifferent: and charity requires us to comply with those fancies and affections which are agreeable to nature or the analogy of vertue, or publick laws, or to old customs. It is against Modesty for a woman to marry a fecond Husband as long as the bears a burthen by the first, or to admit a second love while her funeral tears are not wiped from her cheeks. It is aEt meretrix gainst publick honesty to do some lawful actions of abigit tef. privacy on publick theatres, and therefore in such tem veloque feraque: ra- cases retirement is a duty of Modesty. ráque, si me- 7. Be grave, decent and modest in thy cloathing and mini, fornice rima ornament; never let it be above thy condition, nor always equal to it; never light or amorous, discovering a nakedness through a thin veil, which thou pretendest to hide, never to lay a snare for a foul; but remember what becomes a Christian, profeffing holiness, chastity, and the discipline of the holy Jefus: and the first effect of this let your servants feel by your

patet, Mart.

Tuta fit ornatrix: cdi quæ fauriat ora

Ungnibus, & rapsâ brachia figit acu. Devover, & tangit Dominæ caput illa, fimulque

Plorat ad invisas fanguinolenta comas.

Ovid.

to

gentleness and aptness be pleased with their usual diligence, and ordinary conduct,

For the man or woman that is dressed with anger and

impa

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