his head (I wondered what he meant), and, just at that time, one of them bid him kill me. With that I began to be afraid, and thought he was mad. He said he knew I could cure him, and therefore entreated me to give him something, for he was resolved he would go to nobody else. I perceiving what an opinion he had of me, and that it was only melancholy that troubled him, took him in hand, warranted him, if he would follow my directions, to cure him in a short time: I desired him to let me be alone about an hour, and then to come again which he was very willing to. In the mean time, I got a card, and lapped it up handsome in a piece of taffeta, and put strings to the taffeta; and when he came, gave it to him, to hang about his neck; withal charged him, that he should not disorder himself, neither with eating or drinking, but eat very little of supper, and say his prayers duly when he went to bed; and I made no question but he would be well in three or four days. Within that time I went to dinner to his house, and asked him how he did. He said he was much better, but not perfectly well, for, in truth, he had not dealt clearly with me; he had four devils in his head, and he perceived two of them were gone, with that which I had given him, but the other two troubled him still. "Well,” said I, "I

am glad two of them are gone; I make no doubt to get away the other two likewise." So I gave him another thing to hang about his neck. Three days after he came to me to my chamber, and professed he was now as well as ever he was in his life, and did extremely thank me for the great care I had taken of him. I, fearing lest he might relapse into the like distemper, told him that there was none but myself, and one physician more in the whole town that could cure the devils in the head, and that was Dr. Harvey, (whom I had prepared) and wished him, if ever he found himself ill in my absence, to go to him, for he could cure his disease as well as myself. The gentleman lived many years, and was never troubled after.

SELF-DENIAL.

Ir is much the doctrine of the times, that men should not please themselves, but deny themselves 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 duellists 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 are 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 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 lawful commands, nor is there any other measure of justice left upon earth but arms.

* Selden has elsewhere remarked, that "the divine law and Christianity teach otherwise." (The Duello, or Single Combat, chap. iv.) See likewise the Works of John Hales, vol. ii. p. 104. Barbeyrac, Recueil de Discours, tom. ii. p. 1., and Maffei, Della Scienza chiamata Cavalleresca, p. 61, 3za ediz. Venezia, 1716, 8vo.

EPITAPH.

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.