Counsel of the old Men, which they had given him, and confulted with the young Men that were grown up with him, and which flood before him. By which Proceeding he loft Ten Tribes out of the Twelve that compofed his Kingdom. And Jeroboam, having render'd himself Master of them, Reign'd over them with a defpotick Power.

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CHAPTER IV.

That a Favourite never ought to abuse the Fa vour of his Mafter.

THE

HERE was a Perfon of Quality, who took no greater Pleasure, than in playing the Buffoon with fome Drolls and Mimicks he had about him. One while a Young Puppy was all his Delight, but he put him off for Tearing his SilkStocking one Day as they were playing. Then he took to a Parrot, who was difcharg'd alfo, for not fpeaking fome Days he was indifpofed. Then a Gamefome Ape he kept won his Heart by his Apifh Tricks: This Ape took his Mafter one Day upon the merry Pin, and got a Deputation from him to do whatsoever he had a Mind to, in his Mafter's Jurifdiction, for the Space of one whole Day; he began the Freak among the Pages and Lacquayes; his next Step was to the Women's Dreffes, and fo by Degrees he went higher and higher, till he came to dip in the fame Plate with his Mafter; from this Liberty he advanced to Kiffing and Coakefing of him, riding upon his Shoulders, and playing his Tricks upon his very Head, and his Malter wonderfully pleafed all this while with the Frolick: in the Confidence of this Freedom the Ape told him, That the Barber bad left three or four Hairs out of Order in his Beard, which, with his Leave, be could fet right, he thought; his Mafter bad him do it, and welcome, and in that Inftant he pluckt off one of his Whiskers, but was turn'd out of the Houfe for it, with Shame and Indignation.

THE

The MORA L.

Our Likings, or Diflikes, are founded rather upon Humour and Fancy, than upon Reafon. Every Thing pleases at firft, and nothing pleafes long; to change without Reason is a Mark of Levity. Flattery and Grimmaces often make a deeper Impreffion on the Mind of great Perfons, than Prudence and Wifdom. An indifcreet Man always takes more Liberty than his Patron defigns to grant him; in fine, a too great Freedom and Liberty commonly haften the Ruin of a Favourite.

"

Every Favourite will acknowledge, that the readiest Way to forfeit the Favour of his Prince, is to ufurp a greater Power than his Mafter defigns he fhould; and nevertheless, most of them, by an Excefs of Vanity and Ambition, expose themselves to that Danger. We have no longer Regard to thofe juft Sentiments, when once we are arriv'd to the Height of Honour: We are dazled at the Splendor of a Crown. What we just now defired fo eagerly, becomes indifferent to us; like Children, we cry after new Play-things, which we grow weary of, and throw away; we are diverted with the bounded Profpect, 'till we arrive at the Top of the Hill, where our Views are enlarged, and only terminated by the Immenfity of the Heavens.

Experience fhews, that the chiefelt Ingredient to render a Favourite Odious, is an ambitious Defire to have an abfolute Government of Affairs; this renders him difcontented with all his Prince does for him, makes him envy all that are above him, and leads him to the very fupplanting the Au thor of his Greatnefs. Sejanus and Cleander afpir'd to the greateft Honours in Rome, tho' they were both difappointed in their Purfuit.

Sejanus

Sejanus had gain'd the good Graces of Tiberius by his Policy, flattering Behaviour, and dangerous Compliances; afterwards his Ambition prompted him to make away, by Degrees, with all who feem'd to share, or leffen his Favour; he deftroy'd the Prince's whole Family, and contriv'd the Execution of all that might have, or lay any Claim to the Empire. Now as he had but one Step to go further, and to lay his Benefactor in his Grave, by an untimely Death; Tiberius, who was vigilant and lookt about him, because the Grandeur of Sejanus kept him in a continual Diffidence, prevented him when he leaft expected it, and had him executed by an Order of the Senate, that very Day he expected the Empire.

Cleander was fold as a Slave, but on the account of the Agreeableness of his Manners, his genteel Carriage, and his natural Compliance, he was made a Present of to the Emperor Commodus; who being a vicious Tyrant, abandon'd to the moft filthy Luft, and One who thought that Time loft he employ'd in the Affairs of the Republick, entrufted Cleander with the Adminiftration of the most important Concerns, and fuffer'd him to have fo great an Authority, that he render'd himself infenfibly Matter of his whole Court, Guards, and his own Perfon. From that time all his Thoughts were to open himself a Way to the Throne, by gaining the Love of the People, and getting rid of his Master, and in order to effect his Defign, he bought a vaft Quantity of Corn in a great Scarcity, thinking that by filling the Belly of the Hunger-Starv'd Romans, he fhould oblige them to Fight for him; but it happen'd on the contrary, as an over-ruling Providence would have it, that the People, fuppofing him to be the Occafion of that publick Dearth, rofe on a fudden, and put him to Death.

There

There is another Sort of Infolence, for which an indifcreet Favourite commonly pays dear, and that is, when he speaks without Respect, or his Words, and Behaviour feem to diminish the Prince's Authority; or in a boafting Manner endeavours to fhew his Weakness, cenfuring his Actions, retrenching his Liberalities, or making him recant of what he had faid, to fhew with Oftentation the Afcendant he has gain'd. The High-Constable of Luna, who of all the Favourites has carry'd it higheft, whenever the King had order'd, or given any thing of his own proper Motion, instead of endeavouring to reform his unreafonable Orders, refpectfully representing to him, that they could not be executed without a manifeft Detriment to the State, and his Majefty, did on the contrary proclaim loudly and publickly, that the King's Liberalities could not reach so far, and that he understood the State of his Affairs better than he did Himself.

Admiral Chabot, being threaten'd by Francis the I. to be put into the Hands of his Parliament, anfwer'd him with too much Freedom, that he defir'd no better Usage, and even required, that his Life might be strictly examin'd, that his Majesty might not have room any longer, to doubt of his Innocence and Loyalty. The King took thofe Words for Bravado, and was fo exafperated against him, that he would have certainly loft both Life, and Honour, if his noble and generous Actions had not protected him, but however, his Arrogance depriv'd him for ever of the good Graces of his Prince.

Another Defect, or Vice, no more pardonable in a Favourite, is when Abufing of the too great Liberty allow'd him, he fets up for a morofe Controller, or a proud Cenfurer of his Mafter's Imperfections