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Shewing the great Excellency and Advantages of this Kind of Science.

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AVING, in the former part of the fubject, laid open fome of the main branches of Self-knowledge, or pointed out the principal things which a man ought to be acquainted with, relating to himself; I am now, reader, to lay before you the excellency and useful

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ness of this kind of knowledge, (as an inducement to labour after it) by a detail of the feveral great advantages attending it, which fhall be recounted in the following chapters.

I.

CHA P. I.

Self-Knowledge the Spring of Self-poffeffion.

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NE great advantage of Self-knowledge is that it gives a man the trueft and moft conftant felf-poffeffion.

A man that is endowed with this excellent knowledge is calm and easy.

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(1.) Under affronts and defamation; for he thinks thus: I am fure I know myself ⚫ better than any man can pretend to know " me. This calumniator hath, indeed, at ⚫ this time miffed his mark, and shot his arrows at random; and it is my comfort, ⚫ that my confcience acquits me of his angry imputation. However, there are worse crimes which he might more justly accuse me of; which, though hid from him, are known to myfelf: let me fet about reforming them; left, if they come to his notice, he fhould attack me in a more defenceless part, find fomething on which

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• to faften his obloquy, and fix a lafting reproach upon my character' (f):

There is much truth and good sense in that common saying and doctrine of the Stoics, though they might carry it too far, that it is not things, but thoughts, that disturb and hurt us (g). (β). Now as felf-acquaintance

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(f) Εαν τις σοι απαγγείλη, ότι ο δεινα σε κακως λέγει, μη απολογο προς τα λεχθέντα αλλ αποκρίνο, ότι ηγνοει γαρ τα αλλα προσοντα μας κακα, επει εκ αν ταύζα μόνα ελεγεν. Εpit. Ench. cap. 48. If you are told that another reviles you, do not go about to vindicate yourfelf, but reply thus; My other faults I find are hid from him, elfe I fhould have heard of them too.

(8) Παράσσει τις ανθρώπες, κ τα πραγματα, αλλά τα περι των πραγματών δογματα. Id. cap. 10. It is not things, but mens' opinions of things that difturb them.

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Μέμνησο ιτι ουκ ο λοιδορών ή τυπίων υβρίζει, αλλά το δόγμα το περί τούτων ως υβριζούλων. Id. cap. 27. Remember, it is not he that reviles or affaults you, that injures you, but your thinking that they have injured you. Σε γας αλλος ου βλάψει, αν με συ θελης τότε δε εση βαβλαμμένος, όλα υπολαβης βλαπζεσθαι. Id. pag. 37. No man can hurt you, unless you pleafe to let him; then only are you hurt when you think yourfelf fo.

Τα πραγματα ουκ απίεζαν της ψυχής, αλλ εξω εςηκεν αγρεμουνία αι δε οχλήσεις εκ μόνης της ενδον υπολήψεως, Marc. Anton. Med. lib. 4. § 3. N 3 Things

teaches a man the right government of the thoughts, (as is fhown above, Part I. Chap. XIV.) it will help him to expel all anxious tormenting and fruitlefs thoughts, and to retain the most quieting and useful ones; and thereby keep all eafy within. Let a man but try the experiment, and he will find, that a little refolution will make the greatest part of the difficulty vanish.

(2.) Self-Knowledge will be a good ballaft to the mind, under any accidental hurry or diforder of the paffions: It curbs their impetuofity, puts the reins into the hands of reafon, quells the rifing ftorm, ere it make fhipwreck of the conscience, and teaches a man to leave off contention before it be meddled with*; being much fafer to keep the lion chained, than to encounter it in its full ftrength and fury. And thus

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Things do not touch the mind, but ftand quietly without; the vexation comes from within, from our fufpicions only. — Again, Τα πραγματα αυτα και οπωσική ψυχής απλέξαι δε έχει εισοδου προς ψυχην δε τρεψαι εδε κινησαι ψυχην δυναζαι τρέπει δε και κινει αυτη εαυτήν μόνη. Id. lib. 5. § 19. Things themfelves cannot affect the mind; for they have no entrance into it, to turn and move it. It is the mind alone that turns and moves itfelf.

* Prov. xvii. 14.

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