drowned in the pleasures of ease and idleness; but against France awakened, grown watchful and wise; against men, whom a long war has made martial, and taught to be as good soldiers, perhaps, as are in the world; and against men, who have taken the strongest towns in Christendom, with greater facility, and defended them, with greater obstinacy, than any of their enemies, with whom they have hitherto been contending.

In my opinion, the contempt of a crafty enemy is one of the greatest advantages you can give him, and he who commands valiant men, as the English are, need not be afraid to make them sensible of danger. It will rather serve to inflame, than abate their natural courage; whereas, if they be taught to slight their enemy, they will be apt to think of a victory without labour, without dangers; such an imagination will teach them to be careless, and carelesness will lay them open to inevitable ruin and destruction. But you must not dwell too long on this subject, you must put them in mind, that, although the French are politick and powerful, they are yet very far from invincible; their courage will give way, when attacked by men of resolution, who are not afraid of dying (the truth whereof appears by the shock and disappointment they lately received before Mons.) And atchievements against them will be so much more glorious, by how much they seem more difficult and dangerous.

Remember your soldiers how unkindly the French used some of their fellows, who had faithfully served them many years, and to whom they owed a good part of their success. Use any arguments which may heighten their courage, or whet revenge, to a sharp and vigorous prosecution; and always let them know, they are in a place, where they must owe their safety and success, and the very bread they eat, only to the effects of their own valour and vigilance.

The season for action, this year, is now almost over, however you should not be absent from your men oftener, or longer than you need, although you have nothing for them to do; for vulgar minds are generally busy, and depraved, and will rather be contriving ill, than doing nothing. It will therefore be an act worthy your prudence, to exercise them at convenient times (above what is usual) in matches at leaping, running, wrestling, shooting at marks, or any other manly and inno cent sports, which may render them healthy, and hardy, and give them no leisure to study mutinies, or other mischief.

If thus by your example, by the strictness of your discipline, by the veneration you shew religion, by the encouragement you afford the dispenser of it, you can persuade or compel your men to live well and temperate, you will find when you come to fight, that soldiers so well paid and provided for, so kindly used, and so strictly disciplined, and prudently managed, will enter trenches, mount walls and fortifications, endure steadily the shock of enemies, run upon the mouths of cannons, and perform actions becoming gallant men, even such as seem to others impossible.

FOR YOUR OWN PART.

As long as you have a superior commander, you must be a punctual observer of orders, and, when you are employed on any particular

1

design, endeavour to get your orders in writing; so may you best avoid committing mistakes, and best secure yourself from fathering the mistakes of other men. In any thing, especially if the hazard be eminent, never attempt less than you are commanded, and, without a very good reason, do not attempt more; for, in such case, if it succeed well, you shall only share the honour; but, if ill, you shall bear all the blame by yourself.

In a word, when it depends on your choice be wary in undertaking, speedy in prosecuting your design: Caution in resolution, and quickness in execution, being the two greatest characters of a wise man.

Thus, my dear friend, I have touched upon several particulars, which I did not think of, when I first set pen to paper, and doubt I have too much exceeded the limits of a modest letter; and perhaps a part, if not all of it, will be rendered useless to you, by a general peace, which is the end of his majesty's arming; and if it can be had on safe and reasonable terms, without more contending, is that which all good men ought to wish and pray for. If it happen otherwise, I shall then venture to write you something else, in another strain, which for the present is not convenient. I hope you will accept kindly, what is kindly intended, from

Aug. 30th. 1678.

Your faithful Friend and Servant.

A LETTER FROM A MINISTER TO HIS

FRIEND,

CONCERNING THE GAME OF CHESS.

From a broad side, printed at London, in the year 1680.

I

SIR,

Here send you my reasons for my disusing and declining the game of chess. This I premise, that I think recreation to be in itself lawful, yea, that like physick it is to some persons, and in some cases very needful. Also that this game of chess is not only lawful, but it may be the most ingenious and delightful that ever was invented. Others seem to be calculated for children, this for men; in most others there is much of contingency, in this there is nothing but art. But, though it be never so lawful and eligible in itself, yet to me it is inexpedient. And there are some particular reasons why I am fallen out with this exercise, and, I believe, shall never be reconciled to it again; and they are such as follow:

I. It is a great time-waster: How many precious hours (which can never be recalled) have I profusely spent in this game? O chess, I will be avenged of thee for the loss of my time! It is a true saying, that it is more necessary thriftiness to be sparing and saving of time

than of money. One offered on his death-bed a world of wealth, for an inch of time; and another, with great earnestness, cried out, when she lay a dying, Call time again! Call time again! This I heard, says a worthy minister, and I think the sound of it will be in my ears so long as I live.

II. It hath had with me a fascinating property; I have been be witched by it; when I have begun, I have not had the power to give over. Though a thing be never so lawful, yet I ought not to suffer myself to be brought under the power of it. I will not use it till I find I can refuse it. Reason and religion shall order my recreation.

III. It hath not done with me, when I have done with it. It hath followed me into my study, into my pulpit; when I have been praying or preaching, I have (in my thoughts) been playing at chess; then I have had, as it were, a chess-board before my eyes; then I have been thinking how I might have obtained the stratagems of my antagonist, or make such and such motions to his disadvantage; nay, I have heard of one who was playing at chess in his thoughts (as appeared by his words) when he lay a dying.

IV. It hath caused me to break many solemn resolutions, nay, vows and promises. Sometimes I have obliged myself, in the most solemn manner, to play but so many mates at a time, or with any one person, and anon I have broken these obligations and promises, and after vows of that kind I have made enquiry how I might evade them; and have sinfully prevaricated in that matter; and that not once only but often.

V. It hath wounded my conscience, and broken my peace. I have had sad reflexions upon it, when I have been most serious. I find, if I were now to die, the remembrance of this game would greatly trouble me, and stare me in the face. I have read in the life of the famous John Huss, how he was greatly troubled, for his using of this game, a little before his death.

VI. My using of it hath been scandalous and offensive to others. Some godly friends (as I have understood) have been grieved by it; and others (as I have reason to fear) have been hardened by it. Great inconveniences have arisen from the places where, and the persons with whom I have used this game.

VII. My using of it hath occasioned much sin, as passion, strife, idle (if not lying) words, in myself or my antagonist, or both. It hath caused the neglect of many duties both to God and man.

VIII. My using of it doth evince, I have little self-denial in me. If I cannot deny myself in a foolish game, how can I think I either do or shall deny myself in greater matters? How shall I forsake all for

Christ, when I cannot forsake a recreation for him?

IX. My using it is altogether needless and unnecessary to me. As it hinders my soul's health, so it doth not further my bodily health. Such is my constitution (being corpulent and phlegmatick) that, if I need any exercise, it is that, which is stirring and labouring. Í can

• Being a minister of the gospel, and charged with the care of souls.

not propound any end to myself in the use of it, but the pleasing of my flesh.

X. My using of it hath occasioned (at times) some little expence of money. This is the least, and therefore I mention it last. I should think much to give that to relieve others wants, that I have wasted this way at several times upon my own wantonness.

I conclude with the passage of Mr. Baxter, in his Christian Direc. tion, p. 464. Thus he writes: 'I know not one person of an hum 'dred, or of many hundreds, that needeth any game at all, there are 'such variety of better exercises at hand to recreate them. And it ' is a sin to idle away any time, which we can better improve. I confess, 'my own nature was as much addicted to playfulness as most, and my judgment alloweth so much recreation as is needful to my health and labour, and no more; but for all that, I find no need of any " game to recreate me. When my mind wants recreation, I have ' variety of recreating books, and friends, and business to do; that, when my body needeth not it, the hardest labour, that I can bear, is my best recreation; walking is instead of games and sports, as profitable to my body, and more to my mind. If I am alone, 'I may improve that time in meditation; if with others, I may improve it in profitable chearful conference. I condemn not all sports and games in others, but I find none of them all to be best for myself. And when I observe how far the temper and life of Christ, and his best servants, was from such recreations, I avoid 'them with the more suspicion. And I see but few but distaste it in ministers (even shooting, bowling, and such more healthful games, to say nothing of these and such others as fit not the end of recrea tion) therefore, there is somewhat in it that nature itself hath some suspicion of. That student, that needeth chess or cards to ( please his mind, I doubt hath a carnal empty mind; if God, and 'all his books, and all his friends, &c. cannot suffice for this, there is some disease in it that should rather be cured than ' pleased. And for the body, it is another kind of exercise that profits it.'

THE

CHARACTER OF AN ILL COURT-FAVOURITE:

Representing the mischiefs that flow from Ministers of State, when they are more great than good;

THE ARTS THEY USE TO SEDUCE THEIR MASTERS, AND THE UNHAPPINESS OF PRINCES,

THAT ARE CURSED WITH SUCH DESTRUCTIVE SERVANTS.

Translated out of French.

Quarto, containing twenty-two pages. London, printed in the reign of King Charles the Second.

HE

E that stands by, and observes the simple addresses and sedulous applications of courtiers; how greedily men, reputed to be wise, sell their liberties, and sacrifice their time; with what patience they undergo attendance, more grievous than the toil of Algier galley-slaves, or popish pilgrims, will be ready to imagine, that it must needs be some wonderous mystery, which deserves such superstition; nor can expect less than the philosopher's stone, where he sees so many furnaces set on work, and so rare alchymists engaged.

If he cast but a superficial eye on the lofty flights of the favourites of princes, how, in effect, they manage all the reins of the commonwealth, though their masters sit in the saddle; how they give laws to the people, by recommending judges; nay, bias religion itself, by bestowing ecclesiastical dignities, and the fattest benefices, and make the bravest swordmen kiss their feet, since they can neither get, nor hold any command of honour and profit, but through their good graces.

He, I say, that remarks all this, and also how their seeming virtues, and, perhaps, but imaginary abilities, are magnified and multiplied, and even their errors, with veneration, concealed, extenuated, or justified; with what ease they trample upon their adversaries, and prefer their dependants, how can he refrain from drawing at so tempting a lottery, or escape those delicious charms, which would almost delude a Stoick to mistake such a fortune for his summum bonum?

But, alas, these are only outsides, to amuse the ignorant; these stately escutcheons serve but to hide a dead corpse, and these excellent odours to perfume a sepulchre: the factions wherewith every court and state is perpetually pregnant; the envy and emulation, which, though not so loud, is yet, perhaps, fiercer than open war; the spies which (like eunuchs in Turky) are there set upon all men's actions, and the