Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: A Character of King Charles the Second And Political Moral and Miscellaneous Thoughts and Reflections by Halifax George Savile Marquis Of
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page
Ebook has 546 lines and 27498 words, and 11 pages
A Prince used to War getteth a military Logick that is not very well suited to the Civil Administration.
If he maketh War successfully, he groweth into a Demi-God; if without Success, the World throweth him as much below Humanity as they had before set him above it.
A Hero must be sometimes allowed to make bold Strokes, without being fettered by strict Reason.
He is to have some generous Irregularities in his Reasoning, or else he will not be a good Thing of his Kind.
PRINCES .
When a Prince giveth any Man a very extravagant Reward, it looketh as if it was rather for an ill thing than a good one.
Both the Giver and Receiver are out of countenance where they are ill suited, and ill applyed.
Serving Princes will make Men proud at first, and humble at last.
Resolving to serve well, and at the same time resolving to please, is generally resolving to do what is not to be done.
A Man that will serve well must often rule the Master so hard that it will hurt him.
It is thought an unsociable Quality in a Court to do ones Duty better than other Men.
Nothing is less forgiven than setting Patterns Men have no mind to follow.
Men are so unwilling to displease a Prince, that it is as dangerous to inform him right, as to serve him wrong.
Where Men get by pleasing, and lose by serving, the choice is so easy that no body can miss it.
Men are so proud of Princes Secrets, that they will not see the danger of them.
When a Prince trusteth a Man with a dangerous Secret, he would not be sorry to hear the Bell toll for him.
The Heart of the Subjects yieldeth but a lean Crop where it is not cultivated by a wise Prince.
The Good-will of the Governed will be starved, if it is not fed by the good Conduct of the Governors.
Those who merit because they suffered, are so very angry with those that made them suffer, that though their Services may deserve Employment, their Temper rendereth them unfit for it.
The World dealeth with Ministers of State as they do with ill Fidlers, ready to kick them down Stairs for playing ill, though few of the Fault-finders understand their Musick enough to be good Judges.
A Minister who undertaketh to make his Master very great, if he faileth, is ruin'd for his folly; if he succeedeth, he is feared for his Skill.
A good Statesman may sometimes mistake as much by being too humble as by being too proud: He must take upon him in order to do his Duty, and not in order to the setting himself out.
A Minister is not to plead the King's Command for such things as he may in justice be supposed to have directed.
It is dangerous to serve where the Master hath the Privilege not to be blamed.
It is hard for a Prince to esteem the Parts of a Minister without either envying or fearing them; and less dangerous for a Minister to shew all the Weakness than all the Strength of his Understanding.
There are so many things necessary to make up a good Minister, that no wonder there are so few of them in the World.
There is hardly a rasher thing, than for a Man to venture to be a good Minister.
A Minister of State must have a Spirit of liberal Oeconomy, not a restrained Frugality.
He must enlarge his Family-Soul, and suit it to the bigger Compass of a Kingdom.
If the Boys were to choose a School-master, it should be one that would not whip them; the same thing if the Courtiers were to choose a Minister.
A Cunning Minister will engage his Master to begin with a small wrong Step, which will insensibly engage him in a great one.
A Man that hath the Patience to go by Steps, may deceive one much wiser than himself.
State-business is a cruel Trade; Good-nature is a Bungler in it.
Men in Business are in as much danger from those that work under them, as from those that work against them.
When the Instruments bend under the Weight of their Business, it is like a weak-legg'd Horse that brings his Rider down with him.
As when they are too weak they let a Man fall, so when they are too strong they throw him off.
If Men of Business did not forget how apt their Tools are to break or fail, they would shut up Shop.
Tools that are blunt cannot cut at all, and those that are sharp are apt to cut in the wrong place.
Great difference between a good Tool and a good Workman.
When the Tools will be Workmen they cut their own Fingers, and every body's else.
The more the weaker, may be as good a Proverb as, The more the merrier.
The lower Sort of Men must be indulged the Consolation of finding fault with those above them; without that, they would be so melancholy, that it would be dangerous, considering their Numbers.
They are too many to be told of their Mistakes, and for that Reason they are never to be cured of them.
The Body of the People are generally either so dead that they cannot move, or so mad that they cannot be reclaimed: to be neither all in a Flame, nor quite cold, requireth more Reason than great Numbers can ever attain.
The People can seldom agree to move together against a Government, but they can to sit still and let it be undone.
A Man that will head the Mob is like a Bull let loose, tyed about with Squibs and Crackers.
He must be half mad that goeth about it, yet at sometimes shall be too hard for all the wise Men in a Kingdom: For though good Sense speaketh against Madness, yet it is out of Countenance whenever it meets it.
The Thoughts of the People have no regular Motion, they come out by Starts.
There is an accumulative Cruelty in a number of Men, though none in particular are ill-natured.
The angry Buzz of a Multitude is one of the bloodiest Noises in the World.
An exact Administration, and good choice of proper Instruments doth insensibly make the Government in a manner absolute without assuming it.
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page