〃that　we　must　put　him　out；　he　is　a　wicked　fellow；　let　us　look　out　a　good
  one　in　his　room。〃　　Immediately　there　was　a　profound　silence；　every　one
  being　at　a　stand　whom　to　choose。　　But　one；　more　impudent　than　the　rest；
  having　named　his　man；　there　arose　yet　a　greater　consent　of　voices　against
  him；　an　hundred　imperfections　being　laid　to　his　charge；　and　as　many　just
  reasons　why　he　should　not　stand。　　These　contradictory　humours　growing
  hot；　it　fared　worse　with　the　second　senator　and　the　third；　there　being　as
  much　disagreement　in　the　election　of　the　new；　as　consent　in　the　putting
  out　of　the　old。　　In　the　end；　growing　weary　of　this　bustle　to　no　purpose；
  they　began；　some　one　way　and　some　another；　to　steal　out　of　the　assembly：
  every　one　carrying　back　this　resolution　in　his　mind；　that　the　oldest　and
  best　known　evil　was　ever　more　supportable　than　one　that　was；　new　and
  untried。
  Seeing　how　miserably　we　are　agitated　（for　what　have　we　not　done！）
  〃Eheu！　cicatricum；　et　sceleris　pudet；
  Fratrumque：　quid　nos　dura　refugimus
  AEtas？　　quid　intactum　nefasti
  Liquimus？　　Unde　manus　inventus
  Metu　Deorum　continuit？　　quibus
  Pepercit　aris。〃
  ＇〃Alas！　our　crimes　and　our　fratricides　are　a　shame　to　us！　　What
  crime　does　this　bad　age　shrink　from？　　What　wickedness　have　we　left
  undone？　　What　youth　is　restrained　from　evil　by　the　fear　of　the　gods？
  What　altar　is　spared？〃Horace；　Od。；　i。　　33；　35＇
  I　do　not　presently　conclude；
  〃Ipsa　si　velit　Salus；
  Servare　prorsus　non　potest　hanc　familiam；〃
  ＇〃If　the　goddess　Salus　herself　wish　to　save　this　family；　she
  absolutely　cannot〃Terence；　Adelph。；　iv。　7；　43。＇
  we　are　not；　peradventure；　at　our　last　gasp。　　The　conservation　of　states
  is　a　thing　that；　in　all　likelihood；　surpasses　our　understanding；a　civil
  government　is；　as　Plato　says；　a　mighty　and　puissant　thing；　and　hard　to　be
  dissolved；　it　often　continues　against　mortal　and　intestine　diseases；
  against　the　injury　of　unjust　laws；　against　tyranny；　the　corruption　and
  ignorance　of　magistrates；　the　licence　and　sedition　of　the　people。　　In　all
  our　fortunes；　we　compare　ourselves　to　what　is　above　us；　and　still　look
  towards　those　who　are　better：　but　let　us　measure　ourselves　with　what　is
  below　us：　there　is　no　condition　so　miserable　wherein　a　man　may　not　find　a
  thousand　examples　that　will　administer　consolation。　　'Tis　our　vice　that
  we　more　unwillingly　look　upon　what　is　above；　than　willingly　upon　what　is
  below；　and　Solon　was　used　to　say；　that　〃whoever　would　make　a　heap　of　all
  the　ills　together；　there　is　no　one　who　would　not　rather　choose　to　bear
  away　the　ills　he　has　than　to　come　to　an　equal　division　with　all　other　men
  from　that　heap；　and　take　his　share。〃　　Our　government　is；　indeed；　very
  sick；　but　there　have　been　others　more　sick　without　dying。　　The　gods　play
  at　ball　with　us　and　bandy　us　every　way：
  〃Enimvero　Dii　nos　homines　quasi　pilas　habent。〃
  The　stars　fatally　destined　the　state　of　Rome　for　an　example　of　what　they
  could　do　in　this　kind：　in　it　are　comprised　all　the　forms　and　adventures
  that　concern　a　state：　all　that　order　or　disorder；　good　or　evil　fortune；
  can　do。　　Who；　then；　can　despair　of　his　condition；　seeing　the　shocks　and
  commotions　wherewith　Rome　was　tumbled　and　tossed；　and　yet　withstood　them
  all？　　If　the　extent　of　dominion　be　the　health　of　a　state　（which　I　by　no
  means　think　it　is；　and　Isocrates　pleases　me　when　he　instructs　Nicocles
  not　to　envy　princes　who　have　large　dominions；　but　those　who　know　how　to
  preserve　those　which　have　fallen　into　their　hands）；　that　of　Rome　was
  never　so　sound；　as　when　it　was　most　sick。　　The　worst　of　her　forms　was　the
  most　fortunate；　one　can　hardly　discern　any　image　of　government　under　the
  first　emperors；　it　is　the　most　horrible　and　tumultuous　confusion　that　can
  be　imagined；　it　endured　it；　notwithstanding；　and　therein　continued；
  preserving　not　a　monarchy　limited　within　its　own　bounds；　but　so　many
  nations　so　differing；　so　remote；　so　disaffected；　so　confusedly　commanded；
  and　so　unjustly　conquered：
  〃Nec　gentibus　ullis
  Commodat　in　populum；　terra　pelagique　potentem；
  Invidiam　fortuna　suam。〃
  ＇〃Fortune　never　gave　it　to　any　nation　to　satisfy　its　hatred　against
  the　people；　masters　of　the　seas　and　of　the　earth。〃Lucan；　i。　32。＇
  Everything　that　totters　does　not　fall。　　The　contexture　of　so　great　a　body
  holds　by　more　nails　than　one；　it　holds　even　by　its　antiquity；　like　old
  buildings；　from　which　the　foundations　are　worn　away　by　time；　without
  rough…cast　or　mortar；　which　yet　live　and　support　themselves　by　their　own
  weight：
  〃Nec　jam　validis　radicibus　haerens；
  Pondere　tuta　suo　est。〃
  Moreover；　it　is　not　rightly　to　go　to　work；　to　examine　only　the　flank　and
  the　foss；　to　judge　of　the　security　of　a　place；　we　must　observe　which　way
  approaches　can　be　made　to　it；　and　in　what　condition　the　assailant　is：　few
  vessels　sink　with　their　own　weight；　and　without　some　exterior　violence。
  Now；　let　us　everyway　cast　our　eyes；　everything　about　us　totters；　in　all
  the　great　states；　both　of　Christendom　and　elsewhere；　that　are　known　to
  us；　if　you　will　but　look；　you　will　there　see　evident　menace　of　alteration
  and　ruin：
  〃Et　sua　sunt　illis　incommoda；　parque　per　omnes
  Tempestas。〃
  ＇〃They　all　share　in　the　mischief；　the　tempest　rages
  everywhere。〃AEneid；　ii。＇
  Astrologers　may　very　well；　as　they　do；　warn　us　of　great　revolutions　and
  imminent　mutations：　their　prophecies　are　present　and　palpable；　they　need
  not　go　to　heaven　to　foretell　this。　　There　is　not　only　consolation　to　be
  extracted　from　this　universal　combination　of　ills　and　menaces；　but；
  moreover；　some　hopes　of　the　continuation　of　our　state；　forasmuch　as；
  naturally；　nothing　falls　where　all　falls：　universal　sickness　is
  particular　health：　conformity　is　antagonistic　to　dissolution。　　For　my
  part；　I　despair　not；　and　fancy　that　I　discover　ways　to　save　us：
  〃Deus　haec　fortasse　benigna
  Reducet　in　sedem　vice。〃
  ＇〃The　deity　will　perchance　by　a　favourable　turn　restore　us　to　our
  former　position。〃Horace；　Epod。；　xiii。　7。＇
  Who　knows　but　that　God　will　have　it　happen；　as　in　human　bodies　that　purge
  and　restore　themselves　to　a　better　state　by　long　and　grievous　maladies；
  which　render　them　more　entire　and　perfect　health　than　that　they　took　from
  them？　　That　which　weighs　the　most　with　me　is；　that　in　reckoning　the
  symptoms　of　our　ill；　I　see　as　many　natural　ones；　and　that　Heaven　sends
  us；　and　properly　its　own；　as　of　those　that　our　disorder　and　human
  imprudence　contribute　to　it。　　The　very　stars　seem　to　declare　that　we　have
  already　continued　long　enough；　and　beyond　the　ordinary　term。　　This　also
  afflicts　me；　that　the　mischief　which　nearest　threatens　us；　is　not　an
  alteration　in　the　entire　and　solid　mass；　but　its　dissipation　and
  divulsion；　which　is　the　most　extreme　of　our　fears。
  I；　moreover；　fear；　in　these　fantasies　of　mine；　the　treachery　of　my
  memory；　lest；　by　inadvertence；　it　should　make　me　write　the　same　thing
  twice。　　I　hate　to　examine　myself；　and　never　review；　but　very　unwillingly；
  what　has　once　escaped　my　pen。　　I　here　set　down　nothing　new。　　These　are
  common　thoughts；　and　having；　peradventure；　conceived　them　an　hundred
  times；　I　am　afraid　I　have　set　them　down　somewhere　else　already。
  Repetition　is　everywhere　troublesome；　though　it　were　in　Homer；　but　'tis
  ruinous　in　things　that　have　only　a　superficial　and　transitory　show。　　I　do
  not　love　over…insisting；　even　in　the　most　profitable　things；　as　in
  Seneca；　and　the　usage　of　his　stoical　school　displeases　me；　to　repeat；
  upon　every　subject；　at　full　length　and　width　the　principles　and
  presuppositions　that　serve　in　general；　and　always　to　realledge　anew
  common　and　universal　reasons。
  My　memory　grows　cruelly　worse　every　day：
  〃Pocula　Lethaeos　ut　si　ducentia　somnos；
  Arente　fauce　traxerim；〃
  ＇〃As　if　my　dry　throat　had　drunk　seducing　cups　of　Lethaean
  oblivion。〃Horace；　Epod。；　xiv。　3。＇
  I　must　be　fain　for　the　time　to　come　（for　hitherto；　thanks　be　to　God；
  nothing　has　happened　much　amiss）；　whereas　others　seek　time　and
  opportunity　to　think　of　what　they　have　to　say；　to　avoid　all　preparation；
  for　fear　of　tying　myself　to　some　obligation　upon　which　I　must　insist。　　To
  be　tied　and　bound　to　a　thing　puts　me　quite　out；　and　to　depend　upon　so
  weak　an　instrument　as　my　memory。　　I　never　read　this　following　story　that
  I　am　not　offended　at　it　with　a　personal　and　natural　resentment：
  Lyncestes；　accused　of　conspiracy　against　Alexander；　the　day　that　he　was
  brought　out　before　the　army；　according　to　the　custom；　to　be　heard　as　to
  what　he　could　say　for　himself；　had　learned　a　studied　speech；　of　which；
  hesitating　and　stammering；　he　pronounced　some　words。　　Whilst　growing　more
  and　more　perplexed；　whilst　struggling　with　his　memory；　and　trying　to
  recollect　what　he　had　to　say；　the　soldiers　nearest　to　him　charged　their
  pikes　against　him　and　killed　him；　looking　upon　him　as　convict；　his
  confusion　and　silence　served　them　for　a　confession；　for　ha