ing them correctly, and punctually to af fign his own thoughts to every author. Having given fome account of this work, it may be no unnatural tranfition to fay fomething of its merits and utility. It is a kind of body instinct with foul in every part. Wherever you open it, you are in the heart of your fubject: Every leaf includes many leffons, and is a fyftem of knowledge in a few lines. It is a guide in the actions, paffions, fortunes, misfortunes, and all the viciffitudes, of life. The merely fpeculative may here find experience; the flattered, truth; the diffident, refolution; the prefumptuous, modefty; the oppreffor, mercy; the proud, humility; and the power ful, juftice. Youth and age may improve equally by confulting it: The one it directs, the other it admonishes: Whilft it amends the heart, it informs the head, and is, at the fame time, the rule of virtue, and the ftandard of poetical eloquence; efpecially to thofe who can difcern delicacy of wit, dignity of fentiment, and fublimity of thought, through antiquated modes of speech, and the language of an age ago. A Shakespear's Yorkshire Tragedy. Is't not enough now, but the night's to play : And while our 'states, ftrength, body and mind we waste; He that no more, for age, cramps, palfies, can I would not have thee fell thy fubftance, VO L. II. B Thofe Thofe dicing houfes; that stand never well, Dekker's Second Part of the Honeft Whore. If yet thou love game at fo dear a rate, Learn this, that hath old gamefters dearly coft ; Doft lofe? Rife up: Doft win? Rife in that state: Who ftrive to fit out lofing hands are lost. Game is a civil gun-powder, in peace Blowing up houfes with their whole increase. Herbert. 1. Hath fir Thomas loft five hundred pounds With fums that frighted me; here one fneaks out, Commands a pipe of good tobacco, and The bones vault o'er his head, fwears that ill throwing A bone-fetter that looks to th’box, to bid His masters fend him fome more hundred pounds, That went their fmelts a-piece upon his hand, Yet fwears he has not drawn a stake these seven years. Shirley's Lady of Pleasure. GEN This is the hell of all gamesters, I think ; 3 Wilkins's Miferies of enforced Marriage. Some play for gain; to pass time, others play For nothing; both do play the fool, I fay: Nor time or coin I'll lofe, or idly fpend; Who gets by play, proves lofer in the end. Heath's Claraftella. GENERAL. Who now beholds The royal captain of this ruin'd band Walking from watch to watch, from tent to tent, How dread an army hath enrounded him ; His lib'ral eye doth give to ev'ry one, Thawing cold fear. Shakespear's King Henry V. What had his arms been, without my arm, That with its motion, made the whole field move? And this held up, we ftill had victory. When over-charg'd with numbers his few friends B 2 That That having loft his eye, ftruck ev'ry way, A commander must Ufe pretty cheats, dark ftratagems devife; If not perfidious, they are not unjust: Courageous Edward fpurs their valour on, Aleyn's Crefcey, And chears his fprightful foldiers: Where he came His breath did kindle valour, where was none; And where it found a fpark, it made a flame. Armies of fearful harts will fcorn to yield, If lions be their captains in the field. We may confider Aleyn's Crefcey. The Carthaginian gen'ral, is a man Nabbs's Hannibal and Scipio. Yet did the king, almoft forfaken quite Nor |