nor any other company than of beasts, more inno cent, for the most part, than the men from whose conversation they retired: which unhappy reason might in this degenerated age of licence persuade many to retire to the same solitude, but omnia nobis mala solitudo persuadet, and there is no such man in the world, that is known and cared for, that owns and avows such a solitude; and the little number of hermits that yet inhabit the world, are the most absurd, ignorant, stupid creatures that can be seen; and sufficiently manifest the weari ness they have of being alone, by the content they take to be seen and spoken to; and exactly make good the old observation, that there is a race of men, cui non satius sit cum quolibet esse quam secum: which is the best, how lamentable excuse soever, that too many men have for never being alone. We will suppose, therefore, that the meaning of this comparison, or rather enquiry into the preference of an active or a contemplative life, is, to enquire whether a man who engages himself in the business of the world, and by degrees comes into the administration of a great part of it, doth by this activity become a better member of the state in which he lives, attains to be a wiser man, and finds within himself a greater tranquillity and consolation of mind; or whether he who declines the experience of worldly actions, or bearing any

part in the managery of them, and retires to the read ing the best and the wisest books, and to the conversation that such a retirement is like to give him the opportunity of, may not thereby arrive to faculties, which may equally enable him to advance the honour, and service, and benefit of his country; to a wisdom more infallible, by the advantage he hath of leisure to peruse the best books, in which he is conversant with the manners and dispositions and natures of all nations, as well as with their actions and lives, and often finds this very question disputed and determined; and from these inquisitions, and the observations which will naturally occur to a dispassionate considerer, may not at least equally result such a serenity of mind, such a mastery of all inconvenient affections and passions, as may constitute that knowledge, and peace, and quiet, that is the comfort and blessing of the highest conditions of life. And I conceive, from the question thus stated, and upon the several branches thereof, all things may be said, which are pertinent to the full consideration of this argument. But then we must first agree upon the signification of all terms and expressions which we shall use, and upon such equal concessions to both, as may not give such qualifications to the one above the other, as may make him superior at the first moment of entering into the lists: as we must not

suppose him who is dedicated to contemplation to be rude and illiterate, for then books will yield him no more observation than stones will do; nor the other of an active mind to be of an infirm or diseased body, which will put a quick end to his activity. We must then suppose them to be equally qualified for the work they have to do; that he who designs an active life, hath those parts and faculties which contribute most to the advance ment of that design; I speak of those parts and faculties which are his own, and from within, not those from without, in the assistance of friends and patrons; and that the other, who retires to contemplation, is as well qualified towards it, that he hath at least a love of learning, and an inclination to industry: and then in God's name let their several advantages by nature, the warmth and fire in the one, and the phlegm and melancholy in the other, assist and contribute all they can to the lustre and perfection of each. We will, in the first place, begin with the survey of our contemplative man, because we shall be longer in finding him out; for the thing not being so easily reduced to a definition, the person cannot so easily be found. It shall suffice, that we look upon our contemplative man as a person without having ever undergone a part in business, and without any other knowledge relating thereunto, than he attains to in

books, and by that kind of conversation that is natural to that retirement; and I have given him at least as large a field to exercise himself in as any man hath challenged: and we look upon an active man, as one who is so much engaged, entangled, and even oppressed with business, that he hath not time and leisure to retire to any other kind of contemplation, than every honest man (how busy soever) enjoys from the reflection and observation which he makes from his own and the actions of other men; which is as narrow a circle as we can contain him in: and we will see which of these trees bear the better fruit.

We have got the start from our man of business by the testimony of the son of Sirach, "The wisdom of a learned man cometh by the opportunity of leisure, and he that hath little business shall become wise;" and yet it seems he would have him have some; he doth not say, he that hath none: and no doubt by a little, he means business enough, so much as may contribute to wisdom. The determination of the philosopher will hold good to the world's end, and he was friend enough to retirement, imperfectum et languidum bonum est in otio sine actu projecta virtus: it must be the good, and not the ease, the contemplative life produces; and the wisdom and public benefit, not the private wealth, that results from the active life, that must

determine this controversy. It would very much advance this discourse, if, towards the more perfect modelling it, we could agree upon some instance of a particular man, or a race of men, who in such a contemplative life had yielded such fruit and benefit to their countries, as have preserved their memories still fresh to posterity; or who being called out of it to serve their country in any active employment, have brought those ready parts and faculties, as have equalled all that experience hath supplied, and been crowned with success in councils and enterprises equal to those who have had the advantage of the contrary kind of education. Of this last sort I doubt very few examples will be brought, except they call up some of those old Greek and Roman officers, who, either from the satiety they had of action, and unwillingness to lose any of the honour they had gotten, or from the oppressions they underwent, retired from the noise and trouble of all courts and camps, to a solitude that may properly be called rather recollection than contemplation; and of this sort of men instances enough may be given both ancient and modern, of many excellent persons who have with great glory and success returned into the greatest crowd of business of all natures; but all these carried the same virtue and wisdom with them into the retirement that they brought back from thence,