dread nothing more than Accommodations; Amil car obliged his Son Hannibal, when as yet but a Child, to profess himself, by a moft folemn Vow upon the facred Altars, an implacable Enemy and Adverfary to the Roman State, as it were repeat. ing in fome Measure thofe dire Imprecations which Dido poured out against the Trojans, when fhe found herself abandon'd by Aneas. Francis the First, being highly incens'd against Montmorency, High-Constable of France, gave his Son, Henry the Second, ftri&t Charge never to recal him to Court, or any Ways imploy him in his Service; which Injunction, as it was in itself unreafonable, and proceeded more from paffionate Heat, than confiderate Advice, fo was it lightly regarded by the Son.

But all this is nothing comparable to the Behaviour of a Princefs of the House of Braganza, who would ever now and then be fhewing her Children their Father's Bloody Shirt, thereby more effectually to raise and more firmly to root in them a Defire of Revenge; a Proceeding this," widely differing from the virtuous Precept of a Heathen, I mean Plato, whofe conftant Advice to his Difciples, among other Things, was, that they fhould never fuffer the Sun to go down on their Wrath.

CHAP.

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CHAPTER XIV.

That what belongs to Princes ought to be Majestick.

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Great many Birds pay'd a Vifit to the Eagle, one Day a little before the Time fhe was to lay her Eggs, and fome of them refpectfully told her, that they did not think her Habitation Ma. jestick enough; and that many other little Birds, tho' her Subjects, had built more pleasantly and magnificently: The Eagle return'd them Thanks for their good Advice, which he took as a Token

of their Affection; but she told them at the fame

Time, that fhe would not alter the Place, wherein the used to lay her Eggs, which was either the Top of fome high hollow Tree, or the Ridge of a deep Rock; fuch a Situation being convenient both for the Security of her young Ones, and for her keeping a watchful Eye over all that paft within her Dominions: But that, if they were fo well-difpofed, their Affiftance would be very Acceptable in rendring the Place of her abode more Stately and Splendid: At which Words the Swallow and the King's fiber presented themselves, being not a little over-joy'd at such an Opportunity of ferving her Majefty. And according to the Inftin& of their Nature laid a folid Foundation, the better to withstand the Wind, Rain, and bad Weather; the Goldfinch adorn'd the Out-fide with his Red and Yellow Feathers, the Peacock brought fome of his gaudy Plumes, the Pigeon beautify'd it with his of various Colours, the Parrot furnish'd it with good Store of Green Feathers, the Egret White,

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White, the Heron Black, and the Lark lined the whole with the fofteft Cotton, that the young Ones might lie with more Ease.

The MORAL.

'Tis fomething derogating from the Grandeur of a Prince, that any of his Subjects should have a more magnificent Seat, and that better fitted up and furnished than the Royal Palace. 'Tis a Subject's Part to exprefs and demonftrate his Affection; and the Prince's to acknowledge it. Nothing ought to hinder a King from having an Eye on all his Dominions; and finally all Subjects ought jointly to apply themselves to fet off the Majefty and Grandeur of their Prince..

'Tis but Juft that all the Equipage of a Sovereign fhould have fomething in it of Magnificence and Excellency above the common Pitch, both in refpect to his Habit, Officers, or the Sumptuoufnefs of his Table; but efpecially royal Palaces ought to excel, both in Grandeur and Beauty of their Architecture, the nobleft Structure of fubordinate Perfons. Every Architect, employ'd in a royal Building, fhould by his Art raife People's Admiration, and make Beholders take it for granted, that his curious Workman-fhip cannot but belong to fome great and puiffant Monarch.

Tho a Prince fhould be naturally inclined to an Indifferency, with relation to Splendor, Or. naments, and all extraordinary Pomp, nevertheless he ought to make use of them for Reafons of State, because they imprint upon the Minds of Men, a certain awful Respect and Veneration, which conduces not a little towards the retaining within the Bounds of Duty and Obedience; he many Times finds very little Conftancy or Solidity in their Hu

mour

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mour or ordinary Behaviour, therefore to keep them always in his Intereft, and upon Occafion to procure his own Advantage, the Prevalency of fenfualObjects often proves most effectual in gaining them; fince through the Means of over-ruling Paffions, which often gain the afcendant over Reason, they are frequently incapable of being fway'd by any virtuous Confiderations, and that they judge of Things by fuperficial Views and falfe Appearances only, without making any enquiry into the true State or Reason of them; befides, that most Men are inclinable to fet their Hearts and Affections on a Prince of a good Mien, and winning Converfation, tho' he were to break all his Promifes, and baulk their Expectations in the Iffue.

How many Instances have we of Princes, who have been flighted on Account of their Awkwardnefs only, or uncourtly Behaviour? nay the very Name itself has been found fault with: The French refused for their Queen a Daughter of Spain, because her Name did not found agreeably to the Ear. How was Lewis the Eleventh flighted and ridiculed on all hands, by Reason of the Meannefs of his Apparel, which was fo fordid, that many of his Courtiers would have been afhamed to fee any of their Servants clad in fuch? 'Tis to be fuppofed, that Ferdinand of Arragon was no nicer in his Apparel, fince his Subjects gave him, out of Contempt, the Nick-Name of John Gippon.

I would not be understood that, to appear as becometh a King, a Prince fhould mount a Stage, all befet with precious Stones, thereby to make himself adored like Herod; nor that, after the Example of Dioclefian, he fhould be adorned from Top to Toe with coftly Pearls and Diamonds of a monstrous Size: All that I aim at is, that, if

he

he hath not fomething to ennoble his Habit be yond that of his Courtiers, he should at least have fome external Mark of Distinction, that might entitle him in an extraordinary Manner to the Awe and Veneration of all Beholders.

What I here require in the common Drefs of a Prince is in an eminent Degree requifite in his Palace, which ought to be more fpacious than that of any private Perfon, because it is built to contain a more numerous and illuftrious Family and the Furniture of it fhould as far excel all others, as his royal Perfon fhould be respected above all his Subjects, who owe him Obedience.

I would not hereby infinuate,that Princes fhould imitate the Magnificence and Profufeness of the great Mogul, who built an Apartment, the Wainscot and Cielings of which were covered with large Rubies and precious Emeralds; nor yet that of Nero, who perhaps might cope with that great Indian Monarch in the Expence he was at, in his golden Edifice; to demonftrate the Grandeur and Magnificence of which, it will be fufficient to fay, that its Entrance was of that ftately Height, as to receive a Colous, reprefenting Nero, of a hundred and twenty Foot high; and fo fpacious, that it contain❜d Portico's, fupported with three Rows of Pillars of Marble, each of them a full Mile long; the Body of the Houfe was overlaid with Gold, and adorn'd with precious Stones; the Cielings of his Banqueting-Rooms were wrought with fo much Art, that in continually turning round, they cast down upon him and his Guests, Flowers and sweet Perfumes whilft they fat at Table: And when he had compleated, with a prodigious Expence, this lofty Structure, which contained a Pool reprefenting the Sea, encompass'd with fair Buildings like fo many Cities, he spoke no further

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