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But what can Chriftians, who are not fall'n into this Opinion, have to fay for themfelves? To pretend, that it is inconfiftent with their Honour, and that a Head-piece or Breast-plate, would caft a Slur upon their Courage and Bravery. 'Tis a Plea no lefs whimfical, than their Fault is in itself unpardonable. And for my part, unless fome Method were found out, to have their Bodies Cafeharden'd, and made proof against Fire and Steel, I can call their rafh way of expofing themselves, by no milder a Name, than Frenzy or Fool-hardinefs. Certain it is, they feem to have but little regard for the Intereft of their Prince; for did they in the least confult his Good, we can't fuppofe they would fell their Lives so cheaply, and the reby deprive him of fo many brave valuable Subjects who had they had lefs Vanity, or a little more Conduct, might have done their King and Country fignal Services.

Truly I cannot fee any Reason why there should not be a Law made to punish such Offenders; and if fome few fuffer'd, their Example might serve as a Terror to others. One that kills another Man, let him be never so mean and inconfiderable, fhall be put to Death for it. And if the Law is fo ftrict in this Cafe, why fhould it not with as much Reason take Notice of a Perfon, who foolishly hazards his own Life,and which he holds perhaps from one of the belt Families in the Kingdom? I would fain ask him, whence he receiv'd that Power of throwing away a Life at his Pleasure, and by what particular Privilege it is that he is Mafter of it? Were he Converfant in the Customs of other Nations, he would find, that with them there is a greater Value put upon Life; and what, with our hot inconfiderate Youth, is taken for Honour, paffes with them for a fhameful unpar

donable

donable Fault: Were they to fee our Armies in the Field, they would look upon them (pardon the Comparison) as a Flock of Sheep, exposed to the very Jaws of the Wolf, when under the Care of a young raw Shepherd, who has neither Dog, nor Crook to defend them.

In a Duel the Cafe is much alter'd, and 'tis lefs dangerous, for there we have but one Enemy to guard against: But in a Battle, where you are at tack'd before and behind, and you fee Death dealt round you on the right and left, and every where, to me it seems a fort of a Miracle to escape.

Had not the Emperor Otho, and Philip Auguftus, been well Arm❜d at the Battle of Bovines, it must have coft them both their Lives; for the First escaped three deadly Wounds, by the Advantage of a Breaft-Plate; and the Other, having had his Horfe wounded, himself thrown to the Ground, muft have been trod to Pieces by the Enemy's Horse, had not his Armour fav'd him.

If the late King of Sweden, of glorious Memory, had taken this Precaution, he would not by his Death have caus'd his Allies fo much Sorrow and Regret. His Fall was entirely owing to himfelf: For when the Duke of Veimar press'd and defir'd him to take his Armour; his Reason for not complying was, that from a Blow he had formerly receiv'd, he could not bear the leaft Preffure upon his Shoulder. However he might have taken the fame Method that Iphicrates made ufe of, who perceiving that his Soldiers were over-burthen'd with the Weight of their Armour, order'd Cairafs to be made, interwoven with trong Cords, which were very light and would keep-off the Shot of the Enemy.

I don't know, whether we may not with Juftice condemn an Action of Pompey's. He was taken,

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it seems, by fome of his own Soldiers for one of the Enemy, and had like to have loft his Life by the Miftake. All the next Day,, to prevent any Danger of that Nature, he lay'd afide his Helmet, and appear'd in the Front of his Army bare-headed, in the very Heat of the Battle: As if there were not a Thousand other Ways of diftinguishing Pompey the Great, and Head-General of the Roman Army.

Some perhaps may bring the Example of David as an Objection to what I have been saying, who though he was to engage the great Champion of the Philistines, refus'd to make ufe of the Armour which Saul offer'd him. But they fhould confider, that when David put them off him, and told the King that he could not go with them, he trusted to the powerful Arm of the Almighty, who he was fure could prote&t him from the Sword of Goliah. His Faith was of a different Nature from that of the rash Blades we have been speaking of; whose Actions, take the Generality of them, have no other Foundation, but their Vanity; fo that we need not wonder, if they are fo feldom attended with Succefs. Thou comeft to me,fays David toGoliah, with a Sword, and with a Spear, and with a Shield; but I come unto thee with no other Weapons than the Name of the Lord of Hofts: This Day will He deliver thee into my Hand that all the Earth may know there is a God in Ifrael.

This wife Shepherd, whom the Almighty had made choice of as a fit Perfon to wear the Crown of Ifrael, might well affure himself of Succefs, as a Reward of his Innocence. But what can those Wretches have to fay for themselves, who without any other Protection than their own Fool-Hardinefs, will face the Mouth of a Canon, or expofe their naked Bodies to the Swords

and Darts of their Enemy, as much ftain'd with Debauchery, as their Souls are blacken'd with Filth and Impurity.

CHAP.

CHAPTER XX.

海鮮湯

Of the Difference between True and Falfe Friends, and of the Bounds of Friendship.

Sa Kite was gazing on, and admiring the gay Feathers and Beauty of a Peacock, he fell in Love with him, and fwore to him an eternal Friendship. And as he perceived not long after, that he was about cafting his Feathers, he waited on him with a formal Complement of his moft humble, or my intimate, and fuch like; and beg'd as a Favour, that he might have fome of his caft-off Feathers fitted on him, in order to appear more bright at a certain Wedding he was invited to. The Peacock, fomething flatter'd at his humble Requeft, gave him fome with a very good Grace. Two Days after, the Kite came to his very good Friend again, with the fame Complement, or very near it; however he wanted fome more of them, which the Peacock readily granted: But he came again, towards the Evening, in a feeming hurry, defiring him to let him have fome of those that were loofe, but not as yet dropt-off. The Peacock was a little offended at his Impudence, but without taking any Notice, he gave a Shake or two with his long Train, and fupply'd him with a few more. There happen'd to be Two Pigeons at a little Diftance off, who admiring the Peacock's Generofity, gave him modeftly to understand, that they fhould for-ever think themselves under a great Obligation to him, if he would but be fo kind as to bestow One or Two on each of them: The generous Peacock willingly gratified them: In X 2

that

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