114 DEDICATION. 



And yet, in mine opinion, he had least reason of the 

 three to be discouraged : for that although it was 

 judged, and judged by the highest kind of judgment, 

 in form of a statute or law, that he should be ba 

 nished, and his whole estate confiscated and seized, 

 and his houses pulled down, and that it should be 

 highly penal for any man to propound a repeal ; 

 yet his case even then had no great blot of ignominy; 

 for it was thought but a tempest of popularity which 

 overthrew him. Demosthenes contrariwise, though 

 his case was foul, being condemned for bribery, and 

 not simple bribery, but bribery in the nature of 

 treason and disloyalty, yet nevertheless took so little 

 knowledge of his fortune, as during his banishment 

 he did much busy himself, and intermeddle with 

 matters of state ; and took upon him to counsel the 

 state, as if he had been still at the helm, by letters ; 

 as appears by some epistles of his which are extant. 

 Seneca indeed, who was condemned for many cor 

 ruptions and crimes, and banished into a solitary 

 island, kept a mean ; and though his pen did not 

 freeze, yet he abstained from intruding into matters 

 of business ; but spent his time in writing books of 

 excellent argument and use for all ages ; though he 

 might have made better choice, sometimes, of his 

 dedications. 



These examples confirmed me much in a resolu 

 tion, whereunto I was otherwise inclined, to spend 

 my time wholly in writing ; and to put forth that 

 poor talent, or half talent, or what it is, that God 

 hath given me, not as heretofore to particular ex- 



