74 ^ PERSUASIVE .to 



cured is not fo great as that of being fick -5 

 nor is the trouble of being fober compa- 

 rable to .that of being debauched, and in- 

 temperate. Non e/f (faith Seneca) ut qui- 

 bnfdam diftum eft, arduum in virtutes & 

 afperum iter ; flano adeuntur. Non fvan& 

 vobis auffor rei venio ; facilis e/f ad beat am 

 <vitam via, mite modb bonis aufficiis, ifjif- 

 que ^Diis bene juvantibus , &c. The way 

 to Virtue is not (^s fome have written) 

 fteep arid rough, but plain and level. Let 

 me become to you the Author of a new, 

 and not frivolous thing. The way to a happy 

 Life is. eafy,. do but enter upon it with 

 God's help : It is much more difficult to 

 do what they [wicked Men] do. What 

 is more facile than calmnefs and quiet of 

 mind'? What more laborious than Anger ? 

 What more remifs and void of trouble than 

 Clemency? What more bufy and toilfome 

 than Cruelty? Chaflity is vacant and at 

 eafe: Luft is always occupied and unquiet. 

 He that tells Lies is hard put to it to 

 maintain and make them good ; and yet 

 for all his flrifts, is often detected, and 

 put to fliame : Whereas he that fpeaks truth 

 is void of all fear and trouble. The like 

 may be faid of other Virtues and Vices 

 compared together : So that Virtue is in 



it 



