L I B . VII I. Of the Advancement of Learning, 255 



their innocence to be no fafe fandluary (in that their Prince knows 

 not how to diftinguidi between truth and falftiood) they put off' 

 moral honefty, and gather in the Court-winds ; and are therewith 

 carried about in a fervile manner. For as Tacitus faith of Claudius. 

 There is no Jafctji with that Prince , into tvhofe head all things are con' 

 veyed^as it were^ by infusion and dire£f ion from others. And Commi- 

 Ties very well, // is better to befervant to a rrince^vphofe jcaloiijies havQ 

 no endj than to a rrince, whofe Credulity hath no mean, 



THE PARABLE. 



XiV. A JnH man is merciful to the life ofhisBeajij ^^"^-^'^^ 

 bnt the mercies of the w'l^l^dare cruel 



THE EXPLIC ATION. 



•Here is implanted in man by nature , a noble and excellent af- 

 feftion of Piety and CompaJJion, which extends it felf even to 

 brute creatures, that are by divine ordination Cuhje^ to his com- 

 mand ; and this CompaJJion hath fome Analogy with that of a Prince 

 towards his fubjedts. Nay farther, it is moft certain, that the more 

 noble the mind is , the more compaffionate it is j for contrafted 

 and degenerate minds think thefe things nothing to pertain to them 5 

 but the Mind, which is a nobler portion of the world, is affefted 

 in the grots out of community. Wherefore we fee that there were 

 under the old Law, many Precepts, not fo merely Ceremonial^ as 

 InjiitHtions of Mercy 5 fuch as was that of not eating flejl) rvith the 

 blood thereof and the like : even in the fed of the Ejjeans and Pytha-- 

 goreans, they altogether abftain'd from eating Flefljj which to this 

 day isobferved by an inviolate fuperftition, by many of the Eaftern 

 people under the Mogol. Nay the Turks, (both by Defcentand 

 Difcipline a cruel and bloody Nation) yet beftow alms upon brute 

 Creatures; and cannot endure to fee the vexation and torture of any 

 live thing. But left , what we have faid , fhould perchance feem to 

 maintain all kinds of Alercy j Solomon upon found advice annex- 

 eth, That the mercies of the vcicked are cruel : Thefe Mercies^ are, 

 when lewd and wicked perfbns are fpar'd from being cut off by the 

 fword of juftice, this kindof ylA^f/ is more Cr«e/,than Cruelty it (elf: 

 for Cruelty is extended ia praftice on particulars; but this kind of 

 Mtrcy^ by a grant of impunity, arms and fubornsthe whole band 

 of impious men againft the innocent. 



THE 



