vaffals; but God fuffered it not long to go unpunished; for the night before Christmas-day, as he lay a fleep in his house at Lockwood, feven miles from the city of Glasgow, he heard a voice fummoning him to appear before the tribunal of Chrift, to give an account of his doings: whereupon he awaked, and being greatly terrified, he called to his fervants to bring light, and fit by him he himself alfo took a book in his hand and began to read: but the voice calling the fecond time, ftruck all the fervants to an amazement: the fame voice calling. the third time far louder, and more fearfully, the Bifhop after a heavy groan, was found dead in bed, his tongue hanging out of his mouth: a fearful example of God's judgment against the fin of covetoufnefs and oppreffion.

STRADA, of the rich Cardinal GRANVELL.

CAR

ARDINAL GRANVELL (a great Favourite of the King of Spain) being placed under the dutchefs of Parma, as a chief Director of all the affairs in the Low Countries, when he was difcharged of his office, and faw all forfaking him: he faid, That he had long enough waited upon other men's occafions: that a man broken with continual toil, could not but wish for rest; and that to one befieged with petitioners, liberty was not to be refused; efpecially when he knew that Petitioners and LetterCarriers, met like Pitcher-Carriers at a Spring, which they drain and trouble: that favour at court, had better face than infide, and that all human things are found to be far lefs in our poffeffion than they are fancied in our hope: and that all was vanity and vexation of spirit.

Mr.

A

Mr. LATIMER, of a rich Mart.

Rich man, when he lay on his fick-bed, was told by one, that in all probability he was not a man for this world: as he heard it, What, faith he, must I die? Send for a Phyfician; Wounds, Side, Heart, muft I die? Wounds, Side, Heart, muft I die? And thus he continued; and nothing could be got from him, but, Wounds, Side, Heart, muft I die, and go from my riches?

Mr. Burroughs, fpeaks of a rich man who lived near him, who when he heard his fickness was mortal, fends for his bags of money, and hugged them in his arms, faying, O must I leave thee, O muft I leave thee!

He relates of another, who when he lay upon his fick-bed, called for his bags, and laid a bag of gold upon his heart; and after awhile, bid them take it away, faying, It will not do, It will not do.

*

Mr. Rogers, tells of one, that being near unto death, clapt a twenty fhilling piece of gold in his mouth, faying: Some wiser than fome, I will take this along with me however.

R

CHA P. V.

be as

ICHES are for Spending, and Spending for Honour and good Actions; therefore Extraordinary Expences must be limited by the worth of the occafion: for Voluntary Undoing, may well for a Man's Country, as for the Kingdom of Heaven; but Ordinary Expences ought to be limited. by a Man's eftate, and governed with fuch regard, as that it be within his compafs, and not fubject to deceit and abufe of Servants, and ordered to the

belt

beft fhew, that the Bills may be less than the Eftimation abroad. Certainly, if a man will keep but of even hand. his Ordinary Expences ought to be but, to the half of his Receipts; and if he think to wax rich, but to the third part. It is no bafenels for the greatest to descend and look into their own eftate: fome forbear it, not upon negligence alone, but doubting to bring themfelves into melancholy, in refpect they fhall find it broken; but wounds cannot be cured without fearching. He that cannot look into his own Estate at all, had need both chufe well thofe whom he employeth, and change them often; for new are more timerous and lefs fubtile: he that can look into his Eftate but feldom, it behoveth him to turn all to a certainty: a man had need, if he be plentiful in fome kind of Expences, to be as faving again in fome others; as, if he be plentiful in diet, to be faving in apparel; if he be plentiful in the hall, to be faving in the ftable, and the like: for he that is plentiful in Expences of all kinds, will hardly be preferved from decay in clearing of a Man's Eftate, he may as well hurt himself, in being too fudden, as in létting it run on too long; for hafty felling is commonly as difadvantageous as intereft; befides, he that clears at once, will relapse; for finding himself out of freights, he will revert to his old Customs; but he that cleareth by degrees, induceth a habit of Frugality, and gaineth as well upon his Mind as upon his eftate. Certainly, he who hath an eftate to repair, may not defpife fmall things; and commonly it is lefs difhonourable to abridge petty charges, than to ftoop to petty gettings. A man ought warily to begin charges, which once begun, will continue; but in matters that return not, he may be more magnificent.

It is very hard for an open and eafy Nature to keep within the compafs of his Fortune; either Shame,

Shame to be obferved behind others, or elfe a vainglorious itching to out-do them, leaks away All, till the Veel be empty or low; fo that nothing involves a man to more unhappiness than an heedless letting go, in an imprudence of mifpending. It alters quite the frame and temper of the Mind. When wants come, he that was profufe, does eafily grow rapacious. It is extream unhappiness to be thus compofed of extreams, to be impatient both of plenty and want.

And therefore let every man for the better or dering of his Expences, observe the following Rules:

First, See that your Comings-in, be more than your Layings-out: for unless this be minded, a man may waste away to nothing infenfibly if your Income exceed your Expences, but twenty fhillings a year, you are in a thriving condition; but if on the contrary, your Expences exceed your Income, you are in the highway to ruin.

Secondly, Keep an exact Account of what you Lay-out, and what you Receive: for without this you'll be always in the dark.

Thirdly, Balance your Accounts at least once every quarter; and then you'll the better fee how the cafe ftands with you, and fo may the better retrench matters, if you find you have exceeded.

Fourthly, In laying out your money truft not to your fervants; for in fmall matters they may deceive you, and you be never the wifer, and many fuch small matters, may amount to a great a fum.

Fifthly, In all your affairs of moment, look after your bufinefs yourself, if you defire it fhould fuc

ceed well.

Sixthly, Be always fparing, that you may ftill have wherewithal to spend.

Seventhly, Never fpend prefently, in hopes of gaining for the future: wife Merchants, while their

goods

goods are at Sea, do not increafe their Expences at land; but fearing the worft, fecure what they have already in their hands.

Eighthly, Never buy but with ready money; and buy there were you find things cheap and good, rather than for friendship or acquaintance fake; for they perhaps may take it unkindly, if you will not let them cheat you; for you may get experience, if nothing elfe, by going from one fhop to another.

Ninthly, Be ready to give good advice to all, but be fecurity for none; and if a friend or relation prefs you to it, refufe it; and rather if you can, lend him money of your own upon another's bond.

Tenthly, Let not thy table exceed the fourth part of thy revenue: let thy provifion be folid, and not far fetched; fuller of fubftance than art. Be wifely frugal in thy preparation, and freely chearful in thy entertainment. Too much is vanity, and enough is a feast.

C H A P. VI.

How to Save Money in Diet, Apparel, and in Recreations, &c.

IT

T would be too long to recount of enumerate the many and various ways and occafions that men and women have of fpending and laying out money, many of which are abfolutely neceffary, unless we knew how to live without meat, or drink, and apparel, with other external neceffaries, as horfes, armour, books, and the like; in a word, whatsoever may conduce to our profit or honeft pleafure: yet in hufbanding our money in all thefe, there is a great deal of caution and difcretion to