The Preface. man is anhoneft man, fay they but he is apeevifh, humorous, felf-conceited fellow : And;by fo ? Recatife he is againg forme opinion or intereft of theirs : He isproud, becaufhe prefumerh to ditntfrom them, or reprehend them : He rayleth, every time heop eth their errours, or telleth them of their mil-doings He isa Lyar, if hedo but contrada them,anddifeover their fins, though it be with words of truth and fobernefs. In a word , no perfon, no jpeeches , or writings, no Atclions can be jufi, that are aga;nft a ielfifh man : In differences at Law, his caufe is good , becaufe it is his : andhis adverfaries is alwaies bad, becaufe it isagainft him. Inpublickdifferences , the fide that he is on (that isfor him ) is alwaies right, let it be never Jo wrong in the eyes ofall impartial men : The caufe is good that he isfor, (which is alWay that whichfeemsfor him) though it be undoubted Trea- fon andperPious Rebellion, accompanyed with perjury, murder, andoppreffion : And the caufe muffbe alwaies had that is againfi him ; and theyare the Trap-ors, and Rebels, andOppreffors that refithim.His own murders are honourable Viftories, andother mews Vidories are cruel andbarbarous murders. All is naught that is againfithemfelves. They are AffeEled to menaccording to their felf-intereft : they judge of them and their aRions ac. cording as they do Affect them : they fpeak of them and deal by them according to this corrupted judgement. But asfor any that they imagine de Love and Honour them, .they canLove them and fpeaktenderly of them, be they what they will. A little grace or venue in them , feemeth much : And their partsfeem excellent that indeed aremean : If they drop into _Perjury, Fornication, Treafon, orfuch lik,çfcandaloufin5 , they have alwayes a mantle of Love to cover them : or if they blame them a little, theyare eafily reconciled, and quickly receive them to theirformer honour. If they have any thing like Grace, its ea- flybelieved tobe Grace indeed , if they be but on their fide : If theyhave nothing like Grace, they can Love them for their good natures, but indeedit isfor themfelves. When this felf-lovedefcribethanyperfon , when it writethHi- francs, or. Controverfies about any caufe or perfon that they are concernedin, how littlecredit do they deferve ! Whence is it elle that wr haven:eh contrary defcriptions of Perim° and&lions in. she
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