it
their lives to the rules that Christ has given, have fitted His doctrine
as if it had been a leaden rule, to their lives, that so some way or
other they might agree with one another. But I see no other effect of
this compliance except it be that men become more secure in their
wickedness by it. And this is all the success that I can have in a
Court, for I must always differ from the rest, and then I shall signify
nothing; or if I agree with them, I shall then only help forward their
madness. I do not comprehend what you mean by your casting about, or by
the bending and handling things so dexterously, that if they go not well
they may go as little ill as may be; for in Courts they will not bear
with a man's holding his peace or conniving at what others do. A man
must barefacedly approve of the worst counsels, and consent to the
blackest designs: so that he would pass for a spy, or possibly for a
traitor, that did but coldly approve of such wicked practices: and
therefore when a man is engaged in such a society, he will be so far
from being able to mend matters by his casting about, as you call it,
that he will find no occasions of doing any good: the ill company will
sooner corrupt him, than be the better for him: or if notwithstanding
all their ill company, he still remains steady and innocent, yet their
follies and knavery will be imputed to him; and by mixing counsels with
them, he must bear his share of all the blame that belongs wholly to
others.

"It was no ill simile by which Plato set forth the unreasonableness of a
philosopher's meddling with government. If a man, says he, was to see a
great company run out every day into the rain, and take delight in being
wet; if he knew that it would be to no purpose for him to go and
persuade them to return to their houses, in order to avoid the storm,
and that all that could be expected by his going to speak to them would
be that he himself should be as wet as they, it would be best for him to
keep within doors; and since he had not influence enough to correct
other people's folly, to take care to preserve himself.

"Though to speak plainly my real sentiments, I must freely own, that as
long as there is any property, and while money is the standard of all
other things, I cannot think that a nation can be governed either justly
or happily: not justly, because the best things will fall to the share
of the worst men; nor happily, because all things will be divided among
a