Let Men Be Good, And The Government

Many Able Gardeners And Husbandmen Are Yet Ignorant Of The Reason Of Their Calling; As Most Artificers Are Of The Reason Of Their Own Rules That Govern Their Excellent Workmanship. But A Naturalist And Mechanick Of This Sort Is Master Of The Reason Of Both, And Might Be Of The Practice Too, If His Industry Kept Pace With His Speculation; Which Were Every Commendable; And Without Which He Cannot Be Said To Be A Complete Naturalist Or Mechanick.

But Make Not More Business Necessary Than Is So; And Rather Lessen Than Augment Work For Thyself.

Interest Has The Security, Though Not The Virtue Of A Principle. As The World Goes, It Is The Surest Side; For Men Daily Leave Both Relations And Religion To Follow It.

Governments, Like Clocks, Go From The Motion Men Give Them, And As Governments Are Made And Moved By Men, So By Them They Are Ruined Too. Wherefore Governments Rather Depend Upon Men, Than Men Upon Governments. Let Men Be Good, And The Government Cannot Be Bad; If It Be Ill, They Will Cure It. But If Men Be Bad, Let The Government Be Never So Good, They Will Endeavour To Warp And Spoil It To Their Turn.

Rarely Promise, But, If Lawful, Constantly Perform.