LORD HALIFAX

(A. D. 1630-1695.)

OF George Savile, first Marquis of Halifax, who held a distinguished place among the wiser and better Englishmen of the age of the Restoration and the Revolution, Macaulay has written in his "History of England:" "Among the statesmen of those times Halifax was, in genius, the first. His intellect was fertile, subtle, and capacious. His polished, luminous, and animated eloquence, set off by the silver tones of his voice, was the delight of the House of Lords. His conversation overflowed with thought, fancy, and wit. His political tracts well deserved to be studied for their literary merit, and fully entitled him to a place among English classics. . . He always saw passing events, not in the point of view in which they commonly appear to one who bears a part in them, but in the point of view in which, after the lapse of many years, they appear to the philosophic historian.... His understanding was keen, skeptical, inexhaustibly fertile in distinctions and objections; his taste refined; his sense of the ludicrous exquisite; his temper placid and forgiving, but fastidious, and by no means prone either to malevolence or to enthusiastic admiration."

Recently, for the first time, the writings of Lord Halifax have been published in a collected form, edited with ability by Miss H. C. Foxcroft, who had written previously, in the "English Historical Review," of the need of an edition that would make them better known. In the article referred to, she describes the "Moral and Miscellaneous Maxims as being "sagacious and brilliant, shrewd, incisive, forcible, flavoured with a cynicism which is never after all very bitter," and as embodying the comments of “a keen and not unkindly observer, whose experience had been scarcely calculated to induce a very exalted opinion of average human nature." Of the "Advice to a Daughter," from which some passages

are quoted, she wrote: "Addison mentions it among the contents of Leonora's library, and we suspect that, till the close of the eighteenth century, it was the most popular manual for the benefit of young girls. It is certainly the most entertaining, since its pages are as remarkable for their wit and vivacity as for their strong good sense. His admonitions, though addressed to the sex in whose education external graces have ever played so prominent and so natural a part, show hardly a trace of the foppery intellectual, social, and moral to which the virile understanding of Lord Chesterfield so often stooped. Nor can they be reproached with the laxity which has been made a charge against the celebrated Letters.' Lord Halifax had lived upon terms of intimacy with the most respected women of his time with Catharine of Braganza, with Rachel, Lady Russell, with Sacharissa,' Lady Sunderland and his standard of womanly decorum was high to the verge of prudery."

SELECTIONS FROM LORD HALIFAX'S "MORAL
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS."

(From "Life and Works of Sir George Savile, Bart., First Marquis of Halifax," by H. C. Foxcroft.)

Popularity is a crime from the moment it is sought; it is only a virtue where men have it whether they will

or no.

An honest man must lose so many occasions of getting, that the world will hardly allow him the character of an able one.

There is, however, more wit requisite to be an honest man than there is to be a knave.

There is no such thing as a venial sin against morality, no such thing as a small knavery; he that carries a small crime easily, will carry it on when it grows to be an

Ox.

Mistaken kindness is little less dangerous than premeditated malice.

There is so much danger in talking, that a man strictly wise can hardly be called a sociable creature.

Hope is generally a wrong guide, though it is very good company by the way. . .

There can be no entire disappointment to a wise man, because he maketh it a cause of succeeding another time.

Where ill-nature is not predominant, anger will be short-breathed; it cannot hold out a long course.

...

There is a dignity in good sense that is offended and defaced by anger.

The defending an ill thing is more criminal than the doing it, because it wanteth the excuse of its not being premeditated.

There is hardly any man so strict as not to vary a little from truth when he is to make an excuse.

Not telling all the truth is hiding it, and that is comforting or abetting a lie.

Malice is a greater magnifying glass than kindness. Anger may have some excuse for being blind, but malice none; for malice hath time to look before it.

Malice may be sometimes out of breath, envy never. A man may make peace with hatred, but never with envy.

If men considered how many things there are that riches cannot buy, they would not be so fond of them. The things to be bought with money are such as least deserve the giving a price for them.

Great reading, without applying it, is like corn heaped that is not stirred; it groweth musty.

There must be a nice diet observed to keep friendship from falling sick; nay, there is more skill necessary to keep a friend than there is to reclaim an enemy.

Wise venturing is the most commendable part of human prudence. It is the upper story of prudence, whereas

perpetual caution is a kind of underground wisdom that doth not care to see the light.

To desire what belongeth to another man is misprision. of robbery.

A difficulty raiseth the spirits of a great man; he hath a mind to wrestle with it, and give it a fall. A man's mind must be very low, if the difficulty doth not make a part of his pleasure. The pride of compassing may more than compare with the pleasure of enjoying.

It is a piece of arrogance to dare to be drunk, because a man showeth himself without a veil.

Good manners is such a part of good sense that they cannot be divided; but that which a fool calleth good breeding is the most unmannerly thing in the world. Right good manners require so much sense that there is hardly any such thing in the world.

He that can be quite indifferent when he seeth another man injured, hath a lukewarm honesty that a wise man will not depend upon.

Half the truth is often as arrant a lie as can be made. A man who is master of patience is master of everything else.

A man that doth not use his reason is a tame beast; a man that abuses it is a wild one.

Misspending a man's time is a kind of self-homicide; it is making life to be of no use.

PASSAGES FROM LORD HALIFAX'S "ADVICE TO A

DAUGHTER."

(From "Life and Works of Sir George Savile, Bart., First Marquis of Halifax," by H. C. Foxcroft.)

I must tell you that no respect is lasting but that which is produced by our being in some degree useful to those

that pay it; where that faileth, the homage and the reverence go along with it, and fly to others where something may be expected in exchange for them. And upon this principle the respects even of the children and the servants will not stay with one that doth not think them worth their care, and the old housekeeper shall make a better figure in the family than the lady with all her fine. clothes, if she wilfully relinquish her title to the government; therefore take heed of carrying your good breeding to such a height as to be good for nothing, and to be proud of it. . . . No age ever erected altars to insignificant gods, they all had some quality applied to them to draw worship from mankind; this maketh it the more unreasonable for a lady to expect to be considered and at the same time resolve not to deserve it. Good looks alone will not do.

You are to have as strict a guard upon yourself amongst your children as if you were amongst your enemies; they are apt to make wrong inferences, to take encouragement from half words, and misapply what you may say or do, so as either to lessen their duty or to extend their liberty farther than is convenient. Let them be more in awe of your kindness than of your power. . . .

Your servants are in the next place to be considered; and you must remember not to fall in the mistake of thinking, that because they receive wages, and are so much inferior to you, therefore they are below your care to know how to manage them. It would be as good reason for a master workman to despise the wheels of his engine because they are made of wood. These are the wheels of your family. . . . Besides, the inequality which is between you must not cause you to forget that Nature maketh no such distinction, but that servants may be looked upon as humble friends, and that returns of kind