A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…A cabinet of choice jevvels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…

Gentlemen, those that shall read what I have writ in this Epistle, concerning public spiritedness and charitableness, ⟨image 14⟩and know you well, they know how to make the Application without any further direction from me. Sir John, I must crave leave to say, that it is and will be your honour and comfort, both in life and death, and in the day of your account, that in all the great Places, Offices and Employments unto which divine Providence has called you for divers years together, you have laid out your time, your strength, your estate for the public good; when others have been serving themselves upon the public, you have been a serving of the public. Sir, 'tis your great mercy and happiness, that you can stand forth and say; as once Samuel did, Behold, here I am, witness against me, ¹whose Ox have I taken? or whose Ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? Your prudence and moderation before your Mayoralty, and in it (when you had many a narrow bridge to go over) and after it, to this day will never be forgotten by all sober Citizens. Sir, the French History tells us, that when an old Courtier would needs depart from the Court, and retire himself to a private life, the King desired him to leave his advice in some general Rules, about the Government of his Kingdom: Upon this motion of the King, the old Courtier took a sheet of white paper, and writ upon the top of the leaf Moderation, and in the middle of the leaf Moderation, and at the bottom of the leaf Moderation, intimating to the King, that the only way to keep his Kingdom in Peace and Prosperity, was to manage his Government throughout with a spirit of Moderation. When Vespasian asked Apollonius what was the cause of Nero's ruin; he answered, That Nero could tune the Harp well, but in Government he ⟨image 14⟩did always wind up the strings too high, or let them down too low.

Gentlemen, those that shall read what I have writ in this Epistle, concerning publick spiritedness and charitableness, ⟨image 14⟩and know you well, they know how to make the Application without any further direction from me. Sir John, I must crave leave to say, that it is and will be your honour and comfort, both in life and death, and in the day of your account, that in all the great Places, Offices and Employments unto which divine Providence has called you for divers years together, you have laid out your time, your strength, your estate for the publick good; when others have been serving themselves upon the publick, you have been a serving of the publick. Sir, 'tis your great mercy and happiness, that you can stand forth and say; as once Samuel did, Behold, here I am, witness against me,