he meant applicable to the people, who if they had
such magistrates removed as they complained of for extortion, yet their
successors would certainly be worse.

With what highest advances of policy could Sertorius have kept the
Barbarians so well in awe, as by a white hart, which he pretended was
presented to him by Diana, and brought him intelligence of all his
enemies' designs? What was Lycurgus his grand argument for demonstrating
the force of education, but only the bringing out two whelps of the same
bitch, differently brought up, and placing before them a dish, and a
live hare; the one, that had been bred to hunting, ran after the game;
while the other, whose kennel had been a kitchen, presently fell a
licking the platter. Thus the before-mentioned Sertorius made his
soldiers sensible that wit and contrivance would do more than bare
strength, by setting a couple of men to the plucking off two horses'
tails; the first pulling at all in one handful, tugged in vain; while
the other, though much the weaker, snatching off one by one, soon
performed his appointed task.

Instances of like nature are Minos and king Numa, both which fooled
the people into obedience by a mere cheat and juggle; the first by
pretending he was advised by Jupiter, the latter by making the vulgar
believe he had the goddess _AEgeria_ assistant to him in all debates and
transactions. And indeed it is by such wheedles that the common people
are best gulled, and imposed upon.

For farther, what city would ever submit to the rigorous laws of Plato,
to the severe injunctions of Aristotle? or the more unpracticable tenets
of Socrates? No, these would have been too straight and galling, there
not being allowance enough made for the infirmities of the people.

To pass to another head, what was it made the Decii so forward to offer
themselves up as a sacrifice for an atonement to the angry gods, to
rescue and stipulate for their indebted country? What made Curtius, on
a like occasion, so desperately to throw away his life, but only
vainglory, that is condemned, and unanimously voted for a main branch of
Folly by all wise men? What is more unreasonable and foppish (say they)
than for any man, out of ambition to some office, to bow, to scrape
and cringe to the gaping rabble, to purchase their favour by bribes and
donatives, to have their names cried up in the streets, to be carried
about as it were for a fine sight upon the shoulders of the crowd, to
h