[La Rochefoucauld is content to paint the age in which
he lived. Here the clemency spoken of is nothing more
than an expression of the policy of Anne of Austria.
Rochefoucauld had sacrificed all to her; even the favour
of Cardinal Richelieu, but when she became regent she be-
stowed her favours upon those she hated; her friends were
forgotten.--AIME MARTIN. The reader will hereby see
that the age in which the writer lived best interprets his
maxims.]

17.--The moderation of those who are happy arises
from the calm which good fortune bestows upon their
temper.

18.--Moderation is caused by the fear of exciting
the envy and contempt which those merit who are
intoxicated with their good fortune; it is a vain dis-
play of our strength of mind, and in short the mo-
deration of men at their greatest height is only a
desire to appear greater than their fortune.

19.--We have all sufficient strength to support the
misfortunes of others.

[The strongest example of this is the passage in Lucre-
tius, lib. ii., line I:--
"Suave mari magno turbantibus aequora ventis
E terra magnum alterius spectare laborem."]

20.--The constancy of the wise is only the talent of