- fcfii *.- . \ ?v >-' (JUNw -. L**Un . *#>* 9*fl jjJjg^^^r^B 4 ** * '4% STG THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE REFLECTOR: REPRESENTING Human Affairs, As they are ; and may be improved. Veluti in Speculo. LONDON. Printed for T. Loncm a N,in Pater-nofter-Row. MDCCL. loH- To the AUTHOR. SIR, I Perfuade my felf neither the Public nor you will be difpleafed at my returning, in this Shape, your own Work into your Hand. No Author, that I know of, has wrote more ufefully than yourfelf ; or mewn a greater Regard to the Welfare of Mankind. As you are fo happily qualified, I, with Pleafure, prefent this Tafte of you to the Reader, and am, S I R> Tour moft obliged and mojl humble Servant , The Publisher. CONTENTS. SECT. I. Of Literature and Education. I. Scheme of the Work. Pages. IK/fORALITT, what i -- 3 * *-^ Dejign of the Work 3 ~ 4 Reflection to be improved 4 Materials for promoting Happinefs ^ to be procured 5 "" Morality how to be improved 6 1 1 II. Of Writings defigned to im- prove Morality. Two Kinds of Moral Writings. ii- -ia Fables, Dialogues, Romances, 12 - -13 Telemachus, Pamela. J 3- " l 5 Romances in general 15- -16 Feigned Voyages 16- -'7 Fictitious Letter-Writing '7 Speclators 1 7- -18 Modern French Morality 18 The French Moralijls of the laft Century ib. Satyr, and Plays *9 Boileau, Plautus, Terence, and Moliere 19- -22 Paradoxes 22J Paradoxical Writings A 3 Mr. vi CONTENTS. Mr. Bayle 22 23 Fable of the Bees 23- 24 Grotius, Petronius, Ovid 25 27" Juvenal and Horace 27 28 Cicero and Pliny 28 29 Homer and Plutarch 29 30 III. A Sketch of Human Life. Infancy, Childhood, Manhood^ and Old Age 303 3~~1 No Man to be envied 33 34 ' The future Life' 34 IV. Of the Sciences. 3 The Sciences divided into necejfary^ ufe- 1 /#/, tfi hurtful y , Divinity and Morality ib. Education to have two Views 35 36 The Jefuitical Education 3 6 jT^ Mahometan Education 36- 37 Morality to be taught before Religion 37 f Morality negkcled among Jews and \ R| Chriftians 131" 3 \ The common Method of Teaching to be ) K reverfed 3 * 7*fo Procedure of Miffionaries 38 39 ?7^ regular Teaching illuflrated 39 41 Hifiory 41 | The ufeful Sciences 4142 Geometry and Natural Philofophy ib. Ecleclic Philofophy 42 Ecleclic Divinity, ib. Agriculture and Rhetoric 43-- 44 22* CONTENTS. vil The hurtful Sciences 44 45 The curious Sciences, and too great \ ^ Learning $ 45 ~" 4 V. Of the Ignorant and Skilful. the Promifes of Impojlors and Fools 47 48 Quacks , Philofophers, and Ignorants 48 49 The Way to make Fools wife 50 5 1 Advice to the Great 51 The Utility of Fools 52 VI. Why Learning has not farther advanced Morality. The Turn and Temper of the Learned 52 53 Whether Learning conduces to Morality 53 54- Th e fmall Fruit of Study, whence 54 The Pride of the Learned 55 Adoration of Pupils 55" 56 Education, Senfibility, and Conjlitution 56-- 57 VII. Of the falfe Colours of Learning. The Art of fhining in Converfation 58 59 And in Bufinefs 59 60 Petty Practices of the half-Learned 60 61 Rules for acquiring a learned Character 6162 VIII. Of Authors and Cenfors. The Fate of Authors 62 63 Jufl and Unjuji Cenfure 63 64 Authorjfjip 65 - 66 A 4. Poets viji CONTENTS. Poets __ 66 6 j Orators -* 67 68 A Letter to an incenfed Author 68-72 IX. Of Poetry and Rhime. Life not fhort^ if properly employed 73 Labour of Authors 73 74 Difficult Kinds of Poetry - 74 Ufe of different Feet 74 75 Ancient Poetry, how improved by the \ Moderns i *$ Rhime - . 7 5 j6 Leonine Verfe 76 yy Rhime to be dropped yy yS The fetting of Language to Profodia 7 8 Difference betwixt Poetry and other Writing ib. Difference betwixt a Poet and a Verjifier y$ y9 X. Of Poets. The Honours and Titles of Poets 79 80 Their Rewards 8081 Their divine Language 81 The Licentia poetic a 81 82 Their Supports 82 XL Of Satyr and Panegyric ; Praife and Blame. Nature of Satyr and Panegyric 83 84 Origin and Ufe of Panegyric 84 How perverted 85 Satyr diftinguifhed ib. Unlawful Satyr ; 85-87 Satyrical CONTENTS. ix Satyrical Apology 87-88 Motives to Satyr 88 89 The juft Satyr 89 90 Effecls of Praife and Blame in Life 90 Epitaphs 90 91 Char abler s 9192 Cool Praife 9 2 ~92 XII. Of the Stations of Life. That Happinefs may depend upon Opinion 9394 The Rich and Poor compared as to Diet 94 95 Their Cares \ Fears and Friends 95 96 Difference betwixt Majier and Servant 9 8 1 00 Difference betwixt the Healthy and Sickly 1 00 102 The Bed-rid 102 ~ 104 XIII. Of Man's Happinefs. Good and bad Fortune, what 104 105 The Unhappy and the Happy 105 106 Our own Happinefs no Rule for another* s 107 Confolation -> ib. Man's Likings and Diflikes 108 1 10 Contentment - no XIV. The Philofopher and Fool compared in Point of Happinefs. The Stoical wife Man 1 10 1 1 1 Whether real > 111 112 The wife Man and Fool compared 112 The wife Man > ib. Char ah er of the Fool 112 114 Higo Pretenfwns to Wifdom 115 116 The CONTENTS. The Conducl of the Fool and Wife 1 1 6 The Hardfhips of the Wife 1 1 6 -- 1 1 8 The Labours and Rewards of the Wife 1 1 8 The Stoical Perfection not to he found in \ mere Men J Ufe of Folly ib. XV. Of Hiftoiy. Uncertainty of early Hijlory 120 \ The Affyrian Monarchy 120 122 \ The Per/tan Monarchy - 122 Greek Hijlory . ... t 122 ~ 123 Hijlory of the middle Age , 123 Hijlory fince the Reformation ib. Partiality of Hijlory 124 Licenfing of Books corrupts Hijlory 124125 Other Caufes of -corrupt Hijlory 125126 Materials required for good Hijlory 126 128 Vanity of Hijlorians 129 I The Greek and Roman Hijlory 129130 The Byzantine Hijlory > 130 Ufe of the Greek and Roman Hijlory 131 XVI. Ancient and Modern Times compared. How to know whether the World improves 131 Government and Penal-Laws ancient 132 The Worlds whence unjujlly jup- 1 pofed to grow worfe $3 ^ 3 Virtues and Vices rife and fet 134 Arts and Sciences travel ib. The Worldy in the whole, nearly the fame 135 Vices how far the fame ib. Murder CONTENTS. xi Murder 135 fFar ' - 136137 Incontinency 137 Laws 138 Law- Suits > ' #. Contracts 139 Magnificence ib. Patriotifm 139140 Rioting ' 140 P/yj #. Education 140 141 Poetry > Oratory, and Hijlory 141 The Sciences 141 142 Superjlition - 142 143 SECT. III. Of Intercourfe and Bufinefs. I. Of Errors in Judgment. JORRO RS how to be cor reeled 144 ity Injlrutlion and Refletlion 145 146 The Vicious unfuccefsful in corretl- 1 ^ ,,. 7 yy \ 146- 147 9^^ Gz/ 0/ Error in Judgment 147 Want of Inftruftion 147148 STitf SzV ^w /0t hondriacs 1 49 Men*s Failings to he dijlinguifhed 149 1 50 Tradable and ft iff Tempers 1 5 o 1 5 1 11. of Xii CONTENTS. II. Of Reality and Appearance. Apparent and real Wifdom 151 152 Ridiculous Gravity 152 153 Congrejfes > < n 1 54 General Councils *5A~ l 55 Procefftons < 1 55-- 156 Commencements 156 Writings ib. 'things to be judged of by their Ufe 157 III. Of Decency and Fafliion. Decency may be directed 158159 Innocent Diver/ions 159160 Different Cuftoms of Countries 160 The Sanflion of great Names 161 Great Effetls of Trifles 161 163 A Letter to an unfafhionable Gentleman 1 63 1 66 IV. Of gaining a Character. Equal Virtues differently rewarded 166 Characters \ how procured 166169 Hard for Rulers to know Men 1 69 1 70 V. Of Idlenefs and Bulinefs. Idlenefs and Bufinefs 170 171 Idle Authors 171 172 Triflers - 172 173 Ufelefs Labour 1 73 1 74 The polite Arts 1 74 Too curious Books -T - 174175 Multitude CONTENTS. xiii Multitude of unnecejjary Writings *J5~- 1 7& the right Ufe of time i J 6 Public Buftnefs to be Jhortened 176177 Concifenefs recommended 177178 VI. Of Tafte. Power of Tafte 178 tafte in Children 178 179 tafte debauched by Fancy 179180 Appetite raifed by Difficulty 1 80 And Scarcity 1 8 1 Effetls of Men's different taftes 1 8 1 - 1 82 Effetls of bad tafte 182 tafte and Knowledge to be improved 182 183 VII. Of Friends and Enemies. Friends rare 183 Fable of the Lark 184185 Friends not to be defpaired of 185 true and corrupt Frie ndfhip 186189 Efficacy of Friends and Enemies 189 Enemies not to be defpifed 189 191 to be prudently treated 191 192 Sarcafm 192 193 VIIL Of the Caufes of Friendfliip and Hatred. Similarity not always the Caufe of Affection 193 In Man and Wife 193 -- 194 Similar Qualifications 1 94 Similar Virtues and Vices ib, Jcaloufy and Envy 194195 Strangenefs xiv CONTENTS. Strangenefs of Men 195 196 A Letter to a timorous young Lady 196198 IX. Of Union and Difcord. *he Advantages of Union 199 Its Dif advantages 199200 Advantages of Difcord in Government 200 20/ And in O economy 201202 Objections 202 X. Of conferring Favours. Tbe Manner of conferring Favours 203 205 In Superiors and Equals 205 206 Gratitude^ and Gifts of Inferiors 206 207 XL Of Avarice and Extravagance. Extravagancy and Parjimony 207- -208 The Dejire of Getting 208 Providing for a Family 208- -210 Covetoufnefs e - 211 The boarding and fquandering Mifer 211 - -213 Extravagance of the Poor 213- -214 The Hoarder and Squanderer compared 214- -215 XII. Of Ambition and Meannefs. Ambition and Bafenefs . ~ 21 5 Alexander and Cafar 215- 216 Difference of Ambition 216- -217 Bafe Pride - 217- -218 Noble and mean Ambition 218- -219 XII. The CONTENTS. %r XIII. The Chara&er of a Courtier, In a Letter to a Philofopber 219 225 XIV. OfPhyficandPhyficians. Vbe ImperfeSion of Phyfic 225 226 Cures by Imagination 2 2 6 - - 2 30 Rules from Experience 230 231 XV. Of the Law and Lawyers. The Rules of Arithmetic recommended ; viz. 231 Addition, Subtraction^ Multiplied- 1 ticn, and JDivifion S All Lawyers not Mercenaries 233 Algebra unprofitable to Lawyers 234 SECT. III. Of Government and Laws. I. Of State-Reformation. ~pArallel betwixt Politics and Phyftc 235 236 Political Reformation 236 Requires Caution 237 And not to be undertaken rafhly i 37" 2 39 State Policy not to be pu/hed too far 238- 240 11. of xvi CONTENTS. II. Of meliorating the Univerfities of Europe. The State of Univerfities 240 241 Univerfities founded in ignorant \ Times require Reformation } 4 "~ 4 The new Societies to fupply the Be- \ feels of the old $242-243 And to improve from each other 243 244 Public Readings to be changed 244 245 Profefforfhips to be altered 245 246 Only ufeful Books to be publifhed 246 III. Of the making of Laws. Requifites in the making of Laws 247 The Roman Laws how made 247 248 The Care required to enacl fuitably 1 ~ to the Country and People I ^ ' * Laws regard pafl Times and the future 2 50 2 52 Suitable Councils to be chofe 252 253 IV. Intimation of Man's Nature, with refped to Laws. Man's refraclory Nature * 253 Penal Laws without exprefs Prohibition 253 254 Effetls of Prohibition - 254 Man's Appetite to Things forbid 255 256 Oddities of Man 256257 Morality to - be genuine 257 258 The Tajie for it to be improved 258 v. Of CONTENTS. xvii V. Of Punifliment, in order to Amendment. Punijhment neceffary - 258 259 Some Crimes not punifhable 259 Correction to be adapted to the Crime 259 -- 260 Heretics , bow to be converted 2 60 ~ 2 6 1 Toleration 261 262 Fanatics , Catholics 262 265 Atheifts, theoretical and practical ib. How to be cured - 266 268 Infidelity 268 Coolnefs in Religion , bow cured 269 270 VI. How Polls may be well filled ; and the Public well ferved. Wrong Dejlinations of Men 2 70 Societies for examining the Capacities 1 of Youth J270-271 Children not to be forced 271 Nor predejlinated to Profeffions 271 272 Whence a general Want of ufeful Men 272 The Fault of Parents 272 273 Children not to be judged of from > their Parents l 2 73~ 2 74- Children's natural Talents to be dif- \ covered \ 74 " 75 The Negleft of Governors- 276 Few Men of general Genius 27 '6277 y^ Probation - Office wanted 277 0/} 0/ 77w the Materials will afford : B 4 M 8 O/Literature Set. I. for the Skill of the Architect is not to be quefti- oned. But his Fountains of Equity are dry Cif- terns, and a lean Sacrifice to the Common Law of England. His Sketch of Government fkulks behind the Subject j tarnifhes the Dignity of the Author ; and ends in a barren Compliment to King James. His Rules for the Conduct: of States- men are like the tinfcl Praife bellowed upon wrong Things eftablifh'd, or authorized only by Cuftom. But his Sketch for the Art of rifing in Life, is conducted in his own natural, deep, and fagacious Manner ; and fhews how he could have performed in the Science of Morality, if he had pleafed. Indeed, he frequently mines in his Moral EfTays, and Sapientia Veterum ; but we perceive his Caution, even whilft he profefTes to mew the Interiora Rerum. The beft Bowl may have its Biafs. A good Head may be too attentive to Court- Favours ; and grow too de- licate for public Service. Bacon judged it fafer to attack and demolifh the dronifh Admirers of Ariftotle^ than to provoke the Hornets of the Law, the Wafps of the Court, or fearch the fweet Hives of the Clergy : having here barely content- ed himfelf to drop ibme Seeds of Reformation fo fecretly, that few Readers perceive them. But when this Author is unreftrainM by Fears and Forms ; when his Shackles are off, and his Mind at Liberty to follow Nature and her Laws ; it is then he appears in his Glory, and outstrips the reft of Mankind in Teaching. It is then he plans out fuch Works, and delivers fuch Rules and Precepts for promoting the Sciences, and human. Sect. I. and Education. human Happinefs, as no Man can read without Aftonifhment and Gratitude. The Foundation of Morality, as a Science, muft be laid in fuch a Hiftory of Man, as may manifeft his Nature from his Actions , (hew, what a Kind of Creature he is, in Fact ; determine his little Sphere of Action ; his Obligations to the Creator ; his Powers and Defe&s ; his improvc- able Gifts and Talents ; his Appetites and Paf- fions ; his Wants and Weaknefies ; the Advan- tages he receives, and may farther receive from Society ; demonftrate how his focial Ties oblige him to act as a rational Creature, and promote his own Happinefs along with that of his Species. If fuch a Hiftory were to be attempted, it might perhaps be proper to collect and range the Ma- terials for it, under the general Heads of Litera- ture, Intercourfe, Government, and Religion. Under Literature would come the whole Pro- vince of Education, and the Cultivation of the Sciences ; including the feveral Methods of pre- paring and fitting Men, from their early Youth, for the feveral Polls and Profeflions ; fo as to furnifh States and Kingdoms with proper Perfons, in all Capacities, for carrying on the Scheme of human Felicity, in all its Branches. Under the general Head of Intercourfe, Men muft be defcribed in their common Occurren- ces, Dealings, and Tranfactions, exactly as they are ; with all their Virtues and Vices, Follies and Abfurdities about them j and the Ways be (hewn, of correcting our Errors and Frailties, fo as to make Virtue and Beneficence predominate over Vice lo Of Literature Sect. I. Vice and Mifchief ; enable the Good to check the Bad, and thus prepare the Way for true Go- vernment ; without which the Sources of human Felicity cannot be kept open. The hurtful Follies and Vices of Men are to be reftrained by Laws. Good Manners, ufeful Fafhions, and laudable Cuftoms cannot be introdu- ced and followed, unlefs countenanced and prac- tifed by Superiors. Hence it requires the great- eft Care and Prudence to provide, that the Nature, Defign, and Ufe of Government and Laws be un- derftood , and the Rules thereof applied ; as upon this Foundation human Happinefs, in Society, muft ever depend. Nothing can be well regulat- ed in Society without good Government. Religion recommends this great Work ; and not only prefcribes the Rules for promoting Hap- pinefs here *, but has alfo a tender Regard to Mens Happinefs hereafter : and therefore we ought to be extremely folicitous to have our Religion found and pure. The Order of the Heads, as here laid down, might indeed be inverted ; and thefe Memoirs begin with Religion, and the Works of the Creator -, fo far as we know them, by the direct Evidence of Senfe ; or can make them pur own by reflecting on the Nature of Man, and the Re- lations he ftands in ; whence every Point of Mo- rality is directly and immediately deducible, with the utmoft poflible Efficacy, Energy, and Im- preflion ; fo as to command and enforce Obedi- ence, even if Gratitude and Love to the Au- thor of our Being, were wanting. But before Men can Sect. I. and Education. II can be properly addrefs'd in this Manner, we feem to require more civilizing, and a larger Ba- fis of Natural Philofophy, and Moral Theology, to act upon. The Underftanding muft be opened, and informed by Degrees, in order more effectually to comprehend the amazing Syftem of the Uni- verfe ; wherein Man makes fo fmall a Part, and, if he could fee himfelf, fo ftrange a Figure, for want of that Knowledge and Virtue which he might attain to. For the prefent, let us take the Out- lines of a Syftem, confiding, like our Globe, of its four Quarters, Literature, Intercourfe, Go- ytrnmenty and Religion , in each of which it is every Man's Intereft, and may be his Pleafure, to make Difcoveries, for his own and the World's Advantage. The more any Man's Endeavours are directed to fuch an End, the wifer he will be in this Life ; and, if we believe Revelation, the more blefied in the next. II. Of Writings defigned to improve Morality. MORAL Writings are of two Kinds, feri- JjjJ^f ous, and jocofe. The fcrious we find, writings, under the Title of Ethics, in thofe Works of the Ancients, which treat of Virtue and Vice in the Abftract : whofe Ufefulnefs cannot be queftioned, if Men could be brought to delight in them. But it 0/ Literature Sect. I. But as the Moral Characters, and Social Duties, are there nakedly defcribed, thefe Writings do not pleafe in proportion to their Dignity. Other Philofophers, therefore, in order to recommend Virtue, have ingenioufly endeavoured to allure the Reader, awaken his Attention, and excite his Curiofity. In this View, feveral have cloathed Morality with Fiction, or drafted it in Fable : and we fee, from feveral Pafiages of the Old Te- ftament, that fuch Inventions are ancient ; hav- ing been in Ufe, with the People of God, from the earlieft Ages. Fables, JEfop* the celebrated Phrygian^ was the firft who made a Collection of fuch Moral Fables ; which are ftill read with Pleafure and Advantage. Many have followed his Example : and, not only the facred Writers of the New Teftament, but even our Saviour himfelf, made Ufe of Pa- rables and Similitudes, under which to convey and enforce Morality. Dialogues. Others have chofe the Dialogue Way of Writ- ing, or that Method of inflructing which goes by the Name of Socratic ; becaufe Socrates was the flrft who, as Plato informs us, rightly em- ployed it. Many have attempted to imitate So- crates in this Method of inflructing; which ftill remains in full Ufe. For as Dialogue keeps up the Reader's Attention, and affords a full Op- portunity for Illustration and Proof, it has been ufefuily employed in teaching not only Mora- lity, but Natural Philofophy, Divinity, Hiftory, Mathematics, &c. Hence Sect. I. and Education. 13 Hence alfo proceeded the Art of Romance- Ronuncoi writing, at prefent fo much in Vogue ; an Inven- tion which, according to Verdere, was owing to the Normans of France ; thefe Fictions being originally written in the old Norman Language 5 and the Writings themfelves intitled Normances 5 tho' the Name was afterwards altered to that of Romances : for the Spaniards, who took them from the French, callM them Romanzes ; and fo do the Italians. This Kind of Writing has alfo its Advantage. The Greeks made Ufe of it: and we have ftill remaining two ancient Greek Ro- mances ; one by Achilles Tatius, and the other by Heliodorus. The Metamorphojis of Apuleius 9 is the beft ancient Latin Romance ; and Barclay's Argenis, the beft of the modern Sort in that Lan- guage. But, moft of thefe Romances appear to be written by Perfons of Leifure, in the Way of A- mufement. Some of them however, under the fictitious Appearance of Hiftory, contain weighty Matter, both in Civil Policy and Morality ; fo that the reading of them proves as profitable as pleafant. Among the modern Moral Romances, the fa-Telema- mous Archbifliop of Cambrafs Telemachus is in chus * greateft Efteem ; and held as a Mailer- piece. But I muft frankly profefs, that I cannot difcover all thofe Excellencies which moft People find in this Work. Its florid Style, tho' excellent in Po- etry, feems very unfuirable in Profe ; and the In- ftructions, tho' in themfelves ufeful, are to be found in moft of the Waitings which treat of Virtue, !4 0/ Literature Se&. I, Virtue, and Government : whereas, to make a Book a Mafter- piece, it mould be an Original ; and not wholly contain fuch Matters as are vulgar- ly known already. But the Rules and Maxims laid down in this Romance are common, trite, and not always the beft ; fo that the Author is more to be regarded for his Style, and Conduct, than for the Subftance of the Work. Pamela. There are Swarms of Moral Romances. One, of late Date, divided the World into fuch oppo- lite Judgments, that fome extolled it to the Stars, whilft others treated it with Contempt. Whence arofe, particularly among the Ladies, two different Parties, Pamelijls and Antifame- lifts. This Book defcribes a poor young Cham- bermaid, with whom a Gentleman of Fortune falls in Love, and endeavours, by Power and Subtilty, to corrupt ; but her Virtue and Chafti- ty prove fo great, that Hie could not be prevailed upon to grant unwarrantable Favours. Hence, after fome time, his impure Love turns to Eft- eem ; infomuch, that, without regarding the In- equality of their Conditions, he marries her. Some look upon this young Virgin as an Exam- ple for Ladies to follow ; nay, there have been thofe, who did not fcruple to recommend this Romance from the Pulpit. Others, on the con- trary, difcover in it, the Behaviour of an hypocri- tical, crafty Girl, in her Courtfhip ; who under- ftands the Art of bringing a Man to her Lure. Both thefe Judgments, I think, are in the Ex- treme. For we cannot entirely rely upon the Conduct Sect. I. and Education. i^ Conduct of fuch a Girl ; becaufe we frequently find, that Men are impofed upon by pretended Virtue : and yet every Inftance of Virtue muft not be deemed Hypocrify. Women of real Re- ligion may be found, who have no fuch finifter Views. I comply fo far with the Ladies, whofe Friendfliip I always cultivate, as to reckon Pame- la of this laft good Sort; efpecially as, in her Profperity, her Conduct is fimilar to what it was before ; fo that me pleaies every body by her Ci- vility, Modefty, and obliging Behaviour. Her Hiftory, indeed, would have been more exem- plary, and her Conduct lefs exceptionable, if this Heroine, after fuffering fo many Perfecti- ons, had continued in her low Condition ; for, thus (he would have avoided the Cenfure now pafs'd upon her. At leaft, me might have made her Admirer wait a few Years, before fhe concluded the Match. Neverthelefs, I approve of this Romance, fo far as it contains juft Senti- ments, and holds out an Example of Virtue and Honour. At the fame time, I cannot allow it to be a Mafter-piece ; and by no Means think it deferves to be recommended from the Pulpit. For tho' there are fome inftructive Parts in this Work , yet there arc others too licentious. And certainly the Images it draws of a beautiful Wo- man, her Shape, Air, Neck, Breads, &c. which are all fully difplay'd, cannot furnifh a proper Text for a Sermon. The fame Judgment may be pafs'd upon many Romances other Moral Romances; wherein the Characters- 11 general, are uiually rais'd fo high, that they rather fecm drawn i6 0/ Literature Se&. I. drawn For Angels, than to (hew what Men really are, or might be made. Courage, Conftancy, Love, &c. are here fo fublimed and abftradted, that the Reader, inftead of found Senfe, gets nothing but abfurd, {trained, Characters, and un- natural Reprefentations. The Reading of fuch. Books cannot be recommended ; efpecially fince there is fomething in them capable of giving a wrong Turn, not only to particular Perfons, but even to a whole Nation. This induced Cervan- tes to write his admirable Don Quixote, in order to cure the perverted Tafte, and monftrous Ro- domontade, wherewith Spain, by the reading of wild Romances, was ftrangely infatuated. Feigned We Moderns have found a particular Pleafure Voyages. j n xhofe moral Performances, publifhed under the fictitious Titles of Voyages, Travels, Letters, Spec- tators, &c. Feigned Voyages may be well adapt- ed to improve Morality ; and many Pieces of this kind have already fucceeded. An Abufe, how- ever, is crept into this kind of Writing alfo ; for there are fome, who, under Pretence of defcribing imaginary Countries, have vented various deteft- able Notions, both againft Religion and Mora- lity, too (hocking to be mentioned. Some of thefe Voyages are wrote in the fame Man- ner with Lucian*s ; which contains nothing but Raillery : and of this kind Bidderman's Euto- pia, with others that refemble it, are moft in Efteem. The feigned Voyages wrote by Dr. Swift, are a Mixture of Jeft and Earneft ; but Jeft has the upper Hand. In Klim's Subterrane- ous Voyage is alio a Mixture of Jeft and Earneft ; but Sect. I. and Education. ty but more of the Serious. This Piece contains fo many Jiving Characters, as might afford Materials for a little Syftem of Morality. Other Moderns deliver their Morality in thepiaitioua Way of fuppofed Letters -, and among thefe, the Letter- moft celebrated are the well- wrote Letters of the Wrmn 8' Turktjh Spy. And of late, this kind of Writ- ing has greatly prevailed ; fo that we fee every Year productive of Letters, under the Title of Perfian, Cbinefe, Indian , Jewijh^ and Egyptian. The firft Perfian Letters are juftly admired ; as containing much good Matter, of new and ori- ginal Invention. I call them the firft Letters ; becaufe there have been others, lince publifhed, under the fame Title. Some Years ago, certain Perfons of good Tafte Spefla- and Genius, joined in writing Papers upon dif- tor$ * ferent Parts of Morality. Thefe Papers were firft publifhed fingly, and afterwards collected into Volumes, under the Title of the Spectator. This Collection being not the Work of one Au- thor, the Papers are very difllmilar. Some of them are new, and laboured with fo much Grace and Strength, that they may juftly pafs for. Mafter-pieces ; whilft others are but middling, and the greateft Part of little Value at prefent. Whence the French Tranflator thought proper to drop feveral of them j and it were to be wifhed he had omitted more. Many Authors have unfuccefsfully imitated this Work , for the new Speclators are no way com- parable to the beft Papers of the old one. Mod of the foreign Speclators are, like the Englijb, a C Collection 18 O/LlTERATURE Sedh L Collection of Eflays by different Hands: and fome of them juftly deferve the Preference to the French Spectator ; wherein the Morality appears Modern mucft more mining than folid. The modern French French Moralifts, in general, have more regard Morality. to gh ew ^^ R ea ii t y. A polite Style appears to be their principal View. Their Thoughts and Reflections are commonly bellowed upon paint- ing the favourite PafTions, and the Bent of the Ladies ; which makes one principal Part, both of their jocofe and ferious Writings ; their Morality, and their Plays : whence a Play with them, is no Play at all, unlefs it turn upon Love, and end in a Wedding. They affect to {hew a cer- tain external Gentility ; and look upon other Writers as grofs, who in the reprefenting of Vices go to the Point, and directly apply to the Cure : whilft thefe polite Authors are content to blazon and difplay certain Foibles and Levities, with a fuperficial gloffy Morality, that goes no deeper than the Skin. TJl But this is only to be underflood of the later French French Moralifts , for as to Montague, Charron, Moralifts holier e, Boileau, le Noble, and others of the laft Century. Century ; they treated Morality after the Model of the Ancients*, and therefore their Writings will remain immortal. But every Age has its particular Tafte ', and it happens with the French Writings as with their Cloaths, which change their Fafhion fo much, that the Drefs of one Year (hall appear comely and decent, but that of another phanta- ftic or odious. Many judicious Perfons com- plain of this bad Tatte in France ; and their Aur thors Sed. I. 'and Education. 19 thors weakly excufe themfelves, by faying, they muft adapt their Writings to the Tafte of their Readers. But who fhould endeavour to correct and reform the Public Tafte, if Writers do not ? Under the jocofe Morality, may be compre- Satyr, hended Satyr and Plays. In Satyr we have two, ancient Authors, Horace and Juvenal, whom the Moderns follow as Patterns. Among the modern Saty rifts, Boileau defervedly claims theBoileau. Preference ; not only in refpect of true Politenefs and Style, but Choice of Subject. He has reftrain- ed the Licentioufnefs of the ancient Satyr, and paved the Way to a more juft and temperate Kind : tho' it may fairly be faid, that he fome- times tranfgreffes his own Rules, and fatyrizes Perfons by Name , which is not allowable. But of all the Kinds of Writing, none is bet- Plays, ter adapted, to recommend Morality, and (hew the Nature of Virtue, and Vice, in an agreeable in- ftructive Manner, than Plays. The Ancient Co- medy is extremely ftrong, and ftrikes deep ; but is withal, too coarfe and biting , as plainly ap- pears by the remaining Comedies of Arijlopbanes. Menander is the firft, among the Greeks, who exhibited Morality in a lefs (hocking Manner : but of all the Plays he wrote, not one is preferv- ed to our Times. Among the Roman Writers of Comedy, Plan- Plautus tus and Terence are the principal : and the Learn- and ed are divided in Opinion about them. The ge- eren ^' nerality prefer Terence to Plautus ; but I cannot concur. The Style of Terence indeed, is purer, and the Regularity of his Plays greater, than in C 2 Plautus, ^20 0/LlTERATURE Se&. I. Plautus, lb as to have fewer Failings : but I think P/autus, with all his Faults, is incompa- rably the better Comic Poet. I compare the Plays of Terence to an ordinary faultlefs Face ; but thofe of Plautas to an extraordinary Beauty, with her Specks and Moles. Learned Men may be but indifferent Judges of Plays ; one grows fond of the Style, another of the Manners and Decorum, and a third of the Rules of the Drama : whereas, a Play may have Elegance, Manners, and all the Charadters, be written conformable to the Rules of Arifiotle, and yet be no true Comedy -, which, on the other hand, may have fome dis- agreeable Blemifhes, and yet be a Matter- piece. No one can deny that Plautus's Aulularia has its Faults , yet it (lands at the Head of all the Co- medies, both ancient and modern. A fingle Moliere may, in this Refpect, prove a better Judge than a whole Univerfity. Molie're thought proper to imitate Plautus exactly ; and was at the Trouble of tranflating fome of his Come- dies for the French Stage. He could not pro- mile himfeif the fame Succefs with the Come- dies of Terence, and therefore never meddled with them , notwithstanding their Elegance and Regularity. Some of Plautus's Plays, as par- ticularly the Aulularia, Amphitruo, Menoechmi, Pfeudolus, Moftellaria, &c. ftill continue in full Vogue , and are acted with fuch Succefs, as never to tire the Audience. And hence ap- pears what the Soul of Comedy is ; which no Writer can poflfefs, unlefs Nature has form'd it in him. Others, by Labour, Di- ligence, Seel. I. and Education. 21 Jigence, Obfervation, and a diftinguifhing Geni- us, may produce regular, terfe Comedies, equal to thofe of 'Terence ; whofe correct Style is his principal Beauty, and procures him Efteem : but Terence certainly wants Invention, the Vis comica, the Wit and Raillery, which are the Soul, and Life, and Spirit, of Comedy. The Plays of Plautus have been the Support of the European Stage ; whilft thofe of Terence^ tran- flated, will not bear acting. The Art of writing Moral Plays died with Moliere. Plautus and Terence ; infomuch that Moliere may be reckon'd the firft who revived departed Comedy, and brought it again upon the Stage, by copying after the Model of the ancient Greeks and Remans. It may juftly be faid of him, that he did not only happily follow, but even excelled his Matters , fo as, on that Account, to claim a Place amongfi: the greateft modern Philofophers. And, certainly, no Modern has better ftudied the human Appetites and Paffions; which he defcribes in fuch a jocofe and pleating Manner, as to be more entertaining and inftructing than Tbeophrajlus. Under whatever Form, or Man- ner of Writing, this is performed j it becomes a Work worthy of a Philofopher. That Mo- rality is the mod ufeful, which produces the bed Effect : and I queflion whether the mod folid Exhortations of Philofophers have pro- duced greater Effects, in curbing the Follies, and reftraining the Fopperies of Mankind, than the Comedies of Moliere \ notwithftanding he writes in the Way of Pleafantry : and it may be C 3 doubted, 22 O/LlTERATURE Se&. I. doubted, whether the* mod labour'd Sermon can be fo capable of converting a Hypocrite, as the Tartuffe-, or any Funeral Oration have fo great an Effect, as the Feftin de Pierre. Paradoxes, This may appear paradoxical , but, I hold it to be the Duty of a Writer to combat Errors, and diftinguifh Reality from Appearance. To fpeak or write upon Subjects, which have already been treated of, in the fame Manner, a thoufand times over, is neither ufeful nor entertaining. To ha* rangue upon the bad Effects of Extravagance, Covetoufnefs, and other common Vices, is no more than declaiming in the Manner of Orators : but to difcover, and manifeft, how the Shadow comes to be miftaken for the Subftance ; and how Vices come to be confounded with Virtues, is per- forming the Part of a Teacher. And in this Light it is, that I value paradoxical Opinions ; which being once fundamentally explained, and ufefully illuftrated, maybe looked uponasnewDifcoveries. Paradoxi- But inftead of explaining fuch Paradoxes upon cal Wm- p r0 p er Principles, certain Writers have appeared, who, proud of their own Wifdom, and fublime Underftandings, broach and propagate pernicious Opinions, tending to degrade and debafe Man- kind. Mr. Bayle. Among fuch Writers I reckon Mr. Bayle ; who feems to have combated certain Opinions, mere r ly becaufe they were generally received. In this Clafs I alfo rank another ingenious Gentleman, who pretends that all Virtues fpring from wicked and immoral Sources ; which is certainly going too far, and deftroying Morality at once. For tho Sect. I. and Edulation. 23 tho* we mould allow, that many ufeful Things proceed from bad Motives ; and that " Pride " and Vanity have erected more Hofpitals, than " the Virtues *, " yet it does not follow, that Pride and Vanity have erected them all. The Sophiftry of the Fable of the Bees deferves Fable of to be particularly expofed -, bccaufe it undertakes the Bees, to defend Vices, and to (hew their Necefiity in Society. This Fable pretends, " it would be im- " poifible to render a State flourifhing and happy, " if all bad Things, moral and natural, were " excluded out of it." In the Article of natural bad Things, perhaps the Doctrine may be te- nable. As Phyficians thrive by Sicknefs, we can- not fufpect their Sincerity, if they fhould wifh for fickly Times. * According to the old Greek Po- et, ' few Doctors rejoice to find their Neigh- *' bours healthy." A wealthy Farmer is not con- tented with Years of Plenty, but rejoices in Times of Scarcity ; a Lawyer delights in growing Con- tentions ; an Undertaker in Funerals ; and a Sol- dier in War and Plunder. Hence, a certain French Surgeon, Pierre de Hery> by Name, worfhipped the Image of Charles the Eighth ; becaufe that King firft brought the Venereal Difeafe into France : by the curing of which the Surgeon raif- ed an Eftate. So far, therefore, the Fable of the Bees may poflibly be in the right, with re- gard to natural Evils ; but to fuppofe Vice and Immorality neceflary in a State, is an abfurd and derogatory Notion, fitter for the Kingdom of * Sec hgreafcer Sed. IV. Eflay III. Of Evil in the World. C 4 Darknefs, 24 O/LlTERATURE Sett. I. Parknefs, than for Human Society. Mankind are the Creatures of GOD, not Children of the Devil: whoever would make them fuch, may- be defervedly pitied, or held in Contempt. Paradoxes have often lead me to enquire into the Origin of generally received Opinions j by which Means I have difcovered, that many efta- blifhed Maxims are not fo much founded in Nature and Reafon, as inCuftom and Refpect. If it be objected that I entertain fingular Opinions, and patronize Paradoxes; I anfwer, withCbryJippus, that this may poffibly proceed from a Love of Truth : for, to think juft as others do, and al- ways to go along with the Herd, rather indicates Indolence and obfequious Belief, than any la- borious Self-Refiedion. . I muft indeed confefs, that my Tafte in Books is odd, and almoft fingular, fo that I am tho- roughly pleafed with very few , and yet I have a general Love for the Sciences. The middling Authors are naufeous to me ; and I had rather read Fairy-Tales than an Author who writes be- low his Subject. This Tafte of mine has obliged me to read the bell Books over and over again ; in which I have found great Delight, and never Grotius. grew tired. Grotius, de Jure Belli ac Pacts, is a great Favourite of mine ; and ftill has all the Charms of Novelty, tho* I have read him hun- dreds of times. This extraordinary Man, who improved the Doctrine oHvlorality, has been fol- lowed by Numbers j but, in my Opinion, not one has arrived at his Perfection. Every Sentence of his is a Rule, every Rule an Oracle, and his Style fo Soft. I. and Education. %$ fo beautiful and charming, that I read him as I do one of the bed ancient Writers. And doubt- lefs the Fame of this great Author, and the Doctrines he delivers, will defcend to lateft Po- fterity. Of all the Roman Writers, I take Petronius to p e tronius. be the greateft univerfal Mafter , for he appears perfect in every Point. His Hiftory is fo clear and exprefiive, fo pure and elegant, that he con- tents the Prize with Livy. His Poetry is Virgi- lian -, his Satyr is fprightly, pointed, and fhews the richeft Vein. We every where find in him fuch Strokes of Wit, as give him the Preference to the Comic Poets. He is the only Latin Au- thor, who fpeaks the Cant and common Language of the Characters he introduces, and paints their Babble in its genuine lively Colours-, fo that when he relates the Difcourfe of Trimalcbid's Guefts, one would think he had fpent his Life in fuch contemptible Company. But as he alfo de- fcribes Obfcenities, he is, by no Means, an Au- thor fit for the perufal of Youth. My ftrange Tafte prefers Ovid to Virgil. Per- Ovid, haps I may be wrong in this ; but I cannot hitherto be convinced of it : for I have never yet met with a Poet, in any degree, comparable to Ovid , who, whether he writes high or low, concife or full, jocofe or ferious, is always charm- ing to me. His Metamorpbofis , tho' writ in a pompous Style, is yet fo flowing and eafy, that Children and Beginners in Latin may read him. If we compare Ovid with other Poets, they all appear artificial, and he alone natural. Nay, let 26 O/LlTERATURE Sect I. let Ovid be tranflated into Profe, and he does not lofe his lofty native Spirit : and this Spirit it is, that particularly diftinguifhes his Poems from Profaic Writings. Profodia, which is the Plague of other Poets, never (lands in the Way of Ovid. His Verfe flows in fuch a natural Order of Words, as if he were not obliged to obferve the Rules of Poetry : and this again remarkably diftinguifhes him from other Poets, who invert and jumble the Order of Words, in fuch a Man- ner as disfigures their Verfe, and makes all ap- pear a Hyjieron Proteron. Ovid not only ob- ferves this eafy natural Order of Words, in his Love-Poems, his Elegies, and Epiftles, but like- wife in his moft magnificent Defcriptions, and Transformations ; nay, he never quits it even in his lively, fpirituous, and fiery Pafifages. The Meafuring of Syllables, and the Scanning of the Verfe, appear to have been no Reftraint upon this genuine Poet. Nor can any other be produ- ced like him, in lofty, clear, and moving Expref- fion. What other Poets endeavour, with im- menfe Labour, to bring about in Efifays, fo as to render them clear and intelligible, Ovid per- forms in entire Books together, with the greatefl Perfpicuity and Energy of Diction, and not the leaft Appearance of Conftraint. In one Word, Ovid is to be reckon'd among thofe who are Po- ets by Birth and Nature : and we may well fay of him, that he was nurfed by the Mufes. The chief Reafon of his being fo little relifhed, I take to be his Commonnefs ; not only becaufe he is a Gallic of the lower Forms, but becaufe his Meta- Sett. I. and Education. 27 Metamorphofes are generally ufed by Poets, Painters, Sculptors, Gravers, Players, Learned and Unlearned ; who have turned and twilled him, till the Potters are grown tired of their Clay, and the Confectioners cloy'd with their Sweetmeats. Almoft every Verfe in Ovid is an Epigram, where Wit, Invention, and Elegance predominate ; and yet each Verfe is as eafy, clear, and exprefiive as Profe. I have read Juvenal fo often, that I can nearly j UV enal repeat each Satyr by Heart. His Satyrs pleafe and me more than thofe of Horace. Horace, indeed, Horac< * excells Juvenal in Spirit ; but Juvenal excells Horace in Strength. Horace tickles and delights his Reader; but Juvenal is earned, nervous, fharp, and flinging. Horace judges from external Appearances , but Juvenal goes deeper, difco- vers fecret and hidden Vice, drags it forth, and rouzes Reflection in his Reader. Juvenal is rich and fruitful in his Doctrine and Defcriptions ; Ho- race only aims at certain Failings; and frequently touches upon a fingle Consideration over and over again. Juvenal explains his Point fundamentally, and never runs from it ; which we cannot fay of Horace. In his firft Satyr, Horace jcfts with the Ficklenefs of Mankind ; and in the fame Breath endeavours to render Covetoufnefs ridiculous, in his third Satyr he cenfures thofe who difcover to others the flight Failings of Friends, and do not obferve any in themfelves ; immediately after which, he comes to the Stoical Maxim, " that ** all Crimes are equal ;" and his Conduct is the fame in the reft of his Satyrs. It muft however be z8 O/LiterAturb Sed. I. be acknowledged that there are, in his Works, PalTages which fhew a ripe and mafterly Judg- ment. Yet he is extremely difilmilar to himfelf ; fo that in refpect both of his Matter and Style, he , appears as variable as his Butt Tigellius. And asrhis Verfification is extremely forced, he feems to me no Poet by Nature ; but made fo by Art, labour, and Study. Moreover, he holds the Principles of Epicurus , denies a Providence ; and praifes Virtues only for their Ufes in Life. Ju- venal** Morals are much better , he fpeaks fen- fibly and venerably of GOD, and of good Acti- ons ; and has many noble Sentiments not unwor- thy of a Chriftian. Ciceroand My Tafte, I acknowledge, is odd ; but I fpeak y " from my own Feeling, and have found fome as odd as myfelf, in preferring Pliny's Epiftles to Cicero's. I know it is Herefy, thus to prefer a young Latin Writer to an Ancient. But even the Writings of Seneca appear to me better la- boured than the Philofophical Works of Cicero. Indeed, Cicero has a flowing Style , which, I fup- pofe, is the principal Caufe of his Reputation as a Writer. But fome take that for a Beau- ty, which to others is diftgreeable. Some have no Relifh for Writings compofed with Labour, Thought, Judgment, and Reflection ; but ad- mire what Aides eafily over their Minds, and leaves nothing but faint placid Images and imperfect Traces behind j with a happy Remembrance of being pleafed, amufed, and lulled by their Read- ing. I dare not call fuch Readers Ciceronians ; for the Golden Age of Writers has many Defen- ders. Sedfc. T. and Education. *2$ ders. But Men frequently follow the Judgment of others, without confidering for themfelves ; and are led, guided, and directed, as fo many Children, what they are to like or diflike, praife or condemn, It is faid, we do not difcover fuch Beauties, Eloquence, and Ornaments in later Writers as in thofe of Antiquity , and particular- ly thdfe of the Golden Age. And thus, as Ci- cero cenfures Demetrius Phaler and when he has got the Means, he wants Sect. I. and Education. 33 wants the Appetite ; fo that the prefent Plenty becomes as difagreeable as the preceding Want : for, to have nothing, and to like nothing, differ but little. And thus till a Man is paft the Age for relifhing Matrimony, he may not be able to provide for a Wife. Plenty and a Difufe of it, or a general DiQike Old Age. of the World, often attend Old Age. And if Age, of itfelf, does not compleat the Misfortune, Infirmity and Weaknefs, Difguft and DifTatis- faction, ufually clofe the Scene. For, " Old-Age " is the Harbour of Calamities." This, in ge- neral, is the Courfe of Human Life ; at leaft, ic has been the Tenour of mine, and of far the greater Part of my Acquaintance. Many, in- deed, go different Ways to the fame End ; but few of all thefe Ways are without Briars and Thorns, Vexations and Torments. For, the Pil- grimage of Man is a State of Suffering, tho' the Sufferings differ in Kind. All the Roads of Life are rough, and narrow, and craggy, and brok- en; and the common Gulph, in which they all terminate, is Death. And, thus, as Life begins, fo it ufually ends, with bewailing ; as we fee by daily Experience. If any Man judges this Defcription too tragi- No j^ an cal, I felicitate him upon having paffed his Life to be en- with lefs Trouble and fewer Misfortunes. For vied * my own part, I judge the Sketch not aggravated. The happy Days I have ken in the World, may foon be numbered. If others can reckon up a Series of happy Years, it would be Joy to me ; for as we are all Fellow- Sufferers, we oughr by D no ture Life. 24 OfLlTERATURE Sect. I. no Means, to envy one another our fhort-lived v Enjoyments. The Practice of thofe Bigots mould never be followed, who deny themfelves no Gratifications, but allow none to their Neigh- bours. Thefu-_ From the Miferies to which the prefent Life is fubject, arifes a mod comfortable Demonftra- tion of a future State. If there was to be no Life after this, we might fay, that " God had " made Man in his Anger," and render'd him the moft miferable of all the Creatures. For, tho' Brutes are fubject to Mifery and Death, yet' they are free from Care and Anxiety ; fo that even the Underftanding, allotted to Man, would then diftinguiih him, in Mifery, from Brutes ; who are not encumbered about any thing more than the prefent, whilfl Men are attentive to part, to prefent, and to future Evils. But the glorious and juft Expectation of the Life to come is ca- pable of fweetening all the Bitternefs in this ; provided we fo mould our Thoughts, as to look upon earthly Miferies as no Miferies at all, in Comparifon of the future Joys we are to expect. And, certainly, the greater Sufferings we inno- cently undergo in this World, the more pleafing Idea we may actually have of the promifed Fe- licities, in the Life eternal. To diminim the - Miferies of this Life, and prepare the Mind for a better, is the Aim of the Author ; who wifhes he had Abilities adequate to fo glorious a Work. Gf Sefl. I. and Education. 35 IV. Of the Sciences. TH E Sciences may be divided into three TheScien- Claffcs; the necefiary, the ufeful, and the ces divi ded hurtful. Of the necefiary Kind are thofe that n ufc / teach us our Duty to GOD and Man ; thus com- ful, and prehending Divinity and Morality. That thefe hurtful. two are necefiary, all Men ;.gree i and differ only as to the Manner of teaching and ufing them. We generally begin with inftructing Children in Divinity, and ftamp the Myfteries of Re- Divinity velation upon their tender Minds, before they and have learnt Morality. This Procedure appears Mora,lt y- as abfurd, as if a Boy, in order to learn Latin, fhould begin with Livy before the Accidence. Children muft firft be made intelligent, before they can properly be made Chriftians. The Foundation fhould be prepared, before the Build- ing is erected ; and the Taper be ftiffened, be- fore it is wrote upon. The Method of inftructirg Youth, fhould Education have two Views ; the firfr. to form them Men, and t0 nav * the fecond to form them Chriftians. For, by t^.^ ^* 8 ing early inftrucled in certain Articles of Faith, we are apt inflexibly to defend our Party j and can fcarce bear the lcaft Argument againft ic. This Plye, once taken, is not eafily reclined. And hence our Minds require to be weeded from wrong Notions, and perverted Rules of D 2 judging 36 O/LlTERATURE Sett. I. judging, before we can produce any Fruits of Morality. But, after a Man is once formed and moulded, it is ufually too late to alter him; for, if wrong Opinions fix and take Root in the Mind, they grow into knotty and diftorted Branches. Men mould learn to doubt, before they learn to believe ; as we tafte our Meat before we fwallow it. To do otherwife is going backwards with Inftru&ion ; and eftablifhing Religion upon no other Founda- tion than the Authoriry of the Teacher, or the Doctrine of his Seel. To go regularly to Work, we muft begin with Morality , and furnifh the Mind with Manners, to fit it for the proper re- ceiving of Divine Knowledge. This might pof- fibly fubdue the Spirit of Bitternefs reigning mong Chriftians ; and render our different Re- ligious Sects more charitable to each other. Thejefui- I here fpeak not of thofe, who, having a felf- tical Edu jnterefted Religion to propagate, purpofely be- gin with teaching Religion before Morality. Their View is not to teach the Truth ; but only Mich Opinions as conduce to their own Ends. Thus, the Roman Catholicks, particularly the Jefuits, who are Teachers for Self- Advantage, imprint the Infallibility of the Church upon the Minds of their young Hearers ,. as well knowing, that when once this Doctrine has taken Root, the Truth can afterwards find no Place in the Heart. The Ma- And thus the Mahometans carefully avoid the boxnetan Teaching of Philofophy ; becaufe no Man can catI0n ' admit of their Religion, who is previously fur- nifhed with the Rules which Philofophers ufe in difcover- Seel. I. and Education. 37 difcovering Truth. I addrefs myfelf to no fuch felfifh Teachers, but fingly to thofe, who, with a better Intention, allow Men to try, before they believe ; and to examine before they fub- fcribe. And, I beg leave to obferve, that thefe well - intentioned Perfons generally crofs their own good Defign, by their Manner of educating Youth j and obliging them to learn Catechifms, and Articles of Faith, without due Preparation. Skilful Phyficians proceed in a regular Man- Morality ner j and begin with preparing the Body, that t ht ^ the proper Remedies may afterwards take place, fore Rcli- and produce the better EfifecT:. If Teachers fol-S l0n * lowed this Example, Divinity would produce much ncbler Fruits. But the common Way of beginning, is with Believe ! before it is well known what fhould, and what fhould not be be- lieved. This is proceeding like a Judge, who begins with Condemning, and ends with Exami- nation. I tubmit it, whether a Regulation fhould not be made in Schools, for the firft and fecond - ClafTes to be inftructed in Morality ; and Religi- on be rtferved to the third , fo that the primary Bufii.eis might be to prepare the Mind, and guard it againft Prejudices, in order to the better planting and propagating Divinity after- wards. For we find, by Experience, that if any one ftudies Points of Faith before Morality, he rarely learns Morality afterwards. Moral Philofophy has been extremely neglefled, M .. both among Jews arid Chrijlians \ the Confe- negkfted quence whereof is, that fmall Things are care- among fully kept up and obferved, whilft weighty ^rauLa, D 3 Matters 38 0/ Literature Seft. I. Matters lie unregarded. All the moral Com- mandments have been fhamefully broke, about Trifles. Men have perfecuted and murdered their Neighbours, merely for difagreeing in fpeculative Opinions, or Ceremonies , they have been ex- tremely zealous in external Godlinefs , and at the fame time indulged themfelves in all Sorts of Wickednefs. The Freebooters, who were a Gang of Pyrates and Robbers, trained up among the Northern Chriftians, could never have been reckoned virtuous Heroes, if the Peo- ple had underflccd Morality. Many Vices con- tinue at prefent in Vogue, for no other Rea- fon but becaufe they are not properly noted, pointed out, and cenfured as Vices, among the People. The com- The common Method of infrrufling Youth Method of m jpht therefore be reveried, and a firm Founda- I euCnin (lr tobere- b tion laid in Morality, and found Philofophy, by vcrfed. way of Preparation to the Teaching of the Ar- ticles of the Chrittian Faith. Clodove, King of France, after his Converfion to Chriftianity, hear- ing the Hiftory of our Saviour's Pafilon read, was fo warmed with it, that he cried out, " If " I had lived in thole Times, my Troops mould " have fabred the Jews, and releafed JefusP Which he would hardly have faid, if his Con- verters had properly instructed him, before they baptized him. The Pro- Our prefent Miffionaries proceed like our ccdureof School mailers, and ufually begin with the My- ries. ll0IU ~ ^ er i S f Religion ; which immediately mock their Sect. I. and Education. 39 their fuperftitious Hearers ; fo that they liften no longer. The Preaching of the Spanijh Bifhop, to the King of Peru, made the King take him to be mad ; fo that all friendly Intercourfe immedi- ately broke off: which, probably, would not have happened, if the Bi/hop had begun to con- vert the King, in the Order here recommended. In Hiftory we find numerous Examples of others, thus difgufted with our Miflionaries, or foon fal- ling off, after being initiated ; and particularly among the newly converted Indian Youths. We mould therefore feafon the Vtffel with Morality, before we fill it with Religion, We muft. firft: imprint found Senfe and moral Truths upon the Jt x Minds of Mtn. We muft fhew Youth the Con- formity of Revelation with Reafon, before we command their Aflfent ; and inftruct them in real Logic, genuine Criticifm, and the Art of Judging, to prevent their taking Falihood for Truth. By fuch Means, an Inftrudtor may ac- quire the proper Confidence and Efteem of his Converts ; who will then look upon him as an undefigning, upright Man, when they perceive he really means to poffeis them of Truth, and make them happy, without bringing any worldly Advantage to himfelf. And thus the Learner will foon co-operate in his own Converfion ; and come prepared, readily to receive, and ftrongly to retain the fpiritual Doctrine delivered. To proceed regularly in this weighty Affair, The rcgu- we fhould firft: fhew, in general, what an in- ] . ar Icach " telligent Man ought to receive, and rejed ; or what agrees with the Light of Nature, and what D 4 difagrees 40 0/ Literature Sect. I. difagrees therewith ; then proceed to thofe Doc- trines of Revelation, which all Chriftians allow to be confident with the Principles of Natural Religion. If this Method were obferved, we might reafonably hope, that Chriftians being thus properly made, would remain fteady ; and no Points of Doctrine be received as Articles of Faith, but fuch as are juft and perfect. Where- as, we now fee, among all Sorts of People, whilft thefe Rules are neglected, Youth trained up in the moft monftrous and inhumane Opi- nions, fcarce ever to be rooted out of their Minds. lllaftratcd. To illuftrate this Matter; let us fuppofe a Mafter undertaking to inftruct a Learner in Chriftianity ; and, to prepare the Way, firft ex- plains the Religion of Nature ; gives his Difci- ple a general Idea of Virtue and Vice , fhews him what Truth, Equity, Juftice, and Benevolence are , viz. that thefe are Excellencies among GOD's Creatures, and, confequently, true At- tributes of GOD. When this Foundation is laid ; fuppofe the Inftructor proceeds to the Doc- trines of Revelation ; and fhews from the Ar- ticles of Faith, which his own Party fubfcribes, that GOD, out of his Sovereign Will, created moft Men to be damned. Flere the new Difciple is alarmed, ftands upon his Guard, and will not admit a Doctrine fo repugnant to the clear Preli- minaries fettled in his Mind. Let a Popim-MifTionary begin to execute his Com million with the teaching of Philofophy and Morality , declare, that as a Man ought to believe nothing repugnant to his Senfes, that is, nothing Sect:. I. and Education. 41 nothing contrary to what he and all others fee, hear, and feel ; and that thofe are perverfe, who endeavour to do otherwife -, then proceed to de- liver the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation ; where, what to the Senfes is Bread, he fays is Flefh: here the Pupil mud needs be fhocked at an Ar- ticle, which flatly contradicts the fundamental Truths that were taught him, and may juftly fay ; " If I muft not believe my own Senfes and " Perceptions , if I muft deny feeing what I fee, " and hearing what I and others hear , this is " banifliing Truth, or Reality, and giving up all tc Pretenfions to Certainty ; fo that I may well " doubt about the Scriptures and Miracles.*' Thus, if, by Means of preparatory In ft ructions, a Perfon is once taught to ufe his Reafon, he will be ready to receive the Doctrines that are true, and to reject thofe that are falfe. And fo much for the the neceffary Sciences ; Morality and Divinity. Under the Clafs of neceflary Sciences, might Hifloiy. likevvife be reckoned Hiftory ; tho' mod Philo- fophers rank it amongft the ufeful Studies -, and commonly place it next after Geometry: becaufe few look upon Hiftory in its proper Light , or confider, that Morality is to be learnt from hifto- rical Examples , and that the Origin, Progrefs, Changes and Succefs of Religion, are fhcwn in Hiftory. Among the ufeful Sciences, come Geometry Theufe- and Natural Philofophy ; of which I do not de- ful S ;" itn * fign to fpeak, becaufe their great Advantages are mctryand generally known. I mall only mention one Er- \>^ m ror, phy. 42 (y Literature Sect. I. ror of the ancient Philofophers, in having a dif- w ferent Notion of the Dignity of the Mathemati- cal Sciences , from what we entertain at prefent : for, they imagined it unworthy of a Philofopher, to meddle with any thing more than the Theory of thefe Sciences ; and looked upon the Practice, or Mechanical Part, as vulgar Drudgery : whence, Mathematicks, with them, confifted only in Spe- culation ; whereas, at prefent, we go properly to work in thefe Sciences, by reducing them to Practice, and applying them to Mechanical Pur- pofes, in a great Variety of ufeful Works : whence the Mathematical Philofophers, of our Time, deferve the greatefl Commendation and Encouragement, as Benefactors to Mankind. Eckatc, The ancient Philofophers, like our modern Di- Philofo- vines, were divided into Parties ; each Se<5t en- p Y ' deavouring to defend the Doctrines of its Foun- der , inftead of difcovering Truth. This Kind of Party- Philofophy continued till about the Time of our Saviour ; when certain Perfons, of whom Potamon was the firft, refolved to pay no farther Allegiance to any Party ; but felected the beft Things they could out of every Sect : whence this was called the Echoic- Philofophy. I know not whether it may be prudent to wifh. Edeftic for an Eclettic -Divinity ; whilft Chriftians, like Dmnity. tne }j Philofophers, do not fo much endeavour to difcover Truth, as to defend Opinions. But tho' I dare not make this Wifh ; yet I frankly declare, that if any Man mould attempt an Ec- leEtic- Divinity, he fhall not have me for his Ad- verfary. As Seel. I. and Education. 43 As the Solidity and Ufe of Natural Philofo- Agricut- phy and Mathematicks confift in Practice and ture ' Experience; we Ihould not quarrel with thofe who rank fkilful Farmers and Hufbandmen among the ProfefTors of Natural Philofophy ; which, fingly, confifts in the Knowledge and Ufe of na- tural Things. For my part, I always think him a learned Man, who fundamentally underftands any ufeful Science ; whether he learnt it from Writers in Greek, Latin, or his own Mother Tongue ; or whether he acquired it by Reading, Study, or Experience. And if the Doctrine of Agriculture was made a Science, and taught as fuch. in the Univerfities ; I believe, the Mufes would not relent it. Univerfities are founded to cul- tivate and promote thofe Sciences which tend to fupport the Church, , the State, and Civil So- ciety : in which Light we mighr, perhaps, with as great Propriety, confer a Mailer's or Doctor's Degree upon a learned Farmer, as upon a learned Critic ; unlefs any one will fay, it is of greater Confequence to rectify Words and Phrafes, than to improve Land ; or more ufeful to weed an old Poet from the Errors of a Copifr, than to clear a Common, and render it fruitful. The Georgics are no contemptible Part of Vir- gil's Works : and Rowan Writers have left us feveral Specimens of their Skill in Farming. I am in doubt, whether Rhetorick fhould be Rheto- reckoned among the ufeful Sciences. The Greeks and Romans held it in great Efteem : but weighty Objections lie againft it. A certain Philofopher compares it to a painted Woman ; where the Paint CCS 44 0/ Literature Sect:. I. Paint impofes upon the Sight, and the Woman upon the Understanding. Socrates call'd it the Art of Deceiving. And ibme well regulated States, as Crete, and Lacedemon defpifed it. But in Greece, and other tumultuary popular Govern- ments, Rhetorick was reckoned the capital Science. I will not attempt to decide the Que- ftion. The hurt- The hurtful Sciences are numerous. Mod of our ien " learned Diflertations are either wrote upon Subjects which no Man underftands, or which it is of no Confequence to underftands. We have daily Dis- putes about God's Effence, and the Nature of Spirits &c. which are, plainly, Subjects hidden from Men. Many other Diicourfe we have upon the dark unneceffary Things of Antiquity ; as the Country of Homer, the real Mother of JEneas, the Father of Romulus, and as the Poet exprefies it, >uot Acejles vixerit Annos , Quot Skuli Phrygibus Vini donaverint Urnas. The critical Sciences of this Kind, are not only unprofitable, but pernicious-, on account of the Time fo wretchedly mifemployed. People who ftudy in this Way, are like Children turning over the Leaves of a Book to look for Pictures. Indeed, all the Sciences become pernicious, when they run to Excefs. Experience (hews,, that a Man may fludy himfelf fimple. Yet, exceffive Study has had a great Reputation in the World. Archimedes is celebrated for being fo buried in Contemplation, that he remained the only Per- fon in Syracufe, who did not know the City was taken, Sect. I. and Education. 45 taken. Carneades is famed tor being fo ftu- dious that he forgot to eat. But, with all the Veneration due to the Ancients, this Kind of Fame is not well grounded. Perfons thus praifed, refemble the Gentleman lafhed by Petronius, un- der the Character of Eumolpus -, who continued repeating Verfes in the Cabin, whilft the Ship was toffed in a Storm and ready to fink. An over- learned Man may be compared to a Glutton, or a Drunkard j for as Men, may eat and drink to a Debauch, fo they may ftudy to Excefs. In either Cafe the Perfon becomes unfit for Bufinefs ; and the Effect is the fame, whether produced by too much Wine, or too much Study. Such immoderately learned Men are like the Orator in PetroniitSj who afked an unknown old Wo- man in the Street, if fhe could tell him where he lived. Of fuch a Perfon we may juftly fay, what Fejlus unjuftly faid of St. Paul-, " thy " much Learning doth make thee mad." But what fhall we fay of him, who fearches ^hc curi- into the Nature of Infects, Shells, &c. without ous Scien- ftudying himfelf , who has the Hiftory of the JJ g a r ^ t World in his Head, but remains ignorant of Learning, what is daily tranfacted in his own Family; who knows " what private Dialogues pafs " betwixt Jupiter and Juno, but not a Syllable ther ftudy to be thought learned, than to be re- ally good. At the Univerfity we learn abftract Definitions of Virtues and Vices; with the Art of haranguing upon them -, and are apt to ima- gine that this is fufficient : whence our Univerfity Learning begins, and dwells, and ends in The- ory and Speculation ; fo that he who has finifhed his Academical Studies, proves but like the Whet- Stone, blunt in himfelf, however he fliarpens others. Such Students may be looked upon as rough Riders, who underftand the breaking of a Horfe ; but know nothing of bridling themfelves. We come out of Schools and Colleges, loaded with Learning for the Service of others ; but keep none for our own Ufe. Every Seneca de- claims againft Riches ; yet gets all the Money he can. Every Cicero preaches up Courage and Greatnefs of Soul ; but whimpers at Misfor- tunes. Every Horace jokes upon Ficklenefs ; whilft himfelf is as changeable as the Moon. In E 3 learned 54 0/ Literature Sed. I. learned Societies we find noble Precepts of Mo- rality ; but if we look here for Examples, we had better look any where elfe. Great Scholars are no lefs remarkable for their Manners, than their Teaching ; and like Bells, give Sounds which themfelves are deaf to. The fmall Studies ufually produce fo little Fruit, that the Fruit of Learned are fcarce diftinguifhable from the Un- whence. ^ earnec ^ by anv Signs of the Social Virtues, Nay, greater Animofkies happen among Scho- lars, than among the Illiterate ; for which feve- ral Reafons may be afligned. Pride of i. Many Scholars are proud of their Learn- the Leam- i n g . anc j haughtily efteem themfelves the Quin- teiTence of Man. This Weaknefs was fo preva- lent in the barbarous Ages, that Pedants affumed the Titles of Seraphick, Subtile, and Celeftial Doctors. Some took for their Title of Dignity, Utriufque Lingu anc * inftead of it to fet the Eu- to Prof- ropean Language to the Latin Profodia. But, as The Situation as to Diet . c of the Rich differs not confiderably from that of the Poor. The Poor have little to eat ; and the Rich eat but little , the Poor thro* Want, and the Rich thro' Satiety : fo that both frequently rife half-empty from Table. The Poor have as great a Relifti for their Pottage, as the Rich for their Dainties. All Meats tafte well to the Poor. 44 He eats the moll, who is fartheft from the ** Kitchen ; and he drinks the mod: who is far- " theft from the Cellar." DionyJius> King of Corinth, defpifed the Spartan Broth, for want of Appetite: but Darius y who once, in his Flight, drank foul Water, declared he never before tail- ed fo delicious a Liquor. The Poor are ufually healthful, ftrong, and active ; for, Poverty nourifhes, tho' it does not fatten : but the Rich are generally tender, weak, and inactive. The Poor have little, and their Wants are few : the Rich enjoy but little in them- felves, and are always craving. The Poor are fatisfied with Things eafily procurable, and of fmall Expence ; but idle Gratifications have no ^1 Bounds. If the poor Man eats not immoderate- ly, he enjoys the more Health , and if he drinks but little, he fleeps the founder, and wakes the frefiier. It feems difficult to determine whofe Condition is the beft, that of the Poor or that of Sect.- I. W Education. gs of the Rich ; becaufe what Men call Good, muft not be rated according to its Price, but accord- ing to the Ufe and Relifh of it ; where Caprice or Fafhion come not into Confideration. The Thing that gives one Man PJeafure, may give Pain to another : and what affects one Man mo- derately, mail ftrongly affect another. The Mat- ter muft here be confidered, not abfolutely, but re- latively ; not according to the Thing itfelf, but according to the Effects it produces. The poor Man keeps as good a Table for himfelf, as the Rich. Few Men, in Proportion, die for Hunger , but great Numbers from Superfluity and Excefs : fo that, in this refpect, we may reckon the Poor more happy than the Rich. They are both of chem encumbered : the heir Poor for their Suftenance; the Rich in preferv- p^rs. ing their Eftates. The rich Man is under Appre- henfions of Robbers, Borrowers, and Cheats ; acts as a Guard at home, and an Overlooker abroad ; watching around, that no body comes too near him. The poor Man is lefs encumbered, lefs anxious, lefs upon his Guard, and may travel the World over without Danger of being plundered. We ufually find the Rich thoughtful, timo- rous, and miftruftful : the Poor are commonly freer from Cares and Anxieties. If a Beggar ap- pear forrowlul, it is often a Colour put on to move Companion. But allowing their Cares to be equal, yet the Anxieties of the Poor are fhort, and immediately removed by a fmall Gift -, where- as, the Care of the Rich is more conftant. This appears not only in particular Perfons ; but even in 9^ 0/ Literature Secft. L in whole Nations. What People are richer than the Englijh ? Yet where do we find Defpair and Self-Murder fo common as in England? The Scythians lived in perpetual Poverty , but had a great Regard to their Lives. The Englijh ge- nerally live in a Courfe of Superfluity \ yet often grow weary of themfelves. Cicero mentions an Epitaph, found in his Time, upon a certain Perfon called Cleombrotus, who having met with no Mif- fortune in Life, grew fo tired of perpetual Feli- city, that he drowned himfelf. There are many rich and honourable Perfons found among the Spaniards, who voluntarily refign their domeftic Felicity, affociate with Beggars, and go from Door to Door ; in which fort of Life thefe Gen- try find a Kind of Pleafure : and judge, accord- ing to the Saying, that " He is as happy as a * c Lord, who can beg where he pleafes." Want and Superfluity may be attended with equal Inconveniences ; as intenfe Cold and Heat have equally bad Effects. The Poor will fome- times figh, upon feeing the Rich ride by in their Chariots : but fplendid Equipage contributes lit- tle to Self-Content. It is not uncommon to fee dejected Countenances in gilt Coaches ; and mer- ry Faces behind them. Some rich Men, indeed, live in a conftant Courfe of Pleafure, without being weary of 'it : but how great a Temptation to Folly and Fop- pery, Difiblutenefs and Debauchery, is this State of Affluence ? Their It may be objected, that the Poor have no Friend?. E r j en d Sj and therefore commonly fare ill in Con- tefts Seft. I. WEducation, 97 tefts with the Rich. But we muft alfo confider, that the numerous Friends of the Rich are fel- dom better than Table- Friends. And as to Law-Suits, it is indeed a common Saying, that " the Poor can have no Juftice ," but this Saying feems to have arifen from the Poor themfelves, who daily ufe the Plea with Succefs. For, many companionate Judges fa- vour the Poor ; and Experience fhews, that a poor Woman's Tears and forrowful Countenance will fometimes have a greater EfFect: at the Bar, than two fubftantial Witneffes. For my parr, I dread the having a Law-Suit with a poor Man, more than with a rich one *, and look upon him as a dangerous Plaintiff. There are numerous Examples of Perfons who plead Poverty, not fo much out of Necefilty, as to render their Opponent odious ; and by that Means obtain a more favourable Sentence. Pity has often more Influence over a Judge than it ought. In a certan Caufe betwixt a Chriftian and a wealthy Jew, the Jew was condemned to pay Cofts, firft, becaufe he could better afford it j and fecondly, becaufe his Ancestors crucified our Saviour. The Poor, it is true, have not many Friends , but are, in fome meafure, afiured of the Since- rity of the few they have ; whilft the Rich and Powerful cannot fo well depend upon the Sincerity of theirs, who do not all ferve the Perfon, fo much as the Place. The Emperor Julian hearing hi mfelf praifed, replied, " If this " Praife came from thofe who had full Liberty H " of 9 8 Difference betwixt Matters and" Ser- vants. Of Literature Scdt. I * l of praifing, or blaming, it would pleafe me." And hence, perhaps, the State of the Poor, in refpect of Friends, is tolerable. To confiderthe Difference betwixt Matter and Servant; when I reflect upon the Hard mips, Compulfion, and Labour, to which Servants are fubjecl, it appears as if their Situation was wretch- ed : but when I find them generally frefh, heal- thy, contented, and fuller of Joy than their Mailers, my Pity for them abates. Servants fuffer more Hardfhips than their Mafters-, but thofe Hardfhips are the lefs, becaufe Servants bear them better : for, a Hardfhip is no Hardfhip, . if a Man can fubmit to it chearfully./ ' n*pu"> unhappy : fome fmall Accident may have ruffled his Mind, and rendered him unattentive to his good Fortune. In this Cafe, our intended Con- gratulation may juftly be turned to Condolance j for tho' his Difafters are (lender, yet they are afflicting, if he lays them to Heart. It is not the Thing in itfelf that torments us, but the Thoughts and Feelings we have of it. If we arm 106 Of Literature Sedh I. arm ourfelves, and make a Stand againft Misfor- tunes, we fuffer the ]efs. He who valiantly meets his Enemy, often obtains an honourable Capitulation. It is always a Comfort and an Ho- nour to meet Misfortunes bravely : for no Man can prove his Courage, but by Trial. To fhew that good or bad Fortune is juft as it is felt , we need only refume the Confideration of Mafter and Servant : for, Mailers, in general, appear no happier than their Servants. We are not to look for Contentment in Palaces alone, but may as well find it in Huts. I one Day vi- fited two particular Perfons. The firft was Ma- iler of an elegant Houfe and Garden. I afked him, if he expecled good Fruit that Year? He anfwered, he could fay nothing of his Garden ; becaufe he fcarce ever went out of his Bedcham- ber. The fecond was fo confined in a little dark Room, that I thought him incommodioufly lodg- ed ; but he found many Conveniences, which I could not fee, in this clofe Apartment. He told me how dill and quiet his Chamber was $ that it enjoyed the Summer's Sun, and felt no Winter Blafts. Among other Things, he fhewed me his Pleafure- Garden ; which confided of a few Flower- Pots, ranged on the outfide of his Window ; then afked me what I thought of his Habitation. I afiured him, I was juft come from a Gentleman of Fortune, who did not enjoy fo many Conve- niences. Indeed, a Gentleman may be poor in the midft of Plenty : but to be difcontented with Riches, is accumulated Poverty. We Sect. I. and Education. 107 We mud not judge a Thingto be great or Our own little, with regard to our own Opinions, but as it Ha PP ,n e6 affe&s the PofTefibr. A Man maybe more juftly forano- congratulated upon poiTefling what we think a ther ' s - Trifle, than upon enjoying what we efteem a fub- ftantial Good j provided the PofTefibr be delighted with the former, and difrelifhes the latter. If a Perfon purchafe a Title, he may appear to us deferving of Commiferation ; becaufe he parts with his Money, which we call a Good, to buy an empty Name, or Shadow of a Thing : yet, if the Perfon is really and internally rejoiced at his Purchafe, it proves no Shadow to him, but a Subftance : for, a Man's Mind is his Kingdom. The Purchafer beftows his Money well, who re- mains fatisfied with his Bargain. If a Misfortune befall us, and we think " it Confoh- " well it was no worfe " the Hurt cannot be tion. great. An Emperor of J 'apart , being born un- der the Conftellation of the Dog, conceived fuch an Affection for the Canine Species, that he or- dered, whenever a Dog died, the Owner of him mould carry the Carcafs to a certain Burying- Ground, appointed for that Purpofe. As a Gen- tleman was one Day fweating under the Load of his dead Dog, and complaining of the Hardfliip of the Order , his Friend, to comfort him, faid, " We have Reafon to thank God, that the Em- " peror was not born under the Horfe; for a " Horfe would have been a much heavier Bur- " then." Could any ancient Greek Philofopher have moralized better upon the Occafion ? There I0 8 Of Literature Set. I. Man's There is nothing more ftrange, and at the ^ lx Jg s fame time more common, than for one Man to Sees. j uc ^S e f another, by his own Tafte. We hear, every Day, one Neighbour cenfuring another for his Manner of Life -, tho' no body can determine which of the two leads the bed, whilft each of them follows his own Inclination. We fay to a Proverb, " Every Man as he likes." And who- ever lives according to his own Liking, always lives happily ; tho' in his Neighbour's Eye he may appear to live miferably. He who follows His owa Inclination, is happy. When we cen- fure another's Manner of Eating and Drinking, his Studies or his Labours, his folitary or foci- , able Life, &c. it is no better than faying, " Re- " gulate your Appetite according to mine -, and *' tho' your Tafte and Conftitution may be dif- ** ferent, yet live as I and others do." This is downright Tyranny , and making one Man the Tormentor of another : for, to deprive me of what I like, is robbing me of my Choice, and na- tural Liberty. He who would regulate other People's Tafte according to his own, behaves like a Child who fays to his Bird, " Thou fhalt "' fleep in my own Bed j" then puts the liftle Creature into his Bofom, goes to Bed with it, and finds it dead in the Morning. Thofe who exhort others to live after their Manner, confider not that they relifhed, in their Youth, the very Things they diflike in advanced Age ; and now follow with Pleafure the Stu- dies they formerly difliked. To compel old Peo- ple to ufe their youthful Recreations, would be Se&. I. and Education. 109 be robbing them of their prefent Enjoyments. * 6 Other Times other Manners ; other Minds " other Pleafures." I had formerly Pleafure in Dancing, for which at prefent I find no Relifh. And if any Man cenfures me for this, he may as well cenfure me for being grown older. If we duly obferved this Change of Tafte in ourfelves, we (hould not declaim againft thofe Ways of others, which are as natural as our own :, nor ex- hort our Friends to follow our Examples ; which is no other than kindly endeavouring to deprive them of their Solace and Comfort. One Man pities his Neighbour for walking on Foot, who, in return, pities him for ufing a Coach : for my part I pity neither, provided they both are pleafed. I do not even pity the Ruffian Women, who beg a Beating of their Hufbands ; but look upon them as happy, if they really re- lifh this Kind of Repaft. Our Taftes are vari- ous, and produce good Effects in the World. Some are pleafed with Concords, others more with Difcords, in Mufic. Some prefer the Cry of a Pack of Hounds to a Concert , as a certain Scythian General preferred the neighing of a Horfe 19 the Sound of a Trumpet. Thofe Things fuit every Man beft, which are mod agreeable to him. Whatever is good or bad for us, in our own Efli- mation, and Experience, is good or bad in Rea- lity. An imaginary Illnefs is real to the Perfon ; " and imaginary Honour real to the PoiTeflbr. Hence, if any Man rejoices in a Title, I con- gratulate with him ; not upon account of the Title, but, on account of his Joy. Our jio 0/ Literature Sett. I, As our Tafte muft not regulate that of others, we fhould not call a Pleafure unnatural, becaufe it does not fuit with our Nature. Nor ought we to cenfure the Inclinations of others, merely becaufe they contradict our own ; but rather encourage every Man to follow the Bent of his particular Nature and Appetite ; provided we do not countenance hurtful Pleafures. We muft check and reftrain all fuch Inclinations, both in ourfelves and others, as tend to impair and deftroy the Body, wound the Mind, and bring Mifery upon Man. Here we muft all facrifice our Tafte to our Happinefs. In other Refpe&s, it is beft to follow Nature , and we may juftly efteem thofe happy, who are at Liberty to do it. Content. If Diogenes lived contented in his Tub, he was as happy as Alexander. Equal Content, will render Men equally happy, in the different: Situations of Life. XIV. The Philofopher and Fool compared in Point of Happinefs. The Sto fTp H E Stoics hold, that the wife Man alone kalwife JL is happy. This Tenet I fubferibe to; and here at leaft keep in the common Road. Many, I know, are difpleafed with paradoxical Opinions : I alfo diQike them myfelf, when they are Man. \ Sect. I. and Education.' Hi are only fported to fhew Wit, Learning, or Su- periority of Genius. I approve, I fay, of this Maxim of the Stoics , I applaud their Manner of Reafoning, and the Arguments made ufe of, par- ticularly by Cicero, in Proof and Support of it. For, Cicero has treated the Subject with fuch Force, and Fulnefs, that fcarce any thing is left to be added. And, indeed, who can deny that Man to be rich, and free, and happy, who defpifes Riches, controuls his Paffions, and re- mains untouched by Misfortunes ? And, can any one doubt, that thofe are Beggars and Slaves, who (loop and cringe to their own Palfions, and Lufts , who are caft down by the fmalleft Mis- fortunes *, or, like Tantalus, fuffer Hunger and Third in the midft of Plenty ? Againft all this nothing can be oppofed : and we may juftly call them wife, who are thus at orice, rich, happy, and free. I have only one Scruple, which I fubmit to Whether their Confideration who defend this Stoical real Maxim without Limitation ; and beg they would give me fuch a Defcription of their wife Man, as may enable me to know him when I meet him. I have no Doubt of the wife Man's Happinefs ; I barely queftion whether he has any Existence but in Idea. " I cannot," fay9 the great Philofopher Grantor, " approve of thofe ** who fpeak fo big of a certain Kind of Refigna- " tion and Indifference, which neither exifts, nor " can exift. We are not made of Stone , there " is fomething foft and weak in our Minds, " winch makes them eafil) bend and yield." Here we 1 It Of LtTERAtURE Setf:. L we fee, by the ingenuous Confeffion, even of a Stoic, how flightly thofe Qualities are grounded, which the Seel: attribute to their wife Man ; and that fuch Qualities cannot be attributed to a Man compofed of Flefh and Blood, but only to an imaginary Man. And, accordingly, Cicero fays, that fuch a wife Man refembles the Gods. Hunc ego non cum fummis Viris comfaro \ fed Diis Jimil- limum judico. The wife If this be the Cafe ; and if Experience teflify, ioolcom- tnat tne Greatnefs of Mind, Steadinefs, and pared- Perfection* afcribed to the wife Man, are ra- ther to be found in the abftract Ideas of Philofo^ phers, than in the real World ; perhaps the Hap- pinefs here afcribed to the wife Man, may rather be found in the Fool. Let us therefore compare the Fool with the Philofopher, or fuch a wife Man as confilts of Flefh and Blood. The wife Many Things torment a Philofopher, merely n> becaufe he is wife : for, as he knows himfelf, he fees what he can, and what he cannot perform ; he fees his own Vices and Virtues, his Weaknefs and Strength, his Wants and PofTeffions, Paft, prelent, and future Things ftand before him ; he perceives the Faults he commits, and fears to commit more : hence he lives in Trouble, Anxi- ety, and Dread ; whereby his Happinefs, which fhould confift in Peace and Serenity of Mind, becomes clouded and difturbed. When Matters turn out unexpectedly to him, he condemns his own Want of Forefight , when he performs any Thing fuccefsfully, he is fcarce contented, becaufe. he finds a kind of I'm perfection, even in Sect. I. and Education* 113 in hisbeft Actions ; as judging they might have been better performed ; blaming himfelf, and fearing theCenfure of others: whence his Know- ledge leffens his Joy. Arifiotle was not fatisfied with his own Writings; and, near his Death, ordered them to be fupprefTed. Virgil felt the fame Uneafinefs : and therefore directed the burn- ing of his ALneid. Few prudent Generals can, like Alexander^ deep found, the Night before a Battle. Few prudent Statefmen can avoid Con- cern and Uneafinefs, when they give Counfel. To weigh, confider, and doubt, is the Charac- ter of every wife Man. Now, the Fool is free from Troubles of this Charaaei' Kind. If he conducts Things unfuccefsfully, hep^ throws the Blame upon Fortune ; if he commits a Fault, he does not acknowledge it ; and when others laugh at him, he values himfelf the more. If People cenfure his Words or Actions, he afcribes it to Malice, Calumny, or the wrong Turn of the Times. That Kind of Laughter, which plays in the Face of the Fool, and offici- oufly waits upon his Difcourfe, fhews he admires, and is delighted with himfelf. If others are not moved along with him, he prefently infers, that they are dull, and have not underftood him, or taken the Strength of his Difcourfe. He looks upon thofe as lumpifh, who do not dance to his Tune ; he pities the poor Creatures, and confirms himfelf in his own pleafing Opinion, that he is wifer than the reft. If the Fool writes Verfes, he yields to no Poet but Homer ; and that only becaule of Homer's Antiquity. I If 114 O/LlTERATURE Se&.I. If the Matter ftand thus, does not the Self- love of the Fool fill his Heart with Content and Joy ? Tho' the Fool pofifefs no one Virtue, yet he fancies himfelf pofleffed of them all : and Imagination and Self- Opinion is a kind of Pof- feffion. For, as the Malade-imaginaire remains really difordered, till he becomes well ; fo an imaginary Poffeffion is real, as long as the Ima- gination continues. The Fool is like that odd Fellow at Athens^ who rejoiced over the Ships which came into the Harbour, believing them all his own : or like that Hypochondriac, who ima- gined he conftantly heard Seraphic Mufic ; and inftead of gratifying the Phyfician for his Cure, accufed him, as a Thief, who had robbed him of his Delight. The Fool is a great Self- Flatterer ; fees no- thing but Beauty in himfelf, and never obferves his own Failings , which rather appear as fo ma- ny Perfections in his Eye. The Fool takes Sha- dow for Subftance , and runs about after Baubles, and Show, and the Names of Things , which to him appear Matters of Confequence : and as thefe Trifles are eafily obtainable, he never wants Play-Things to pleafe and delight him. Nay, let him be defpifld and turned out of Office ; yet he takes no Shame to himfelf: for as he is firmly perfuaded, that this happens to him from Spite and Envy of his great Abilities, he only bewails his dear Country, where Wifdom is dethroned, and Folly prevails fo much, that the worthier!: and beft of Subjects have no Opportunity to difplay their Talents : and hence the Fool is always better armed, than the Philofopher, againft Accidents and Se&. I. and Education. 115 and Misfortunes. Stoical Teachers exhort us to HighPre- Patience, Submiffion, and a kind of Infenfibility. wifdom. They tell us Wifdom is a Shield, that defends us againft Accidents, Dangers, and Delufions > and that thofe alone are happy, who go thus prudently guarded. This is their Tenour of Preaching. But if we defire them to fhew us Examples of thefe happy wife Men ; they can fcarce produce an Inftance, in all human Nature, that agrees with the Defcription , or of any one who remain- ed inienfible to Misfortunes, and died, as they pretend, with Joy, and Content. Let us confider Cicero, let us confider Seneca ; who have written with the greateft Strength upon thefe admirable Philofophical Qualities: we find one of them frequently betraying effeminate Weaknefs -, and the other, thro' Fear, was fre- quently benumbed, and rendered fpeechles. They both endeavoured to procure Wealth and Ho- nours ; nor ever turned their Backs upon the World, till the World turned its Back upon them : and they were both ready to dance for Joy, when Matters again went profperoufly. A Man may magnify his Infenfibility to Pain, as much as he pleafes ; yet it is no better than Boafting. Po- fidonius might pretend that Pain was no Evil ; yet his Sighs, Threats, and Diftortions, betrayed he could feel. Aria might, with an Air ofDiffi- mulation, cry Pate, non dolet ; Pate ! but with all her Grimace, me felt the Dagger : for no Man can, by Diffimulation, make his Back Proof againft the Rod. But, allowing that fome few might be found, who, by means of Philolbphy, I 2 have n6 Of Literature Sect. I have attained to this high Perfection ; yet thefe rare Creatures do not know whether they perma- nently poffefs fuch Qualities, or only imagine they do for che Time. On the other hand, Ex- perience fhews us an ample Catalogue of Fools, who behave fo excellently on all trying Occafions, as to ftem the Tide of Misfortunes, Cenfure, and Contempt, in a much happier Manner than Phi- lofophers. J^J Con- ]y[ v M ean j n g j s> tna t Fools behave more hap- Fools and pity f r themfclves, under Adverfity, Contempt, Wife. and Removal from Office and Dignities, than fenfible Men., For Fools believe, that whatever befalls them of this Kind, happens unjuftly; whilft they remain cloathed in a fancied Robe of Innocence. If Examples were neceflary to confirm a Point of this Notoriety, we might pour in va- rious Sorts of glaring Inftances, from Hiftory and daily Experience : but the Point is clear with- out them. It may be objected, that tho' Fools ftand bet- ter in Adverfity, than Philofophers ; yet they do not conduct themfelves fo well in Profperity ; and therefore their Ignorance, or Stupidity, fub- jects them to great Contempt. The But here the good Fortune of Fools afiifts Haidfliips tnern . wno are fenfible to Praife, but have no Wife* Sen ^ e * Contempt. Thofe who think the State of Ridicule, and Difgrace, which Fools live in, is any Suffering to them, feem to underfland little of Hiltory, or human Nature. Fools are fo fortunate, that a certain Philofopher, who knew the World, being afkcd which he preferred, Wifdom Se&. I. and Education. 117 Wifdom, or Riches, replied , " I mould rather chufe Wifdom, if I did not fo commonly fee " wife Men begging in the Anti-Chambers of " Fools." Mallem me dottum> doftos niftf or A Jb rian Monar- narchy. chy, is fo confufed, and the Relations of Hifto- rians fo different, that we perceive not the leaft Agreement among them, either in Point of Time, or the Names of the Kings ; fo that after bellow- ing fome Years upon this Study, we are juft as wife as when we began. Authors long laboured to reconcile the contradictory Accounts of thefe Times ; fettle the Chronology , the Order and Succeflion of the Princes ; the Beginning, In- creafe, and Duration of this great Monarchy : ^nd after they had exhaufted their Strength, it comes. Set. I. and Education. 121 comes, at laft, to be difcovered, that there never was any fuch general Monarchy. The great Monarchs, from Belus to Sardanapalus, who were fuppofed to bridle the ancient World, thus vanifh at once, or at bed change into petty Prin- ces. The AJJyrian Monarchy, generally allowed to have continued above a thoufand Years, ap- pears a mere Fiction ; becaufe Afia, during that Time, was full of different Sovereign Princes, and independent Kingdoms ; which no way agrees with Univerfal Monarchy. We alio find a Succefllon of Syrian, Phoenician, and IJraelitiJh Kings; fome whereof were mag- nificent and mighty. And it may be faid, that David, King of IJrael, was the greateft Afiatic King of his Time. Among the Kings of Egypt, Sefojtris is faid to have fubdued all the Eaft, as far as India. The ancient AJJyrian Monarchy therefore vanimes ; to the Difappointment of thole who have fpent fo much Time and Labour upon it. Teachers mould beware how they beat fuch an Hiftory of Fads into Youth, as never exifted but in the Idea of falfifying Writers. The Fic- tions of Ctefias have been taken for real Hiftory ; under which Shape it has been handed down to the prefent Time. Numerous other Things, fuppofed to have happened in Afia, during the flourifhing State of the AJJyrian Empire, and circumftantially related as Facts, are of the fame Stamp ; infomuch that fome have queftioned, whether the Trojan War had any real Exiftence out of Homefs Brain. We cannot date the Beginning of the AJJyrian Ef i v-! c 122 Of Literature Sect. I. Empire earlier than from Pul, who lived near a thoufand Years after Pelo or Nitnrod, and is thought to have been the fir ft Monarch. After the Time of Pul the AJfyrians increafed, and almolt overfpread the other Nations ; and here we come to a more certain Hiftory, tho' we every where meet with great Confufion in it. The Per- Of the Per/tan Monarchy, founded by Cyrus , fianMo- we j iave g reater Certainty ; becaufe the Times are later : and yet, if the Reigns, as delivered by Ctefias, and fuppofed to be drawn from the Per- fian Monuments of Antiquity, be compared with the Grecian Accounts, they appear to be diffe- rent Hiftories : for neither the Times, nor the Facts, nor the Names of Kings agree. What Xenophon relates of the Birth, Death, &c. of Cyrus, entirely contradicts what others relate thereof. The Perfian Hiftory, wrote by the fa- mous Arabian, Mircond, and fuppofed to be taken from the old Perfian Monuments, has no manner of Agreement with the common Hifto- ries. Greek The ancient Grecian Hiftory is no more than Hiftory. a Colleton f crude and monftrous Fables ; fo that we have no genuine Account of Things, till we come to the laft Books of Herodotus ; and even here we cannot take all for Truth. Thucy- dides, therefore, may be efteemed the firft genu- ine Hijlorian , and it is a great Pity that his ex- cellent Writings mould contain no more than a Part of the Peloponnefian War, which happened, in his own Time, betwixt the Cities of Greece. Both this Hiftorv, and that of Xenophon, contain fo Sea. I. and Education. 123 fo many feigned Speeches, as make near one third Part of their Works. What is here faid of the Ajjyrian, Perjian, and Grecian Hiftory, may likewiie be underftood of the ancient Roman, and of that of later Nations ; the Accounts of the Origins and earlieft Times whereof, contain nothing but monftrous Fables. The Hiftory of the middle Age is fo far better, Hiftory as it gives us the Order and Succefiion of Rulers i of .5!f .,..,.. c middle tho' this indeed is its greateft Excellence : forage, we find little elfe in it, befides a Chain of ab- furd Wonders and Miracles. As mod of thefe Writers were Monks, and Creatures of the Popes, there is no trufting to the Characters they give us of Princes. Since the Reformation, and the Restoration Hiftory of Learning, we have had better Hiftories, both^ n< j5 the for Matter and Style ; tho' indeed their Number t j on> is fmall. Moft of the modern Hiftorians have the fame Failings with the ancient, or even greater , for Truth and Integrity are more rare among them, than among the Ancients. It is a great Blot in Chriftian Hiftorians, to be guilty of a Crime, which Writers of the Greek and Roman Hiftories were free from , viz. that of praifing and condemning the Virtues and Vices of Prin- ces, not according to Reality, but the religious Sects they were of. Chriftian Writers mould di- ftinguifh themielvcs from others by Truth. In- tegrity and Juftice are Signs of the Excellency of the Chriftian Religion : whereas, moft of the Chriftian Writers have remarked no Vices in the prthodox, and no Virtues in the Heterodox Prin- ces, 124 Of Literature Seel. I. ces. Of this we have a remarkable Inftance in two fucceeding Emperors. Partiality Conftantius, Son to Conjlantine the Great, bears ofHiftory-a tolerably good Character among the Writers of his Time ; tho' he may really be reckoned as bad as the worft of the Roman Emperors, both for Folly and Cruelty. His Folly appears by the Regulation of the Court, after his Deceafe ; when, among other Things, there were found near a thoufand Court-Barbers , who all acted as Privy Counfellors. His Cruelty, in fome Parti- culars, exceeded that of the greateft Tyrants > for he kept certain Spies, whofe Office it was to enquire what Dreams People had , and he con- demned all thofe to Death, who had dreamt any thing againft the Court. One of thefe Spies was a Perjian, by Name Mercurius, who bore the Title of the Earl of Dreams. This ftruck fuch a Terror into the People, that none of them durft confefs their Dreams, or even acknowledge they had flept. On the other hand, the Emperor Julian, who fucceeded Conftantius, excelled almofl: all his Pre- decefibrs in Humanity, Courage, Modefty, and Underftanding ; yet was painted, by his Histo- rians, as a Monfter of Vice, becaufe he did not favour the Chriftians. Licenfmg The public licenfing of Books, introduced corrupts * nto different Countries,' has alfo been a Caufe Jiiftory. why Things are not defcribed as they happened, or were tranfacted, but publifhed and handed down as the Government or Ruling Powers were pleafed to direct ; whence a Hiftory has often nothing \ Sect. I. ^Education, 125 nothing to recommend it but the dead Style : the Soul of the Work, the Truth, being feparated from it. And hence we generally find all licenfed or authorized Hiftories contain little more than Encomium, and meagre Chronicles, of which the authorizing Imprimatur is an almoft infal- lible Sign. In Fact, the few good Hiftories publifhed in thefe later Times, have been the Productions of Countries, where no Licenfing of Books is practifed. Many other Things, befides the Public Au- ther thority of Licenfing, may contribute to the cor- ^^ rupting and fpoiling of Hiftory. A Hiftory may Hiftory. be fpoiled by immoderate Zeal, or Fury for one's Country ; Hope of Reward ; Orthodoxy ; Fac- tion ; Party j Hatred ; Fear, and other Caufes, capable of perverting, difguifing, or fupprefiing the Truth. A Tory relates a Matter of Fact very differently from a Whig \ and a Hiftory wrote by a Guelf, differs from a Hiftory of the fame Time by a Gibelline. Hiftories generally wear the Complexion of the Writer, and the Country wherein they were written. Hence we find great Difficulty in difcovering the Truth, and are obliged to confront and compare contradicto- ry Hiftorians with one another, in order to gain Light and proper Information. We are even obliged to do the fame, with the different Ac- counts of a Battle, a Siege, &c. and muft 1 ?ad the Relations of both Sides, and obferve their Contradictions, and Agreements, to find the Medium, as near as polfible, before we can ar- rive at the Truth of a fingje Fact. 126 Of Literature Sect. I. But befides thefe Reafons, what renders the Hiftories of ~our Times fo imperfect, is, that every Man now fets up for an Hiftorian ; and writes Books for his own Advantage, inftead of the Reader's : which, of late, is become a Trade. And hence proceeds that Deluge of Hiftories which now overfpreads Europe ; confuting of large Volumes of Compilations, and little ones of Scraps and Bits, all ferved up over and over again ; only new vamped, difguifed, and maf- queraded to the Tafte and Sale of the Times. Such are the Failings and Misfortunes attend- ing the noble Study of Hiftory ; which, in itfelf, I take to be the moll ufeful Kindof Reading, next to Divinity; and what mould be recommended to all ; but efpecially to Perfons in high Stations and public Characters. For, I have not enume- rated its Failings in order to difcredit or difpa- rage Hiftory ; but only to (hew with what Cau- tion it ought to be read ; and what Patience and Labour it requires, to reap the real Advantage of it. Moft Hiftories are like Mines, wherein Treafure lies buried, if a Man has but Patience and Diligence to fearch for it. The Ma- No modern Writers have hitherto equalled the quired for Fnglifh an ^ French Hiftorians ; not becaufe other good Hi- Nations have wanted able Writers, fo much as ltor /- proper Materials; by which I mean fuch curious Memoirs, Journals, and particular Accounts, as Minifters and Generals have themfelves written and publifhed, from Time to Time. Of this Kind of Writings, there is Plenty in France ; and they greatly contribute to the Service, Ufe, and Sect. I. and Education^ 127 and Ornament of Hiftory. To be convinced hereof, we need only read the Hiftory of Lewis XIII. written by le Vajfor : for this copious Hi- ftory is nothing but a Chain of fuch Memoirs; which not only fully fct forth theTurns and Trans- actions of thofe Times, but alfo fhew the true and fecret Caufes of them. Here we find Cabals, Court- Intrigues, &c. opened and explained, as the Wheels that drive the whole Machine. Here' we find the Characters of Generals, Minifters, and Courtiers ; which renders the Hiftory as ufeful as it is entertaining. But thefe kind of Memoirs are fcanty in other Countries ; where the Materi- als found for Hiftory chiefly confift of public Acts, Letters, Manifeftos, Treaties, Pamphlets, &.c. which tho' very ufeful in Hiftory, yet of themfelves, render it dry, barren, and unenter- taining. For, thus indeed we fee that Things were done, but not how they were brought about : whereas the greateft Revolutions fome- times fpri ig from fmall Caufes, not to be found in Archives or public Acts, but merely in fuch, Memoirs as were written by the Perfons concern- ed in the Tran fact ions they relate ; and wherein they themfelves acted as Parties. If we may credit Brantorie, one of the greateft Warlike Expeditions of thefe modern Times, was caufed by an Amour. The Intercft of a Minifter, the Ambition of a Favourite, Love and Gallant^ have frequently thrown whole Countries into Flames, and proved the real Caufes of War ; very different from thofe afilgned i.i Manifeftos, Inftru&ions, 12$ O/LlTERATURE Sett. I. Inftructions, and Inftruments, preferved in the Archives of Princes. For want of fuch Memoirs, certain Authors, like the Writers of News, are obliged to fill up their Hiftories with trivial Accounts; which give the Reader an Averfion to this ufeful Study. And hence the Hiftories of the Northern Coun- tries, where it has never been the Cuftom for People to write Memoirs of their own Tranfac- tions, or the Hiftories of their own Times, con- fift chiefly of fuch Stuff as we find in the public Prints ; and are only the Skeleton of Hiftory. I wifh this may not come to be the Cafe even in France and England ; where, at prefent, we hear of no Xenophons, no c Tbucydides's> no Cafars, or Generals who write their own Tranfaclions, for the Ufe and Inftruclion of Pofterity. We find no Memoirs now publifhed in France, like thofe in the laft Age ; no Memoirs de Fleury, de Villars, de Vendome, de Berwick, &c. Great Ge- nerals and Statefmen trouble themfelves no longer with Writing , but leave that Drudgery to lower People ; and therefore future Hiftory muft be of a low Nature. In England we (till have fome Hopes of tole- rable Hiftory ; for tho* the ;*/#& Mini fters and Generals feldom write their own Memoirs ; yet every Thing is, one way or other, printed, pub- lifhed, or known ; even up to Parliamentary Tranfactions ; which in other Countries are held- as Myfteries of State, not to be whifpered with- out- Doors. And by this Means, the Defect of Memoirs may, in fome Meafure, be fupplied ; and Seffc. I. and E d u c a t i 6 k. 129 and Pofterity be furnifhed with EngHJh Hiftories Worth their Reading ; if we had fuitable Writers. It is a great Failing in feveral Antiquarians and Vanity of Hiftorians, to ftretch the Antiquity of their own *? ,ll - Kingdoms too far back, and to fpeak too pom- poufly of the Deeds of their Anceftors. This is Vanity, and idle Pretence. The Northern An- tiquarians are fo extravagant herein, as to be quite ridiculous. They pretend that every Thing was originally Gothic, and that whatever hap- pened in ancient Times, happened in the North ; fo that they make Noah's Ark to have refted upon Dover field j and the Fruit of the forbid- den Tree to have been Swedifh Apples. It is to be hoped, that future Writers will be lefs arrogant; and abide by nothing that is not clear and certain. No Man doubts of the Antiquity of the Northern Kingdoms, and of the great Deeds of the Goths , but the indulging of Conjectures may render a plain Thing uncer- tain. The Jews find Colonies of the Ten Tribes of Ifrael, in all the Quarters of the World, even in America. And when they afiure us that Dan, one of the Sons of Jacob, was the rirfl: King of Denmark, the Danes are fairly beat in their own Bow. Many fuppofe, that the Marrow of Hiftory is The contained in the Greek and Roman Hiftorians ; Greek and that Thucydides, and the Roman Writers who an ^ followed his Example, are perfect in Point of ftory. Beauty, Style, and Integrity. Indeed^ Thucydi- des, Xcnophon, Pclybius, Diodcrus Sictdits, Plu- tarch, Dion Cajpus, Herodian, &c. among the K Greeks 1 130 Of Literature Se&. L Greeks , and Salluji, Gefar, Livy, Suetonius, Tacitus, &c. among the Romans, were Men highly diftinguifhed both in Rank and Learning for in thofe Times, Perfons of that Sort common- ly undertook the Writing of Hiftory ; but in ours, Matters are altered, and Hiftory become a Trade, carried on by Hirelings, People of low Fortunes, Birth, and Abilities ; whence their Hiftories are like themfelves, mean and fordid. The By- M ft f tne later Greeks, who wrote the Hi- Hiftoiy. ft r y f tne Eaftern Empire, were Men of high Rank and Dignity : Patriarchs, Princes, Prin- cefles, and Emperors were concerned in it ; yet thefe can by no means be compared with the an- cient Greek and Roman Hiftorians, either as to Matter or Style. Their Matter is Party, and turns upon Praife or Blame. In Point of Style, no Hiftory is more abfurd than the Byzantine : for, excepting fome few, as Procopius, Canta- cuzenus, and Chalcondy, the whole of it re- fembles Poetry more than Profe ; and feems wrote for finging rather than reading. Their common Phrafeology is Bombaft : thus, in- ftead of faying a Man died, they fay " he de- " fcended to the Place from whence no Perfon " ever yet returned ;" and inftead of " he knew " nothing," they fay, " it was as difficult for " him to know or fpeak, as it is eafy for God c< to tell how many Drops of Water are con- " tained in the Sea." So that nothing but Verfe is wanting to turn this Hiftory into Poetry. l Sect. I. and Education. 131 It is to be lamented that the mod momen- UCe of tous Hidories, to us Europeans, mould be the l ^^* word written of any ; and cannot be perufed man Hi- without Difgud : whild many of the lefs necef- ft or y- fary, and lefs ufeful Sort, are wrote with great Judgment and Elegance. The Greek and Roman Hiftories are diligently laboured, and accurately wrote ; but it is in the Hiftorips of the middle Age, that we mud feek for the Origins of the prefent European Kingdoms and States , becaufe nearly all their Foundations were laid in thofe Times. On the other hand, the reading of the Roman and Greek Hiftory is not only curious, but ufeful, for the Morality derivable from it. XVI. Ancient and Modern Times com-* pared. AMONG many curious Queftions that How to deferve difcuflion, it may be worth en- know quiring, whether the World grows better or the worfe. If we judge from common Opinion, World this Queftion is foon decided ; becaufe Men ge- ,m P r0VC8, nerally determine in Favour of the old World ; and fide with the Poets, who give us pleating Defcriptions of the Golden Age, and the Reign- of Saturn. But as it is unfafe to rely upon ge- neral Opinions, and poetical Fictions \ we mud K 2 feek I32 O/LlTERATURE Sect. I. feek for Examples, Particulars, and Illuftrations from Hiftory, to ground a true Judgment upon. Govern- Before States or Societies were founded, and aud Penal- Laws enacted, Men lived in, what is called, a Laws an-' State of Nature , of which we can fay very little, cient. becaufe the mod ancient Hiftories are here dark, imperfect, and full of Fable and Fiction. It is, however, manifeft, that Sin and Wickednefs prevailed in this State, to fuch a Degree, that Men gave up their beft Jewel, their Liberty, for the common Security ; formed Societies, and fubmitted to Rule and Dominion. Such a Re- medy fhews the Difeafe was great , and that Mankind then fuffered, as it were, the Lofsof a Limb, to prefer ve the Body. The Poets and Antiquarians, may give us what Defcriptions they pleafe of the Golden Times, and the Reign of the Shepherds , yet the early founding of Societies, the Ufe of Penal- Laws, Prifons, and the Gallows, plainly prove the ancient State of Mankind was not fo fimple, equitable, and pure, as thefe Gentlemen pretend. We alfo find, that fuch a fuppofed natural State was of no long Duration ; for Societies and Kingdoms were founded foon after the Flood. Whence As foon as we have any certain Knowledge the world from Hiftory, we find that the World had its is unjufily 1 j fuppofed good and bad Times, its Ebbs and Flows ; to grow a nd that it always was wicked, tho' the Scene has frequently changed : for one Kind of Cor- ruption, Vice, or Wickednefs, no fooner difap- peared, than another fucceeded. The worie. Se Moderns can never arrive at the ancient Perfecti- on. As the modern Trees, according to an ingenious Author, are as large as the anci- ent , fo the modern Nations may produce as great Men as Homer and Demojtbenes : tho* indeed it has been juft ly alledged, that the prcfent Cha- racters, and reigning Manners of Europe, fcarce afford Matter for a noble Heroic Poem, or a proper Occafion for Oratory. We muft acknowledge that the Sciences, and TIicSci Learning in general, flourifii more at prefent, than enccs.. anciently : tho' the old World is not to be cen- fured for this , efpecially as the Ancients prepared the Way to many ufeful Difcoveries, and Im- provements 142 Of Literature Sect. I. provements, made by the Moderns. It is eafy to improve upon. Things already begun. The Per- fection of the Sciences is a natural Effect of Time, and the ripening Age of the World. Thofe who hold the prefent Arts and Sciences to be greater, and better founded, than the an- cient, may be anfwered as Clitus anfwered Alex- ander : " 'Tis true you have conquered, but it " was with your Father's Soldiers." But allow- ing the Moderns to underftand more Subjects than the Ancients , yet we alfo know more of the ufelefs Sort : for it may ftill be faid, of our Times, as Cleanthes faid of his own ; " the An- 46 cients ftudied Things, but the Moderns prin- cipally Words." Some are of Opinion, that the Ancients knew many great Sciences, which we have no Notion of. Indeed, if what is related of Democritus be true ; that he could tell, at firft Sight, whether a young Lady had loft her Virginity ; we muft acknowledge he had the Advantage of our mo- dern Philofophers : at the fame time, it is good Luck for our young Ladies, that the prefent Doctors are not fo fkilful. Snpcrlli- Superftition was, in general, much greater tion. among the Ancients, than among us : for, in our Times, we hear very little of fuch Wonders, Prodigies, and Miracles, as were common among' them. Ghofts and Witches, at prefent, rarely make their Appearance. A better Natural Phi- lofophy has laid thefe Spirits, and quieted our Church- Yards ; where the Ghofts of the Deceafed ufed to frolic and gambol, like Rats in a Cellar. But, Sect. I. and Education. 143 But, pofiibly, we of the prefent Age, may be tending to the oppofite Extream ; and mould take Care left, by haftily running from Super- ftition, we fall not at once into Scepticifm and Irreligion. This, and more, might be pleaded, for and againft the ancient and modern World. If the Caufe fhould be brought to the Bar, the Judge might have fome Doubt in paffing his Sentence. Were I an Arbitrator ; I mould award both Par- ties to pay their own Cofts. *j xx xx xi x* *xx**xx**xx**t%* Of SECT. II. Of Intercourfe and Bufinefs. I. Of Errors in Judgment. ? r rS iv * I * ^ ^ more i mmecuate Defign of thefe correfted. ^"k Eflays, is to lay open the Errors -* we daily commit, by taking falfe Ap- pearances for true ; and looking upon grofs Vi- ces as great Virtues j whence it happens, that wrong Education pafTes for right ; fophiftical Learning for real ; Follies and Fopperies for Knowledge and Science,; Avarice for (Econo- my , Extravagancy for Generofity ; Place- hunt- ing for Patriotifm ; Treachery and Deceit for Prudence and Wifdom ; Folly for Honefty ; Fraud for Charity ; Tyranny for Juftice ; bad Laws for good ; Malice and Perfecution for Zeal and Religion ; &c. &c. &c. It is a melan- choly 'o' Sect. II. O/Intercourse &e. 145 choly Reflection, that thefe pernicious Errors jfhould be committed not only by the Vulgar ; but even by thofe who mould be Paterns to the People. Want of Inftruction, and taking too little B y fo- Care to know ourfelves, and the World we in- habit, is the general Source of this Misfortune ; which ought to be remedied, if poflible. But here we mull proceed cautioufly , for there is a falfe Kind of Zeal, arifing from Spleen, Difap- pointment, Selfifh-Views, or diftempered Juices of the Body , which may lead us wrong, and ought to be previoufly corrected, by noting and confidering our own refpective Tempers and Con- ititutions. Let us oblerve, whether our Zeal be the fame one Day as another j whether it be con- ftant and uniform, in Profperity and Afflicti- on, Succefs and Difappointment. Some exclaim againft Errors and Vices in a Morning, who have nothing to reproach the World with in an Evening ; and many a dinging Speech in Public owes its Origin to private Chagrin, rather than Zeal for the Government. A Matter finds his ^ Re " Scholars more or lefs docile, according as he is better or worfc provided for. We all take a well directed Zeal for the Motive of our Actions whilft none of us know ourfelves. For if we kept a ftri<5t Regifter of our Affections, wc mould not fo eafily miftake one Paflion for ano- ther -, nor look upon our own hideous Vices as fo many Virtues. Experience (hews, that fome Bigots have been cured of their Zeal by Evacu- ations. Such Zealots, before their Cure, fee Ob- L jecta 146 Of Intercourse Sect. II. jets larger than the Life. An over-zealous Pa- triot, like a Man in a Phrenzy, fees frightful Spec- tres, which immediately vanifh upon his being made eafy. " What a ftrange World we live " in !" cry fome, who themfelves are the ftran- geft Animals in it. The Via- -\Yhat- } s more abfurd, than to hear a Drunkard ous uniuc- cefsful in exclaim againft Drunkennefs ; a Mifer againft correding Covetoufnefs ; a Prodigal againft Extravagance ? &c. and yet we fee daily Inftances of tliis. We frequently hear Men reprove the very Faults which themfelves commit. Their Difcourfes, in- deed, may be well adapted ; as moft Men deferve Reproof , but when fuch Cenfures come to be analyfed, their Senfe amounts to this.- " Ye " grofs Sinners, repent ; and follow not my Ex- " ample." If an Arifiides preach againft Inju- ftice, an Epttetus againft Anger, a Diogenes againft Pleafure ; they fpeak with Dignity and Propriety : their Difcourfes affect us, becaufe their Lives agree with their Doctrines ; whence we may believe their Zeal to be true. When Diogenes appeared at Athens with his Lanthorn, feeking for a Man ; whilft Pleafure and Vanity had taken PoiTeiTion of the City ; fuch a Behavi- our had a juft Foundation , becaufe he re- nounced Pleafures, and led an auftere Lite. But if a Gentleman with a fplendid Equipage, far above his Fortune, mould fet about converting his Neighbours to Frugality , he might chance to make a piteous Figure. His Undertaking might pafs lor Madnefs, rather than Zeal. If fuch a Perfon, in the midft of his Career, could fee Seel. II. and Business, 147 fee himfelf, he would find he was acting a Farce ; and wonder how he could fet up for a Reformer. This monftrous Behaviour in Man, arifes from a Want of knowing himfelf. I take not upon me the Character of a Cenfor. My JDefign is to fearch after Truth, and improve Morality. I would act the Part of a Pilot, who ftands with the Line in his Hand, to fathom the Depth , and mark the Rocks, that others may fail with the greater Safety. I obferve that great Errors dill prevail in the The World ; and prefume one Reafon is, becaufe Caufeof Writers deal more in Words than Things ; de- yJJJg. 1 fcribe Virtues and Vices like Orators-, ftudy thement. Tafte of the Times \ and rarher endeavour to di- vert and amufe, than inftruct, improve, and re- form Mankind. Whilft Writers remain determined Want of to follow fuch perverted Rules jand inftead of fhew- In " ruai * ing the Foundations of genuine Morality, fet bad Examples in frothy Difcourfes, the Bulk of Mankind will remain in their Ignorance ; and Sin lie at the Door of Writers. Bad Moralifts produce no better Effects than bad Preachers ; who admonifh Chriftians of their Duty in general ; and exhort them to practife it ; but neglect to inculcate the principal Rules of Life : fo that the Hearers hence become no wifcr, nor live after a better Manner than they did. Admonition, indeed, Ihould be ufed \ but Jn- fbruction is more eflential. Admonitions are of Ufe ; but to be always repeating the fame Things, cannot be neceffary. L 2 In 148 Of Intercourse Sed. II. In moft of the Books of Morality lately pub- lished, we find great Store of Admonitions, Ex- hortations to Virtue, and Denotations from Vice ; but thefe Books do not teach us wherein particular Vices confift , how they mould be di- ftinguifhed ; from what Origin they proceed ; and how they are to be avoided by every Man in his refpective Station ; fo as to promote the ge- neral Welfare. Few Writers difclofe the Source of Errors, fo frequently committed to the Hurt of Society ; nor feem to know that they chiefly arife from Ignorance. People are hurried, by Shoals, into Vice, merely thro* Ignorance : and it is impofTible for them to aft right, till they are taught what is Right and Wrong in Particulars. From Ignorance it is, that Men make falfe Judg- ments one of another. Thus one Man fhall be praifed for his Patience, becaufe he is not by Na- ture prone to Anger ; and another be condemned for' his Warmth, becaufe he happens to have much Bile in his Constitution. The Sick Of all the Miferies to which Mankind are fub- 10 ings might raife a great Idea of the Labour, and Ingenuity of Authors ; who may all be looked upon as Volunteers, generoufly ferving the Pub- lic. But, if thefe Books, be tried by the intel- lectual Balance ; we mall find them extreamly light, in proportion to their Bulk. Corn may be thick fown, and the Crop prove flender. One Sterling Line may be beat out into Pages. If twenty Authors copy a Book , it makes one and twenty. We may fay of the modern Writers, as the Ancients did of the Works of Chryjippus that " if they were fifted from Piracies, little " would remain in the Sieve." We have not near fo many new Books as new Tide-Pages. Authors frequently make the Public a Prefent of ftolen Goods, difguifed, to prevent Difcovery. Triflers. Some Authors fluff their Books with ufelefs Curiofities ; and deferve Cenfure, for filling their own Heads with Trumpery, and {hewing Ad- drefs in Infignificancy. Aniceris once gave a public Specimen of his Dexterity, by driving a Carriage along ftrait Lines, to the Aftonifhment of the Beholders , but, Plato fhook his Head, and cried, " This Man can have done nothing *' ufeful, who has fpent fo much Time upon "" Trifles." Another fhewed his Dexterity of Hand before Alexander the Great, by throwing a Heap of Peafe, fingly, thro' the Eye of a Bod- kin, without miffing once. The Man expected a great Sect. II. W Busines s. 173 a great Reward : Alexander ordered him a Pre- fent of Peafe, that he might not want Balls for his Bauble. One boafting before Diogenes of having won the Prize at the Courfe , Diogenes told him, " A Deer could run much fafter \ *' yet was but a timorous Creature." The fame Diogenes* to fhew the Folly of crowning the Vic- tors, at Wreftling, Racing, and Boxing ; once crowned a Horfe that had kicked and beat ano- ther Horfe out of the Field. This Philofopher called Conquerors Cowards, who durft not en- counter Avarice, Pride, and Vanity, which are the great Enemies of Mankind. Ufeful Things frequently require more La- Ufelefs bour in the Production, than Matters of Mo- Laboi V' ment ; whence the Poet aptly calls them difficiles Nuga " laborious Trifles." A Lady's Head- Drefs is a Thing of fmall Importance ; but how much Time, Labour, and Skill, is mifpent in making a dreiTed Head ? " Dum moliuntur, dum comuntur Annus eft." Whilft the Ladies, with all their Apparatus at hand, are drefiing for a Bull, a Play might be acted, or a Caufe decided at Law. We have many Examples of Authors, who impair both their Health and Underftanding, in illuftrating fuch Points, as no fenfible Man would defire to know. Enquiries about the Neckcloths, Shoes, Boots, Hats, Bracelets, Armour, &c. of the ancient Greeks and Romans, have filled nu- merous Volumes. Learned Men have procu- red great Reputation, by very infigniricant la- bours. Columbus cannot be more famous, than a Man who deicribes the Temple of Jerufalem \ the *74 O/Intercourse Sect. II. the bare Attempts to which, have coft as much Pains as the Difcovery of America -, tho' it is as hard to fee the Ufefulnefs of fuch a Defcription, as difficult to make it. But this ferves to fhew what Men might do, were they in Earned to difcover new Arts ; and not bellow their Time in examining old Walls and Altar-Pieces, Pillars and Doors, or determining whether a Curtain hung in the Eaft or Weft of a Temple. The polite There are indeed certain Works, which tho* Arts * in themfelves difficult and coftly, yet prove a proper Employment, and noble Entertainment for the Wealthy. Fine Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Mufic, Poetry, &c. are polite, inge- nious, and curious Arts, that delight Mankind, and adorn a Country. In this Clafs I likewife reckon all agreeable kinds of Writing, that chear and revive the Spirits, without debafwg our Nature : and, by the reading of fuch Writings, I have frequently found more effectual Phyfic, than that the Doctors deal in. Too curi- But immenfe Number of Books are publilhed, ous Books. f erv j n g ne i t her to Ufe, Ornament, or Recrea- tion i as they neither inftruct nor pleafe. Such Books are like naufeous Phyfic ; which we fwal- low againft our Will, and yet receive no Benefit from it. The moft aftonilhing Part is, that learned Men mould publifh Comments upon Things, before they know whether the Things exift ; as Bafilifks, Dragons, the Phcenix> Witches, Conjurers, Apparitions, &c. Some Men excruciate themfelves about fuch Points of Chronology, as are dark and unfearchable. Others Se&. II. and Business." 175 Others difpute about the Actions of a Perfon, whilft it is not known there ever was fuch a Perfon in the World. Many plunge into Me- taphyfics, or endeavour to explain the Nature and Properties of Spirits, and incorporeal Sub- ftances, which no body has any Idea of. And with this refined Rubbifh, all Libraries are loaded. Such Works are like Cob- Webs, and their Authors like Spiders , who fpin themfelves to Skeletons, and leave their enfnaring Produc- tions behind them. We need only perufe the Extracts of Books Multitude yearly publifhed, and even of thofe common- ce fl; iry " ly efteemed the beft, to convince us, that ma- Writings, ny a huge Volume might, by careful Correc- tion, be reduced to a Pamphlet. Many a bulky Book is like a young Lady, who at her Toilet appears fo Aim and (lender, as if fhe could (lip thro' every Chink in the Houfe ; but when full drefifed, in her fwelling Hoop, requires the whole Street to walk in ; fo that People might wonder how fhe came out of her Door. An- ciently the World laboured under a Want of Books, whence Authors were prompted to write 9 but as, at prefent, we fuper-abound with Wri- tings, it might be proper to diminifh their Number, by appointing Cenfors, to obferve whether a Book be a Copy or an Original, and contain ufeful or ufelefs Matter. The learned Mr. Klim allures us, that in the Principality of Pctu, no body was permitted to publilh a Book, till his Age and Capacity gave Reafon to expect he would not produce a Monfter. The Lace- dcmoniartf 176 Of Intercourse Se<5t, II. demonians allowed no lame Men to cohabit with their Wives ; for fear of filjing the Country with Cripples. Certain Writers mould be debarred the Ufe of Pen and Ink; left by ftaining of Paper, they ftain Mens Minds. Another Re- gulation in Pptu is, the appointing of certain Judges, yearly to examine the Bookfellers Shops, and take Care that no abortive Books flip into the Country, and weed the Shops as Garde- ners weed their Ground. He who regards his Health, avoids pernicious Aliments : we mould take equal Care of the Mind, and not fuf- fer it to be corrupted by the Reading of per- nicious Books. The like Judgment may be ex- tended to many other Things befides Books ; for Men's real Works are not fo great or nume- rous as they appear. The right Thofe who want Time, may have it, if they Ufe of w iu u f e j t> j n Klim*s Subterraneous Voyage, a Nation is reprefented palling ten Hours of the four and twenty, in Sleep ; and yet performing more Bufinefs than another that continually la- boured, without Sleeping. The former found Time fufficient, becaufe they did nothing un- necefiary ; and the latter wanted Time, becaufe they performed more than was needful. We frequently hear fauntering People complain of wanting Time ; and may pity them as much' as we do thoie idle Sailors, who keep tacking and plying abouL at Sea, when they might fail, right before the Wind, into Harbour. public Bu- It is to be wilhed that proper Overfeers were | n o e r fs ^appointed to infpeft all public Bufinefs > becaufe un- Seft. II. and Business. 177 unneceflary Things are fo multiplied in great Cities, and run out to fuch Lengths, that the Body-Politic fuffers as much under them, as the natural Body does from Redundancy of Hu- mours. This Evil might, in part, be cured, by proper Examiners of Books ; and partly by Judges in Courts of Law. The Examiners mould lift all Books before they are printed, in order to feparate the good Parts from the bad, the necefTary from the unneceflary , fo that the Public ihould have only the Metal, and Authors retain the Drofs for themfelves. The Judges in Court might reftrairf Law- yers from running out in their Pleadings, and make the Council fpeak to the Point. Or, the Time of Pleading might be regulated on both Sides, by the Hour-Glafs ; according to the ancient Greek and Roman Cuftom. To con- vince any fenfible Man what Neceffity there is for fome fuch Regulation, he need only attend a common Court of Juftice, fo long as to hear two or three WitnefTes examined ; and obferve how many pertinent Queftions are afked. In the dilatory Proceedings of Law much Time is wafted, the Judge tormented, and the Parties run to unnecefiary Charges. In Opini- ons, Settlements, Contracts, Agreements, and other public Inftruments of Bulinels ; we com- monly find, that Preamble and Repetition make three Fourths of the Whole. Sermons and Speeches might for the mod Part Concife- be fhortened to grc.ic Advantage. Nothing is more 1kU re - irkfomthan Prolixity ; nothing more tircfom than^j N dif- *7$ Of Intercourse Se&. II, diffufive Authors, or loquacious Orators, dealing out drowfy Periods. It was formerly a Cuftom in Rujfta to chufe him for their Prieft, who could ofteneft, in one Breath, repeat " Hofpodi Pomiglio ;" i. e. " Lord have Mercy upon us." If I was to chufe an Orator, he Ihould neither fatigue himfelf, nor his Hearers, by holding his Wind too long. Concifenefs is a Virtue. Pro- lixity confounds the Mind, and waftes good Time. Life is only fhort to Triflers. Seneca fays well, " Mod Men complain that Nature has made ' Life fhort; but the Truth is, we do not " rightly employ our Lives. Riches foon va- " nifh in fquandering Plands ; whilft a moderate " Eftate is improved by Frugality. Our Lives " are lengthened by being well filled up : and *- an ufeful Life is a long one." V. Of Tafte, Power of MP 1 H O ' Tafte, in the Abftracl, may appear Tafte. J[_ b ut a trivial Thing , yet whoever examines Hiftory and Mankind, will find it a main Spring of Bufinefs and Action. The Regulation of Tafte might prove a powerful Engine, in the Hands of Governors, to bring about defirable Ends-, and render a People induftrious, virtuous, and happy. Tsfle in Children may help us to form a right Judg- Children. men t of Tafte. We fee they generally delight in $et. II. and Business. 179 in Milk and Fruits, which Nature fupplies in Plenty : whence it may be inferred, there is a native Agreeablenefs in fuch Things. Grown People are not here fuch competent Judges ; being fo debauched by Cuftom, Fafhion, and Fancy, as rather to efteem Things according to acquired Prejudice and Habit, than according to natural Goodnefs. The Scarcity and Price of Things often make us defpife what Nature, in Kindnefs, has marked for Good, and produced in Abundance. We acquire an Averfion to How de- Things obtainable with Eafe, or fmall Expence j bauched - and cultivate a Liking, or Fondnefs, for worfe, that are dear, and obtained with Difficulty. What has made Tea more agreeable than Milk, but the Difference of Price ; which renders the one more fafhionable than the other? Vegetable ByF anC y. Productions of China, and the Eaft, t..fte finer for the long Voyage it coils to fetch them. Men generally fancy dear Things mufl be good. Elegant Tables are covered with Di flies, to which a Man muft be accuftomed, before he can find them pleafing ; whilft the Farmer's Eating is naturally agreeable, cheap, and necefTary. If the Experiment be made with a Child, before his Tafte is debauched, he will prefer the Farmer's Diet to the Nobleman's. The Palate of the Rich is depraved by acquired Habits, and Fa- fhions. It happens in Eating and Drinking, as in Drefs and Behaviour. If a Prince was to walk upon Stilts, his Courtiers would follow him ; and maintain the Practice to be genteel and rational. We can accommodate oui (elves to the N 2 Ule iSo (^Intercourse Sect. II. Ufe of bad- tafted Things, and troublefome Ha- bits, in order to be diftinguifhed from the Vul- gar. Cuftom turns to a kind of Nature ; and makes Things pleafant, that at firft were dif- agreeable. Tobacco is not naturally pleafing , yet whole Nations are fo fond of it, that they will not live without it. The great Per/tan King, Abbas, once attempted to wean his Subjects from the Ufe of it, but in vain ; they all declaring it was their Comfort. The King, upon this, invited fome principal Perfons to a Collation of Tobacco ; and had the Pipes filled with the dried Mun- dungus of Geefe and Cows , pretending it to be an extraordinary Sort of Tobacco, fent him as a Prefent. The Guefts fmoaked their Pipes, praifed the Tobacco, and knew not the Compo- fition till they were told. Appetite The Tafte for Things that are naturally dif- Diffi It a o reeaD ^ e > ma y pl ea f e f r being procured with Difficulty. We flight fallen Fruit, and climb the Tree to pluck what is not fo ripe. The for- ward Lady difgufts her Admirer , whilft an art- ful Virgin, affecting Coynefs, excites the Ap- petite of her Lover, and fecures her Conqueft. Anna Bullen practiced this Art with Succefs ; and could never have obtained her Willi, by beha- ving with le!s Hauteur to Harry the Eighth. Affected Indifference and Reluctance, paved her Way to the Crown. The inordinate Effects of Love are no where greater than in Italy, Spain, and the Eaji, where it is the Practice to lock up the Ladies -, fo that Men cannot get at them without Se<5t. II. and Business* 181 without Rifk : but the Difficulty heightens the Relifh. A thoufand Stratagems are uied to take fuch Forts as are well defended. Cunning Merchants keep up the Price of their And Scar - Goods, or render them difficult to come at, in C1 y ' order to excite the Appetite of the Buyer. And we need only make a Thing cheap, eafy to get, or fhew it in Plenty, to damp the Defire for it. Grocers therefore let their Boxes ftand open to their Servants , and Vintners make their Draw- ers free of the Cellar. If Champaign were a common Wine, it would have fewer Admirers. Medals are coveted for their Scarcity-, Pictures for their Rarity ; and Books for being hard to come at. But there is a great Variety of Taftes in the Effcfb of World ; and this Variety keeps Numbers of Peo- M en ' sdlf - ple employed, who might otherwife remain idle, Taftes. or hurt Society. We are apt to exclaim againft bad Tafte, tho' even ourfelves, our Friends, and Relations, receive Advantages from it. Nature regulates all Things wifely , and perhaps more fuitably to the State of Man, than we fuperfici- ally imagine. If all Men were wife, Society could not well fubfift. A Mixture of prudent and weak People hath an excellent Effect. Dif- ference of Tafte makes nothing remain ufelefs in the World. All forts of Arts, Bufinefs, Trades, and Traffic are hence promoted ; and no one fort of Ware lies totally neglected. Some have a Tafte for Sweet, others for Bitter, fome for Slight, fome for Srtong, fome for Old, fome for New, &cc. whence a Merchant provided with Variety, need never wa::t N 3 Cuftomers. 182 Of Intercourse Sect. II. Cuftomers. " If there were no Fool's Heads, " no Fool's Caps would be fold." And if there was no bad Tafte in the World, what would be- come of our numerous Authors, Bookfellers, and their Families ? If a true Tafte for Writing . v (hould grow into Fafhion, the prefent Tribe of Poets might well cry out, O Tempora ! O Mores ! If good Tafte was general, what would become of that immenfe Set of Bunglers in all the Pro- feflions ? Effefts of B J d Tafte fuffers nothing to Magnate. It is a badTaile. Comfort in Plenty, and a Spur to Induftry , it enlivens Society, and promotes the Propagation of the Species. If all Men were delicate, many a young Lady might, like Jeptha's Daughter, bewail her Virginity : but, as fome Men are fond of Youth, others of Antiquity, fome of Beauty, others of Money, one or Black, another of Fair, &c. here is an open Market for Maids and Widows of all Sorts. What Numbers would go without Titles and Honours, if they had a true Tafte ? Want of Tafte often compenfates for want of Senfe. If it were not for bad Tafte, how fhould we come by fuch excellent Schools, Univerfities, and Politicians, as Europe abounds with ? To wifh for an Univerfality of good Tafte, is wifhing the Downfall of half Mankind. Tafte and To be more ferious , till the Morals of Men can Know- ^ farther improved, it may afford us fome Confo- improved. l atl0n to ^ ee Advantages arifing from Depravity of Tafte ; and that the more we know of the World, the lefs imperfect we find it upon the Whole. Suitable Provifion is made for Man, let him act as Sect. II. and Business. 183 as he pleafes. Even our Infirmities are provided againft. And this may difpofe us either to reft contented with Things as we find them -, or fpur us on to mend our Condition. Doubtlefs, every Man who finds jiimfelf capable, in what Shape foever it be, mould add to the common Stock of Knowledge ; and Tome Way or other promote the public Happinefs. The World feems put into our Hands, as Eden was into the Hands of our firft Parents, to drefs, cultivate, and im- prove it. VI. Of Friends and Enemies. NO Virtue is more frequently mentioned, Friend* and lefs praclifed, than Friendfhip. Eve- rarc - ry Man imagines he has Friends ; yet every Man may here find himfelf deceived. What we generally call Friendfhip is a fpurious Virtue, that vanifhes in Time of Trial. Advei fity is the Touchftone of Friendfhip. King Tarquin de- clared it owing to his Misfortunes, and Ba- nifhment, that he ever difcovered who were his Friends, or Enemies-, becaufe he could then no longer oblige them. Such Obfervations have o- pened the Eyes of others, upon finding them- felves deferted in Misfortunes by thofe they e- fteemed their fafteft Friends. Aulus Gellius has prefer ved to us an elegant Fable of JEfof, to this Furpofe. N 4 " A 184 Of Intercourse Seel. II. Fable of " A Lark, who had her Neft in aCorn-Field, the Lark. < c going to feek Food for her Young, charged *' them to obferve carefully what they mould fee " or hear, in her Abfence; and give her an Ac- 44 count of it at her Return. Whilftfhe was gone, 41 they over- heard the Owner of the Field order 44 his Son, as the Corn was now ripe, to defire " their Friends to aflift in reaping the next Day. 44 This the trembling young -ones related to 44 their Mother; and begged her to look out " for a Place, where they might be fecure. tC The old Lark was not terrified at the Account, *' but bid her little Brood have Patience , faying, 44 if the Owner trufted to his Friends only, the " Field would not be reaped to-morrow. The 44 next Day flie left them again ; with the fame 44 Charge as before. The Owner of the Field 44 returned, in hopes of Reaping, but waited the 44 Arrival of his Friends, in vain , then faid to 44 his Son : I perceive our Friends are unwil- 44 ling to come ; go therefore to our Relations, 44 and pray them to aflift us in reaping to-mor- 44 row. This alio the frighted Young related 44 to their Mother, who again bid them be com- 44 forted ; for, fays fhe, it is as filly to truft to 44 Relations as Friends ; and therefore be ailu- 44 red, the Corn will not be reaped to-morrow. 44 The Lark left her Brood the third time. The C4 Owner came again, and finding no Relations < appear, faid to his Son, Thou feed that in Time 4 ' of Need, a Man has neither Friends nor Re- ** lations ; therefore, let thee and I take each of " us our Sickle, and reap to-morrow by our- 44 felves. Sett. II. and Business. 185 " felves. This the young Larks related to their '* Mother-, who then cried, Now it is time to *' move off, for the Corn will infallibly be reap- " ed to-morrow. She, therefore, immediately had dropt Invective , or not fwelled his Harangues with perfonal Abufe, and bitter Sar- cafm , it is probable the End of the Orator would not have proved fo tragical. The fame may be laid of numberlefs others, who enrage their E- nemy, and treat his Foibles and Failings with extreme Contempt-, not confidering that one Angle Circumftance may deliver them a Prey to x their Sect. 1L and Business. I93 their Enemy. Cicero flighted his Enemy, who in a fhort Time got the Afcendency over him. He trufted to numerous Friends, wherein he was greatly deceived ; for the Friendfhip of fo many noble Perfonages, with which he was intrenched, proved unable to defend him againlt the Refent- ment of a fingle Enemy. VII. Of the Caufes of Friendship and Hatred. IT is common to wonder at Diflentions among similarity Brothers. Men ufually imagine a ftrict Bond notalwayi of Union fhould arife from Similarity of Tem-JJ e A ^" lc per , and are therefore furprized to find Difcord, tion. Animofity, and Hatred, prevail among near Relations. But various ufeful Remarks may be made upon Man, by fetting common Opinions afide, and confuking Experience. We find, in Fact, that Diflimilarity of Tempers, Studies, and Purfuits, frequently cements Friendfhip ; and that Samenefs of Inclination frequently weak- ens or deftroys it. When a fedate Temper meets with a brilkfnMan one ; a pafiionate Man with a quiet Woman , an and Wife, extravagant Flusband with a frugal Wife, &c. the Bond of Union is rather ftrengthened than relaxed. And hence the ancient Poets illicitely cou- pled the delicate Vemis with the boifterous Mars. O l'he 194 Of Intercourse Set. II. The Mildnefs of Socrates and the Tartnefs of Xantippe, made an excellent Mixture : for altho* their Matrimonial Happinefs was clouded ; yet, neither Party had any Inclination to feparate. Socraies's Imprifonment and Death demonftrate that this Pair perfectly loved each other. Many a Man burns for a Lady ; but when her Love grows hot to him, his grows cold to her, and fo alternately ; the Ice of the one kindling the Fire of the other. This Leflbn Lovers are per- fect in. And hence it appears, that oppofite Tempers may excite and preferve Efteem ; and fimilar Tempers banifh and extinguifh Love. In fimilar That common Studies do not, of themfelves, Qualifies- t- jn_- u t tioijs. l maintain rnendlhip, appears by numerous ln- ftances. Sejus, a learned Man, hated Caius, for nothing but his Learning ; and as foon as the latter ceafed to ftudy, the former ceafed to hate him. The Enmity betwixt Titus and Sempronius was owing to their common Studies : they were both Divines ; but when one of them laidafide Divinity, they prefently became reconciled. Similar People will defpife their own Virtues, and cen- and Vices ** ure tne * r own V* ces > m others. No body laughs at the Folly of another, fo much as a Fool j no Man believes another fo little, as a Liar; no People cenfure the Talkative more, than great Talkers. Mifers daily condemn Covetoufnefs ; and Squanderers rail at Extravagance, in others. If one young Lady calls the Chaftity of another in Queflion, me gives Sufpicion of herfelf. ^Ap {y * c ma >' De ^dged, that this Diflike does not arife from Similarity of Inclination, but from Envy Sedt. II. and Business. 195 Envy and Jealoufy ; and that one Mifer hates another, one Lady of Pleafure another, only for interfering in Bufinefs. But fuch Caules, by no means, folve the Paradox : for the Hatred we fpeak of, not only reigns among People that are near, or prefent , but even extends to a Diltance. How can a Mifer in London interfere with a Mifer in Paris ; a Courtifanc at Paris with another at Venice ; yet they will hate and defpife each other? The Envy of a Potter in Europe will ftretch to an unknown Potter in China. There are fome Phenomena of Men, which Strange- it is hard to affign adequate Caufes for ; and par- ^ s oi ticularly why a frugal Perfon fhould cenfure Fru- gality in another; why one Pedant mould hate another, one Drunkard, one Liar, &c. con- demn another , when no clafhing of Intereft can be pretended. The Strangenefs of Man fhews itfelf in many Inftances. On every Occafion, he defpifes his own good Qualities, and condemns his bad, if they appear in others. This, indeed, is a Paradox. However, it is certain, that Dif- ferences and Quarrels may arife from Similarity of Affections , and that a Man may hate and defpife another, for the very Vices and Virtues, which himfelf poiTeffes. It might indeed fcem as if Men looked upon their own Virtues and Vices, as their Property or Pofleffion ; and could not bear to fee that Property transferred upon others , from the ac- knowledged PoffefTion of which, they imagine themfelves entitled to Fame and Character, either good or bad. And in this View, Jealoufy, Em v, O 1 and 196 O/ Intercourse Sect. It. and Hatred may be ufed as paultry Weapons, to keep off Invaders : whilft Self- Love makes the Vicious hug even their Vices, as their Means of rifing to infamous Reputation. But this does no Honour to human Nature : and whatever debafes the Species ought, if pofiible, to be checked, re- formed, or aboliflied. A Letter to a timorous young Lady. TAKE my Word for it, Madam, there is no Bead fo fierce, no Man fo couragious, but may meet with his Tamer. Nay, the high- eft fpirited and moft tyrannical, both among Brutes and Men, frequently fubmit and cringe to the lovveft and weakeft of Animals , as if Nature defigned to (hew us, how vain it is for Man to pride himfelf in his Strength, byfubject- ing Tyranny and Pride to Humility and Meek- nefs j and giving the weaker Creatures Dominion over the ftronger. The Lion reigns Monarch of the Foreft, and ftrikes Terror into the fierceft Animals , yet drops his Creft, and runs at the Sight of a Moufe. The great Conquerors, who made the World tremble, have been commonly quelled by their Wives. Hercules was governed, like a Child, by Omphale. Sampfon was a Slave to Delilah. The magnanimous Achilles wept for his fair Brifeis. And Hiftory, both ancient and modern, abounds with Examples to the fame Purpofe. >n our own Times, an Englijh General, who, by his Valour and Conduct, brought the greateft Kingdom Se&. II. and Business. 197 Kingdom of Europe to the Brink of Deftru&ion, was fo governed by his Wife, that almoft as many Satyrs have been publifhed upon his do- meftic Tamenefs, as Panegyrics upon his Cou- rage in the Field. The Character is general ; and fliews itfelf in whole Nations. What People have more Bravery without Doors, and more Timidity in their Houfes, than the Englijh ? Their Audacity is fo great, as to affront Danger, Difficulty, Government, Laws, Punifliment. Englijhmen turn their Backs upon nothing ; and frequently hang or drown, frab or fhoot themfelves. But tho' no Reafon or Duty, no Law or Religion, can reftrain this Fero- city ; yet a Woman can wind them, like a Thread, about her ; and lead them with a fingle Hair. The ftubborn Metal that will not yield to the Fire and Hammer, is prefently foftned by its proper Flux, and rendered malleable. Flence, if inftead of penal Laws, Engliftjmen were threa- tened with the Refentment of their Wives, it might poffibly have a greater Effect upon them, than their numerous Statutes, made and provi- ded, to keep them within the Limits of Rea- fon. For, thefe Lions of Men are as tame as Lambs before their angry Wives. The Italians are fubmiffive abroad ; but Ty- rants in their own Houfes. They (loop and cringe to Strangers ; but brave it in their Families. An Italian Apartment is an Eaftern Seraglio in Miniature ; where the Wife fees the Face of no Srranger, without Permifljon. O 3 Con- 198 Of Intercourse Seclr. II. Contentious Men commonly make peaceable Hufbands -, and quarrelfome Hufbands peaceable Subjects. A Coward in the Street makes a blu-^ ftering Hero in his own Parlour , whilft he, who, at his Wife's Command, will tend the Nurfery, is not to be joked with abroad. And now, dear Madam, I hope you will fee, that your Dread of the General is groundlefs > and are ready to make good your Engagement with him. The Accounts you have heard of his gallant Behaviour in the Field, inftead of ftriking you with Terror, and fetting you againft him, fhould make you chufe him : for there is Reafon to expect he will prove as tender a Hufband, as he is a brave Officer. I knew a Serjeant, reputed one of the boldeft Fellows in the Garrifon where he ferved -, yet made a tame, good-natured Huf- band. His Widow afterwards married a Smith, who has patiently taken more than one Box on the Ear from his Neighbours ; but gives his Wife no Quarter : fo that I queflion whether he has not bellowed more Blows upon her, than he has lately done upon his Anvil. I do not bind myfelf for the General's Be- haviour : but this I am fure of, that your Ap- prehenfion of him is groundlefs ; and that his being a good Officer can never excufe your break- ing your Word with him. Of Se<5t. II. and Business. 199 VIII. Of Union and Difcord. IT is a general Opinion that nothing promotes The Ad- Happinefs, or eftablifhes human Affairs, fo ^iS. much as Concord j which, like Cement in a Building, fallens all Things together, both in public and private Societies. The ancient Poets reckoned Difcord among the infernal Deities ; but Temples were erected to the Honour of Concord. Parv llc not fo much owing to the Remedies, as to the fuperficial Knowledge we have of the human Body. A great Phyfician affures us, the human Q^ Conftitutiun 226 Of Intercourse Set. II f Conftitution is as little known as the Terra Au- Jlralis , whofe Coafts we are not hitherto acquaint- ed with. And hence a Medicine which proves ferviceable to one, proves pernicious to another ; and what operates at one time, produces no Ef- fect at another. This we find not only in diffe- rent People, of apparently different Conftituti- ons ; but even in the fame Conftitutions, and in the fame Perfons, at different times. For the fame Medicine fhall fometimes operate well, fome- times ill, fometimes too much, fometimes too little, or not at all, even upon the fame Perfon. It is no Wonder the Seed mould mifcarry, when the Nature of the Soil is not known. The Con- ftitution of Man is a Myftery, a Proteus, which changes its Nature fo much, as not to remain the fame to Day, that it was Yefterday, or will be To-morrow. And this fo far confounds all me- dicinal Rules, that a Phyfician is like a Man marri- ed to a phantaftical Lady, whom he can never fuit ; becaufe fhe changes her Temper every hour. Cures It would be going too far to fay, that all Cures are owing to Nature, Accident, or Good-Luck ; but I believe it is true of the greateft part of them : for I am fatisfied, it happens with Phyficians as it does with Fortune-tellers, who prophefy fo long, and fo differently, that they hit right at laft. As Fortune-tellers come into Vogue, by a lucky Ac- cident or two , Phyficians often get into Prac- tice and Fafhion, for the Fame of Cures they had no Share in , but were either performed by Nature, Accident, or the Patient's working Imagination. 4 Sect. II. and Business. 227 A certain Author defines a Doctor to be a Man who writes Prefcriptions, till the Patient either dies, or is cured by Nature. And, accordingly, the ancient Greeks had a Saying, that " Doctors " were Triflers." Indeed I by no Means fub- fcribe to thefe Definitions ; becaufe numerous great Cures may be produced, and fo evidently proved, that, next after God, they mud be afcribed to Phyfic. I only fay, that Phyficians frequently obtain a Name, for Cures performed by Nature, by Accident, or by Help of the Pa- tient's Imagination. The laft Phyfician in a Cafe, is ufually thought the belli not becaufe he under- stands his Art better ; but becaufe he had the good Luck to be called in, when the Difeafe was declining, and Nature began to aflift herfelf. This the People do not obferve, and, therefore, fometimes, unjuftly blame the bed Phyficians, and, undefervedly, praife the word \ by afcrib- ing that to the laft Doctor, which was the Ef- fect of Time or Nature. After the fame erroneous Manner, People ge- nerally afcribe that to Art, which was owing to Accident. For, a Fever may often be checked by Alterations made in the Mind, or Thoughts, of the Patient ; or by other cafual Circumstan- ces. Many Difeafes may be changed, or even cured by the Pailions, as Surprize, Joy, ftrong Expectation, &c ; of which there are numerous Inftances : yet in fuch Cafes, the ignorant Mul- titude give all the Credit to the Doctor j tho' he. did no more than vifit the Patient, without pre- Q^2 fcribing 228 OflNTERCOURSE Set. II. fcribing, at the Time. This is betraying as grofs Ignorance as the Country-Girl, who confulted a Doctor about finding a loft Sheep; and he, out of a Joke, gave her a Purge : but as the Sheep was found during the Operation, the Girl made herfelf fure the Medicine was the Caufe, and the Doctor a Conjurer. By Ima- Many Difeafes arife from a perverted Imagina* gmation. t j Qn . an( j f Qme Q f t j iem are curec j by affecting the Imagination only. It appears almoil incre- dible, what great Effects the Imagination has upon Patients ', but efpecially thofe of a particu- lar Turn and Make. The famous Chymiflr, Francifcus Borri, cured all Difeafes, for fome time ; and rofe to fuch Height of Reputation, that Patients were carried from Paris to Amfter- dam to be cured by him. But, when it came to be obferved that he cured only thofe who had a ftrong Imagination, his Credit funk at once ; and he worked no more Wonders. The fame Thing happened to an Irijh Quack, Greterix, called the Stroker, who, for a while, performed miracu- lous Cures, in London ; but upon the fudden Fall of his Reputation, his Skill deferted him. Hence we may fay, that he is the bsft Phyfician in whom the Patient has the greateft Confidence. And if this be the Cafe, I hold it as unjuft to oblige the Sick to make ufe of certain Doctors only -, as it would be barbarous, to force them to make ufe of Confeflbrs they do not like. In both Cafes they fhould be left to their own Liber- ty and Choice j becaufe the Perfons we have a Tnift anc j Confidence in, may produce greater EfTe&s, Sett. II. WBosiness. 229 Effects, with (lender Skill, or mean Elocution, than the beft and mod experienced Phyficians, or Orators, to whom we have any Averfion, Diflike, or Indiiference. A Quack, or a Farrier, in whom a Patient places great Confidence, is, in my O- pinion, a better Phyfician for that Patient, than a graduate Doctor, from whom he has no Expec- tation. And as we fee by Experience, what extraordi- nary Efficacy the Imagination has in the Cure of Difeafes , I cannot approve of thofe Doctors, who difhearten their Patients, by giving hafty and blunt Opinions of Diftempers. The princi- pal Quality of a Phyfician, as well as of a Poet, (for Apollo is the God both of Phyfic and Poetry) is that of fine Lying, or flattering the Patient. Many a Man has been killed before his time, by a rafh Cenfure, or injudicious Condemnation of his Phyfician -, and many a drooping Patient re- vived, upon the Doctor's aflfuring them of a Re- covery. This remarkable Difference, betwixt re- gular Phyficians and Quacks, is perhaps, in part, the Caufe of the Cures performed by Quacks , for, a Quack can cure by Afpect, or a Glimpfe of his Countenance: and the fingle A flu ranee he gives his Patients of a fpeedy Amendment, has often more Efficacy than the Apothecary's Shop. And it is doubtlefs as well for the Patient, to be cured by the working of his own Imagination, or a Reliance upon the Promife of his Doctor, as by repeated Dofes of Phyfic. The great Bartboline declares, he once, by Mifbke, gave to a Patient a Bottle of fair Water, Q_j ihftiuJ 230 Of Intercourse Sec*l. II. inftead of another Bottle of Liquor defigned for an Emetic , and that the Patient's Imagination was fo affected by the Expectation, that the Wa- ter operated as a Vomit. Now, if People may be fick by Imagination, Phyficians mould en- deavour to cure by Imagination. And, of fuch Cures, there have been fo many remarkable In- ftances, as might afford fufficient Hints for inge- nious Gentlemen to work upon. I would not be fufpecled of endeavouring to degrade the Art of Phyfic ; or of looking upon Phyficians as ufe- lefs. I acknowledge the Effects of Medicine, and am fatisfied great Cures have been wrought by the Rules of Art : but I fay, at the fame time, that many Cures are performed by Nature, Accident, and Imagination , that Men's Conftitutions, Tempers, and Particularities, are not hitherto underftood -, and that the Rules of Phyfic, not being drawn from a Knowledge of Nature, are therefore frequently baffled ; and in- deed'that the Trade is not yet advanced to a Sci- ence. Rules If I were a Phyfician, I mould not always from Ex- gj ve t ^ e f ame Medicines to one Patient that I gave to another, in the fame Difeafe : for, I judge of Medicines and Diet, not according to their own Powers and Virtues j but the Ef- fects they ufually produce on the Bodies of cer- tain Perfons, refpectively. If any Man mould afiure me he had long eat raw Flefh, or drank (linking Water, and found they always agreed with him, I mould not advife him to leave them off. I have long continued the Prac- tice Sect. II. and Business^ 231 tice of drinking Coffee, becaufe it agrees with me ; but cannot advife it to others of my own Complexion : and have perfuaded many againft it, becaufe they found themfelves opprerTed by it. I judge that the Patient mould have a double Vote in- every Confultation of Doctors ; or ra- ther that the Phyfician mould content himfelf with Enquiring and Propofmg, and leave the Determi- nation to the Patient. For, tho' the Doctor may have carefully obferved a great Number of Pati- ents, yet every fenfible Patient has had the belt and longeft Experience of himfelf; and may therefore be the belt Guide to his Doctors. If a Patient's Judgment be found, he fhall have my Confent to be his own Phyfician. VI. Of the Law and Lawyers. THERE is a remarkable Affinity betwixt The Rules Attornies and Accountants : both their f Arith- Arts confift in Addition, Subtraction, Multipli- metic re ; cation, and Divihon. An Accountant books e d to his Income and Difburfe, adds Sum to Sum, and Lawyers. thus lays the Foundation of his Balance. An Attorney books his Charges, adds Day to Day, Citation to Citation , and, with drawing Anfwers, Replies, and Rejoinders, fwells the Account to a proper Size , till, at length, the Client knows the Sum Total. This kind of Law Book- keep- Q_4 ing Subtracti- on. Multipli- cation. 232 Of Intercourse Sett. II. ing is fo regular, that the Client can find no Fault, or make any Exception to the Legality of the Procedure.; but has a liquidated Account de- livered him, the Balance fo much. Subtraction is no lefs ufeful to a Lawyer , who carries few Caufes from whence he does not fubtract a Child's Share , fo that if the Cofts reco- vered amount to a hundred Pounds, fubtracl fixty for the Lawyer, and forty remain for the Client. Nay, let the Caufe be won or loft, the Lawyer, by fubtracting from the Remainder, is fure to be paid. Every accomplimed Lawyer rauft alfo be perfect in Multiplication. He is a poor Limb of the Law indeed, who brings a Caufe into Court, and cannot carry two back. By this Art of Multiplication, the Study of the Law is promoted , and many a necefiitous Family provided for. But, a fenfible Man does not only take Care for To-day ; he has always an Eye to To-morrow. I knew a Man, who, by this Art of multiplying Caufes, not only nurled them up during his Life-time ; but left, at his Death, to the worthy Attorney who married his Daughter, three Boxes full of good fat Caufes, for her Fortune : fo careful was he to plant for Pofterity ! What fignifies the Theory of the Law, without making ufe of it in Practice, and fecuring the Emoluments of the Bar ? Divifion. But, Divifion crowns the Labour of the Law- er , and keeps his Practice alive, in fpite of all Oppofition. For, whereas, certain malevolent Perfons, Sett. II. and B u s i n es s. 235 Perfons, having evil Defigns againft the Law, would traitoroufly, felonioufly, and of Malice afore- thought, ftifle good Caufes in their Birth, or not fuffer them to grow to Maturity ; a fenfible Lawyer here fteps in, with his Art of Divifion, and prevents the fatal Mifchief ; by infpiring both Parties with Courage ; and fpiriting up their languid Forces, compels them to join Iflfue, and drag the languifhing Caufe to the Bar. And hereby a murderous Intention is happily prevented from taking Effect, and two fubftantial Advantages procured j for, hence, the Law is kept in a flourifhing State of Activi- ty, and every Man left to enjoy his Right. Jus fuum cuique. Some are fo fevere againft the Law, as to All Law- pretend, that Lawyers alone reap the Benefit y ers not of all the Caufes tried : but thofe who fry ries this, betray their Ignorance of Lawyers. The Honour of gaining a Caufe is Advantage enough to fome of them. A Lawyer of Spirit, who loves and honours his Profeffion, will plead with- out Fee , as Princes fight, not for Profit or Plun- der, but for Ambition-, and fing Te Dsum without gaining the Advantage. The honourable Gen- tlemen of the Robe are no more to be cenfured for encouraging their Clients to maintain, fup- port, and defend their juft Rights, Privileges, and Immunities ; than a good General is to be condemned lor heartening up his Soldiers, and encouraging them to burn, plunder, and deftroy the Lncmy. Divifion, therefore, is a capital Qualification ble to Lawyers 234 Of Intercourse Sed. If* Qualification of the Lawyer. Let Divide 5? impera, be the Motto of the Bar. Algebra I would advife no Lawyer to carry his Views unprofita- farther than the four firfh Rules of Arithmetic if he venture into Algebra, it is at the Peril of himfelf and Family. Deep Knowledge in Law is poorly paid for, and not every body's Money. A little Common-place Oratory, the Practice of Courts, and the four Rules of Vulgar Arith- metic, do the Bufinefs. The public Profef- fors of Law are ftrangely wrong, in all the Eu- ropean Univerfities, to perplex the ftudious Youth with Grotius and Puffendorf, the Inftitutes and Pandects ; loading their tender Heads with the ufelefs Lumber of Precepts, Maxims, and Foundations of Law ; without ever mentioning, a Syllable of the Spirit, the Soul, and practical Rules, by which all the Bufinefs of the Bar is advantageoufly carried on ; and the Sweets en- joyed, at the eafy Expence of the Client. SECT. SECT. III. Of Government and Laws. I. Of State-Reformation. STATES and Societies, like the Body Parallel of Man, are fubject to various Diforders.p e j W . ,xt What in the Body we call a Difeafe, may,Phyfic. in Kingdoms and Republics, be called a State- Failing. Difeafes of the Body are cured by Me- dicines or Courfes ; and State-Failings by Laws or Regula'^ons. What in Phyfic is termed a Cure ; we call, in Politics, a Reformation. Since there is fonearaRefemblance betwixt Po- litics and Phyfic, betwixt the Lawgiver and the Phyfician , and fince the Manner of Cure is alike, tho' the Remedies differ ; intelligent Statefmen might 236 O/^Gover'nivient 8et. III. might do well, in rectifying State-Failings, to imitate the Procedure of intelligent Phyficians. The Phyfician goes cautiouQy to work with a weakly Constitution , and a Statefman mould treat a weakly State with Delicacy and Gentle- nefs : for, in both Cafes, the leaft Over-dofe may do Harm. A prudent Phyfician examines the Constitution of his Patient, before he prefcribes , and fuits his Prefcription to the Nature of the Cafe, its Circumftances and Symptoms : and a State- Reformer mult carefully enquire into the Nature, and Situation, the Turn, Frame, and Circumftances of a State , and fuit his Ordinances accordingly. For, as fome Patients require dou- ble or triple Dofes ; fome Kingdoms require ftronger Laws than others, to produce the de- fired Effed. Political It is a Rule, withjudicious Phyficians, to ufe Reforma- no fa^ v } } ent; Means, as may prove worfe than the Difeafe. All Patients are not fo happy as the Swi/s, who falling fick upon a Journey, and be- ing in a Hurry to get on, took rhe Phyfic of eight Days at once , and recovered. As it is a ca- pital Rule in Phyfic, never to give fuch violent Medicines, as may kill or cure at a Dole ; fo it ought to be a Handing Rule in Reformations, to proceed Step by Step ; adapt and proportion the Remedy to the kind of Diforder in the State ; and give no ftronger Dofes than it can bear without being convulfed. Conftant Experience fhews, that a State is rather made worfe, than bet- ter, by all ram. and precipitate Reformations j as an Sed. III. and Law s. 237 an Ague, by violent Medicines, may be turned to a continual Fever. We learn by Examples, both ancient and Requires modern , that , in moft Reformations , State- ^ autl on- Errors have rather been altered than eradi- cated. For, as Men are, by Nature, addicted to frart from one Extreme to the oppofire , fo in States, one great Error is apt to fucceed another-, as the hot Fit does the cold, in an intermitting Fever. A Mifer may laudably endeavour to cor- rect his Avarice ; but if he hold no Medium in his Reformation, he will commence Extravagant. In hafty Changes, we fee, Irreligion turns to Su- pei ftition ; Fervor to Coldnefs ; Courage to Fear ; and Talkativenefs to ridiculous Silence. I knew a Man fo timid and cautious in his Difcourfe, that he would not venture to relate the mcft -com- mon Occurrences, before he had ordered his Children out of the Room. This Man had been one of the moft loquacious Inhabitants of the Ci- ty , and was fined for fpeaking too freely. In moft Reformations, to avoid one Rock, Men fplit upon another. Half-ftarved People will eat till they furfeit , and Soldiers in a Tannic will run from the Enemy, into Fire or Water ; and dye for fear of dying. For my part, tho' the World has always my And not good Wishes, I cannot rejoice at every Reiorma- ? k on " tion , becaufe Experience fhews, that the Thing ra {hiy. defigned to be altered, often remains as it did , tho' us Form b~ changed. The fame Humours fomctimesapptar under the Denomination of the JrlcadrAch, Rheurrjatifm, or Gout -, according as 23 8 O/Government Seft. III. a? they fly, or are driven by Medicines, from one part of the Body to another. And as no Phyfician can juftly fay he has cured a Difeafe, becaufe he has changed it into the Gout or Rheu- matifm ; fo no Politician can properly fay he has cured a State- Failing, when by endeavouring to root out an old Grievance, .he brings on a new one. Too active Remedies fometimes cure the Difeafe, but kill the Patient ; and outrageous Re- formations may ruin a State. I am, however, no Enemy to Reformation ; but remain convinced that mod Countries and Societies require to be reformed. I only entreat Men to proceed in this Work with Judgment ; and not run from one Error into another. He who goes (low, comes to his Journey's End at laft ; whilft thofe who make Poft-hafte, may fall by the Way, or mifs the Track. There goes a Story of a Coachman, who finding the Road rough, afked a Country Fellow, if it was pofTible to reach a certain Town before Sun-fet : the Country-Man anfwered " Yes, provided you " drive flow." The Coachman, taking this for a Joke, grew angry; lafhed his Horfes into a Gallop, broke a Wheel, and did not reach the Town that Night. State Poli- When a Perfon labours under too great a Full- h rG ft!^ ne ^ s ^ Blood, I mould advife him to open a too far. Vein ; but to do it with Moderation, fo as to leave the neceflfary Quantity behind. If a Houfe be crowded with Servants, it is proper to difmifs fuch of them as are fuperfluous ; but to retain fo many as may do the necefiary Bufinefs of the Fa- mily. Sect. III. and Laws, 239 mily. If a Reformation be not conducted with Moderation, we fall out of one Misfortune into another , and fometimes from a lefs into a great- er. A certain King of Pegu, who had long been made uneafy by rebellious Subjects, baniffc- ed a great Number of them, that he might more eafily govern the reft : but the Country was fo thinned by this Reformation, that his Neigh- bours took the Advantage, and made themfelves Mafters of him and his Kingdom. This is an Inftance of State-Policy puttied too far. Extremes are hurtful. All Senfe and Virtue iv confift in Moderation : if once they exceed the proper Bounds, they become metamorphofed into Folly and Vice. The Chinefe Philofopher, Con- fuciusy wrote a Syftem of Morality and Civil Po- licy, entitled, The great Midway ; intimating that the middle Way is the beft to follow. Good Things become bad, if immoderately ufed. I have known People ruined by Care ; and impo- verished by Parfimony. Activity has great Ef- fedts ; but refembles a high-mettled Horfe, that requires the Curb. It drives the Ship, like a fair Wind , but may run her upon a Rock. The Understanding muft be Pilot j and make the fair Wind ferve to a good Purpofe. Many by moderate, regular Labour, perform CEco- more than others by great Activity. I have, with noi y- Surprize, obferved, that Women preferve Eftates better than Men ; and can find no jufter Reafon for it, than, that Men have more Activity, and more of the fcheming, reftlefs Nature, than Women. For, Women are not apt to undertake Reformations j 240 Of Government Set. III. Reformations ; but content themfelves to follow the common Rules of CEconomy : whereas Men will always be giving Specimens of their Skill and Addrefs, till they rifk their Ruin. II. Of meliorating the Univerfities of Europe. The State -j- \\o^t my Reader will not take me for a Con- fabs" JL temner of Science. I never jeft with Learn- ing , but only with its Fopperies, and our per- verted Methods of Study. It is true, what fome take for Means of promoting Learning, I take for Means of fupprefiing Science ; and what fome hold fcr Ornaments, I preiume are Difgra- ces to Scholarfhip. I am perfuaded that we might arrive at our End by fhorter Means , or fooner and better become wife and ufeful by Meditati- on and Practice, than by Argument and Difpute. For, tho' by Difpute we arrive at Univerfity- Degrees ; it is Experience and Reflection that make us really knowing, and ferviceable. To hear the Din and Alarm, to fee the Buftle and Hurry ,of the European Univerfities-, one might think they were Places big with Works ; produc- tive of the beft Fruits and Effects -, and conftantly employed for the Service of Mankind. But who- ever looks into the real Bufineis they tranfact, will find thefe Mountains labour for a (lender Produce. Sect. III. and Laws. 241 Produce. Men may difpute themfelves into Heats and Sweats, or drive round and round, in the Sciences, and yet the Matter of Science re- main the fame. Such Buttling only alters the Mode, the Shape, or Size, but not the Subftance, of Knowledge. Academical Exercifes, whether in Difcourfe or Writing, chiefly confift in re- peating what has been faid a Thoufand times al- ready. But the fame Song, tho' ever fo good, difpleafes, if fung too often. Indeed I reckon thofe happy, who have their Tafte fo formed as to relifh the fame Subject varied through all the poffible Styles and Changes. But Samenefs of Subject, varioufly modulated, does not delight, or inftruct, every Hearer. It is remarkable, that the Univerfities of Univerfi. Europe were founded in Times of the grof- * ies , feft Ignorance. "What kind of Tafte then - m i gno . reigned, what abfurd and monftrous Tenets pre- ramTime*. vailed, what Foundations, both Spiritual and Tem- poral, took place, we fee by the Hiftories of thofe Times ; and, in part, by the prefent Remains of fuch Inftitutions, even in the beft regulated Univerfities of Europe. It coft Luther, and the^equ,^ other Reformers of Religion, immenfe Labour, to Reforma- feparate the Tares from the Wheat. Many have tlon * wifhed fome Academical Luther, or Erafmus y might arife ; who, like them, would undertake to reform the Sciences. For, tho* great Improve- ments in Knowledge have lately been made, yet much of the old Tincture remains. We may have fome Notion of the barbarous Ages by their Architecture , wherein the Gothic Tafte prevail- R ed, 242 Of Government Sed. lit. ed, and produced heavy, cumberous, ill-concert- ed Buildings, fet off with Profufion of abfurd Or- naments j as appears by many Specimens ftill (landing. Tn like manner there remain among us, numerous cumberfome Relicks of the ufelefs, icholaftic, phantaftic, metaphyfical, burthenfome Learning ; whereby both Religion and the Sci- ences are perverted or deformed ; and their na- tive Charms and Simplicity obfeured or hid. Certain Studies might, at leaft, be reftrained* that render Mankind no w'rfer ; and others might be introduced, that are highly neceffary for the Service of the Church, the State, and all the Arts and ProfelTions of Life. The right Study and Improvement of Natural Philofophy, Mo- rality, and Civil Policy, might render Univerfl- ties of the utmoft Ule to a Nation ; whereas, if proper Care be not taken, they may grow worfe and prove highly detrimental , by fpreading falfe Tafte, Foppery, and Contagion thro' a Country ; fullering the Study of Government to be neglected ; Religion to be corrupted, or effaced ; Morality to be beat out of Countenance , the Notions of Right and Wrong to be confounded ; and fuch Perfons to be treated as Idiots, who fhall attempt to act well ; dare to oppofe wrong Meafures ; defend Liberty, Virtue, and Senfe ; or maintain the only Foundations of good Policy, found Phi- lofophy, and true Religion. All this is poffible. The new The Societies and Academies, founded in the ^p^^laft and the prefent Century, appear defigned to Dcfedscf fupply this Defect of the old Univerfities. And in- thedd, deed we are highly indebted to the new Societies for Sett. III. and Laws. 245 for many real Improvements. In thefe Societies learned Men afiemble, at certain times, to com- municate their Thoughts. Each Member lays his Inventions, Improvements, or Writings be- fore the whole Body, to receive Correction and ~ Amendment. Curious and difficult Queftions are propofed ; and Rewards aftigned to thofe who give the b~ft Solutions. Ic is well known how much the Sciences have been advanced by thefe Means i and how many ufcful Difcove- fies made. But tho' thefe new Academies are of great And to Service in promoting the Sciences ; yet we mould im P rove n. u 1 r? t t r from *<. not relt contented with them, livery Univerficy ot i ier . might have two principal Views; viz. the per- fecting of Science among the Teachers ; and the inftructing of Youth. The new Academies have no Regard to the Inftruction of Youth. My Judgment is, that the old Univerfities mould be fupported ; but with fuch Amendments, and new Regulations, as might improve the Matter as well as the Scholar. For which purpofe, there needs no more than to copy the new Academies ; tranf- fer their Regulations into the old ; follow their Practice of communicating all Works and Writ- ings with their Col legues ; and permit nothing to be publifhed, till it has been carefully examined, and corrected, by the Society. If this were gene- rally done, we might be fure of having none but good Books printed at Univerfities. But if Books are compofed in a Hurry, or by Men of unripe Capacities, not verfed in the Sub- ject, nor practifed in Writing, nothing but crude R 2 Compoficions 244 O/GOVERNMENT Se&. III. Compofitions are to be expected. And to fuffer, or compel, the Students to write and publifh be- fore they are qualified by Time, Reflection, and Experience, is the way to have Books that can- not be worth the Reading. There are other Means of trying and exerci- fing the Strength and Capacities of Youth, with- out making the Public their Butt. And certainly it would be better to exercife the fludious Youth in the way of Thefts^ than in formal Differta- tion, and Works at large. I am well afiured, by Experience, that DifTertation is above the Reach of a young or raw Capacity. A Student mould no more be fuffered to become an Author, than a young Phyfician be permitted to practife at Court. They ought neither of them to mak their firft Eflays upon 'the Public. A bad Book, once publifhed, is no more to be recalled, than an improper Medicine once taken. Matters, Tu- tors, and Governors mud be upon the Watch, to preferve and defend the Community, as well as their Pupils : otherwife both may be hurt. Crude Books not only affect the Reputation of the Author; but alfo his Friends, and thofe who fuffer, or direct him to publifh. p ublic I have conftantly obftrved, that public Lee- Readings tures at Colleges are of little Ufe ; becaufe few to be Perfons frequent them, and thofe chiefly out of Curiofity ; who inftead of defiring to be inform- ed, in particular Points, come only to hear the Lecturer. If any of thefe Hearers want- ed Information, there are fo many Books, care- fully written, upon common Topics, that it misht Sect. III. and Laws. 24$ might be more inftructive to ftudy them, than to hear a hafty Compofition read upon the Sub- ject. I, therefore, judge it might be more ufe- ful, if the Pr/w7 ordered him to be put to 'Death. This was rigid -, for, the Circumftances of Times frequently require old Ordinances to be abrogat- ed. Agefilaus was defervedly praifed, when, upon a certain Occafion, he ordered the Laws to deep for twenty-four Hours. The liime may be faid of Alexander^ who, once, for weighty Reafons, or- dered that June fhould be May. And P la- tar cb commends it in Philopxmene, that he nor only knew how to command according to Law, but 252 (^Government Seel:. III. but even to command the Law itfelf, when Oc- cafion required. Doubtlefs no Law fhould be made without Neceffity , or but for the Sake of confiderable Advantage. And the ^) Lawgivers muft reprefent to themfelves what may probably happen, to render their Laws unfuitable or hurtful in the future. Man, indeed, cannot always guard againft Accidents, or prevent fuch Things- as he could not forefee : yet, in the Bufinefs of Laws, and Acts of Perpetuity, Poli- ticians muft lay pofiible Accidents before them ; and imagine Cafes capable of defeating, or chang- ing their good Intentions : for, a Ruler, a Mini- fter, or General, muft not fay, " I did not think " of that ," becaufe every Man ought to think of Accidents, and prepare for them. Thofe who do not, are like thoughtlefs Travellers un- provided againft bad Roads and Weather. Suitable But becaufe Men are apt to take Matters in tobedwfe ^ xtremcs ' * mu & ac ^, tna t> by Accidents, I mean no other than common Accidents , for, to provide againft extraordinary ones, is not fen- fible, but unreafonable. The beft intended Re- gulations may be as much defeated by ureafonable Precaution, as by no Caution at all. And thus, tho* great Prudence, and Confide- ration are required in making a Law ; yet the middle Way, betwixt the French Alacrity and the Spanijh Solemnity, may be chofe. In the fram- ing of Laws, we fhould neither gallop nor creep : for, too much and too little Hafte have equally great Inconveniencies. Hafty Council is like un- ripe Fruit i and flow Deliberations like Fruits that Sect. III. and Laws. 253 that rot. It ibmetimes happens, that the Cir- cumftances of public Affairs will not admit of Delay : and in fuch Cafes, an imperfect At- tempt is better than none. It may therefore be proper, for a State to have two Sets of Coun- fellors i a young, and an old one ; and employ the Young when Matters require Expedition ; but the Old when they ought to be done in Per- fection, IV. Intimations of Man's Nature, with refpet to Laws. IT is a ftrange Property in us, that we mould J^J 6 " have a particular Pleafure in doing thofe Nature. Things which are ftri&ly forbid. O that it were a Sin to drink cold Water ! cries a certain Itali- an ; meaning it would then tafte more delicious. No People are fonder of Wine than the Mahome- tans, to whom it is forbid by the Alcoran. Pof- fibly their Defire for it would leffen, if this Pro- hibition were annulled. The good People of Eng- land are remarkable for breaking their Laws : they rife againft their bulky Statutes, as if deter- mined to defeat them. Fines, Penalties, and Punifhments, feem here to multiply Tranfgrefli- ons , and the Gallows itfelf to breed Malefactors. I do not advife the abrogating of Penal Laws -, ^ enal becaufe tho' Fear and Punifhment may awaken or without excite the Appetite of Sinning > yet Laws check the exprtfs open and general Commifilon of Vice : which is P x " Caufe Prohibi- tion 2 54 O/GoVernment Seel, lit Caufe fufficient for having them : but, I prcfume, if* no particular, or exprefs Prohibitions were made ufe of, the Defire of tranfgrefllng would be weaken- ed , and Laws have a greater Effect, by fuppref- fing the Spirit that is apt to rebel againit Prohi- bition. EfFeasof i t i s art j c i Complaint, the more Doctors the more Difeafes ; the more Laws the more Crimi^ nals. If a Man, who is naturally taciturn, be flri&ly enjoined Silence, his Tongue would grow wanton. A Book may long lye buried in the Shops, and no Man afk for it ; but let it be pro- hibited, and half the Town will buy it. A cer* tain Author actually obtained a Prohibition of his Works, on purpofe to promote their Sale , and was not difappointed. How greatly Man's Defire is raifed by Prohi- bition appears from particular Secrets commu- nicated, under the ftricteft Ties ; infomuch, that it is a Practice with fome fubtle People, to tell a Thing as a Secret, on purpofe to have it difclofed: for, the Nature of fome Men is fuch, that they are fure to divulge what they are charged to conceal ; and to flight what they have free Leave to tell : which points out a Method of curing Blabs. Men are like unruly I lor- ies ; the more you hold them in, the more refty they grow. In Countries where the Wo- men are locked up, Men are the keener after them-, but where the Females go loofe, the Paf- fion is cooler. This Confideration moved fome Lawgivers to indulge a free Commerce betwixt the Sexes. Man Sfetf:. III. and Laws. 255 Man feldom has a ftrong Defire for any lawful Man's Ap- Thing, that is eafily obtainable. We are not driv- things en to our Dury by Laws, fo much as by Ambi- forbid, tion. Whatever Princes do, in their own Per- fons, they feem to authorize in their Subjects. If it were enadted, that only Perfonsof high Rank fhould dine upon three Dirties, the lower Sort would defire to have three : but, if Commoners were permitted to have as many Dirties as they pleafed, whilft the Nobility were limited to two; tiie inferior Sort would not exceed that Num- ber. An Order to abolifh the wearing of Jewels has fet a whole Country in an Uproar ; but, if the Order had only prohibited Ear-rings to Ladies of the firft Quality, other Women would not have defired to wear them. Some do not rife till Noon , but if all People were ordered to lye in Bed fo long, the prefent Morning-Sleepers would rife earlier. There are thofc who feldom fpeak Truth; but if Lying paffed for a Virtue, thefe Lyars v\ oukl fpeak as true as their Neighbours. If Gaming were reckoned ungenteel, Cards and Dice would lofe of their Relifh. Some pretend to difbelieve Religion, becaufe others hold Faith as a Duty. All this may be thought extrava- gant ; but I judge of Things that may happen, from Things that have happened ; and kno.v no better Way to foretell the Behaviour of Men. Gregorius Leti y in his Hiltory of the Duke D*OJ/una 9 gives a remarkable Inrtance of this pervcrle Nature in Man. A ric'.i Neapolitan Merchant, Jacob Morel ', prided himfelf in not having once let his Foot out of the City, during the of Man. 256 (^Government Se<5t. III. the Space of forty- eight Years. This coming to the Ears of the Duke, Morel had Notice fent him, that he was to take no Journey out of the King- dom, under the Penalty of ten thoufand Crowns. The Merchant fmiled at receiving the Or- der ; but, afterwards, not being able to fathom the Reafon of fuch a Prohibition, grew fo unea- fy, that he paid the Fine, and took a little Trip out of the Kingdom. Oddities "We find Man generally defcribed as a rational Creature, and diftinguiftied, by his Underftand- ing, from the reft of the Creation ; but we may fay, from Experience, that among all the Crea- tures we know, there is nothing fo unlike a Man as Man. Diogenes, who had ftudied human Na- ture, feems to have been convinced of this Truth* He called out aloud in Public, " Come hither ye Men, and hear what I fhall fay." Upon which the People flocked about him ; but he beat them away with his Staff", faying, " he did * not call for them, but for Men." Indeed, when we confider the Make of Man, we mud acknowledge him an aftonifhing Mafterpiece ; but when we reflect upon his Oddities and Caprice, and compare them with the orderly bounded Defires of other Animals, our towering Notions of this noble Creature droop. Man's Life is fpent in liking and difliking, in chufing and refufing, the fame Things. If an Inhabi- tant of another Planet fliould defcend upon this, and contemplate the terreftrial Creatures, he might obferve a certain Order, Regularity, and Pignity, among the Brutes ; but a ftrange odd jumble Seel. III. and Law $. 257 jumble of Defires, contradictory Appetites, and Pafiions, among Men. He would find we dealt in fuch aukward Sorts of Pretext, Chicane, and Grimace, as might lead him to fufpect that Men were Mimics acting a Farce. Such a Stranger might be puzzled a long while, before he difco- vered that Man had Dominion over the Earth, and a Wifdom fuperior to Brutes. My Defign is not to defcribe Mankind ; but to intimate we have Appetites, that make us drive againft the Stream , do the Things we are forbid ; neglect thofe commanded , pur- fue thofe attended with Difficulty and Danger -, and, having once obtained them, defpife and nau- feaie them in the Pofifeffion. Thefe Appetites we obferve even in Children -, who feldom relifh or enjoy the good Things given them ; but long, and flrive, and cry after Baubles refufed them. Youth, we fee, take dangerous Leaps \ clamber Trees, Rocks, and Precipices ; crofs Rivers upon Boards ; tempt Dangers and Difficulties, tho* forbid to the contrary ; and fometimes the rather for being for- bid. And fince this appears to be Man's Nature, we cannot wonder fo many excellent Laws, both divine and human, mould be tranlgrefied by Man. This Account, plain and true as it is, may Morality difguft the general Tafte, at a Time when falfe to be ge- Notions of Politenefs, Rectitude, Fitnefs, abftract nuinc * Philofophy, and metaphyfical Morality, endea- vour to get the Afcendant over Fact and Experi- ence, Hiftory and the genuine Characters of Nature. But the World is what it is, however S Men 258 0/ Government Se6t. III. Men may think of it : and we mould certainly endeavour to know it as it is, rather than amufe ourfelves with Ficlions about it. The moral World mould be defcribed as juftly as the na- tural. The Tafle I cannot prevail upon myfelf to mould Mora- forittobej^y according to the Fafhion of thefe Times. improve . ^ rnt ^ anc j ]sj ature fhould not be perverted, or dif- ngured. Certain Moralifts, in order to apolo- gize for the Failings of Mankind, venture to de- fend Enormities, and countenance Irreligion and "Vice. Socrates was no Mifanthrope; but gave genu- ine Defcriptions of Man. And, in my Opinion, that ancient Obferver knew more of human Na- ture, and had ftudied the PalTions better than ma- ny of our modern Moral ifts. It is weak and groveling to accommodate moral Writings to a falfe, or depraved Taiie ; and endeavour to pleafe, by lacriflcing Truth and Reality, either to noxious Flattery, or empty Shew. V. Of Punimmenr, in order to Amend- ment. Punifa- O O M E Vices cannot be curbed by Exhorta* inentne- O tion, Threats, or Encouragements.; whence etflary. cor p ral Punifhments become necellary, and au- thorized by Law. If the Lazy cannot, by Ad- monition, Reproof, or Reward, be excited to Labour, Sed. III. end Law s. 259 Labour, the Rod and the Whip muft quicken them : if an obftinate Criminal will neither con- fefs nor plead, the Torture muft be applied : if a Debtor refufes Payment, his Perfon or Goods muft be feized. But there are Vices of a black Dye, which s f me fubject the Guilty to no human Punifhment ; be- no "p^! caufeLaws extend only to thofe Vices which imme- nifhablc. diately hurt Society : and therefore no Action at Law, will lie againft Pride, Avarice, Envy, and fuch odious Failings as prejudice none but the guilty Pofleflbr. Xenophon indeed relates, that, among the ancient Per/fans, Ingratitude was ac- tionable : but it has been punifhed in no other Nation. Nor could Punifhment, in fuch Cafes, produce any good Effect. Actions proceeding from bad Inclinations may be reftrained by Force ; but not the Appetite, or Inclination itfelf. We may with-hold the Hand of a de- termined Murderer ; but not fubdue his Intention to murder. Mental Failings are incorrigible by Coertion. A moral Philofopher muft imitate the Phyfi-Conaion cian , enquire into the Nature of the Offence t0 ** he would correct; and fuit his Remedy to t a Q ^e the particular Diforder. To ufe the fame Sermon Crime in every Congregation, would be as improper as to ufe the fame Book in every Clafs of a School. That Preacher gave a Specimen of his good Senfe, who, in the midft of a pathetic Difcourfe, made this Tranfition : " So much for the * Pews , I now direct myfelf to the Benches." S 2 The 2<5o Of Government Set. IIL The mod effectual Difcourfes are thofe bf.ft adapted to the Hearers. Some Orators, by means of ihort, unelaborate, but properly adapt- ed, Speeches, have obtained their End, much better than others by florid Harangues. Orations laboured after the Manner of Demoftbenes, Tul~ /y, or Qninlns Curlius> would be loft upon mo- dern Affemblies ; and a pointed Sentence, a Joke, or aBluntnefs, produce much greater Effects. As Men have different Appetites, Paflions, Cuftoms, and Underftandings ; different Means muft be ufed to affect them. For Example, Heretics, Fanatics, Atheifts, and the Indifferent in Reli- gion, are to be treated fuitably to the Nature of their refpective Cafes. Heretics. (i.) Heretics are thofe who believe a Doc- trine true, which may be falfe. I reject the Di- ftinclion, commonly made, betwixt Heretics in Judgment, and Heretics in Free- Will -, becaufe I cannot believe that Men would ever depend upon Doctrines, which they know to be damna- ble ; and give up their Salvation in Sport. This monftrous Opinion we neither mould, nor can entertain of any Man. By miftaken Believers, I mean fuch Perlbns as, through the Perfuafion of others, or the Weaknefs of their own Under- ftandings, are involuntarily brought into Error. And I call thofe Impoftors, who, out of Pride, Lucre, or Self- Advantage, propagate Doctrines which they do not believe. In the primitive Chriftian Church, none but fuch Impoftors were deemed Heretics , with whom no Communion was held : whilft deluded Believers were looked upon Sect. III. and Laws. 261 upon as weak Members of the Church, and ra- ther pitied than hated. The Converfion of miftaken Believers can How to neither be wrought, nor fhould be attempted, by Ji~ Power or Penalty. To endeavour the Converfi- on of a Heretic by Force, is as abfurd as to attempt ftorming a Caftle by Logic. It is not the Body of the Heretic we are to correct, but his wrong Notions j which feel no corporal Pu- nifliment. A Man may, by Stripes, be compelled to fay he believes; but we cannot thereby really com- pellhimto believe. A blind Man may be compelled to fay he fees ; but no Beating will give him Eye- fight. Weak Eyes muft be cured by proper Ap- plications, Sicknefs by fuitable Remedies, and erroneous Opinions by Argument and Perfuafi- on. Indeed the Punifhments formerly ufed, and defended in Writing, for the Converfion of He>- retics, begin to be thought fo fliameful, as to re- quire a different Colouring ; efpecially fince it appears, that harfh Procedure has here no other Effect, than turning erroneous Believers into a- bominable Hypocrites. The Perfian King, Schacb Abas, being inform- Tolerati- ed that certain Jews, in his Dominions, had been on * compelled, or enticed, to change their Religion , he gave them PermiMion to proiefs it again. The great Ruffian Emperor carried this Matter fo fir, that fome perhaps may cenfure him. He had a foreign Major-General in his Service, vho, to gain the greater Favour, became a Convert to the Qreek Church ; upon which the Czar gave him his Difmiffion, in thefe Words : " If you S3 " arc 262 0/ Government Sed. III. " are not true to God, in the Religion wherein ** you was educated ; can I expect you fhould " prove true to me ? Every Man may judge of this Behaviour as he pleafes ; I look upon it as an Ornament in the Hiftory of the Czar. This genuine Reformer has fhewn, that Reli- gious Differences are not inconfiftent with the Tranquillity of a Country. Prudent Regulation in Religious Affairs, has produced as great Har- mony at Mofcow, as Perfecution has raifed Dis- turbance in other Countries. A well-grounded Toleration can have no bad Effects. But a well-grounded Toleration ex- cludes all fuch Intermixture of contending Par- ties, as Experience fhews to be impracticable, or mifchievous. The Utrecht Paftor miftook the Thing, who had two oppofite Congregations in the fame Church ; celebrated Mafs in the Mor- ning, and preached a Calviniftical Sermon in the Afternoon. Mr. Locke has laid down a Plan for a folid Toleration ; foas to procure Tran- quillity among a People confuting of different Sects. Fanatics. ( 2 ^ appears as hopelefs to reclaim a Fanatic by Perfuafion, as to convince a Heretic by Stripes. It is fruitlefs to difpute, where Men are not agreed upon Principles. A Fanatic is fingly guid- ed by his own internal Motive, or Inftinct, which he terms his Confcience and his Call. He lays no Strels upon his Underftanding , and therefore it is idle to reafon with him. A different kind of Cure is here required, from that to be ufed with a Heretic. A Phyfiqan, in this Cafe, may prove more Sect. III. . and Laws. 263 more fuccefsful than a Divine. I take Fanaticifm for a real Difeafe, or a kind of hypochondriacal Affection. Experience fhews, that thofe we com- monly call the Enlightened^ have ufually their Bodies overloaded with Bile, and corrupted Hu- mours. Many Fanatics have been cured by Me- dicines, (6 as totally to lofe their Gift of Prophe- cy, their Calls, or their Commifiions ; and again become found Members of the Community. Fanatics tell us, " We muft obey God rather " than Man," which is true when taken in a pro- per Senfe: but the Fanatic frequently confounds the Will of God with his own Conceit j Con- fcience with Weaknefs of Judgment ; fpiritual Calls with Phantafms ; Firmnefs with Obftinacy ; Piety and Devotion with Superftition and Melan- choly : and hence this excellent Maxim, from their Mouths, may deceive us. For, our obeying God rather than Man, mould be underftood of what God exprefsly commands in his Word j and not of what Men may fancy, or find, or feel, in their own Spirit. There are different kinds of Spirits in the World , fome good and fome bad. No bo- dy is directed by a good Spirit, who, to follow his own Inclination, renounces and tramples upon the Laws both of God and Man. Fanatics may be good Men, in declaring their Opinions freely ; and practifing what they take for their Duty ; but they are fuch good Men as can be lead tolerated in a State ; becaufe they arc not contented to believe their own Reveries , but frequently endeavour to regulate other Men's Coniciences according to their own : which is as S 4 unfair 264 O/GOVERNMENT Seel. III. unfair, as a Gamefler's infilling upon that Card be-' jng Trump, of which he has moft in his Hand. I refrain from mentioning thofe terrible Ef- . feels, which we have fometimes feen produced by Fits of Fanaticifm , for fear of touching too clofely upon People, who might mean well, both to God and their Neighbour , and therefore de- ferve Pity, rather than Perfection. I barely fay that, of all Sectaries, Fanatics are the lead to be tole- rated in any Government. For tho' other Secta- ries may be guilty of Error, yet they mew regard to Civil Society, join in Obedience to Governors -, defpife not the Laws of God, nor trample upon the Laws of Nature : whereas the Fanatic makes his own Confcience his Law ; and places a Merit in propagating it, or even dying a Martyr to it. For this Reafon, Fanatics are unfuitable Subjects, with whom others cannot live fafe in Society. Suppofe a tolerated Fanatic fhould take another Man's Wife, and detain her as his own , excufmg himfelf that he acts according to his Confcience, which tells him, " All Things are common a- *' mong the Children of the Lord :" fuch a Fanatic cannot be fued at Law, with fo great an Effect as an indifferent Citizen, who is bound by all the Laws of his Country. Nor can the Law itfelf here proceed, as with other Subjects, to ex- amine and punifh the Offender; but has, in fome de gree, tied up its own Hands, by giving a Right of Diftinction toan Inhabitant, who makes his own fe- parate Confcience his Rule of Action. Here my To- leration is not plenary , tho* I have a natural Com* pafTion and Tendernefs for Offenders of all Sorts. la Sect. III. end Laws. 265 In order to indulge Fanatics, as far as Safety will permit, they might have feparate Diftricts affign- ed them ; where their disorderly Notions and Practices can do no Hurt. Perhaps Laws for this Purpofe, mould include Catholic* certain Catholics, but particularly Jefuits, who indulge no other Chriftian Seel: , and, wherever themfelves are indulged the Liberty of Settling, endeavour to propagate their own Opinions. Such People as hold it a Virtue to kill the Father, in order to bring the Son under Popifh Domini- on, cannot juftly complain of being refufed the Right of Proteftant Subjects. The Objection is groundlefs, which has been made to certain Proteftant Nations, on account of " tolerating Jews, and refufing the Right of Subjects to Catholic Chriftians :" for the Queftion is not, who commit the greateft Errors, Jews or Catholics ; but which of them teach Doctrines contrary to the Nature of Government : and therefore the Motives to Exclufion, in this Cafe, arife not fo much from Hatred, as Fear. In a befieged Town, part of the Inhabitants are, by theGarrifon, juftly driven out of the Place; for fear of Famine and Disturbance. Princes dare not fometimes permit a foreign Army to pafs through their Dominions. Of the like Nature are the Cautions practifed by Proteftants againft: Catholics , and may juftly be defended againft all the Objections of the Jefuits. (3 .) Atheiftsare of two Sorts, Speculative and Atheifts Practical. The Speculative are funk fo deep ^eoreti- into themfelves, as not only to deny a Revelation, ^a^j, but 266 O/Government Sect. III. How to be but even the Exiftence of a God. They may cured - be looked upon, in fome Degree, as deluded He- retics , who, by bad Company, bad Books, and want of Judgment, are feduced into Difbelief. The practical Atheifts are thofe, who, lead- ing a wicked Life, find their Solace in hoping there may be no God, no future Reward or Punifhment. In the Cure offuch Profligates, neither Arguments nor Medicines have any Effect ; fo that Stripes and Punifliment are the only Means we can ufe to correct them. And Experience mews, that fuch kind of Dis- cipline may fucceed, when other Treatment has failed. To cure the Speculative Atheift, nothing ihould be ufed but Difcourfe or Writing , for as he might have been led into Difbelief by plau- fible Writing, or Difcourfe ; there are Hopes of reclaiming him by found Doctrine, and prudent Exhortation. With this View, a Speculative Athe- ift may, for fome time, be tolerated in a Repub- lic ; but a perpetual Indulgence mull needs be improper. I cannot agree, with Mr. Bayle, that a good Republic may be compofed of Atheifts ; be- caufe an Atheift, who allows no God but his own Pride or Advantage, will not fcruple to commit the worft of Crimes, provided he can be concealed from Men. It is no wonder that Atheifts Ihould be con- verted to Religion ; but that any Man mould at- tempt to convert the Religious to Atheifm, is aftonifhing. With what Zeal will fome People endeavour to deftroy the Belief of others ; yet acknowledge Sect. III. and Laws. 2 67 acknowledge no Rifk can be run by retain- ing it ? They who plead for Infidelity, acknow- ledge it has no Advantages to recommend it. Superftitious Zeal is culpable ; but infidel Zeal is ridiculous. A fuperftitious Zealot has the Pretence of communicating a faving Faith , and, in the Heat of his Zeal, will fometimes perie- cute ; as thinking the Soul is to be faved by it. This Procedure is intelligible : but a converting Atheift has no Excufe to alledge. He would pro- pagate his Opinion, yet owns it is barren. He tempts and entices, but has nothing to give. He takes Pains to make Profelytes, yet bids them expect no Reward. Suppofe a Serjeant mould employ his Rhetoric to raife Recruits, and de- clare he had no Lifting-Moriey to give ; no Pay to promife ? Let his Speech be ever fo artful, no body could think it fenfible. The Zeal of a con- verting Atheift is Folly of the firft Magnitude,. He is like a mad Gamefter, who fweats, and boxes the Dice about all Day long, but plays for no- thing. I difapprove of Severity to thofe who err un^ willingly. I make a Difference in the Punilh- ment of the Deluded ; and would have no body fuffer for Opinions ; but be reftrained from fpreading fuch Doctrines as may hurt Society, An Atheift who endeavours to propagate Unbe- lief, fo as to fap the Foundation of Government, ought, in my Opinion, to be banifhed. If any zealous Monk, or Jefuit, attempt, among us, to fubvert the Religion eitablifhed, he ought to re* ceivethe Confiliumabeundi, A zealous Anabaptift, who 268 Of Government Sect III. who holds it finful to punifh with Death, may bt depofed from the Office of a Judge. A Qua- ker, who holds Defenfive War unlawful, mould not command a Frontier. I am at Peace with all who mean well to- wards God and their Neighbour. We look up- on thofe as Brethren who agree with us in exter- nal Profeffions of Faith ; but fliould rather efteem thofe fuch, who agree with us in Virtue and Piety ; tho' they may hold certain Opinions con- trary to ours. No right-intentioned Man mould be reviled or perfecuted : for tho' he may err, it is unknowingly, or unwillingly ; and if he endeavours after Truth, or is ready to hear and confider the Arguments of others, he mould be cherifhed and encouraged. They are inhumane who cenfureand condemn their Neighbour, mere- ly for his want of Capacity to underftand a Propor- tion. No good Man will trample upon Juftice and Equity, or, in Zeal for Orthodoxy, run head- long into Faction. Infidelity. The compelling of Infidels, by Pains and Pe- nalties, to fubferibe Articles of Faith ; the obliging them verbally to renounce, or, under their Hands, to condemn, or retract, whatever they may have fpoke, or wrote, againft certain Points of Divinir ty j the forcing, or over-perfuading fuch Perfons publicly to declare themfelves Believers, are all Means unfuitable to the End propofed ; and ra- ther ferve to propagate Infidelity, than promote Religion and Virtue : becaufe the Mind is thereby imbittered, and a Sufpicion raifed of Weaknefs in the Doctrines of Revelation. For, Men are not Se<5t. III. and Law s. 269 not aceuftomed to ufe Force, when Argument will prevail. (4.) True Religion confifts in the Love of Coolnef* God j and to force Love by Power, is not only Reli * an impracticable, but a pernicious Attempt , as gl0n * we fee in all Inftances. A falfe Wife may, by rigorous Means, be brought to fay fhe loves her I Jufbmd; or an undutiful Son his Parents ; but fuch harfh Means turn Indifference into Aver- fion, and not into Love. There is no Way of conquering Indifference in How Religion, but by proper Inftruction, and Ex- c ample. The Miffionary who catechizes with the Rod in his Hand, does not make fuch good Con- verts as the mild and gentle Paftor. For, if once we take an Averfion to our Teachers, we are apt to transfer it to the Doctrines taught. Imprudent Severity makes the fmarting Difci- ple hate his Learning : but Good-Nature and Sweetnefs in the Mafter make the Boys love both him and their Books. Teachers, to promote the Caufe of Reli- gion and Virtue, can ufe nothing more effectual than F.xample. If a Phyfician, in his own Cafe, refufes to take the fame Medicine he pre- fcribes to others, we can have no Confidence in him. A contentious Man makes few Converts to Peace. A proud, coyetous, or debauched Preacher may deliver excellent Difcoyrfes in praifc of Humility, Generofity, and Sobriety, without making a fingle Convert. The Hearers look upon fuch a Preacher as a Brother- Sufferer, fick of the fame Difeafc. Non magis prcdejl talis Prssector, 7 f Government Sed. III- Pr <-t*A\ ed Cabals, Parties, Factions, and Civil- Wars. Anarchy. Indeed all rigid Governments may change to Anarchy, or no Government at all * which is the greateft Misfortune that can happen to a People : and it has often been found neceflfary to introduce Arbitrary Sway, in order to reftore the ancient Strength and Form to a Country, and prevent its Ruin. And hence the Queftion, " Which " kind of Government is beft for the People?" remains undecided to this Day. All pru- It appears to me, that the Strength and Hap- dem Go- pinefs of a People depend not upon any particu- coed" 6111 * ar Form of Government ; but upon the Nature of the Governors. A prudent and juft Admini- ftration will always produce good Government 5 whether the Power be lodged in a fingle Hand, or in many. Countries have foon flouriflied, and foon decayed, under one and the fame Form of Government. Rome under Kingly Adminiftration, quickly grew ftrong, and quickly weak. Under the Great Council it at firft flood firm, but ficken- ed prefently after. The fame Changes it alfo fuf- fered under the Government of the People, The very Sect. III. and Laws. 281 very Liberty which gives Being to a State at one Time, threatens it with Deftruftion at another. When a Romulus, an Augujlus, a Trajan, or an Antonine, fits upon the Throne, no Government is better than the Monarchical. When an Arijto* cracy is compofed of fuch Men as Valerius, Fa- bricius, Qato, or other virtuous Patriots, the Peo- ple are happy. The Form of Government in England has remained unaltered for thefe hun- dred Years ; and been propped up to a Wonder : yet it is obfervable that England, under the fame kind of Government, has been fometimes pow- erful and flourifhing ; and foon after reduced to the Brink of Ruin. The Crown is now fettled upon the Illuftrious Houfe of Hanover, as it was upon the Line of Stuart. The Kingdom is now ftrong, and almoft unanimous, that before was fubject to all Sorts of Disturbances. But ftrong Ships may ftrike upon Rocks, if Pilots are un- fkilful. To what End ferve Riches and Strength in a Country, if Governors know not how to ufe them ? And to what Purpofe are good Laws enacted, if their Execution be neglected ? It was not any particular Form of Government that rendered the Lacedemonians happy ; or gave them the Advantage over the reft of Greece. The Excellence of Lycurgus did not confift in temper- ing Monarchy, Ariftocracy, and Democracy to- gether, and thereby preferving a Balance of Do- minion. Many other States have done this, with equal Prudence, yet without becoming one Jot' the happier. I do not efteem Lycurgus for efta- blifhing any particular Government 5 but for his Prudence, 2^2 O/GOVERNMENT Sc&. III. Prudence, in depriving the Governors of all Op- portunity, and even the Will, or Defire, ofabu- fing their Authority, and acting wrong. This, perhaps, may be called impoilible ; fmce we can- not be certain, that Governors mall always be prudent ; or that Virtue and Senfe mall defcend by Inheritance. But tho' Experience (hews, that good and bad Governors happen interchangeably ; I think it practicable to make Virtue heredita- ry in Princes. It is well known, that in L-acedemon jihtfuccted- ing Governors were almoll conftantly virtuous, like the preceding : which was owing to the original Foundation of their Government ; whereby the Virtue and true Patriotifm, fo deeply rooted in the Hearts of the firft Founders, were propagated to their Succeflbrs. The old In ancient Egypt the Kingdom was heredita- Egyptian anc j t k e p ower f tne j r Kings, (who were Govern- */ ^ ment. efteemed more as Gods than Men,) uncontroul- able. They moft facredly and inviolably obferv- ed the Laws ; and never departed from the vir- tuous Practices of their Predeceffors. Every Morning, they read the Papers delivered in to illuftrate and explain all Matters of State, upon which Judgment was to be given. They next went to the Temple to pray j where the High- Prieft held a Difcourfe upon the Duty of a King ; and pointed out Failures in the Govern- ment. Thefe Difcourfes were fo conducted, as to let no Blame fall upon the Monarch ; but on- ly upon his Minifters. And the Kings of Egypt nver received thefe Admonitions ungracioufly , it Sea. III. and Laws. ^83 it being a fettled Law, and Cuftom, of the Coun- try, from its firft Foundation, to hear them fa- vourably. Their Kings, being in this Manner constantly excited to their Duty, became the moft virtuous Perfons of the whole Country ; fo that ve- ry few indifferent or bad Princes were ever found among them. When a bad Prince happened, he was not fet afide; but the public Judgment pafied upon him after his Deceafe : which had fuch an Effect, that Egypt was rarely ill governed. Almoft all their Kings were internally and affectionately beloved by their Subjects ; who bewailed and la- mented their Death, with as much real Sorrow, as Children do the Death of their Parents. And hence it may appear, that it is pofiible, by fenfible and judicious Inftitutions and Regulations, to make Virtue hereditary in Princes. The Founder of the ancient Peruvian Govern- Theanci- ment, Tnca Manco Capac^ had no formed De- ^Go- fign of following any artificial Plan : his princi- verament. pal View was to imprint a deep Notion of Vir- tue in his Succeflbrs. To effect this, he gave himfelf out to be a Son, and his Wife a Daugh* ter of the Sun , and laid the ftricteft Injunctions on his Defcendants, to marry only with thofe of the fame fublime Original j for fear of ftaining their high Blood, or lofing of their innate Dignity and Virtue. This Injunction, being eagerly em- braced by the Royal Family, was efbblifhed as an inviolable Law. And hence the Succeflbrs of Manco Capac, (finding it neceflary to avoid Enor- mities, in order to keep up the Veneration of the People to the Royal Line,) never deviated into Vice, 284 0/ Government Sect. III. Vice, and rendered the Peruvian Government the happieft we have any Account of. Manco Capac pretending he was fent from Hea- ven, on purpofe to introduce Virtue on Earth, endeavoured, by prudent Admonition and virtu- ous Example, rather than Force, to win over the wild Natives of the Southern America. If mild perfuafive Methods failed, he tried to re- duce them by cutting off their Provifions, or Means of Subfiftance. When they were brought to Straits and^Necefiities, he represented to them the Happinefs of the other Part of the People, who had fubmitted to his Government. And thefe very Means being ufed by all his Succeflbrs ; a great Tract of South-America was brought under their Dominion. No wild Native repented of becoming a Subject to fuch a Government, where nothing but Virtue appeared, both in Prince and People ; and where the Sway was fo gentle, that the Governors behaved as Pa- rents, and the People as Children. The Hiftory of Guanacava, the laft of the Xncas of this Kingdom, fhews how affectionate- ly thefe Kings were beloved by their Subjects. Guanacava was engaged in an Expedition, with his Army, to Quint '0, in order to reduce the Country ; the Road to which was almoft imprac- ticable, on account of high Rocks, and deep Valleys , but having happily reduced Quinto, his Subjects, to facilitate his Return, voluntarily un- dertook the immenfe Labour of levelling the Road, by cutting thro' the Rocks, and filling up the Valleys, for many hundred Miles toge- ther. Sect III. and Laws.' 285 ther. And finding their King took Delight in this Province, they voluntarily and chear- fully made a nev? Road, with the fame Labour and Difficulty, on the other Side, that he might have the Pleafure of going by the one, and re- turning by the other : both which he constantly found ftrewed with green Branches, and frefh Flowers. I pafs over other Manifestations of the tender Regard which the Peruvians had for their Kings, and the numerous Particulars which (hew how happy they both were in fuch a paternal Go- vernment. It is fcarce poflible to read, without Tears, that fuch a Country as this mould be ravaged and deftroyed by the Spaniards. Nothing can be more moving and afflicting, than to fee favage Europeans go about to reform a People, who fet them a genuine Example of Virtue, worthy of Imitation. We find nothing complicated in the Peruvian Government : the Country was entirely fubject to Defpotic Power. The Wifdom of the Founder improved it only in the fingle Point of eradicat- ing Vice from among the Rulers ; and planting Virtue in its Stead, fo deep that they neither had the Power nor the Will to efface it. And the Effect would probably have been the fame, tho' the Go- vernment had been of a different Form, and the Prince had been aflifted by the Nobles, or called a Parliament. Indeed I mould not advife other Founders to ufe the fame Means as Manco Ca- pac did ; becaufe he built upon an unwarranted and fabulous Pretenfion. But other laudable Means might be ufed for the fame Purpofe, capable of producing 2B6 Of Government Sett, III. producing as good Effects. And hence I infer, that none of the common Forms of Government, mentioned by Ariflotle y can be called perfect ; that each of them has its Inconveniencies ; and that a prudent and virtuous Adminiftration, alone, can render a People happy. The Of- k might next be proper to fpeak of the Duty fice, Glo- of a Prince. This is certainly no Subject for a ju- ry, and ven jj e Writer, unverfed in Hiftory, or unfkilled Princes, in the Management of his own Affairs. Such Perfons are often eager to dictate upon the Na- ture of Government. And tho' my Age, Read- ing, and Obfervation, might, in fome meafure, qualify me for the Tafk ; yet I dare not venture upon it ; but refign it into the Hands of venera- ble, virtuous, and experienced Statefmen, who alone are qualified to write, with fuitable Weight and Dignity, on fo momentous a Subject. I only prefume that every Kingdom may juftly be call- ed happy, where the Prince duly confiders who he is, or to what purpofe ordained ; that the Country he governs, is rather a Truft than an In- heritance - 9 that his Subjects are to be regarded as his Children ; that he belongs more to the Country, than the Country to him ; that he is appointed a Pattern to the People ; that he is en- trufted with their Happinefs , and that the Qreat Judge of all Things will examine how every Prince has difcharged his Duty, when his Life and Office mail expire together. The true Greatnefs and Happinefs of a Prince are infeparable from the Greatnefs and Happinefs of his People. Everv Prince ihou]4 bear this in- fallible Sect. III. and Laws. 287 fallible Truth in Mind, That He and his Sub- jects are one Body ; where the fmalleft Part can- not fufFer but the whole muft be hurt. Indeed the Prince may be compared to the Soul, which ani- mates the Body ; yet is but a Part incapable of operating, unlefs the other Parts co-operate with him. When Matters really go well with the King, they really go well with the People, and vice verfd. If a due Temper be not preferved ; if either the King or People gain any feparate Afcendant, or Advantage, the whole Structure is in Danger ; and, unlefs timely remedied, muft fall. Conftant Experience fhews, that the primary Honour and Felicity of Princes confift in pre- ferving this Harmony ; and not in high Station, Power, or extenfive Dominions, which are all nothing without it ; and that the juft and right Execution of their divine Office is their greateft Glory, and fincereft Joy. Their high Station ge- nerally obliges them to lead a conftrained Life. Great Power, and Extent of Territory, are an Incumbrance, and a Burthen : but the Confci- oufnefs of faithfully difcharging their Duty, and endeavouring to render their Subjects happy, is the true Solace of the Labours and Sufferings of Princes. Players, who reprefent both Kings and Subjects, have their Parts afligned them ; and whether the Part be high or low, they endeavour to play it well; knowing that the Applaufe which good Actors receive, is not given to the Part they act, but to their juft Performance. What a Prince enjoys by 288 O/Government Sect. III. by Birth, or Accident, is no Honour of his own acquiring, and can give him no great Joy , but if he is confeious that, by promoting his own true Happinefs and Welfare, he actually promotes the Happinefs and Welfare of his Subjects ; this will afford him real Pleafure, and folid Satisfaction. Then he may juftly fay with Augujlus y at his De- parture, Plaudit e ! Princes are called Fathers of their Country ; and may juftly merit that glorious Title by never at- tempting to build their own Happinefs on any other Foundation than the Happinefs of their Peo- ple. When Subjects are once convinced that fuch Paternal Affection is born them by their Prince, they will rifk their Lives to oblige him ; and voluntarily perform more than they could be conftrained to do by Power. Difcontent will be turned to Joy, Coolnefs to Love, Reluc- tance to Obedience, and Vice to Virtue. Prin- ces actually have the Power of changing bad Sub- jects into good. Nicanor long railed againft Phi- lip of Macedon, and his Government ; till Philip enquiring into the Caufe ; and finding it owing to narrow Circumftances; a Prefent was made, which occafioned Nicanor to be as liberal of his Praife as he had been of his Blame : upon which the King faid before his Courtiers, *' You fee the " Power of Princes." The Go- Hiftory (hews, by numerous Examples, tha^ a vernment good Prince may re-caft his People, and give them of Hunga- anot j ier F orrrJ) as if tne j r verv Natures were changed, by Goodnefs. Let us compare the prefent with the former State of Hungary ; while the Sect. III. and Laws. 289 the People long remained difcontented with their Rulers. But as loon as the prefent Queen afcended the Throne, and gave her Subjects Proof of her maternal Affection to them, they were fo wonder- fully transformed as to be no longerlike their for- mer fclves. ' Their Averfion and Oppofition to the Government changed into the warmeft Af- fection , their Jealoufy and Diftruft, into Con- fidence and Affurance ; and their Timidity into Courage and Ardour. A People who had fo often turned their Backs upon the Enemies of the Empire, is now a Check to the greateft Po- tentates of Europe , and a defpifed Nation become an Honour to the North. This furprizing Change was not the Effect of artful Laws, new Regula- tions, or any Alteration in the Form of Govern- ment , but was produced by the fingle Virtue of the Queen, in maternally uniting herfelf to her Peo- ple. She publicly fpoke thefe Words: " I will '* be your Mother, if you will be my Children." jj$ This Overture, followed by convincing Proofs of Affection, entirely abolifhcd all former Dif- /. j truft i added frefti Vigour to the weak Hunga- rians ; and gave them new Life and Being. f - May this, for the future, be efteemed the true f ' '" Rule of Government ! It certainly had fuch a quickening Virtue, fuch an enlivening Effect, > . that every Citizen, every Townfman, was fpirit- cd up, beyond their ordinary Strength, to fupport her Meafures; infomuch that it was a Conten- tion betwixt Father and Son, which of them mould have the Honour and Happinefs to venture his Life lor fo dear a Queen. U~ Doubtlefs 290 Of Government Sed. III. Doubtlefs, Co long as her Imperial Majefty ob- ferves this charming State-Rule, her People will not be exceeded by any other in Virtue, Courage, and Fidelity : but if fhe mould deviate from it, follow the Examples of fome of her Predecefibrs, give Ear to the Councils of certain Priefts,or fuf- fer Jefuits to cool her motherly Affection towards her People; who have given fuch Demonftrati- ons of their Love to her Adminiftration ; and defire no other Reward than Liberty of Confci- ence ; if this, I fay, mould ever be the Cafe,, the People would prefently relapfe into their former weak and piteous State ; we mould again hear of nothing but Contentions, Difturbances, Confpi- racies, and Defpair from that Quarter , nay her Subjects would apply to the Enemies of their Country, and feek to be defended from her Go- vernment, even by Mahometans. But this is a Thing never to be fufpected ; and therefore the prefent Form of Government in Hungary may be called excellent ; becaufe the Head and the Limbs are firmly knit together; and all the Parts of this political Body fo clofely united, that the Happi- nefs of the Country is provided for as the Hap- pinefs of a fingle Perfon. The Treafury of the Queen is looked upon, by her Subjects, as the Bank of the Public ; wherein every Member has his Share : and every Citizen looks upon his own Property as tier's, or a Treafure fet apart for her Ufe, when Occafion calls for it. My Sect. III. and Laws. 291 My Defign is not to depreciate Acts of Settle- The Exe- ment, or fundamental Laws of Government, as "^ nc any way ufelefs or unnecefiary. I admire the no- Laws, ble Inftitutions of feveral Founders and Law-F om ? te8 givers ; and acknowledge their Ufe: but I fay >ne ^ pi " that the Inconveniencies of Society cannot be re- moved, unlefs prudent, juft, and experienced Governors fit at the Helm. The very beft Laws are no more than a dead Letter, if not brought into Action. State-Failings may belaid open to public View, by new Laws and Regu- lations *, but cannot be rectified, fo long as great perfonal Vices remain in a Miniftry. Solon and Lycurgus founded two famous Republics. The Laws of Solon were good, and well grounded ; but the Athenian State was ftill fubject to the fame WeaknefTes as before ; and fell to Pieces even in the Life- time of its Founder ; who re- garded the Building more than the Support ; the Ship and the Rudder more than the Steerfman. Lycurgus took, lefs Pains than Solon, in the making of good Laws ; but greater in bring- ing them into perpetual Ufe ; which cannot be effected without the Aid of perpetually vir- tuous Minifters, who neither have the Pow- er, nor the Will, to be vicious. And here lay the Mafter- piece of Lycurgus ; which had fuch an Effect, that Lacedemon continued in an unin- terrupted flourifhing State, for hundreds of Years, without being liable to Alteration. Vi In 292 0/ Government,^. Sett. III. To repeat it again, all Sorts of Government are good, when the Adminiftration is virtuous, pru- dent, and fuitable to the Country. Abfolute Mo- narchy may promote the Happinefs of a People as well as an Arijlocracy or Democracy. Nor is there any Necefiity for a Salique Law j lince Female Reigns may be happy : of which, among others, we have two mining Examples in Queen Elizabeth of England, and Queen Margaret of Denmark. SECT. SECT. IV. Of Religion and Revelation. I. Of Virtue and Vice. v IRTUES and Vices ever remain what Local they are, tho' their Names change with a ^J yi- Places, Times, and Perfons. What is ces. often called Senfe in one Country, is called Want of Understanding in another j what in fome Republics is called Patriotifm, pafTes for Dif- afFedlion in certain Kingdoms \ what is held true in one Nation, appears falfe in another i and cer- tain Countries call that Faith, which in others is called Superftition. Hence Virtues are treated U 3 as 294 Of Religion Sect, IV. as local Things, or received Opinions refpecting the Place they prevail in. Tempo- With regard to Times, Virtues and Vices may rary Vir- f eem f a fhionable Things. An approved Cuftom in one Age, appears abfurd in another ; and a favourite Fafhion at one Time, proves difagree- able at another. Pyracy was formerly efteemed a Virtue ; but Free-Booters, at prefent, are punifti- able with Death. Duelling has heretofore been ordered by the Government ;. but in later Times is reftrained by Law. There are numerous Cu- itoms, which, whether they mould be called Vir- tues or Vices, is hard to determine. Certain Ac- tions are efteemed virtuous or vicious at prefent j but when the Fafliion alters they will change their Names. PeHbnal Virtues and Vices alfo differ, in public Efteem, Virtues, according to the Perfons who pradtife them. When two Men do the fame Thing, it is not al- ways the fame Cafe , becaufe the Action dif- fers in refpect of the Perfons. Two Princes, of like Temper and Difpofition, like Views and De- figns, mail be differently judged of. A bad Prince has been fometimes accounted a good one, tho* his Government was cruel , and a good Prince has often been cenfured, becaufe his Pre- deceffor was more excellent. The Fame whjch 4uguftus procured was the greater, becaufe Tibe- rius fucceeded him : and the Hatred conceived againft Tiberius was the lefs, becaufe fucceed- ed by Caligula. Thefe two Emperors were therefore thought to fhew Prudence in the Choice pf their SuccefTors , 2S the qne thereby rendered himfeU Sect. IV. and Revelation. 295 himfelf more amiable, and the other lefs odious. Herod, with all his Virtues, had great Vices. His Vices are defcribed in the ftrongeft Colours ; ' but his Virtues overlooked, or turned to Vices, becaufe he fucceeded to the Throne from the Houfe of Afmon, which the Jews abominated. It was a Difadvantage to King Erick, that he im- mediately fucceeded Queen Margaret ; and an Infelicity to King James, that he directly fucceed- ed Queen Elizabeth, who had engrofied the Hearts of her Subjects. The Moderns condemn many Doctrines as he- Fafhiona- retical, which were purely orthodox in ancient We Dcc " Times when fuch Doctrines were fafhionable. Con- " tradictory Judgements flow from the different Tempers and Situations of Men. A Point of Doc- trine difregarded in one Man, may be cenfured in another, merely becaufe it is unfafhionable, and therefore may fometimes draw the Reproach of Infidelity upon him. All intelligent and impar- tial Men muft acknowledge, that the Doctrine of Janfenius is no other than the Doctrine of St. Ju- gujlin ; tho' what is looked upon asHerefy in the Modern, was efteemed a holy Doctrine in the An- cient. Men do not ufually judge according to Doc- * trine ; but according to the Form, Manner, and Phrafe, in which it is delivered. No body has cenfured Plutarch's Parallel of Superftition and Infidelity. " I wonder," fays he, " that thofe who hold Infidelity as ungodly, " do not make the fame Judgment of Superili- 41 tion. They who believe no Gods, are pro- ' perly called ungodly j but is it not much moie U 4 ungodly 296 O/Religion Sed. IV. " impious to attribute the molt abominable Vi- " ces, and Weakneflfes, to the Gods? For my ** part, I had much rather People fhould fay, " there neither is nor was any fuch Man as Pin- *' tarcbi than that, he was either of an inflex- " ible, fhamelefs, revengeful Temper, or fpent poflibilities are not to be required of Philofophers, efpecially thofe of delicate, tender, and feeling Cooftitutions *, where the Blood may be hot, the Humours fharp, and the Mind extremely fufcep- tible. Gunpowder will fire with a Spark. The great Grecian General Aratus felt fuch Commo- tion at the Beginning of a Battle, that it ufually threw him into a Purging , but as foon as the firft Shock was over, no General behaved with greater Bravery. All that can be expected of a Philofopher, up- on thefe Occafions, is to make a quick Stand, as foon as he finds himfelf in a Condition. Thefe Attacks are like Fever-Fits, which muft have Time to fpend themfelves, before proper Reme- dies can be applied. During the Commotion, all the Prefcriptions of Socrates, Cicero, and Seneca are ufelefs , but of great Efficacy when the Storm is abated. If Infenfibility muft be made a Character iftic of Philofophers, other Creatures, befides Men, might juffcly put in their Claim. When Julia, Daughter of Augujlus, was reprov- ed for certain Appetites which the Brutes had not ; fhe anfwered properly, " they want thofe " Appetites becaufe they are Brutes." All that Man can do, is to prepare and arm againft Accidents, by reprefenting them to him- felf before-hand ; that he may not meet them en- X tirely 306 O/Religion Sect. IV. tirely unexpected : and when the Mind happens to be confufed, or difconcerted, by a fudden Shock, we fhould endeavour to recoiled our fcattered For- ces, and bring our Faculties to Order. Man cannot be reproached for his Make, his natural Frailties or Infirmities ; but only for fuch as he may prevent. And even here we are ftrange unaccountable Creatures, and cannot always re- concile our Opinions and Actions to [our own Judgment. The Stoi- The Stoics, particularly Zeno and Cbryjippus* cal Doc- ^eld a n sins to be equal ; or that there is no Dif- ViT ference betwixt one Sin and another. They even endeavoured to fupport this Doctrine, by pre- tending that c< As all Sins flow from the fame " Fountain of Vice ; and as nothing can be tru- ftc er than Truth , nothing falfer than Falfhood ; " fo one Sin cannot be more finful than another. *' Tho* one Place," fay they, " lye twenty Miles " from a City, and another but one Mile ; yet both lye equally out of the City ; fo, let the " Size of Sins be what it will, they are equally 6t finful : as all Lies are equally Lies, tho' they " differ in kind." Thus reafon the Stoics, Some early Lawgivers founded their Laws up- on fuch falfe Doctrine ; which the Stoics after- wards publicly defended. Draco adjudged the fame Punifhment to a Man who ftole an Ap- ple, as to the greateft Malefactor. But tho' dif- ferent Crimes may have been punifhed with equal Severity, Equality of Punifhment does not in- fer Equality of Crimes : for Punifhment cannot fo well determine the Magnitude of Offences, as their Sect. IV. and Revelation. * 307 their Nature and Kind does, with regard to the Happinefs or Good of Society. Thievery was a ca- pital Crime among the ancient Scythians, who lived tented in the open Fields ; where no Man could fecure his Property, unlefs Stealing were puniflied as feverely as Murther. Offences which, among Chriftians, are only punifhable by Depri- vation from Office, are puniflied, in 'Turky and Perfia, by Strangulation , on account of the Ef- fect and Confequences of the Offences. Gentle Correction will, in lbme Places, have as great an Effect as fevere Punifhment in others i fo that the Opinion of the Stoics can receive no Confir- mation from this Argument. It is eafy to overthrow their other Arguments. The Stoi- They fay " all Sins arife from the fame Foun-^ 1 .^ * ' tain of Vice :" but, we may reply, that all*^^ Fountains are not poifonous ; nor the Rivu- lets which run from them equally noxious. It is true, what lies one Mile from a Place, is di- ftant from that Place, as well as what lies a hun- dred Miles from it ; but no Man will hence infer they are both equally diftant from that Place. All Contradictions to Truth are Lyes , but all Lyes are not of the fame Magnitude : for fome Lyes ap- proach nearer to Truth than others. One wrong Path may lead a Traveller farther out of his Way than another ; tho* they are neither of them right. He errs the moft, who takes the Path that y carries him fartheft from the End of his Journey. North, and North- Weft are different Winds ; yet the Difference is not fo great as betwixt North and South. If this, therefore, be confidered, we X 2 mall 308 Of Re Li gion Sect. IV. fhall fee the Stoical Doctrine is not only falfe, and ill-grounded, but even childifh ; fo that one may juftly wonder, how fo many eminent Men fhould have zealoufly contended for it. Plaufible What appears more plaufible than this filly Sc*- A ente for phiftryj * s > tnat by ever y fmgle Sin the Law is the Equa- infringed : for if any Man wilfully break a fingte Iity of Law, he offends againft the legal .Authority, which may hold all Infringements equal. And upon this Foundation, fome Divines erect the Doctrine of eternal Punifhment in the next "World ; becaufe our Sins are committed againft an eternal God. But this Argument is no better grounded than the former. Lawgivers in ge- neral, eftablifh Degrees of Punifhment ; and thereby exprefsly fhew, that they take one Of- fence to be lefs than another , even tho' the fame Authority is violated, and the Laws of the fame Power infringed, in all Cafes. Revelation af- fures us there are different Degrees of Rewards and Punifhments in the next Life : whence, if all Punifhment hereafter is to be eternal, all Men*$ Sins might feem to be equally great. But, allowing Punifhments, in the next World, to be eternal , it does not even then follow that they will be equal- ly great : for tho' the Punifhments were to be equal as to eternal Duration, they need not be equal- ly fevere ; and hence we may juftly believe their Severity will be proportioned to the Nature and Degree of the Crimes committed. All Imprifon- ments for Life, are not Punifnments equally great ; becaufe, one kind may be more tolerable than another. It is a feverer Punifhment to lye fettered 6e&, IV. and Revelation. fettered in a Dungeon all one's Life, than in a Chamber. It feems, therefore, unnecefifary to confute this Doctrine farther ; and the faying thus much upon it might be judged Lofs of Time, if fo many great and learned Men had not de- fended it, and preached up the rafh Doctrine of the Equality of Sins and Punifhments : for we are frequently told, " whoever fins againft one *' Commandment, fins againft all." We may, indeed, grant, that he who fins againft one Law, fins againft the whole Law, provided we here underftand no more than fin- ning againft the whole Law in general, as one Thing i and not the breaking of every feparate Commandment thereof in particular : otherwife it would follow, that he who commits Adultery, fins againft the fixth Commandment, as well as the feventh ; which is an Abfurdity, that would introduce ftrange Confufion : for an Adulterer might then be accufed both of Murder and Adul- tery , whilft the Sin of which he is guilty may produce a Subject, tho' in an unlawful Manner ; whereas Murder is robbing Society of a Subject. But he who breaks the Law in feveral Articles, is frequently guilty of lefs Injuftice, than he who breaks it only in a fingle Point of greater Mo ment: for, in criminal Cafes, there is a wide Difference betwixt Number and Weight, Quan- tity and Quality. If a Man fteal an Apple, the Bough of a Tree, or commit many Thieveries or this (lender Nature, he is lefs a Sinner than if he mould murder a fingle innocent Mart j except any body will fay, that a Man's Life is of no X 3 greater 3ro 0/ R e l i g i o n Se&. IV. greater Value than an Apple, or the Bough of a Tree. The Stoical Doctrine of the Equality of Sins, is therefore ill-grounded ; and can never be fupported by Argument. Sinning g ut am0 ng our numerous contradictory Pro- pentinL P ert i es > which occafion fo much Difficulty in writing the Hiftory of Man, we find a flrange Succeffion of Sinning and Repenting alternately : fo that our Lives refemble an intermitting Fever, wherein the hot and cold Fits mutually fucceed each other. The fame Men will appear almoft equally fanguine in Sinning and Repenting Their Piety feems to multiply their Crimes ; and their Crimes to multiply their Piety , as if they finned to heighten their Devotion ; and prayed, to fin with the greater Guft. If their Godlinefs were feigned, we might draw the Confequence readi- ly ; for the devout Hypocrite is a common Cha- racter, and eafy to underftand. The Hypocrite has an End in View, which he hopes to arrive at under the Mafk of Piety and Honour : but the finning Devotee Is lefs blameable, and more ab- furd than the Hypocrite. The finning Devotee prays in Earned, and fins in Earneft ; as both the cold and hot Fits of an Ague are real. Hence fome might expect, that, as this Charac- ter is ftrange, it muft needs be rare ; and that thofe fhould be looked upon as Monfters, in whom this ftrange Alternative is found. But Experience mews it to be -a common Character , and that it generally appears in thofe who are leaft capable of difTembling. We mould not therefore fufFer ourfelves to be impofed upon by religious Fame \ but f Sect. IV. and Revelation. 311 but carefully enquire what a Man's Conduct is betwixt the Morning and Evening Service , whe- ther his Piety be as great on the Monday, as on the Sunday ; or whether he does not intermix Prayer and Sin : for, if that fhould prove the Cafe, he will be fo far from deferving the Name of religious, that his daily Devotion becomes ra- ther a Vice than a Virtue. To be frequently pray- ing for the Remiffion of thofe Sins, which we as frequently defign to commit, is only fporting with Religion ; notwithftanding our Prayers may be made in Earneft. Bias, one of the feven wife Men, being once on board a Ship with certain irreligious People, and hearing them pray, as a Storm was rifing ; whifpered them, " Friends, " do not pray fo loud ; for fear the Gods fhould *' know you are here." This foolifh Devotion has been fo common, that we find many Inftances in Church Hiftory, of Per- fons who, defign ing to commit bad Actions, made their propitiary Offerings beforehand. Louis the Eleventh prayed to God to affift him in ex- ecuting a wicked Purpofe , and promifcd to make large Donations to Churches and Monaftcries, if he fucceeded. Oejl un Homme d'Honeur, tfune Piete profonde t Qui veut rendre a Dieu ce qu*il a pris au Monde. Sailors inform us, that Pyrates have Prayers, Morning and Evening, regularly, on board their Ships : and we find many Examples of Men, who, with great Devotion, have prepared for a Duel. What is more common, than to fee pro- fligate People, among the Roman Catholics, wear- X 4 ing 3 r2 0/ R e l i g i o n Sed. IV. ing Crucifixes, Images of Saints, and frequent- ing the Mafs ? The Sacrament is a moft holy Covenant, which Numbers make with God, three or four times a Year; and yet this Covenant is often broken. Would it not be better for Men to perform more, and promifelefs ? For, now it appears as if fome Men renewed their Covenant with God, three or four times a Year, on purpofe to break it as often. What can be more aftonifhing ? I have often confidered what mould be the Mo- tive to fuch kind of Devotion , and can only fay it appears to me as if moft People imagined that when they pray, God is fomewhat indebted to them ; and that when they fin, they are fome- what indebted to God ; whence they keep, as it were, a kind of Reckoning, in the Way of Deb- tor and Creditor ; and book their Prayers on the Debit Side, and their Sms per Contra. But it is greatly to be feared, that fuch Book-keeping will not be approved on the Day of Audit j when the whole Credit Side may be dafhed out at a Stroke. It fhould feem by fome particular private Diaries, which certain Perfons have left behind them, that they really had fome Notions of this kind ; be- cauie, in thefe Diaries there are good and bad Actions recorded, with thtir refpective Days and Dates. Few indeed commit their Actions to Paper ; and thofe who do it are the weaker Sort : yet thefe forry Regifters afford a Hint of Men's Management in this fecret Affair. The Folly, in itfelf, is equally great, whether the Account be kept in Writing, or barely in the Mind. Such fallb Sect. IV. WRevelaticn. ' 313 falfe Notions arife from Want of Judgment, which leaves Men to imagine that by the keeping of one Commandment, they may purchafe a Liber- ty of breaking the reft. This Error cannot other- wife be corrected, than by fhewing Mankind that they would do much better not to pray at all, than to pray and fin alternately better to make no Covenant with God, than immediately to break it after it is made , and that the doing of both is no particular Obligation upon them, but contrary to all Senfe, Juftice, and common Honefty. III. Of Evil in the World. IT is mocking to find erroneous Confequences gad Con- drawn from the Divine Attributes j and fequenecs God reprefented as an Enemy to Mankind. jf r tIy From the fuppofed Evil in the World, his very from Being has been denied, and the pretended Exi- God's flence of a bad God audacioufly introduced. This proceeds from Folly, or the Want of careful En- quiry, and fedate Reflection. Indeed Mankind ftand greatly in Need of Inftruction, to {hew them their real Station, and Duty, in the Crea- tion ; or on what Foundation their prefent and future Happinefs depends. A fubtile Philofopher of our Times has en- deavoured to defend thefe horrid Principles, and employed the Weapons, ufed by Christians againfl one another, to overthrow Christianity itfelf. His Writings could not have caufed fo much Di- fturbance, 314 Of R e l i g i o m Sect. IV. fturbance, if fomc Chriftians had not argued upon falfe Principles, which furnilhed him with Arms for the Purpofe. Much Evil being fuppo- fcd in the World, and Mankind being fubjed to numerous Miferies, certain Perfons hence take Occafion to attack the Foundations of Religion * and either deny the Exiftence of God, or, at leaft, his Providence. Others pretend there are two equally powerful Beings, or firft Caufes, a good and a bad one ; and that all Miferies come from the latter, and cannot be prevented by the Former. This Notion, efpoufed by the ancient Per- fian Philofophers, was afterwards propagated by the Manicbeans, and revived in our Times, par- ticularly by Mr. Bayle> who prefumes it difficult to anfwer the Arguments of the Manicheans ; which he deduces with fo much Subtilty, as to have alarmed many well-intentioned People. The Evil which we fee in the World may be reduced to three Kinds; viz. (i.) Imperfection in the Creatures, (2.) Natural Evil; as Pain, Sicknefs, and Death , and (3.) Moral Evil ; or Sin, Vice, and Diforder, among Mankind. Argu- (1.) Many Things appear comparatively im- mentsof perfect *, as Angels in regard to God, who is Notions of a ^ Perfection. Men are imperfect in Compari- Imperfcc- fon of Angels ; Brutes in Comparifon with Men ; twn * and Plants in Comparifon to Brutes : yet all may be refpectively perfect in their own kind ; an An- gel as a Spirit, a Man as a Man, a Brute as a Brute, &c. Nothing could be more childifh than the Saying of King Alphonfiy that l if he had * been of God's Council in the Creation, the World Sett IV. and Revelation. 315 ' World fhould have been better made. " The Di (order, which this King complained of, confut- ed merely in his own falfe Imagination. It is ridiculous in Man to a(k why there are but fevert Planets ; why they have difiimilar Revolutions ; why all Lines are not (trait -, or why there is fo little Uniformity among the Creatures ; when he may fee, that by this Difiimilarity and Variety in the Creatures, the Creation is rendered glorious, and immenfity of Skill difplayed. God has made the World according to his own good Plea- fure , and if the Creation be according to his Will, {hall Man prefume to fay any Part of it is im- perfect ? If we find one Creature more excellent than another, this only fhews that God was pleafed to make a Difference in his Creatures ; but fo as to leave each perfect in its Kind. We can- not fay that Trees are imperfect:, becaufe they do not walk , nor that Brutes are imperfect, becaufe they have no Difcourfive Faculty ; nor that Men are imperfect, becaufe they have not the Perfec- tion of Angels. Lead is not fo valuable with us, as Gold ; but each of them is good in its Kind. In the moft exquifite Buildings we may find one Part more excellent than another ; one Room more beautiful than the reft ; but all the Parts perfect, with regard to their refpective Or- naments and Ufes. If a Man fhould afk why the Kitchen, or Parlour, is not fo highly finifhed as the State-Room ; the Reafon is, that the one was defigned for a Kitchen, or a Parlour, and not for a Room of State. If a Fifh could afk why he had not Wings j he fhould be ani wered, becaufe he 316 O/Religiom Sed:. IV. he was not made to fly. And if a Bird complain- ed he could not live under Water, we mould tell him he was made to live in Air. Nothing can be morefbolifh than to cenfure the Creation on account of the Advantage that one Kind of Crea- tures has over another , or to pretend that any Kind is imperfect. And hence the Arguments for Evil arifing from Imperfection, are eafily anfwered. Natural (2.) But thofe for Natural Evil are more ftub- * born. To confider the manifold Miferies and Misfortunes, the numerous fhocking Accidents to which Mankind, and the Earth itfelf, arefub- ject; the Calamities, Sufferings, Difeafes and Death, which hang over our Heads -, it might appear as if the Creatures had real Caufe of Com- plaint. All the Elements may feem at War with us: Water drowns, and Fire confumes our Dwellings ; the Earth produces Poifons ; the Air fpreads Peftilence, and fwarms with noxious In- fects. But tho' Caufe of Complaint may arife from hence, in refpect of the Creation, there arifes none with refpect to the Creatures ; certain neceflary Laws having rendered thefe Inconveni- ences unavoidable, for the general Support of the World as a Whole, by Means of Variati- ons and Succeffions in the Parts. Many Things incommode us that prove of great Advantage ; as evidently appears by confidering Particulars. Long Nights are unpleafant near the Poles ; but the Sun's Courfe in the Zodiac, renders all Parts of the Earth's Surface inhabitable -, and makes a Summer in every Country. High Winds deflroy our Buildings, caufe Diftrefles and Loffes at Sea, and Se<5t. VI. ^Revelation, 317 and other Misfortunes , but they prevent Fogs, cleanfe and purify the Air and Water, or render them more wholefome. Earthquakes may arife - from Sulphur, Iron-Ore, or other Mineral Mat- ters in the Bowels of the Earth ; from which Mankind, in other Refpects, receive Advan- tages. We labour under Difeafes ; but great Inconveniences would arife from conftant Health. Our Bodies are weak and frail, fo that fmall Accidents hurt or deftroy them ; but in this Delicacy confifts our greateft Perfection. If we examine the Texture of the Brain, the Struct ture of the Eye, &c ; we find our Faculties of Underftanding, Seeing, &c. are in Proportion to the delicate Conformation of thofe Organs. Men are obliged to labour the Ground, in order to render it fruitful ; but if we could procure the fame Advantages without Labour, we mould be lefs happy, or more remifs and unhealthy. And the fame holds true of other Inconveniencies to which Mankind are naturally fubject: for it feems to be a Rule, that Men's particular Difadvantages produce general Advantages. (3.) The Objections drawn from Sin and Moral Wickednefs in the World, are of greater Moment, Evi1, and harder to anfwer , becaufe it appears difficult to reconcile the Wifdom and Goodnefs of God with the great Depravity and numerous Vices pre- vailing in Men. The Enemies of Religion hence take Occafion to deny a Providence, and afcribe all Things to Fate. We cannot fay here, as we do of natural Evil, that Vices are neceifary to fupport the Whole, or that they prove fcrviceable to 318 Of Religion Sect. IV. to Mankind in general. The ancient Stoics en- deavoured to folve the Difficulty, as appears by the Prayer of C leant bes. " O Jupiter ! thou " who art all in all, allot my Fate ; I- fol- " low thee blind-fold. Let me plunge into " Vice, or fhine in Virtue, I am equally neceffa- * 6 ry to the Perfection of thy Creation, &c.'* But this is raifing two Difficulties inftead of folving one ; and either denying God's Pro- vidence, or making him the Caufe of Evil. Epicurus ufes the like Argument, in denying God's Government of the World. " God," fays " he, would either avert Wickednefs, but cannot ; " or he can, and will not; or elfe he neither can, * e nor will. If he would, and cannot, he is a tc weak Being; if he can, and will not, he is a " wicked Being ; but if he neither will, nor can, * c he is both wicked and weak : confequently " there is no God: for if he both will and *' can, whence arifes that Deluge of Wicked* *' nefs which overfpreads the World ?" This Argument is made ufe of by Mr. Boyle, who knew how to employ it various Ways. In particular, he has endeavoured to fhew, from the Vices to which Mankind are fubject, that it was contrary to God's Goodnefs, to make Men, whofe Depravity he knew before-hand. Jvlr. BayWs Opponents have Ihewn, that it no way contradicts God's Goodnefs to make Man a free Creature, lying under no Neceffity of Sin- ning; tho' God, by his Prefcience, forefaw Man would fin. But as this SubjecT: has been ful- ly dilcuffed of late, 1 will only add, that it muft be Sect.*IV. and Revelation, 319 be acknowledged God could have made Man more perfect, or even impeccable ; and by his Almighty Power, or efficacious Grace, have hin- dered him from tranfgrefiing the Law : but in that Cafe Man would not have been Man, but a Machine, no more to be commended, or re- warded, for his Virtue, than Water for its Fluidi- ty, or Fire for its Heat. And if the Almighty, by the conftant Operation of his Grace, hinder- ed the Exercife of our Will, and influenced our Actions, he could not be our Lawgiver, much lefs our Judge : for to give Laws, and at the fame Time, by irrefiftable Power, to prevent their be- ing broke, is a Contradiction. Mr. Woolaftorfs following Thoughts are extreamly juft upon this Head. " This methinks is fufficient to ruin the Ma* u Jiicbean Caufe, and exclude the independent ** Principle of Evil. For if we cannot account " for the Exiftence of that Evil, which we find " by Experience to be in the World, it is but " one Inftance out of many of our Ignorance, u There may be Reafons for it, tho* we do not " know them. And certainly no fuch Experi- " ence muft make us deny Axioms or Truths * equally certain. There are, befide, fome Things relating to this Subject, which deferve our At- * tention. For as to moral Good and Evil, they ** feem to depend upon ourfelves. If we do but " endeavour, the moft we can, to do what we " ought, we fhall not be guilty of not doing it: " and therefore it is our Fault, and not to be * charged upon any other Being, if Guilt and " Evil 320 Of R e l i 6 1 o n Sect. IV. Evil be introduced by our Neglect, or Abufe c< of our own Liberty and Powers. Then as to " phyfical Evil ; without it much phyfical Good " would be loft, the one neceflarily inferring the " other. Some Things feem to be evil, which " would, not appear to be fuch, if we could fee " through the whole Contexture of Things ** There are not more evil than good Things in 46 World, but furely more of the latter. Many " Evils of this kind, as well as of the former, " come by our own Fault ; fome perhaps by way " of Punifhment ; fome of Phyfic j and fome " as the Means to Happinefs, not otherwife to be " obtained. And if there is a future State, that " which feems to be wrong now, may be rectify " ed hereafter. To all which, more may yet be "5 added. As, that Matter is not capable of Per- " fection ; and therefore where that is concerned, " there muft be Imperfections, and confequently '* Evils. So to alk, why God permits Evil, is ** to afk, why he permits a material World, or " fuch a Being as Man is ; indowed indeed with " fome noble Faculties, but incumbered at the .' fame Time with bodily Paflions and Propenfi- " ons. Nay, I know not whether it be not to " afk, why he permits any imperfeel: Being ; and *' and that is, any Being at all : which is a bold " Demand; and the Anfwer to it lies perhaps too and could a Man perufe them, Se&. IV. and Revelation; 323 them, he would certainly find himfelf no wifer for the laborious Undertaking. We know, by Revelation, that the Soul is im-^othing mortal, and differs from the Body : this mould ^^^ content us. If it does not, and we begin to per-theSoul, plex ourfelves with the Works of wild Meta- b y phil * phyficians, we immediately enter an Ocean full op er *' of dangerous Rocks and Difficulties. I know, many think it a Part of Philofophy to demon- ftrate the Nature and Properties of the Soul ; but this is the Opinion of fuch as have read little, reflected lefs, and never look'd much about them. For, whoever examines the Notions and Conjectures of metaphyfical Philofophers, will find how ftrangely the mod ingenious of them vary ; fo that, there are here almoft as many different Syftems as different Philofophers. Even Chriftians hold contradictory Opinions upon the Subject. That the Fathers of the Church had grofs Notions of Angels, and the Souls of Men, appears from the Hiftory of the Church down to the fecond Council of Nice. Johannes of Tbejfalonica exprefly declares that, " Angels may " be painted, becaufe they arc corporeal : " Pin- gendi funt Angeli, quia corporei. It has been lamented, as a great Misfortune, that St. Anfelm died before he deliver'd his Doctrine of the Soul i becaufe he earneftly defired to leave a Treatife upon the Subject, as fearing no Body elfe wou*d undertake it after his Deccafc. But, pro- bably, he cou'd have given no better an Account of it, than his Predeceffors and Succeflbrs have Y 2 done. 324 Of Religion Se&. IV. done. Some wonder how the ancient Philo- fophers cou'd deliver fo many ftrange Conjectures about the Nature of the Scul ; but the Wonder ceafes when we reflect, that the greater Capacities they had, the more Difficulties they found. What immenfe Pains have Men taken to dif- cover the Soul's Origin ! This has been a Tor- ture to Philofophers. Yet they met with greater Difficulties in their Enquiries after the Caufe, the Manner, and Form of Thought ; and particularly in determining how it is brought into Action. And hence the learned Iboinas Bartholine faid of the abovemention'd St. Anfelm y " If God had '* been pleas'd to have granted him a double Life, " he could fcarce have folved this Difficulty." Body and Many Philofophers make no other Difference Spmt. betwixt Body and Soul, but that the Soul confifts of a very fubtile Matter, more or lefs intelligent, according as the Machines wherein it operates are difpofed : and this they think is accounting for the Difference of Men's greater or lefs degree of Underftanding. Democri- Democritus, the fuppofed Founder of the Atomical Philofophy, prefumes all Things con- fift of the fame Kind of Matter. His Fol- lowers are call'd by the Name of Materialijis y or Corpufcular Philofophers; as maintaining, that the Particles of Matter, by means of Organiza- tion, fubtilize, and render themfelves perfect ; and thereby acquire the Faculty of Thinking ; which they therefore make a Modus, or kind of Un- derftanding, to be found among Brutes as well as tus. Sect. IV. and Revelation. 325 as Men : and according to this Doctrine, Spirit muff, be corporeal. The Atomical Philofophers were afterwards Atomifls. divided into two Gaffes; fome believing, with Democritus and Epicurus, that all Matter was in itfelf dead ; but became alive by means of a particular Arrangement or Organization. But thefe were all of them grofs, fpeculative Atheifts, and cou'd never fupport their Doctrine , becaufe dead Particles can by no conceivable Difpofition or Arrangement become alive, or mere Matter be made a living Soul. This Notion being deemed abfurd, others held that a certain eternal Life was inherent in Matter. Thefe went under the Name of Hylozoiters ; a Sect fuppofed to be founded by Strato Lampfacenus, who held, withstrato. Epicurus, that all Things came by Chance, or Attraction, upon the particular clinging of Par- ticles together-, in which Operation he gives them a fort of Life ; and thereby attributes a kind of Divinity to Matter. Hence fome have ima- gined that Strato believed a God j tho' he has generally pafs'd for an Atheift, on account of introducing Attraction, acknowledging no Fafhioner or Creator of Matter, but fuppofing intelligent Creatures produced by Organiza- tion. Anaxagoras firft diftinguiOYd Body from Spi- Anaxa- rit, and maintained an intelligent Being very 8* different from Matter, who originally produced, and afterwards fupported and govern'd all Things. This was making a Wrent in the Syftem of the old Materialifts. The foundeft Philofophers have Y 3 follow'd 326 Of R e l i g i n Sett. IV. followed him ; and (hewn, that Life and Spirit cannot proceed from Matter. Some among thefe agree as to the Difference betwixt Soul and Body, but vary confiderably as to the Nature and Properties of the Soul ; infomuch, that by reading their Writings, a Man may rather be confounded than inftru&ed. Whether Many have difputed whether Spirit can have extended Extenfion. The greater Part deny it-, pretending that Extenfion belongs only to the Body, where- in three Dimenfions are infeparable ; and that, whatever has Extenfion may be divided, and confequently deftroy'd. Others, unable to con- ceive how any Thing can exift without being ex- tended, alledge, that fuppofmg the Soul ever fo minute, it ftilf has Extenfion. 1 immorta- j n jjke manner Men have difputed about the Soul ' foul's Immortality ; fome holding that Spirit be- ing fimple can never perilh -, and that Deftru&ion folely belongs tofeody, which confifts of fepara- ble Parts. Others have thought, as the Soul is a Creature, it is capable of perifhing ; fo that its Immortality muft fingly be afcribed to the Will of God. Some have endeavoured to ftrengthen this Opinion by Arguments drawn from the Souls of Brutes ; which, fay they, have the Pro- perties belonging to Spirit. Yet all do not from hence infer the Souls of Brutes to be immortal ; becaufe, they fear, every Animal, Fifh and In- fect, wou'd then fwarm with the Souls of de- parted Brutes. Des Caries was fo prefs'd with this ftrange Difficulty, that he labour'd to prove Brutes Sed. IV. ^Revelation.' 327 Brutes were Machines : and, as abfurd as the Notion is, fome have adopted it. Men have alfo difputed whether the Soul can Whether exert the Faculty of Reafoning, without the hclp*^ 01 ^ of the Body. Moft take the Affirmative ; think- ^ the ing the Body a kind of Prifon, wherein the Soul Body, is reftrain'd from thofe Raptures and Tranfports, which belong to her Nature, but are fupprefs'd by the Care and Regard lhe has for the Body ; from whofe Incumbrance being once releafed, they fancy, (he muft reafon with greater Strength, and perceive and underftand many more Things than fhe does in the Body. But others object to this, from obferving that when the Brain is dis- ordered, Men ceafe to reafon , and that as the Body is more or lefs perfect, the Soul is more or lefs rational ; that a new born Child has no Re- flection , and a fuperannuated Man but little Un- derftanding. Many fuppofe it wicked to attribute Thought Whethet and Perception to Matter , others hold it more Matt fj_i. wicked to deny that God can fuper-add the Fa- culty of thinking to Matter : and both Opi- nions are defended by great Men. Des Cartes, Malebranche, and others, maintained the firft ; fome Fathers of the Church, particularly 5Vr//- Iian 9 and many Philofophers of our Times, but principally Mr. Locke, have maintained the fecond, and exprefs'd Surprize that thofc Perfons who believe God fometimes controuls and fufpends the Laws of Nature, and performs Wonders to pleafe Monks and Abbots, are bold enough to deny Y 4 He 323 Of Religion Se&.IV. He can give Thought and Perception to Mat- ter. Propaga- No lefs Difputes have arifen about the Propa- SouJs g at i n of the Soul. Some are of Opinion it is propagated along with the Semen , and fuppofe the Souls of all Men refided in Adam : but others hold, that the Soul of every Man is immediately created by God. Both thefe Opinions have their Difficulties. The firft may feem to favour of Ma- terialifm ; and the other to touch God's Juftice. For, if a pure unfpotted Soul be put into a defiled Body, God is hence fuppos'd to favour Unclean- nefs and Adultery j and beftow purpofely-created Souls upon promifcuous Concubinage. Seat of the It is alfo controverted in what Part of the Body Soul. t h e s ou ] re f lc ] es . f ome f a y j n t h e Brain, others in the Heart, others in the Syftole and Diaftole of the Heart , and others again in no particular Part, but all over. Ourlgno- It has hitherto been found impoflible to dif- Iaw ' cover, how the Soul is united with the Body, how it operates ; and whether it be confcious to itfelf, or knows its own Wants and Defires. Thefe Difficulties have produced many oppofite Syftems ; and, probably, will continue to do fo, till Man's Underftanding acquires more Light in a future State. Many indeed imagine thefe no great Difficul- ties ; and we daily find young People boldly de- ciding upon fuch Metaphyfical Queftions ; fo that if you afk any Stripling Candidate of Philo- fophy what the Soul is, he immediately tells you i and, in his own Opinion, gives you an exact Sect. IV. ^Revelation. 329 exact Account of it. Great is the Knowledge of thofe who have read a little, but never reflected ! The more a Man thinks of thefe Subjects, the lefs he underftands of them , for it here happens as it did to Turnus, who the longer he followed the Phantom of jEneas^ the farther he ran from what he was fceking. The Author of the Art of thinking fpeaks to the Purpofe : " He who once, " with Sincerity, acknowledges he knows no- " thing of this Kind, advances, inanlnftant, far- " ther than a Philofopher who has been arguing, " for twenty Years, upon Metaphyfical Subjects. " The Difference is, that he who labours to fathom le * for genuine j though it confifts more in the Ges- tures of the Body, and the Play of the Features, than in the Exertion of the Mind, or Emotion of the Heart. The fafhionably Devout punctually pradifes the Ceremonies of Religion. Hence a Man may pafs in the World for religious, by means of external Acts, wherein the Heart has no Share. A certain Italian alledged as a Proof of his Piety, that he frequently kifs'd the Pope's Slipper ; and a Spa. niard, that he had fcourged himfelf upon a Good- Friday. Paul Jove proves the Devotion of Let the Tenth, from the elegant Manner of his celebrating Mafs. Arifiobulus, the Younger, was univerfally allow'd by the Jews^ to be worthy of the High Pried-hood, becaufc he made the Offerings Sect. IV. and Revelation. 355 Offerings with a good Grace : and fome wou'd prove the Piety of the Emperor Otto from his Coat, which was embroider'd with the Hif- tory of the Revelation. I by no means con- demn Ceremonies in Religion, but highly com-r mend them ; only, this I muft fay, that if un- accompanied with internal Purity of Heart, and Amendment of Life, they are no better than Buffoonery. There is alfo a Species of Devotion arifing FalfeDe- from Affliction and Misfortune, Old-age, and the votion Fear of approaching Death. Neither do I pre- f^ tend to cenfure this Devotion ; but think it can- not be call'd genuine. We fee by Sailors, how little Dependance is to be had upon Devotion fhewn in Danger. Many Chriftians endeavour to convince Unbelievers, by Arguments drawn from the Penitence of People upon their Death- Beds : but fuch Arguments are not fo folid, as when Mens Reformation appears in the Time of Health and Profperity. True Religion is the joint Refulgence of all True the Virtues. It refembles the Sun, " at whofe Religion. " Sight all the Stars hide their diminihYd Heads." It breathes Benevolence and Love to Man. The truly Pious ferve God,their Creator and Benefactor, with their whole Soul. They honour and love Him, not fo much for the Sake of their promis'd Reward,as for the Benefits they have received-, and are more actuated by Gratitude than Hope. They are fevere to themfelves, and companionate to others. They endeavour to reclaim the Erro- A a z neous, 356 Of Religion Sed; IV. ncous, not by Severity, but Meeknefs. They are always fimilar to themfelves ; and ferve God uniformly, not by Fits and Starts. They are at Peace with all Men. They comfort the Afflic- ted, fupport the Diftreffed, and cloath the Naked. They neither exult in Profperity,- nor fink in Adverfity , but remain contented with the' Will of God, and patiently bear thofe Afflictions He is pleas'd to lay upon them. They mew their Piety not in Theory, but in Practice; not in Words but Works. They are not led by Fear^ Ambition, or worldly Intereft, but by Love to the Author of their Being. They - ftrive to promote the Good of all Men; and labour to fe- cure eternal Blifs* IX. Of the Veneration due to God* God not T ^ ^ ce l eDratec ^ Greek Philofopher, Simo* to be JL nides 9 being afk'd by Hiero y King of Sy- the S Ab-" racll f e * wnat God was, defir'd a Day to con fid er bach of it. When the King demanded an Anfwer* Simonides requefted two Days; and went on doubling the Time ; whereat the King wondering, Simonides declared,that " the longer he confidered the Subject, the more difficult it grew." This frank Acknowledgment of Ignorance, is a Proof of Sect:. IV. and Revelation.' 357 of the Philosopher's good Understanding ; on account of which he was juftly admired by his Cotemporaries. Certainly, there cannot be a greater Demonftration of Folly, than pretend- ing to delcribe a Being, that is incomprehen- Hble. Pomponius Mela mentions a certain Cavern, which had fo agreeable an Appearance as to en- tice Travellers into it -, but the farther they went, the greater Terror they were leized with.; fo that a deep reverential Awe foon obliged them to re- tire. St. Aufiin fays, " God is a Subject of u which we can, and cannot difcourfe; that He * may be highly venerated, and cannot be high- f l ly venerated ; may be compar'd, and cannot " be compar'd , may be defcribed, but rifes " above Defcription". Here, therefore, is the Limit of Man's Underftanding. Here we are compelled to fay, with Simonides, " the more we, " think upon the Subject, the more difficult it " grows", or the more we ftretch pur Eyes, the lefs we fee. This is an Impenetrable Cypher, whofe Key is not given to Man. The Proof of God's Exiftence is this. We God's plainly fee a World, which appears to us un- Exiftencc. bounded; we fee a molt amazing Structure, which is as amazingly fupported. We fee in all the Parts of it Order, Art, and Beauty. We know all this cou'd not happen by Accident ; but that there muft have been a Maker, a Creator, or general Architect of the Whole. Hence we in- fer, there is an Eternal, Almighty, Omnifcient A a 3 Being, 358 6f Religion Sett. IV. Being, called God, who fupports all Things. With this general Idea, deriv'd from fenfible Objects, and intellectual Inference, we muft be contented : for it is folely from the Creation, that we infer a Creator. If we attempt to go farther, and pretend to fubtilize, or enquire whether God is an ex- tended Being; after what Manner he fills Space; whether an extended Being can exift without Parts ; what God's Eternity, Immenfity, Qmnifcience, Omniprefence, Omnipotence are, we fink, and are loft in the Enquiry. Corporeal Some Philosophers will be difpleafed with this God f D 0( ^ rme anc * prefume the Anfwer of Simonides proceeded from a heathenifh Blindnefs, of which Chriftians are cured by Revelation ; and alledge that 5T fince in all good Governments, the King is fo uni- ted to his Subjecls, that their mutual Welfare cannot be feparated. It might be well to pray for the Fertility of the Land in general ; or better ftill, that God wou'd pleafe to give us what he fees moll neceffary for us, in Imitation of Agur*! Prayerj " Give me neither Poverty nor Riches," &c. And we find this kind of Prayer approv'd of by Heathens. Johannes Damafcenus relates, Heathen that the Pedulians, a certain People of India, Prayer, begg'd of God nothing but Juftice. Apollonius Tyanaus judges, that Prayers fhou'd be compos'd after this Example : " give me O Lord ! what *' may be ferviceable to me". Soerates com- mends the following Prayer of an ancient Poet. " O Jupiter ! give us what is good for us, whe- " ther we afk it or no j and grant not what is bad " for us, even tho' we afk it". To the fame Purpofc are thefe noble Lines of Juvenal: Permittes ipfis expendere Numinibus, quid ConvenUt nobis x rebufque fit utile nojiris ; Nam 368 Of Religion Sect. IV. Namprojucundis, aptijfima quxque dabunt Di : Carter eft Mis Homo quamfibi. Our Religion is circumftantial enough in itfelf ; and needs not be render'd more fo,by praying for numerous temporal Things, upon which it is not founded. Nor ought the Faith of the common People to be corrupted , who remain unfatisfied with being told, that our Petitions are not heard by reafon of our Sins. But I take not upon me to reject any public Form of Prayer. I only de- liver my Opinion, and fubmit it to the Judge- ment of others. Praife. With the fame Deference I fpeak of Songs of Praife, and Thankfgiving for Victories obtain'd over our Enemies ; and inftead of cenfuring fuch Songs, I only confefs myfelf furpriz'd at their being us'd upon the fortuitous Accidents of War : becaufe this kind of Devotion appears to me like a Man's thanking God, after a Duel, for the accidental killing of his Antagonift. It feems fafer to beg that God wou'd incline the Hearts of our Enemies to Peace, than to petition Him for Victory, which cannot be obtain'd without Blood- ilied; and to appear before Him rather in a mournful than a joyful Manner, upon receiving Advantage by the Slaughter of Mankind. To pray for the Deftruction of our Enemies, is pray- ing and curfing in the fame Breath. Difculpa- If I had the Honour of being a Preacher, I Ihou'd not make frequent Mention of the Devil, as Se&. IV. and Revelation. 360 as the Prompter to Wickednefs i but generally lay the Blame upon Men : for, to be accufing Satan upon all Occafions, is like pronouncing Mankind faultlefs. No body doubts that the Devil is a fubtile Deceiver ; but we are not to bring un- juft Accufations againft him. We have great Rea- fon to queftion whether this kind of Excufe, and fhifting off Blame, will pafs with God. Judges do not mitigate their Sentence upon this Account; but condemn Malefactors to Death, and leave them to throw the Blame upon the Devil. Thefe Remarks may perhaps meet with a cool Reception, becaufe they oppofe the Practices of all Times and Countries. And I acknowledge it is particular, to diflfent from Opinions receiv'd by all Mankind, and confirm'd by conftant Ufe: yet Experience (hews, that how univerfal or an- cient foever an Opinion has been, it poOibly may receive Alteration, or Improvement. General Opinions have frequently arifen from a fingle Perfon ; and if once a Notion comes to be ap- proved, or receiv'd, by fome few venerable Men, it may eafily become univerfal: for, Opinions are readily propagated by the Similarity of our Natures. Numerous Doctrines, held as general Principles in the laft Century, are, at prefent, re- jected as Errors ; tho' till of late no body doubted of their Truth. As God commands us to pray, we are cer- Errors in certainly obliged to obferve His Commandments j p " yer 1 t 1 1 -r to be re out iie being omnifcient, and underftanding tified. our Wants better than we do, it is unnecel- fary to lay before Him the Reafon of our B b Prayers. rec- 270 0/Religion Sett. IV. Prayers. God ftands in no need of Information, becaufe He knows all Things. When we beg of Him to deliver us out of Diftrefs, we need not recount the Accidents that brought us into it. Many Errors have crept into Divinity For want of having a tolerable Idea of the Divine Being we worfhip. They who imagine God to be like unto Men, rather pay him bodily than fpiritual Homage. This perhaps was the Origin of Offerings, Sacrifices, and grofs Forms of Speech addrefs'd to God; the raifing of the Voice, in Prayer, to exprefs Earneftnefs, &c. as if God cou*d not otherwise be affected, or brought to at- tend. Thefe grofs Ideas may have occafion'd Men's ufing Explanations and Periphrafes in Prayer ; upon finding the like neceffary in Ap- plications and AddrefTes to Princes and Judges, to inform them by Atteftations, and Explanati- ons, of the Juftice of the Caufe, or the Grounds of the Petition. But we fliou'd always remem- ber, that, in Prayer, we addrefs a Being infi- nitely wife and omnifcient. This Remark has ftill a deeper Root ; for, explanatory- Prayers contain a kind of Reproach. A Servant may, without Offence, apply to, his Mafter for Wages due ; but if he declares, as his Motive, that he wants Money to purchafe Ne- ceffaries, there is a kind of Reproach couch'd in the Reafon aflign'd. When we beg of God to affift us, there is nothing offenlive in our Peti- tion i but if we add the Reafons of our Addrefs, and Prayer. Se&. IV. and Rev el at io n. 371 and afk Afliftance becaufe we have fuffer'd Mif- fbrtunes, this feems to caft a Reflection upon God. Some may object, that it muft needs be diffi- The cult to pray, if all thefe Rules are either to \^}_ be obferved, or the Petitioner to (land in a bad Light ; and therefore may defire a Specimen of a proper Form of Prayer. But Chrift himfelf has been pleas'd to give us one ; and commanded us to ufe it. I prefume thefe Thoughts are con- fonant to that Form, and am perfuaded no body can do amifs, who regulates his Addrefles to God by fo perfect a Pattern as the Lord's-Prayer. N I S. BOO KS printed for Thomas Longman. ~\ZTAthematical Elements of Natural Pbilofophy, confirmed LVJ- ly Experiments : Or, an Introduction to Sir Isaac N e w t o n'j Pbilofophy. Written in Latin by the late W. James s'G avesande, LL. D. Profeflbr of Mathematics at Leyden, and F. R. S. Tranflated into En^lifh by the late J. T. Desacume s, LL. D. F. R S. And pubhfned by his Son J. T. Desaguliers. The Sixth Edition, greatly improved by the Author, and illuitrated with 127 Copper Plates all new engraven In I wo Volumes. A Courfe of Experimental Phili/fo^by tiy J. T. Desa- cume s, LL. D F K > ChapLnn to nis Grace the Duke ofCiiANDos. Adorned with 31 oppei-Plat.es, The Second Edition, corrcftcd. In Two \ olun.es, NR. Theie four Volumes in 4to in ike a complete Syftun of Natural and Expenmtntai Phiio.v^ h) . BOOKS printed for Thomas Longman. PHarmacopaeia Officinalis & Extemporanea. Or, A Com pleat Englijb Difpenfatory. In Two Parts. Theoretic and Practical. Part I. In Two Books. Book I. Of the Definition, Subjedt, General Intentions, Media, Inftruments, and Operations of Pharmacy. Book II. Of the Diftribution into proper Gaffes, General Nature, and Medicinal Virtues, tffc. of Simples. Part II. In Five Books. I. Of the Prepa- ration of Simples. II. Of Saline Preparations. III. Of Metalline Preparations. IV. Of Officinal Compofitions ; containing all the Prefcriptions of the London and Edinburgh Pharmacopoeias, according to the laft Alterations thereof; together with thofe of other Authors, and the prefent Prac- tice, which claim any Notice. V. Of Extemporaneous Prefcriptions ; which are therein difpofed into proper Gaffes according to their feveral Curative Intentions. The Twelfth Edition, much enlarged and corrected. 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