general character may be that of the honeftelt man oz the world do not difpute it; you might be thought envious or ill-natured: but, at the fame time, do not take this probity upon truft, to fuch a degree as to put your life, fortune, or reputation in his power. This honeft man may happen to be your rival in power, in intereft, or in love-three paflions that often put honefty to most fevere trials, in which it is too often cast : but firft analyse this honeft man yourself; and then, only, you will be able to judge, how far you may, or may not, with fafety truft him. Mankind will fooner forgive an injury than an infult. Some men are more captious than others; fome are always wrong-headed; but every man living has fuch a fhare of vanity, as to be hurt by marks of flight and contempt. Every man does not pretend to be a poet, a mathematician, or a ftatefman, and confidered as fuch; but every man pretends to common-fenfe, and to fill his place in the world with common decency; and, confequently, does not eafily forgive thofe negligences, inattentions, and flights, which feem to call in queftion, or utterly deny him both thefe pretenfions. Sufpect, in general, thofe who remarkably affect any one virtue; who raise it above all others, and who, in a manner, intimate that they poffefs it exclufively. I fay fufpect them; for they are commonly impoftors: but do not be fure that they are always fo'; for I have fometimes known blufterers really brave, reformers of manners really honeft, and prudes really chate. Pry into the receffes of their hearts yourself, as far as you are able, and never implicitly adopt a character upon common fame; which, though generally right as to the great outlines of characters, is always wrong in fome particulars. Be upon your guard against thofe, who, upon very flight acquaintance, obtrude their unafked and unmerited friendship and confidence upon you; for they probably cram you with them only for their own eating: but, at the fame time, do not roughly reject them upon that general fuppofition. Examine further, and whether thofe unexpected offers flow from a wazm heart and a filly head, or from a defigning head and a cold heart; for knavery and folly have often the fame fymptoms. There is an incontinency of friendship among young fellows, who are affociated by their mutual pleafures only; which has, very frequently, bad confequences. Bear your part in young companies; nay, excel, if you can, in all the focial and convivial joy and feftivity that become youth. Truft them with your love-tales, if you pleafe; but keep your ferious views fecret. Truft thofe only to fome tried friend, more experienced than yourfeif, and who, being in a different walk of life from you, is not likely to become your rival; for I would not advife you to depend so much upon the heroic virtue of mankind, as to hope, or believe, that your competitor will ever be your friend, as to the obe ject of that competition. LETTER LXXXV. " Neceffity of the lefer Virtues...Cato and Caefar...The Proud DEAR BOY, GREAT Man and the Pedant. REAT talents, and great virtues (if you fhould have them) will procure you the refpect and the admiration of mankind; but it is the leffer talents, the leniores virtutes, which must procure you their love and affection. The former, unaflifted and unadorned by the latter, will extort praife; but will, at the fame time, excite both fear and envy; two fentiments abfolutely incompatible with love and affection. Cæfar had all the great vices, and Cato all the great virtues, that men could have. But Cæfar had the lenires virtutes, which Cato wanted; and which made him beloved even by his enemies, and gained him the hearts. of mankind, in fpight of their reafon; while Cato was not even beloved by his friends, notwithstanding the. eftecm and refpect which they could not refufe to his virtues; and I am apt to think, that if Cæfar had want ed, and Cato poffeffed, those leniores virtutes, the former would not have attempted (at leaft with fuccefs) and the latter could have protected the liberties of Rome. Mr. Addison, in his Cato, fays of Cæfar (and I believe with truth) Curfe on his virtues, they've undone his country. By which he means, thofe leffer, but engaging virtues, of gentleness, affability, complaifance, and good hu mour. The knowledge of a fcholar, the courage of a hero, and the virtue of a ftoic, will be admired; but if the knowledge be accompanied with arrogance, the courage with ferocity," and the virtue with inflexible feverity, the man will never be loved. The heroism of Charles XII. of Sweden (if his brutal courage deferves that name) was univerfally admired, but the man no where beloved. Whereas Henry IV. of France, who had full as much courage, and was much longer engaged in wars, was generally beloved upon account of his leffer and focial virtues. We are all fo formed, that our understandings are generally the dupes of our hearts, that is, of our paflions; and the fureft way to the former is through the latter, which must be engaged by the leniores virtutes alone,and the manner of exerting them. The infolent civility of a proud man is (for example) if poffible, more fhocking than his rudeness could be; because he fhows you, by his manner, that he thinks it mere condefcenfion in him; and that his goodness alone beftows upon you what you have no pretence to claim. He intimates his protection, inftead of his friendfhip, by a gracious nod, instead of an usual bow; and rather fignifies his confent that you may, than his invitation that you should fit, walk, eat, or drink with him. The coftive liberality of a purfe-proud man insults the diftreffes it fometimes relieves; he takes care to make you feel your own misfortunes, and the differen、 between your fituation and his; both which he infinuates to be justly merited: yours, by your folly; his, by his wifdom. The arrogant pedant does not communicate, but promulgates his knowledge. He does not give it you, but he inflicts it upon you; and is (if poffible) more defirous to fhow you your own ignorance, than his own learning. Such manners as thefe, not only in the particular inftances which I have mentioned, but likewife in all others, fhock and revolt that little pride and vanity, which every man has in his heart; and obliterate in us the obligation for the favour conferred, by reminding us of the motive which produced, and the manner which accompanied it. Thefe faults point out their oppofite perfections, and your own good fenfe will naturally fuggeft them to you. Adieu! LETTER LXXXVI. Refpe&t for Religion recommended...Irreligious and immoral Writers cenfured...Strict morals and Religion equally neceffary to Conduct and Character...The infamous Chartres...Anecdote of bim...Lying...Dignity of Character. I DEAR BOY, London, January the 8th. HAVE feldom or never written to you upon the fubject of religion and morality; your own reafon, I am perfuaded, has given you true notions of both; they fpeak beft for themfelves; but, if they wanted affiftance, you have Mr. Harte at hand, both for precept and example. A few obfervations, however, I fhall now offer upon the external refpect which the fe important objects demand, and which is equally neceffary with that internal veneration which every rational man must maintain for them in his heart. When I fpeak of religion, I do not mean that you fhould talk or act like a millionary, or an enthufiaft, nor that you fhould take up a controverfial cudgel againft whoever attacks the fect you are of; this would be both useless, and unbecoming your age: but I mean that you fhould by no means feem to approve, encourage, or applaud, thofe libertine notions, which ftrike at religions equally, and which are the poor thread-bare topics. of half-wits, and felf-created pililofophers. Even thofe * who are filly enough to laugh at their jokes, are fill wife enough to diftruft and deteft their characters: for, putting moral virtues at the higheft, and religion at the lowest, religion must still be allowed to be a great collateral fecurity, at leaft, to virtue; and every prudent man will fooner truft to two fecurities than to one. Whenever, therefore, you happen to be in company with thofe pretended esprits forts, or with thoughtless libertines, who laugh at all religion to fhow their wit, or difclaim it to complete their riot, let no word or look of yours intimate the leaft approbation; on the contrary, let a filent gravity exprefs your diflike; but enter not into the fubject, and decline fuch unprofit able and indecent controverfies. Depend upon this truth-that every man is the worfe looked upon, and the lefs trufted, for being thought to have no religion; in fpite of all the pompous and fpecious epithets he may affume, of efprit fort, free-thinker, or moral phil. ofopher; and a wife atheist (if fuch a thing there is) would, for his own intereft, and character in this world, pretend to fome religion. Your moral character must be not only pure, but, like Cæfar's wife, unfufpected. The leaft fpeck or blemish upon it is fatal. Nothing degrades and vili fes more, for it excites and unites deteftation and contempt. There are, however, wretches in the world profligate enough to explode all notions of moral good and evil; to maintain that they are merely local, and depend entirely upon the cuftoms and faf jons of different countries: nay, there are ftill, if poffible, more unaccountable wretches; I mean, thofe who affect to preach and propagate fuch abfurd and infamous notions, without believing them themfelves. These are the devil's hypocrites. Avoid, as much as poffible, the company of fuch people; who reflect a degree of difcredit and infamy upon all those who converfe with them. But as you may, fometimes, by accident, fall into fuch company, take great care that no complaifance, no good-humour, no warmth of feftal * Strong minds. |