The fame littlenefs of foul that makes a man difpife inferiors, and trample on them, makes him abjectly obfequious to fuperiors. Pride, which raifes a man in his own opinion above his equals, is easily disobliged, but not eafily obliged; favours from inferiors being conceived as duties, omiffions as crimes. The vain are eafily obliged, and easily disobliged. It is a rare cafe to meet with one that is eafily obliged, but not eafily difobliged; because few have a lefs opinion of themselves than they deserve. To thofe only it belongs who are poffeffed of thorough good fenfe, not to be easily obliged nor eafily difobliged. Pride is worfe to bear than cruelty. Pride, more than defect of judgement, breeds oppofition to established principles. We chufe rather to lead than to follow. Vanity. Self-conceit is none of the smallest bleffings from heaven. Vanity, where it makes a man value himfelf upon good actions, is no defpicable qua lity. B 2 The The good humour of fome, is owing to an inexhauftible fund of felf-conceit. Flattery is a false coin, which our vanity makes current. The vain fancy the flatteries of their own imagination to be the voice of fame. We fancy that we hate flattery, when we only hate the manner of it. Generally we fpeak ill of others, rather out of vanity than malice. Avarice. Men do not grow more covetous as they grow old: Their temptations only to part with money grow lefs vigorous and less frequent. Money ftimulates avarice, does not fatisfy it. The miser is a friend to none, but a bitter enemy to himself. E The avaricious man has no friend, because he has no friendship for any man. ven his dependents neglect him in fickness or in adversity, when he has not power to hurt them. Ridicule. Ridicule. Nothing is ridiculous but what is deform-ed: Nor is any thing proof against raillery but what is handsome and just. Men make themfelves ridiculous, not fo much by the qualities they have, as by the affectation of those they have not. Nothing blunts the edge of ridicule fo ef- 28. fectually as good humour. Pofitiveness. He who deals in blaming others for being pofitive, gives them their revenge, for they conclude him fo. A dogmatical tone is a fure fign of ignorance. I am fond to dictate to others what I have learnt a moment before; and because it is new to me, I conclude it is fo to all the world. Knowledge thoroughly digested becomes habitual: The poffeffor by degrees forgets, that things now fo familiar were ever unknown to himself or to others. The vanity of novelty is gone, and he talks of the. B 3 29 the most abftruse points with coolness and indifference. Loquacity. He generally talks moft who has leaft to fay. He that fays all he knows, will readily fay what he doth not know. There is who is witty, and inftructs many, and yet is unprofitable to himself. Such is wife in words, but foolish in deeds. To fay little and perform much, is the characteristic of a great mind. As the climbing up of a fandy hill is to the aged, fo is a wife full of words to a quiet man. Induftry. A man who gives his children a habit of industry, provides for them better than by giving them a stock of money. The active do commonly more than they are bound to do: The indolent do common. ly lefs. Juftice Juftice and Injuftice. Weighty is the anger of the righteous. Benevolence. Benevolence is allied to few vices; selfishnefs to fewer virtues. Miftake not the selfish, as if they only understood their own intereft. On the contrary, none err more widely from it. The good-natured man is the truly selfish. Benevolence procures a stock of friends and well-wishers, of greater value than a stock of money. These will be of conftant ufe and fatisfaction: Many times they bring relief in pinching neceffity, when riches prove vain and unferviceable. Gratitude. Faith and gratitude are mostly to be expected from those of your own rank. To the grateful every favour becomes 30 double; the ungrateful lofe the fingle through the pain of a return. Wrongs |