Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Faults proceed not from Choice or Inclination, but from ftrong Paffions and Appetites, which are in Youth too violent for the Curb of Reafon, good Senfe, good Manners, and good Nature. He is a poor unwieldy Wretch that commits Faults out of the Redundance of his good Qualities: His Defires run away with him through the Strength and Force of a lively Imagination, which hurries him on to unlawful Pleafures, before Reafon has Power to come in to his Refcue. There is not a Being under the Sun fo miferable as this: He goes on in a Purfuit he himself difapproves ; and has no Enjoyment, but what is followed by Remorse; no Relief from Remorfe, but the Repetition of his Crime.

This is the Character of a Rake; and every Man of thorough Gallantry is a zealous Pretender to it. We should labour to affume no Gallantry, but that of Spirit, which is ftiled Magnanimity and Greatness of Soul; an Air of doing great and good Offices; a Pleasure in exercifing our Virtues, and drawing them out to Light for the Service of Mankind. This is Gallantry, this is Elegance of Action; and the other, only called fo by Fashion and Folly, is but a poor and mean Imitation of Vice in Dif guife.

[blocks in formation]

DAY

COURAGE

AND

HONOUR.

COURAGE and Honour are two Quali

ties very effential to our Characters in the World, yet often mistaken by the Conftructions which are put upon them. The former is a Quality which we have from Nature; the latter is to be acquir'd and cherish'd by Rule and Difcipline.

I fhall confider Honour as two-fold; as a Fortitude of Soul, and an Inclination to Honesty In the latter Senfe, it stands for Justice, fair Dealing, and Uprightness of Actions. The old Academics laid it down for a Principle, That when Profit and Justice came to a Competition, the latter fhould always carry it. This did not fatisfy Tully: He has ftated the Cafe higher, and determined, That every thing that was boneft, was for a Man's Intereft; and that nothing

unjust

unjust could poffibly be ferviceable. Justice is the Cement of the World: All Societies ftand upon this Bafis; and therefore Fraud and Violence are every where punish'd No Advantage can countervail the Lofs of Honesty He that difpenfes with Justice and clear Dealing, degrades himself to a Brute, though he does not go upon Allfour: For what fignifies the Diversity of Shape, when the Qualities are the fame ? In fhort, Honesty is the Support of Commerce; and even Knaves would be undone without it.

To do as we would be done by, our Bleffed Saviour tells us, is the Law and the Prophets; that is, it contains the Sense, includes the Compafs, and obliges to the fame moral Duties which they do. The Meaning of Honesty may be easily known, if a Man is but willing to be inform❜d. To acquit our felves fairly in this Matter, there's generally required no great Reach of Thought, no refin❜d Understanding, no Advantage of Education. We need not turn over the Pandes, nor tire ourselves with Statutes and Reports: 'Twas the Difhonefty, more than the Weakness of Mankind, which occafion'd thefe Volumes. Did not defigning Men make it their Bufinefs to start Ambiguities, to entangle Property, and lay in wait to deceive, moft People might be their

G 6

their own Lawyers. If in doubtful Cafes they would ask their Reafon a few Quefti. ons, and try their Ufage of their Neighbours upon themselves, the World would feldom have any juft Ground to complain

of them.

Was this Rule generally obferved, did People do as they would be done by, the World would have quite another Face. What inviolable Friendship might we then expect? What Exactness in Commerce? What Eafinefs in Converfation? Want would be in a great measure removed, and Envy thrown out of Society. The Poor would not steal from the Rich; nor the Rich ftarve the Poor. There would be no fuch thing as Fraud and Oppreffion; no fecret Mischiefs, or open Barbarities: No Sallies of Ambiti on, no grafping at forbidden Greatness, to difturb the World. What Largeness of Mind, what Harmony of Humours, what Peace in Families and Kingdoms would this one Maxim produce? Upon this Principle public Quarrels would be easily reconciled there would be no leading into Captivity, no complaining in our Streets: Men might then beat their Swords into PlowShares, and their Spears into Pruning-books, Nation would not rife against Nation, neither would they learn War any more; but Justice

would

would run down like Water, and Righteouf ness like a mighty Stream.

To define a Man who is rightly honest, is to speak of one who looks not to what he might do, but what he should. Justice is his faft Guide, and the fecond Law of his Actions is Expedience. He had rather complain than offend; and hates Offence more for the Indignity of it than the Danger. He hath but one Heart; and that lies open to Sight And were in not for Difcretion, he never thinks aught whereof he would avoid a Witnefs. All his Dealings are fquare and above-board; he discovers the Fault of what he would fell; reitores the over-feen Gain of a falfe Reckoning; and efteems a Bribe venemous, though it comes gilded over with the Colour of Gratuity. HisCheeks are never ftained with the Blushes of Recantation; nor does his Tongue faulter to make good a Lye, with the fecret Gloffes of double or referved Senfes. His Ear is the Sanctuary of his abfent Friend's Name, of his prefent Friend's Secret ; neither of them can mifcarry in his Truft. His fair Conditions are without diffembling, and he loves Actions above Words; hates Falfehood worse than Death; is a faithful Client of Truth, and no Man's Enemy; it is doubtful, whether he is more another Man's Friend, or his own; and, to conclude his Commend

« AnteriorContinuar »