and the Indignities that are offer'd them; and Thefe reftlefs and diffatisfied with all its Applause. Both think the World envicus, and that their Merit is injur’d, and it is impossible to right either of them to their Minds; for Those have no Title to the Pretence of Merit, and these not so much as they think they have. Yet it is the happiness of the first, that they think themselves capable of moving Envy; for tho' they commonly mistake the Derifion of Men, for their Applause, yet Men are fometimes fo ill-natur'd as to undeceive 'em, and then it is their comfort, that these are envious men, and mifreprefent the World's Opinion of 'em.

II.* Vanity is a Failing the greatest part of Mankind are tinctur'd with more or lefs. For all Men are apt to flatter themselves with a Fancy, that they have some one or more good Qualities, that raife 'em above the ordinary level, and therefore hug and cherish what they think valuable and fingular in 'em. It is never commendable, fometimes pardonable, when the Excellencies are real, and it is moderate: So much must be allow'd to human Frailty. It is ridiculous and intolerable when it is extravagant, mifplac'd, or groundless. It is always injudicious, and makes Men commonly dote on their Defects, and expose their Blemishes, which makes 'em more remarkable by the Care and Ornament bestow'd on them. It perfuades hard-favour'd and diftorted Fellows to drefs and value their Perfons; Cowards to pretend to Courage, and promote Beatings; Blockheads to fet up for Wit, and make themselves ridiculous in Print; and Upstarts to brag of their Families, and be reminded of the Garrets they were Born in.

III. * All Humours that are forc'd against the natural Bent of our Tempers, must be ridiculous. Nature is our beft Guide, and has fitted every Man for fome Things more particularly than others; which if they had the Senfe to profecute, they would at leaft not be ridiculous, if they were not Extraordinary. But fo prevalent are our Vanity, and the apith Humour of Imitation, that wo perfuade our felves that we may practice with applaufe, whatever we fee another fucceed in. So fome Men that talk well of ferious matters, are fo mov'd at the Reputation fome merry Drolls gain, that they forget their Gravity, and aiming to be Wits turn Buffoons.

IV. Self-Conceit is none of the smallest Bief"C fings we have receiv'd from Heaven: For few of us would have Courage enough to dare to live, if our Vanity did not draw a Veil over the most confiderable of our Failings.

*

V. Few Men pleafe us, I grant it: But then we please as few.

VI. We ought not to prefume that we please in all Things, fince it would be fufficient if we could please in fome.

VII. They that speak without Vanity, are contented with faying but little.

VIII. The Pomp and Solemnity of Funerals, is not fo much to do Honour to the Dead, as to gratify the Vanity of the Living.

IX. If Vanity does not quite over-turn Virtue, yet it gives it terrible Shocks, and keeps it in a tottering Condition.

X. We cannot bear with other People's Vanity, because it is offenfive to our own,

XI. The strongest Paffions fometimes remit of their Violence; but Vanity toffes and hurries Men continually.

XII. The generality of Men fpeak ill of other People, rather out of Vanity than Malice.

XIII. Vanity prevails with us to deny our felves, more than Reafon can do.

XIV. We are all of us defirous to live in the Opinion of others, by a fantastical fort of Life: If we are Generous, Honeft, Temperate, &c. we prefently endeavour to acquaint others with it, to join thofe Virtues to that external and imaginary Being of ours; we would fooner part with our best Qualities, than with that Chimæra; and could be content to be Cowards, fo we might get the Reputation of being Valiant.

XV. We do sometimes, out of Vanity or Decency, what we could do out of Inclination and Duty. How many a Man has catch'd his Death, by fitting up with a fick Wife that he did not love!

XVI. Vanity makes a Man find his Pleasure and Satisfaction, in speaking either well or ill of himfelf: A modeft Man never speaks of himself at all.

XVII. Nothing fo much betrays how ridiculous and shameful a Vice Vanity is, as its not daring to fhew its felf, but under the appearance of its Contrary.

XVIII. Vanity, and the good Opinion we have of our felves, make us often think that other People are Proud and flight us, when there is no fuch thing. A modeft Perfon is never troubled with thole Niceties,

Virtue,

I.

Virtue, Vice.

Reat Vices are difguis'd under the RefemI blance of eminent Virtues.

G

II. What we take for Virtue, is frequently nothing else but the Concurrence of several Actions and Interefts, gather'd and brought together either by Fortune, or our own Induftry. It is not always from a Principle of Valour that Men are Stout, or from a Principle of Modesty that Women are Chaft.

III. Some Vices are mingled with Virtue, juft as poisonous Ingredients are pui fometimes into the beft Medicines. A wife and skilful Hand tempers them together, and makes excellent ufe of them against the Misfortunes that attend Human Life.

IV. We generally run Vice down, and ery up Virtue, according to our Interefts.

V: Nature feems at each Man's Birth to have mark'd out the Bounds of his Vertue and Vices.

VI. Vices may be faid to take us one after another, in the courfe of our Lives, just as Inn-keepers, where we lodge upon a Journey, do. And I queftion whether the Experience of having been ill as'd, would prevail with us to change our Houfe, if we could travel the fame Road over again.

VII. When Vices leave us, we flatter our felves that we leave them.

VIII. There are Relapfes in the Distempers of the Soul, as well as in the Difeafes of the Body; and we often take that for a full Recovery,

Y 4

which

which is only a Relaxation, or an Alteration of the Fit

IX. The multiplicity of Vices, keep often a Man from giving himself over entirely to one.

X. Some Perfons are fo extreamly Trifling and inconfiderable, that they are as far from real Faults, as they are from fubftantial Virtues.

XI. Virtue would feldom make fuch Advances, did not Vanity bear it Company.

XII. Hyprocrifie is a fort of Homage, which Vice pays to Vertue.

XIII. There is no better Proof of a Man's being truly Good, than his defiring to be conftantly under the Obfervation of Good Men.

XIV. Tho' Men be never fo wicked, yet they have not the Confidence to profefs themselves Enemies to Vertue; and when they perfecute it, they either pretend not to think it real, or forge fome Faults to lay them to its Charge.

XV. Some Good Qualities degenerate into Vices, when Natural; and others again are never perfect, when acquired; as for Inftance: A Man fhould learn Good-Husbandry in his Eftate, and his Confidences from Reafon and Experience; and, on the other fide, Courage and Good-Nature must be innate with us, or elfe we can never have them in a good degree.

XVI. Our Qualities are doubtful and uncertain, and apt to be either Good or Evil, according to our Circumstances.

XVII. When Great Men think to impose upon the World by the fhew of Virtue, it is of ill confequence to work them out of their Conceit; for by that means we take away that pique of Honour, which prompts them to do thofe good Actions, that are agreeable to the Virtues they pretend to.

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