rection in Sacred Writ, and to compare our Lives with the Life of that Person who acted up to the Perfection of Human Nature, and is the standing Example, as well as the great Guide and Instructor, of those who receive his Doctrines. Though these two Heads cannot be too much infifted upon, I fhall but just mention them, fince they have been handled by many Great and Eminent Writers.

I would therefore propofe the following Methods to the Confideration of fuch as would find out their fecret Faults, and make a true Estimate of themselves.

IN the first Place, let them confider well what are the Characters which they bear among their Enemies. Our Friends very often flatter us, as much as our own Hearts. They either do not fee our Faults, or conceal them from us, or foften them by their Reprefentations, after fuch a manner, that we think them too trivial to be taken notice of. An Adverfary, on the contrary, makes a ftricter Search into us, difcovers every Flaw and Imperfection in our Tempers, and though his Malice may fet them in too ftrong a Light, it has generally fome Ground for what it advances. A Friend exaggerates a Man's Virtues, an Enemy inflames his Crimes. A wife Man fhould give a juft Attention to both of them, fo far as they may tend to the Improvement of one, and the Diminution of the other. Plutarch has written an Effay on the Benefits which a Man may receive from his Enemies, and, among the good Fruits of Enmity, mentions this in particular, that by the Reproaches which it cafts upon us we see the worst fide of our selves, and open our Eyes to feveral Blemishes and Defects in our Lives and Converfations, which we should not have obferved, without the Help of fuch ill-natured Monitors.

IN order likewife to come at a true Knowledge of our felves, we fhould confider on the other hand how far we may deferve the Praises and Approbations which the World bestow upon us: whether the Actions they celebrate proceed from laudable and worthy Motives; and how far we are really poffeffed of the Virtues which gain us Applause among thofe with whom we converfe. Such a Reflection is abfolutely neceffary, if we confider how apt we are either to value or condemn our felves by the Opi

nions of others, and to facrifice the Report of our own Hearts to the Judgment of the World.

IN the next Place, that we may not deceive our selves in a point of fo much Importance, we fhould not lay too great a Strefs on any fuppofed Virtues we poffefs that are of a doubtful Nature: And fuch we may efteem all those in which Multitudes of Men diffent from us, who are as good and wife as our felves. We fhould always act with great Cautioufnefs and Circumfpection in Points, where it is not impoffible that we may be deceived. Intemperate Zeal, Bigotry and Perfecution for any Party or Opinion, how praife-worthy foever they may appear to weak Men of our own Principles, produce infinite Calamities among Mankind, and are highly Criminal in their own Nature; and yet how many Perfons eminent for Piety fuffer fuch monftrous and abfurd Principles of Action to take Root in their Minds under the Colour of Virtues? For my own part, I muft own I never yet knew any Party fo juft and reasonable, that a Man could follow it in its Height and Violence, and at the fame time be innocent.

WE fhould likewise be very apprehenfive of those Actions which proceed from natural Conftitution, favourite Paffions, particular Education, or whatever promotes our worldly Intereft or Advantage. In thefe and the like Cafes, a Man's Judgment is easily perverted, and a wrong Bias hung upon his Mind. Thefe are the Inlets of Prejudice, the unguarded Avenues of the Mind, by which a thousand Errors and fecret Faults find Admiffion, without being obferved or taken notice of. A wife Man will fufpect those Actions to which he is directed by fomething befides Reason, and always apprehend fome concealed Evil in every Resolution that is of a difputable Nature, when it is conformable to his particular Temper, his age, or Way of Life, or when it favours his Pleasure or his Profit.

THERE is nothing of greater Importance to us than thus diligently to fift our Thoughts, and examine all these dark Receffes of the Mind, if we would establish our Souls in fuch a folid and fubftantial Virtue as will turn to Account in that great Day, when it must stand the Test of infinite Wisdom and Justice.

I fhall

I fhall conclude this Effay with obferving that the two kinds of Hypocrify I have here spoken of, namely that of deceiving the World, and that of impofing on our felves, are touched with wonderful Beauty in the hundred thirty ninth Pfalm. The Folly of the firft kind of Hypocrify is there fet forth by Reflections on God's Omniscience and Omniprefence, which are celebrated in as noble Strains of Poetry as any other I ever met with, either Sacred or Profane. The other kind of Hypocrify, whereby a Man deceives himself, is intimated in the two last Verses, where the Pfalmift addreffes himfelf to the great Searcher of Hearts in that emphatical Petition; Try me, O God, and feek the ground of my Heart; prove me, and examine my Thoughts. Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlafting.

No. 400.

I

Monday, June 9.

Latet Anguis in Herba. Virg. Ecl. 3. v. 93There's a Snake in the Grass. [English Proverb.] T fhould, methinks, preferve Modefty and its interests in the World, that the Tranfgreffion of it always creates Offence; and the very Purposes of Wantonnefs åre defeated by a Carriage which has in it fo much Boldness, as to intimate that Fear and Reluctance are quite extinguish'd in an Object which would be otherwife defirable. It was faid of a Wit of the last Age.

Sidney has that prevailing gentle Art,
Which can with a refiftlefs Charm impart
The loofeft Wifbes to the chafteft Heart;
Raife fuch a Conflict, kindle fuch a Fire,
Between declining Virtue and Defire,
That the poor vanquish'd Maid diffolves away
In Dreams all Night, in Sighs and Tears all Day.

}

THIS prevailing gentle Art was made up of Complaifance, Courtship, and artful Conformity to the Mo

defty

defty of a Woman's Manners. Rufticity, broad Expreffion, and forward Obtrufion, offend thofe of Education, and make the Tranfgreffors odious to all who have Merit enough to attract Regard. It is in this Tafte that the Scenary is fo beautifully ordered in the Defcription which Antony makes, in the Dialogue between him and Dolabella, of Cleopatra in her Barge.

Her Galley down the Silver Cidnos row'd;

The Tackling Silk, the Streamers wav'd with Gold;
The Gentle Winds were lodg'd in purple Sails;
Her Nymphs, like Nereids, round her Couch were plac'd,
Where fhe, another Sea-born Venus, lay;
She lay, and lean'd her Cheek upon her Hand,
And caft a Look fo tanguifhingly feet,

As if fecure of all Beholders Hearts,

Neglecting he could take them. Boys like Cupids
Stood fanning with their painted Wings the Winds
That play'd about her Face: but if she smil'd,
A darting Glory feem'd to blaze abroad,
That Mens defiring Eyes were never weary'd,
But bung upon the Object. To foft Flutes
The Silver Oars kept Time; and while they play'd,
The Hearing gave new Pleafure to the Sight,
And both to Thought

HERE the Imagination is warmed with all the Objects prefented, and yet there is nothing that is luscious, or what raises any Idea more loofe than that of a beautiful Woman set off to Advantage. The like, or a more delicate and careful Spirit of Modefty, appears in the following Paffage in one of Mr. Philips's Pastorals.

Breathe foft ye Winds, ye Waters gently ficw,

Shield her ye

Trees, ye

Flow'rs around her
Ye Swains, I beg you, pass in Silence by,
My Love in yonder Vale afleep does lie.

grow,

DESIRE is corrected when there is a Tenderness or Admiration expreffed which partakes the Paffion. Licentious Language has fomething brutal in it, which difgraces Humanity, and leaves us in the Condition of the Savages in the Field. But it may be afk'd to whatgood Ufe can tend a Discourse of this Kind at all? It is VOL. VI.

B

to

to alarm chafte Ears against fuch as have what is above called the prevailing gentle Art. Mafters of that Talent are capable of clothing their Thoughts in fo foft a Drefs, and fomething fo diftant from the fecret Purpose of their Heart, that the Imagination of the Unguarded is touched with a Fondness which grows too infenfibly to be refifted. Much Care and Concern for the Lady's Welfare, to feem afraid left she should be annoyed by the very Air which furrounds her, and this uttered rather with kind Looks, and expreffed by an Interjection, an Ah, or an Oh, at fome little Hazard in moving or making a Step, than in any direct Profeffion of Love, are the Methods of fkilful Admirers: They are honeft Arts when their Purpose is fuch, but infamous when mifapplied. It is certain that many a young Woman in this Town has had her Heart irrecoverably won, by Men who have not made one Advance which ties their Admirers, tho' the Females languish with the utmoft Anxiety. I have often, by way of Admonition to my Female Readers, given them Warning against agreeable Company of the other Sex, except they are well acquainted with their Characters. Women may difguise it if they think fit, and the more to do it, they may be angry at me for faying it; but I fay it is natural to them, that they have no manner of Approbation of Men, without fome Degree of Love: For this Reason he is dangerous to be entertain'd as a Friend or Vifitant, who is capable of gaining any eminent Efteen or Obfervation, though it be never fo remote from Pretenfions as a Lover. If a Man's Heart has not the Abhorrence of any treacherous Defign, he may eafily improve Approbation into Kindness, and Kindness into Paffion. There may poffibly be no manner of Love between them in the Eyes of all their Acquaintance; no, it is all Friendship; and yet they may be as fond as Shepherd and Shepherdefs in a Paftoral, but ftill the Nymph and the Swain may be to each other no other, I warrant you, than Pylades and Oreftes.

When Lucy decks with Flowers her fuelling Breaft, And on her Elbow leans, diffembling Reft,

Unable to refrain my madding Mind,

Nor Sleep nor Paflure worth my Care I find.

Once