99 little confequence though he be neither attended to, nor approved of; or fo habituated to the idea of his own meannefs, fo funk in flothful and fottifh indifference, as intirely to have forgot the defire, and almost the very wish, for fuperiority.

CHA P. III.

Of the floical philofophy.

HEN we examine in this manner into

W the ground of the different degrees WH

of eftimation which mankind are apt to beftow upon the different conditions of life, we fhall find, that the exceffive preference, which they generally give to fome of them above others, is in a great measure without any foundation. If to be able to act with propriety, and to render ourselves the proper objects of the approbation of mankind, be, as we have been endeavouring to fhow, what chiefly recommends to us one condition above another, this may equally be attained in them all. The nobleft propriety of conduct may be fupported in adverfity, as well as in profperity; and though it is fomewhat more difficult in the firft, it is upon that very account more admirable. Perils and misfortunes are not only the proper fchool of heroifin, they are the only proper theatre which can exhibit its virtue to advantage, and draw upon it the full applaufe of the world. The man, whofe whole

H 2

whole life has been one even and uninterrupted course of profperity, who never braved any danger, who never encountered any difficulty, who never furmounted any distress, can excite but an inferior degree of admiration. When poets and romance-writers endeavour to invent a train of adventures, which fhall give the greatest luftre to those characters for whom they mean to intereft us, they are all of a different kind. They are rapid and fudden changes of fortune, fituations the most apt to drive those who are in them to frenzy and distraction, or to abject despair; but in which their heroes act with fo much propriety, or at least with so much spirit and undaunted refolution, as ftill to command our esteem. Is not the unfortunate magnanimity of Cato, Brutus, and Leonidas, as much the object of admiration, as that of the fuccefsful Cæfar or Alexander? To a generous mind, therefore, ought it not to be as much the object of envy? If a more dazzling fplendor feems to attend the fortunes of fuccefsful conquerors, it is because they join together the advantages of both fituations, the luftre of profperity to the high admiration which is excited by dangers encountered, and difficulties furmounted, with intrepidity and valour.

It was upon this account that, according to the ftoical philofophy, to a wife man all the different conditions of life were equal. Nature, they faid, had recommended fome objects to our choice, and others to our difapprobation.

approbation. Our primary appetites directed us to the purfuit of health, strength, ease, and perfection, in all the qualities of mind and body; and of whatever could promote or fecure these, riches, power, authority and the fame original principle taught us to avoid the contrary. But in chufing or rejecting, in preferring or poftponing, those first objects of original appetite and averfion, nature had likewise taught us, that there was a certain order, propriety, and grace, to be observed, of infinitely greater confequence to happiness and perfection, than the attainment of thofe objects themselves. The objects of our primary appetites or averfions were to be pursued or avoided, chiefly because a regard to this grace and propriety required fuch conduct. In directing all our actions according to these, confifted the happiness and glory of human nature. In departing from thofe rules which they prescribed to us, its greatest wretchednefs and most compleat depravity. The outward appearance of this order and propriety was indeed more eafily maintained in fome circumstances than in others. To a fool, however, to one whofe paffions were subjected to no proper controul, to act with real grace and propriety, was equally impoffible in every fituation. Though the giddy multitude might admire him, though his vanity might. fometimes be elated by their ignorant praises into fomething that refembled self-approbation, yet still when he turned his view to what paffed within his own breaft, he was fecretly

H 3

fecretly confcious to himself of the abfurdity and meannefs of all his motives, and inwardly blushed and trembled at the thoughts of the contempt which he knew he deferved, and which mankind would certainly bestow upon him if they faw his conduct in the light in which in his own heart he was obliged to regard it. To a wife man, on the contrary, to one whofe paffions were all brought under perfect fubjection to the ruling principles of his nature, to reafon and the love of propriety, to act fo as to deferve approbation was equally eafy upon all occafions. Was he in profperity, he returned thanks to Jupiter for having joined him with circumftances which were easily mastered, and in which there was little temptation to do wrong. Was he in adverfity, he equally returned thanks to the director of this fpectacle of human life, for having oppofed to him a vigorous athlete, over whom, though the conteft was likely to be more violent, the victory was more glorious, and equally certain. Can there be any shame in that diftrefs which is brought upon us without any fault of our own, and in which we behave with perfect propriety? There can, therefore, be no evil, but, on the contrary, the greatest good and advantage. A brave man exults in those dangers, in which, from no rashness of his own, his fortune has involved him. They afford an opportunity of exercising that heroic intrepidity, whofe exertion gives the exalted delight which flows from the confcioufnefs of fuperior propriety

and

and deserved admiration. One who is master of all his exercises has no averfion to measure his ftrength and activity with the strongest. And in the fame manner, one who is mafter of all his paffions, does not dread any circumstances in which the fuperintendent of the universe may think proper to place him. The bounty of that divine being has provided him with virtues which render him fuperior to every fituation. If it is pleasure, he has temperance to refrain from it; if it is pain, he has conftancy to bear it; if it is danger or death, he has magnanimity and fortitude to defpife it. He never complains of the destiny of providence, nor thinks the universe in confufion when he is out of order. He does not look upon himself, according to what felf-love would fuggeft, as a whole, separated and detached from every other part of nature, to be taken care of by itself, and for itself. He regards himself in the light in which he imagines the great Genius of human nature, and of the world regards him. He enters, if I may fay fo, into the fentiments of that Divine Being, and confiders himself as an atom, a particle, of an immense and infinite fystem, which muft, and ought to be difpofed of, according to the conveniency of the whole. Affured of the wifdom which directs all the events of human life, whatever lot befalls him, he accepts it with joy, fatisfied that, if he had known all the connexions and dependencies of the different H 4

parts