1

thrust yourself upon him, but let him send for you when he wants you. Do not pump for his secrets, but stay till he tells you them; nor offer him your advice unasked; nor repeat any thing of what passes between you, relating to family, or state affairs; nor boast of your intimacy with him; nor show yourself ready to sneak and cringe, or to make the enemy of mankind a present of your soul to oblige your patron. If your scheme be to make your fortune at any rate, put on your boots, and plunge through thick and thin.

It will vex you to lose a friend for a smart stroke of raillery; or the opinion of the wise and good, for a piece of foolish behaviour at a merry-making.

The more you enlarge your concerns in life, the more chances you will have of embarrassments.

Mankind generally act not according to right; but more according to present interest; and most according to present passion: by this key you may generally get into their designs, and foretell what course they will take.

In estimating the worth of men, keep a guard upon your judgment, that it be not biassed by wealth or splendour. At the same time, there is no necessity for treating with a cynical insolence, every person whom Providence hath placed in an eminent station, merely because your experience teaches you, that very few of the great are deserving of the esteem of the wise and good. Consider the temptations which besiege people of distinction, and render it almost impossible for them to come at truth; and make all reasonable allowances. If you see any thing like real goodness of heart in a person of high rank, admire it as an uncommon instance of excellence, which, in a more private station, would have risen to an extraordinary pitch.

Never write letters about any affair that has occasioned, or may occasion a difference: a difference looks bigger in a letter than in conversation.

Do not let one failure in a worthy and practicable scheme baffle you: the more difficulty the more glory.

If you do not set your whole thoughts upon a business, while you are about it, it is ten to one but you mismanage it if you set your affections immoveably upon worldly things you will become a sordid earth-worm.

Grief smothered preys upon the vitals; give it vent into the bosom of a friend: but take care that your friend be a person of approved tenderness; else he will not administer the balm of sympathy: of tried prudence; else you will not profit by his advice or consolation: and of experienced secrecy; else you may chance to find yourself betrayed and undone.

In public places be cautious of your behaviour: you know not who may have an eye upon you, and afterwards expose your levity or affectation where you would least wish it. Nothing can be imagined more nauseous than the public behaviour of many people, who make mighty pretensions to the elegancies of life. To go to church, to a tragedy, or an oratorio, only to disturb all who are within reach of your impertinence, shows a want, not only of common modesty and civility, but of common sense. If you do not come to improve, or to enjoy the entertainment, you can have no rational scheme in view. If you want to play off your fooleries, you have only to go to a rout, where you are sure nothing of sense or reasonable entertainment will have any place, and where consequently you can spoil nothing. As to indecencies in places of public worship, one would think the fear of being struck by the Power to whom such places are dedicated, would a little restrain the public impiety of some people.

Never disoblige servants if you can avoid it. Low people are often mischievous: and having lived with you, have it in their power to misrepresent and injure you.

The more servants you keep, the worse you will be served.

Great people think their inferiors do only their duty in serving them: And that they do theirs in rewarding their services with a nod or a smile. The lower part of mankind have minds too sordid to be capable of gratitude. It is therefore chiefly from the middle rank that you may look for a sense and return of kindness, or any thing worthy or laudable.

Do not let your enemy see that he has it in his power to plague you.

Beware of one who has been your enemy, and all of a sudden, no body knows how, or why, grows mighty loving and friendly.

In proposing your business, be rather too full, than too brief, to prevent mistakes. In affairs, of which you are a judge, make the proposal yourself. In cases which you do not understand, wait if possible, till another makes it

to you.

Be fearful of one you have once got the better of. You know not how you may have irritated him; nor how deeply revenge works in his heart against you. It is better not to seem to have got the advantage of your enemy when you have.

If you ask a favour, which you had some pretensions to, and meet with a refusal, it will be impolitic to show that you think yourself ill used. You will act a more prudent part in seeming satisfied with the reasons given. So you may take another opportunity of soliciting; and may chance to be successful: for the person you have obliged will, if he has any grace, be ashamed and puzzled to refuse you a second time.

If you are defamed, consider, whether the prosecution of the person who has injured you is not more likely to spread the report than to clear your innocence. If so, your regard for yourself, will teach you what course to take.

THE

DIGNITY

OF

HUMAN NATURE.

BOOK II.

OF KNOWLEDGE.

INTRODUCTION.

HAVING in the former book laid before the young reader a series of directions with regard to his conduct in most circumstances in life, which, if he will follow, supplying their deficiencies (as it is impossible to frame a system of prudentials that shall suit all possible cases without deficiency) by applying to the judicious and experienced for advice in all extraordinary emergencies, and by forming his conduct by the best rules and examples, he will have great reason to hope for success and credit in life, and to have even his disappointments and misfortunes ascribed, at least by the candid and benevolent, to other causes, rather than to error, or misconduct on his part; it follows next to proceed to the consideration of what makes another very considerable part of the dignity of human life, to wit, The improvement of the mind, by useful and ornamental knowledge.

It may be objected, that, as all our knowledge is comparatively but ignorance, it cannot be of much importance that we take the pains to acquire what is of so little consequence when acquired.

R

But it is to be observed, that our knowledge is said to be inconsiderable only in comparison with that of superior beings, and that what we can know is not to be named in comparison with what in the present state lies wholly out of our reach. And though this is the case not only of our shortsighted species, but also of the highest archangel in heaven, whose comprehension, being still finite, must fall infinitely short of the whole extent of knowledge, which in the Divine Mind is strictly infinite; yet I believe hardly any man can be found so weak as to despise the knowledge of an angel, or superior being, or who would not willingly acquire it, if it were possible.

If there is a certain measure of knowledge, which we are sure is attainable, because it has been attained by many of our own species, must we despise it because we know there are vast tracks of science to which human sagacity cannot reach? Must we fall out with our eyes because they cannot take in the ken of an angel? Must we resolve not to make use of them to see our way here on earth, because they are not acute enough to show us whether there are any inhabitants in the moon?

Truth may be compared to gold or diamonds in the mine, the smallest fragment of which is valuable. And if one had the offer of all the gold dust, or all the small diamonds of a mine, I believe he would hardly reject it, because he could not have the working of the rich vein wholly to himself. Truth is the proper object of the understanding, as food is the nourishment of the body. Less important truths are still worth searching for. Truths of great importance are worth any labour the finding them may cost.

It is, therefore, plainly one thing to be conceited of any acquisitions we can make in knowledge, and another, to, despise those that are within our power. There is no doubt but the most enlightened angel above, is less conceited of the vast treasures of knowledge he possesses, than a student in his first year at the university, is of the crude and indigested smattering he has gained. Nor is there any room to doubt, that knowledge is more esteemed by those sagacious beings who best know the value of it, than by our shortsighted species, who have gone such inconsiderable lengths in it.