as it were, break loofe upon them. The Cafe is very different with Men of Senfe and Solidity; for, paffing from Minority to Manhood, they alter not the Government, tho' they change the Governor. In the Room of the hir'd Inftructor of their Youth, they entertain that divine Guide and Governor of human Life, Reason, under whofe Subjection alone Men are properly faid to live in Freedom: For they only live at their own Will, who have learned to will as they ought; and that Freedom of Will which appears in unconftrained Appetites, and unreasonable Actions, is mean and narrow, and accompany'd with much Repentance. Florimel, perceiving Celadon to pause here, took the Opportunity to tell him, That his Declamation had, in her Opinion, all the Force and Vigour the Subject requir'd; that he, who could manage an Argument fo well at random, without the Aid of a' prefcrib'd Theme to regulate his Difcourfe, muft be capable of improving his Ideas, when directed to a certain proper Head; that the thought it was the Duty of such a Man to attempt the Reformation of his degenerate Sex; and fhe hop'd the Company would join with her, to lay him under an indifpenfable Obligation of affuming that Office. Celadon Celadon blufh'd, and bow'd at the Compliment; but was abfolutely for throwing off a Task, which he knew must be very troublefome to himself, and perhaps no lefs diftafteful to the World: He told Florimel, he was loth to fufpect fhe meant to banter him fo gravely; but that he rather fear'd she had entertain'd an Opinion of his Parts, which he was fatisfy'd his Performance could never anfwer; affur'd her that his Talk was like the wild Notes of Birds in the Woods, that could never be brought to any regular Mufic; and declar'd, as a Female Hand had fo excellently gone through one Part of the Defign, he thought it would be Infolence in one of his Sex to attempt its Counterpart, which fhe might, perhaps, at her Leifure, comply to profecute. Florimel again interpos'd here, and told him, That neither his own Modefty, nor the Uncertainty of that Expectation, could excufe him; that fhe now fpoke the Determination of the Affembly, who had elected him Speaker in the Caufe; and that no Fine could be accepted to difcharge him from the Service: That therefore farther Denials would be ufelefs; their Sentence was peremptory, and his Rhetoric expected on thofe Topics, out of which he could ftrike the most profitable Leffons for Human Life. B 3 Celadon Celadon found 'twas in vain to cavil at their Refolutions; but faid, It was very hard he muft ftand condemn'd when the Evidence on his Side had plainly brought him in not-guilty: However, if he must fubmit to the Sentence without Appeal, he fhould expect the Liberty of offering fome Terms of Compofition, which must be admitted in his Favour: He had heard that Diogenes, feeing a Youth devour his Victuals 100 greedily, gave his Tutor a Box on the Ear, and that defervedly, as judging it the Fault of him that had not taught, not of him that had not learn'd better Manners. I have very strong Apprehenfions, continu'd be, that I fhall deserve the Fate of the aukward Pedant. The World will be fo little improv'd by my Tuition, that the Blame will naturally fall more upon the Impotence of my Difcipline, than the Depra vity of my Scholars. But if I must affume the Philofopher, and, like the Afs in the Proverb, carry Myfteries, depend upon it that I will make my Burthen as light as poffible; never put myself to the Trouble of communicating my Thoughts in new Language, whenever I can recollect the fame Notions better exprefs'd to my Hand, but tranfplant the Obfervations of the Polite, to make amends, as often as I can, for my Imperfection. And I fhall expect this far ther ther Indulgence from my Audience, that having receiv'd the general Heads of Things, they would fupply the reft by their own Industry, and make their Reafon and Memoirs the Guides to their own Invention and Improvement. For People should look on the Difcourfe of others only as a kind of first Principle or Seed, which they must take care to cherish and increase. For the Mind, fays Plutarch, requires not, like an earthen Vessel, to be fill'd up; convenient Food and Aliment, only will inflame it with a Defire of Knowledge, and ardent Love of Truth. Now, as he that comes to borrow Fire, if he ftay too long warming himself with his Neighbour, oftentimes disappoints his own Bufinefs; fo the Man that comes to be inftructed by another, if he think not himself oblig'd to fet fire (if I may fo call it) to his own Invention, and exert his own Faculties, he may get the Name of a Proficient, as we get a Colour by fitting by the Fire, but fhall never difpel the Darkness of his Understanding by the Light of foreign Precepts. The Company fat fo filent and attentive, that Celadon began to think he was already turn'd Declaimer; and, ftopping fhort, with fome Confufion, begg'd Leave to withdraw, and furnish himself by Contemplation with the Materials he fhould want in the B 4 |