BOOK III.

DIDACTIC PIECES.

I

CHA P. I.

ON MODESTY.

KNOW no two words that have been more abufed by

the different and wrong interpretations which are put upon them, than these two, Modefty and Affurance. To fay, fuch a one is a modeft man, fometimes indeed paffes for a good character; but at present is very often used to fignify a fheepish aukward fellow, who has neither good breeding, politenefs, nor any knowledge of the world.

AGAIN, A man of affurance, though at first it only denoted a person of a free and open carriage, is now very ufaally applied to a profligate wretch, who can break through all the rules of decency and morality without a blush.

I SHALL endeavour therefore in this effay to reftore these words to their true meaning, to prevent the idea of Modefty from being confounded with that of Sheepishness, and to hinder Impudence from paffing for Affurance.

IF I was put to define Modefty, I would call it, The reflection of an ingenuous mind, either when a man has committed an action for which he cenfures himself, or fancies that he is exposed to the cenfure of others.

For this reafon a man truly modeft is as much fo when he is alone as in company, and as fubject to a blush in his closet, as when the eyes of multitudes are upon him.

I Do not remember to have met with any inftance of modefty with which I am so well pleased, as that celebrated one of the young Prince, whofe father, being a tributary king to the Romans, had several complaints laid against him before the fenate, as a tyrant and oppreffor of his subjects. The Prince went, to Rome to defend his father, but coming into the fenate, and hearing a multitude of crimes proved upon him, was fo oppreffed when it came to his turn to speak, that he was unable to utter a word. The story tells us, that the fathers were more moved at this inftance of modefty and ingenuity, than they could have been by the most pathetic oration; and, in fhort, pardoned the guilty father for this early promife of virtue in the fon.

I TAKE Affurance to be, The faculty of poffeffing a man's felf, or of faying and doing indifferent things without any uneafinefs or emotion in the mind. That which generally gives a man affurance, is a moderate knowledge of the world, but above all, a mind fixed and determined in itself to do nothing against the rules of honour and decency. An open and affured behaviour is the natural confequence of such a refolution. A man thus armed, if his words or actions are at any time misinterpreted, retires within himself, and from a confcioufnefs of his own integrity, affumes force enough to defpife the little cenfures of ignorance or malice.

EVERY one ought to cherish and encourage in himself the modefty and affurance I have here mentioned.

A MAN without affurance is liable to be made uneafy by the folly or ill-nature of every one he converfes with. A man without modefty is loft to all fenfe of honour and virtue.

Ir is more than probable, that the Prince above-mentioned poffeffed both these qualifications in a very eminent degree. Without affurance he would never have undertaken to speak before the moft auguft affembly in the world; without modesty he would have pleaded the caufe he had taken. upon him, though it had appeared ever so fcandalous.

FROM what has been faid, it is plain, that modefty and affurance are both amiable, and may very well meet in the fame perfon. When they are thus mixed and blended together, they compose what we endeavour to express when we fay a modest assurance; by which we understand the just mean between bafhfulness and impudence.

I fhall conclude with obferving, that as the fame man may be both modest and assured, so it is also poffible for the fame person to be both impudent and bashful.

We have frequent inftances of this odd kind of mixture in people of depraved minds and mean education; who though they are not able to meet a man's eyes, or pronounce a fentence without confufion, can voluntarily commit the greatest villainies, or moft indecent actions.

SUCH a perfon feems to have made a refolution to do ill even in spite of himself, and in defiance of all thofe checks and restraints his temper and complexion feem to have laid in his way.

UPON the whole, I would endeavour to establish this maxim, That the practice of virtue is the moft proper method to give a man a becoming affurance in his words and

actions.

actions. Guilt always feeks to fhelter itself in one of the extremes, and is fometimes attended with both.

SPECTATOR.

ΟΝ

СНА Р. ЇЇ.

CHEARFULNESS.

I of the

HAVE always preferred Chearfulness to Mirth.

mind. Mirth is fhort and tranfient, chearfulness fixed and permanent. Thofe are often raised into the greatest tranfports of mirth, who are fubject to the greatest depreffions of melancholy on the contrary, chearfulness, though it does not give the mind fuch an exquifite gladness, prevents us from falling into any depths of forrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; chearfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a fteady and perpetual ferenity.

MEN of auftere principles look upon mirth as too wanton and dissolute for a state of probation, and as filled with a certain triumph and infolence of heart that is inconfiftent with a life which is every moment obnoxious to the greatest dangers. Writers of this complexion have obferved, that the facred Perfon who was the great pattern of perfection was never seen to laugh.

CHEARFULNESS of mind is not liable to any of thefe exceptions; it is of a ferious and compofed nature; it does not throw the mind into a condition improper for the prefent ftate of humanity, and is very confpicuous in the characters of thofe who are looked upon as the greatest philofophers among the Heathens, as well as among those who have been

E 2

defe.vedly

defervedly esteemed as faints and holy men among Chrif

tians.

If we confider chearfulness in three lights, with regard to ourselves, to those we converse with, and to the great Author of our being, it will not a little recommend itself on each of these accounts. The man who is poffeffed of this excellent frame of mind, is not only eafy in his thoughts, but a perfect mafter of all the powers and faculties of his foul: his imagination is always clear, and his judgment undisturbed his temper is even and unruffled, whether in action or in folitude. He comes with a relifh to all those goods which nature has provided for him, tastes all the pleafures of the creation which are poured upon him, and does not feel the full weight of those accidental evils which may befal him.

:

If we confider him in relation to the perfons whom he converses with, it naturally produces love and good-will towards him. A chearful mind is not only difpofed to be affable and obliging, but raises the fame good-humour in those who come within its influence. A man finds himself pleased, he does not know why, with the chearfulness of his companion it is like a fudden sunshine that awakens a facred delight in the mind, without her attending to it. The heart rejoices of its own accord, and naturally flows out into friendship and and benevolence towards the perfon who has fo kindly an effect upon it.

WHEN I confider this chearful state of mind in its third relation, I cannot but look upon it as a conftant habitual gratitude to the Author of nature. An inward chearfulness is an implicit praise and thanksgiving to Providence under all its difpenfations. It is a kind of acquiefcence in the ftate

wherein