the wrong; which is but saying in other words, that he is wifer to-day than he was yesterday." WHEREVER I find a great deal of gratitude in a poor man, I take it for granted there would be as much generofity if he were a rich man. FLOWERS of rhetoric in fermons or serious difcourfes are like the blue and red flowers in corn, pleafing to those who come only for amusement, but prejudicial to him who would reap the profit. IT often happens that thofe are the best people, whose characters have been moft injured by flanderers: as we ufually find that to be the fweeteft fruit, which the birds have been picking at. THE eye of the critic is often like a microfcope; made fo very fine and nice, that it discovers the atoms, grains, and minuteft articles, without ever comprehending the whole, comparing the parts, or feeing all at once the harmony. MEN's zeal for religion is much of the same kind as that which they fhew for a foot-ball: whenever it is contefted for, every one is ready to venture their lives and limbs in the difpute; but when that is once at an end, it is no more thought on, but fleeps in oblivion, buried in rubbish, which no one thinks it worth his pains to rake into, much less to remove.. HONOUR is but a fictitious kind of honefty; a mean, but a neceffary fubftitute for it, in focieties who have none; it is a fort of paper credit, with which men are obliged to trade, who are deficient in the fterling cash of true morality and religion. PERSONS of great delicacy, should know the certainty of the following truth: there are abundance of cafes which occafion fufpenfe, in which whatever they determine they will repent of the determination; and this through a propenfity of human nature to fancy happiness in those fchemes which it does not purfue. B 6 THE THE chief advantage, that ancient writers can boast over modern ones, feems owing to fimplicity. Every noble truth and fentiment was expreffed by the former in a natural manner; in word and phrase fimple, perfpicuous, and incapable of improvement. What then remained for later writers, but affectation, witticifm, and conceit ? W НАТ CHAP. VIII. HAT a piece of work is man! how noble in reafon! how infinite in faculties! in form and moving how exprefs and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehenfion how like a god! IF to do, were as eafy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men's cottages princes palaces. He is a good divine who follows his own inftructions: I can eafier teach twenty what were good to be done, than to be one of the twenty to follow my own teaching. MEN's evil manners live in brafs; their virtues we write in water. THE web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together; our virtues would be proud, if our faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues. THE fenfe of death is most in apprehenfion; How far the little candle throws his beams! So fhines a good deed in a naughty world, LOVE all, truft a few, Do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy on sti Rather in power than in use: keep thy friendɔd ba Under thy own life's key be check'd for filence,n dou But never task'd for speech. THE cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces, And, like the bafelefs fabric of a vifion, Leave not a wreck behind! We are fuch stuff OUR indifcretion fometimes ferves us well, When our deep plots do fail; and that fhould teach us, Rough-hew them how we will. THE Poet's eyes, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; And as imagination bodies forth The form of things unknown, the Poet's pen Turns them to shape, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name. HEAVEN doth with us as we with torches do, As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, The smallest scruple of her excellence, But, like a thrifty gooddefs, fhe determines Both thanks and use. WHAT WHAT ftronger breaft-plate than a heart untainted? Thrice is he arm'd that hath his quarrel juft: And he but naked (tho' lock'd up in steel) CHAP. IX. OH, World, thy flippery turns: Friends now fast sworn, Whofe double bofoms feem to wear one heart, Whofe hours, whose bed, whose meal and exercise On a diffenfion of a doit, break out To bittereft enmity. So felleft foes, Whose paffions and whose plots have broke their fleep, To take the one the other, by fome chance, Some trick not worth an egg, fhall grow dear friends, And interjoin their iffues. So it falls out, That what we have we prize not to the worth, COWARDS die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taffe of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear; Will come, when it will come. THERE is fome foul of goodness in things evil, Would men obfervingly distil it out, For our bad neighbour makes us early stirrers: Which is both healthful and good husbandry ; O MOMENTARY grace of mortal men, Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!! Ready with every nod to tumble down Into the fatal bowels of the deep. WHO fhall go about To cozen fortune, and be honourable Without the stamp of merit ? Let none prefume To wear an undeferved dignity. Он who can hold a fire in his hand 'Tis flander, Whofe edge is fharper than the fword; whofe tongue Outvenoms |