agements. Look for them, and with a magnanim courage overlook them. Some have observed, that the most concealed, a yet the most violent of all our passions, is, usual that of idleness. It lays adamantine chains of de and of darkness upon us. It holds in chains, that c not be shaken off, all our other inclinations, howe impetuous. That no more mischief is done in t world is owing in great measure to a spontane lassitude on the minds of men, as well as that no mo good is effected by them. A Pharaoh will do us wrong if he tell us, "Ye are idle, ye are idle !" V have usually more strength to do good, than we ha inclination to employ it. Sirs, "Be up and be ing!" It is, surely, too soon for an "Hic situs est." If you meet with vile ingratitude from those who you have laid under the most weighty obligations; not wonder at it. Into such a state of turpitude man fallen, that he would bear any weight rather th that of obligation. Men will acknowledge small ob gations; but return wonderful malice for such as a extraordinary. They will render it a dangerous thi to be very charitable and beneficent. Communiti will do it as well as individuals. Excess of dese turns at length into a kind of demerit. Men w sooner forgive great injuries than great services. I that built a matchless castle for the Poles, for his ward, had his eyes put out, that he might not bui such another. Such things are enough to make o sick of the world; but, my friend, they should n make thee sick of essays to do good in the world. Conformity to thy Saviour, and a communion wi him, will be sufficient to carry thee through all! It will be impossible to avoid ENVY, "For a rig work," and for a good one, and especially if a man many such," he shall be envied of his neighbour." It is almost incredible what power there is in the pride of men to produce detraction! pride, working in a sort of impatience, that any man should be, or do nore than themselves. "The minds of men," as one ays, "have got the vapours; a sweet report of any one throws them into convulsions; a foul one refreshes them." You must bear all the outrage of it; and there is but one sort of revenge to be allowed you. "There is not any revenge more heroical, than that which torments envy, by doing good." It is a surprising passage, which a late French author has given us ; "That a man of great merit is a kind of public enemy. And that by engrossing a multitude of applauses, which would serve to gratify a great many others, he cannot but be envied; and that men naturally hate, what they highly esteem, yet can not love." But my readers, let us not be surprised at it. You have read, who suffered the ostracism at Athens; and what a pretty reason the country fellow offered why he gave his voice for the banishment of Aristides: "Because he was every where always called The Just:" and for what reason the Ephori laid a fine on Agesilaus; "Because he possessed, above all other men, the hearts of the Lacedæmonians." You have read the reason why the Ephesians expelled the best of their citizens;"If any are determined to excel their neighbours, let them find another place to do it."* You have read that he, who conquered Hannibal, saw it necessary to retire from Rome, that the merit of others might be more noticed. My authors tell me, that, "At all times nothing has been more dangerous among men than too illustrious a degree of merit." But, my readers, the terror of this envy must not intimidate you. I must press you to do good, and be so far from affrighted at it, you shall rather be generously delighted with the most envious deplumations. I wish I may prove a false prophet when I foretel one discouragement more which you will have to * Nemo de nobis unus excellat; sed si quis extiterit, alio in loco, et apud alios sit. It is a thing of late started, that the way of banter a ridicule, or, the "Bartholomew-Fair-method," as th call it, is a more effectual way to discourage all go ness, and put it out of countenauce, than fire and fa got. No cruelties are so insupportable to humani as "cruel mockings." It is extremely probable th the devil being somewhat chained up, in sever places, from other ways of persecution, will more tha ever apply himself to this. Essays to do good sha be derided with all the art and wit that he can inspi into his Janazaries: (a yani-cheer, or, a new orde the grand seignior of hell has instituted.) Exquisi profaneness and buffoonery shall try their skill laugh people out of them. The men who abound i them shall be exposed on the stage; libels, and lam poons, and satires, the most poignant that ever wer invented, shall be darted at them; and pamphlets fu of lying stories be scattered, with a design to mak them ridiculous. "In this the devil may be discovere at work." The devil will try whether the fear of be ing laughed at will not scare a zeal to do good ou of the world. "But let this rather increase your bold ness and zeal."‡ Sirs, "Despise the shame," whateve "contradiction of sinners" you meet with; you know what example did so before you. "Quit you like men, be strong" you know who gives you the di rection. Say with resolution, "The proud have had me greatly in derision, yet have not I declined to do as much good as I could!" If you should arrive to a share in such sufferings, I will humbly "shew you mine opinion" about the best conduct under them : it is, neglect and contempt. I have a whole university on my side; the university of Helinstadt, upon a late * Ridiculum acri fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat res, Hic se aperit diabolus! abuse offered to it, had this noble passage in a declaration; "Resolved, that we use no other remedy in this affair, than a generous silence and a holy contempt.' Go on to do good; and Go well, comely in your going," like the noble creature, which "turneth not away for any." A life spent in industrious essays to do good will be your powerful and perpetual vindication. It will give you such a well-established interest in the minds where conscience is consulted, that a few squibbing, silly, impotent accusations, will never be able to extinguish it. If they ridicule you in their printed excursions, your name will be so oiled that ink will not adhere to it. I remember that Valerianus Magnus being abused by a Jesuit, who had laboured (by a "modest inquiry," you may be sure !) to make him ridiculous, made no other defence, but only on every stroke adjoined, "Mentiris impudentissime!" "It is a most impudent lie!" And such an answer might very truly be given to every line of some stories that I have seen elsewhere brewed by another, who is no Jesuit. But even so much answer to their folly is too much notice of it. It is well observed that " The contempt of such discourses discredits them, and takes away the pleasure from those that make them." And it is another observation, "That when they of whom we have heard very ill, are yet found upon trial to be very good, we naturally conclude that they have a merit which is troublesome to some other people." The rule then is, be very good; yea, do very much good; and cast a generous disdain upon contumelies ; the great remedy against them. If you want a pattern, I can give you an imperial one; it was Vespasian, who, when a person spake evil of him, said, "While I do nothing that merits reproach, these lies give me no uneasiness." And I am deceived if it be not an easy thing to be as honest a man as a Vespasian! * Visum fuit, non alio remedio, quam generoso silentio et pio contemptu, utendum nobis esse. Ego, cum nihil faciam dignum propter quod contumelia, afficiar mendacia nihil curo, Sirs! An unfainting resolution to do good, and ar unwearied well-doing, is that which is now urged upon you. And may this little bock be so happy, as herein to perform the office of a monitor to the reader. I do not find that I have spent so many weeks in composing the book, as Descartes, though a profound geometrican, spent in studying the solution of one geometrical question: yet the composure has exceeded the limits which I intended; and there is not a single proposal in it, which would not, if well pursued,. afford a more solid and durable satisfaction to the mind, than the solution of all the problems in Euclid, or in Pappus. It is a vanity in writers to compliment the readers with, I am sorry it is no better." Instead of which, I freely tell my readers, "I have written what is not unworthy of their perusal." If I did not think so, truly, I would not publish it: for no man living has demanded it of me; it is not published to gratify the importunity of friends," as your authors are used to say; but it is to use importunity with others, in a point, on which I thought they needed it. And I will venture to say, there is not one whimsey in all my proposals. I propose no object con cerning which the conscience of every good man will not say, "It were well if it could be accomplished." That writer was in the right who said, "I cannot understand how any honest man can print a book,. and yet profess that he thinks none will be the wiser or better for the reading it." Indeed I own that my subject is worthy to be much better treated; and my manner of treating it is not such as to embolden me. to affix my name to it, as the famous painter Titian: did to his pieces, with, a double fecit fecit ? as much. as to say, Very well done!" and I must have utterly suppressed it, had I been of the same humour with Cimabus, another famous painter, who, if himself or any other detected the least fault in his pieces, would utterly destroy them, though he had bestowed a twelve-months pains upon them. Yet I will venture to say, the book is full of reasonable and serviceables 66 |