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practices, as fallying out into nocturnal exploits, breaking of windows, finging of catches, beating the watch, getting drunk twice a day, killing a great number of horfes; with many other enterprises of the like fiery nature: for certainly many a man is more rakish and extravagant than he would willingly be, were there not others to look on and give their approbation.

One very common, and at the fame time the most abfurd ambition that ever fhewed itself in human nature, is that which comes upon a man with experience and old age, the feafon when it might be expected he fhould be wifeft; and therefore it cannot receive any of those leffening circumftances which do, in fome meafure, excufe the diforderly ferments of youthful blood: I mean the paffion for getting money exclufive of the character of the provident father, the affectionate hufband, or the generous friend. It may be remarked, for the comfort of honeft poverty, that this defire reigns moft in those who have but few good qualities to recommend them. This is a weed that will grow in a barren foil. Humanity, good-nature, and the advantages of a liberal education, are incompatible with avarice. It is ftrange to fee how fuddenly this abject paffion kills all the noble fentiments and generous ambitions that adorn human nature; it renders the man who is over-run with it a peevish and cruel master, a severe parent, an unfociable hufband, a distant and mistrustful friend. But it is more to the prefent purpose to confider it as an abfurd paffion of the heart, rather than as a vicious affection of the mind. As there are frequent inftances to be met with of a proud humility, fo this paffion, contrary to most others, affects applaufe, by avoiding all fhow and appearance; for this reafon it will not fometimes endure even the common decencies of apparel. "A covetous man will call himself poor, "that you may footh his vanity by contradicting him." Love and the defire of glory, as they are the moft natural, fo they are capable of being refined into the most delicate and rational paffions. It is true, the wife man who strikes out of the fecret paths of a private life, for honour and dignity, allured by the fplendour of a court, and the unfelt weight of public employment, whether L 6

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he fucceeds in his attempts or no, ufually comes near enough to this painted greatnefs to discern the dawbing he is then defirous of extricating himself out of the hurry of life, that he may pafs away the remainder of his days in tranquillity and retirement.

It may be thought then but common prudence in a man not to change a better ftate for a worfe, nor ever to quit that which he knows he fhall take up again with pleafure; and yet if human life be not a little moved with the gentle gales of hopes and fears, there may be fome danger of its ftagnating in an unmanly indolence and fecurity. It is a known ftory of Domitian, that after he had poffeffed himself of the Roman empire, his defires turned upon catching flies. Active and mafculine fpirits in the vigour of youth neither can or ought to remain at reft. If they debar them felves from aiming at a noble object, their defires will move downwards, and they will feel themselves actuated by fome low and abje&t paffion. Thus if you cut off the top branches of a tree, and will not füffer it to grow any higher, it will not therefore ceafe to grow, but will quickly foot out at the bottom. The man indeed who goes into the world only with the narrow views of felf-intereft, who catches at the applaufe of an idle multitude, as he can find no folid contentment at the end of his journey, fo he deferves to meet with difappointments in his way; but he who is actuated by a noble principle, whofe mind is fo far enlarged as to take in the profpect of his country's good, who is enamoured with that praife which is one of the fair attendants of virtue, and values not thofe acclamations which are not feconded by the impartial teftimony of his own mind; who repines not at the low ftation which Providence has at prefent allotted him, but yet would willingly advance him felf by Juftifiable means to a more rifing and advantageous ground; fuch a man is warmed with a generous emylation ; it is a virtuous movement in him to wifh and to endeavour that his power of doing good may be equal to his will.

The man who is fitted out by nature, and fent into the world with great abilities, is capable of doing great good or mischief in it. It ought therefore to be the

care

care of education to infufe into the untainted youth early notices of juftice and honour, that fo the poffible advantages of good parts may not take an evil turn, nor be perverted to bafe and unworthy purposes. It is the bafinefs of religion and philosophy not fo much to extinguish our paffions, as to regulate and direct them to valuable well-chofen objects. When thefe have pointed out to us which courfe we may lawfully fteer, it is no harm to fet out all our fail; if the ftorms and tempefts of adversity should rise upon us, and not fuffer us to make the haven where we would be, it will however prove no fmall confolation to us in thefe circumflances, that we have neither, mistaken our courfe, nor fallen into calamities of our own procuring.

Religion therefore (were we to confider it no farther than as it interpofes in the affairs of this life) is highly valuable, and worthy of great veneration; as it fettles the various pretenfions, and otherwife interfering interefts of mortal men, and thereby confults the harmony and order of the great community; as it gives a man room to play his part, and exert his abilities; as it animates to actions truly laudable in themfelves, in their effects beneficial to fociety; as it infpires rational ambition, corrects love, and elegant defire.

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By Mr. John HUGHES. N° 467, Vol. VI. lettered Z. fuggefts a probable conjecture, that the character of Manilius there Anely drawn, was the tribute of Mr. John HUGHES's gratitude and friendship to Lord CowPER.

N° 225 Saturday, November 17, 1711.

I

Nullum numen abeft fi fit Prudentia

Juv. Sat. x. 365. "Prudence fupplies the want of every God."

Have often thought if the minds of men were laid open, we fhould fee but little difference between that of the wife man and that of the fool.

There

are infinite REVERIES, numberless extravagancies, and

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a perpetual train of vanities which pafs through both. The great difference is that the firft knows how to pick and cull his thoughts for converfation, by fuppreffing fome, and communicating others; whereas the other lets them all indifferently fly out in words *. This fort of difcretion, however, has no place in private converfation between intimate friends. On fuch occafions the wifeft men very often talk like the weakest; for indeed the talking with a friend is nothing else but

THINKING ALOUD.

Tully has therefore very juftly expofed a precept delivered by fome ancient writers, That a man should live with his enemy in fuch a manner, as might leave him room to become his friend; and with his friend in fuch a manner, that if he became his enemy, it fhould not be in his power to hurt him. The first part of this rule, which regards our behaviour towards an Enemy, is indeed very reasonable, as well as very prudential; but the latter part of which regards our behaviour towa ds a Friend, favours more of cunning than of difererion, and would cut a man off from the greatest pleasures of life, which are the freedoms of converfation with a bofom friend. Befides that when a friend is turned into an enemy, and, as the Son of Sirach calls him † a Bewrayer of Secrets," the world is just enough to accufe the perfidiousness of the friend, rather than the indifcretion of the perfon who confided in him.

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Difcretion does not only fhew itself in words, but in all the circumftances of action; and is like an underagent of Providence, to guide and direct us in the ordinary concerns of life.

There are many more fhining qualities in the mind of man, but there is none fo useful as DISCRETION; it is this indeed which gives a value to all the reft, which fets them at work in their proper times and places, and turns them to the advantage of the perfon who is poffeffed of them. Without it learning is pedantry, and wit impertinence; virtue itfelf looks

* The meaning is, a wife man thinks all that he says, and a fool fays all that he thinks.

Ecclus. vi. 9. xxvii, 17.

like weakness; the best parts only qualify a man to be more fprightly in errors, and active to his own prejudice.

Nor does Difcretion only make a man the mafter of his own parts, but of other mens. The difcreet man finds out the talents of thofe he converfes with, and. knows how to apply them to proper ufes. Accordingly if we look into particular communities and divifions of men, we may observe that it is the difcreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the converfation, and gives meafures to the fociety. A man with great talents, but void of difcretion, is like Polyphemus in the fable, ftrong and blind, endued with an irrefiftible force, which for want of fight is of no use to him.

Though a man has all other perfections, and wants Difcretion, he will be of no great confequence in the world; but if he has this fingle talent in perfection, and but a common fhare of others, he may do what he pleafes in his particular station of life.

At the fame time that I think Difcretion the most ufeful talent a man can be master of, I look upon Cunning to be the accomplishment of little, mean, ungenerous minds. Difcretion points out the nobleft ends to us, and pursues the moit proper and laudable methods of attaining them: Cunning has only private felfish aims, and ticks at nothing which may make them fucceed. Difcretion has large and extended views, and like a well-formed eye, commands a whole horizon Cunning is a kind of fhort-fightedness, that discovers the minuteft objects which are near at hand, but is not able to difern things at a distance. Difcretion, the more it is difcovered, gives a greater authority to the perfon who poffeffes it: Cunning, when it is once detected, lofes its force, and makes a man incapable of bringing about even thofe events which he might have done, had he paffed only for a plain man. Difcretion is the perfection of reafon, and a guide to us in all the duties of life; Cunning is a kind of inftit, that only looks out after our immediate intérest and welfare. Difcretion is only found in men of strong fenfe and good understandings: Cun

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