a mean Action. Others are apt to attribute them to fome falfe End or Intention; and others purposely misrepresent or put a wrong Interpretation on them.

BUT the more to enforce this Confideration, we may obferve that thofe are generally moft unsuccessful in their Purfuit after Fame, who are most defirous of obtaining it. It is Saluft's Remark upon Cato, that the lefs he coveted Glory the more he acquired it.

MEN take an ill-natured Pleafure in croffing our Inclinations, and disappointing us in what our Hearts are most fet upon. When therefore they have discovered the paffionate Defire of Fame in the ambitious Man, (as no Temper of Mind is more apt to fhew it self) they become fparing and referved in their Commendations, they envy him the Satisfaction of an Applaufe, and look on their Praises rather as a Kindness done to his Person, than as a Tribute paid to his Merit. Others who are free from this natural Perverseness of Temper, grow wary in their Praises of one who fets too great a Value on them, left they fhould raise him too high in his own Imagination, and by confequence

re

remove him to a greater Distance from themselves.

BUT further, this Defire of Fame naturally betrays the ambitious Man into fuch Indecencies as are a leffening to his Reputation. He is ftill afraid left any of his Actions should be thrown away in private, left his Deferts should be concealed from the Notice of the World, or receive any Difadvantage from the Reports which others make of them. This often fets him on empty Boasts and Oftentations of himself, and betrays him into vain fantastick Recitals of his own Performances: His Difcourfe generally leans one Way, and whatever is the Subject of it, tends obliquely either to the detracting from others, or the extolling of himself. Vanity is the natural Weakness of an ambitious Man, which exposes him to the fecret Scorn and Derifion of those he converfes with, and ruins the Character he is fo induftrious to advance by it. For tho' his Actions are never fo glorious, they lose their Luftre when they are drawn at large, and fet to fhow by his own Hand; and as the World is more apt to find fault than to commend, the Boast VOL. VII.

G

will

will probably be cenfured when the great Action that occafioned it is for gotten.

BESIDES, this very Defire of Fame is looked on as a Meannefs and an Imperfection in the greatest Character. A folid and fubftantial Greatness of Soul looks down with a generous Neglect on the Cenfures and Applaufes of the Multitude, and places a Man beyond the little Noife and Strife of Tongues. Accordingly we find in our felves a fecret Awe and Veneration for the Character of one who moves above us in a regular and illuftrious Course of Virtue, without any regard to our good or ill Opinions of him, to our Reproaches or Commendations. As on the contrary, it is usual for us, when we would take off from the Fame and Reputation of an Action, to ascribe it to Vain-glory, and a Defire of Fame in the Actor. Nor is this common Judgment and Opinion of Mankind ill founded: for certainly it denotes no great Bravery of Mind to be work'd up to any noble Action by so selfish a Motive, and to do that out of a Defire of Fame, which we could not be prompted to by a difinterested

Love

Love to Mankind, or by a generous Paffion for the Glory of him that made

us.

THUS is Fame a thing difficult to be obtained by all, but particularly by those who thirst after it, fince most Men have fo much either of Ill-nature, or of Warinefs, as not to gratifie and footh the Vanity of the ambitious Man, and fince this very Thirft after Fame naturally betrays him into fuch Indecencies as are a leffening to his Reputation, and is it felf look'd upon as a Weakness in the greatest Characters.

IN the next place, Fame is eafily loft, and as difficult to be preferved as it was at first to be acquired. But this I

fhall make the fubject of a following

Paper.

74

G2

Monday,

CHIGIER GOLD 42143

N° 256. Monday, December 24.

Φήμη γάρ τε κακή πέλει κέρη μαὺ ἀέρα α Ρέα μάλ', αργαλέη φέρει

T

Hef.

WHERE are many Paffions and Tempers of Mind which naturally difpofe us to deprefs and villifie the Merit of one rifing in the Efteem of Mankind. All thofe who made their Entrance into the World with the fame Advantages, and were once looked on as his Equals, are apt to think the Fame of his Merits a Reflection on their own Indeferts; and will therefore take care to reproach him with the Scandal of fome paft Action, or derogate from the Worth of the present, that they may still keep him on the fame Level with themfelves. The like kind of Confideration often ftirs up the Envy of fuch as were once his Superiors, who think it a Detraction from their Merit to fee another get Ground upon them and overtake them in the Pursuits of Glory; and will

there