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BOOK III.

DIDACTIC PIECES.

I

CHAP. I.

ON MODESTY.

KNOW no two words that have been more abused 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 sheepish, awkward fellow, who has neither good breeding, politeness, nor any knowledge of the world.

AGAIN, a man of affurance, though at firft only denoting a perfon of a free and open carriage, is now very ufually 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 restore these words to their true meaning, to prevent the idea of Modesty 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 fo 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 Senate, as a tyrant and oppreffor of his fubjects. The Prince went to Rome to defend his father, but coming into the Senate, and hearing a multitude of crimes proved upon him, was fo oppreffed when it came to his turn to fpeak, that he was unable to utter a word. The story tells us, that the fathers were more moved, at this inftance of modesty and ingenuity, than they could have been by the most pathetic oration; and, in short, pardoned the guilty father for this early promise of virtue in the fon.

I TAKE Affurance to be, the faculty of poffeffing a man's self, or of saying 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 fuch a refolution. A man thus armed, if his words or actions are at any time misinterpreted, retires within himself, and from a confcioufness 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 uneasy by the folly or ill-nature of every one he converfes with. Α man without modefty is loft to all fenfe of honour and virtue.

It is more than probable, that the Prince above-mentioned poffeffed both thefe qualifications in a very eminent degree. Without affurance he would never have undertaken to speak before the moft auguft affembly in the world; without modefty he would have pleaded the cause he had taken upon him, though it had appeared ever fo 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 compofe what we endeavour to express when we fay a modeft affurance; by which we understand the juft mean between bashfulness and impudence.

I SHALL conclude with observing, that as the fame man may be both modeft and assured; fo 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 sentence without confufion, can voluntarily commit the greatest villanies, 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 seem to have laid in his way.

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

actions,

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

SPECTATOR.

CHAP. II.

ON CHEERFULNESS.

I HAVE always preferred Cheerfulness to Mirth. The

latter I confider as an act, the former as a habit of the mind. Mirth is short and tranfient, cheerfulness fixed and permanent. Those are often raised into the greatest tranfports of mirth, who are fubject to the greatest depreffions of melancholy on the contrary, cheerfulness, 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 lightening, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of day-light in the mind, and fills it with a fteady and perpetual ferenity.

MEN of auftere principles look upon mirth as too wanton and diffolute for a state of probation, and as filled with a certain triumph and infolence of heart that is inconsistent 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.

CHEERFULNESS of mind is not liable to any of these 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 those who are looked upon as the greatest philofophers among the Heathens, as well as among those who have been

defervedly

deservedly esteemed as faints and holy men among Chriftians.

If we confider cheerfulness in three lights, with regard to ourfelves, to thofe we converfe with, and to the great Author of our being, it will not a little recommend itself on each of thefe accounts. The man who is poffeffed of this excellent frame of mind, is not only easy 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 relish to all thofe goods which nature has provided for him, taftes all the pleafures of the creation which are poured upon him, and does not feel the full weight of thofe 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 cheerful mind is not only difposed to be affable and obliging, but raifes the fame good humour in thofe who come within its influence. A man finds himself pleased, he does not know why, with the cheerfulness of his companion it is like a fudden sunshine that awakens a se-` cret delight in the mind, without her attending to it. The heart rejoices of its own accord, and naturally flows out into friendship and benevolence towards the perfon who has fo kindly an affect upon it.

WHEN I confider this cheerful ftate of mind in its third relation, I cannot but look upon it as a conftant habitual gratitude to the Author of Nature. An inward cheerfulness

is an implicit praise and thanksgiving to Providence under all its difpenfations. It is a kind of acquiefcence in the state wherein we are placed, and a secret approbation of the Divine Will in his conduct towards man.

A MAN

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