thing we fancy, or are afraid of lofing that which pleafes us: 'Tis because we can't form and fettle, change or continue, things, as faft as we can wifh: Becaufe we can't reward and punish at dif cretion, nor fix our felves and others in that Condition we have a mind to. 1 T " Philot. And fuppofing our Paffions were regularly manag'd, yet Unfurnish'd or Unfortify'd Circumftances must of neceffity occafion Uneafy Thoughts: And which way to difengage our felves is fomewhat paft my Skill to discover. To apply to Diverfion is not always in a Man's power: Matters are fometimes fo cross, they wo'n't admit of this Reme dy; And befides 'tis at the beft but a Pallating Cure: The Pain only fleeps for a little time, to awake with fresh Anguish upon you. These things, confider'd, I don't wonder to find the Spleen fo Com. mon a Distemper. Hoon Philal. You overlook the Divine Affiftance. Is not this fufficient to remove our Grievances, to fatisfy our Defires, and fecure us from our Fears? 13 Philot. If we cou'd be fure on't, you fay fomething.da 2: Philal. Let us but do our own part, and we can't fail of the Countenance of Heaven But of this more afterwards. quiris SI In In the mean time give me leave to tell $1 you, That Fretting and Melancholy is quite the wrong method; as I think I am able to make good from feveral Topicks. Philot. Since you feem inclin'd to ar I gue the Cafe at length, I fhall leave the Subject to you, only with a referve of Liberty to put in upon Occafion.olo 5 Philal. I fhall always be ready to hear your Objections: And now the Prelimi naries are agreed, I'll enter upon the Argument, arbre *** Lagy Awared ** First then, Anxiety and Difcontent won't mend our Affairs, but rather tends to make them worfe. 'Tis true, Industry and Contrivance are things which muft not be omitted: If we would be Profperous we must take care to put our Concerns in the beft pofture, *** and fet them in the Road to Success: 1 We must seize Opportunity, and purfuc $ " 1 7 ix. Difcontented Humour is powerful to difquiet, but it feldom has any force the right way. Indeed, if we could relieve our felves with our Spleen, if we could remove any Difficulties, or leffen any Jonah iv. Misfortune; then as Jonah fpeaks, we. did well to be angry. But alas! The Caufes of our Trouble are too firmly fix'd: They are not to be blown away with the Blaft of Paffion: The Strength of our Fears, and our Wishes can do us no fervice. The Husbandman may complain because he can't command the Sky, and make his own Weather; because the Sun does not shine, nor the Clouds drop when he would have them. For all that, his Chagrin has no influence upon the Air: All his Impatience can neither fray the Bortles of Heaven, nor bring down the former or the latter Rain. The Mariner may difturb himfelf because the Mark iv. Winds and the Sea will not obey him. But a Storm mithin contributes nothing to the laying one without. If we obferve, our Profperity depends in a great measure upon Infenfible Agents: It depends on the Quality of the Seafons, upon Wind and Weather, upon Fire and Water. Now thefe things are too deaf and inflexible to be moved with our Com plaints. Fretting 'tis true, may prey boustrow $ upon Job xxxviii. 37. 1 fl • upon the Health, and strike deep into 4 19 the Conftitution but 'tis not ftrong enough to command Abroad, or make any impreffion on the Body of Nature. And 'tis often to as little purpose to difquiet our felves at Falfhood, or Unfriendly Temper: Vexing at another's Knavery neither leffens our Lofs, nor makes the Man more Honeft: To fuffer. fenfibly by Morofenefs in Converfation, is feldom the way to fweeten a four Humour. An Ill-natur'd Perfon is glad to find himself in a condition to do execu tion upon his Neighbour's Quiet: And this malicious Pleafüre gives fresh encouragement to go on. And fince Men and Things are too crofs and inexorable to listen to our Complaints, to work by our Model, or be moulded to our Fancy, what is to be done in the Cafe? To perplex our selves about what we can't prevent, turns to no account: Is it not much wifer to draw towards indifference about the Event, and let the World take it's courfe? wwwi Philot. But as I told you at firft, when 3 Pr. Ixxiii. Lefs Senfe, profper in the World, and have Riches in poffeffion; is not this fufficient to raife the Spleen, and put them out of humour? 1047 4 . Philal. I think not: For fuppofing the Cafe rightly ftated between them and their Neighbours; fuppofing there's no Miftake, no Partiality in the Comparifon 'twill be beft however to ac quiefce in their Fate, and suppress their Repining. What if our Hopes are dafh'd, our Designs mifcarry, or our Fortunes wrefted from us? What if others profper beyond Defert, and mount even above the Vanity of their Wishes? Why if it happens thus, our growing mutinous, and Malecontents, wo'n't mend the matter: A Man is ne'er the Richer for lamenting his Poverty. Trouble and Difcontent will ne'er turn Misfortune into Succefs. When things fall out unluckily, they often bring fome neceffary Inconvenience along with them, fome Burthen which the Wifelt Management can't throw off: Is it not therefore great Indiscretion to ftrike in with the Calamity, to lay on more Load, and add Weight to that which S.Mat. vi. preffes too hard already? Sufficient for the Day is the Evil thereof. In fhort, either we can remedy that which makes us un eafy, |
