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I must turn them over to Horace, who has comprifed them all in one Line.

Omnibus Ariftippum decuit color, et ftatus, et res.
Secure his Sout preferv'd a conftant Frame,

Through ev'ry varying Scene of Life the fame." In the Court of the King. of Sicily, this wife Man enjoyed all the Delights that would have fatisfied a fenfual Mind; but it was the Ufe of these which fhewed him a true Philofopher. He was temperate in them, while he poffeffed them; and eafy without them, when they were no longer in his Power. In a Word, he had the Integrity of Diogenes, without his Churlishness; and as his Wisdom was useful to himself, so it rendered him agreeable to the reft of the World

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Ariftippus had many Pupils; but, for the regu lar Succeffion in his School, it has either not been recorded by the Greek Writers, or, at least, by of them that came to my hand. Among the Romans, indeed, this Kind of Knowledge was in the highest Esteem; and that at the Time when the Reputation of the Commonwealth was at its greateft Height. Scipio was lefs distinguished by the Laurels he acquired from foreign Conquefts, than by the Myrtle Garland he wore as a Profes for in this Art. The familiar Letters of Cicero are fo many fhort Lectures in our Science, and the Life of Pomponius Atticus a Praxis only on PeLite Philofophy.

I would not be fufpected to mention thefe great Names with an Intent to difplay my Learning à far be it from me to write a Satyr on the Age: All I aim at is, to convince the beaux efprits of our Times,

Times, that what I teach, they may receive without Difparagement, fince they tread thereby in the fame Road with the greatest Heroes of Antiquity; and, in this Way, at least emulate the Characters of Alexander and Cæfar. Or, if those old-fashioned Commanders excite not their Am-bition, I will venture to affure them, that, in this Track only, they will be able to approach the immortal. Prince Eugene; who, glorious from his Courage, and amiable from his Clemency, is yet lefs · distinguished by his Rank, than by his Politenefs,

After naming Prince Eugene, it would debase my Subject to add another Example. Ifhall proceed therefore to take Notice of fuch Qualities of the Mind as are requifite for my Pupils to have,, previous to the Receipt of thefe Inftructions.

But as Vanity is one of the greatest Impediments in the Road of a Polité Pbilofopher; and as he who takes upon him to be a Preceptor; ought,. at least, not to give an ill Example to his Scholars; it will not be improper for me to declare,, that, in composing this Piece, I had in my Eye that Precept of Seneca, Hæc aliis dic, ut dum dicis, audias; ipfe fcribe, ut dum fcripferis, legas. Which, for the Sake of the Ladies, I fhall tranf late into Englife; and into Verfe, that I may gra tify my own Propenfity to rhyming :

Speaking to Others, what you dictate bear ;~
And learn yourself, while teaching you appear.

Thus you fee me ftript of the ill-abeyed Autho rity of a Pedagogue; and are, for the future, to confider me only as a School-fellow playing the

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Mafter,

Master, that we may the better conquer the Diffi culties of our Task.

To proceed then in the Character, which, for my own Sake, as well as yours, I have put on, let me remind you, in the first Place,

That Reafan, however antique you may think it, is a thing absolutely necessary in the Composition of him who endeavours at acquiring a philofophical Politeness; and let us receive it as a Maxim, That without Reafan, there is no being a fine Gentleman.

However, to foften, at the fame Time that we yield to this Conftraint, I tell my 'blooming Audience with Pleafure, that Reason, like a Fop's Under-waistcoat, may be wore out of fight; and, provided it be but worn at all, I fhall not quarrel with them, though Vivacity, like a laced Shirt, be put over it to conceal it; for, to pursue the Comparison, our Minds fuffer no less from Indiscretion, than our Bodies from the Injuries of Weather.

Next to this, another out-of-the-way Qualifi cation must be acquired; and that is, Calmness. Let not the Smarts of the University, the Sparks. of the Side-boxes, or the genteel Flutterers of the " Drawing-room, imagine, that I will deprive them of thofe elevated. Enjoyments, drinking Tea with a Toaft, gallanting a Fan, or roving, like a Butterfly, through a Parterre of Beauties. No; I am far from being the Author of fuch fevere. Inftitutions; but am, on the contrary, willing to indulge them in their Pleafures, as long as they preferve their Senfes. By which I would be understood to mean, while they a& in Character,

and

and fuffer not a fond Inclination, an aspiring Va-nity, or a giddy Freedom, to transport them into the doing any thing, which may forfeit prefent Advantages, or entail upon them future Pain.

I fhall have frequent Occafion in the following Pages, to fhew from Examples, of what mighty Ufe Reafen, and an undisturbed Temper, are to Men of great Commerce in the World; and therefore fhall infift no farther on them here.

The last Difpofition of the Soul, which I shall mention, as neceffary to him who would become a Proficient in this Science, is Goodinature; a Quality, which, as Mr. Dryden faid in a Dedication. to one of the best-natured Men of his Time, deferves the highest Efteem, though, from an unac-. countable Depravity both of Taste and Morals, it meets with. the leaft. For, can there be anya thing more amiable in human Nature, than to think, to fpeak, and to do whatever Good lies in our Power unto all? No Man who looks upon the Sun, and who feels that Chearfulnefs which his Beams infpire, but would rather with himself like fo glorious a Being, than to resemble the Tiger, however formidable for its Fiercenefs, or the Serpent, hated for his hiffing, and dreaded for his Sting. Good-nature may, indeed, be made almost as diffufive as Day-light; but short are the Ravages of the Tiger, innocent the Bite of a Serpent,, to the Vengeance of a cankered Heart, or the Malice: of an envenomed Tongue.. To this let me add another Argument in Favour of this Benevolence of Soul; and farther Perfuafions will, I flatter.

myself,

myself, be unneceffary. Good-nature adorns every Perfection a Man is Master of, and throws a Veil over every Blemish, which would otherwise appear. In a Word, like a skilful Painter, it places his Virtues in the fairest Light, and cafts all his Foibles into Shade.

Thus, in a few Words, Senfe, Moderation, and Sweetness, are effential to a Polite Philofopher. And if you think you cannot acquire these, even lay my Book afide. But before you do that, indulge me yet a Moment longer. Nature denies the first to few; the fecond is in every Man's Power; and no . Man need be without the laft, who either values general Efteem, or is not indifferent to public Hate. For, to fay Truth, what is necellary to make an honest Mas, properly applied, would make a polite one : And as almost every one would take it amifs, if we should deny him the first Ap pellation; fo you may perceive from thence how few there are, who, but from their own Indifcretion, may deferve the fecond. It is want of At tention, not Capacity, which leaves us fo many Brutes; and, I flatter myself, there will be fewen of this Species, if any of them can be prevailed en to read this. A Defcription of their Faults is, to fuch, the fittest Lecture; for few Monsters there are who can view themselves in a Glafs.

Our Follies, when display'd, ourselves affright
Few are fo bad, to bear the odious Sight.
Mankind, in Herds, thro' Force of Custom, ftras,
Mislead each other into Error's Way. 3..

Pursue the Road, forgetful of the End,

Sin by Miftake, and, without Thought, offend.

My

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