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Thought would probably produce ineftimable Conclufions. The fwift Difpatch of common Readers, not only eludes the Memory, but betrays their Apprehenfion; when the Turn of Thought and Expreffion would infenfibly grow natural to them, would they but give themselves Time to receive the Impref fion. The common Defence of thefe People is, that they have no Defign in reading, but for Pleafure; which I think, fhould rather arife from the Reflection and Remembrance of what one has read, than from the tranfient Satisfaction of what one does; and we fhould be pleafed proportionably as we are profited.

I cannot conclude this Topic of Studies, without taking notice, that as Books are profitable, and Reading an Improvement, fo much more will the reading of our own Lives, a Survey of our Actions, and an Infpection into the Divifion of our Time, be an Advantage, as it certainly is a Duty. The Shortness of Life, I know, is the Complaint both of Fools and Philofophers; as if the Time we have, were not fufficient for our Duties: But 'tis with our Lives, as with our Estates: A good Husband makes a little go a great Way; whereas, let the Revenue of a Prince fall into the Hand of a Prodigal, 'tis gone in a Moment: So that the Time alotted us, if it were well employ'd, were abundantly enough to answer all the Ends and Purpofes

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of Mankind. The Truth is, we are more folicitous about our Dress, than our Manners; and about the Order of our Periwigs, than the Regularity of our Conduct. We live as if we fhould never die, and without any Thought of human Frailty: Whereas we fhould do by Time, as we do by a Torrent, make ufe of it while we may have it; for it will not laft always. It is the Duty of Life to prepare ourselves for Death; and there is not an Hour we live that does not mind us of our Mortality.

That Time which is good for nothing elfe, we dedicate to Virtue; but 'tis not enough to philofophize, when we have nothing elfe to do; we must attend Wisdom, even to the Neglect of all things elfe; for we are fo far from having Time to Spare, that the Age of the World would be yet too narrow for our Bufinefs. There is nothing that we can properly call our own, but our Time; and yet every body fools us out of it, that has a Mind to't. 'Tis good Advice yet, to those who have the World before them, to play the good Hufband betimes; for 'tis too late to fpare at the Bottom, when all is drawn out to the Lees: 'Twould be a ftrong Motive to the right Difpofition of our Lives, to confi der, that he that is not at Leifure many Times to live, must, when his Fate comes, whether he will, or no, be at Leifure to die. K 2 COVE

COVETOUSNESS.

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HE two great and most general Principles of Action in the Breast of Man are Luxury and Avarice: The first of which has its Origin from the Love of Pleafure; and the latter from the Fear of Want. The Vice of Covetousness is what enters deepest into the Soul of any other; and you may have seen Men, otherwise the most agreeable Creatures in the World, fo feized with a Defire of being richer, that they shall startle at indifferent Things, and live in a continual Guard and Watch over themselves from a remote Fear of Expence. No pious Man can be fo circumfpect in the Care of his Confcience, as the covetous Man is in that of his Pocket.

If a Man would preferve his own Spirit, and his natural Approbation of higher and more worthy Purfuits, he could never fall into this Littleness, but his Mind would be

ftill open to Honour and Virtue, in spite of Infirmities and Relapfes. There is an univerfal Defection from the Admiration of Virtue. Riches and outward Splendor have taken up the Place of it; and no Man thinks he is mean, if he is not poor. But, a'as! this despicable Spirit debafes our very Being, and makes our Paffions take a new Turn from their natural Bent.

The Man that would be truly rich, fays SENECA, must not increase his Fortune, but retrench his Appetites. For Riches are not only fuperfluous, but mean, and little more to the Poffeffor than to the Looker-on. Avarice is fo infatiable, that it is not in the Power of Liberality to content it; and our Defires are fo boundless, that whatever we get, is but in the Way to getting more without End: And so long as we are follicitous for the Increase of Wealth, we lose the true Use of it; and spend our Time in putting out, calling in, and paffing our Accounts, without any fubftantial Benefit, either to the World, or to ourselves.

Every Step that a Man makes beyond a moderate and reasonable Provifion, is taking fo much from the Worthinefs of his own Spirit; and he that is entirely fet upon making a Fortune, is all that while undoing. the Man. He muft grow deaf to the Wretched, eftrange himself from the Agreeable, K 3 learn

learn Hardness of Heart, difrelifh every thing that is noble, and terminate all in his defpicable Self. Indulgence in any one immoderate Defire or Appetite, engroffes the whole Creature, and his Life is facrificed to that one Defire or Appetite; but how much otherwife is it with thofe that preserve alive in them fomething that adorns their Condition, and fhews the Man, whether a Prince, or a Beggar, above his Fortune?

To proceed to a fort of Definition of this Vice, it will be beft difcovered in the Influences and Effects it has on the Perfons tainted with it. The Man then may be determin'd to be covetous, who balks any Part of his Duty, for fear he fhould grow the poorer, and chufes rather to fave his Money, than his Confcience: He that denies himself the Conveniences of Life, without either Neceffity or Religion; he that is anxious in Riches; he that fets his Interests above his Honour, and values infignificant Gains, which hold no Proportion with his Fortune.

In his Acquifitions, a covetous Man never troubles himself with the Niceties of Morality; his Bufinefs is to fecure the End, not to diftinguish upon the Means. With him, as Juvenal has worded it ;

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