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felf, to provoke others alfo to praise him; and is chiefly contemptible, as proceeding from an importunate and unreasonable Affectation of Esteem.

Yet, however, there is a Time when a generous and prudent Man may be the Subject of his own Difcourfe, and give a free Relation of Things he has worthily done or faid, as well as other Truths. Self-Praife is not liable to Difgrace or Blame, when 'tis delicately handled by Way of Apology, to remove a Calumny or Accufation. We may fairly found the Trumpet of our own Deferts, when our Reputations are either attack'd or undermin'd by Detraction or Envy. Apologies claim a great Liberty of Speech and Boafting, as confiderable Parts of their Defence.

Now, as fkilful Painters, that they may not offend the Eye, allay their overbright and gaudy Colours, by tempering them with darker, fo there are fome who will not represent their own Praises altogether glaring, and immoderately splendid, but caft in fome Defects, fome Scapes, or flight Faults, to take away the Danger of Displeasure or Envy. And for the moft Part, 'tis a good Antidote against Envy, to mix amongst our Praises thofe

Faults

Faults that are not altogether ungenerous and base.

Indeed, Difcourfe of a Man's felf ufually fallies from Self-Love, as from its Fort; and is there obferved to lay wait, even in those who are vulgarly thought free enough from Ambition. Therefore as it is one of the Rules of Health to avoid dangerous, and unwholesome Places, or being in them, to take the greater Care, fo it ought to be like a Rule concerning Converfe and Speaking of one's felf. For this Kind of Talk has flippery Occafions, into which we unawares, and indifcernably are apt to fall.

For Ambition ufually intrudes with fome flourishing Remarks to adorn herself: Let a Perfon be commended by his Equal or Inferior, the Mind of the Ambitious is tickled and rubb'd at the hearing of his Praise, and immediately he is hurried by an intemperate Defire and Precipitation after the like; as the Appetite of the Hungry is fharpened by feeing others eat.

Our Defects and Follies are too often unknown to us; nay, they are so far from being known to us, that they pafs for Demonftrations of our Worth. This makes us eafy in the midft of them, fond to fhew them, fond to improve in them, and to be esteemed for them. Then it is

that

that a Thoufand unaccountable Conceits, gay Inventions, and extravagant Actions muft afford us Pleafures, and difplay us to others in the Colours which we ourfelves take a Fancy to glory in. Such Sorcery have Error and popular Opinion, and fo famous are they for bewitching People with the Love of themfelves. There is no Paffion fo univerfal, however diverfify'd or difguifed under different Forms and Appearances, as the Vanity of being known to the reft of Mankind, and communicating a Man's Parts, Virtues, or Qualifications to the World: Yet there is a Call upon Mankind to value and esteem thofe who fet a moderate Price upon their own Merit; and Selfdenial is frequently attended with unexpected Bleffings which in the End abundantly recompenfe fuch Loffes as the Modeft seem to fuffer in the ordinary Occurrences of Life. The Curious tell us, a Determination in our Favour, or to our Difadvantage, is made upon our first Appearance, even before they know any Thing of our Characters, but from the Intimations Men gather from our Afpect. A Man, they fay, wears the Picture of his Mind in his Countenance, and one Man's Eyes are Spectacles to his who looks at him, to read his Heart. But though

that

that Way of raifing an Opinion of those we behold in Public is very fallacious, certain it is, that those who by their Words and Actions take as much upon themselves, as they can but barely demand in the ftrict Scrutiny of their Deferts, will find their Account leffen every Day. A modeft Man preferves his Character, as a frugal Man does his Fortune; if either of them live to the Height of either, one will find Loffes, the other Errors, which he has not a Stock by him to make up. It were therefore a juft Rule to keep our Defires, our Words, and Actions, within the Regard we obferve our Friends have for us; and never, if it were in a Man's Power, to take as much as we poffibly might, either in Preferment or Reputation. He that in his Air, his Treatment of others, or an habitual Arrogance to himself, gives himself Credit for the leaft Article of more Wit, Wisdom, Goodnefs, or Valour, than he can poffibly produce, if he is called upon, will find the World break in upon him, and confider him as one who has cheated them of all the Efteem they had before allowed him.

But if there were no fuch Confiderations, as the good Effect which Self-denial has upon the Senfe of other Men towards us, it is of all Qualities the most desirable

for

for the agreeable Difpofition which it places in our own Minds. I cannot tell what to fay better of it, than that it is the very Contrary of Ambition; and that Modefty allays all thofe Paffions and Inquietudes to which that Vice expofes us. He has no Emulation; he is no Man's Rival, but every Man's Well-wisher; can look at a profperous Man with a Pleafure, in reflecting that he hopes he is as happy as himself: And has his Mind and his Fortune (as far as Prudence will allow) open to the Unhappy and to the Stranger.

I cannot advance the Merit of Modesty by any Argument of my own fo powerfully, as by enquiring into the Sentiments the greatest amongst the Ancients of different Ages entertained upon this Virtue. If we go back to the Days of Solomon, we fhall find Favour a neceffary Confequence to a fhamefaced Man. Pliny, the greatest Lawyer, and most elegant Writer of the Age he lived in, in feveral of his Epiftles, is very folicitous in recommending to the Public fome young Men of his own Profeffion, and very often understands to become an Advocate, upon Condition that fome one of these his Favourites might be joined with him, in order to produce the Merit of fuch

whose

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