subject to every one's judgment. But there are many hypocrites in humbler walks, and many profligates in humbler walks, who are equally the subject of comparison, and comparison which would equally illustrate the object of this essay. The hypocrites of common life almost universally present a low, prostrate mind, destitute of spirit, passion, and sympathy. Very civil, and highly dressed both in smile and gesture; they meet every one, and seem to offend none, little apparently fitted for love or hatred. Like the multitudinous insects of the atmosphere, their insignificance, almost to evanescence, excites no fear; but, like them, they silently work themselves into all the fine and delicate sensibilities of life. Without reaching the heart, they can get possession of its avenues, and with little but subtle and piercing stings can lacerate and wound up to the most exquisite sense of pain. Most of the suspicions, and jealousies, and alienated affections, which are the death of domestic harmony and enjoyment, which

destroy

destroy the sweet charities of man, the endearing ties of parent and child, husband and wife, the friend and the friend, the lover and the beloved, and what is seemingly of less touching interest, but is of immense importance to the great mass of the community, the creditor and the debtor, are infused by these unsuspected, and apparently harmless animalcules. Observant of every unguarded moment, they steal upon the privacies of man, acquire his confidence, by appearing in no form of meditated injury, and can by a whisper, an innuendo, a shrug, or an obliquity of eye, inflict the most deadly wound. Trouble, anxiety, hypochondriac affections, sickness, are the vulnerable states of man, which they invade; they are found at the pillow of the dying, and, exciting no apprehensions, insinuate themselves into trusts, legacies, guardianships, and executorships, and thus swell into magnitude and importance from the spoils of the injured. Then the malignancy of their little souls can display itself in open

day,

1

day, and from accommodation to the humours of all, they can become overbearing, insolent, oppressive, and cruel. These characters, which infest every path of life, sufficiently mark the baseness of hypocrisy, as well as its detested influence on the aggregate happiness of man, which history deigns not to notice.

The profligate also of common life has his personal character, and his injuries to fellowman to answer for; and if there were no other offender, with whom he might enter into comparison, he would stand in the first rank of crime. But there are many circumstances in the ordinary as well as the more exalted walk of profligacy, which comparatively lessen the account, and rescue the of fender from that utter debasement and perdition, in which the hypocrite is sunk. If I may use the quaint expression, he is damnable, but not necessarily damned. Every circumstance adduced in the preceding essay, as sinking the hypocrite of political life below the profligate, is equally applicable to

6

these

these two characters in the course of common life. But as the character of profligacy in high and common life differs not in one feature, it would only be abusing your patience to repeat what has already been presented to you. To the observations of the preceding essay I therefore refer you. But the hypocrite of common life varies considerably from the hypocrite on the grand political stage, and therefore it required, that his portrait should be more appropriately drawn.

In the hypocritical characters already exhibited to view, indignation as well as contempt is the portion, to which the discovery of hypocrisy is consigned. And the indignation is not inferior to that, which the boldest profligacy excites. He who can by covert and insidious means derange or subvert the established order of society, who, in the dearest interchanges of the heart, can without suspicion work out the destruction of confidence, domestic attachment, friendshp, love, meets indignation in all its ge

f

, VOL. II.

D

nerous

nerous ardour; while the additional scorn, disgust, and contempt, to which he is subjected, stamp that mark of baseness on his character, which no other form of vice can affix. I think, if the question were proposed, whether to be hated, or scorned and despised, there can be little doubt of the reply, which every ingenuous mind would give.

But there are other forms of hypocrisy, to which only contempt is rendered, but like that with which we should tread upon, or shrink from, the most disgustful reptile. These are the reptiles of the human race, who crawl about, and fawn upon every one without distinction; who are the friends and admirers of every one, without the capacity of knowing or feeling what in any one is the object of friendship or admiration.

I have insensibly, in this second part of my essay, intermixed the two views in which I proposed to compare the characters, and form the estimate of each, viz. the natural turpitude of each, and the malignant effect which each has on the comfort and happiness

of