too dearly purchased, if it be purchased at the expence of truth and fimplicity: remember, that Simplicity is the first charm in manner, as Truth is in mind; and could Truth make herself visible, fhe would appear invested in Simplicity.

Remember alfo, that true good nature is the foul, of which politenefs is only the garb. It is not that artificial quality which is taken up by many when they go into fociety, in order to charm those whom it is not their particular business to please; and is laid down when they return home to those to whom to appear amiable is a real duty, It is not that fafcinating but deceitful foftness, which, after having acted over a hundred fcenes of the moft lively fympathy and tender intereft with every flight acquaintance; after having exhaufted every phrase of feeling, for the trivial fickneffes or petty forrows of multitudes who are scarcely known, leaves it doubtful whether a grain of real feeling or, genuine fympathy be

*

referved

referved for the deareft connections: and

which difmiffes a woman to her immediate friends with little affection, and to her own family with little attachment.

True good-nature, that which alone deferves the name, is not a holiday ornament, but an every-day habit. It does not confift in fervile complaifance, or difhonest flattery, or affected fympathy, or unqualified affent, or unwarrantable compliance, or eternal fmiles. Before it can be allowed to rank with the virtues, it must be wrought up from a humour into a principle, from an occafional difpofition into a habit. It must be the refult of an equal and well-governed mind, not the start of cafual gaiety, the trick of designing vanity, or the whim of capricious fondness. It is compounded of kindness, forbearance, for giveness, and felf-denial;" it feeketh not

its own," but must be capable of making continual facrifices of its own taftes, humours, and felf-love; but among the

facrifices it makes, it muft never include its integrity. Politenefs on the one hand, and Infenfibility on the other, affumé its name, and wear its honours; but they affume the honours of a triumph, without the merit of a victory; for politeness subdues nothing, and infenfibility has nothing to fubdue. Good-nature of the true caft, and under the foregoing regulations, is above all price in the common intercourfe of domestic fociety; for an ordinary quality, which is conftantly brought into action by the perpetually recurring though minute events of daily life, is of higher value than more brilliant qualities which are more feldom called into ufe: as fmall pieces of ordinary current coin are of more importance in the commerce of the world -than the medals of the antiquary. And, indeed, Christianity has given that new turn to the character of all the virtues, that perhaps it is the beft teft of the excellence of many that they have little brilliancy in

them.

them. The Chriftian Religion has de graded fome fplendid qualities from the rank they held, and elevated those which were obfcure into distinction.

CHAP. XV.

On the Danger of an ill-directed Senfibility.

IN confidering the human mind with a view to its improvement, it is prudent to endeavour to difcover the natural bent of the individual character; and having found it, to direct your force against that fide on which the warp lies, that you may leffen by counteraction the defect which you might be promoting, by applying your aid in a contrary direction. But the misfortune is, people who mean better than they judge are apt to take up a fet of general rules, good perhaps in themselves, and originally gleaned from experience and obfervation on the nature of human things, but not applicable in all cafes. These rules they keep by them as noftrums of univerfal efficacy, which they therefore often bring