THE LIBRARY OF THE 
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 ENDOWED BY THE 
 DIALECTIC AND PHILANTHROPIC 
 SOCIETIES 
 
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 ART OF CONVERSATION: 
 
 C'V , "7|"“3 
 
 TO WHICH ARE ADDED ' ■' 
 
 C. 
 
 « >■ 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS 
 
 AND 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 J. TAYLOR. 1, RED LION ST., HOLBORN. 
 
 1838. 
 
 (Price One Shilling.J 
 
J. H. STARIE, PRINTER, MUSEUM STREET., 
 
THE 
 
 ART OF CONVERSATION, 
 
 As order or method are of very little conse¬ 
 quence in treating of this subject, I will content 
 myself by giving a set of miscellaneous thoughts 
 upon the ** Art of Conversation,” couched in a 
 few words, from which, the reader may furnish 
 himself with a competent knowledge of what is to 
 be studied, and what to be avoided in conversation. 
 If the reader should find the same thought twice, 
 it is hoped, his candor will overlook a fault not 
 easy to be avoided, in putting together such a 
 variety of unconnected matter. There are few of 
 the following sentences, that will not furnish a 
 good deal of thought, or that are to be understood 
 to their full extent without some consideration. 
 
 He who knows the world, will not be too bash¬ 
 ful, He who knows himself, will not be impudent. 
 
 Do not endeavour to shine in all companies. 
 
4 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 Leave room for your hearers to imagine something 
 within you beyond all you have said. And remem¬ 
 ber, the more you are praised, the more you will 
 be envied. 
 
 If you would add a lustre to all your accomplish¬ 
 ments, study a modest behaviour. To excel in 
 any thing valuable is great ; but to be above con¬ 
 ceit on account of one’s accomplishments is greater. 
 Consider, if you have rich natural gifts, you owe 
 them to the divine bounty. If you have improved 
 your understanding, and studied virtue, you have 
 only done your duty. And thus there seems little 
 ground left for vanity. 
 
 You need not tell all the truth, unless to those 
 who have a right to know it all. But let all you 
 tell be truth. 
 
 Insult not another for his want of a talent you 
 possess : he may have others, which you want. 
 
 Praise your friends; and let your friends praise 
 you. 
 
 If you treat your inferiors with familiarity, ex¬ 
 pect the same from them. 
 
 If you give a jest, take one. 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION 
 
 5 
 
 Let all your jokes be truly jokes. Jesting some¬ 
 times ends in sad earnest. 
 
 If a favour is asked of you, grant it, if you can. 
 If not, refuse it in such a manner, as that one 
 denial may be sufficient. 
 
 A 
 
 Wit without humanity degenerates into bitter¬ 
 ness. Learning without prudence into pedantry. 
 
 In the midst of mirth, reflect that many of your 
 fellow-creatures round the world are expiring; and 
 that your turn will come shortly. So you will 
 keep your life uniform and free from excess. 
 
 Love your fellow-creature, though vicious. Hate 
 vice in the friend you love the most. 
 
 Whether is the continual laugher, or the morose 
 the most disagreeable companion ? 
 
 Reproof is a medicine like mercury or opium ; 
 if it be improperly administered with respect either 
 to the adviser or the advised, it will do harm instead 
 of good. 
 
 Nothing is more unmannerly than to reflect on 
 any man’s profession, sect, or natural infirmity. 
 
G THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 He who stirs up against himself another’s self-love, 
 provokes the strongest passion in human nature. 
 
 Be careful of your word even in keeping the 
 most trifling appointment. But do not blame 
 another for a failure of that kind, till you have 
 heard his excuse. 
 
 Never offer advice, but where there is some 
 probability of its being followed. 
 
 If a great person has omitted rewarding your 
 services, do not talk of it. Perhaps he may not 
 yet have had an opportunity. For they have 
 always on hand expectants innumerable, and the 
 clamorous are too generally gratified before the 
 deserving. Besides, it is the way to draw his dis¬ 
 pleasure upon you, which can do you no good, 
 but will make bad worse. If the services you 
 did were voluntary, you ought not to expect any 
 return, because you made a present of them 
 unasked. And a free gift is not to be turned into 
 a loan, to draw the person you have served into 
 debt. If you have served a great person merely 
 with a view to self-interest, perhaps he is aware 
 of that, and rewards you accordingly. Nor can 
 you justly complain : He owes you nothing ; it 
 was not him you meant to serve. 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 7 
 
 Fools pretend to foretell what will be the issue of 
 things, and are laughed at for their awkward con¬ 
 jectures. Wise men, being aware of the uncer¬ 
 tainty of human affairs, and having observed 
 how small a matter often produces a great change, 
 are modest in their conjectures. 
 
 He who talks too fast, out-runs his hearer’s 
 thoughts. He who speaks too slow, gives his hea¬ 
 rer pain by hindering his thoughts, as a rider who 
 frets his horse by reining him in too much. 
 
 Never think to entertain people with what lies 
 out of their way, be it ever so curious in its kind. 
 Who would think of regaling a circle of ladies with 
 the beauties of Homer's Greek, or a company of 
 country squires with Sir Isaac Newtons discove¬ 
 ries. 
 
 Never fish for praise : It is not worth the bait. 
 
 Do well: but don’t boast of it. For that will 
 lessen the commendation you might otherwise have 
 deserved. 
 
 He, who is guilty of flattery, declares himself to 
 be sunk from every noble and manly sentiment, 
 and shews, that lie thinks the person he presumes 
 
8 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 upon, deprived of modesty, and discernment. 
 Though flattery is so common in courts, it is the 
 very insolence of rudeness. 
 
 To offer advice to an angry man, is like blowing 
 against a tempest. 
 
 Too much preciseness and solemnity in pronoun¬ 
 cing what one says in common conversation, as if 
 one was preaching, is generally taken for an indi¬ 
 cation of self-conceit and arrogance. 
 
 Make your company a rarity, and people will 
 value it. Men despise what they can easily have. 
 
 Value truth, however you come by it. Who 
 would not pick up a jewel, that lay on a dung¬ 
 hill ? 
 
 The beauty of behaviour consists in the manner, 
 not the matter of your discourse. 
 
 If your superior treats you with familiarity, it 
 will not therefore become you to treat him in the 
 same manner. 
 
 Men of many words are generally men of many 
 puffs. 
 
TI1E ART OF CONVERSATION'. 
 
 9 
 
 A good way to avoid impertinent and pumping 
 enquiries, is by answering with another question. 
 An evasion may also serve the purpose. But a lie 
 is inexcusable on any occasion, especially, when 
 used to conceal the truth, from one who has no 
 authority to demand it. 
 
 To reprove with success, the following circum¬ 
 stances are necessary, viz. mildness, secrecy, inti¬ 
 macy, and the esteem of the person you would 
 reprove. 
 
 If you be nettled with severe raillery, take care 
 never to shew that you are stung, unless you choose 
 to provoke more. The w 7 ay to avoid being made 
 a butt, is not to set up for an archer. 
 
 To set up for a critic is bullying mankind. 
 
 Reflect upon the different appearances things 
 make to you from what they did some years ago 
 and don’t imagine that your opinion will never al¬ 
 ter, because you are extremely positive at present. 
 Let the remembrance of your past changes of sen¬ 
 timent make you more flexible. 
 
 If ever you v T as in a passion, did you not find 
 reason afterwards to be sorry for it, and will you 
 
10 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 again allow yourself to be guilty of a weakness, 
 which will certainly be in the same manner followed 
 by repentance, besides being attended with pain ? 
 
 Never argue with any but men of sense and 
 temper. 
 
 It is ill-manners to trouble people with talking 
 too much either of yourself, or your affairs. If you 
 are full of yourself, consider, that you, and your 
 affairs, are not so interesting to other people as to 
 you. 
 
 Keep silence sometimes, upon subjects which 
 you are known to be a judge of. So your silence, 
 where you are ignorant, will not discover you. 
 
 Some ladies will forgive silliness ; but none ill- 
 manners. And there are but few capable of judg¬ 
 ing of your learning or genius; but all of your 
 behaviour. 
 
 Don’t judge by one view of a person or thing. 
 
 Think like the wise; but talk like ordinary peo¬ 
 ple. Never go out of the common road, but for 
 •omewhat. 
 
 Don’t dispute against facts well established. 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 11 
 
 merely because there is somewhat unaccountable 
 in them. That the world should be created of 
 nothing is to us inconceivable ; but not therefore 
 to be doubted. 
 
 There is no occasion to trample upon the mean¬ 
 est reptile, nor to sneak to the greatest prince. 
 Insolence and baseness are equally unmanly. 
 
 As you are going to a party of mirth, think of 
 the hazard you run of misbehaving. While you 
 are engaged, do not wholly forget yourself. And 
 after all is over, reflect how you have behaved. If 
 well, be thankful: it is more than you could have 
 promised. If otherwise, be more careful for the 
 future. 
 
 Do not sit dumb in company. That looks either 
 like pride, cunning, or stupidity. Give your opi¬ 
 nion modestly, but freely; hear that of ethers with 
 candour; and ever endeavour to find out, and to 
 communicate truth. 
 
 If you have seen a man misbehave once, do not 
 from thence conclude him a fool. If you find he 
 has been in a mistake in one particular, do not at 
 once conclude him void of understanding. By that 
 way of judging, you can entertain a favourable 
 
12 
 
 TIIE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 opinion of no man upon earth, nor even of your 
 self. 
 
 In mixed company, be readier to hear than t« 
 speak, and put people upon talking of what is is 
 their own way. For then you will both oblige 
 them, and be most likely to improve bv their con¬ 
 versation. 
 
 Humanity will direct to be particularly cautious* 
 of treating with the least appearance of neglect 
 those, who have lately met with misfortunes, and 
 are sunk in life. Such persons are apt to think 
 themselves slighted, when no such thing is inten¬ 
 ded. Their minds being already sore, feel the 
 least rub very severely. And who would be so 
 cruel as to add affliction to the afflicted ? 
 
 Too much company is worse than none. 
 
 To smother the generosity of those, who have 
 obliged you, is imprudent, as well as ungrateful. 
 The mention of kindnesses received may excite 
 those who hear it to deserve your good word, by 
 imitating the example which they see does others 
 so much honour. 
 
 Learning is like bank-notes. Prudence and 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION'. 
 
 good behaviour are like silver, useful upon all 
 occasions. 
 
 If you have been once in company with an idle 
 person, it is enough. You need never go again. 
 You have heard all he knows. And he has had no 
 opportunity of learning anything new. For idle 
 people make no improvements. 
 
 Deep learning will make you acceptable to the 
 learned; but it is only an easy and obliging 
 behaviour, and entertaining conversation, that will 
 make you agreeable in all companies. 
 
 Men repent speaking ten times for once that 
 they repent keeping silence. 
 
 It is an advantage to have concealed one’s 
 opinion. For by that means you may change your 
 judgment of things (which every wise man finds 
 reason to do) and not be accused of fickleness. 
 
 There is hardly any bodily blemish, which a 
 winning behaviour will not conceal, or make tol¬ 
 erable ; and there is no external grace, which ill- 
 nature or affection will not deform. 
 
 If you mean to make your side of the argument 
 
14 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 appear plausible, do not prejudice people against 
 what you think truth by your passionate manner 
 of defending it. 
 
 There is an affected humility more unsufferable 
 than downright pride, as hypocrisy is more abomi¬ 
 nable than libertinism. Take care that your 
 virtues be genuine and unsophisticated. 
 
 If you put on a proud carriage, people will 
 want to know what there is in you to be proud of. 
 And it is ten to one whether they value your ac¬ 
 complishments at the same rate as you. And the 
 higher you aspire, they will be the more desirous 
 to mortify you. 
 
 Nothing is more nauseous than apparent self- 
 sufficiency. For it shews the company two things, 
 which are extremely disagreeable ; That you have 
 a high opinion of yourself; and. That you have 
 comparatively a mean opinion of them. 
 
 It is the concussion of passions, that produces 
 a storm. Let an angry man alone, and he will 
 cool of himself. 
 
 It is but seldom, that very remarkable occur¬ 
 rences fall out in life. The evenness of your temper 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 15 
 
 will be in most danger of being troubled by triflas 
 which take you by surprise. 
 
 It is as obliging in company, especially of 
 superiors, to listen attentively, as to talk enter¬ 
 tainingly. 
 
 Don’t think of knocking out another person’^ 
 brains, because he differs in opinion from you. It 
 will be as rational to knock yourself on the head, 
 because you differ from yourself ten years ago. 
 
 If you want to gain any man’s good opinion, 
 take particular care how you behave, the first time 
 you are in company with him. The light you 
 appear in at first, to one who is neither inclinable 
 to think well nor ill of you, will strongly prejudice 
 him either for or against you. 
 
 Good humour is the only shield to keep off the 
 darts of the satirical railer. If you have a quiver 
 well-stored, and are sure of hitting him between 
 the joints of the harness, do not spare him. But 
 you had better not bend your bow than miss your 
 aim. 
 
 The modest man is seldom the object of envy. 
 
 In the company of ladies, do not labour to 
 
Id tiie art of conversation, 
 
 establish learned points by long-winded arguments. 
 They do not care to take too much pains to find out 
 truth. 
 
 Talkativeness in some men proceeds from what 
 is extremely amiable, I mean, an open, communi¬ 
 cative temper. Nor is it an universal rule, that 
 whoever talks much, must say a great deal not 
 worth hearing. I have known men who talked 
 freely, because they had a great deal to say, and 
 delighted in communicating for their own advan¬ 
 tage, and that of the company. And I have 
 known others, who commonly sat dumb, because 
 they could find nothing to say. In England , we 
 blame every one who talks freely, let his conver- 
 versation be ever so entertaining and improving. 
 In France , they look upon every man as a gloomy 
 mortal, whose tongue does not make an uninter¬ 
 rupted noise. Both these judgments are unjust. 
 
 If you talk sentences, do not at the same time 
 give yourself a magisterial air in doing it. An 
 easy conversation is the only agreeable one, es¬ 
 pecially in mixed company. 
 
 Be sure of the fact, before you lose time in 
 searching for a cause. 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 17 
 
 If you have a friend that will reprove your 
 faults and foibles, consider, you enjoy a blessing, 
 which the king upon the throne cannot have. 
 
 In disputes upon moral, or scientific points, ever 
 let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer 
 your opponent. So you never shall be at a loss, 
 in losing the argument, and gaining a new dis¬ 
 covery. 
 
 What may be very entertaining in company 
 with ignorant people, may be tiresome to those 
 who know more of the matter than yourself. 
 
 There is no method more likely to cure passion 
 and rashness, than the frequent and attentive con¬ 
 sideration of one’s own weaknesses. This will 
 work into the mind an habitual sense of the need 
 one has of being pardoned, and will bring down 
 the swelling pride and obstinacy of heart, which 
 are the cause of hasty passion. 
 
 If you happen to fall into company, where the 
 talk runs into party, obscenity, scandal, folly, or vice 
 of any kind, you had better pass for morose or 
 unsocial, among people whose good opinion is not 
 worth having, than shock your own conscience. 
 
18 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 by joining in conversation which you must dis¬ 
 approve of. 
 
 If you would have a right account of things 
 from illiterate people, let them tell their story 
 in their own way. If you put them upon talking 
 according to logical rules, you will quite confound 
 them. 
 
 1 was much pleased with the saying of a gentle¬ 
 man, who was engaged in a friendly argument with 
 another upon a point in morals. “ You and I (says 
 he to his antagonist) seem, as far as I hitherto 
 understand, to differ considerably in our opinions. 
 Let us, if you please, try wherein we can agree.” 
 The scheme in most disputes is to try who shall 
 conquer, or confound the other. It is therefore 
 no wonder that so little light is struck out in con¬ 
 versation, where a candid enquiry after truth is the 
 least thing thought of. 
 
 If a man complains to you of his wife, a woman 
 of her husband, a parent of a child, or a child of 
 a parent, be very cautious how you meddle between 
 Such near relations, to blame the behaviour of one 
 to the other. You will only have the hatred of 
 both parties, and do no good with either. But 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 19 
 
 this does not hinder your giving both parties, or 
 either, your best advice in a prudent manner. 
 
 Be prudently secret. But don’t affect to make 
 a secret of what all the world may know. Nor 
 give yourself airs of being as close as a conspirator. 
 You will better disappoint idle curiosity by seeming 
 to have nothing to conceal. 
 
 Never blame a friend without joining some corn* 
 mendation to make reproof go down. 
 
 It is by giving a loose to folly, in conversation 
 and action, that people expose themselves to con¬ 
 tempt and ridicule. The modest man may deprive 
 himself of some part of the applause of some sort 
 of people in conversation, by not shining altogether 
 so much as he might have done. Or he may 
 deprive himself of some lesser advantages in life by 
 his reluctancy in putting himself forward. But it 
 is only the rash and impetuous talker, or actor, 
 that effectually exposes himself in company, or 
 ruins himself in life. It is therefore easy to deter¬ 
 mine which is the safest side to err on. 
 
 It is a base temper in mankind, that they will 
 not take the smallest slight at the hand of those 
 who have done them the greatest kindness. 
 
20 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 If you fall into the greatest company, in a na¬ 
 tural and unforced way, look upon yourself as one 
 of them; and do not sneak, nor suffer any one to 
 treat you unworthily, without just shewing, that 
 you know behaviour. But if you see them dis¬ 
 posed to be rude, over-bearing, or purse-proud, it 
 will be more decent and less troublesome to retire, 
 than to wrangle with them. 
 
 If at any time you chance, in conversation, to 
 get on a side of an argument which you find not 
 to be tenable, or any other way over-shoot your¬ 
 self, turn off the subject in as easy and good 
 humoured a way as you can. If you proceed still, 
 and endeavour, right or wrong, to make your first 
 point good, you will only entangle yourself the 
 more, and in the end expose yourself. 
 
 Never over praise any absent person : especially 
 ladies, in company of ladies. It is the way to 
 bring envy and hatred upon those whom you wish 
 well to. 
 
 To try, whether your conversation is likely to 
 be acceptable to people of sense, imagine what you 
 say writ down, or printed, and consider how it 
 would read ; whether it would appear natural, im 
 proving, and entertaining ; or affected, unmeaning, 
 or mischievous. 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 21 
 
 It is better, in conversation with positive men, 
 to turn off the subject in dispute with some merry 
 conceit, than keep up the contention to the disturb¬ 
 ance of the company. 
 
 Don’t give your advice upon any extraordinary 
 emergency, nor your opinion upon any difficult 
 point, especially in company of eminent persons, 
 without first taking time to deliberate. If you say 
 nothing, it may not be known whether your silence 
 was owing to ignorance of the subject, or to mo¬ 
 desty. If you give a rash and crude opinion, you 
 are effectually and irrecoverably exposed. 
 
 If you fill your fancy, while you are in company, 
 with suspicions of their thinking meanly of you ; 
 if you puff yourself up with imaginations of appear¬ 
 ing to them a very witty, or profound person; if 
 you discompose yourself with fears of misbehaving 
 before them; or any way put yourself out of your¬ 
 self; you will not appear in your natural colour, 
 but in that of an affected, personated character, 
 which is always disagreeable. 
 
 It may be useful to study, at leisure, a variety 
 of proper phrases for such occasions as are mos 
 frequent in life, as civilities to superiors, expres¬ 
 sions of kindness to inferiors; congratulations, con- 
 
22 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 dolence, expressions of gratitude, acknowledgment 
 of faults, asking or denying of favours, &c. I pre¬ 
 scribe no particular phrases, because, our language 
 continually fluctuating, they must soon become 
 stiff and unfashionable. The best method of ac¬ 
 quiring the accomplishment of graceful and easy 
 manner of expression for the common occasions of 
 life, is attention, and imitation of well-bred people. 
 Nothing makes a man appear more contemptible 
 than barrenness, pedantry, or impropriety of ex¬ 
 pression. 
 
 If you would be employed in serious business 
 don’t set up for a buffoon. 
 
 Flattery is a compound of falsehood, selfishness, 
 servility, and ill-manners. Any one of these qual¬ 
 ities is enough to make a character thoroughly 
 odious. Who then would be the person, or have 
 any concern with him, whose mind is deformed 
 by four such vices ? 
 
 If you must speak upon a difficult point, be the 
 last speaker, if you can. 
 
 You will not be agreeable to company, if you 
 strive to bring in or keep up a subject unsuitable 
 to their capacities, or humour. 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 23 
 
 You will never convince a man of ordinary sense 
 by overbearing his understanding. If you dispute 
 with him in such a manner, as to shew a due de¬ 
 ference for his judgment, your complaisance may 
 win him, tho’ your saucy arguments could not. 
 
 Avoid disputes altogether, if possible: especially 
 in mixed companies, and with ladies; You will 
 hardly convince any one, and may disoblige or 
 startle them, and get yourself the character of a 
 conceited pragmatical person. Whereas that of 
 an agreeable companion, which you may have 
 without giving yourself any great air of learning 
 or depth, may be more advantageous to you in life, 
 and will make you welcome in all companies. 
 
 The frequent use of the name of God, or the 
 Devil; allusions to passages of Scripture; mocking 
 at anything serious and devout; oaths, vulgar by¬ 
 words, cant phrases, affected hard words, when 
 familiar terms will do aswell; scraps of Latin, Greek , 
 or French ; quotations from plays spoke in a thea¬ 
 trical manner ; all these much used in conversation 
 render a person very contemptible to grave and 
 wise men. 
 
 If you send people away from your company 
 well-pleased with themselves, you need not fear 
 
24 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 but they will be well enough pleased with you, 
 whether they have received any instruction from 
 you or not. Most people had rather be pleased 
 than instructed. 
 
 Don’t tell unlikely or silly stories, if you know 
 them to be true. 
 
 There is no greater rudeness to company, than 
 entertaining them with scolding your servants. 
 
 Avoid little oddities in behaviour. But do not 
 despise a man of worth, for his having something 
 awkward, or less agreeable, in his manner. 
 
 I hardly know any company more disagreeable 
 than that of some people, who are ever straining 
 to hook in some quirk of wit, or drollery, what¬ 
 ever be the subject of conversation. Reflect in 
 yourself, after you have passed some hours in such 
 company, and observe whether it leaves anything 
 in your mind but emptiness, levity, or disgust. 
 Again observe, after you have passed some time in 
 the conversation of men of wisdom and learning, 
 if you do not find your mind filled with judicious 
 reflections, and worthy resolutions. If you do not, 
 it is because you have not a mind capable of them. 
 
THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 25 
 
 If you can express yourself to be perfectly un¬ 
 derstood in ten words, never use a dozen. Go 
 not about to prove, by a long series of reasoning, 
 what all the world is ready to own. 
 
 If any one takes the trouble of finding fault 
 with you, you ought in reason to suppose he has 
 some regard for you, else he would not run the 
 hazard of disobliging you, and drawing upon him¬ 
 self your hatred. 
 
 Do not ruffle or provoke any man ; why should 
 any one be the worse for coming into company 
 with you ? Be not yourself provoked : Why 
 should you give any man the advantage over you ? 
 
 To say that one has opinions very different from 
 those commonly received, is saying that he either 
 loves singularity, or that he thinks for himself. 
 Which of the two is the case, can only be found by 
 examining the grounds of his opinions. 
 
 Don't appear to the public too sure, or too eager 
 upon any project. If it should miscarry, which it 
 is a chance but it does, you will be laughed at. 
 The surest way to prevent which, is not to tell 
 your designs or prospects in life. 
 
26 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 If you give yourself a loose in mixed company, 
 you may almost depend on being pulled to pieces 
 as soon as your back is turned, however they may 
 seem entertained with your conversation. 
 
 For common conversation, men of ordinary 
 abilities will upon occasion do well enough. And 
 you may always pick something out of any man’s 
 discourse, by which you may profit. For an inti¬ 
 mate friend to improve by, you must search half a 
 county over, and be glad if you can find him at 
 last. 
 
 Don’t give your time to every superficial ac¬ 
 quaintance ; it is bestowing what is to you of in¬ 
 estimable worth, upon one, who is not likely to be 
 the better for it. 
 
 If a person has behaved to you in an unaccount¬ 
 able manner, don’t at once conclude him a bad 
 man, unless you find his character given up by all 
 who know him : nor then, unless the facts alledged 
 against him be undoubtedly proved, and wholly 
 inexcusable. But this is not advising you to trust 
 a person, whose character you have any reason to 
 suspect. Nothing can be more absurd than the 
 common way of fixing people’s characters. Such 
 a one has disobliged me; therefore he is a villain. 
 
THE AUT OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 27 
 
 Such another has dune me a kindness ; therefore 
 he is a saint. 
 
 Never contend with superiors, nor with inferiors. 
 If you get the better of the first, you provoke them ; 
 if you engage with the latter, you debase yourself. 
 
 If you act a part truly great, you may expect 
 that men of mean spirits, who cannot reach you, 
 will endeavour, by detraction, to pull you down to 
 their level. But posterity will do you justice ; for 
 envy will die with you. 
 
 Superficial people are more agreeable the first 
 time you are in their company, than ever afterwards. 
 Men of judgment improve every succeeding con¬ 
 versation; beware therefore of judging by one in¬ 
 terview. 
 
 You will not anger a man so much by shewing 
 him that you hate him, as by expressing a con¬ 
 tempt of him. 
 
 Most women had rather have any of their good 
 qualities slighted, than their beauty. Yet that is 
 the most inconsiderable accomplishment of a woman 
 of real merit* 
 
28 
 
 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 
 
 You will be always reckoned by the world nearly 
 of the same character with those whose company 
 you keep. 
 
 You will please so much the less, if you go into 
 company determined to shine. Let your conver¬ 
 sation appear to rise out of thoughts suggested by 
 the occasion, not strained, or premeditated; na¬ 
 ture always pleases : affectation is always odious. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 To pursue worthy ends by wise means is the 
 whole of active prudence. And this must be done 
 with resolution, diligence, and perseverance, till 
 the point is gained, or appears impracticable. 
 
 Action and contemplation are no way inconsist- 
 ent; but rather reliefs to one another. When yo,u 
 are engaged in study, throw business out of your 
 thoughts. When in business, think of your bu¬ 
 siness only. 
 
 To a man of business, knowledge is an orna¬ 
 ment. To a studious man, action is a relief. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 29 
 
 If you ever promise at all, take care, at least, 
 that it be so as no body may suffer by trusting to 
 you. 
 
 If you have debtors, let not your lenity get the 
 better of your prudence ; nor your care of your 
 own interest make you forget humanity. A prison 
 is not for the unfortunate ; but the knavish. 
 
 Tractableness to advice, and firmness against 
 temptation, are no way inconsistent. 
 
 There is more true greatness in generously own¬ 
 ing a fault, and making proper reparation for it, 
 than in obstinately defending a wrong conduct. 
 But quitting your purpose, retreat rather like a 
 lion than a cur. 
 
 A mind hardened against affliction, and a body 
 against pain and sickness, are the two securities of 
 earthly happiness. 
 
 Let a person find out his own peculiar weakness, 
 and be ever suspicious of himself on that side. Let 
 a passionate man, for example, resolve always to 
 shew less resentment than reason might justify; 
 there is no danger of his erring on that side. Let 
 a talkative man resolve always to say less than the 
 most talkative person in the company he is in. If 
 
30 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS, 
 
 one has reason to suspect himself of loving money 
 too much, let him give always at least somewhat 
 more than has been given by a noted miser. 
 
 A man who does not know in general his own 
 weakness, must either be a person of high rank, or 
 a fool. 
 
 How comes it, that we judge so severely the ac¬ 
 tions we did a great while ago ? It is because we 
 are now at a proper distance, and look upon them 
 with an indifferent eye, as on those of another per¬ 
 son. The very objects which now employ us so 
 much, and the conduct we now justify so stren¬ 
 uously, can we say that the time will not come, 
 when we shall look upon them as we now do upon 
 our follies of ten or twenty years backwards ? 
 Why can we not view ourselves, and our own be¬ 
 haviour, at all times in the same manner ? This 
 shews our partiality for ourselves in a most absurd 
 light. 
 
 When you are dead, the letters which compose 
 your name will be no more to you, than the rest 
 of the alphabet. Leave the rage of fame to wits 
 and heroes. Do you strive to live usefully in this 
 world, and you will be happy in the next. 
 
 It is best, if you can keep quite clear of the 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. -U 
 
 great. But if you happen at any time to be thrust 
 into their company, keep up in your behaviour to 
 them the dignity of a man of spirit and worth, 
 which is the only true greatness. If you sneak 
 and cringe, they will trample upon you. 
 
 Beware of mean spirited-people. They are 
 commonly revengeful and malicious. 
 
 The following advantages are likely to make a 
 compleatly accomplished man. 1. Good natural 
 parts. 2. A good temper. 3. Good, and general, 
 education, begun early. 4. Choice, not immense, 
 reading, and careful digesting. 5. Experience of 
 various fortune. 6. Conversation with men of 
 letters and of business. 7. Knowledge of the 
 world, gained by conversation, business, and 
 travel. 
 
 If the world suspect your well-intended designs, 
 be not uneasy. It only shews that mankind are 
 themselves false and artful, which is the cause of 
 their being suspicious. 
 
 Never set up for a jack-in-an-office. Men of 
 real worth are modest, and decline employment, 
 tho’ much fitter for it than those who thrust them¬ 
 selves forward. But if good can be done, do it, if 
 no one else will. 
 
0 2 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS 
 
 If j our enemy is forced to have recourse to a 
 lie to blacken you, consider what a comfort it is, 
 to think of jmur having supported such a character, 
 as to render it impossible for malice to hurt you 
 without the aid of falsehood. And trust to the 
 genuine fairness of your character to clear itself 
 in the end. 
 
 Whoever has gone through much of life, must 
 remember, that he has thrown away a great deal 
 of useless uneasiness upon what was much worse 
 in his apprehension, than in reality. 
 
 A miser will sometimes serve you any way you 
 please to ask him, purely to save his money. 
 
 If you give away nothing till you die, even your 
 own children will hardly thank you for what you 
 leave them. 
 
 A great number of small favours will engage 
 some people more to you, than one great one. And 
 where they hope for more and more, they will be 
 willing to go on to serve you. 
 
 The truest objects of charity, are those whom 
 modesty conceals. 
 
 It will be a great misfortune to you, if an inti- 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 33 
 
 mate friend, or near relation, falls into poverty. 
 You must either lend your assistance, or be ill 
 looked upon. And people are often blamed for 
 niggardliness, when, if all the truth were known 
 (which might be very improper) they would be 
 justified in having given to the full extent of their 
 abilities. 
 
 A man’s character and behaviour in public, and 
 at home, are often as different as a lady’s looks at 
 a ball, and in a morning before she has gone 
 through the ceremony of the toilet. But real 
 merit, like artless beauty, shines forth at all times 
 distinguishingly illustrious. 
 
 There is nothing more agreeable to human 
 nature, than to have somewhat moderately to 
 employ both mind and body. There is nothing 
 more unnatural than for a creature endowed with 
 various active powers to be wholly inactive. Hence 
 the silly and mischievous inventions of cards, dice, 
 and other amusements, which empty people have 
 been obliged to have recourse to, as a kind of ar¬ 
 tificial employments, to prevent human nature 
 from sinking into an absolute lethargy. Why 
 might not our luxurious wasters of heaven’s most 
 inestimable gift, as well employ the same eager¬ 
 ness of activity in somewhat that might turn to 
 
34 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 account to themselves and others, as in the ins : pid 
 and unprofitable drudgery of the card-table ? 
 
 To serve your friends, to your own ruin, is ro¬ 
 mantic. To think of none but yourself, is sor¬ 
 did. 
 
 Riches, and happiness, have nothing to do with 
 one another, though extreme poverty and misery 
 be nearly related. 
 
 Judge of yourself by that respeet you have vo¬ 
 luntarily paid you by men of undoubted integrity 
 and discernment, and who have no interest to 
 flatter you. Act up to your character. Support 
 your dignity. But do not make yourself unhappy, 
 if you meet not with the honour you deserve from 
 those whose esteem no one values. 
 
 Despise trifling affronts, and they will vanish. 
 A little water will put out a fire, which, blown up, 
 would burn a city. 
 
 Give away what you can part with. Throw 
 away nothing : you know not how much you may 
 miss it. 
 
 Provide for after-life, so as to enjoy the present 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 35 
 
 Enjoy the present, so as to leave something for 
 the time to come. 
 
 Avoid too many, and great, obligations. It is 
 running into debt beyond what you may be able 
 to pay. 
 
 Conclude at least nine parts in ten of what is 
 handed about by common fame to be false. 
 
 Don’t offend a bad man; because he will stick 
 at nothing to be revenged. It is cruel to insult a 
 good man, who deserves nothing but good. A 
 great man may easily crush you. And there is 
 none so mean, who cannot do mischief. There¬ 
 fore follow peace with all men. 
 
 To carry the triumph over a person you have 
 got the better of, too far, is mean, and imprudent: 
 it is mean, because you have got the better; it is 
 imprudent, because it may provoke him to revenge 
 your insolence in some desperate way. 
 
 Presents ought to be genteel; not expensive t 
 they are not valued by generous minds for their 
 own sake; but as marks of love or esteem. 
 
 Whoever anticipates troubles, will find he has 
 
36 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 thrown away a great deal of terror and anguish to 
 no purpose. 
 
 Accustom yourself to have some employment for 
 every hour you can prudently snatch from business. 
 This book was put together in that manner, else 
 it could never have been written by its author. 
 
 When you find, you don’t care to look into your 
 affairs, you may assure yourself that they will soon 
 not be fit to look into. 
 
 If you are a master, don’t deprive yourself of so 
 great a rarity as a good servant for a slight offence. 
 If you are a dependant, don’t throw yourself out 
 of a good place for a slight affront. 
 
 Do what good offices you can : but leave your¬ 
 self at liberty from promises and engagements. 
 
 Let no one overload you with favours : you will 
 find it an unsufferable burden. 
 
 There are many doublings in the human heart: 
 do not think you can find out the whole of a man’s 
 real character at once, unless he is a fool. 
 
 If you would embroil yourself with all mankind 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 37 
 
 at once, you have only to oppose every man’s pre¬ 
 vailing passion. Endeavour to mortify the proud 
 man ; irritate the passionate; put the miser to 
 expense; and you will have them all against you. 
 On the other hand, if you had rather live peace¬ 
 ably, give way a little to the particular weakness 
 of those you converse with. 
 
 It will take some time to raise your fortune in a 
 fair way, and to fit you for a better world : it will 
 therefore be proper to begin a course of industry 
 and piety as early as possible. 
 
 The friendship of an artful man is mere self- 
 interest : you will get nothing by it. 
 
 If you trust a known knave, people will not so 
 much as pity you, when you suffer by him. 
 
 In dealing with a person you suspect, it may be 
 useful in conversation to draw him into difficulties, 
 if possible, as they cross-examine witnesses at the 
 bar, in order to find out the truth. It may even 
 be of use to set him a talking; in the inadvertency 
 and hurry of conversation, he may discover him¬ 
 self. 
 
 Consider how difficult a thing it must be to de-* 
 
 B 
 
38 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 ceive the general eye of mankind, who are as much 
 interested to detect you, as you are to deceive 
 
 N • 
 
 them. 
 
 He is surely a man of a greater reach, who can 
 conduct his affairs without being obliged to have 
 recourse to tricks and temporary expedients, than 
 with them ; he who knows how to secure the in¬ 
 terest both of this world and the next, than he 
 who cannot contrive to get a comfortable subsist¬ 
 ence in this world without damning his soul. 
 
 If you are ill-used by a bad man, especially a 
 great one, put up the injury quietly, and be thank¬ 
 ful it was no worse. 
 
 If you let alone making your will till you come 
 to a death-bed, you will not do it properly. 
 
 If you want to shew a person, that you see 
 through his crafty designs, a hint between jest and 
 earnest, may do better than telling him bluntly and 
 fully how he stands in your mind: from a little, 
 he will guess the rest. 
 
 With the multiplicity of business every person 
 has to do, how can people complain of being dis¬ 
 tressed for somewhat to pass the time Besides 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 39 
 
 private affairs to conduct, or oversee; children to 
 form to wisdom and virtue; the distressed to re¬ 
 lieve ; the unthinking to advise; friends and 
 country to serve ; their own passions to conquer; 
 their minds to furnish with knowledge, virtue, and 
 religion; a whole eternity’s happiness to provide 
 for. 
 
 Try a friend before you trust him. Trust him 
 no more than is necessary. Bear with any weak¬ 
 ness that does not strike at the root of friendship. 
 If a difference arise, bring the matter to a calm 
 hearing. Make up the breach, if possible. But if 
 friendship languishes for any time, let it expire 
 peaceably. 
 
 There is as much meanness in taking every trifle 
 for an affront, as in putting up with the grossest 
 indignity. The first is the character of a bully; 
 the latter of a coward : which of the two had you 
 rather be ? 
 
 Those are the best diversions, which most re¬ 
 lieve the mind, and exercise the body; and which 
 bring the least expense of time and money. Mirth 
 is one thing, and mischief another. 
 
 It is strange to reflect a little upon some of the 
 
40 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 irreconcileable contrarieties in human nature. No¬ 
 thing seems more strongly worked into the con¬ 
 stitution of the mind, than the love of liberty. Yet 
 how very ready are we in some cases to give up 
 our liberty ? What more tyrannical than fashion ? 
 Yet how do all ranks, sexes, and ages enslave 
 themselves in obedience to it. There is great 
 reason to believe that it is wholly in compliance 
 with custom, that many judicious, thinking people, 
 waste so many valuable hours as we see they do, 
 at an amusement, which must be a slavery to per¬ 
 sons capable of thought, I mean the card-table. 
 But such people ought to consider, how they can 
 justify to themselves the throwing away so great 
 a part of precious life, besides giving their coun¬ 
 tenance to a bad practice; merely because it is the 
 fashion. 
 
 If you can live independent, never give up your 
 liberty, and your leisure, much less your consci¬ 
 ence, to a great man. He has nothing to give in 
 return for them. If you can but be contented in 
 moderate circumstances, you may be happy, and 
 keep your inestimable liberty, leisure, and integrity 
 into the bargain. 
 
 If you chance to have a quarrel with any one, 
 by no means write letters, or send messages; bring 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 41 
 
 the matter to a hearing, as quickly as possible, 
 before your spirits have time to rankle. En>- 
 deavour rather to reconcile than conquer your 
 enemy. By so doing, you take from him the 
 inclination to hurt you, which is the best security. 
 When you have reconciled him, take care, if you, 
 find he has acted a traitorous part, never to trust, 
 or be intimately concerned with him, any more. 
 You may love him as a fellow-creature; but not 
 confide in him as a good man. 
 
 People are better found out in their unguarded 
 
 . ' ' l . ’ ,r " ! ^>5 
 
 hours, than by the principal actions of their lives; 
 the first is nature, the second art. 
 
 Asking a favour by letter, or giving a person 
 time to think of it, is only giving him an oppor¬ 
 tunity of getting off handsomely. 
 
 It is not hard to find out a man’s true merit, as 
 to abilities. He who behaves well, is certainly no 
 weak man. But nothing is more difficult, than to 
 find out a man’s character as to integrity. 
 
 He, who never misbehaved either in joy, in 
 grief, or surprise, must have his wisdom at com¬ 
 mand, in a manner almost superior to humanity, 
 and may be pronounced a true hero. 
 
42 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 If you have made an injudicious friendship, let 
 it sink gently and gradually; if you blow it up at 
 once, mischief may be the consequence: neve* 
 disoblige, if you can possibly avoid it. 
 
 Irresolution is as foolish as rashness. If the 
 husbandman should never sow, or the ship-master 
 never put to sea, where would be the harvest, or 
 the gains ? 
 
 If you want to keep the good opinion of a great 
 person, whom you find be n man of understand¬ 
 ing : don't thrust yourself upon him, but let him 
 send for you, when he wants you. Don't pump 
 for his secrets, but stay till he tells you them ; nor 
 offer him your advice unasked; nor repeat any 
 thing of what passes between you, relating to 
 family, or state-affairs ; nor boast of your inti¬ 
 macy with him; nor shew yourself ready to sneak 
 and cringe ; if your scheme be, to make your 
 fortune at any rate, put on your boots, and 
 plunge through thick and thin. 
 
 Take care of falling out of conceit with your 
 wife, your station, habitation, business, or any 
 thing else, which you cannot change. Let no com¬ 
 parisons once enter into your mind: the consequence 
 will be restlessness, envy, and unhappiness. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 43 
 
 If you would not be forestalled by another, or 
 laughed at in case of a disappointment, don’t tell 
 your designs. 
 
 I would not answer for the conduct of the ablest 
 man in the world, if I knew that he was so con¬ 
 ceited of his own abilities, as to be above advice. 
 
 There is more good to be done in life by ob¬ 
 stinate diligence, and perseverance, than most 
 people seem aware of. The ant and bee are but 
 little and weak animals; and yet by constant ap¬ 
 plication they do wonders. 
 
 Where lies the wisdom of that revenge, which 
 recoils upon one’s self ? Instead of getting the 
 better of your enemy, by offending your Maker in 
 revenging an injury, you give your enemy the ad¬ 
 vantage of seeing you punished. If you would 
 have the whole advantage, forgive; and then, if he 
 does not repent, the whole punishment will fall 
 upon him. 
 
 Profuse giving or treating is laughed at by the 
 wise, according to the old saying. Fools make 
 feasts, &c. 
 
 Would you punish the spiteful ? Shew him. 
 
41 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 that you are above his malice. The dart, lie threw 
 at you, will then rebound, and pierce him to the 
 heart. 
 
 He who promises rashly, will break his pro* 
 mise with the same ease as he made it. 
 
 Keep a watch over yourself, when you are in 
 extreme good humour : artful people will take 
 that opportunity to draw you into promises, 
 which may embarrass you either to break, or 
 keep. 
 
 You may safely be umpire among strangers, 
 but not among friends : in deciding betv een the 
 former, vou may gain; among the latter, you must 
 lose. 
 
 In a free country, there is little to be done by 
 force: gentle means may gain you those ends, 
 which violence would for ever put out of your 
 power. 
 
 In affliction, constrain yourself to bear patiently 
 for a day, or so, only for the sake of trying, whe¬ 
 ther patience does not lighten the burden; if the 
 experiment answers, as you will undoubtedly find, 
 you have only to continue it. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 45 
 
 If it gives you pain, or shame, to think of 
 changing your scheme at the remonstrance of your 
 faithful friend (which shews extreme weakness in 
 you) you may get over that difficulty, by seeming 
 to have thought of some other additional consi¬ 
 deration, which has moved you to follow his advice. 
 
 Never trust a man for the vehemence of his as¬ 
 severations, whose bare word you would not trust: 
 a knave will make no more of swearing to a false¬ 
 hood, than of affirming it. 
 
 If you borrow, be sure of making punctual pay¬ 
 ment; else you will have no more trust. 
 
 Is it not better that your friend tell you your 
 faults privately, than that your enemy talk of them 
 publicly ? 
 
 He who is unhappy, and can find no comfort at 
 home, is unhappy indeed. 
 
 Where there is a prospect of doing good, neither 
 be so forward in thrusting yourself into the direction 
 of the business, as to keep out others, who might 
 manage it better; nor so backward, through false 
 modesty, as to let the thing go undone, for want 
 of somebody to do it. If no one else, who could 
 
46 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 execute a good work better, will engage in it, do 
 you undertake, and execute it as well as you can. 
 
 A princely mind will ruin a private fortune. 
 Keep the rank in which Providence hath placed you: 
 and do not make yourself unhappy, because you 
 cannot afford whatever a wild fancy might suggest. 
 The revenues of all the kingdoms of the world 
 would not be equal to the expense of one extrava¬ 
 gant person. 
 
 The man of books is generally awKward in bu¬ 
 siness : the man of business is often superficial in 
 knowledge. 
 
 In engaging yourself for any person or thing, 
 you will be sure to entangle yourself, if things 
 should not turn out to your expectations. And if 
 you get off for a little ridicule, think it a good 
 bargain. 
 
 / 
 
 Let scandal alone, and it will die away of itself, 
 oppose it, and it will spread the faster. 
 
 Let safety and innocence be two indispensable 
 ingredients in all your amusements : is there any 
 pleasure in what leads to loss of health, fortune, or 
 eoul ? 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 47 
 
 Your neighbour has more income than enough ; 
 you have just enough. Is your neighbour the 
 better for having what he has no use for ? Are 
 you the worse for being free from the trouble c f 
 what would be useless to you ? 
 
 Better not make a present at all, than do it in 
 a pitiful manner: every thing of elegance, is better 
 let alone than clumsily performed. 
 
 Be not desirous of scenes of grandeur, of 
 heightened pleasures and diversions: it is the 
 sure way to take your heart off from your private 
 station, and way of life, and to make you uneasy 
 and unhappy. It is a thousand to one but, if you 
 were to get into a higher station, you would find 
 it awkward and unsuitable to you, and that you 
 should only want to return again to your former 
 happy independence. 
 
 There is no time spent more stupidly, than that 
 which some luxurious people pass in a morning 
 between sleeping and waking, after nature has 
 been fully gratified. He who is awake, may be 
 doing somewhat: he who is asleep, is receiving 
 the refreshment necessary to fit him for action: 
 but the hours spent in dozing and slumbering, can 
 hardly be called existence. 
 
48 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 Do not scold or swear at your servants: they 
 will despise you for a passionate, clamorous fool. 
 Do not make them too familiar with you: they 
 will make a wrong use of it, and grow saucy. Do 
 not let them know all the value you have for them : 
 they will presume upon your goodness, and con¬ 
 clude that you cannot do without them. Don’t 
 give them too great wages : it will put them above 
 their business. Do not allow them too much 
 liberty : they will want still more and more. Do 
 not intreat them to live with you : if you do, they 
 will conclude, they may live as they please. 
 
 If you want to try experiments, take care at 
 least, that they be not dangerous ones. 
 
 Don’t think to prevail with a man in a fury, to 
 calm his passion in a moment; if you can per¬ 
 suade him to put off his revenge for some time, 
 it will be the most you can hope. Advice may 
 sometimes do good, when you do not expect it. 
 People do not care to seem persuaded to alter any 
 part of their conduct: for that is an acknow¬ 
 ledgment, that they were in the wrong. But they 
 may, perhaps, reflect afterwards upon what you 
 
 said; and, if they do not wholly reform the 
 
 * 
 
 fault you reproved, they may rectify it in some 
 measure. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 49 
 
 Never disoblige servants, if you can avoid it. 
 They are often mischievous, and having lived with 
 you, have it in their power to misrepresent and 
 injure you. 
 
 Great people think their inferiors do only their 
 duty in serving them : And that they do theirs in 
 rewarding their services with a nod or smile. The 
 low r er part of mankind have minds too sordid to be 
 capable of gratitude. It is therefore chiefly from 
 the middle rank that you may look for a sense and 
 return of kindness. 
 
 In proposing your business, be rather too full, 
 than too brief, to prevent mistakes. In affairs, of 
 which you are a judge, make the proposal yourself. 
 In cases which you do not understand, wait, if 
 possible, till another makes it to you. 
 
 Be fearful of one you have once got the better 
 of. You know not how you may have irritated 
 him; nor how deeply revenge works in his heart 
 against you. 
 
 '..v ' ’ 
 
 If you ask a favour, which you had some preten¬ 
 sions to, and meet with a refusal, it will be impo¬ 
 litic to shew that you think yourself ill used. You 
 will act a more prudent part in seeming satisfied 
 
50 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 with the reasons given. So you may take another 
 opportunity of soliciting; and, may chance to be 
 successful: for the person, you have obliged, will, 
 if he has any grace, be ashamed, and puzzled to 
 refuse you a second time. 
 
 If you are defamed, consider, whether the prose¬ 
 cution of the person, who has injured you, is not 
 more likely to spread the report, than to clear your 
 innocence. If so, your regard for yourself will 
 teach you what course to take. 
 
 If it should be hard to do your duty, it is evi¬ 
 dently not impossible. To mention none of the 
 Christian heroes, there is not a virtue which the 
 Heathens have not shewn to be practicable. Do 
 not pretend that a Christian cannot be chaste, 
 when you know that young Scipio bravely resisted 
 a most powerful temptation of that kind, in yield¬ 
 ing to which, he would have acted only according 
 to the custom of those times. Do not pretend that 
 it is impossible for a Christian to forgive injuries, 
 when you know, that Phocion, going to suffer 
 death unjustly, charged it upon his son, with his 
 last breath, that he should shew no resentment 
 against his father’s persecutors. Do not excuse 
 yourself in giving up the truth, through fear of 
 offending those, on whom you depend, when you 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 51 
 
 know, that Attilius Regulus gave himself up to 
 tortures, and death, rather than falsify his word 
 even to his enemies. Let it not be said, that a 
 Christian, with his clear views of an over-ruling 
 Providence, shall be overcome with affliction, or 
 impiously murmur against the great disposer of all 
 things, when we find an Epictetus, sunk in misery 
 and slavery, vindicating the Divine disposal of 
 himself, and subduing his mind to the dispensations 
 of Providence. Do not excuse yourself from a 
 little expence, trouble, or hazard of ill-will for the 
 general good, when you know, that a Leonidas, a 
 Calpurnius Flamma, the Decii, and hundreds more, 
 voluntarily devoted themselves to destruction, to 
 save their country. If you pretend to be a Chris¬ 
 tian, that is, to profess the most pure and most 
 sublime principles in the world, do not infamously 
 fall short of the perfection of a set of un-enlightencd 
 Heathens. 
 
 If a temptation solicits, think whether you 
 would yield to it, if you knew you should die next 
 day. 
 
 It is in any man’s power to be contented; of 
 very few to be rich. The first will infallibly make 
 you happy; which is more than you can depend 
 on from the latter. 
 
52 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 A good man has nothing to fear. A bad man 
 every thing. It is not easy to keep the mean between 
 temporizing too much, and giving a proper testi¬ 
 mony for decency and virtue, when one sees 
 them outraged. 
 
 Do not regard any person’s opinion of you. 
 against your own knowledge. 
 
 Custom will have the same effect, with respect 
 to death, as to other frightful things ; it will take 
 oft its terror. 
 
 To understand a subject well, read a set of the 
 best authors upon it; make an abstract of it; and 
 talk it over with the judicious. 
 
 Be assured, whatever you may think now, when 
 you come to a death-bed, you will think you have 
 given yourself up too much to pleasures and other 
 worldly pursuits, and be sorry that you had so 
 large a share of them. 
 
 He who begins soon to be good, is like to b? 
 very good at last. 
 
 Take care not to go to the brink of vice, lest 
 you fall down the precipice. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 53 
 
 Moral truths are as certain as mathematical. It 
 is as certain, that good is not evil, nor evil good, as 
 that a part is less than the whole, or that a circle 
 is not a triangle. 
 
 Fashion ought to have no weight in matters of 
 any greater consequence than the cut of a coat, or 
 a cap. Numbers do not alter right and wrong. 
 If it should be the fashion of this world to act fool¬ 
 ishly and wickedly, depend on it, the fashion of the 
 next will be, for virtue to be rewarded and vice 
 punished. 
 
 To excel greatly in music, drawing, dancing, 
 the pedantic parts of learning, play, and other ac¬ 
 complishments, rather ornamental than useful, is 
 beneath a gentleman, and shews, that to acquire 
 such perfection in trifles, he must have employed 
 himself in a way unworthy the dignity of his sta¬ 
 tion. The peculiar accomplishments, in which a 
 man of rank ought to shine, are knowledge of the 
 world, acquired by history, travel, conversation, 
 and business ; of the constitution, interest, and 
 laws of his country; and of morals and religion ; 
 without excluding such a competent understanding 
 of other subjects, as may be consistent with a per¬ 
 fect mastery of the accomplishments which make 
 the gentleman’s proper calling. 
 
54 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 If you have the esteem of the wise and good, 
 don’t trouble yourself about the rest. And if you 
 have not even that, let the approbation of a well- 
 informed conscience make you easy in the mean 
 while. 
 
 A good man gets good out of evil. A wicked 
 man turns good to evil. 
 
 The meanest spirit may bear a slight affliction. 
 And in bearing a great calamity, there is great 
 glory, and a great reward. 
 
 A wise man will improve by studying his own 
 past follies. For every slip will discover some 
 weakness still uncorrected, which occasioned his 
 misbehaviour; and will set him upon effectually 
 redressing every failure. 
 
 To be drawn into a fault shews human frailty. 
 To be habitually guilty of folly shews a corrupt 
 mind. To love vice in others is the spirit of a 
 devil, rather than a man; being the pure, dis¬ 
 interested love of vice, for its own sake. Yet there 
 are such characters. 
 
 To abuse the poor for his poverty is to insult 
 God’s providence. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 55 
 
 Proofs of genuine repentance, are, abstaining 
 from all temptations to the same vice ; thorough 
 reformation ; and all possible reparation. 
 
 Seek virtue rather than riches. You may be 
 sure to acquire the first; but cannot promise for 
 the latter. No one can rob you of the first with¬ 
 out your consent; you may be deprived of the 
 latter a hundred ways. The first will gain you 
 the esteem of all good and wise men : the latter 
 will get you flatterers enough; but not one real 
 friend. The first will abide by you for ever ; the 
 latter will leave you at death, to shift, as you can, 
 for eternity. 
 
 Never force nature. When study becomes a 
 burden, give it over for that time. You will not 
 improve by it, if it goes against the grain. 
 
 Take care of those vices which resemble virtues. 
 
 You may easily know, whether you are in earnest 
 about reforming, and living virtuously. If you be, 
 you will fly from every temptation to vice, and 
 carefully pursue every help to virtue. As you may 
 know whether you love money, by observing, whe¬ 
 ther you carefully pursue the means for getting, 
 and cautiously avoid occasions of expense, or loss. 
 
56 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 Preserve, if you can, the esteem of the wise and 
 good. But more especially your own. Consider 
 how deplorable a condition of mind you will be in, 
 when your conscience tells you, you are a villain. 
 
 What signifies it what you know, if you don’t 
 know yourself? 
 
 It is pity that most people overdo either tne 
 active, or contemplative part of life. To be con¬ 
 tinually immersed in business is the way to become 
 forgetful of every thing truly noble and liberal. To 
 be wholly engaged in study, is to lose a great part 
 of the usefulness of a social nature. How much 
 better would it be, if people would temper action 
 with contemplation, and use action as a relief to 
 study ? 
 
 It is not eating a great quantity of food, that 
 nourishes most. Nor devouring of books, tliat 
 gives solid knowledge. It is what you digest, that 
 feeds both body and mind. Have your learning 
 in your head ; and not in your library. 
 
 You had better find out one of your own weak¬ 
 nesses, than ten of your neighbour’s. 
 
 There is only one single object you ought to 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 57 
 
 pursue at all adventures. That is virtue. All 
 other things are to be sought conditionally. What 
 sort of man must he be, who resolves to be rich, or 
 great, at any rate ? 
 
 If you give only with a view to the gratitude of 
 tnose you oblige, you deserve to meet with ingrati¬ 
 tude. If you give from truly disinterested motives, 
 you will not be discouraged or tired out by the 
 worst returns. 
 
 It is not the part of a wise man to be eager alter 
 any thing, but improvement in goodness. All 
 things else may be dispensed with. 
 
 Has not fashion a considerable share in the 
 charities of the age ? Let every one, who gives, 
 carefully consider from what motives he acts. 
 
 If you have a well-disposed mind, you will go 
 into no company more agreeable, or more useful, 
 than your own. All is not well with those to whom 
 solitude is disagreeable. 
 
 It is no shame to learn. The shame is to be 
 ignorant. 
 
 If you have health, a competency, and a good 
 
58 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 conscience, what would you have besides ? Some¬ 
 thing to disturb your happiness ? 
 
 To expect, young men, that your life should be 
 one continued series of pleasure, is to expect to 
 meet with what no mortal, from Adam down to 
 the present times, has yet met with; and what by 
 the nature of things would be more strange than 
 the throwing the same number with a die ten 
 million of times successively. 
 
 When you hear in company, or read in a pam¬ 
 phlet, something smart and lively, and quite new 
 to you, urged against any opinion, or maxim, 
 allowed by men of the freest sentiments, and most 
 improved understandings; do not let yourself be 
 immediately perverted by it. But suppose, that 
 though it may be new to you, it may have been 
 often started and answered ; and though you 
 cannot at once confute it; others can. And make 
 it your business, if the point be of consequence, 
 to find out those, who can. Nothing is more weak, 
 than to be staggered in your opinion by every 
 trifle that may fall in your way. 
 
 It is hardly credible what acquisitions in know¬ 
 ledge one may make by carefully husbanding, and 
 properly applying every spare moment. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 59 
 
 Accustom yourself to think the greatest part of 
 your life already past; to contract your views, and 
 schemes, and set light by a vain and transitory 
 state, and all its vain enjoyments. 
 
 To feel old age coming on, will so little mortify 
 a wise man, that he can think of it with plea¬ 
 sure ; as the decay of nature shews him that the 
 happy change of state, for which he has been all 
 his life preparing himself, is drawing nearer. And 
 surely it must be desirable, to find himself draw 
 nearer to the end and the reward of his labours. 
 The case of an old man, who has no comfortable 
 prospect for futurity, and finds the fatal hour ap¬ 
 proaching, which is to deprive him of all his hap¬ 
 piness ; is too deplorable for any words to repre¬ 
 sent. 
 
 It is easy to live well among good people. But 
 shew me the man, who can preserve his temper, 
 his wisdom, and his virtue, in spite of strong 
 temptation and universal example. 
 
 It is a shame, if any person poorer than you is 
 more contented than you. 
 
 Are you content to be for ever undone, if you 
 should happen not to live till the time you have 
 
60 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 set for repentance ? If so, put it off a little longer 
 and take vour chance. 
 
 Strive to excel in what is truly noble. Mediocrity 
 is contemptible. 
 
 Judge of books, as of men. There is none 
 wholly faultless, or perfect. That production may 
 be said to be a valuable one, by the perusal of 
 which a judicious reader may be the wiser and 
 better; and is not to be despised for a few defici¬ 
 encies, or inconsistencies. 
 
 Honesty sometimes fails. But it is because 
 diligence, or abilities are wanting. Otherwise it 
 is naturally by far an over-match for cunning. 
 
 A bad reputation will lye a stumble-block in your 
 way to rising in life, and will disable you from 
 doing good to others. 
 
 If ever you were dangerously ill, what fault or 
 folly lay heaviest upon your mind ? Take care to 
 root it out, without delay, and without mercy. 
 
 An unjust acquisition is like a barbed arrow, that 
 must be drawn backward with horrible anguish; 
 else it will be your destruction. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUQHTS. 61 
 
 The consciousness of having acted from princi¬ 
 ple, and without the praise, or privity, of any 
 person whatever, is a pleasure superior to all that 
 applause can yield. 
 
 Why do you desire riches and grandeur? 
 Because you think they will bring happiness with 
 them. The very thing you want is now in your 
 power. You have only to study contentment. 
 
 Don’t be frightened, if misfortune stalks into 
 y$ur humble habitation. She sometimes takes the 
 liberty of walking into the presence-chamber of 
 kings. 
 
 Be open with prudence. Be artless with inno¬ 
 cence. Wise as the serpent; harmless as the 
 dove. If either of these two qualities must pre¬ 
 dominate, by all means let it be the latter. 
 
 It is a shameful wickedness common in trade, 
 to conceal the faults, or artfully heighten the good 
 qualities, of what one wants to sell, or to dispa¬ 
 rage any article one has a mind to buy, in order to 
 have it the cheaper. That trader, who cannot 
 lay his hand upon his heart, and say, God, who 
 knows all things, knows, I use my neighbour as I 
 
62 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 would wish to be used; is no other, in plain 
 English , than a downright knave. 
 
 To love a woman merely for her beauty, is lov¬ 
 ing a corpse for the sake of its being covered with 
 a fair skin. If the lovely body has a bad soul in 
 it, it becomes then an object of aversion ; not of 
 affection. 
 
 Never think yourself out of danger of a disorder 
 of body by sickness, or of the mind by passion. 
 
 When we hear of one dead suddenly, we are 
 surprised. Whereas the great wonder is, that a 
 machine of such frail materials, and exquisite work¬ 
 manship as the human body is, should hold in 
 motion for an hour together. 
 
 He only is truly virtuous, who would be so, if 
 he had no prospect of gaining more happiness by 
 virtue than vice. Though at the same time, it is 
 reasonable, and commendable, to have a due re¬ 
 spect to the recompence of reward, as things are 
 at present constituted. 
 
 The lot of mankind upon an average is wonder¬ 
 fully equal. The distribution of happiness is not 
 so irregular, as appears at first view. There can- 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 63 
 
 not indeed be any great inequality in the distribu¬ 
 tion of what is so inconsiderable as the temporal 
 happiness enjoyed by mankind. The contented, 
 retired, and virtuous man has the best share. 
 
 Who could imagine it possible to forget death, 
 which every object puts one in mind of, and every 
 moment brings nearer ? 
 
 What a strange condition a man must be in, 
 whose judgment and practice are at variance. If 
 a man does not perfectly agree with his wife, they 
 can sometimes avoid one another’s company, and 
 so be easy. But can one run away from himself ? 
 
 Of all virtues, patience is oftenest wanted. How 
 unhappy must he be, who is wholly unfurnished 
 with what is wanted every moment ? 
 
 He, who endeavours to drown thought, and 
 stifle conscience, or who goes on in expensive living, 
 without looking into his affairs, is about as wise, 
 as he who should shut his eyes, and then riun to¬ 
 ward the precipice, as if his not seeing the danger 
 would annihilate it. 
 
 That the ways of virtue are preferable to those 
 of vice, is evident, in that we do not find people in 
 
64 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 old age, sickness, or on a death-bed, repenting, 
 that they have lived too virtuously; but the con¬ 
 trary. This is a general confession from mankind, 
 at a time when they certainly are sincere. And 
 they would give the same testimony to virtue at 
 other times, if they could disengage themselves 
 from the prejudices and passions, which blind them. 
 
 Perhaps no created nature could be happy, with¬ 
 out having experienced the contrast of unhappiness. 
 
 As no character is more venerable than that of 
 a wise old man, so none is more contemptible than 
 that of an old fool. 
 
 It will vex you to lose a friend for a smart stroke 
 of raillery ; or the opinion of the wise and good, 
 for a piece of foolish behaviour at a merrymaking. 
 
 Mankind generally act not according to right; 
 but more according to present interest; and most 
 according to present passion : by this key you may 
 generally get into their designs, and foretel what 
 ourse they will take. 
 
 Never write letters about any affair that has oc¬ 
 casioned, or may occasion, a difference: a thing 
 looks bigger in a letter than in conversation. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 65 
 
 That bad habits are not quite unconquerable, is 
 evident from Demosthenes, Cicero, and many others. 
 But that they are very troublesome to deal with, and 
 grow always stronger and stronger, universal ex¬ 
 perience proves too sufficiently. 
 
 Don’t let one failure in a worthy and practicable 
 scheme baffle you: the more difficulty, the more 
 glory. 
 
 Don’t deceive j'ourself. The true preparation 
 for death, is not living at random to threescore, and 
 then retiring from the world, and giving up a few 
 of the last years of life to prayer and repentance. 
 But cultivating in your mind, from the beginning, 
 the substantial virtues, which are the true orna¬ 
 ment of a worthy character, and which naturally 
 fit for endless happiness. 
 
 The more you enlarge your concerns in life, the 
 more chances you will have of embarrassments. 
 
 Listen to conscience, and it will tell you, whe¬ 
 ther you really do as you would be done by. 
 
 In estimating the worth of men, keep a guard 
 upon your judgment, that it be not biassed by 
 wealth or splendor. At the same time there is no 
 
66 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 necessity for treating with a cynical insolence, 
 every person whom Providence hath placed in an 
 eminent station, merely because your experience 
 teaches you, that very few of the great are deserv¬ 
 ing of the esteem of the wise and good. Consider 
 the temptations which besiege the great, and render 
 it almost impossible for them to come at truth. 
 And make all reasonable allowances. If you see 
 any thing like real goodness of heart in a person of 
 high rank, admire it, as an uncommon instance of 
 excellence, which in a more private station, would 
 have risen to an extraordinary pitch of perfection. 
 
 If you do not set your whole thoughts upon a 
 business, while you are about it, it is ten to one 
 but you mismanage it: if you set your affections 
 immoveably upon worldly things, you will become 
 a sordid earthworm. 
 
 There is nothing more foolish than for those to 
 fall out, w r ho must live together, as husband and 
 wife, and such near relations. But there is no 
 falling out without folly, on one side, or other, or 
 both. 
 
 The folly of some people in conversation, is 
 beneath criticism. The only way of answering 
 them, is to go out of hearing. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 67 
 
 Let a man consider what the general turn of his 
 thoughts is. It is that which characterises the 
 man. He who thinks oftenest, and dwells longest, 
 on worldly things, is an earthly man. He, whose 
 mind is habitually employed in divine contempla¬ 
 tion, is an heavenly man. 
 
 In proportion to the grief and shame, which a 
 bad action would have caused you, such will be 
 your joy, and triumph, on reflecting, that you have 
 bravely resisted the temptation. 
 
 Are not the great happiest, when most free of 
 the incumbrances of greatness ? Is there then any 
 hapepness in greatness ? 
 
 The hand of time heals all diseases. Human 
 nature cannot long continue in violent anger, grief, 
 or distress of any kind. Spare yourself immode¬ 
 rate uneasiness. The time will come, when all 
 these things which now engage you so much, will 
 be, as if they never had been; except your own 
 character for virtue, or vice. 
 
 If you live such a life, that you may be able 
 upon rational grounds, to be patient at the last 
 hour, when your near friends lose all patience, you 
 will shew yourself a true hero. 
 
 
CS MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 Don’t be uneasy, if you cannot master all 
 science. You may easily know enough to be good 
 and happy. 
 
 He who suffers lust to steal away his youth, 
 ambition his manhood, and avarice his old age, 
 may lament too late, the shortness of the useful 
 part of his life. 
 
 If you have a family, it is no more allowable 
 that you squander away your substance, than for 
 a steward to embezzle the estate, of which he is 
 manager. You are appointed steward to your 
 children : and if you neglect to provide for them, 
 be it at your peril. 
 
 A truly great mind, from mere reverence for 
 itself, would not descend to think a base thought, 
 if it was never to be known to God, or man. 
 
 This book is not likely to be read by uny, whose 
 station in life is not such, that thousands, and 
 millions of mankind would think worthy of envy. 
 It will then be very strange, if it should be read by 
 any discontented person. 
 
 If you would not have affliction visit you twice; 
 listen, at once, to what it teaches. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 C9 
 
 He, who is free from any immediate distress, 
 and cannot be happy now, it is in vain for him to 
 think he ever shall, unless he changes the temper 
 of his mind, which is what hinders his happiness 
 at present. 
 
 Never cast your eye upon a good man, without 
 resolving to imitate him. Whenever you see an 
 instance of vice or folly in another, let it be a 
 warning to you, to avoid them. 
 
 I know no way of laying out a few shillings to 
 more advantage, either for profit or pleasure, than 
 upon an entertaining and instructing book. But 
 this expence is greatly overdone by some, and 
 ill laid out by others. 
 
 While you are unhappy, because your tailor has 
 not cut your coat to your mind, many an honest 
 man would be glad to have one that would only 
 keep out the cold; and cannot. While you are 
 in a passion with your cook, because he has spoiled 
 you one dish among six, many a poor family, who 
 are your fellow-creatures, and fellow-Christians, 
 are at a loss for bread, to supply the wants of 
 nature. Think of this, and give over with shame, 
 your foolish and impious complaints against that 
 goodness of Providence, which has placed you in 
 
70 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 circumstances so much above persons of equal 
 merit with yourself. 
 
 It makes wretched work, when the married pair 
 come to disputing about privilege, and superiority. 
 
 Consider with yourself, whether the wise an 
 good would value you more or less, if they knew 
 your whole character. 
 
 It is well when old people know that they are 
 old. Many, on the contrary, still affect to set 
 themselves off as unimpaired in abilities both bodily 
 and mental, long enough after they have outlived 
 themselves. 
 
 It is necessary often to find fault. And the on¬ 
 ly way to do it, so as to be regarded, is to keep 
 up your own dignity. A master, who blusters 
 and swears at his servant, is despised, while he 
 who reproves with mildness and gravity is likely to 
 be reverenced and obeyed. 
 
 The use of reading is, to settle your judgment ; 
 not to confound it by a variety of opinions, nor to 
 enslave it by authority, 
 
 Tf you are ever so sure, that you ought to resent 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 71 
 
 an injury, at least put off your resentment, till you 
 cool. You will gain every end better by that 
 means, and can lose nothing by going cautiously 
 and deliberately to work; whereas you may do 
 yourself, or your neighbour, great mischief by pro¬ 
 ceeding rashly and hastily. 
 
 If you find, you cannot hold your own with the 
 world, without making shipwreck of conscience, 
 and integrity; retire in time, with a stock of 
 honesty, rather than continue in business, to retire 
 at last with a stock of wealth, which will not yield 
 you happiness, when your integrity is gone. 
 
 The giver is the creditor ; the receiver the debt¬ 
 or. Had you not better be the former than the 
 atter ? 
 
 I know no sight more nauseous than that of a 
 fond husband and wife, who have not the sense to 
 behave properly to one another before company. 
 Nor any conversation more shocking, than that 
 of a snarling couple, who are continually girding 
 at one another. 
 
 The unthinking bulk of mankind are ever amu¬ 
 sing themselves with some pursuit foreign to 
 themselves. A wise man is ever looking inward. 
 
72 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 Married people ought to consider, that the keep¬ 
 ing up of mutual love and peace, is of more con¬ 
 sequence, than any point, which either the one or 
 the other can want to gain, where life or fortune 
 are not engaged. Let the husband consider, that 
 it suits his superior wisdom to yield to the weaker 
 in ordinary cases. Let the wife remember, she 
 solemnly promised to obey. 
 
 The advantage our passions have over us, is 
 owing to ourselves. We may easily gain such a 
 knowledge of our own weakness, as to feel them 
 rising, before they be got to the heighth. And it 
 is our own fault, if we do not restrain them in 
 time. 
 
 Whoever knows his own weaknesses, and has 
 the sense to endeavour to get rid of them, will find 
 himself as fully employed, in his own mind, as a 
 physician in an hospital. 
 
 It is no wonder if he who reads, converses, and 
 meditates, improves in knowledge. By the first, 
 a man converses with the dead, by the second, 
 with the living, and by the third, with himself. 
 So that he appropriates to himself all the know¬ 
 ledge, which can be got from those who have lived, 
 and from those now alive. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 73 
 
 It may not be in your power to excel many 
 people in riches, honours, or abilities. But you 
 may excel thousands in what is incomparably more 
 valuable, I mean, substantial goodness of heart 
 and life. Hither turn your ambition. Here is an 
 object worthy of it. 
 
 A very ignorant man may have a very learned 
 library. A very learned man may be a very con¬ 
 temptible creature. 
 
 Endeavour to do all the good in your power. 
 Be as active, with prudence, as if you were sure of 
 success. When you meet a disappointment, let 
 it not abate your diligence, nor put you out of 
 humour, And when you have done all, remember, 
 you have only done your duty. 
 
 The Dutch will not suffer the smallest breach 
 in their dykes, for fear of an inundation. Do not 
 suffer the smallest passage for vice into your heart 
 lest you find your virtue quite overflowed. 
 
 Do not be unhappy, if you have not married a 
 professed beauty. They generally admire them¬ 
 selves so much, they have no love left for their 
 husbands. Besides, it might not perhaps have been 
 
 very agreeable to you, to see every fellow, as yon 
 
 c 
 
74 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 went into public places, look at your wife, as if he 
 could devour her with his eyes. 
 
 i 
 
 Take care of natural biasses, as self-love, plea¬ 
 sure, &c. Be sure, you will always incline enough 
 toward the biass-side. Therefore, you need have 
 no guard upon yourself that way. 
 
 In bestirring yourself for the public advantage, 
 remember, that, if you should not accomplish all 
 that you propose, you will however have employed 
 yourself to good purpose, and will not fail of your 
 reward, if you should of success. 
 
 Make sure, first, and principally, of that know¬ 
 ledge, which is necessary for you, as a man, and a 
 member of society. Next of what is necessary in 
 your particular way of life. Afterwards improve 
 yourself in all useful and ornamental knowledge, 
 as far as your capacity, leisure, and fortune will 
 allow. 
 
 The great business of a man is to improve his 
 mind and govern his manners. 
 
 What sculpture is to a block of marble, educa¬ 
 tion is to a human soul. The philosopher, the 
 saint, and the hero, the wise, the good, or the 
 great man, very often lie hid and concealed in a 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 75 
 
 plebeian, which a proper education might have dis¬ 
 interred, and have brought to light. 
 
 Parents are commonly more careful to bestow 
 wit on their children, than virtue ; the art of speak¬ 
 ing well, rather than doing well: but their manners 
 ought to be the great concern. 
 
 It ought always to be steadily inculcated, tnat 
 virtue is the highest proof of understanding, and 
 the only solid basis of greatness ; and that vice is 
 the natural consequence of narrow thoughts ; that 
 t begins in mistake, and ends in ignominy. 
 
 Zeno , hearing a young man speak too freely, 
 told him, for this reason we have two ears, and but 
 one tongue ; that we should hear much and speak 
 little. 
 
 Agesilaus, being asked, what he thought most 
 proper for boys to learn; answered, what they 
 ought to do when they come to be men. 
 
 An industrious and virtuous education of children 
 is a better inheritance for them, than a great estate. 
 To what purpose is it, said Crates , to heap up great 
 estates, and have no concern what manner of heir* 
 you leave them to ? 
 
76 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 The magisterial severity of some pedagogues 
 frights more learning out of children, than ever 
 they can whip into them. 
 
 None can be eminent without application and 
 genius. Aristotle says, that to become an able 
 man in any profession whatsoever, three things are 
 necessary, which are nature , study, and practice. 
 
 A man of ingenuity may go a great way in the 
 field of learning, by himself. Heraclitus , a philo¬ 
 sopher of Ephesus, had no master or tutor; but 
 attained to great knowledge by his own private 
 study and diligence. Though this can be no rule 
 it is an example to those who have not the advan¬ 
 tage of a guide. 
 
 The memory of the ancients is hardly in any 
 thing more to be celebrated, than in their strict 
 and useful institution of youth: by labour they 
 prevented luxury in their young people, till wisdom 
 and philosophy had taught them to resist and des 
 pise it. 
 
 The bulk of mankind must, without the assist-* 
 ance of education and instruction, be informed only 
 with the unders t anding of a child. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 77 
 
 It is the common custom of the world to follow 
 example, rather than precept; but it would be the 
 *afer course to learn by precept, rather than ex¬ 
 ample. 
 
 It is observed, that education is generally the 
 worse, in proportion to the wealth and grandeur 
 of the parents. Many are apt to think, that to 
 dance, fence, speak French, and know how to be¬ 
 have among great persons, comprehends the whole 
 duty of a gentleman; which opinion is enough to 
 destroy all the seeds of knowledge, honour, wisdom, 
 and virtue among us. 
 
 Lycurgus seeing a keeper teaching a bloodhound 
 to follow a train ; observe, said he, what pains 
 yonder master takes to make his servant useful 
 and profitable for his pleasure: who would not 
 then train up with diligence his son in the school 
 of virtue, that he may be a profitable servant of the 
 commonwealth ? 
 
 He that is taught to live upon little, owes more 
 to his father’s wisdom, than he that has a great 
 deal left him, does to his father’s care. 
 
 It is great imprudence to determine children to 
 any particular business, before their temper and 
 inclinations are well known. Every one, says 
 
78 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 Horace, is best in his own profession ; that which 
 fits us best, is best; nor is any thing more fitting, 
 than that every one should consider his own ge¬ 
 nius and capacity, and act accordingly. 
 
 The mind ought sometimes to be diverted, that 
 it may return to thinking the better. Little read¬ 
 ing, and much thinking, little speaking, and much 
 hearing, is the best way to improve in know¬ 
 ledge. 
 
 The sciences chiefly to be recommended are na¬ 
 tural and moral philosophy ; for these entertain us 
 with the images and beauties both of nature and 
 of virtue; show us what we are, and what we 
 ought to be: to which we may add mechanics, 
 agriculture, and navigation. Most other studies 
 are, in a manner, emptiness and air; diversions to 
 recreate the mind, but not of weight enough to 
 make them our business. 
 
 Many bad things are done only for custom, 
 which will make a good practice as easy to us as 
 an ill one. 
 
 Examples do not authorize a fault. Vice must 
 never plead prescription. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 79 
 
 Custom is the plague of wise men, and the idol 
 of fools. 
 
 The opinions of men are as many and as dif¬ 
 ferent as their persons ; the greatest diligence, and 
 most prudent conduct, can never please them 
 all. 
 
 The subject of duties is the most useful part of 
 all philosophy. 
 
 To be prudent, honest, and good, are infinitely 
 higher accomplishments, than the being nice, florid, 
 learned, or all that which the world calls great 
 scholars, and fine gentlemen. 
 
 Itwasagood reply oi'Plato ,to one who murmured 
 at his reproving him for a small matter: custom, 
 said he, is no small matter. A custom or habit of 
 life does frequently alter the natural inclination 
 either to good or evil. 
 
 Opinion is the main thing which does good or 
 harm in the world. It is our false opinions of 
 things which ruin us. 
 
 Whether fondness of fashion, or love of novelty, 
 betray men into the most mistakes, it is difficult 
 
80 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 to determine. The best things are slighted by 
 some for mere antiquity, though founded upon 
 authority and reason; and others maintain a vene¬ 
 ration for whatever custom has established, though 
 founded upon neither. 
 
 Vicious habits are so great a stain to human 
 nature, and so odious in themselves, that every 
 person, actuated by right reason, would avoid them, 
 though he was sure they would be always concealed 
 both from God and man, and had no future pu¬ 
 nishment entailed upon them. 
 
 A judge, who is prepossessed in any cause, and 
 does not hear both sides indifferently, though the 
 judgment he gives be right, yet himself errs ; for 
 there can be no integrity, where there is any par¬ 
 tiality, 
 
 1 Necessity, that great refuge and excuse for hu¬ 
 man frailty, breaks through all laws ; and he is not 
 to be accounted in fault, whose crime is not the 
 effect of choice, but force. 
 
 The man who wants mercy, makes the law of 
 the land his gospel, and all his cases of conscience 
 are determined by his attorney. The guilt of be¬ 
 ing unfortunate is never to be defended by the best 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 81 
 
 advocate in the world ; all he can do, or say, will 
 be received with prejudice by an uncompassionate 
 creditor. 
 
 Innocence is no protection against tyrannical 
 power; for accusing is proving, where malice and 
 force are joined in the prosecution. Force governs 
 the world, and success consecrates the cause. 
 What avails it the lamb to have the better cause, 
 if the wolf have the stronger teeth ? It is to no 
 purpose to stand reasoning, where the adversary i 3 
 both party and judge. 
 
 Solon being asked, why among his laws, there 
 was not one against personal affronts ; answered, 
 he could not believe the world so fantastical as to 
 regard them. 
 
 A man of virtue is a honour to his country, a 
 glory to humanity, and satisfaction to himself, and 
 a benefactor to the whole world: he is rich with¬ 
 out oppression or dishonesty, charitable without 
 ostentation, courteous without deceit, and brave 
 without vice. 
 
 An angry man, who suppresses his passions, 
 thinks worse than he speaks; and an angry man 
 that will chide, speaks worse than he thinks. 
 
8*2 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 There have been many laws made by men, which 
 swerve from honesty, reason, and the dictates of 
 nature. By the law of arms, he is degraded 
 from all honour who puts up an affront; and, by 
 the civil law, he that takes vengeance for it, incurs 
 a capital punishment. He that seeks redress by 
 law for an affront, is disgraced; and he that does 
 not seek redress this way, is punished by the 
 laws. 
 
 Perjury is not only a wrong to particular persons, 
 but treason against human society ; subverting at 
 once the foundations of public peace and justice, 
 and the private security of every man’s life and 
 or tune. 
 
 \ 
 
 Better to prevent a quarrel beforehand, than to 
 revenge it afterward. 
 
 A vindictive temper is not only uneasy to others, 
 but to them that have it. 
 
 Dislike what deserves it, but never hate; for 
 tnat is of the nature of malice, which is almost 
 ever to persons, not to things. 
 
 Anger may glance into the breast of a wise man 
 but rests onlv in the bosom of fools. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 83 
 
 What can be more honorable than to have cou¬ 
 rage enough to execute the commands of reason 
 and conscience ; to maintain the dignity of our na¬ 
 ture, and the station assigned us : to be proof 
 against poverty, pain, and death itself; so far as 
 not to do any thing that is scandalous or sinful to 
 avoid them : to stand adversity under all shapes 
 with decency and resolution ? To do this is to be 
 great above title and fortune. This argues the 
 soul of a heavenly extraction, and is worthy the 
 •ffspring of the Deity. 
 
 Men will have the same veneration for a person 
 who suffers adversity without dejection, as for de¬ 
 molished temples, the very ruins whereof are re¬ 
 verenced and adored. 
 
 There can be no peace in human life without the 
 contempt of all events. 
 
 As fortitude suffers not the mind to be dejected 
 with any evils ; so temperance suffers it not to be 
 drawn from honesty by any allurements. 
 
 Charity obliges not to mistrust a man ; prudence, 
 not to trust him before we know him. 
 
 Prudence is of more frequent use than any other 
 
84 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 intellectual quality ; it is exerted on slight occasi¬ 
 ons, and called into act by the cursory business of 
 common life. 
 
 There is a mean in all things : even virtue itself 
 has its stated limits ; which not being strictly ob¬ 
 served, it ceases to be virtue. 
 
 A virtuous habit of the mind is so absolutely 
 necessary to influence the whole life, and beautify 
 every particular action; to over-balance or repel 
 all the gilded charms of avarice, pride, and self- 
 interest ; that a man deservedly procures the last¬ 
 ing epithets of good or bad, as he appears either 
 swayed by, or regardless of it. 
 
 If you be affronted, it is better to pass it by in 
 silence, or with a jest, though with some dishonour, 
 than to endeavour revenge. If you can keep rea¬ 
 son above passion, that and watchfulness will be 
 your best defendants. 
 
 None more impatiently suffer injuries, than 
 those that are most forward in doing them. 
 
 There is not any revenge more heroic, than that 
 which torments envy, by doing good. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 85 
 
 What men want of reason for their opinions, 
 they usually supply and make up in rage. 
 
 Discord is every where a troublesome companion: 
 but when it is shut up within a family, and hap¬ 
 pens among relations that cannot easily part, it is 
 harder to deal with, 
 
 It is much better to reprove than to be angry 
 secretly. 
 
 By taking revenge, a man is but even with his 
 enemy; but, in passing it over, he is superior. 
 
 To be able to bear provocation is an argument of 
 great wisdom ; and to forgive it, of a great 
 mind. 
 
 None should be so implacable as to refuse a 
 humble submission. He whose very best actions 
 must be seen with favorable allowance, cannot be 
 too mild, moderate, and forgiving. 
 
 There cannot possibly be a greater extravagance, 
 than for a man to run the hazard of losing his life 
 to satisfy his revenge. When Mark Anthony , after 
 the battle Actium, challenged Augustus, he took 
 no further notice of the insult, than sending back 
 
86 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 this answer: If Anthony was weary of his life, 
 there were other ways of dispatch beside fighting 
 him ; and, for his part, he should not trouble him¬ 
 self to be his executioner. 
 
 Revenge stops at nothing that is violent and 
 wicked. The histories of all ages are full of the 
 tragical outrages that have been executed by this 
 diabolical passion. 
 
 We often forgive those that have injured us, 
 but we can never pardon those that we have in¬ 
 jured. 
 
 As we often are incensed without a cause, so we 
 continue our anger, lest it should appear to our 
 disgrace, to have begun without occasion. 
 
 A wise man has no more anger than shows he 
 can apprehend the first wrong, nor any more re¬ 
 venge than justly to prevent a second. 
 
 I 
 
 We must forget the good we do, for fear of up- 
 iraiding : and religion bids us forget injuries, lest 
 the remembrance of them should suggest to us a 
 desire of revenge. 
 
 The most tolerable sort of revenge is for those 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 87 
 
 wrongs which there is no law to remedy: but then 
 let a man take heed that the revenge be such as 
 there is no law to punish ; else a man’s enemy is 
 still beforehand, and is two for one. 
 
 Hatred is so durable and so obstinate, that recon¬ 
 ciliation on a sick-bed is the greatest sign of death. 
 
 A wise man will desire no more than what he 
 may get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, 
 and live contentedly. 
 
 The best way to humble a proud man is to take 
 no notice of him. 
 
 The tallest trees are most in the power of the 
 winds, and ambitious men of the blasts of fortune. 
 Great marks are soonest hit. 
 
 A person who squanders away his fortune in 
 rioting and profuseness, is neither just to himself 
 or others ; for, by a conduct of this kind, his su¬ 
 perfluities flow in an irregular channel, and those 
 that are the most unworthy are the greatest sharers 
 of them, who do not fail to censure him when his 
 substance is exhausted. 
 
 A man’s desires always disappoint him; for 
 
88 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 though he meets with something that gives him 
 satisfaction, yet it never thoroughly answers his 
 expectation. 
 
 What man in his right senses, that has where¬ 
 withal to live free, would make himself a slave for 
 superfluities? What does that man want, who 
 has enough ? Or what is he the better for abun¬ 
 dance, that can never be satisfied ? 
 
 The most laudable ambition is to be wise; and 
 the greatest wisdom is to be good. We may be 
 as ambitious as we please, so we aspire to the best 
 things. 
 
 Cleobulus being asked, why he sought not to be 
 advanced to honour and preferment, made this 
 reply: O friend, as long as I study and practise 
 humility, I know where I am; but, when I shall 
 hunt after dignities and promotion, I am afraid I 
 shall lose myself. 
 
 A wise man values himself upon the score of 
 virtue, and not of opinion; and thinks himself 
 neither better nor worse for what others say of him. 
 
 He that praises, bestows a favour; but he that 
 detracts, commits a robbery. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 89 
 
 It is observed, that the most censorious are 
 generally the least judicious ; who, having nothing 
 to recommend themselves, will be finding faults 
 with others. No man envies the merit of another, 
 that has any of his own. 
 
 He that envies, makes another man’s virtue his 
 Ice, and another’s happiness his torment; whereas, 
 he that rejoices at the prosperity of another, is a 
 partaker of the same. 
 
 A good word is an easy obligation; but not to 
 speak ill requires only our silence, which costs us 
 nothing. 
 
 The worthiest people are most injured by slan¬ 
 derers ; as we usually find that to be the best fruit, 
 which the birds have been pecking at. 
 
 It is a folly for an eminent man to think of 
 escaping censure, and a weakness to be affected 
 with it. Fab . Maximus said, he w r as a greater 
 coward that was afraid of reproach, than he that 
 fled from his enemies. 
 
 It is harder to avoid censure, than to gain ap¬ 
 plause ; for this may be done by one great or wise 
 action in an age; but, to escape censure, a man 
 
90 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 must pass his whole life, without saying or doing 
 one ill or foolish thing. 
 
 Philip of Macedon said, he was beholden to the 
 Athenian orators for reproving him; for he would 
 endeavour both by words and actions to make them 
 liars. And Plato, hearing it was asserted by some 
 persons that he was a very bad man, said, I shall 
 take care to live, so that no body will believe them. 
 
 The failings of good men are commonly more 
 published in the world than their good deeds; and 
 one fault of a well-deserving man shall meet with 
 more reproaches, than all his virtues praise: such 
 is the force of ill-will and ill-nature. 
 
 Censure is the tax a man pays the public for 
 being eminent. 
 
 When any man speaks ill of us, we are to make 
 use of it as a caution, without troubling ourselves 
 at the calumny. He is in a wretched case, that 
 values himself upon other people’s opinions, and 
 depends upon their judgment for the peace of his 
 life. 
 
 It is in the power of every man to preserve his 
 probity; but no man living has it in his power to 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 91 
 
 say, that he can preserve his reputation, while there 
 are so many evil tongues in the world ready to blast 
 the fairest character; and so many open ears ready 
 to receive their reports. 
 
 Other passions have objects to flatter them, and 
 seemingly to content and satisfy them for a while: 
 there is power in ambition, and pleasure in luxury, 
 and pelf in covetousness; but envy can give 
 nothing but vexation. 
 
 There is no condition so low, but may have 
 hopes; nor any so high, that is out of the reach of 
 fears. 
 
 Hope is very fallacious, and promises what it 
 seldom gives; but its promises are more valuable 
 than the gifts of fortune, and it seldom frustrates 
 us without assuring us of recompensing the delay 
 by great bounty. 
 
 When Anaxogoras was told of the death of his 
 son, he only said, I knew he was mortal. So we, 
 in all casualties of life, should say, I knew my 
 riches were uncertain, that my friend was but a 
 man. Such considerations would soon pacify us, 
 because all our troubles proceed from their being 
 unexpected. 
 
92 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 A wise man, says Seneca , is provided for occur¬ 
 rences of any kind; the good he manages, the bad 
 he vanquishes: in prosperity he betrays no pre¬ 
 sumption, in adversity he feels no despondency. 
 
 Hopes and disappointments, are the lot and 
 entertainment of human life; the one serves to 
 keep us from presumption, the other from 
 despair. 
 
 There is a medium between an excessive dif¬ 
 fidence and too universal a confidence. If we have 
 no foresight, we are surprised; if it is too nice, we 
 are miserable. 
 
 The apprehension of evil is many times worse 
 than the evil itself; and the ills a man fears he 
 shall suffer, he suffers in the very fear of them. 
 
 If you are disquieted at any thing, you should 
 consider with yourself, is the thing of that w r orth, 
 that for it I should so disturb myself, and lose my 
 peace and tranquillity ? 
 
 Fear is implanted in us as a preservative from 
 evil; but its duty, like other passions, is not to 
 overbear reason, but to assist it; nor should it be 
 suffered to tyrannise in the imagination, to raise 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 93 
 
 phantoms of horror, or beset life wi;h super¬ 
 numerary distresses. 
 
 There can be no peace in human life, without 
 the contempt of all events. He that troubles his 
 head with drawing consequences from mere con¬ 
 tingencies, shall never be at rest. 
 
 The thing in the world, says Montaigne, I am 
 most afraid of, is fear; and with good reason; 
 that passion alone, in the trouble of it, exceeding 
 all other accidents. 
 
 We should take a prudent care for the future, 
 but so as to enjoy the present. It is no part of 
 wisdom to be miserable to-day, because we may 
 happen to be so to-morrow. 
 
 We live in an age, when men are fond of learn¬ 
 ing, almost to the loss of religion. Nothing will 
 pass with our men of wit and sense, but what is 
 agreeable with the nicest reason; and every man’s 
 reason is his own understanding. These mighty 
 pretenders have no truer ground to go upon, than 
 other men : they plead for right reason ; but they 
 mean their own. In the mean time they take 
 from us our surest guide, and religion suffers by 
 their contentions about it. 
 
94 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 Philosphy is then only valuable, when it serves 
 for the law of life, and not the ostentation of 
 science. 
 
 No knowledge which terminates in curiosity 
 and speculation, is comparable to that which is of 
 use: and of all useful knowledge, that is most so, 
 which consists in a due care, and iust notion of 
 ourselves. 
 
 However we may be puffed up with vain con¬ 
 ceits of new worlds of learning; it is certain we 
 are yet much in the dark ; that many of our dis¬ 
 coveries are purely imaginary, and that the states 
 of learning is so far from perfection, much more 
 from being the subject of ostentation, that it ought 
 to teach us modesty, and keep us humble. 
 
 Some are so very studious of learning what was 
 done by the ancients, that they know not how to 
 live with the moderns. 
 
 One would admire how it is possible for a wise 
 man to spend his life in unprofitable inquiries. 
 Some men, says St Evremond, make a merit of 
 knowing what they might as well be ignorant of 
 and are absolute strangers to what is really worth 
 knowing. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 95 
 
 Every man who proposes to grow eminent by 
 learning, should carry in his mind at once the 
 difficulty of excellence, and the force of industry ; 
 and remember that fame is not conferred but as 
 the recompence of labour; and that labour, vigo¬ 
 rously continued, has not often failed of its re¬ 
 ward. 
 
 A man of sense does not so much apply him¬ 
 self to the most learned writings, in order to ac¬ 
 quire knowledge; as the most rational, to fortify 
 his reason. 
 
 Aristippus said, that the only fruit he had re¬ 
 ceived from his philosophy, was to speak plainly 
 to all the world, and to tell freely his thoughts of 
 things. 
 
 To preserve the entire liberty of one’s judgment, 
 without being prepossessed with false reasons, or 
 pretended authority, is a strength of mind whereof 
 few are capable. 
 
 Fine sense and exalted sense, are not half so 
 useful as common sense. 
 
 Men are apt to overvalue the tongues, and to 
 think they have made a considerable progress in 
 
96 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 learning when they have once overcome these ; yet 
 in reality there is no internal worth in them, and 
 men may understand a thousand languages without 
 being the wiser. 
 
 What is the whole creation, but one great 
 library: every volume in which, and every page in 
 these volumes, are impressed with radiant charac¬ 
 ters of infinite wisdom; and all the perfections of 
 the universe are contracted with such inimitable 
 art in man, that he needs no other book but him¬ 
 self to make him a complete philosopher. 
 
 Of all human actions, pride seldomest obtains 
 its end; for aiming at honour and reputation, it 
 reaps contempt and derision. 
 
 Covetous men need money least, yet most affect 
 it; and prodigals, who need it most, do least re¬ 
 gard it. 
 
 That plenty should produce either covetousness 
 or prodigality, is a perversion of providence ; and 
 yet the generality of men are the worse for their 
 riches. 
 
 To live above our station shows a proud heart, 
 and to live under it discovers a narrow soul. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 97 
 
 Avarice and ambition are the two elements that 
 enter into the composition of all crimes. Ambition 
 is boundless, and avarice insatiable. 
 
 If a proud man makes me keep my distance, the 
 comfort is, he keeps his at the same time. 
 
 Money, like manure, does no good till it is 
 spread. There is no real use of riches, except it 
 be in the distribution; the rest is but conceit. 
 
 It is not the height to which men are advanced, 
 that makes them giddy ; it is the looking down 
 with contempt upon those below them. 
 
 It is a much easier task to dig metal out of its 
 native mine, than to get it out of the covetous 
 man’s coffer. Death only has the key of the mi¬ 
 ser’s chest. 
 
 What madness is it for a man to starve himself, 
 to enrich his heir, and so turn a friend into an 
 enemy! For his joy at your death will be propor¬ 
 tioned to what vou leave him. 
 
 A poor spirit is poorer than a poor purse. A 
 very few pounds a year would ease a man of the 
 scandal of avarice, 
 
98 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 Pitiful! that a man should so care for riches, 
 as if they were his own; yet so use them, as if 
 they were another’s : that when he might be 
 happy in spending them, will be miserable in keep¬ 
 ing them ; and had rather, dying, leave wealth 
 with his enemies, than, being alive, relieve his 
 friends. 
 
 It is as disagreeable to a prodigal to keep an 
 account of his expences, as it is to a sinner to ex¬ 
 amine his conscience ; the deeper they search, the 
 worse they find themselves. 
 
 Hope is the last thing that dies in man; and 
 though it be exceeding deceitful, yet it is of this 
 good use to us, that while we are travelling 
 through this life, it conducts us an easier and 
 more pleasant path to our journey’s end. 
 
 It may serve as a comfort to us in all our ca¬ 
 lamities and afflictions, that he that loses any thing, 
 and gets wisdom by it, is a gainer by the loss. 
 
 The expectation of future happiness is the best 
 relief of anxious thoughts, the most perfect cure of 
 melancholy, the guide of life, and the comfort of 
 death. 
 
 Hopes and cares, anger and fears, divide our life. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 99 
 
 Would you be free from these anxieties; think 
 every day will be your last, and then the succeeding 
 hours will be the more welcome, because unex¬ 
 pected. 
 
 There is but one way of fortifying the soul 
 against all gloomy presages and terrors of mind; 
 and that is, by securing to ourselves the friendship 
 and protection of that being, who disposes of events 
 and governs futurity. 
 
 The utmost perfection we are capable of in this 
 world, is to govern our lives and actions by the 
 rules which nature has set us, and keeping the 
 order of our creation. 
 
 Nothing alleviates grief so much as the liberty of 
 ;omplaining : nothing makes one more sensible of 
 joy than the delight of expressing it. 
 
 Passion has its foundation in nature : virtue is 
 acquired by the improvement of our reason. 
 
 No man is master of himself, so long as he is a 
 slave to any thing else. 
 
 He is the wise man, who, though not skilled in 
 science, knows how to govern his passions and af- 
 
100 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 fections. Our passions are our infirmities. He 
 that can make a sacrifice of his will, is lord of 
 himself. 
 
 It is the basest of passions to like what we have 
 not, and slight what we possess. 
 
 Passion is a sort of fever in the mind, which 
 ever leaves us weaker than it found us. 
 
 Prudence governs the wise ; but there are only 
 a few of that sort, and the most wise are not so at 
 all times ; whereas passion governs almost all the 
 world, and at most times. 
 
 It is certainly much easier wholly to decline a 
 
 • m 
 
 passion, than to keep it within just bounds and 
 measures; and that which few can moderate, 
 almost any body may prevent. 
 
 Most men take least notice of what is plain, as 
 if that were of no use ; but puzzle their thoughts 
 and lose themselves in those vast depths and 
 abysses, which no human understanding can 
 fathom. 
 
 It is a silly conceit, that men without languages 
 are also without understanding : it is apparent ir 
 
MISCELLANEOUS* THOUGHTS. 
 
 101 
 
 all ages, that some such have been even prodigies 
 for ability ; for it is not to be believed, that wis¬ 
 dom speaks to her disciples only in Latin, Greek, 
 and Hebrew. 
 
 The pains we take in books or arts, which treat 
 of things remote from the use of life, is a busy 
 idleness. 
 
 There is no necessity of being led through the 
 several fields of knowledge : it will be sufficient to 
 gather some of the fairest fruit from them all; and 
 to lay up a store of good sense, sound reason, and 
 solid virtue. 
 
 The variety of opinions among the learned, ma¬ 
 nifests, that there can be no certainty, where there 
 is so much dissent. 
 
 We rarely meet with persons that have a true 
 judgment; which, in many, renders literature a 
 very tiresome knowledge. Good judges are as 
 rare as good authors. 
 
 We read of a philosopher, who declared of him¬ 
 self, that the first year he entered upon the study 
 of philosophy, he knew all things; the second year 
 he knew something; but the third year nothing 
 the more he studied, the more he declined in the 
 
102 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 opinion of his own knowledge, and saw more of the 
 shortness of his understanding. 
 
 Absence cools moderate passions, and inflames 
 violent ones ; as the wind blows out candles, but 
 kindles fires. 
 
 He that resigns his peace to little casualties, and 
 suffers the course of his life to be interrupted by 
 fortuitous inadvertencies of offences, delivers up 
 himself to the direction of the wind, and loses all 
 that constancy and equanimity, which constitute 
 the chief praise of a wise man. 
 
 The philosopher Bion said pleasantly of the 
 king, who by handfuls pulled his hair off his head 
 for sorrow: Does this man think that baldness is 
 a remedy for grief ? 
 
 Passion makes them fools, which otherwise are 
 not so ; and shows them to be fools which are 
 so. 
 
 We often hate, we know not why, without ex- 
 
 \ 
 
 amining either the good or bad qualities of the 
 person; and this senseless aversion of ours will 
 sometimes fall upon, men of extraordinary merit. 
 It is the business of reason to correct this blind 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 103 
 
 passion, which is a reproach to it: for is there any¬ 
 thing more unjust, than to have an aversion to 
 those that are a honour to human nature ? 
 
 They that laugh at every thing, and they that 
 fret at every thing, are fools alike. 
 
 The good government of our appetites, and cor¬ 
 rupt inclinations, will make our minds cheerful 
 and easy : contentment will sweeten a low fortune, 
 and patience will make our sufferings light. 
 
 To be masters of ourselves and habits, it is in¬ 
 dispensably necessary, that our thoughts be good 
 and regular, which is effected by good converse 
 either with books or persons : hence we may know 
 ourselves, and adapt particular remedies to our 
 weaknesses; for there is nothing impossible that 
 is necessary to the accomplishment of our happi¬ 
 ness. 
 
 To be covetous of applause discovers a slender 
 merit; and self-conceit is the ordinary attendant 
 of ignorance. 
 
 The most ignorant are most conceited, and the 
 most impatient of advice, as unable to discern ei¬ 
 ther their own folly, or the wisdom of others. 
 
104 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 No man, whose appetites are his masters, can 
 perform the duties of his nature with strictness 
 and regularity. He that would be superior to ex¬ 
 ternal influences, must first become superior to 
 his own passions. 
 
 It is to affectation the world owes its whole race 
 of coxcombs: nature in her whole drama never 
 drew such a part; she has sometimes made a fool, 
 but a coxcomb is always of a man’s own ma¬ 
 king. 
 
 Ostentation takes from the merit of any action. 
 He that is vain enough to cry up himself, ought 
 to be punished with the silence of other men. 
 
 The observation that no man is ridiculous for 
 being what he is, but only in the affectation of be¬ 
 ing something more, is equally true in regard to 
 the mind and the body. 
 
 They are more dangerously ill, that are drunk 
 with vanity, than those with wine; for a morning 
 makes one himself, but the other is unrecover¬ 
 able. 
 
 The vanity of human life is like a river constantly 
 passing away, and yet constantly coming on. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 105 
 
 It is a common observation, that no man is con¬ 
 tent with his own condition, though it be the best; 
 nor dissatisfied with his own wit, though it be the 
 worst. 
 
 It is the infirmity of poor spirits to be taken 
 with every appearance, and dazzled with every 
 thing that sparkles : but great geniuses have but 
 little admiration, because few things appear new 
 to them. 
 
 The strongest passions allow us some rest; but 
 vanity keeps us perpetually in motion. What a 
 dust do I raise ! says the fly upon the coach-wheel: 
 and what a rate do I drive at! says the same fly 
 upon the horse’s buttock. 
 
 Socrates had so little esteem of himself, that he 
 thought he knew nothing certainly, but that he 
 knew nothing . 
 
 It happens to men truly learned, as to ears of 
 com; they shoot up and raise their heads high, 
 while they are empty; but when full and swelled 
 with grain, they begin to flag and droop. 
 
 Of all parts of wisdom, the practice is the best. 
 Socrates was esteemed the wisest man of his time. 
 
106 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 because he turned his acquired knowledge into 
 morality, and aimed at goodness more than great¬ 
 ness. 
 
 That good sense, says Comines, which nature 
 affords us, is preferable to most' of the knowledge 
 that we can acquire. 
 
 Opinionative men will believe nothing but what 
 they can comprehend; and there are but few 
 things that they are able to comprehend. 
 
 Of all sorts of affectation, that which is most 
 ncurable, is the affectation of wisdom; because 
 the disease is in the remedy itself, and falls upon 
 reason, which only could and ought to cure it, if 
 it were anywhere else. 
 
 It was a wise saying of Aristotle to an indiscreet 
 and conceited person, that he wished he was what 
 the other thought himself to be ; and that his ene¬ 
 mies were such as he was. 
 
 When men will not be reasoned out of a vanity, 
 they must be ridiculed out of it, 
 
 A wise man endeavours to shine in himself, a 
 fool to outshine others : the first is humbled by 
 
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 107 
 
 the sense of his own infirmities ; the last lifted up 
 by the discovery of those which he observes in 
 others. The wise man considers what he wants, 
 and the fool what he abounds in. The wise man 
 is happy, when he gains his own approbation ,* and 
 the fool, when he recommends himself to the ap¬ 
 plause of those about him. 
 
 Men gain little by philosophy, but the means to 
 speak probably of every thing, and to make them¬ 
 selves be admired by the less knowing. 
 
 He who wants good sense, is unhappy in having 
 learning; for he has thereby only more ways of 
 exposing himself. 
 
 Difficult and abstruse speculations raise a noise 
 and a dust; but, when we examine what account 
 they turn too, little comes of them, but heat and 
 clamour, and contradiction. 
 
 True eloquence is good sense, delivered in a 
 natural and unaffected way, without the artificial 
 ornaments of tropes and figures. Our common 
 eloquence is usually a cheat upon the under¬ 
 standing ; it deceives us with appearances instead 
 of things, and makes us think we see reason, while 
 it is only tickling our sense. 
 
108 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 
 
 The reason of things lies in a narrow compass, 
 if the mind could at any time be so happy as to 
 light it up. Most of the writings and discourses 
 in the world are but illustration and rhetoric; 
 which signifies as much as nothing to a mind in 
 pursuit after the philosophical truth of things. 
 
 One philosopher is worth a thousand gram¬ 
 marians. Good sense and reason ought to be the 
 umpire of all rules, both ancient and modern. 
 
 Obscurity in writing is commonly an argument 
 of darkness in the mind : the greatest learning is 
 to be seen in the greatest plainness. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 
 J, H. Starie, Printer , 59 , Museum Street.