Cremona now shall ever boast thy name, As next in place to Mantua, next in fame! But soon by impious arms from Latium chased, Their ancient bounds the banish'd Muses pass'd; 710 Thence arts o'er all the northern world advance, But critic learning flourish'd most in France; 720 730 Such late was Walsh-the Muse's judge and friend, 740 Careless of censure, nor too fond of fame ; Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame; Averse alike to flatter or offend; Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend. 25 MORAL ESSAYS.1 EPISTLE I. TO SIR RICHARD TEMPLE, LORD COBHAM. OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND CHARACTERS OF MEN. Argument. 1. That it is not sufficient for this knowledge to consider man in the abstract; books will not serve the purpose, nor yet our own experience singly-General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but notional-Some peculiarity in every man, characteristic to himself, yet varying from himself--Difficulties arising from our own passions, fancies, faculties, &c.-The shortness of life to observe in, and the uncertainty of the principles of action in men to observe by-Our own principle of action often hid from ourselves-Some few characters plain, but in general confounded, dissembled, or inconsistent-The same man utterly different in different places and seasons- -Unimaginable weaknesses in the greatest-Nothing constant and certain but God and nature-No judging of the motives from the actions; the same actions proceeding from contrary motives, and the same motives influencing contrary actions-2. Yet to form 1 See Introduction, p. xxix. characters we can only take the strongest actions of a man's life, and try to make them agree: the utter uncertainty of this, from nature itself, and from policy-Characters given according to the rank of men of the world; and some reason for it-Education alters the nature, or at least the character, of many-Actions, passions, opinions, manners, humours, or principles, all subject to change-No judging by nature-3. It only remains to find (if we can) his Ruling Passion: that will certainly influence all the rest, and can reconcile the seeming or real inconsistency of all his actions-Instanced in the extraordinary character of Clodio-A caution against mistaking second qualities for first, which will destroy all possibility of the knowledge of mankindExamples of the strength of the ruling passion, and its continuation to the last breath. YES, you despise the man to books confined, Who from his study rails at humankind; Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. You hold him no philosopher at all. And yet the fate of all extremes is such, Maxims are drawn from notions, those from guess. Shall only man be taken in the gross ? That each from other differs, first confess; Next, that he varies from himself no less; 10 20 Our depths who fathoms or our shallows finds, Like following life through creatures you dissect, Yet more; the difference is as great between All manners take a tincture from our own, Or come discolour'd through our passions shown; Contracts, inverts, and gives ten thousand dyes. It hurries all too fast to mark their way: In vain sedate reflections we would make, 30 When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take. 40 Our spring of action to ourselves is lost : True, some are open, and to all men known; 50 |