lieutenant of dragoons. The parfon made no difficulty in the height of my elevation to check me when I was pert, and inftruct me when I blundered; and if there is any alteration, he is now more timorous left his freedom fhould be thought rudeness. The foldier never paid me any particular addreffes, but very rigidly observed all the rules of politeness, which he is now fo far from relaxing, that whenever he serves the tea, he obftinately carries me the first dish, in defiance of the frowns and whispers of the table. This, Mr. RAMBLER, is to fee the world. It is impoffible for those that have only known affluence and profperity, to judge rightly of themselves or others. The rich and the powerful live in a perpetual masquerade, in which all about them wear borrowed characters; and we only discover in what estimation we are held, when we can no longer give hopes or fears. I am, &c. MELISSA. NUMB. 76. SATURDAY, December 8, 1750. IT Silvis ubi paffim Palantes error certo de tramite pellit, Ille finiftrorfum, hic dextrorfum abit, unus utrique Error, fed variis illudit partibus. While mazy error draws mankind aftray From truth's fure path, each takes his devious way; Alike deluded, as each fancy leads. HOR. ELPHINSTON. T is eafy for every man, whatever be his character with others, to find reafons for efteeming himself, and therefore cenfure, contempt, or conviction of crimes, feldom deprive him of his own favour. Thofe, indeed, who can fee only external facts, may look upon him with abhorrence, but when he calls himself to his own tribunal he finds every fault, if not absolutely effaced, yet fo much palliated by the goodness of his intention, and the cogency of the motive, that very little guilt or turpitude remains; and when he takes a furvey of the whole complication of his character, he difcovers fo many latent excellencies, fo many virtues that want but an opportunity to exert themselves in act, and fo many kind wishes for univerfal happiness, that he looks on himself as fuffering unjustly under the infamy of fingle failings, while the general temper of his mind is unknown or unregarded. It is natural to mean well, when only abstracted ideas of virtue are propofed to the mind, and no particular paffion turns us afide from rectitude; and fo willing J willing is every man to flatter himself, that the difference between approving laws, and obeying them, is frequently forgotten; he that acknowledges the obligations of morality, and pleases his vanity with enforcing them to others, concludes himfelf zealous in the caufe of virtue, though he has no longer any regard to her precepts, than they conform to his own defires; and counts himself among her warmest lovers, because he praises her beauty, though every rival fteals away his heart. There are, however, great numbers who have little recourse to the refinements of fpeculation, but who yet live at peace with themselves, by means which require lefs understanding, or lefs attention. When their hearts are burthened with the consciousness of a crime, instead of feeking for fome remedy within themselves, they look round upon the rest of mankind, to find others tainted with the fame guilt: they please themselves with obferving, that they have numbers on their fide; and that though they are hunted out from the fociety of good men, they are not likely to be condemned to folitude. It may be obferved, perhaps without exception, that none are so industrious to detect wickedness, or fo ready to impute it, as they whofe crimes are apparent and confeffed. They envy an unblemished reputation, and what they envy they are bufy to deftroy; they are unwilling to suppose themfelves meaner and more corrupt than others, and therefore willingly pull down from their elevations thofe with whom they cannot rife to an equality. No man yet was ever wicked without fecret discontent, and according to the different degrees of remaining virtue, or unextinguished reason, he either endeavours to reform himself, or corrupt others; either to regain the ftation which he has quitted, or prevail on others to imitate his defection. It has always been confidered as an alleviation of mifery not to fuffer alone, even when union and fociety can contribute nothing to refiftance or escape; fome comfort of the fame kind feems to incite wickedness to seek affociates, though indeed another reafon may be given, for as guilt is propagated the power of reproach is diminished, and among numbers. equally deteftable every individual may be sheltered from fhame, though not from confcience. Another lenitive by which the throbs of the breaft are affuaged, is, the contemplation, not of the fame, but of different crimes. He that cannot justify himfelf by his resemblance to others, is ready to try fome other expedient, and to inquire what will rife to his advantage from oppofition and diffimilitude. He eafily finds fome faults in every human being, which he weighs against his own, and eafily makes them preponderate while he keeps the balance in his own hand, and throws in or takes out at his pleasure cir cumftances that make them heavier or lighter. He then triumphs in his comparative purity, and fets himself at eafe, not because he can refute the charges advanced against him, but because he can cenfure his accufers with equal justice, and no longer fears the arrows of reproach, when he has stored his magazinę. of malice with weapons equally fharp and equally envenomed. This practice, though never juft, is yet fpecious and artful, when the cenfure is directed against deVOL. V. D viations viations to the contrary extreme. The man who is branded with cowardice, may, with fome appearance of propriety, turn all his force of argument against a stupid contempt of life, and rafh precipitation into unneceffary danger. Every receffion from temerity is an approach towards cowardice, and though it be confeffed that bravery, like other virtues, ftands be tween faults on either hand, yet the place of the middle point may always be disputed; he may therefore often impofe upon carelefs understandings, by turning the attention wholly from himself, and keeping it fixed invariably on the oppofite fault; and by fhewing how many evils are avoided by his behaviour, he may conceal for a time those which are incurred. But vice has not always opportunities or addrefs for fuch artful fubterfuges; men often extenuate their own guilt, only by vague and general charges upon others, or endeavour to gain reft to themfelves, by pointing fome other prey to the pursuit of cenfure. Every whisper of infamy is induftriously circulated, every hint of fufpicion eagerly improved, and every failure of conduct joyfully publifhed, by thofe whose interest it is, that the eye and voice of the publick fhould be employed on any rather than on themselves. All these artifices, and a thousand others equally vain and equally defpicable, are incited by that conviction of the deformity of wickednefs, from which none can set himself free, and by an abfurd defire to separate the cause from the effects, and to enjoy the profit of crimes without fuffering the fhame. Men |