as diffusive as day-light, but short are the ravages of the tiger, innocent the bite of the serpent, to the vengeance of a caukered heart, or the malice of an envenomed tongue. To this let me add another argument in favour of this benevolence of soul; and farther persuasions, will, I flatter myself, be unnecessary. Good-nature adorns every perfection, and throws a veil over every blemish, which would otherwise appear. In a word, like a skilful painter, it places his virtues in the fairest light, and casts all his foibles into shade. Thus, in a few words, sense, moderation, and good nature are essential to the polite philosopher. And if my readers think, that they cannot acquire these, let them even lay my book aside. But before they do this, let them indulge me yet a moment longer. Nature denies sense to few; moderation is in every one's power; and no man need be without good nature, who either values general esteem, or is not indifferent to public hate. For, to say truth, what is necessary to make an honest man, properly applied, would make a polite one; and as almost every one would take it amiss, if we should deny him the first appellation; so we may perceive from thence how few there are, who, but from their own indiscretion, may deserve the second. It is want of attention, not capacity, which leaves us so many brutes; and I flatter myself there will be fewer of this species, if any of them can be prevailed on to read this. A description of their faults is to such the fittest lecture; for few monsters there are who can view themselves in a glass. Our follies, when display'd, ourselves affright; Pursue the road, forgetful of the end, Sin by mistake, and, without thought, offend. My readers, who have perhaps been many of them accustomed to think politeness rather an ornamental accomplishment, than necessary to be acquired in order to an easy and happy life, may from thence, pay less attention than instrucmy tions require, unless I can convince them that they are in the wrong. For which I must remind them that the tranquillity and even felicity of our days, depends as strongly on small things, as on great; of which men may be easily convinced, if they but reflect what great uneasiness they have experienced from cross accidents, though they related but to trifles; and at the same time remember that disquiet is, of all others, the greatest evil, let it arise from what it will. Now in the concerns of life, as in those of for tune, numbers are brought into bad circumstances from small neglects, rather than from great errors in material affairs. People are too apt to think lightly of shillings and pence, forgetful that they are constituent parts of pounds; until the deficiency in the greater article shews their mistake, and convinces them, by fatal experience, of a truth, which they might have learned from a little attention, namely, that great sums are made up of small. Exactly parallel to this, is that wrong notion, which many have, that nothing more is due to their neighbours, than what results from a principle of honesty, which commands us to pay our debts, and forbids us to do injuries; whereas a thousand little civilities, complacencies, and endeavours to give others pleasure, are requisite to keep up the relish of life, and procure us that affection and esteem which all who have a sense of it, must desire. And in the right timing, and discreet management of these punctilios, consists the essence of what we call politeness. How many know the general rules of art, And by the force of fire can fix them in! Yet when 'tis done, unpleasing to the sight; As examples have greater force than precepts, I will delineate the characters of Honorius and Garcia, two gentlemen of my acquaintance, whose bumours I have perfectly considered, and shall represent them without the least exaggeration. Honorius is a person equally distinguished by his birth and fortune. He has naturally good sense, which has been improved by a regular education. His wit is lively, and his morals without a stain. Is not this an amiable character? Yet Honorius is not beloved. He has some way or other contracted a notion, that it is beneath a man of honour to fall below the height of truth in any degree, or on any occasion. From this principle he speaks bluntly what he thinks without regarding the company, and from a continued course of this sort of behaviour, has rendered himself dreaded as a monster, instead of being esteemed as a friend. Garcia, on the contrary, came into the world under the greatest disadvantage; his birth was mean, and his fortune small. * Christian Frederic Zinck, a native of Dresden, and a famous painter in enamel. He died 1767. Yet though he is scarce forty, he has acquired a handsome estate in the country, and lives on it with more reputation than most of his neighbours. While a servitor at the university, he recommended himself by his assiduities to a noble lord, and thereby procured a place of fifty pounds a year in a public office. His behaviour made him as many friends, as there were persons belonging to that board. His readiness in doing favours gained him the hearts of his inferiors; his deference for those in the highest character in the office, procured for him their good will, and the complacency he expressed to wards his equals, and those immediately above him, made them espouse his interest with almost as much warmth as they did their own. By this management, in ten years time, he rose to the possession of an office, which brought him in a thousand pounds a year salary, and nearly double as much in perquisites. Affluence has made no alteration in his manners. The same easiness of disposition attends him in that fortune, to which it has raised him; and he is at this day* the delight of all who know him, from an art he has of persuading them, that their pleasures and their interests are equally dear to him with his own. Who if it were in his power would refuse what Honorius possesses, and who would not |