fonment*, against the perfuafion of Friends to keep faith with their Enemies; I weep to think there is scarce another instance of fuch exalted Virtue. Those who often hear me read, know that my voice changes, and my eyes are full, when I meet with a generous and heroic Saying, Action, or Character, especially of perfons whofe Example or Command may influence mankind. I weep when I hear a Titus fay, that he had loft the day in which he did no good†; when Adrian tells his Enemy, that he had escaped by his being Emperor ‡; or Lewis XII, that he is not to revenge the affront of the Duke of Orleans §. These are the first instances that happen to occur to me. I might recollect many, too many, to infert in this Effay; yet all are but few, compared to instances of cruelty and revenge. cerned that they are so rare; perhaps too I inwardly grieve that I am not in a situation to do the like. I am entertained, but not moved, when I read Voltaire's History of Charles XII; but I melt into tears on reading Hanway's character of his antagonist, Peter the Great. The firft is the Story of a Madman; the other of a Father, Friend, and Benefactor of his People; whose character Perhaps I am con * "En vain ses ministres & les plus confidérables seigneurs du Royaume firent tous leurs efforts, pour le faire changer de réfolution. Il répondoit à tout ce qu'on lui difoit là-deffus, que quand la bonne foi feroit bannie du refte du monde, il falloit qu'on la trouvât toûjours dans la bouche des Rois," Hiftoire de France, par le P. G. Daniel. +"Recordatus quondam fuper cœnam, quod nihil cuiquam toto die præftitiffet, memorabilem illam meritoque laudatam vocem edidit: AMICI, DIEM PERDIDI." SUETONIUS. Echard's Roman History. § Mezerai, & Daniel. (as (as the Author obferves in the conclufion of it) will command the admiration of all fucceeding Generations; and I suppose I lament, that God is pleased to advance to Royalty fo few fuch instances of Good to mankind. Harry IV. of France had every quality to make a Prince amiable; Courage, Humanity, Clemency, Generosity, Affability, Politenefs; his behaviour on every occafion is charming; and I cannot read the account of him, given us by his Prime Minister (Sully), without emotion. I do not wonder, if what is reported be true, that at least fifty perfons have written his history*, and that he has been celebrated in Poems and Panegyricks by above five hundred. There are few such Subjects to be met with, and few Princes who have so justly deferved the title of Great. His Grandfon had the fame title bestowed on him; but how little did he deserve it! He has been celebrated by as many Historiographers and Poets; but they are mostly such as he hired for that purpose; and none of them, even Voltaire himself, will be able to pass him for a great Man on unprejudiced Pofterity. Compare him with his Grandfather, you will find him the reverse. Henry was bred to toil and hardships, Lewis in luxury and effeminacy. Henry pleasant, easy, and affable; Lewis formal, haughty, and reserved. Henry brave, and exposing himself to all dangers; Lewis cautious, and always in a secure post. The one gaining Victories by himself, and his own personal valour; the other by his Generals, and fuperiority of numbers. The one pleased with performing great Actions, the other with being flattered for those which he never performed. The first ambitious of true, and the last of falfe Glory. Henry * Moreri's Dictionary. Turkish Spy, Vol. I. B. ii. Let, 20. ftabbed stabbed by Jesuits, Lewis governed by them. The one forgiving Rebels and Affaffins, the other encouraging both. Henry persecuted, Lewis a Perfecutor. The first granting Liberty of Confcience, the last taking it away. Henry promoting the Silk manufacture in France, Lewis in England. One treating his Subjects as his Children, the other as his Slaves. Henry bravely afferting his own Rights, Lewis bafely encroaching on those of his Neighbours. Henry extricating his Country from Mifery, and laying the foundation of her Grandeur; Lewis fquandering her Blood and Treasure, and reducing her from Grandeur to the brink of Destruction. Henry forming schemes for the perpetual Peace of Europe; Lewis perpetually to disturb it. How little is Lewis, compared to Henry the Great! But to return to my Subject. I am uneafy when I fee a Dog, a Horse, or any other Animal, ill-treated; for I confider them as endued with quick Senfe, and no contemptible share of Reason; and that God gave Man dominion over them, not to play the Tyrant, but to be a good Prince, and promote the happiness of his Subjects. But I am much more uneafy at any cruelty to my own Species, and heartily with Procruftes difciplined in his own Bed, and Phalaris in his Bull. A man bruised all over in a Boxing-match, or cut to pieces in fighting a Prize, is a shocking fpectacle; and I think I could, with lefs horror, fee a thousand fall in Battle, than Human Nature thus depreciated and disgraced. Violence, when exerted in Wantonnefs or Paffion, is Brutality; and can be termed Bravery only when it is fanctified by Juftice and Neceffity. A mangled carcafe is not a pleasing fight. Why therefore do Men pay for it? and the Great Vulgar encourage thefe 4 diforders disorders among the Small? It is not choice, but affectation. As many, who neither love nor understand Mufick, go to an Opera to gain the reputation of Connoiffeurs, many go to Broughton's Theatre to avoid the imputation of being Cowards; but when they are at so much pains to avoid the Imputation, it raises a suspicion that they are so. I have been in a fituation to fee not a little of the pomp and vanity, as well as of the neceffity and mifery, of Mankind; but the last only affect me: and if, as a Magistrate, I am ever guilty of partiality, it is in favour of the Poor. When I am at Church among my poor, but honest, Neighbours in the country, and fee them serious in performing the ceremonies prescribed, tears fometimes steal down my cheek, on reflecting that they are doing and hearing many things they do not understand; while those who understand them better, neglect them: that they who labour and live hard are more thankful to Heaven, than those who fare luxuriously on the fruits of their labour; and are keeping and repeating the fourth Commandment, at the very inftant the others are breaking it. These are some of the fenfations I feel, which I have freely and fairly disclosed, that the Reader may judge how far I am an instance of a Deformed Person wanting natural Affection. And I am a good fubject of Speculation, for all in me is Nature; for, to own the truth, I have taken but little pains (though much I ought to have taken) to correct my natural Defects. Lord. Lord Bacon's next Pofition is, "that Deformed Perfons are "extremely bold; firft in their own defence, as being expofed "to fcorn, but in procefs of time by a general habit." This probably is fo among the inferior Sort, who are in the way of continual infults; for a return of abuse is a natural weapon of felf-defence, and in fome measure juftified by the Law of Retaliation. To upbraid a man with a perfonal Defect which he cannot help, is also an immoral act; and he who does it, has reason to expect no better quarter than to hear of faults, which it was in his own power not to commit. But I find this obfervation far from being verified in myself. An unbecoming Bashfulness has been the confequence of my ill Figure, and of the worse management of me in my childhood. I am always uneafy when any one looks stedfastly on so bad a Picture, and cannot look with a proper confidence in the Face of another. I have ever reproached myself with this weakness, but am not able to correct it. And it may be a disadvantage to a man in the opinion of those he converses with; for though true Modesty is amiable, the false is liable to misconstruction; and, when a man is out of countenance for no reason, it may be imagined that he has some bad reason for being so. In point of Affurance, I am indeed a perfect Riddle to myself; for I, who feel a reluctance in croffing a Drawing-room, or in opening my mouth in private company, before perfons with whom I am not well acquainted, find little in delivering my fentiments in publick, and exposing my discourse, often as trifling as my Person, to the ears of a Thousand. From what cause this proceeds I know not; it may be, partly from hopes of wiping off any ill impreffions from my Perfon by my Discourse, |