N° 399.

Saturday, June 7.

Ut nemo in fefe tentat defcendere!

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Perf.

YPOCRISIE at the fashionable End of the Town, is very different from Hypocrifie in the City. The modifh Hypocrite endeavours to appear more vicious than he really is, the other kind of Hypocrite more virtuous. The former is afraid of every thing that has the Shew of Religion in it, and would be thought engaged in many Criminal Gallantries and Amours, which he is not guilty of. The latter affumes a Face of Sanctity, and covers a Multitude of Vices under a feeming Religious Deportment.

BUT there is another kind of Hypocrifie, which differs from both these, and which I intend to make the Subject of this Paper: I mean that Hypocrifie, by which a Man does not only deceive the World, but very often imposes on himself; That Hypocrifie, which conceals his own Heart from him, and makes him believe he is more virtuous than he really is, and either not attend to his Vices, or mistake even his Vices for Virtues. It is this fatal Hypocrifie and Self-deceit, which is taken notice of in thofe Words, Who can understand his Errors? cleanse thou me from fecret Faults.

IF the open Profeflors of Impiety deserve the utmost Application and Endeavours of Moral Writers to recover them from Vice and Folly, how much more may those lay a Claim to their Care and Compaffion, who are walking in the Paths of Death, while they fancy themselves engaged in a Courfe of Virtue! I fhall endeavour, therefore, to lay down fome Rules for the Discovery of those Vices that lurk in the secret Corners of the Soul, and to fhew my Reader thofe Methods by which he may arrive at a true and impartial Knowledge of himself. The ufual Means prescribed for this Purpose, are to examine our felves by the Rules which are laid down for our Direction

rection in Sacred Writ, and to compare our Lives with the Life of that Person who acted up to the Perfection of Human Nature, and is the ftanding Example, as well as the great Guide and Inftructor, of those who receive his Doctrines. Though thefe two Heads cannot be too much infifted upon, I fhall but just mention them, fince they have been handled by many Great and Eminent Writers.

I would therefore propofe the following Methods to the Confideration of fuch as would find out their fecret Faults, and make a true Eftimate of themselves.

IN the firft Place, let them confider well what are the Characters which they bear among their Enemies. Our Friends very often flatter us, as much as our own Hearts. They either do not fee our Faults, or conceal them from us, or foften them by their Representations, after fuch a manner, that we think them too trivial to be taken notice of. An Adverfary, on the contrary, makes a stricter Search into us, difcovers every Flaw and Imperfection in our Tempers, and though his Malice may fet them in too ftrong a Light, it has generally fome Ground for what it advances. A Friend exaggerates a Man's Virtues, an Enemy inflames his Crimes. A Wife Man fhould give a juft Attention to both of them, fo far as they may tend to the Improvement of the one, and Diminution of the other. Plutarch has written an Effay on the Benefits which a Man may receive from his Enemies, and, among the good Fruits of Enmity, mentions this in particular, that by the Reproaches which it cafts upon us we fee the worft fide of our felves, and open our Eyes to feveral Blemishes and Defects in our Lives and Converfations, which we fhould not have obferved, without the Help of such ill-natured Monitors.

IN order likewife to come at a true Knowledge of our felves, we should confider on the other hand how far we may deferve the Praises and Approbations which the World beftow upon us : whether the Actions they celebrate proceed from laudable and worthy Motives; and how far we are really poffeffed of the Virtues which gain us Applaufe among those with whom we converse. Such a Reflection is abfolutely neceffary, if we confider how apt we are either to value or condemn our felves by the Opini

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ons of others, and to facrifice the Report of our own Hearts to the Judgment of the World.

IN the next Place, that we may not deceive our felves in a Point of fo much Importance, we fhould not lay too great a Stress on any fuppofed Virtues we poffefs that are of a doubtful Nature: And fuch we may efteem all thofe in which Multitudes of Men diffent from us, who are as good and wife as our felves. We fhould always act with great Cautiousness and Circumfpection in Points, where it is not impoffible that we may be deceived. Intemperate Zeal, Bigotry and Perfecution for any Party or Opinion, how praife-worthy foever they may appear to weak Men of our own Principles, produce infinite Calamities among Mankind, and are highly Criminal in their own Nature; and yet how many Perfon eminent for Piety fuffer fuch monftrous and abfurd Principles of Action to take Root in their Minds under the Colour of Virtues? For my own Part, I must own never yet knew any Party fo juft and reasonable, that a Man could follow it in its Height and Violence, and at the fame time be innocent.

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WE fhould likewife be very apprehenfive of thofe Ations which proceed from natural Conftitution, favourite Paffions, particular Education, or whatever promotes our worldly Intereft or Advantage. In thefe and the like Cafes, a Man's Judgment is eafily perverted, and a wrong Biafs hung upon his Mind. These are the Inlets of Prejudice, the unguarded Avenues of the Mind, by which a thoufand Errors and fecret Faults find Admiffion, with-out being obferved or taken Notice of. A wife Man will fufpect thofe Actions to which he is directed by fomething besides Reason, and always apprehend fome concealed Evil in every Refolution that is of a difputable Nature, when it is conformable to his particular Temper, his Age, or Way of Life, or when it favours his Pleasure or his Profit.

THERE is nothing of greater Importance to us than thus diligently to fift our Thoughts, and examine all these dark Receffes of the Mind, if we would eftablish our Souls in fuch a folid and substantial Virtue as will turn to Account in that great Day, when it muft ftand the Test of infinite Wisdom and Justice.

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I SHALL conclude this Effay with obferving, that the two kinds of Hypocrifie I have here fpoken of, namely that of deceiving the World, and that of impofing on our felves, are touched with wonderful Beauty in the hundred thirty ninth Pfalm. The folly of the first kind of Hypocrifíe is there fet forth by Reflections on God's Omniscience and Omniprefence, which are celebrated in as noble Strains of Poetry as any other I ever met with, either Sacred or Profane. The other kind of Hypocrifie, whereby a Man deceives himself, is intimated in the two laft Verfes, where the Pfalmift addreffes himfelf to the great Searcher of Hearts in that emphatical Petition; Try me, O God, and feek the ground of my Heart; •prove me, and examine my Thoughts. Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlafting.

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Ne 400.

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Monday, June 9.

Latet Anguis in Herba.

Virg.

T fhould, methinks, preferve Modefty and its Interefts in the World, that the Tranfgreffion of it always creates Offence; and the very Purposes of Wantonnefs are defeated by a Carriage which has in it fo much Boldness, as to intimate that Fear and Reluctance are quite extinguifh'd in an Object which would be otherwife defirable, It was faid of a Wit of the last Age,

Sidley has that prevailing gentle Art,
Which can with a refiftless Charm impart
The loofeft Wishes to the chastest Heart;
Raife fuch a Conflict, kindle fuch a Fire,
Between declining Virtue and Defire,

That the poor vanquish'd Maid diffolves away
In Dream's all Night, in Sighs and Tears all Day.

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THIS prevailing gentle Art was made up of Com plaifance, Courtship, and artful Conformity to the Mo

desty

defty of a Woman's Manners. Rufticity, broad Expreffion, and forward Obtrufion, offend those of Education, and make the Tranfgreffors odious to all who have M rit enough to attract Regard. It is in this Taste that the Scenary is fo beautifully ordered in the Defcription whica Anthony makes, in the Dialogue between him and Delabella of Cleopatra in her Barge.

Her Galley down the Silver Cidnos row'd;

The Tackling Silk, the Streamers wav'd with Gold;
The gentle Winds were lodg'd in purple Sails:
Her Nymphs, like Nereids, round her Couch were plac'd,
Where he, another Sea-born Venus, lay;
She lay, and lean'd her Cheek upon her Hand,
And caft a Look fo languishingly fweet,
As if, fecure of all Beholders Hearts,

Neglecting fhe could take em. Boys like Cupids
Stood fanning with their painted Wings the Winds
That play'd about her Face; but if she fmil'd,
A darting Glory feem'd to blaze abroad,
That Men's defiring Eyes were never weary'd,
But hung upon the Object. To foft Flutes
The Silver Oars kept Time; and while they play'd,
The Hearing gave new Pleafure to the Sight,
And both to Thought

HERE the Imagination is warmed with all the Objects prefented, and yet there is nothing that is luscious, or what railes any Idea more loofe than that of a beautiful Woman fet off to Advantage. The like, or a more delicate and careful Spirit of Modefty, appears in the following Paffage in one of Mr. Philips's Paftorals.

Breathe foft ye Winds, ye Waters gently flow,
Shield her ye Trees, ye Flowers around her grow,
Ye Swains, I beg you, pass in Silence by,
My Love in yonder Vale afleep does lie.

DESIRE is corrected when there is a Tendernels or Admiration expreffed which partakes the Paffion. Licentious Language has fomething brutal in it, which difgraces Humanity, and leaves us in the Condition of the Savages in the Field. But it may be ask'd to what good Ufe can tend a Difcourfe of this Kind at all? It is VOL. VI.

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