fcruple to fay, that he thinks M rality is capable of demonftration as well as the Mathematics. I know no two words that have been more abused by the different and wrong interpretations which are put upon them, than thofe two, modefty and affurance. To fay, fuch a one is a modeft Man, fometimes indeed paffes for a good character; but at present is very often used to fignify a fheepish aukward fellow, who has neither good-breeding, politeness, nor any knowledge of the world. Again, A man of affurance, tho' at firft it only denoted a perfon of a free and open carriage, is now very ufually applied to a profligate wretch, who can break through all the rules of decency and morality without a blush. I fhall endeavour therefore in this effay to restore these words to their true meaning, to prevent the idea of modefty from being confounded with that of sheepishness, and to hinder impudence from paffing for affurance. If I was put to define modesty, I would call it, the reflexion of an ingenuous mind, either when a man has committed an action for which be cenfures himself, or fan. cies that be is expofed to the cenfure of others. For this reafon a man truly modeft is as much fo when he is alone as in company, and as fubject to a blush in his closet, as when the eyes of multitudes are upon him. I do not remember to have met with any inftance of modefty with which I am fo well pleased, as that celebrated one of the young prince, whofe father, being a tributary king to the Romans, had feveral complaints laid against him before the fenate, as a tyrant and oppreffor of his fubjects. The prince went to Rome to defend his father, but coming into the fenate, and hearing a multitude of crimes prov'd upon him, was fo oppreffed when it came to his turn to fpeak, that he was unable to utter a word. The ftory tells us, that the fathers were more moved at this inftance of modefty and ingenuity, than they could have been by the moft pathetic oration; and, in fhort, pardoned the guilty father for this early promife of virtue in the fon. I take affurance to be the faculty of possessing a man's felf, or of faying and doing indifferent things without any uneafinefs or emotion in the mind. That which generally gives a man affurance is a moderate knowledge of the world, but above all a mind fixed and determined in itfelf to do nothing against the rules of honour and decency. An open and affured behaviour is the natural confequence of fuch a resolution. A man thus armed, if his words or actions are at any time mifinterpreted, retires within himself, and from a confcioufness of his own integrity, affumes force enough to defpife the little cenfures of ignorance or malice. Every one ought to cherish and encourage in himself the modefty and affurance I have here mentioned. A man without affurance is liable to be made uneafy by the folly or ill-nature of every one he converfes with. A man without modefty is loft to all sense of honour and virtue. It is more than probable, that the prince abovemen. tioned poffeffed both thefe qualifications in a very emiDent degree. Without affurance he would never have undertaken to fpeak before the most august affembly in the world; without modefty he would have pleaded the caufe he had taken upon him, tho' it had appeared ever fo fcandalous. From what has been faid, it is plain, that modefty and affurance are both amiable, and may very well meet in the fame perfon. When they are thus mixed and blended together, they compofe what we endeavour to exprefs when we fay a modeft affurance; by which we understand the juft mean between bafhfulness and impudence. I fhall conclude with obferving, that as the fame man may be both modest and affured, fo it is alfo poffible for the fame perfon to be both impudent and bafhful. We have frequent inftances of this odd kind of mixture in people of depraved minds and mean education; who tho' they are not able to meet a man's eyes, or pronounce a fentence without confufion, can voluntarily commit the greatest villanies, or moft indecent actions. Such Such a perfon feems to have made a refolution to do ill even in fpite of himfelf, and in defiance of all those checks and restraints his temper and complexion feem to have laid in his way. Upon the whole, I would endeavour to eftablish this. maxim, That the practice of virtue is the moft proper method to give a man a becoming affurance in his words and actions. Guilt always feeks to fhelter itself in one of the extremes, and is fometimes attended with both. X N° 374 Friday, May 9. Nil altum reputans fi quid fupereffet agendum. Luc. lib. 2. v. 657 He reckons not the paft, while ought remain'd TH a name. ROWE. HERE is a fault, which, though common, wants It is the very contrary to procrastination: As we lofe the prefent hour by delaying from day to day to execute what we ought to do immediately; fo most of us take occafion to fit ftill and throw away the time in our poffeffion, by retrofpect on what is paft, imagining we have already acquitted ourselves, and established our characters in the fight of mankind. But when we thus put a value upon ourfelves for what we have already done, any farther than to explain ourselves in order to affift our future conduct, that will give us an over-weening opinion of our merit to the prejudice of our prefent industry. The great rule, methinks, fhould be to manage the inftant in which we ftand, with fortitude, equanimity, and moderation, according to mens refpective circumftances. If our paft actions reproach us, they cannot be atoned for by our own fevere reflexions fo effectually K s as as by a contrary behaviour. If they are praife-worthy, the memory of them is of no ufe but to act fuitably to them. Thus a good prefent behaviour is an implicit repentance for any mifcarriage in what is paft; but prefent flackness will not make up for paft activity. Time has fwallowed up all that we contemporaries did yesterday, as irrevocably as it has the actions of the antediluvians: But we are again awake, and what fhall we do to day, to-day, which paffes while we are yet fpeaking Shall we remember the folly of laft night, or refolve upon the exercise of virtue to-morrow? Last night is certainly gone, and to-morrow may never arrive: This inftant make ufe of. Can you oblige any man of honour and virtue? Do it immediately. Can you visit a fick friend? Will it revive him to fee you enter, and fufpend your own cafe and pleasure to comfort his weakness, and hear the impertinencies of a wretch in pain? Don't ftay to take coach, but be gone. Your mistress will bring forrow, and your bottle madness: Go to neither Such virtues and diverfions as thefe are mentioned because they occur to all men. But every man is fufficiently convinced, that to fufpend the ufe of the prefent moment, and refolve better for the future only, is an unpardonable folly. What I attempted to confider, was the mischief of fetting fuch a value upon what is paft, as to think we have done enough. Let a man have filled all the offices of life with the higheft dignity till yesterday, and begin to live only to himself to-day, he must expect he will in the effects upon his reputation be confidered as the man who died yesterday. The man, who diftinguishes himself from the reft, ftands in a prefs of people; thofe before him intercept his progrefs, and thofe behind him, if he does not urge on, will tread him down. Cajar, of whom it was faid, that be thought nothing done while there was any thing left for him to do, went on in performing the greatelt exploits, without affuming to himself a privilege of taking rest upon the foundation of the merit of his former actions. It was the manner of that glorious captain to write down what fcenes he paffed through, but it was was rather to keep his affairs in method, and capable of a clear review in cafe they fhould be examined by others, than that he built a renown upon any thing that was paft. I fhall produce two fragments of his, to demonftrate, that it was his rule of life to fupport himself rather by what he fhould perform, than what he had done already. In the tablet which he wore about him the fame year in which he obtained the battle of Pharfalia, there were found these loose notes for his own conduct: It is fuppofed, by the circumstances they alluded to, that they might be set down the evening of the fame night. 6 pey. My part is now but begun, and my glory must be fuftained by the ufe I make of this victory; ' otherwife my lofs will be greater than that of PomOur perfonal reputation will rife or fall as we bear our refpective fortunes. All my private ene" mies among. the prifoners fhall be fpared. I will forget this, in order to obtain fuch another day. Trebutius is afhamed to fee me: I will go to his tent and be reconciled in private. Give all the men ' of honour, who take part with me, the terms of'fered before the battle. Let them owe this to their friends who have been long in my interefts. Power ' is weakened by the full ufe of it, but extended by moderation. Galbinius is proud, and will be fervile in his prefent fortune: let him wait. Send for Stertinius: He is modeft, and his virtue is worth gaining. I have cooled my heart with reflexion, and " am fit to rejoice with the army to-morrow. He is a popular general who can expofe himfelf like a private man during a battle; but he is more popular who can rejoice but like a private man after a victory.' What is particularly proper for the example of all who pretend to induftry in the purfuit of honour and virtue, is, that this hero was more than ordinarily folicitous about his reputation, when a common mind would have thought itfelf in fecurity, and given itself a loose to joy and triumph. But though this is a very great inftance of his temper, I must confefs I am more taken |