may disoblige the Interest, and cross upon the Humour of another; and all this without meaning any harm. Some People are warp'd by Neceffity, and unjust as it were against their Will. The Preffures of Fortune, and the Force of Poverty make them defert, and go over to unhandsome Practices. They have no mind to forget a Friend, or injure a Neighbour, if they could live without it. But then they want Courage to stand the Hardship, and fuffer the Extremity. 'Tis true, thefe Failings are far from being defenfible. However, a generous Perfon will pity that in another, which he will by no means pardon in himself. Good Nature is willing to make Excufes, and interpret things to the beft Sense; and always drives the Reasons for Clemency as far as they will go. Good Nature confiders that Ignorance is oftentimes at the Head of a Fault, and that Fear and Pleasure are ftrong Temptations to ftrain upon Confcience and Honour: That Malice, predominant Malice, is the only provoking Quality: And this 'tis hard to discover, where the Motives to Action are fo complicated and obfcure. Generofity never goes to the rigour of Matters, nor delights in giving Pain and Punishment. A noble

Temper

Temper regards the Happiness of Mankind, and is govern'd by Sympathy and Affection. Whereas Vindictiveness proceeds from the Exceffes of Self-love, minds no Intereft but its own, and is a perfect Stranger to Humanity. Revenge. when improv'd into Habit and Inclination, is the Temper of a Tyrant: Tis a ftrong Compofition of Pride and Cruelty: Impatient of the leaft Provocation, and unconcern'd at the Mischief of a return. Now he that's fenfible of no Evil, but what he feels, has a hard Heart; and he that can spare no Kinduefs from himfelf, has a narrow Soul. A Temper that's generous and humane, is willing to overlook, to excufe, and wait for better U.. fage: To pity the uneven Starts, and Mifperformances of Life and Converfation. There's a great Backwardness in fuch a Temper to expoftulate and complain; to expofe Defects, and demand Reparations. Good Nature will teach us to ftifle our Refentments; to diffemble the Pain, and fmother the Injury, rather than let them break out to the Disturbance of another; But to be of a touchy, a peevish, and profecuting Humour; to be quick in difcovering a Fault, and ready to fpring out into Revenge; to kindle and rage like Gunpowder,

D 4

1

powder, at the least Spark; this is a fign we are perfectly wrapt up in our own Intereft, and over-grown with Selfishness and Conceit. Now fuch a savage and inhofpitable Difpofition, is the most unbelov'd Quality. All the Advantages of Perfon, all the Improvements of Nature, can never make amends. When a Man is known to be thus unfociable and unfympathifing; to have no Principles of Friendship and Generofity, nothing of Sweetness or Balfam in his Blood, when this once appears, he'll find as few Friends as he deferves, and little Love will be loft between him and his Neighbours.

Philot. Moft likely; and because I am not willing to fall under the Character and Inconveniences you mention, I fhall endeavour to fweeten my Humour, and keep the Ferment down I confefs, the World affords Provocations enough, and föme Men deserve to be mortified: But I fee the Remedy is worfe than the Dif cafe: 'Tis more advifable to be quiet than to move for Reparation: For as it happens in Law-Suits, the first Lofs is commonly the beft: And therefore I fhall alter my Refolution, and leave my unfriendly Neighbours to the Correction of their own Folly.

Philal.

Philal. You are certainly in the right. And to make us the more eafy under the Expedient, let us arm our felves with Thinking, and keep Reafon upon the Guard. Thus the Mind will be too hard. for a Blow, and either fence, or not feel. Thus we fhall disappoint the Pleasure of Malice and ill Nature: This is the way to break the Force of an Affront; and make an Injury fall upon us like Hail upon Tiles, rattle without Mischief, and tumble into Dirt. In a word, let us always look out for the beft Conftruction, with every Body well, pity Ignorance, and defpife ill Ufage.

Philot. I fhall endeavour to follow your Advice.

Tour Servant.

OF

AUTHORS.

In a DIALOGUE between

Eulabius and Crito:

Eulabius.

G

OOD Morrow to you, Sir, I'm glad to fee you: I hope you are perfectly recover'd of your last Illness— Crito. Sir, I thank you, I am pretty well, but fomewhat in hafte; and therefore fince we are old Acquaintance, I fhall beg you to be as brief in your Queftions as you can.

Eulab. Why in fuch a hurry? Come, you must oblige me with one Quarter of an Hour.

Crit. Well! If you are fo kind to infift on't, that time fhall be at your Service; tho' I must tell you, I'm going to meet Company upon earnest Business.

Eulab. You have an enterprizing Head, pray what Project are you upon now?