I

On Impudence and Modesty.

Have always been of opinion, that the complaints against Providence have been ill-grounded, and that the good or bad qualities of men are the causes of their good or bad fortune, more than what is generally ima gined. There are, no doubt, inftances to the contrary, and pretty numerous ones too; but few in comparison of the inftances we have of a right distribution of profperity and adverfity; nor indeed could it be otherwise, from the common course of human affairs. To be endowed with a benevolent difpofition, and to love others, will almost infallibly procure love and efteem; which is the chief circumftance in life, and facilitates every enterprize and undertaking; befides the fatisfaction which immediately refults from it. The cafe is much the fame with the other virtues. Profperity is naturally, tho' not neceffarily, attached to virtue and merit; and adverfity, in like manner, to vice and folly.

I muft, however, confefs, that this rule admits of an exception with regard to one moral quality; and that Modefty has a natural tendency to conceal a man's talents, as Impudence displays them to the utmost, and has been the only caufe why many have risen in the world, under all the difadvantages of low birth and little merit. Such indolence and incapacity is there in the generality of mankind, that they are apt to receive a man for whatever he has a mind to put himself off for, and admit his overbearing airs as proofs of that merit which he affumes to himself. A decent affurance feems to be the natural attendant of virtue; and few men can distinguish impudence from it: as, on the other hand, diffidence being the natural result of vice and folly, has drawn difgrace upon modefty, which in outward appearance fo nearly resembles it.

I was lately lamenting to a friend of mine, that popular applaufe fhould be bestowed with fo little judg ment, and that so many empty forward coxcombs fhould

rife up to a figure in the world: upon which he faid there was nothing surprising in the cafe. "Popular fame," fays he, "is nothing but breath or air, and air very naturally preffes into a vacuum."

If any thing can give a modest man more affurance, it must be some advantages of fortune which chance procures to him. Riches naturally gain a man a favourable reception in the world, and give merit a double luftre, when a person is endowed with it; and fupply its place, in a great measure, when it is abfent.'Tis wonderful to obferve what airs of fuperiority fools and knaves, with large poffeffions, give themselves above men of the greatest merit in poverty. Nor do the men of merit make any strong oppofition to these ufurpations; but rather feem to favour them by the modesty of their behaviour. Their good fenfe and experience make them diffident of their judgment, and cause them to examine every thing with the greatest accuracy: as, on the other hand, the delicacy of their fentiments makes them timorous left they commit faults, and lofe, in the practice of the world, that integrity of virtue of which they are fo jealous. To make wisdom agree with confidence, is as difficult as to reconcile vice to modefty.

There are the reflections that have occurred to me upon this fubject of Impudence and Modefty; and I hope the reader will not be displeased to see them wrought into the following allegory:

JUPITER, in the beginning, joined VIRTUE, WISDOM, and CONFIDENCE together; and VICE, FOLLY, and DIFFIDENCE and in that fociety fet them upon the earth. But though he thought he had matched them with great judgment, and faid, that Confidence was the natural companion of Virtue, and that Vice deferved to be attended with Diffidence; they had not gone far before diffenfion arose among them. Wisdom, who was the guide of the one company, was always accustomed, before the ventured upon any road, however beaten, to examine it carefully; to enquire whither it led; what dangers,

dangers, difficulties, and hindrances, might poffibly or probably occur in it. In thefe deliberations the ufually confumed fome time; which delay was, very difpleafing to Confidence, who was always inclined to hurry on, without much forethought or deliberation, in the first road he met. Wisdom and Virtue were infeparable: but Confidence one day, following his impetuous na ture, advanced a confiderable way before his guides and companions; and not feeling any want of their compa ny, he never enquired after them, nor ever met with them more. In like manner, the other fociety, tho' joined by Jupiter, disagreed and separated. As Folly faw a very little way before her, fhe had nothing to determine concerning the goodness of roads, nor could give the preference to one above another; and this want of refolution was increased by Diffidence, who, with her doubts and fcruples, always retarded the journey. This was a great annoyance to Vice, who loved not to hear of difficulties and delays, and was never satisfied without his full career, in whatever his inclination led him to. Folly, he knew, tho' fhe hearkened to Diffidence, would be eafily managed when alone; and therefore, as a vicious horfe throws his rider, he openly beat away this controller of all his pleasures, and proceeded in his journey with Folly, from whom he is infeparable.Confidence and Diffidence being, after this manner, both thrown loofe from their respective companies, wandered for some time; till at last chance led them at the fame time to one village. Confidence went directly up to the great house, which belonged to WEALTH, the lord of the village; and without ftaying for a porter, intruded himself immediately into the innermoft apartments, where he found Vice and Folly well received before him. He joined the train; recommended himfelf very quickly to his landlord; and entered into fuch familiarity with Vice, that he was enlifted in the fame company along with Folly. They were frequent guests of Wealth, and from that moment infeparable. Diffidence, in the mean time, not daring to approach the

great

great house, accepted of an invitation from POVERTY, one of the tenants, and entering the cottage, found Wisdom and Virtue, who, being repulfed by the landlord, had retired thither. Virtue took compaffion of her, and Wifdom found from her temper that the would eafily improve: fo they admitted her into their fociety. Accordingly, by their means, fhe altered in a little time fomewhat of her manner, and becoming much more amiable and engaging, was now called by the name of MODESTY. As ill company has a greater effect than good, Confidence, tho' more refractory to counfel and example, degenerated fo far by the fociety of Vice and Folly, as to pafs by the name of IMPUDENCE. Mankind, who faw these focieties as Jupiter firft joined them, and knowing nothing of these mutual defertions, are led into strange mistakes by those means; and wherever they fee Impudence, make account of Virtue and Wisdom; and wherever they obferve Modefty, call her attendants Vice and Folly.

CIN

Filial Affection.

INNA, the Roman Conful, who fcrupled no attempt, how villainous foever, which could ferve his purpose, undertook to get Pomponius Strabo murdered in his tent; but his fon faved his life, which was the first remarkable action of Pompey the Great. The treacherous Cinna, by many alluring promises, had gained over one Terentius, a confidante of Pompey's, to his intereft, and prevailed on him to affaffinate the general, and feduce his troops. Young Pompey being informed of this defign a few hours before it was to be put in execution, placed a faithful guard round the prætorium; fo that none of the confpirators could come near it. He then watched all the motions of the camp, and endeavoured to appease the fury of the foldiers, who hated the general his father, by fuch acts of pru dence, as were worthy of the oldeft commanders.However, fome of the mutineers having forced open one of the gates of the camp, in order to defert to Cinna, the general's fon threw himself flat on his back in their way, crying out, that they should not break their oath, and defert their commander, without treading his body to death. By this means he put a stop to their desertion, and afterwards wrought fo effectually upon them by his affecting fpeeches and engaging carriage, that he reconciled them to his father.

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