Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

once been taught it, fhe clearly faw that it was right; and Pride had fometimes incited her to declare that she discovered it herself, and perfuaded her to offer herself as a Guide to Religion, whom after many vain Experiments the found it her highest Privilege to follow. Reafon was however at laft well inftructed in part of the Way, and appeared to teach it with fome Succefs, when her Precepts were not mifreprefented by Paffion, or her Influence overborn by Appetite. But neither of thefe Enemies was fhe able to refift.. When Paffion feized upon her Votaries, fhe feldom attempted Oppofition, fhe feemed indeed to contend with more Vigour against Appetite, but was generally overwearied in the Contest; and if either of her Opponents had confederated with Habit, her Authority was wholly at an End. When Habit endeavoured to captivate the Votaries of Religion, fhe grew by flow degrees, and gave time to efcape; but in feizing the unhappy Followers of Reafon, the proceeded as one that had nothing to fear, and enlarged her Size, and doubled her Chains without Intermiffion, and without Referve.

Of those who forfook the Directions of Reafon, fome were led afide by the Whispers of Ambition, who was perpetually pointing to ftately Palaces, fituated on Eminences on either Side, recounting the Delights of Affluence, and boafting the Security of Power. They were eafily perfuaded to follow her, and Habit quickly threw her Chains upon them; they were foon convinced of the Folly of their Choice, but few of them attempted to return. Ambition led them forward from Precipice to Precipice, where many fell and were feen no more.

Thofe

that escaped, were, after a long Series of Hazards, generally delivered over to Avarice, and enlifted by her in the Service of Tyranny, where they continued to heap up Gold till their Patrons or their Heirs pushed them headlong at laft into the Caverns of Despair.

Others were inticed by Intemperance to ramble in fearch of thofe Fruits that hung over the Rocks, and filled the Air with their Fragrance. I obferved, that the Habits which hovered about these foon grew to an enormous Size, nor were there any who lefs attempted to return to Reafon, or fooner funk into the Gulphs that lay before them. When these first quitted the Road, Reafon looked after them with a Frown of Contempt, but had little Expectations of being able to reclaim them; for the Bowl of Intoxication was of fuch Qualities, as to make them lofe all Regard but for the present Moment; neither Hope nor Fear could enter their Retreats, and Habit had fo abfolute a Power, that even Confcience, if Religion had employed her in VOL. II. M m

their

their Favour, would not have been able to force an En

trance.

There were others whofe Crime it was rather to neglect Reafon than to difobey her, and who retreated from the Heat and Tumult of the Way, not to the Bowers of Intemperance, but to the Maze of Indolence. They had this Peculiarity in their Condition, that they were always in fight of the Road of Reafon, always withing for her Prefence, and always refolving to return to-morrow. In thefe was most eminently confpicuous the Subtlety of Habit, who hung imperceptible Shackles upon them, and was every Moment leading them farther from the Road, which they always imagined that they had the Power of reaching. They wandering on from one Double of the Labyrinth to another with the Chains of Habit hanging fecretly upon them, till as they advanced, the Flowers grew paler, and the Scents fainter: they proceeded in their dreary March without Pleasure in their Progrefs, yet without Power to return; and had this Aggravation above all others, that they were criminal but not delighted. The Drunkard for a time laughed over his Wine; the ambitious Man triumphed in the Mifcarriage of his Rival; but the Captives of Indolence had neither Superiority nor Merriment. Difcontent lowred in their Looks, and Sadness hovered round their Shades; yet they crawled on reluctant and gloomy, till they arrived at the Depth of the Recefs, varied only with Poppies and Nightfhade, where the Dominion of Indolence terminates, and the hopeless Wanderer is delivered up to Melancholy: the Chains of Habit are ri veted for ever, and Melancholy having tortured her Prifoner for a time, configns him at laft to the Cruelty of Despair.

While I was mufing on this miferable Scene, my Protector called out to me, Remember, Theodore, and be wife, and let not HABIT prevail against thee.' I started, and beheld myself furrounded by the Rocks of Teneriffe; the Birds of Light were finging in the Trees, and the Glances of the Morning darted

Lupon me.

Let us now turn our Thoughts to the Paffions, of which I will not puzzle or embarrass you with a metaphyfical Account, nor endeavour to difcover how they are formed in the Mind, or from what Caufes or Combinations they proceed but fhall confider a few of the moft ufeful or dangerous of them, as they commonly appear in Human Nature; and give you fome Rules for their good Regulation.

[ocr errors]

I will

Admiration or Wonder.

upon

them;

I. I will begin firft with Admiration or Wonder, as it is undoubtedly the firft Paffion that is exercised in us. The use of it is to fix our At tention on the Things about us, whether Natural or Artificial, and to make us confider and reflect by which Means we not only come the fooner to a Knowledge of their Qualities and Ufes, but they are at the fame time fo ftrongly impreffed upon our Memories, that they are always ready for our Ufe and Application during the whole Courfe of our future Lives. In early Youth, almoft every Object around us excites our Admiration; and if we continue to make Researches in the Works of God, we fhall always find fomething new, wife, great, or fome way, or other fufficient to raise this agreeable Senfation even to our latest Period.. However, there is a foolish Gaze and Wonder at every thing, which is very ridiculous, and ought early to be cured; there is indeed a Time at which it cannot be really avoided, though its Appearance may fometimes be repreffed.. Our Wonder will for ever be in proportion to our Ignorance, and therefore the only Cure is a large Acquaintance with the Works of Nature and Art, and with the most remarkable Occurrences of Human Life, and the Affairs of Mankind: Things will not then fo frequent ly appear uncommon or furprifing, as when our Knowledge was narrow and more confined.

2. The next Paffion I shall speak of is Fear; as Fear. this alfo is very often, by the Weaknefs and Foolishnefs of Mothers and Nurfes, raifed in our Minds before we have any true Notions of Things. The Ufe of this Paffion is to quicken our Apprehenfions of the Dangers or Evils that threaten us, of whatfoever Kind or Nature, and to excite our Endeavours to avoid them. In this Senfe it is fo useful a Paffion, that it may be called the Shelter of Life; and is what every prudent Man fhould make ufe of on all proper Occa fions. Who would not avoid a Precipice? run from a Lion? or, fubmit to a Band of armed Ruffians? But when it so takes Poffeffion of our Hearts and Spirits, as to render us cowardly and pufillanimous, incapable of boldly ftanding up against Vice and Injustice, or refolutely fupporting the Calamities of Life; it then betrays the End of its Inftitution, and fubjects us to thofe very Evils and Dangers, against which it was intended to guard us. We are affailed alfo by another fet of Fears, which, if indulged, will render us extremely unhappy. These are the Fear of Spirits, Poverty, Pain or Death, The fureft, and indeed the only Means to preferve one's felf from Terrors of this Kind, is to keep a Confcience free from Self-reproach, M m 2

and

"

and a Mind perfectly fubmitted to all the Difpenfations of Providence. It is this alone can infpire true and rational Courage ; and a Breaft thus fortified with manly Virtue, has nothing to fear from the Malice of any Power, whether visible or invifible; as he will look with a noble Contempt on Poverty, Pain, or Death, whenever the Author of his Nature, or the Integrity of his Heart fhall call upon him to fubmit to them. But it is above all to be remembered, that as Fear is not to be totally eradicated, because it has good Ufes, its Ufe is only good when it is proportioned to the Objects that excite it; the Girl that fears an Infect as if a Lion, is not more contemptible, than he that fears a Lion no more than an Infect; their Judgment is equally falfe, and the Fool-hardy even of greater Danger. How much then is he to be defpifed, who, in the Stile of Cervantes, fears a Lizard more than Omnipotence, whofe leaft Solicitude is to please his Maker?

Pride.

3. Another very pernicious Paffion is Pride, which yet was planted by Heaven in our Nature, to raife our Emulation to imitate great and worthy Characters or Actions, to excite in us a Zeal for what is right and juft, and a laudable Indignation against Oppreffors and Workers of any kind of Iniquity; in fhort, to make us fet a proper Value on ourselves, and defpife a worthlefs Fellow, however exalted. Thus far Pride is a Virtue, and may juftly be called a Greatness of Soul. But Pride, like other Paffions, generally fixes upon wrong Objects, or is applied in wrong Proportions. How common is it to see a Wretch whom every Vice has rendered miferable, and every Folly contemptible, valuing himself on his high Birth, and boafting thofe illuftrious Ancestors, of whom he inherits nothing but the Name or Title! Ancestors, who if they knew him, would difown their Dependent with Contempt, and those who are to be his Succeffors, if they avoid his Vices, will erafe his Name from that Pedigree which he boafts. How oft is Wealth the Source of Pride and Haughtiness? Yet, can it poffibly give to its Poffeffor either Wisdom, or Virtue, or Honour? Some pride themselves in the acquired, and fome in the natural Qualities of their Minds; fuch as Learning, Wit, Memory, &c. But all Pride of this Sort is Folly; avoid it therefore, as you would the Imputation of want of Senfe. But nothing is more common than for Men to found their Pride of Knowledge upon the Ignorance of how little is really known. If they faw the Extent of Science, they would know that what they have acquired is nothing to that which remains ; and that they are only confidered as learned, because they have yet only found Admiffion amongst the Ignorant. Virtue

and

and useful Knowledge are the only genuine Diftinctions which can render one Man fuperior to another; and take it for a Rule, the more any one poffeffes of thofe two glorious Qualities, the less he will be capable of looking down with Infolence and Contempt on others.

Anger.

4. How mifchievous, and how deftructive to our Peace is the Paffion of Anger! Yet how neceffary is it that a proper Portion of it fhould on fome Occafions animate the Heart and raife the Spirit of Man! There is a certain manly Reluctance which ought to rife in the Breaft of every one against Oppreffion and Injustice. But this is not to break out either in the cruel and impious Methods of bloody Revenge, and what is moft falfely called Honourable Satisfaction, or in the base Means of fecret Malice; but in an open and honeft Indignation against the Wrong-doer. On the other hand, if you suffer yourself to be tranfported with Paffion on every trifling Occafion, fuch as little Rudeneffes, the Mistakes of Servants, or the flightest Contradictions of your Friends and Acquaintance, your whole Life will be a continued Scene of Uneafinefs and Vexation; you will become tyrannical to your Dependents, offenfive to your Superiors, and hated of those who are expofed to your Follies, and the Derifion of those who are above your Reach. Confider, there are but few Things, very few, that are worth a wife Man's Anger; and even in those few, if he is a prudent or good-natured Man, he will temper his Paffion with Reason.

The next Paffion I fhall recommend to your most

cautious Regulation is Love: A Paffion of all others Love. the most apt to be improperly cherished in the Heart

of Youth. Remember therefore to guard against its firft Impreffions, with the highest Attention. What Follies, what Exceffes, what Madneffes do young Men commit for the Sake of indulging this Paffion! What Pain, what Mifery, what Remorse and Shame, perpetually follow the loose and licentious Gratifications of it! Endeavour therefore (I repeat it again) to the utmost of your Power, to check and govern it by the Restraints of Prudence and Virtue: If not, you must for ever bid adieu to Health, to Fortune, and to Happiness.

I might proceed to fome of the other Paflions, but thefe I think are the Principal; and as I clos'd the laft Part with a modern Allegory, so I chufe to finish and illuftrate this with one of the most beautiful Fables in all Antiquity.

[blocks in formation]
« ForrigeFortsæt »