learnt, of WIT and HUMOUR. 97 learnt, that Virtue is never fuch a Suffeier, by being contejled, as by being betray d. My Fear is not fo much from its witty Antagonifts, who give it Exercife, and put it on its De- fence, as from its tender Nurfes, who are apt to over-lay it, and kill it, with Excefs of Care and Cherifhing.
I Have known a Building, which by the Of- ficioufnefs of the Workmen has been fojhord, and fcrew'd up, on the fide where they pretend- ed it had a Leaning, that it has at lad been turn'd the contrary way, and overthrown. There has fomething, perhaps, of this kind happen'd in Morals. Men have not been con- tented to (hew the natural Advantages of Honefty and Virtue. They have rather lef- fen'd thefe, the better, as they thought, to ad- vance another Foundation. They have made Viitue fo mercenary a thing, and have talk'd fo much of its Rewards, that one can hardly tell what there is in it, after all, which can be worth rewarding. For to be brib'd only or ter- rify'd into an honeft Praclice, befpeaks little of real Honefty or Worth. We may make, 'tis true, whatever Bargain we think fit; and may beftow in favour what Overplus we pleafe. But there can be no Excellence or Wifdom in voluntarily rewarding what is neither efti- mable, nor deferving. And if Virtue be not re- G 4 ally ally eftimable in it-felf, I can fee nothing eftimab] gain.
mable in following it for the fake of a Bar- I f the Love of doing good, be not, of it- felf, a good and right Inclination; I know not how there can poffibly be fuch a thing as Good- nejs or Virtue. If the Inclination be right; 'tis a perverting of it, to apply it folely to the Re- ward, and make us conceive fuch Wonders of the Grace and Favour which is to attend Vir- tue; when there is fo little (hewn of the in- trinfick Worth or Value of the Thing it-felf.
I cou'd be almoft tempted to think, that the true Reafon why fome of the moft heroick Virtues have fo little notice taken of 'em in our holy Religion, is, becaufe there wou'd have been no room left for Difinterejlednefs, had they been intitled to a fhare of that infinite Reward, which Providence has by Revelation affign'd to other Dutys. * Private Fricndjhip, and Tjai for for By Private Friendjlip no fair Reader can here fuppofe is meant that common Benevolence and Charity which every Chrifiian is obligd to fhew towards ail Men, and in particular towards his Fellow-Chriftians, his Neighbour, Brother, and Kindred, o(' whatever degree; but that pecu- liar Relation which is form'd by a Confent and Harmony of Minds, by mutual Efteem, and reciprocal Tendernefs and AffecHon; and which we emphatically call aFRIENDSHIP. Such was that between the two jewi/h Heroes after mention'd whofe Love and Tendernefs wzsfurfajfing that of WI T and II UMOU R. 99 for the Pablick, and cur Ccimtry, are Virtues purely voluntary in a Chriftian. They are no elTential Parts of his Charily. He is not fo ty'd to the Affairs of this Life; nor is he oblig'd to enter into fuch Engagements with this lower World, as are of no help to him in acquiring a better. His Converfation is in Heaven. Nor has he occafion for fuch fupernumerary Cares or that o/H'omen, (2 Samuel, ch. 1.) Such were thofe Friendfliips defcrib'd fo frequently by Poets, between Pylades and Oxestes, Theseus and Pirithous, with many others. Such were thofe between Philo- fophers, -Heroes, and the greateft of Men; between Socrates and An - tist h exes, Plato and Dion, Epaminondas and Pelopibas, Sci no and Laelius, Cato and Brutus, Thrasea and Helvi- bius. And luch there may have lately been, and are ftill perhaps in our own Age; tho Envy fufferj not the few Examples of this kind to be remark'd in pubiick. The Author's Meaning is indeed fo plain of it- felf, that it needs no explanatory Apology to fatisfyan impartial Reader. As for others who object the Singularity of the AiTertion, as differing (they fuppofe) from what our Reverend Doclors in Religion commonly maintain, they may read what the learned and pious Bifhop Taylor fays in his Treatife of Friendship. "You inquire, fays he, how far a dear " and a perfect Friendfhip isauthoriz'd by the Principles of Chriftianity? " To this I anfwer, That the woid FriendJJiip in the Senfewe commonly " mean by it, is not fo much as nam'd in the New Tefiament; and our 4< Religion takes no notice of it. You think it urange; but read on, " before you fpend fo much as the beginning of a Paffion or a Wonder ,l upon it. There is mention of Friend/hip of the World; and it is faid " to be Enmity with God: but the Word is no where elfe nam'd, or to " any other purpofe, in all the New Tehament. It fpeaks of Friends " often; but by Fiiends are meant our Acquaintance, or our Kindred, " the Relatives of our Family, or our Fortune, or our Seel, be. ■ '' And I think I have Reafon to be confident, that the word Friend " (fpeaking log An E S S SA T on the Freedom or Embaraflments here on Earth, as may ob- ftru6t his way thither, or retard him in the careful Tafk of working out his own Salva- tion. If neverthelefs any Portion of Reward be referv'd hereafter for the generous Part of a Patriot, or that of a thorow Friend; this is dill behind the Curtain, and happily conceaFd from us; that we may be the more deferving of it, when it comes.
44 (fpeaking of human Intercourfe) is no otherways tis'd in the Gofpels, 44 or Epiftles, or A&s of the Apofties.'' And afterwards, " Chriltian t4 Charity (fays he) is Friendship to all the World.; and when Friend- 44 fhips were the noblefl things in the World', Charity was little, like 44 the Sun drawn in at a Chink, or his Beams drawn into the Center of " a Burning-glafs: But Chrillian Charity is Friendfhip expanded like 44 the Face of the Sun, when it mounts above the EaPtern Hills. * In re- ality the good Bifhop draws all his Notions as well as Examples of pri- vate Friendfhip from the Heathen World, or from the Times preceding Chriflianity. And after citing a Greek Author, he immediately adds: " Of ftich immortal, abftracted, pure Friendfhips, indeed there is no 44 great plenty; but they who are the fame to their Friend aVo7rpo0e», *4 when he is in another Country, or in another World, are fit to pre- 44 ferve the facred Fire for eternal Sacrifices, and to perpetuate the Me- 41 mory of thofe exemplary Friendfhips of the beft Men, which have "■ fill'd the World with Hiftory and Wonder: for in no other fenfe but 14 this can it be true, that Friendfhips are pure Loves, regarding to do 44 good more than to receive it. He that is a Friend after Ee.ith, hopes 44 not for a Recompence from his Friend, and makes no bargain either 44 for Fame or Love; but is rewarded with the Confcience and Satisfac *' tion of doing bravely.
It of WIT and HUMOUR. 101 I t appears indeed under the Jewijh Dif- penfation, that each of thefe Virtues had their illuftrious Examples, and were in fome man- ner recommended to us as honourable, and worthy our Imitation. Even Saul himfelf, as ill a Prince as he is reprefented, appears both living and dying to have been refpecled and prais'd for the Love he bore his native Country. And the Love which was fo remark- able between his Son and his Succeflbr, gives us a noble View of a difinterefled Friendfhip, at lead on one fide. But the heroick Virtue of thefe Perfons had only the common Re- ward of Praife attributed to it, and cou d not claim a future Recompence under a Religion which taught no future State, nor exhibited any Rewards or Punilhments, befides fuch as were Temporal, and had refpecl to the written Law.
And thus the Jews as well as Heathens were left to their Philofophy, to be infuucled in the fublime part of Virtue, and induc'd by Rea- fon to that which was never injoin'd 'em by Command. No Premium or Penalty being inforc'd in thefe Cafes, the difmterefted Part fubfiued, the Virtue was a free Choice, and the Magnanimity of the Act was left intire. He who wou'd be generous, had the Means. He who wou'd frankly ferve his Friend, or Country, Country, Country, at the * expence even of his Life, might do it on fair Terms. + Dulce et de- corum est was his fole Reafon. 'Twas In- viting and Becoming. 'Twas Good and Honejl. And that this is ftill a good Reafon, and ac- cording to Common Senfe, I will endeavour to fatisfy you. For I fhou'd think my-felf very ridiculous to be angry with any-one for think- ing me difhoneft; if I cou'd give no account of my Honefty, nor fliew upon what Principle I differ'd from J a Knave.
* Peradventure (fays the holy ApoMc) for a good Man one wou'deven dare todie, t*'x« ft? k} Totyia, Sec. Rom. ch. 5. ver. 7. This the Apoftlejudi- cioufly f up poles to belong to human Nature: tho he is fo far from found- ing any Precept on it, that he ulhers his private Opinion with a very dubious Peradventure.
PART of WIT and HUMOUR. 103 PART III.
SECT. I.
TH E Roman Satirift may be thought more than ordinarily fatirical, when fpeaking of the Nobility and Court, he is fo far from al- lowing them to be the Standard of Politenefs and good Senfe, that he makes 'em in a man- ner the Reverfe, *Rarus enim ferme Senfus communis in ilia Fortuna Some of the f mod ingenious Commentators, however, interpret this very differently from what is generally apprehended. They make this t Viz. The two Cafaubons, If. and Mer. Salmajius, and our Engli/h Gataker: See the firftin Capiiolinus, Vit. M. Ant. Jubfnem. The fecond in his Comment on M. Ant. lib. I. feci. 13, 8c 16. Gataker on the fame place; and Salmajius in the lame Life of Capitol 'inns, at the end of his An- "otations. The Greek word Ko(»o»o^o<7t/'n), which Salmajius interprets, _ moderatam, ufitatam et ordinariam hominis mentern qua in commune " quothis Common Senfe of the Poet, by a Greek De- rivation, to fignify Senfe of Publick Weal> and of the Common Inter eft; Love of the Community or Society, natural Affection, Humanity, Qbliging- nefs, or that fort of Civility which rifes from a juft Senfe of the common Rights of Mankind, and the natural Equality there is among thofe of the fame Species.
And indeed if we confider the thing nicely, it mud feem fomewhat hard in the Poet, to have deny'd Wit or Ability to a Court fuch as that " quodammodo confulit, nee omnia ad comraodum fuum refert, refpec- lt tnmque etiam habet eorum cum quibus verfatur, modefte, modicequc " de fe fentiens. At contra inflati et fitDerbi omnes fe fibi tantum fuif- £ " que commodis natos arbitrantur, et pra; fe cateros contemnunt et neg- " ligunt; et hi funtqui Senjum Communem non habere re£te dici pofiunt. ** Nam ita Senfum Communem. accipit Juvenalis, Sat. S. Rants enim ferine "SENSUS COMMUNIS, be. *>\xfyuvim et X?»roWa Ga- 4t lenus vocat, quam Marcus de fe loquens K-wovompotTVir,*; et alibi, ubi " de eadem re loquitur, MeT^arrircc, x£ Evfju^ovvvnv, qua gratiam illi fa- " cerit Marcus fimul eundi ad Germanicum Bellum ac fequendi fe. " In the fame manner Ifaac Cafaubon: Herodianus (fays he) calls this the to jA.irpoy kJ ia6[/.tT%ov. " Snbjicit vero Antoninus quafi hanc vocem inter pre- " tans, xj to e<p«cr9ai t»*s QiXois pyre a-vt^etirmv ccv'tv ibxv\o><;, jujjts ervrxiro- tl o\j«fti< s7T«Wxe$. " This, lam perfuaded, is the Senjus Communis of Ho- race (Sat. 3. lib. 1.) which has been unobferv'd (as far as I can learn) by any of his Commentators: it being remarkable withal, that in this early Satire of Hor a ce, before his latter days, and when his Philofophy as yet inclin'd to the lefs rigid Affertors of Virtue, he puts this Expref- fion (as may be feen by the whole Satir taken together) into the Mouth ofa Crifpinus, or fome ridiculous Mimick of that fevere Philofophy, to which the Coinage of the word Konovov^ocrvyri properly belong'd. For fo of WIT and HUMOUR. 105 that of Rome, even under a Tiberius or a Nero. But for Humanity or Senfe of Publuk Good, and the common Inter eft o£ Mankind, 'twas no fuch deep Satir to queftion whether this was properly the Spirit of a Court. 'Twas diffi- cult to apprehend what Community fubfifted among Courtiers; or what Publick between an abfolute Prince and his Slave-Subjecls. And for real Society, there cou'd be none befo the Poet again {Sat. 4. v. 77.) ufes the word SENSUS, fpeaking of thofe who without Senfe of Manners, or common Society, without the leaft refpecl or deference to others, prefs rudely upon their Friends, and upon all Company in general, without regard to Time or Place, or any thing befides their feififh and brutifh Humour: Tempore num faciant alieno. avaiaflww?, as old Lambin interprets it, tho without any other Explanation; refer- ring only to the S.enjus Communis of Horace in that other Satir. Thus Senega (Epift. 105.) Odium autem ex offenfaficvitabis, neminem lacejjendo gratuiio: a quo te S E JV S V S COMMUNIS iuebitur. And C 1 - cero accordingly, JiiftitiiZ paries funt, nonviolare homines: Verecundice, non ojfendere. Lib. I. de Off. It may be objected poffibiy by fome, par- ticularly vers d in the Philofophy above-mention 'd, that the KoU& Na«, to which the KoHovori^oavvyj feems to have relation, is of a different mean- ing. But they will confider withal how fmall tiie diftincliion was in that Philofophy, between the viroM^', ■, and the vulgar ato-fltjat;; how gene- rally PqJJion was by thofe Philofophers brought under the Head of Opi- nion. And when they confider, befides this, the very Formation of the word Kaivotovpoauvi) upon the Model of the other femaiiz'd Virtues, the EvfyuiAQtTotr), £wf jjscry>>j, Aix«*ccn,'v>), ire. they will no longer hefitate on this Interpretation. The Reader may perhaps by this Note fee better why the Latin Title of Senjus Communis has been given to this fe- cond Treatife. He may obferve, withal, how the fame Poet Juvenal ufes the word Seufus, in Sat. 15. H&c no/lri pars optima Seifus.
tween tween fuch as had no other Senfe than that of private Good.
Our Poet therefore feems not fo immoderate in his Cenfure; if we conlider it is the Heart, rather than the Head, he takes to tafk: when reflecting on a C<n/r/-Education, he thinks it unapt to raife any Aifeclion towards a Country; and looks upon young Princes, and Lords, as the young Mq/iers of the World; who being in- dulg'd in all their Paflions, and train'd up in all manner of Licentioufnefs, have that thorow Contempt and Difregard of Mankind, which Mankind in a manner deferves, where Arbitra- ry Power is permitted, and a Tyranny ador'd.
* Heccfatis ad Juvenem, quern nobis fama fuper bum Tradit, et inflatum, plenumque Nerone propin- quo.
A publick Spirit can come only from a fa- cial Feeling or Senfe of Partnerfhip with human Kind. Now there are none fo far from being Partners in this Senfe, or Sharers in this common Affection, as they who fcarcely know an Equal, nor confider themfelves as lubjecl to any Law of 'Fellowfhip or Community. And thus Morali- ty and good Government go together. There *Juv. Sat. 8.
is of WIT and HUM OU R. 107 is no real Love of Virtue, without the know- ledge of Publick Good. And where abfolute Power is, there is no Publick.
They who live under a 'tyranny and have learnt to admire its Power as Sacred and Di- vine, are debauch'd as much in their Religion, as in their Morals. Publick Good, according to their apprehenfion, is as little the Meafure or R.ule of Government in the Univerfe, as in the State. They have fcarce a Notion of what is good or juft, other than as mere Will and. Power have determin'd. Omnipotence, they think, wou'd hardly be it-felf, were it not at liberty to * difpenfe with the Laws of Equity, and change at pleafure the Standard of moral Reclitude.
But notwithstanding the Prejudices and Corruptions of this kind, 'tis plain there is fomething (till of a publick Principle, even where it is mod perverted and deprefs'd. The word of Magiftracys, the mere Defpotick kind, can fhew fufficient Inflances of Zeal and AfFeclion to- wards it. Where no other Government is known, it feldom fails of having that Alle- giance and Duty paid it, which is Owing to a better Form. The Eaflern Countrys, and many barbarous Nations, have been and flill are Examples of this kind. The pcrfonal Love Vol. I. H the\ they bear their Prince, however fevere towards them, may fhew how natural an Affection there is towards Government and Order a- mong Mankind. If Men have really no pub- lick Parent, no Magiftrate in common to che- rifli and protect 'em, they will flill imagine they have fuch a one; and, like new-born Creatures who have never feen their Dam, will fancy one for themfelves, and apply (as by Nature prompted) to fome like Form, for Fa- vour and Protection. In the room of a true Fqfler-Falher, and Chief, they will take after a falfe one; and in the room of a legal Govern- ment and jiift Prince, obey even a Tyrant, and endure a whole Lineage and Succeffion of fuch.
As for us Britons, thank Heaven, we have a better Senfe of Government deliver' d to us from our Anceftors. We have the No- tion of a Public k, and a Constitution; how a Legijhtive, and how an Executive is mo- del'd. We underiland Weight and Meafure in this kind, and can reafon juflly on the Balance of Poioer and Property. The Maxims we draw from hence, are as evident as thofe in Mathe- maticks. Our increafing Knowledge fliews us everyday, more and more, what Common Sense is in Politicks: And this mull of ne- ceffity lead us to underftand a like Senfe in Morals; which is the Foundation.
Tis of WIT and HUM OU R 109 Tis ridiculous to fay, there is any Obliga- tion on Man to act fociably, or honeftly, in a form'd Government; and not in that which is commonly call'd * the State of Nature. For, to fpeak in the fafhionable Language of our mo- dern Philofophy: l ' Society being founded on a 1 1 Compact; the Surrender made of every Man's " private unlimited Right, into the hands of " the Majority, or fuch as the Majority fhou'd lc appoint, was of free Choice, and by a Pro- " mife." Now the Promife it-felf was made in the State of Nature: And that which cou'd make a Promife obligatory in the State of Nature, mull make all other A61s of Humanity as much our real Duty, and natural Part. Thus Faith, Juf tice, Honefly, and Virtue, muft have been as early as the State of Nature, or they cou'd ne- ver have been at all. The Civil Union, or Confe- deracy, cou'd never make Right or Wrong; if they fubtifled not before. He who was free to any Villany before his Contract, will, and ought to make as free with his Contracl, when he thinks fit. The Natural Knave has the fame reafon to be a Civil one; and may difpenfe with his politick Capacity as oft as he fees occafion: 'Tis only his Word Hands in his way. A Man is oblig'd to keep hisWord. Why? Becaufe H2 he no An E S S A T on the Freedom he has given his Word to keep it. Is not this a notable Account of the Original of moral Juftice, and the Rife of Civil Government and Allegiance!
SECT. II.
BUT to pafs by thefe Cavils of a Philofo- phy, which fpeaks fo much of Nature with fo little meaning; we may with juftice furely place it as a Principle, " That if any thing be " natural, in any Creature, or any Kind; tis " that which is prefervative of the Kind it-felf, ct and conducing to its Welfare and Support. ' If in original and pure Nature, it be wrong to breakaPromife, or be treacherous; 'tis as truly wrong to be in any refpecl inhuman, or any way wanting in our natural part towards human Kind. I£ Eating and Drinking be natural, Herd- ing is fo too. If any Appetite or Senfe be natural, the Senfe of Fellonfhip is thefame. If there be any thing of Nature in that Affeclion which is be- tween the Sexes, the Affeclion is certainly as na- tural towards the confequent Offspring; andfo again between theOffspringthemfelves, as Kin- dred and Companions, bred under the fame Difcipline and Oeconomy. And thus a Clan or "Tribe is gradually form'd; a Publick is recogniz'd: and befides the Pleafure found in focial En- tertainment, Language, and Difcourfe, there is is • of WIT and HUMOUR. in is fo apparent a Neceffity for continuing this good Correfpondency and Union, that to have no Senfe or Feeling of this kind, no Love of Country, Community, or any thing in common, wou'd be the fame as to be infenfible even of the plained Means of Sclf-Prefervation, and moft neceffary Condition of Self- Enjoyment.
How the Wit of Man fhou'd fo puzzle this Caufe, as to make Civil Government and So- ciety appear a kind of Invention, and Creature of Art, I know not. For my own part, rae- thinks, this herding Principle, and ajjociating Inclination, is feen fo natural and flrong in mofl Men, that one might readily affirm, 'twas even from the Violence of this Paffion that fo much Diforder arofe in the general Society of Mankind.
Universal Good, or the Intereft of the World in general, is a kind of remote philofo- phical Objecl. That greater Community falls not eafily under the Eye. Nor is a National Inte- reft, or that of a whole People, or Body Politick, fo readily apprehended. In lefs Party s, Men may be intimately converfant and acquainted with one another. They can there better tafte Society, and enjoy the common Good and In- tereft of a more contracted Publick, They view the whole Compafs and Extent of their Com- H 3 munitv • H 3 munitv • ii2 An E S SA T on the Freedom munity; and fee, and know particularly whom they ferve, and to what end they ajfociate and confpire. All Men have naturally their (hare of this combining Principle: and they who are of the fprightlieft and molt aclive Facultys, have fo large a (hare of it, that unlefs it be happi- ly directed by right Reafon, it can never find Exercifefor it-felf in fo remote a Sphere as that of the Body Politick at large. For here per- haps the thoufandth part of thofe whofe Inte- refts are concern'd, are fcarce fo much as known by fight. No vifible Band is form'd; no ftricl Alliance: but the Conjunction is made with different Perfons, Orders, and Ranks of Men; not fenfibly, but in Idea; according to that general View or Notion of a State or Common- wealth.
Thus the focial Aim is difturb'd, for want of certain Scope. The clofe Sympathy and con- Jpiring Virtue is apt to lofe it-felf, for want of Direction, in fo wide a Field. Nor is the Paf- fion any-where fo ftrongly felt, or vigoroufly exerted, as in a.£t\ial Conjpiracy or War; in which the higheft Genius's are often known the for- warded to employ themfelves. For the moft generous Spirits are the moft combining. They delight mod to move in Concert; and feel (if I may fo fay) in the flrongen manner, the force of the confederating Charm.
Tis of WIT and HUMOUR. 113 'Tis flrange to imagine that War, which of all things appears the mofl favage, fhou'd be the Paffion of the mofl heroick Spirits. But 'tis in War that the Knot of FellouJJiip is clofeft drawn. 'Tis in War that mutual Succour is mofl given, mutual Danger run, and common Affection mofl exerted and employ 'd. For He- roifm and Philanthropy are almofl one and the fame. Yet by a fmall mif-guidance of the Af- fection, a Lover of Mankind becomes a Rava- ger: A Hero and Deliverer becomes an Op- preffor and Deflroyer.
Hence other Divifions amongfl Men. Hence, in the way of Peace and Civil Government, that Love of Party, and Subdivifion by Cabal. For Sedition is a kind of cantonizing already begun within the State. To cantonize is natural; when the Society grows va(l and bulky: And power- ful States have found other Advantages in fend- ing Colonys abroad, than merely that of ha- ving Elbow-room at home, or extending their Dominion into diflant Countrys. Vail Em- pires are in many refpecls unnatural: but par- ticularly in this, That be they ever fo well con- flituted, the Affairs of many mufl, in fuch Go- vernments, turn upon a very few; and the Re- lation be lefs fenfible, and in a manner loft, be- tween the Magiflrate and People, in a Body fo H 4 unwieldy ii4 ^n ESSAY on the Freedom unwieldy in its Limbs, and whofe Members lie fo remote from one another, and diftant from the Head.
'Ti s in fuch Bodys as thefe that ftrong Fac- tions are apteft to engender. The affociating Spirits, for want of Exercife, form new Move- ments, and feek a narrower Sphere of Activity, when they want Action in a greater. Thus we have Wheels within Wheels. And in fome Nati- onal Conftitutions (notwithftanding the Ab- furdity in Politicks) we have one Empire within another. Nothing is fo delightful as to incor- porate. Dflinctions of many kinds are invented. Religious Society s are form'd. Orders are e reeled; and their Intcrefts efpous'd, and ferv'd, with the utmoft Zeal and Pamon. Founders and Patrons of this Sort are never wanting. Wonders are perform'd in this wrong focial Spirit, by thofe Members of feparate Societys. And the offici- ating Genius of Man is never better prov'd, than in thofe very Societys, which are form'd in op- pofition to the general one of Mankind, and to the real Interefl of the State.
In fhort, the very Spirit of Faction, for the grcateft part, feems to be no other than the Abufe or Irregularity of that focial Love, and common Ajfeffiion, which is natural to Mankind. For the Oppofite of Sociablenefs is Sclfifhnefs.
And of WIT and HUMOUR. 115 And of all Characters, the thorow-felfifh. one is the leaft forward in taking Party. The Men of this fort are, in this refpecl, true Men of Mo- deration. They are fecure of their Temper; and poiTefs themfelves too well, to be in dan- ger of entering warmly into any Caufe, or en- gaging deeply with any Side or Faclion.
SECT. III.