and vain-glorious ambition: when they have infected the mind, and begin to fix a perpetual refidence therein. In a word, it is a grievous disease, when the judgment is fo perverted as to be pertinacious of trifles; as if those things that are attainable by the flighteft means were to be pursued with all our might; or thus, if you pleafe:-to defire that over-vehemently, which ought fcarcely to be wished for, or perhaps not at all (f); and to hold that in great efteem, which deferves but little, or perhaps contempt. But the affections are certain motions of the mind, unaccountable, fudden, and violent, which being frequent, and for a while neglected, introduce a troublefome malady; as a small defluxion of rheum, not yet grown conftitutional, causeth a cough; but by continuance and neglect brings on a confirmed asthma. Therefore, they who have made the greatest proficiency in the way we are speaking of, however subject to the affections, yet being free from the difeafes of the mind, come nearest to the adepts in wisdom. The second fort are they who have thrown off the greatcft evils of the mind, and all untoward paffions; yet not fo as to be in full poffeffion of their fecurity; for 'tis poffible they may relapfe. A third fort are they who have taken leave of many and great vices, but not all. They avoid covetoufnefs, but are ftill fubject to anger: they are not folicited by voluptuoufnefs, but ftill are ambitious; they are not much tortured by defire, but they ftill live in fear; but even amidst their fear, the mind is fufficiently firm against some things, yet yields to others; it defpifeth death, yet dreads to fuffer pain. Let us reflect a little upon the laft order; it were well if we were admitted even here: by a particular felicity of nature, and by continual study and application of the mind, a place in the fecond is attainable; yet the third has its merit. Confider what numberlefs evils are fpread around: there is no fin but what you fee exemplified: wickednefs is daily making greater progrefs both in public and private life: and you will learn from hence, that it is fomewhat commendable, not to be fo wicked as the rest of the world. But, you fay, you hope to be admitRr. VOL. I. ted ted of an higher order. This indeed is what I could rather with for ourselves than promife: we feem pre-engaged: we aim at virtue, but are bufied in vice: I am ashamed to say it, we follow what is good only as opportunity ferves (g). But how great will be our reward if we throw off our present engagements, and release ourselves from thefe bonds! So fhall no unwarrantable defire nor fear affail us; unharraffed by terrors, uncorrupted by pleasures, we shall fear neither death, nor the power of the gods; we shall know that death is no evil, and the gods too good to be the authors of evil (b): he that hurteth is as weak as he that is hurt: the best things have no noxious qualities. If then we difengage ourselves from thefe dregs, and rife to the fublime and noble height of wisdom; tranquillity of mind, and absolute liberty, all fin and error excluded, will be our portion (i). And what is this, but not to fear man below, nor dread the powers above; not to will what is bafe and vile, nor covet fuperabundance; and especially to have an abfolute command over ourfelves? for believe me, Lucilius, to be mafter of one's felf, is to be in poffeffion of an inestimable treasure. ANNOTATIONS, &c. I cannot but think, the former part of this Epiftle inftead of concluding this Volume, would have ferved very well for a Preface to it; but supposing somewhat more would be required, I endeavour'd to oblige the courteous reader therewith. (a) See Ep. 2o. (N. b.) 35. 74. (N. k.) I have fomewhere before obferved that the phyficians of old, were likewife furgeons. So, in Homer, A. 832. Ιατροὶ μὲν γὰρ ποδαλείριος ἠδὲ Μαχα Of two fam'd furgeons Podolarius ftands And great Machaon wounded, in his tent, Now wants the fuccour, which fo oft be lent. Pope. Who obferves in his Note, that Machaon in having cured Philoctetes, was an abler phyfician than Chiron, who could not cure himself of the like poisonous wound. They are still so abroad; as under a print of my friend, the incomparable Handel's father, there is a German infcription, to the following purpose: This print George Handel's pourtraiture displays; 'Tis hard to fay, which moft demands our praife, His dextrous band, or well experienc'd art, In the physician's, or the surgeon's part. (6) See (b) See Ep. 16. (N. c.) zo. (N. a.) If ye knorv these things, happy are ye if ye do them. John xiii. 17. Not the bearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law fall be justified, Rom. ii. 15. Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own felves, &c. James i. 22. See alfo Matth. vii. 21. (c) See Ep. 71. 72. (N. c.) Noftrum vitium eft, qui quod dicitur de fapiente, exigimus et a proficiente. Sen. (de vit. beat. c. 24.) We are much to blame if we expect from the proficient the perfection of a wife man. (d) Stobæ. 101. Οι δ' επ' άκρων προκοπίων, καντα παντως αποδίδωσι τὰ καθήκοντα, κ. τ. λ. Chryfippus afferts, that though a proficient of the first class should do every thing, and leave nothing undone, that becomes a good man; yet his life cannot be faid to be completely happy, until thefe ordinary actions are worked up into habit, and a peculiar firmness and conftancy of mind. (e) Cicero often confounds them, and calls affections diseases.-Tufcul. iv.-Intelligatur perturbationem (Seneca, affectum) jactantibus fe opinionibus inconftanter et turbide, in motu effe femper; cum autem hic fervor concitatio que animi inveteraverit, et tanquam in venis medullifque infederit, tum exiftit et morbus. Let us then understand perturbation, (called by Seneca affection) to imply a reftlessness from the variety and confufion of contradictory opinions; and that when this heat or disturbance of the mind is of any ftanding, and has taken up its refidence, as it were, in the veins and marrow, then commence diseases and fickness, and thofe averfions which are in oppofition to them. (f) The like definition in Laertius; Noσιμα, ἐστίν οίησις σφυδρα δοκῦντος ἀρετῆ· It is a difeafe, to fet fo high a value upon any thing, however defirable. (g) See Ep. 52. (N. a.) (b) This reminds me of the extravagant rant in Randolph's Mufes' Looking-glafs. (i) Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But if ye fuffer for righteousness fake, happy are you; be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, but fan&tify the Lord God in your hearts, &c. i Pet. iii. 13.1 I fhall conclude this volume, with an obfervation from Cicero's Lælius, pertinent to this Epistle. "I would not be thought (fays he) to adopt the fentiments of thofe fpeculative moralifts, who pretend that no man can juftly be deemed virtuous, who is not arrived at that fort of abfolute perfection, which conftitutes, according to their ideas, the character of genuine wifdom. This opinion may appear true, perhaps, in theory, but is altogether inapplicable to any useful purpose of society; as it supposes a degree of virtue, to which no mortal was ever capable of rifing. In my opinion, whoever restrains his paffions within the bounds of reason, and uniformly acts, in all the various relations of life, upon one steady confiftent principle of approved honour, justice, and beneficence, that man is, in reality, as well as in common eftimation, strictly and truly good: inafmuch as he regulates his conduct (fo far, I mean, as is compatible with human frailty) by a conftant obedience to thofe beft guides of moral rectitude, the facred laws of Nature."So far Cicero; and his elegant tranflator, as a good and grateful Chriftian, is pleafed to add his acknowledgment of the fuperior excellency of divine revelation; "which not only exhorts to virtue, upon motives far more fuitable to the moral conftitution and circumstances of human nature, but fupplies in the person of its facred Author, that real and animating example of confummate perfection, which the difciples of Zeno could only form to themselves in imagination." (Remark, N. 19.)-Moreover, though it is certain, on the Chriftian scheme, that ever fince the apoftacy and rebellion in Paradife, he that faith be be hath no fin deceives himself, and there is no truth in him; yet it is alfo certain that there have been in all ages, and still are, we truft, many who fo.earnestly give their hearts unto wisdom, as to act upon fteady principles, imbibed by a virtuous education, and their own ftrong fenfe; and who fo live in the fear of God, with due refpect to his Commandments, that notwithstanding many human frailties and infirmities, they come under the fcriptural title of good and righteous men, the fons of wifdom, and the children of God; who, we truft, will be graciously pleased to accept our hearty endea vours instead of performance, and our fincerity instead of perfection. T. M. . THE END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. |