by the one, because they are far off; and by the others, because they come from afar.

VII. An accomplish'd Man ought never to give the leaft Sign that he is perfwaded of his own Merit; the lefs he appears to make it known, the more all will mind it. He is doubly Excellent, who confines all his Perfections within himself without bragging of any; he arrives at the height of Plaufibility and Efteem, by a way not much frequented.

VIII. * Common Fame is as false and impudent, as a common Strumpet. Let every Man live to his own Conscience, and never trouble his Head with the Talk of the People.

IX. * Reputation is always upon the Extreams, either of Applaufe or Execration.

X.Nothing can be more vain than the Courting of Popular Applause, if we consider the emptiness of the Sound, the precarious Tenure, the little Judgment of those that give it us, and the narrow compafs 'tis confin'd to, for the whole Globe is but aPoint,and of this little,how little is inhabited? And where 'tis Peopled, we'll have no Reason to brag either of the Number, or Quality, of your Admirers. What! Shall we be Ambitious of a Man's Good Word, that it may be in an Hour's time fhall curfe himself to the Pit of Hell? Are we fo fond of being in their Favour, that can't keep in their own?

XI.*He that is so very folicitous about being talk'd of when he is dead, and makes his Memory his inclination, does not confider that all his Admirers will be quickly gone. That his Fame will grow lefs to the next generation, and flag upon the Courfe; and like a Ball that's handed from one to another, 'twill be dropt at laft: But granting your Monument

Monuments and your Men Immortal, what's their Panegyrick to you, when you are dead, and know nothing of the matter? And if you were living, what would Commendation fignifie, unless for the Convenience of imitation? To conclude, if you depend thus fervilely upon the Good Word of other People, you'll act blow your Nature, and neglect the improvement of your felf.

XI. What a strange Humour there is among fome People? They don't care for the good Word of their Contemporaries, and yet are very defirous of being prais'd by Pofterity: That is, by thofe they never faw, nor ever will have the leaft acquaintance with: Now this is always fuch a Freak, as it would be to be disturb'd, becaufe you were not commended by the Generations that liv'd before you.

XII. * 'Twill not be long before you will have forgotten all the World, and in a little time, to be even, all the World will forget you too.

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XIII. To moderate your Ambition about Fame, confider the generality of People that are to commend and take notice of you; how infignificant they are, and how little in their Purfuits and Averfions? Confider alfo, that as one heap of Sand thrown upon another covers the firft, fo it happens in the business of Fame, a new Glory Eclipfes an old one, and the latter Age is a fort of an Extinguifher to the former.

XIV. * There's no Man fo happy in his Family and Friends, but that fome of them, when they fee him going, will with for a good riddance, and almoft keep a Holyday for his Death; let him be a Perfon of never fo much Probity and Prudence.

XV. People generally Defpife where they Flatter, and Cringe to thofe they would gladly overtop; fo that Truth and Ceremony are two Things.

XVI. * 'Tis matter of wonder, that every body fhould love themselves beft, and yet value their Neighbours Opinion about themselves more than their own.

XVII. If God fhould order a Man to turn his inside outwards, and publish every Thought and Fancy as fast as they come into his Head; he'd think it a very hard Chapter, and not fubmit without grumbling so much as to a Day's Confefsion. Thus we stand more in aw of Fame than Confcience, and regard other People's Judgments above

our own.

XVIII. * It ought to be a very great Mortification to a Man to confider how very inconfiftent he is with himself.

XIX. There must be a Concurrence of Chance to make a Great Man; Merit alone would never do it. An unexpected turn of Affairs has often given a Reputation to an indifferent Politician.

XX. He that rewards Flattery begs it.

XXI. * Many are capable of getting Reputation; but few to keep it; which laft is the harder task of the two.

XXII. A Thousand Actions pass in the World for Virtuous, which proceed from a quite different Principle. My Lord Sly releafes Floridor out of Goal, pays his Debts, and gets him a Commillion. This the World applaud, as an Act of the most difinterested Generofity; they little know, at the same time, that Floridor fupplies his Lordship with Miftriffes out of the Play-houfe.

XXIII. Moft Men, when they speak of their Neighbours, are apt out of a Principle of Emula

tion and Envy, to leffen and tarnish their Fame, whether by open Scandal and Defamatory Stories and Tales, or by malicious Infinuations, invidious Circumstances, finifter and covert Reflections. This Humour fprings from an over-fondnefs of our felves, and a mistaken Conceit, that another's lofs is an addition to our own Reputation. This is the bafest and most ungenerous of all our Natural Failures, and ought to be corrected as much as poffible.

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XXIV. "A good Prefence, a great deal of furance, and a plausible way of Delivery, goes a great way in gaining a Man a Reputation, let his Pre"tentions be never fo precarious; but then let him

manage Matters fo, as never to be put upon a "Trial of his Skill; for that may undo all. A "certain Perfon, we all know, was in a fair way "of Eclipfing Sir Chriftopher Wren, in the Opinion "of most of the Nobility, but that he unluckily happen'd to build too near the Banquettingbouse.

XXV. * Abundance of Noble Wits are ftiffled for want of fufpecting what they were able to do, and with how much Facility. Experience fhews us every day Blockheads, that arrive at a moderáte, nay, fometimes, a great Reputation, by their Confi dence and brisk Attempts, which they maintain by their Diligence; while great numbers of Men, naturally more Ingenious, lie neglected by, for want of Industry to improve, or Courage to exert themselves.

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XXVI. ""Tis an eafie matter to perfwade a «Man, that we have the fame Opinion of him, "which he has of himself: Damon is bewitch'd with Poetry, and thinks his Fuftian Plays as good as the great Performances of Otway: Commend his X 2 "Tamerlane

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Tamerlane and you will tickle him more than if you should cry up his Pedartick Learning, Sophron thinks himself a great States-man;he wonders and complains at the fame time,that he is not employ'd by the Government: Tell him you admire his deep Knowledge in Politicks, and the Interefts of Princes, and the Fifh is in your Net. Young Florider fets up for a Beau, and fancies all Women languish and die for him; do but commend " his Teeth, foft Hand, fair Complexion, fine Wiggs and Cloaths: Talk of his Gallantry and Love-Conquefts, and you will please him ten "times more, than if you fhould flatter him about "his Natural Parts and Literature. Therefore the "chief Address to make our Compliment well re"ceiv'd, is to find out the weak fide of the Perfon "it is made to.

XXVII. Good Humour goes farther many times in the Reputation of the World, than Profound Learning; tho' undoubtedly both together are beft. There's a certain knack in the Art of Conversation, that gives a good Grace to many things, by the manner and addrefs of handling 'em, which the ordinary way of bringing matters about, would give great offence to the common Rules, even of Civility and Difcretion. The skill on't lies in the nicety of diftinguishing, First, What Liberty is neceffary in fuch and fuch a Cafe. And, Secondly, how to temper and accommodate that Freedom to a confiftence with good Manners and this must be done too without Formality and Affectation; for a ftudied and a laborious forecaft toward the fetting fuch a Humour abroach, is putid and nauseous to the highest degree; and berter Fifty fuch Conceits were loft, than that any thing of Contrivance and Premeditation fhould appear