" Man should happen to be of fuperior Abili ties to the rest of the Society; he should, for that Reason, put himself upon a Foot of Equality with them; condefcend to the Level of their Capacities, and should not fet his fhining Qualities in a full, glaring Light, but rather modeftly caft them in Shades. To the Neglect of the Rule which I have mentioned, it is owing, that fome are so very oftentatious of their Reading. This is a certain Sign, that their Learning fits but loosely about them; and, if I may use fo homely an Allufion, I would fay, they have not digested those Notions very well, which they are so apt to throw up again upon every, or rather upon no Occafion at all. To the fame Principle it is owing, that some are continually putting their Inventions upon the Rack, to fay fomething furprizing and uncommon: Whereas, if Wit carries an Air of much Study and Premeditation; if, inftead of being a Volunteer, it be visibly pressed into the Service, nothing can be more naufeating and distasteful. It is with Wit, as with Mercury: That which is called Virgin-Quickfilver, which ftreams out freely of itself in great Drops (which is readily difcovered without the Help of Fire) is, upon feveral Accounts, far more valuable than that which is extorted and forced out by the Furnace. To the fame fame Principle may be afcribed that fiery Spirit of Oppofition, which is fo predominant in fome Men, that, rather than confess one Abfurdity, they will be reduced to a Neceffity of committing ten. They are too far embarked in a bad Caufe to make a Retreat with a good Grace; and therefore, if they have added to their natural Parts the Superftructures of Learning, they will entrench themselves within a vaft many artful Distinctions and fubtile Evafions. They are very prolix in invalidating those Arguments, which No-body lays any Stress upon; but when they are really strong and impregnable, they would fain flip them over as hastily as they can, and take a flight, curfory Notice of them. Very material Objections are to them like marshy Ground: A Man may make a Shift to run lightly and nimbly over it; but if he ever tread leisurely, and dwell long upon one Place, he infallibly finks. If ever a Vein of Ridicule be neceffary, I think it is here, where a Vein of just Arguing can have no Effect. When a Man is steeled and hardened against all Conviction, we may, like Hannibal, after other Expedients have been tried in vain, cut through the Rock with Vinegar. Some Jefuits once. in Company with Monfieur BOILEAU, afferted, according to the Principles of that Society, that Attrition was only neceffary; and that we were not obliged to love God. It was to no Purpose to unravel their Fallacies: They fhewed themselves inviolably attached to their Error; when Mr. BOILEAU, ftarting up, cried, "Oh! how prettily will "it found in the Day of Judgment, when 66 our LORD fhall fay to his Elect: Come you, ye well-beloved of my Father; for you "never loved me in your Life, but always "forbad that I fhould be beloved, and "conftantly opposed thofe Hereticks, who 66 were for obliging Chriftians to love me; " and you, on the contrary, Go to the Devil, "and his Angels, you the accurfed of my "Father; for you have loved me with your "whole Heart, and have folicited and urged "every Body else to love me." This Raillery ftruck the Opponents dumb; and bore down that Oppofition, which the most cogent Arguments before could not quell. -Ridiculum acri Fortiùs & meliùs magnas plerumque fecat res. If a handsome Opportunity presents itself, it may not be amifs to deal with an opinionative Fellow, as Bishop BRAMHALL did with the Popish Miffionary. When his Antagonist would obftinately maintain whatever he had rafhly advanced, the Bishop drove the Difputant up into fo narrow a Corner, that he was forced to affirm, that Eating was Drinking, and Drinking was Eating, in a material or bodily Senfe. This Affertion was fo big with palpable Abfurdities, that he needed no greater Trophy, if he could get under the Jefuit's Hand what he declared with his Tongue; which, being defired, was by the other, in his Heat and Shame to seem to retreat, as readily granted. But upon cooler Thoughts (fays my Author) finding perhaps, after the Conteft was over, that he could not quench his Thirft with a Piece of Bread; he reflected fo fadly on the Difhonour he had fuffered, that, not being able to digeft it in ten Days Time, he died. Why are fo many fo very folicitous to fkreen themfelves under ambiguous Terms, and to give a plaufible Turn to the most dangerous Errors? Is it to impofe upon the Bulk of Mankind, as Pirates do upon unwary Sailors, by hanging out falfe Colours? Does it not befpeak a much greater Turn of Mind to retract an untenable Notion, than even to carry one's Point on the Side of Truth? The latter may be often owing merely to the Strength of a good Caufe; whereas the former is the Refult of that ingenuous Temper, and that Largenefs of Soul, which animates a Man with the nobleft Views, and makes him wilK k ling ling to facrifice the Vanity of being thought an able Difputant to the difinterested Pursuit of Truth. His Opponent only conquers him; whilft be triumphs over two very powerful Enemies, Error and himself; By the latter, I mean thofe Prejudices and Paffions, which hang a wrong Biafs upon the Mind, The Good-Nature is undoubtedly the first Ingredient in good Converfation. Man that is always pleased, and in good Humour, never fails of pleafing the Company. Learning fhould be grafted upon this Quality; and the World has too great Reafon to lament, that ill-natured Men, especially if they be ingenious, fhould ever have the Advantage of a refined Education. For though it be a common Obfervation, that Learning fours a Man's Temper; yet I am apt to think it is a much truer Observation, that his Temper fours his Learning, The Mind is the Cafk, and if that be four, and impure, the most generous Wine will lofe its own Tafte, and receive a Tincture from the Veffel. When therefore the Bent of a Man's Inclinations is naturally perverfe, Learning falls in with it; and teaches him, whofe Wit and Malice made him but too fatirical before, to give a keener Edge to his Raillery, and wound with more Succefs, So that the Super |