thing sad and new, something that is done within the bounds of their own knowledge or relation, it seems tedious and unsatisfying; which shews plainly it is an evil spirit: envy and idleness married together and begot curiosity. Therefore Plutarch rarely well compares curious and inquisitive ears to the execrable gates of cities, out of which only malefactors and hangmen, and tragedies pass, nothing that is chaste or holy. If a physician should go from house to house unsent for, and inquire what woman hath a cancer in her bowels, or what man a fistula in his cholic-gut, though he could pretend to cure it, he would be almost as unwelcome as the disease itself: and therefore it is inhumane to inquire after crimes and disasters without pretence of amending them, but only to discover them. We are not We are not angry with searchers and publicans when they look only on public merchandise, but when they break open trunks, and pierce vessels, and unrip packs, and open sealed letters. Curiosity is the direct incontinency of the spirit; and adultery itself, in its principle, is many times nothing but a curious inquisition after, and envying of another man's enclosed pleasures: and there have been many who refused fairer objects that they might ravish an enclosed woman from her retirement and single possessor. But these inquisitions are seldom without danger, never without baseness; they are neither just, nor honest, nor delightful, and very often useless to the curious inquirer. For men stand saucy upon their guards against them, as they secure their meat against harpies and cats, laying all their counsels and secrets out of their way; or as men clap their garments close about them when the searching and winds would discover their nakedness: as knowing that what men willingly hear, they do willingly speak of. Knock therefore at the door before you enter upon your neighbour's privacy; and remember that there is no difference between entering into his house, and looking into it. Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to Boldness. 1, Let us always bear about us such impressions of reverence and the fear of God as to tremble at his voice, to express our apprehensions of his greatness in all great accidents, in popular judgments, loud thunders, tempests, earthquakes; not only for fear of being smitten ourselves, or that we are concerned in the accident, but also that we may humble ourselves before his Almightiness, and express that infinite distance between his infiniteness and our weaknesses, at such times especially when he gives such visible arguments of it. He that is merry and airy at shore, when he sees a sad and a loud tempest on the sea, or dances briskly when God thunders from heaven, regards not when God speaks to all the world, but is possessed with a firm immodesty. 2. Be reverent, modest, and reserved in the presence of thy betters, giving to all, according to their quality, their titles of honour, keeping distance, speaking little, answering pertinently, not interposing without leave or reason, not answering to a question propounded to another; and ever present to thy superiors the fairest side of thy discourse, of thy temper, of thy ceremony, as being ashamed to serve excellent persons with unhandsome intercourse. 3. Never lie before a King, or a great person, nor stand in a lie when thou art accused, nor offer to justify what is indeed a fault; but modestly be ashamed of it, ask pardon, and make amends. 4. Never boast of thy sin, but at least lay a veil upon thy nakedness and shame, and put thy hand before thy eyes, that thou mayst have this beginning of repentance, to believe thy sin to be thy shame*. For he that blushes not at his crime, but adds shamelessness to his shame, hath no instrument left to restore him to the hopes of virtue. 5. Be not confident and affirmative in an uncertain matter, but report things modestly and temperately, according to the degree of that persuasion which is or ought to be begotten in thee by the efficacy of the authority or the reason inducing thee. 6. Pretend not to more knowledge then thou hast; but be content to seem ignorant where thou art, lest thou beest either brought to shame, or retirest into shamelessness. (Ecclus. iii. 25.) * Obstare primum est velle nec labi via ; Pudor est secundis nôsse peccandi modum. Senec. Hip. A Chione saltem vel ab Helide disce pudorem. Abscondunt spurcas hæc monumenta lupas. Mart. 1. 1. Epig. 35, Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to Indecency. 1. In your prayers in churches and places of reli gion, use reverent postures, great attention, grave ceremony, the lowest gestures of humility, remembering that we speak to God, in our reverence to whom we cannot possibly exceed; but that the expression of this reverence be according to law or custom, and the example of the most prudent and pious persons: that is, let it be the best in its kind to the best of essences. 2. In all public meetings, private addresses, in discourses, in journies, use those forms of salutation, reverence, and decency, which the custom prescribes, and is usual amongst the most sober persons; giving honour to whom honour belongeth, taking place of none of thy betters, and in all cases of question concerning civil precedency, giving it to any one that will take it, if it be only thy own right that is in question. 3. Observe the proportion of affections in all meetings and to all persons: be not merry at a funeral, nor sad upon a festival, but rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 4. Abstain from wanton and dissolute laughter, petulant and uncomely jests, loud talking, jeering, and all such actions which in civil account are called indecencies and incivilities. 5. Towards your parents use all modesty of duty and humble carriage; towards them and all your kindred be severe in the modesties of chastity; ever No. 6. T fearing least the freedoms of natural kindness should enlarge into any neighbourhood of unhandsomeness. For all incestuous mixtures, and all circumstances and degrees towards it, are the highest violations of modesty in the world: for therefore incest is grown to be so high a crime, especially in the last periods of the world, because it breaks that reverence which the consent of all nations and the severity of human laws hath enjoined towards our parents and nearest kindred, in imitation of that law which God gave to the Jews in prosecution of modesty in this instance. 6. Be a curious observer of all those things which are of good report, and are parts of public honesty. (Phil. vi. 8.) For public fame, and the sentence of prudent and public persons, is the measure of good and evil in things indifferent: and charity requires us to comply with those fancies and affections which are agreeable to nature or the analogy of virtue, or public laws, or old customs. It is against modesty for a woman to marry a second husband as long as she bears a burthen by the first, or to admit a second love while her funeral tears are not wiped from her cheeks. It is against public honesty to do some lawful actions of privacy on public theatres, and therefore in such cases, retirement is a duty of modesty *. 7. Be grave, decent, and modest in thy clothing and ornament; never let it be above thy condition, nor al * Et meretrix abigit testem veloque seràque; |