mon life; and though cafuistical knowledge be useful in proper hands, yet it ought by no means to be carelefly expofed, fince moft will use it rather to lull than awaken their own confciences; and the threads of reafoning, on which truth is fufpended, are frequently drawn to fuch fubtility, that common eyes cannot perceive, and common fenfibility cannot

feel them.

The whole doctrine as well as practice of secrecy, is fo perplexing and dangerous, that, next to him who is compelled to truft, I think him unhappy who is chosen to be trufted; for he is often involved in fcruples without the liberty of calling in the help of any other understanding; he is frequently drawn into guilt, under the appearance of friendfhip and honefty; and fometimes fubjected to fufpicion by the treachery of others, who are engaged without his knowledge in the fame fchemes; for he that has one confident has generally more, and when he is at laft betrayed, is in doubt on whom he shall fix the crime.

The rules therefore that I fhall propofe concerning fecrecy, and from which I think it not fafe to deviate, without long and exact deliberation, areNever to folicit the knowledge of a fecret. Not willingly, nor without many limitations, to accept fuch confidence when it is offered. When a fecret is once admitted, to confider the trust as of a very high nature, important as fociety, and facred a truth, and therefore not to be violated for any inci. dental convenience, or flight appearance of contrary fitness.

VOL. I.

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NUMB. 14. SATURDAY, May 5, 1750.

Sic difpar fibi

Nil fuit unquam

HOR.

Sure fuch a various creature ne'er was known.

FRANCIS.

MONG the many inconfiftencies which folly

A produces, or infirmity fuffers in the human

mind, there has often been obferved a manifeft and ftriking contrariety between the life of an author and. his writings; and Milton, in a letter to a learned ftranger, by whom he had been vifited, with great reafon congratulates himself upon the consciousness of being found equal to his own character, and having preserved in a private and familiar interview that reputation which his works had procured him.

Those whom the appearance of virtue, or the evidence of genius, have tempted to a nearer knowledge of the writer in whofe performances they may be found, have indeed had frequent reafon to repent their curiofity; the bubble that sparkled before them has become common water at the touch; the phantom of perfection has vanished when they wifhed to press it to their bofom. They have loft the pleasure of imagining how far humanity may be exalted, and, perhaps, felt themselves lefs inclined to toil up. the fteeps of virtue, when they obferve those who feem beft able to point the way, loitering below, as either afraid of the labour, or doubtful of the reward.

It has been long the cuftom of the oriental monarchs to hide themselves in gardens and palaces, to avoid the converfation of mankind, and to be known to their fubjects only by their edicts. The fame policy is no lefs neceffary to him that writes, than to him that governs; for men would not more

pa

patiently fubmit to be taught, than commanded, by one known to have the fame follies and weakneffe's with themselves. A fudden intruder into the clofet of an author would perhaps feel equal indignation with the officer, who having long folicited admiffion into the presence of Sardanapalus, faw him not confulting upon laws, enquiring into grievances, or modelling armies, but employed in feminine amufements, and directing the ladies in their work.

It is not difficult to conceive, however, that for many reasons a man writes much better than he lives. For, without entering into refined fpeculations, it may be shown much easier to defign than to perform. A man proposes his fchemes of life in a ftate of abftraction and difengagement, exempt from the enticements of hope, the folicitations of affection, the importunities of appetite, or the depreffions of fear, and is in the fame ftate with him that teaches upon land the art of navigation, to whom the fea is always fmooth, and the wind always profpe

rous.

The mathematicians are well acquainted with the difference between pure fcience, which has to do only with ideas, and the application of its laws to the ufe of life, in which they are conftrained to submit to the imperfection of matter and the influence of accidents. Thus, in moral difcuffions it is to be remembered that many impediments obftruct our practice, which very easily give way to theory. The fpeculatift is only in danger of erroneous reafoning, but the man involved in life has his own paffions, and those of others, to encounter, and is embarraffed with a thousand inconveniences, which confound him with variety of impulfe, and either perplex or obftruct his way. He is forced to act without deliberation, and obliged to choofe before he can examine; he is furprised by fudden alterations of the ftate of things, and changes his measures according

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to fuperficial appearances; he is led by others, either because he is indolent, or because he is timorous; he is fometimes afraid to know what is right, and fometimes finds friends or enemies diligent to deceive him.

We are, therefore, not to wonder that most fail, amidft tumult, and fnares, and danger, in the obfervance of thofe precepts, which they laid down in folitude, fafety, and tranquillity, with a mind unbiaffed, and with liberty unobstructed. It is the condition of our prefent ftate to fee more than we can attain; the exacteft vigilance and caution can never maintain a single day of unmingled innocence, much lefs can the utmost efforts of incorporated mind reach the fummits of speculative virtue.

It is, however, neceflary for the idea of perfection to be propofed, that we may have fome object to which our endeavours are to be directed; and he that is moft deficient in the duties of life, makes fome atonement for his faults, if he warns others against his own failings, and hinders, by the falubrity of his admonitions, the contagion of his example.

Nothing is more unjust, however common, than to charge with hypocrify him that expreffes zeal for thofe virtues, which he neglects to practife; fince he may be fincerely convinced of the advantages of conquering his paffions, without having yet obtained the victory, as a man may be confident of the advantages of a voyage, or a journey, without having courage or induftry to undertake it, and may honeftly recommend to others, those attempts which he neglects himself.

The intereft which the corrupt part of mankind have in hardening themfelves against every motive to amendment, has difpofed them to give to thefe contradictions, when they can be produced against the cause of virtue, that weight which they will not

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allow them in any other cafe. They fee men act in oppofition to their intereft, without fuppofing, that they do not know it; thofe who give way to the fudden violence of paffion, and forfake the most important purfuits for petty pleasures, are not fuppofed to have changed their opinions, or to approve their own conduct. In moral or religious questions alone, they determine the fentiments by the actions, and charge every man with endeavouring to impofe upon the world, whofe writings are not confirmed by his life. They never confider that themfelves neglect, or practise fomething every day, inconfiftently with their own fettled judgment, nor difcover that the conduct of the advocates for virtue can little increase, or lessen, the obligations of their dictates; argument is to be invalidated only by argument, and is in itfelf of the fame force, whether or not it convinces him by whom it is proposed.

Yet fince this prejudice, however unreasonable, is always likely to have fome prevalence, it is the duty of every man to take care left he should hinder the efficacy of his own inftructions. When he defires to gain the belief of others, he should fhew that he believes himself; and when he teaches the fitness of virtue by his reasonings, he fhould, by his example, prove its poffibility: Thus much at least may be required of him, that he fhall not act worfe than others because he writes better, nor imagine that, by the merit of his genius, he may claim indulgence beyond mortals of the lower claffes, and be excufed for want of prudence, or neglect of virtue.

Bacon, in his hiftory of the winds, after having offered fomething to the imagination as defirable, often propofes lower advantages in its place to the reafon as attainable. The fame method may be fometimes pursued in moral endeavours, which this philofopher has obferved in natural enquiries; having first fet pofitive and abfolute excellence before

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