_Alciph._ I would
never speak against Matter of Fact. _Euph._ Would you pretend to prove
from a Man's having been drunk, that he does not love Wine? _Alciph._ I
own I would not. _Euph._ You, who are a Free Thinker, and have enquir'd
so minutely into Human Nature, do you think there is a Capacity in Man,
by which he can dive into the Hearts of others, and know their most
secret Thoughts with Certainty? _Alciph._ I don't think there is.
_Euph._ When Actions are good and laudable in themselves, and there are
two different Motives from which they might proceed, the one very
honourable, and the other scandalous; which is it most charitable, to
ascribe these Actions to the first Motive, or the latter? Why do you
hesitate, _Alciphron_? Would not a polite Man, speaking to another's
Face, say, that he thought his Actions proceeded from that Motive which
does the most Honour to him? _Alciph._ I should think so. _Euph._ O
_Alciphron_! from your own Concessions I can prove to you, how we ought
to judge of _Nicanor_; and that it is highly injurious to ascribe his
Industry, and the Pains he takes to get Money, to any Thing but his
Love of Wine. The Minute Philosophers may say what they please; but
Wine is not to be bought without Money; and you have own'd your self,
that the more Money a Man has, the more he is able to buy Wine. These
Things are self-evident: What a Man chuses, who is at Liberty to do
what he pleases, he must prefer to that which he chuses not; and why
should _Nicanor_ drink Wine any more than he would eat Cheese, if he
did not love it? That he drinks it, is plain; all his Friends and
Acquaintance can testify it; they have been Eye-witnesses to it;
therefore he loves it. And that he must love it beyond Measure, is
plain; for he has forfeited his Reason for the Sake of it, and has
drank Wine till he was drunk. _Alciphron_ being silenced by the Force
of these Arguments, _Lysicles_ perhaps would say, that he could not
give up this Point as _Alciphron_ had done; but that he was not
prepar'd to speak to it now, and therefore desired, that they might
break off the Discourse. Thus _Euphranor_ would triumph over his
Adversary, and the Dialogue would end.

Duely to weigh these Two Characters, it is plain, that _Nicanor_ was an
abstemious Man; that the Motives which spurred him on to Industry, were
his Love of Money, and Desire after worldly Greatness. Considering the
small Delight he always seem'd to take in strong Liquors,