mild, easy and gentle; to others wayward and unruly; yet never
too strong for the reins of reason, and the guidance of judgment.

13. 'We may generally observe a pretty nice proportion, between the
strength of reason and passion; the greatest geniuses have commonly the
strongest affections, as on the other hand, the weaker understandings
have generally the weaker passions: and 'tis fit the fury of the
coursers should not be too great for the strength of the charioteer.

14. 'Young men, whose passions are not a little unruly, give small hopes
of their being considerable; the fire of youth will of course abate, and
is a fault, if it be a fault, that mends every day; but surely, unless a
man has fire in youth, he can hardly have warmth in old age.

15. We must therefore be very cautious, lest while we think to regulate
the passions, we should quite extinguish them; which is putting out the
light of the soul; for to be without passion, or to be hurried away with
it, makes a man equally blind. The extraordinary severity used in most
of our schools has this fatal effect; it breaks the spring of the mind,
and most certainly destroys more good geniuses than it can possibly
improve.

16. 'And surely 'tis a mighty mistake that the passions should be so
entirely subdued; for little irregularities are sometimes not only to be
borne with, but to be cultivated too, since they are frequently attended
with the greatest perfections. All great geniuses have faults mixed with
their virtues, and resemble the flaming bush which has thorns amongst
lights.

17. 'Since therefore the passions are the principles of human actions,
we must endeavour to manage them so as to retain their vigour, yet keep
them under strict command; we must govern them rather like free subjects
than slaves, lest while we intend to make them obedient, they become
abject, and unfit for those great purposes to which they were designed.

18. 'For my part I must confess, I could never have any regard to that
sect of philosophers, who so much insisted upon an absolute indifference
and vacancy from all passion; for it seems to me a thing very
inconsistent for a man to divest himself of humanity, in order to
acquire tranquility of mind, and to eradicate the very principles of
action, because it is possible they may produce ill effects.

_I am, Sir_,

_Your affectionate admirer_

T.B.

SPECTATOR, Vol. IV. No. 408.

_The Advantages of representing Human Nat