t of
a good conscience, that contradicted the reports which had been raised
against him, and cleared him to himself.

7. Others of the philosophers rather chose to retort the injury of a
smart reply, than thus to disarm it with respect to themselves. They
shew that it stung them, though at the same time they had the address to
make their aggressors suffer with them. Of this kind is _Aristotle's_
reply to one who pursued him with long and bitter invectives. You, says
he, who are used to suffer reproaches, utter them with delight; I who
have not been used to utter them, take no pleasure in hearing them.

8. Diogenes was still more severe on one who spoke ill of him: nobody
will believe you when you speak ill of me, any more than they would
believe me when I speak well of you.

In these and many other instances I could produce, the bitterness of the
answer sufficiently testifies the uneasiness of mind the person was
under who made it.

9. I would rather advise my reader, if he has not in this case the
secret consolation, that he deserves no such reproaches as are cast upon
him, to follow the advice of Epictetus: If any one speaks ill of thee,
consider whether he has truth on his side; and if so, reform thyself
that his censures may not affect thee.

10. When Anaximander was told that the very boys laughed at his singing:
Ay, says he, then I must learn to sing better. But of all the sayings of
philosophers which I have gathered together for my own use on this
occasion, there are none which carry in them more candour and good sense
than the two following ones of Plato.

11. Being told that he had many enemies who spoke ill of him; it is no
matter, said he, I will live so that none shall believe them. Hearing at
another time, that an intimate friend of his had spoken detractingly of
him, I am sure he would not do it, says he, if he had not some reason
for it.

12. This is the surest as well as the noblest way of drawing the sting
out of a reproach, and a true method of preparing a man for that great
and only relief against the pains of calumny, 'a good conscience.'

13. I designed in this essay; to shew, that there is no happiness
wanting to him who is possessd of this excellent frame of mind, and that
no one can be miserable who is in the enjoyment of it; but I find this
subject so well treated in one of Dr. Soulh's sermons, that I shall fill
this Saturday's paper with a passage of it, which cannot but make the
man