inent humour of diminishing every
one who is produced in conversation to their advantage, runs through the
world; and I am, I confess, so fearful of the force of ill tongues, that
I have begged of all those who are my well-wishers, never to commend me,
for it will but bring my frailties into examination, and I had rather be
unobserved, than conspicuous for disputed perfections.

15. I am confident a thousand young people, who would have been
ornaments to society, have, from fear of scandal, never dared to exert
themselves in the polite arts of life.--Their lives have passed away in
an odious rusticity, in spite of great advantages of person, genius and
fortune.

16. There is a vicious terror of being blamed in some well-inclined
people, and a wicked pleasure in suppressing them in others; both which
I recommend to your spectatorial wisdom to animadvert upon: and if you
can be successful in it, I need not say how much you will deserve of the
town; but new toasts will owe to you their beauty, and new wits their
fame.

17. Truth and reality have all the advantages of appearance, and many
more. If the show of any thing be good for any thing, I am sure
sincerity is better: for why does any man dissemble, or seem to be that
which he is not, but because he thinks it good to have such a quality as
he pretends to? for to counterfeit and dissemble, is to put on the
appearance of some real excellency.

18. Now the best way in the world for a man to seem to be any thing, is
really to be what he would seem to be. Besides that, it is many times as
troublesome to make good the pretence of a good quality, as to have it;
and if a man have it not, it is ten to one but he is discovered to want
it, and then all his pains and labour to seem to have it, is lost. There
is something unnatural in painting, which a skilful eye will easily
discern from native beauty and complexion.

19. It is hard to personate and act a part long; for where truth is not
at the bosom; nature will always be endeavouring to return, and will
peep out and betray herself one time or other. Therefore, if any man
think it convenient to seem good, let him be so indeed, and then his
goodness will appear to every body's satisfaction; so that upon all
accounts sincerity is true wisdom.

20. Particularly as to the affairs of this world, integrity hath many
advantages over all the fine and artificial ways of dissimulation and
deceit; it is much the plainer and easier, m