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Moral Effays,

IN

FOUR EPISTLES

то

Several Perfons.

Eft brevitate opus, ut currat fententia, neu se
Impediat verbis laffis onerantibus aures:
Et fermone opus eft modo trifti, fæpe jocofo,
Defendente vicem modo Rhetoris atque Poetæ,
Interdum urbani, parcentis viribus, atque
Extenuantis eas confultò.

HOR.

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MORAL ESSAYS.

EPISTLE I.

то

Sir Richard Temple, Lord Cobham.

ARGUMENT.

Of the Knowledge and Characters of MEN. THAT it is not fufficient for this knowledge to confider

Man in the Abstract: Books will not serve the purpofe, nor yet our own Experience fingly, 1. General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but notional, † 10. Some Peculiarity in every man, characteristic to himself, yet varying from himself, & 15. Difficulties arifing from our own Paffions, Fancies, Faculties, &c. 31. The fhortness of Life, to observe in, and the uncertainty of the Principles of action in men, to observe by, 37, &c. Our own Principle of action often bid from ourselves, 41. Some few Characters plain, but in general confounded, diffembled, or inconfiftent, 51. The fame man utterly different in different places and seasons, 71. Unimaginable weakneffes in the greatest, 70, &c. Nothing content and certain but God and Nature, 95. No judging of

*

the Motives from the actions; the fame actions proceeding from contrary Motives, and the fame Motives influencing contrary actions, & 100. II. Yet to form Characters, we can only take the strongest actions of a man's life, and try to make them agree: The utter uncertainty of this, from Nature itself, and from Policy, 120. Characters given according to the rank of men of the world, 135. And fome reafon for it, 140. Education alters the Nature, or at least Character of many, 149. Actions, Paffions, Opinions, Manners, Humours, or Principles all subject to change. No judging by Nature, from 158 to 178. III. It only remains to find (if we can) his RULING PASSION That will certainly influence all the rest, and can reconcile the feeming or real inconfiftency of all bis actions, 175. Inftanced in the extraordinary character of Clodio, 179. A caution against mistak ing fecond qualities for firft, which will destroy all poffibility of the knowledge of mankind, 210. Examples of the ftrength of the Ruling Paffion, and its continuation to the last breath, 222, &c.

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