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fon, (fays Montaigne) and the public approbation may follow us the fame way, if it pleases.'

However, a total matter is unwife (q).

indifference in this We ought not to concerning the re

be entirely infenfible ports of others; no, not to the railings of an enemy; for an enemy may say something out of ill-will, which it may concern us to think of coolly when we are in retirement; when we fhould examine whether the accufations be juft; and what there is in our conduct or temper that may render the charge credible. By these means our enemy may do us more good than he intended; and discover something in our hearts to which we did not before attend. A man that hath no enemies ought to have very faithful friends;

and

(2) Τας δε ακαιρους καληγοίας- δε αμέτρως δέδοικεναι και τρεμειν εδέ απλως παρόραν καλον. αλλά, χρη και ψυδεις, τυγχανωσιν, ὅσαι, και παρα των τυχοντων ημίν, επαγωνται, πειρασθαι Bevrural Taxews avlus Chryf. de Sacerd. l. 5. c. 4. As to the groundless reports that may be raised to our difadvantage, it is not good too much to fear them, nor entirely to defpife them. We should endeavour to ftifle fuch, be they ever so false, or the authors of them ever so contemptible.

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and one who

hath no fuch friends, ought

to think it no calamity that he hath ene-
mies to be his effectual monitors.
• Our

friends (fays Mr. Addison) very often

• flatter us

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as much as our own hearts. They either do not fee our faults, or conceal them from us; or foften them by their representations, after fuch a manner that we think them too trivial 6 to be taken notice of. An adversary, on the contrary, makes a ftricter fearch into us, discovers every flaw and imper⚫fection in our tempers, and though his • malice may fet them in too strong a light, it has generally fome ground for what it advances. A friend exaggerates a man's virtues, an enemy inflames his 'crimes. A wife man fhould give a just ' attention to both of them, fo far as it may tend to the improvement of the one, and the diminution of the other. Plutarch has written an effay on the benefits which a man may receive from his enemies; and, among the good fruits of enmity, mentions this in particular, that by the reproaches it cafts upon us we fee the worft fide of ourfelves, and

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open our eyes to feveral blemishes and and defects in our lives and converfations, which we would not have observed, without the help of fuch ill-natured

⚫ monitors.

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To come at a true knowledge of ourfelves, we should confider, on the other hand, how far we may deserve the praises and approbations which the world bestow upon us; whether the actions they celebrate proceed from laudable and worthy motives, and how far we are really poffeffed of the virtues which gain us applaufe amongst those with whom we converse. Such a reflection is abfolutely necessary, if we confider how apt we are either to value or condemn ourfelves by the opinions of others, and to facrifice the report of our own hearts to the judgment of the world (r):

In that treatife of Plutarch here referred to, there are many excellent things on this fubject; and therefore I have taken a few extracts from it by way of note (s).

It

(r) Spectat. Vol. vi. No. 399. (s) The foolish and inconfiderate fpoil the very friendships they are engaged in; but the wife and

prudent

To be infenfible to all the world fays of us is the character of a diffolute mind; and it fhows fuch a confidence of Self

Knowledge, as betokens felf-ignorance. The

moft

prudent make good ufe of the hatred and enmity of men against them.

Why should we not take an enemy for our tutor, who will inftruct us gratis in those things we knew not before? For an enemy fees and understands more in matters relating to us than our friends do: because love is blind; but fpite, malice, ill-will, wrath, and contempt, talk much, are very inquifitive and quick-fighted.

Our enemy, to gratify his ill-will, acquaints himself with the infirmities both of our bodies and minds; sticks to our faults, upon which he makes invidious remarks, and spreads them abroad by his uncharitable reports. Hence we are taught this useful lesson for the management of our converfation, &c. viz. that we fhould be as circumfpect, as if our enemy alway stood at our elbow, and overlook'd our actions.

Those perfons, whom that wifdom hath brought to live foberly, which the restraint of enemies hath infufed, are, by degrees, drawn into a habit of living in that manner, and are fixed in their obedience to virtuė, by custom.

When one asked Diogenes how he might be avenged of his enemies, he replied, To be yourfelf a good and honeft man.

Antifthenes faid, that, if a man would lead a fafe and unblameable life, it was neceffary that he fhould have very ingenuous and faithful friends, or very bad enemies; becaufe

T 2

:

most intelligent minds are ever leaft prefumptuous and true Self-knowledge is a fcience of fo much depth and difficulty, that a wife man would not choose to be over-confident of the rectitude of his own notions, in oppofition to the judgment of

all

becaufe the firft, by their kind admonitions, would keep him from finning, which the latter would accomplish by their invectives.

He that hath no friend to advise, or reprove him when he does amifs, muft bear patiently the rebukes of his enemies, and thereby learn to mend the errors of his ways; confidering seriously the object which those severe cenfures aim at, and not what he is that makes them: for he who defigned the death of Prometheus the Theffalian, inftead of giving him a fatal blow, only opened a fwelling which he had, which really saved his life, In like manner, the harsh reprehenfions of enemies may cure fome diftempers of the mind, which were hitherto not known or totally neglected.

If a man, with opprobrious language, fhould charge you with crimes you are innocent of, you ought to enquire into the causes or reafons of fuch falfe accufations; whereby you may learn to beware, for the future, left you might unwarily commit fuch offences.

Whenever any falfhood is spoken against you, do not defpife it, because it is false; but forthwith examine yourself, and confider what you have faid or done that may afford a juft occafion of reproof.

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