jected, acquir'd Nobility gives us fome larger Pretences of triumphing: Here is no gilding of a coarse Subftance, no borrow'd Glory, no faint Reflection from an Ancestor, but the Man is all bright and luminous to the Center, and shines and fparkles in his own Worth. He is not great by Genealogy and ancient Title, by the Favour of Fortune, and the Labours of those he never helped, but by Nature and Performances; by having Greatnefs incorporated in himself. To ftate the Cafe in this Manner, is, indeed putting in a plausible Plea for Oftentation: But fuppofing a Man has obliged the Public, is remarkable for great Abilities, and lights on Promotion in Honour or Office; let him remember that there are others who have ventured as far, and perform'd as confiderably as himself, whofe Services all mifcarried as to any private Advantage; because they were not fo lucky as to act under the Notice of those who were able to reward. Let him check and reftrain his Pride with this Confideration, That many Perfons, as well furnish'd as himself for Employment and Honour, go out of the World as obfcurely as they came in, only for Want of a proper Opportunity to bring them into Light, and public View: Because a Man has received a valuable Confideration

fideration for his Services in Honour or Eftate, therefore fhall he prefs too arbitrarily on the World, for Submiffion? Shall he fet a Tax upon Converfation, and put the Company under Contribution for Refpect?

The best Way for real Merit to fecure Obfervance, is, not to infift too violently upon it; for Pride is a moft unfortunate Vice. Other Immoralities ufually gain their Point, though they loofe more another Way: But a proud Man is fo far from making himself great by his haughty and contemptuous Port, that he is ufually punish'd with Neglect for it: And that Difdain with which he treats others, is return'd more justly upon himself. Greatnefs does not confist in Pageantry and Shew, in Pomp' and Retinue: Thefe are but the Trappings' and Indications of Grandeur; and though a Person of Quality will make use of these Things, to avoid Singularity, and put the Vulgar in mind of their Obedience to Au thority, yet he does not think himself really the bigger for them: For he knows that those who have neither Honefty nor Under-standing, have oftentimes all this fine Furniture about them. To be great is not to be starch'd, and fupercilious; to fwagger at Footmen, and brow-beat Inferiors. Such a Behaviour looks as if a Man was confcious

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fcious of his own Infignificancy, and that he had nothing but Outfide, and Noife, and ill Humour, to make himself confiderable with. He that is truly noble, has far different Sentiments, and turns his Figure quite another Way; is equally remov'd from the Extreams of Servility and Pride; is above abridging the Liberties, or depreffing the Spirits of his Dependants, to proclaim his Superiority; and values his Greatnefs more for the Good it empowers him to do, than the Refpect it procures to be paid to him.

After I have endeavour'd to defcribe Pride in its feveral Forms of Ambition, Vanity, Oftentation, and Vain-Glory, it would be impertinent to run a Difcourfe with you, upon the Inconveniences of it; or to fhew you in particular, what an unconquerable Averfion it gives all Mankind against us, when we are over-grown with it. Let it fuffice for a Conclufion, that it multiplies and conceals our Defects from us, and makes us do a thoufand filly Things, without taking notice of them; that it makes us a Prey to Flatterers, and puts us to great Expences, only to be laughed at; that it fpoils Converfation, and takes away the Pleafure of Society; that Families, Kingdoms, and Churches, are embroil'd

embroil'd by it, and the World turn'd topfyturvy by this Vice.

In fhort, we ought only to be proud of fupporting our Characters in Religion and Morality, of endeavouring to do our Duties to God, and our Neighbour, and being above an Action which may debase our Nature, and make us liable to the Cenfure of Profaneness, Folly, or Immorality.

CONTENTMENT.

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NQUIRIES after Happiness, and Rules for attaining it, are not so neceffary and useful to Mankind, as the Arts of Confolation, and supporting one'sfelf under Affliction. The utmost we can hope for in this World, is Contentment: If we aim at any thing higher, we shall meet with nothing but Grief and Difappointments: A Man fhould direct all his Studies and Endeavours at making himself easy now, and happy hereafter.

The Truth of it is, if all the Happiness that is difperfed through the whole Race of Mankind in this World, were drawn together, and put into the Poffeffion of any fingle Man, it would not make a very happy Being. Though on the contrary, if the Miseries of the whole Species were fixed in a fingle Perfon, they would make a very miferable one.

The greatest Caufe of Impatience grows not fo much from the Force of Calamity,

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