gal afpiring into a forbidden Station. How many Tricks have been carried on, Fortunes ftole, and Frauds committed, by a worthless Inferior's putting on an Air of Quality, affuming a Figure he had no Pretence to, and deceiving the Credulity of unfufpecting Strangers, that have taken his Appearance of Grandeur for real, and confented to their own Impofitions, from the fuperficial Luftre of a difguifed Varlet?

There is one important Confideration, which makes me with fome Ardour defire fuch a Reftriction; which is, That the Credit and Fortune of an industrious Tradef man too often fink in the fupporting the Extravagance of thofe, whom Vanity prompts to provide fuch Apparel, as the State of their Purfe and Condition have no Pretence to. How many are there that profefs Gentry in the World, and are proud of the boafted Worth of their Families, yet have neither Honour nor Confcience enough to discharge these perfonal Engagements, but protract Payment to an unreafonable Date, and perhaps at laft force their Creditor to the Trouble of a Profecution? "Tis an ignominious Piece of Injuftice in us to ftand indebted for the Finery we have worn Thread-bare, and calls our Reason as well as Honour in Question. Let us make the Cafe our own, and

we fhall condemn the Practice with the ut most Freedom and Impartiality: If a reputed Friend prefume fo far on his Interest in my Affection, as to borrow my Habit, and having borrowed, neglect to return it Shall I not count him difhoneft and ungenerous? And fhall I, on the Strength of my Figure and Circumftances, prevail on a Tradefman to furnish me on Truft with what I mean to be careless in paying for? And fhall not he have as vile a Sufpicion of my Integrity? Believe me, thefe intentional Delays are real Frauds; and however they appear in the Eye of the Law, in Fact they are but more licensed Robberies. We may fin this Way with greater Indemnity; but the Escape of Punishment takes not off from the Blacknefs of our Crime: All but fuch as are accustomed to the fame Fault, will defpife our Morals for it, and be apt to believe, that it is not bare Confcience which reftrains us from Enormities, which would make us liable to a judicial Correction.

It seems to me plain, that a diftinguishing Bravery of Habit is only proper to mark out the Patrician, or add exterior Authority to those who are poffeffed of public Charges in a Government. For as People generally take their Measures more from the Appearance, than Reafon of Things, their

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their Apprehenfions are fo difpofed, that they think nothing great but what is pompous, and glitters upon the Senfes : And if their Governours had not fome Advantage of them in Figure, they would be apt to overlook their Character, and forget their Distance. Here is only an innocent Stratagem, to deceive the Vulgar into Duty, and to awe them into a juft Senfe of Obedience..

But granting this Furniture of the Body may be fomewhat of Guard to Authority, yet no public Perfon has any Reason to value himfelf upon it: For the Defign of this Sort of State is only to comply with the Weakness of the Multitude. He fhould rather be forry that his Authority needs the Support of fo little an Artifice, and depends in any Meafure upon the Ufe of fuch Trifles. Nor in reality are we to imagine the Magistrate cannot fupport his Office without fine Cloaths: For if he be furnith'd with general Prudence, with Abilities particular to his Bufinefs, and has a competent Share of Power, he needs not doubt his Influence over the People.

It may be likewife urged, with Refpect to Quality, that without the additional Diftinction of Dress, it may be fufficiently maintained by Title, Arms, and Precedency: And that there is no Neceffity for Perfons, without Jurifdiction, to march always with

Colours

Colours difplayed, or make a needlefs Oftentation of their Wealth and Grandeur : For admitting that Perfons of Quality have fome little Colour for their Vanity, yet Singularity feems to have always a Spice of Arrogance in it.

Befides, if we will weigh the Matter justly, for Perfons of Condition to expect an extraordinary Obfervance upon the Account of fine Cloaths, argues them confcious of their own little Worth, and feems to imply, that the greatest Part of their Quality comes out of the Dreffing-Room: That having nothing to prefer them to the Efteem of the Judicious, they are contented to take up with the Ceremony of the Ignorant, and with a little Glitter and Pageantry draw the gazing unthinking Mobile to admire them.

Upon the whole Matter, the appearing pompous in Equipage or Habit, is but a vain-glorious publishing our own Grandeur; a filent triumphing over the Inferiority of others, and is in Effect to proclaim ourselves. extraordinary People. Should we not sneer, and think it odd in a Soldier, to give a History of his Valour and Conduct in Converfation? Or for a Man of Learning to make Harangues upon his own Parts and Performances, and tell the Company how ignorant they are in refpect of him ? And

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yet we can fubmit to let our Vanity boaft itself in glaring Colours, and the Richness of our Outfide fpeak the real or pretended Excefs of our Circumstances, without think ́ing ourselves accufeable to the World of Pride, or a naufeous Oftentation.

There is one thing, more than the Odium of Vanity, which makes this over-curious Regard to the Drapery worthy to be cenfured: That when the governing Passion in a Man lies this Way, it too generally poifons his Difpofition to good Offices: His Charity is difabled, his Good Nature fails, Justice is overlooked, and he is loft to all the noble Purpofes of Life: Hence are Relations neglected, Tradesmen unpaid, and Servants ftinted to mortifying Allowances, for the Support of this Vanity. To fee these infignificant Ornaments valued at fo great a Rate, and preferred to the Neceffaries of Life, and Regards of Virtue, is no small Difparagement to the Understandings of Men.

But the general and prevailing Mode of the Times may be admitted as a Plea of no fmall Weight in Defence of Drefs: For that 'tis as a great Weakness to be out of Fashion, as to affect to be in it: The World are for Ornament, and we give it them; are covetous of Superfluity, and we fhew it; fome value others for their fine Linnen, or