f reason may be consistent with grace of action
and comeliness of person.

To me, who see people every day in the midst of crowds (whomsoever they
seem to address to) talk only to themselves and of themselves, this
orator was not so extravagant a man as perhaps another would have
thought him; but I took part in his success, and was very glad to find
he had in his favour judgment and costs without any manner of
opposition.

The effects of pride and vanity are of consequence only to the proud and
the vain, and tend to no further ill than what is personal to
themselves, in preventing their progress in anything that is worthy and
laudable, and creating envy instead of emulation of superior virtue.
These ill qualities are to be found only in such as have so little
minds, as to circumscribe their thoughts and designs within what
properly relates to the value which they think due to their dear and
amiable selves: but ambition, which is the third great impediment to
honour and virtue, is a fault of such as think themselves born for
moving in a higher orb, and prefer being powerful and mischievous to
being virtuous and obscure. The parent of this mischief in life, so far
as to regulate it into schemes, and make it possess a man's whole heart,
without his believing himself a demon, was Machiavelli. He first taught,
that a man must necessarily appear weak to be honest. Hence it gains
upon the imagination, that a great is not so despicable as a little
villain; and men are insensibly led to a belief, that the aggravation of
crimes is the diminution of them. Hence the impiety of thinking one
thing and speaking another. In pursuance of this empty and unsatisfying
dream, to betray, to undermine, to kill in themselves all natural
sentiments of love to friends or country, is the willing practice of
such as are thirsty of power, for any other reason than that of being
useful and acceptable to mankind.

ADVERTISEMENT.

Whereas Mr. Bickerstaff has lately received a letter out of Ireland,
dated June 9, importing that he is grown very dull, for the postage of
which Mr. Morphew charges one shilling; and another without date of
place or time, for which he the said Morphew charges twopence: it is
desired, that for the future his courteous and uncourteous readers will
go a little further in expressing their good and ill-will, and pay for
the carriage of their letters, otherwise the intended pleasure or pain
which is designed for Mr. Bicker