empt which is put
upon him, and that he is no more than one of the common Herd, almost
distracts him; And instead of violently depreciating, or attacking
again, the Person who has contemn'd him, he will incessantly court his
Favour and good Opinion, as a Cordial he wants, though without seeming
to do so. This is a very extraordinary Weakness, and such as the
_Humourist_ would be infinitely uneasy to find ever observ'd.

The _Humourist_, though he quickly espies, and contemns the
_Contradictions_ of others, is yet wilfully attach'd to several
himself, which he will sometimes persue through a long Course of his
own Mortification.--It may be often observ'd, that he will avoid the
Company he likes, for fear they should think he needs their Support.--
At the same time, if he happens to fall into Company, which he tallies
not with, instead of avoiding this Company, he will continually haunt
them: For he is anxious, lest any Imputation of a Defeat should stand
out against him, and extremely sollicitous to wipe it away; Besides,
he cannot endure it should be thought that he is driven from the Pit.
--Thus, in the first Instance, his _Pride_ shall persuade him to
neglect the Company he likes; and shall force him, in the last, to
follow the Company he hates and despises.

It is also observable that the _Humourist_, though he makes it his
Point to regulate his Conduct only by his own Conviction, will
sometimes run counter to it, merely from his Disdain of all
_Imitation_. Thus he will persist in a wrong Course, which he knows
to be such, and refuse his Compliance with an Amendment offer'd by
others, rather than endure the Appearance of being an _Imitator_. This
is a _narrow_ Side of the _Humourist_; and whenever he is turn'd upon
it, he feels great Uneasiness himself. It strikes a durable Pain
into his Breast, like the constant gnawing of a Worm; and is one
considerable Source of that Stream of Peevishnesss incident to
_Humourists_.

Upon the same Principle of scorning all _Imitation_, the _Humourist_
seldom heartily assents to any speculative Opinion, which is deliver'd
by another; for he is above being inform'd or set right in his
Judgment by any Person, even by a Brother _Humourist_. If two of this
_Cast_ happen to meet, instead of uniting together, they are afraid of
each other; and you shall observe _one_, in order to court the good
Opinion of the _other_, produce a Specimen of his own Perfection as an
_Humourist_; by exhi