to do so: and hence arise those actions and habits of usurpation, which compose what is called moral corruption, or intestine war between the members of the same society. 22 Luxury produces rapacity, rapacity the invasion of others by violence, or by breach of public faith; so that the ancient moralists had an accurate perception of truth when they declared that all the social virtues were founded upon a simplicity of manners, a limitation of wants: and we may take as a certain scale of the virtues or vices of a man, the proportion which his expenses bear to his revenue. 23 What do you mean by the word country? I under stand by that word, a community of citizens who, united by fraternal sentiments and reciprocal wants, unite their individual forces, for the purposes of general security, the reaction of which upon each of them, assumes the beneficial and protecting character of paternity. 24 In society, the members of it form a bank of interest, in a country they constitute a family of tender attachments; by means of which, charity, and the love of our neighbor, are extended to a whole nation. No member of this family can pretend to the enjoyment of any advantages, except in proportion to his exertions; and he can only attain the means of being generous or disinterested, in proportion as his expenses are confined within the limits of his acquisitions or pos sessions. 25 What is your deduction from these principles? I conclude from these principles, that all the social virtues consist in the performance of actions useful both to the society and to the individual: that they may be all traced to the physical object of the preservation of man: that nature having implanted in our bosoms the necessity of this preservation, imposes all the consequences arising from it as a law, and prohibits as a crime whatever counteracts the operation of this principle: 26 That we are happy, in exact proportion to the obedience we yield to those laws which nature has established with a view to our preservation: that the following axioms are founded upon our natural organization. Preserve thyself. Instruct thyself. Moderate thyself. Live for thy fellow creatures in order that they may live for thee. CHAPTER 2. ABRIDGMENT OF THE ECONOMY OF HUMAN LIFE. SECTION I. Duties that relate to man, considered as an individual. 1 Commune with thyself, O man! and consider wherefore thou wert made. Contemplate thy powers; contemplate thy wants and thy connections; so shalt thou discover the duties of life, and be directed in all thy ways. Proceed not to speak or to act before thou hast weighed thy words, and examined the tendency of every step thou shalt take; so shall disgrace fly far from thee, and in thy house shall shame be a stranger; repentance shall not visit thee, nor sorrow sit upon thy cheek. 2 The thoughtless man bridleth not his tongue; he speaketh at random, and is entangled in the foolishness of his own words. As one that runneth in haste, and leapeth over a fence, may fall into a pit on the other side, which he doth not see; so is the man that plungeth suddenly into an action, before he has considered the consequences thereof. 3 As a plain garment best adorneth a beautiful woman, so a decent behavior is the greatest ornament of wisdom. But, behold the vain man, and observe the arrogant; he clotheth himself in rich attire, he walketh in the public street, he casteth round his eyes, and courteth observation. 4 Since the days that are past are gone forever, and those that are to come may not come to thee, it behoveth thee, O man! to employ the present time, without regretting the loss of that which is past, or too much depending on that which is to come. This instant is thine; the next is in the womb of futurity, and thou knowest not what it may bring forth. 5 Whatsoever thou resolvest to do, do it quickly. Defer not till the evening what the morning may accomplish. Idleness is the parent of want and pain; but the labor of virtue bringeth forth pleasure. The hand of diligence defeateth want; prosperity and success are the industrious man's attendants. 6 He riseth up early, and lieth down late; he exerciseth his mind with contemplation, and his body with action, and preserveth the health of both. The slothful man is a burden to himself, his hours hang heavy on his head; he loitereth about, and knoweth not what he would do. His days pass away like the shadow of a cloud, and he leaveth behind him no mark of remembrance. 7 His body is diseased for want of exercise; he wisheth for action, but hath not power to move; his mind is in darkness; his thoughts are confused; he longeth for knowledge, but hath no application. He would eat of the almond, but he hateth the trouble of breaking its shell. 8 His house is in disorder, his servants are wasteful and riotous, and he runneth on towards ruin; he seeth it with his eyes, he heareth it with his ears, he shaketh his head and -wisheth, but hath no resolution; till ruin cometh upon him like a whirlwind, and shame and repentance descend with nim to the grave. 9 The fool is not always unfortunate, nor the wise man always successful; yet never had a fool a thorough enjoyment, never was a wise man wholly unhappy. 10 Perils, and misfortunes, and want, and pain, and injury, are more or less the certain lot of every man that cometh into the world. It behoveth thee, therefore, O child of calamity! early to fortify thy mind with courage and patience, that thou mayest support, with a becoming resolution, thy allotted portion of human evil. 11 Forget not, O man! that thy station on earth is appointed by the wisdom of the Eternal, who knoweth thy heart, who seeth the vanity of thy wishes, and who often in mercy denieth thy requests. Yet, for all reasonable desires, for all honest endeavors, his benevolence hath established, in the nature of things, a probability of success. 12 The uneasiness thou feelest, the misfortunes thou bewailest, behold the root from whence they spring, even thine own folly, thine own pride, thine own distempered fancy. Murmur not, therefore, at the dispensations of God, but correct thine own heart; neither say within thyself, if I had wealth, power or leisure, I should be happy; for know, they all of them bring to their several possessors their peculiar inconveniences. 13 The poor man seeth not the vexations and anxieties of the rich; he feeleth not the difficulties and perplexities of power; neither knoweth he the wearisomeness of leisure; and therefore it is that he repineth at his own lot. But envy not the appearance of happiness in any man; for thou knowest not his secret griefs. 14 To be satisfied with a little is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches, increaseth his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not. Yet, if thou sufferest not the allurements of fortune to rob thee of justice, or temperance, or charity, or modesty, even riches themselves shall not make thee unhappy. 15 The nearest approach thou canst make to happiness on this side the grave, is to enjoy from heaven understanding and health. These blessings if thou possessest, and wouldst preserve to old age, avoid the allurements of voluptuousness, and fly from her temptations. When she spreadeth her delicacies on the board, when her wine sparkleth in the cup, when she smileth upon thee, and persuadeth thee to be joyful and happy; then is the hour of danger, and let reason stand firmly on her guard. 16 For, if thou hearkenest unto the words of her adversary, thou art deceived and betrayed. The joy which she promiseth changeth to madness, and her enjoyments lead on to diseases and death. Look round her board, cast thine eyes upon her guests, and observe those who have been allured by her smiles, who have listened to her temptations. Are they not meagre? are they not sickly? are they not spiritless? 17 Their short hours of jollity and riot are followed by tedious days of pain and dejection. She hath debauched and palled their appetites, that they have no relish for her nicest dainties; her votaries are become her victims; the just and natural consequences which God hath ordained, in the constitution of things, for the punishment of those who abuse his gifts. 18 Enfeebled by dalliance, with luxury pampered, and softened by sloth, strength shall forsake thy limbs, and health thy constitution. Thy days shall be few, and those inglorious: thy griefs shall be many, yet meet with no compassion, SECTION II. The passions: joy and grief; anger; pity. 1 Let not thy mirth be so extravagant as to intoxicate thy mind, nor thy sorrow so heavy as to depress thy heart. This world affordeth no good so transporting, nor inflicteth any evil so severe, as should raise thee far above, or sink thee much beneath, the balance of moderation, Lo! yonder standeth the house of joy. It is painted on the outside, and looketh gay; thou mayst know it from the continual noise of mirth and exultation that issueth from it. 2 The mistress standeth at the door, and calleth aloud to all that pass by; she singeth, and shouteth, and laugheth without ceasing. She inviteth them to go in and taste the plea L sures of life, which she telleth them are no where to be found, but beneath her roof. But enter not thou into her gate; neither associate thyself with those who frequent her house. 3 They call themselves the sons of joy; they laugh and seem delighted; but madness and folly are in all their doings. They are linked with mischief, hand in hand, and their steps lead down to evil. Dangers beset them round about, and the pit of destruction yawneth beneath their feet. Look now on the other side; and behold in that vale overshadowed with trees and hid from the sight of men, the habitation of sorrow. 4 Her bosom heaveth with sighs; her mouth is filled with lamentation; she delighteth to dwell on the subject of human misery. She looketh on the common accidents of life, and weepeth; the weakness and wickedness of man is the theme of her lips. All nature to her teemeth with evil; every object she seeth is tinged with the gloom of her own mind; and the voice of complaint saddeneth her dwelling day and night. 5 Come not near her cell; her breath is contagious; she will blast the fruits, and wither the flowers that adorn and sweeten the garden of life. In avoiding the house of joy, let not thy feet betray thee to the borders of this dismal mansion; but pursue with care the middle path, which shall lead thee, by gentle ascent, to the bower of tranquillity. 6 With her dwelleth peace; with her dwelleth safety and contentment. She is cheerful, but not gay; she is serious, but not grave; she vieweth the joys and the sorrows of life with an equal and steady eye. 7 From hence, as from an eminence, shalt thou behold the folly and the misery of those, who, led by the gaiety of their hearts, take up their abode with the companions of jollity and riotous mirth; or, infected by gloominess and melancholy, spend all their days in complaining of the woes and calamities of human life. Thou shalt view them both with pity; and the error of their ways shall keep thy feet from straying. 8 Seest thou not that the angry man loseth his understanding? Whilst thou art yet in thy senses, let the wrath of another be a lesson to thyself. Harbor not revenge in thy breast; it will torment thy heart, and disorder its best inclinations. Be always more ready to forgive than to return an injury: he that watcheth for an opportunity of revenge, lieth in wait against himself, and draweth down mischief on his own head |