towards him. A cheerful mind is not only difpofed to be affable and obliging, but raises the fame good humour in those who come within its influence. A man finds himself pleased, he does not know why, with the cheerfulness of his companion; it is like a fudden sunshine · that awakens a fecret delight in the mind, without her attending to it. The heart rejoices of its own accord, and naturally flows out into friendship and benevolence towards the perfon who has fo kindly an effect upon it.

When I confider this cheerful ftate of mind in its third relation, I cannot but look upon it as a conftant habitual gratitude to the Author of Nature. An inward cheerfulness is an implicit praise and thanksgiving to Providence under all its difpenfations.. It is a kind of acquiefcence in the state wherein we are placed, and a fecret approba-tion of the Divine Will in his conduct towards man.

A man, who ufes his best endeavours to live according to the dictates of: virtue and right reafon, has two perpetual fources of cheerfulness, in the confideration of his own nature, and of that being on whom he has a depend ence. If he looks into himself, he cannot but rejoice in that existence, which is fo lately beftowed upon him, and which, after millions of ages, will be ftill new, and still in its beginning. How many felf-congratulations naturally rife in the mind, when it reflects on this its entrance into eternity when it takes a view of thofe improvable faculties, which in a few years, and even at its first fitting out, have made fo confiderable a progrefs, and which will be still receiving an increase of happiness? The conscioufness of such a being spreads a perpetual diffufion of joy through the foul of a virtuous man, and makes him look upon himfelf every moment as more happy than he knows how to conceive.

The fecond fource of cheerfulnefs to a good mind, is its confideration of that Being on whom we have our de

pendence, and in whom, though we behold him as yet but in the firft faint difcoveries of his perfections, we fee every thing that we can imagine as great, glorious, or amiable. We find ourfelves every where upheld by his goodness, and furrounded with an immenfity of love and mercy. In fhort we depend upon a Being, whofe power qualifies him to make us happy by an infinity of means, whofe goodness and truth engage him to make those happy who defire it of him, and whofe unchangeableness will fecure us in this happiness to all eternity.

Such confiderations, which every one thould perpetually cherish in his thoughts, will banith from us all that fecret heaviness of heart which unthinking men are subject to when they lie under no real affliction; all that anguish which we may feel from any evil that actually oppresses us; to which I may likewife add those little cracklings of mirth and folly that are apter to betray virtue than fupport it; and establish in us such an even and cheerful temper, as makes us pleafing to ourselves, to thofe with whom we converfe, and to him whom we are made to please.

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SPECTATOR.

CHAPTER III.

ON SINCERITY.

TRUTH and Sincerity have all the advantages of appearance, and many more. If the fhow of any thing be good for any thing, I am fure the reality is better; for why does any man diffemble, or feem to be that which he is not, but because he thinks it good to have the qualities he pretends to? For to counterfeit and diffemble, is to put on the appearance of fome real excellency. Now the belt .way for a man to feem to be any thing, is really to he what he would feem to be. Besides, it is often as troublefome to fupport the pretence of a good quality as to have

it; and if a man have it not, it is most likely he will be discovered to want it, and then all his labour to seem to have it is loft. There is fomething unnatural in painting, which a skilful eye will eafily difcern from native beauty and complexion.

It is hard to perfonate and act a part long; for where truth is not at the bottom, nature will always be endeavouring to return, and will betray herself at one time or other. Therefore, if any man think it convenient to feem good, let him be fo indeed, and then his goodness will appear to every one's fatisfaction; for truth is convincing, and carries its own light and evidence along with it, and will not only commend us to every man's confcience, but, which is much more, to God, who fearcheth our hearts. So that, upon all accounts, fincerity is true wisdom. Particularly as to the affairs of this world, integrity hath many advantages over all the artificial modes of diffimulation and deceit.. It is much the plainer and eafier; much the fafer and more secure way of dealing in the world; it hath lefs of trouble and difficulty, of entanglement and perplexity, of danger and hazard in it: it is the shortest and nearest way to our end, carrying us thither in a straight line, and will hold out and last longeft. The arts of deceit and cunning continually grow weaker and lefs effectual and ferviceable to thofe that practice them; whereas integrity gains ftrength by ufe, and the more and longer any man practiseth it, the greater fervice it does him, by confirming his reputation and encouraging those with whom he has to do, to repofe the greatest confidence in him, which is an unspeakable advantage in bufinefs and the affairs of life..

A diffembler muft always be on his guard, and watch himself carefully, that he do not contradict his own pretenfions; for he acts an unnatural part, and therefore muft put a continual force and restraint upon himself..

Whereas he that acls fincerely hath the easiest task in the world; becaufe 'he follows nature, and fo is put to no trouble and care about his words and actions; he needs not invent any pretences beforehand, nor make excufes afterwards, for any thing he hath said or done.

But infincerity is very troublesome to manage; a hypo-crite has so many things to attend to, as make his life a perplexed and intricate thing. A liar hath need of a good -memory, left he contradict at one time what he said at -another; but truth is always confiftent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out; it is always near at hand, Hand fits upon our lips; whereas a lie is troublesome, and needs a great many more to make it good.

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Add to this, that fincerity is the most compendious: Wisdom, and “an excellent inftrument for the speedy dif patch of business: it creates confidence in those we have to deal with, faves the labour of many inquiries, and - brings things to an iffue in a few words. It is like travelling in a plain beaten road, which commonly brings a ́man fooner to his journey's end, than bye-ways, in which men often lofe themfelves. In a word, whatsoever convenience may be thought to be in falfehood and diffimulation, it is foon over; but the inconvenience of it is perpetual, becaufe it brings a man under an everlasting jealoufy and fufpicion, fo that he is not believed when he fpeaks truth, nor trusted when perhaps he means honestly. When a man hath once forfeited the reputation of his integrity, nothing will then ferve his turn-neither truth nor falfehood.

Indeed, if a man were only to deal in the world for a day, and should never have occafion to converse more with mankind, never more need their good opinion or good word, it were then no great matter (as far as respects the affairs of this world) if he spent his reputation all at `once, and ventured it at one throw. But if he be to con

tinue in the world, and would have the advantage of reputation whilft he is in it, let him make use of truth and fincerity in all his words and actions, for nothing but this

will hold out to the end, All other arts may fail, but

truth and integrity will carry a man through, and bear him out to the laft.

CHAPTER IV.

ON HONOUR.

TILLOTSON.

EVERY principle that is a motive to good actions ought to be encouraged, fince men are of so different, a make, that the fame principle does not work equally upon all minds. What fome men are prompted to by conscience, duty, or religion, which are only different names for the fame thing, others are prompted to by honour.

The sense of honour is of fo fine and delicate a nature, that it is only to be met with in minds which are naturally noble, or in such as have been cultivated by great examples, or a refined education. This effay, therefore, is chiefly defigned for those who by means of any of thefe advantages are, or ought to be actuated by this glorious.. principle.

But as nothing is more pernicious than a principle of action, when it is mifunderflood, I fhall confider honour with respect to three forts of men.-First of all with regard to those who have a right notion of it. Secondly, with regard to those who have a mistaken notion of it. And, thirdly, with regard to those who treat it as chime rical, and turn it into ridicule.

In the first place true honour, though it be a different principle from religion, is that which produces the fame effects. The lines of action, though drawn from different parts, terminate in the fare point. Religion embraces virtue, as it is enjoined by the laws of God; honour, as

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