foremoft in the Lifts of Fame, I efteem them no better than fo many glorious Robbers, and illuftrious Plunderers, born to be the Scourges and Plagues of Mankind, whofe Memory defcends to Posterity in no better Light than the Ravage of a Peftilence, the Sweep of an Inundation, the Burft of an Earthquake, or the Fury of a Conflagration; fomething magnificently dreadful, fomething very aftonishing, but very fhocking, full of Terror and big with Destruction: But to do Good, to be Lovers of Mankind, to alleviate the Diftreffes, and promote the Peace and Happiness of our Fellow-Creatures, is the highest Honour, the nobleft Ambition, that can enter into the Heart of Man. But the Bulk of Mankind judge quite otherwife. Noife and Shew, Title and Equipage, Glitter and Grandeur conftitute the whole Idea of Honour ; and whoever can command an Interest sufficient to procure, and an Affluence fufficient to fupport them, becomes thereby not only a Man of Honour, but even a fubordinate Fountain of Honour, enabled to produce others after his Kind, and propagate the honourable Species from Generation to Generation.

From what has been faid, there appears to be a real and neceffary Diftinction betwixt a Man of Honour, and a Person of Honour, which, notwithstanding the Similitude of Sounds, and the feeming Affinity of Characters, are fo far from being convertible Terms, that they convey quite diftinct Ideas, and are very often as different as Light from Darknefs. The Man of Honour is an Internal, the Perfon of Honour an External, the one a real, the other a fictitious, Character. The Words Perfon and Perfona are generally viewed in that Light. No body imagines that

the Dramatis Perfonae are real Characters, but bor rowed Representations of Princes or Peasants, Heroes or Lovers, Harlequins or Philofophers. I am therefore never surprised to fee or hear fuch Things attempted, faid, or done, by a Person of Honour, which a Man of Honour would blush to think of. Would you fee this Oppofition of Characters, set in a true beautiful Light, please to read the famous Speech of Caius Marius (recorded by Salluff) to the Roman People upon his being chofen Commander in Chief in the Expedition against Jugurtha.

A Perfon of Honour may be a prophane irreligious Libertine, a penurious, proud, revengeful Coward, may infult his Inferiors, oppress his Tenants and Servants, debauch his Neighbours Wives or Daughters, defraud his Creditors, and proftitute his public Faith for a Protection, may affociate with Sots and Drunkards, Sharpers, and Gamefters, in order to increase his Fortune: I fay, it is not impoffible that a Perfon of Honour may be guilty of all thefe; but it is abfolutely impoffible for a Man of Honour to be guilty of either.

Lucilius is a Man of Honour, though not

Stuck o'er with Titles, nor hung round with Strings.

His Estate honourably raised by his virtuous Ancestors, and improved by himself, is fufficient to support a handsome Figure, which he does with a decent Frugality; and to do a great deal of Good, which he does with Chearfulness, Generosity, and Prudence. In all his Commerce with Mankind, in every Article of public or private Life, he exerts a peculiar Dig

nity of Behaviour, fuch as naturally flows from a ge nerous Heart foftened by Humanity, elevated by Religion, and directed by Prudence; confcious of none but virtuous Defigns, and honourable Intentions. In him you see the fincere Chriftian, the loyal Subject, the firm Patriot, the indulgent Hufband, the tender Father, the faithful Friend, the merciful Landlord, the compaffionate Mafter, the generous Patron, the unwearied Advocate for the Poor, the Miserable, and Helpless; and in a Word the compleat fine Gentle man. He paffes through all the various Scenes of Life like a River flowing with Bleffings, conveying Beauty, Riches, and Plenty into every Channel and Country through which it passes.

Clodius is a Perfon of Honour, a fcrubby Branch of an antient and honourable Stock, which for many Years has borne neither Fruit nor Bloffom, but projected a noxious baneful Shade around it, where the Sun Beams never enter to chear the Earth, or produce either Food or Flower for Man or Beaft. Clodius bears himself high upon account of his honourable Birth and Title, and never fails to exert an aukward ridiculous Superiority whenever he falls in Company with wifer or better Men than himself. But he has heard that Humility is a certain Token of good Senfe and true Honour, which he is refolved to fhew upon proper Occafions, and when the humble Fit comes upon him, he will crack Jokes with his Footmen, get drunk with a Hackney Coachman, and bestow his bodily Favours upon any pretty cleanly Female, without inquiring into her Quality; but he never forgets to refume his Superiority, whenever he is converfing with a Man of real Merit, who cannot reckon VOL. I.

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fo many honourable Grandfathers as himself. I had once the Honour to meet this extraordinary Person among other Company at a Gentleman's Table, who was the Delight of his Friends, a Bleffing to his Neighbourhood, and an Ornament to his Country. In the Courfe of Converfation, honourable Mention was made of a late noble Lord, who, by a Train of meritorious Services to his Prince and Country, had raised himself from an obfcure Birth and Fortune to the Dignity of Peerage. Clodius took fire at once, all his illustrious Blood boiled with Indignation, and he infulted his Memory with all thofe Expreffions of Scorn and Contempt, which Fools of Distinction ufually pour out upon their Betters. My Friend had Patience to hear his String of abufive Stories, and fcurrilous Reflections, and then replied, Sir, fays he, Lord **** was my Friend, and had he been living, you durft not have used him at this rate; and to attack his Memory with reproachful Language is ungenerous, and which I cannot help refenting. The very Reflections you have made upon the Obfcurity of his Birth and Fortune, are the highest Compliment you can make to his perfonal Merit, which, in fpite of thofe Difadvantages, could fo effectually recommend him to the Favour of his King and Country. The Advantages of Birth and Fortune, on which you set so immoderate a Value, are no Man's Merit, and are as often the Lot of a Fool as of a wife Man; and whenever that is the Case, they are so far from doing him Honour, that they only serve to make him more egregiously ridiculous, by fetting his Folly in a more confpicuous Point of View. If poor Tray could fpeak (pointing to a Spaniel that stood by him)

mean and

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he might juftly boast of a more numerous Train of Ancestors than the greatest Monarch in the Universe ; he might add too, that none of them had ever degenerated from the Dignity of their Kind, or disgraced themselves or their Family by bafe and unworthy Actions, and yet he would be but a Puppy for all that. Pray, Sir, give me leave to ask you (what you will think) an odd Question, What do you think of me? Of you, Sir? quoth the Oaf! You are esteemed by all that know you to be as worthy a Gentleman as any in our Country. Sir (faid he) I thank you for the Compliment, and in Return I will let you into a Secret. My Birth was as obfcure, and my Fortune as mean as that noble Lord's whom you have been reproaching upon that Account. I was born to no more than the meaneft of my Servants, but by God's Bleffing on a religious Education, an honeft Heart, and a tolerable Understanding, you fee I am enabled to fupport a decent Figure, and do a great deal of Good, which I do with the utmost Gratitude to Almighty God, who has enabled me to do it, and the fincereft Benevolence to my FellowCreatures who are fo unhappy as to want it: And I have Vanity enough to think myself no whit inferior to any Man, of what Rank or Quality foever, who has nothing but an Estate and a Title to recommend him.