SECTION

VIII.

Of QUALITIES IMMEDIATELY

AGREEABLE

to OTHERS *.

As S the mutual fhocks, in Jociety, and the oppofitions of intereft and felf-love have constrained mankind to establish the laws of justice; in order to preserve the advantages of mutual affiftance and protection: In like manner, the eternal contrarieties, in company, of men's pride and felfconceit, have introduced the rules of Good-Manners or Politenefs; in order to facilitate the intercourfe of minds and an undisturbed commerce and converfation. Among well-bred people, a mutual deference is affected: Contempt of others difguifed: Authority concealed: Attention given to each in his turn: And an eafy stream of conversation maintained, without vehemence, without interruption, without eagerness for victory, and without any airs of fuperiority. Thefe attentions and regards are immediately agreeable to others, abftract

ed

*It is the nature, and, indeed, the definition of virtue, that it is a quality of the mind agreeable to or approved of by every one, who confiders or contemplates it. But fome qualities produce pleasure, because they are useful to fociety, or useful or agreeable to the perfon himself; others produce it more immediately: Which is the cafe with the clafs of virtues here confidered.

ed from any confideration of utility or beneficial tendencies: They conciliate affection, promote efteem, and extremely enhance the merit of the perfon, who regulates his behaviour by them.

:

Many of the forms of breeding are arbitrary and cafual But the thing expreffed by them is ftill the fame. A Spaniard goes out of his own house before his gueft, to fignify that he leaves him master of all. In other countries, the landlord walks out laft, as a common mark of deference and regard.

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1

But, in order to render a man perfect good company, he must have Wit and Ingenuity as well as good-manners. What wit is, it may not be eafy to define; but it is eafy furely to determine, that it is a quality immediately agreeable to others, and communicating, on its first appearance, a lively and fatisfaction to every one who has any comprehenfion of it. The most profound metaphyfics, indeed, might be employed, in explaining the various kinds and fpecies of wit; and many claffes of it, which are now received on the fole teftimony of taste and fentiment, might, perhaps, be refolved into more general principles. But this is fufficient for our prefent purpose, that it does affect taste and fentiment, and beftowing an immediate enjoyment, is a fure fource of approbati

on and affection.

In countries, where men pafs most of their time in converfation, and vifits, and affemblies, thefe companionable qualities, fo to fpeak, are of high estimation, and form a chief part of perfonal merit. In countries, where men live a more domestic life, and either are employed in business, or amuse themselves in a narrower circle of acquaintance, the more folid qualities are chiefly regarded. Thus, I have often obferved, that, among the French, the first questions, with regard to a stranger, are, Is he polite? Has he wit?

In our own country, the chief praise bestowed, is always that of a good-natured, fenfible fellow.

In converfation, the lively fpirit of dialogue is agreeable, even to those who defire not to have any fhare in the difcourfe: Hence the teller of long ftories, or the pompous declaimer, is very little approved of. But molt men defire likewife their turn in the converfation, and regard, with a very evil eye, that loquacity, which deprives them of a right they are naturally fo jealous of.

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There is a fort of harmless liars, frequently to be met with in company, who deal much in the marvellous. Their ufual intention is to please and entertain; but as men are most delighted with what they conceive to be truth, these people mistake extremely the means of pleafing, and incur univerfal blame. Some indulgence, however, to lying or fiction is given in humorous ftories, because it is there really agreeable and entertaining; and truth is not of any importance.

2

Eloquence, genius of all kinds, even good sense, and found reasoning, when it rifes to an eminent degree, and is employed upon fubjects of any confiderable dignity and nice difcernment; all thefe endowments feem immediately agreeable, and have a merit diftinct from their usefulness. Rarity, likewife, which fo much enhances the price of every thing, must set an additional value on thefe noble talents of the human mind.

Modefty may be understood in different fenfes, even abftracted from chastity, which has been already treated of. It fometimes means that tendernefs and nicety of honour, that apprehenfions of blame, that dread of intrufion or injury towards others, that Pudor, which is the proper guardian of every kind of virtue, and a fure prefervative against vice and corruption. But its most ufual meaning is when it is opposed to impudence and arrogance, and expreffes a diffidence of our own judgment,

judgment, and a due attention and regard for others. In young men chiefly, this quality is a fure fign of good fenfe; and is alfo the certain means of augmenting that endowment, by preferving their ears open to inftruction, and making them still grafp after new attainments. But it has a farther charm to every fpectator; by flattering every man's vanity, and prefenting the appearance of a docile pupil, who receives, with proper attention and refpect, every word they utter.

Men have, in general, a much greater propenfity to over-value than undervalue themselves; notwithstanding the opinion of Aristotle *. This makes us more jealous of the excefs on the former fide, and causes us to regard, with a peculiar indulgence, all tendency to modefty and felf-diffidence; as esteeming the danger lefs of falling into any vicious extreme of that nature. It is thus, in countries, where men's bodies are apt to exceed in corpulency, perfonal beauty is placed in a much greater degree of flendernefs, than in countries, where that is the most usual defect. Being so often ftruck with inftances of one fpecies of deformity, men think they can never keep at too great a distance from it, and wish always to have a leaning to the oppofite fide. In like manner, were the door opened to felf praife, and were Montaigne's maxim observed, that one should fay as frankly, I have fenfe, I have learning, I have courage, beauty, or wit; as it is fure we often think fo; were this the cafe, I fay, every one is fenfible, that fuch a flood of impertinence would break in upon us, as would render fociety wholly intolérable. For his reafon custom has established it as a rule, in common focieties, that men fhould not indulge themselves in felf-praise, or even speak much of themselves; and it is only among intimate friends or people

Ethic. ad Nicomachum.

people of very manly behaviour, that one is allowed to do himself juftice. No body finds fault with Maurice, Prince of Orange, for his reply to one, who asked him, whom he esteemed the firft general of the age, The marquis of Spinola, faid he, is the fecond. Though it is obfervable, that the felf-praise implied is here better implied, than if it had been directly expreffed, without any cover or disguise.

He must be a very fuperficial thinker, who imagines, that all inftances of mutual deference are to be understood in earnest, and that a man would be more esteemable for being ignorant of his own merits and accomplishments. A fmall bias towards modefty, even in the internal fentiment, is favourably regarded, efpecially in young people; and a ftrong bias is required, in the outward behaviour: But this excludes not a noble pride and spirit, which may openly difplay itself in its full extent, when one lies under calumny or oppreffion of any kind. The generous contumacy of Socrates, as Cicero calls it, has been highly celebrated in all ages; and when joined to the ufual modefty of his behaviour, forms a fhining character. Iphicrates, the Athenian, being accufed of betraying the interefts of his country, afked his accufer, Would you, says he, have, on a like occafion, been guilty of that crime? By no means, replied the other. can you then imagine, cried the hero, that Iphicrates would be guilty*? In fhort, a generous fpirit and felf-value, well founded, decently disguised, and courageously supported under distress and calumny, is a great excellency, and feems to derive its merit from the noble elevation of its fentiment, or its immediate agreeableness to its poffeffor. In ordinary characters, we approve of a bias towards modefty, which is a quality immediately agreeable to others:

* Quinctil. lib. v. cap. 12.

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