Experience and the practice of the world readily correct any great extravagance on either fide. But what fay you to artificial lives and manners? How do you reconcile the maxims, on which, in different ages and nations, these are founded? 2 What do you understand by artificial lives and manners? faid I. I explain myself, replied he. You know, that religion had, in ancient times, very little influence on common life, and that, after men had performed their duty in facrifices and prayers at the temple, they thought, that the gods left the rest of their conduct to themfelves, and were little pleafed or offended with thofe virtues or vices, which only affected the peace and happiness of human fociety. In thofe ages, it was the business of philofophy alone to regulate men's ordinary behaviour and deportment; and accordingly, we may obferve, that this being the fole principle, by which a man could elevate himself above his fellows, it acquired a mighty afcendant over many, and produced great fingularities of maxims and of conduct. At prefent, when philofophy has loft the allurement of novelty, it has no fuch extensive influence; but feems to confine itself mostly to fpeculations in the clofet; in the fame manner, as the ancient religion was limited to facrifices in the temple. Its place is now fupplied by the modern religion, which infpects our whole conduct, and prefcribes an univerfal rule to our actions, to our words, to our very thoughts and inclinations; a rule fo much the more auftere, as it is guarded by infinite, though diftant, rewards and punishments; and no infraction of it can ever be concealed or difguifed. Diogenes is the most celebrated model of extravagant philofophy. Let us feek a pa rallel to him in modern times. We fhall not difgrace any philofophic name by a comparifon with the Dominics or Loyolas, or any any canonized monk or friar. Let us compare him to Pascal, a man of parts and genius as well as Diogenes himself; and perhaps too, a man of virtue, had he allowed his virtuous inclinations to have exerted and displayed themselves. The foundation of Diogenes's conduct was an endeavour to render himself an independent being as much as poffible, and to confine all his wants and defires and pleasures within himself and his own mind: The aim of Pascal was to keep a perpetual fense of his dependence before his eyes, and never to forget his numberless wants and infirmities. The ancient fupported himself by magnanimity, oftentation, pride, and the idea of his own fuperiority above his fellow-creatures. The modern made conftant profeffion of humility and abafement, of the contempt and hatred of himfelf; and endeavoured to attain thefe fuppofed virtues, as far as they are attainable. The aufterities of the Greek were in order to inure himself to hardships, and prevent his ever fuffering: Thofe of the Frenchman were embraced merely for their own fake, and in order to suffer as much as poffible. The philofopher indulged himself in the most beaftly pleafures, even in public: The faint refused himfelf the most innocent, even in private. The former thought it his duty to love his friends, and to rail at them, and reprove them, and fcold them: The latter endeavoured to be abfolutely indifferent towards his nearest relations, and to love and fpeak well of his enemies. The great object of Diogenes's wit was every kind of fuperftition, that is every kind of religion known in his time. The mortality of the foul was his standard principle; and even his fentiments of a divine providence feem to have been licentious. The moft ridiculous fuperftitions directed Pafcal's faith and practice; and an extreme contempt of this life, in compa comparison of the future, was the chief foundation of his conduct. In fuch a remarkable contraft do these two men ftand: Yet both of them have met with general admiration in their different ages, and have been propofed as models of imitation. Where then is the univerfal ftandard of morals, which you talk of? And what rule fhall we establish for the many different, nay contrary fentiments of mankind ? An experiment, faid I, which fucceeds in the air, will not always fucceed in a vacuum. When men depart from the maxims of common reason, and affect these artificial lives, as you call them, no one can answer for what will pleafe or difplease them. They are in a different element from the reft of mankind; and the natural principles of their mind play not with the fame regularity, as if left to themselves, free from the illufions of religious fuperftition or philofophical enthufiafin. THE |