The brother of a Marquis would rather ftarve on a beggarly penfion, than pollute himself with a trade by which he might acquire the revenues of a German kingdom. In our land of good fenfe, this folly is lofing ground; and the younger brothers of noble houles, often think it no difgrace to rival the heir in a princely fortune acquired by honourable merchandise. As the world becomes more enlightened, the exorbitant value which has been placed on things not really valuable will decrease. Of all the effects of man's capricious admiration, there are few lefs rational than the preference of illuftrious defcent to perfonal merit, of difeafed and degenerate nobility to health, to courage, to learning, and to virtue. Of all the objects of purfuit which are not in our own power, the want of diftinguished birth may moft eafily be difpensed with, by thofe who poffefs a folid judgment of that which makes and keeps us happy. There may be fome reason to repine at the want of wealth and fame; but he who has derived from his parent health, vigour, and all the powers of perception, need not lament that he is unnoticed at the herald's office. It has been obferved, that virtue appears more amiable, when accompanied with beauty; it may be added, that it is more ufeful when recommended to the notice of mankind by the diftinction of an honourable ancestry. It is then greatly to be wifhed, that the nobly born would endeavour to deferve the refpect which the world pays them with alacrity, by employing their influence to benevolent purposes; to thofe purposes which can at all times be accomplished, even when the patriotic exertions of the field and cabinet are precluded. No. No. XCVII. RELIGIOUS AND MORAL PRINCIPLES NOT ONLY CONSISTENT WITH, BUT PROMOTIVE OF, TRUE POLITENESS AND THE ART OF PLEASING. PHILOSOPHER who, in the aufterity of his A virtue fhould condemn the art of pleafing as un worthy cultivation, would deferve little attention from mankind, and might be difmiffed to his folitary tub, like his brother Diogenes. It is, indeed, the dictate of humanity, that we should endeavour to render our felves agreeable to thofe in whofe company we are deftined to travel in the journey of life. It is our intereft, it is the fource of perpetual fatisfaction; it is one of our most important duties as men, and particularly required in the profeffor of christianity. I have therefore lamented, that they who have taken the most pains to recommend an attention to the art of pleafing, have urged it only on the mean motives of felf intereft. In order to attain the power of pleafing they have recommended flattery and deceit ; and though they have required in their pupils the appearances of many good qualities, they have not infifted on any one virtue. It is my wish to exalt this amiable talent of pleafing to the rank of a virtue founded on principle, and on the best difpofitions of human nature. I would feparate it from thofe varnished qualities, which, like whited fepulchres, are but a difguife for internal deformity. A ftudent of the art of pleafing, as it is taught in the fchool of fashion, is all foftnefs and plaufibility, all benevolence and generofity, all attention and affiduity, all gracefulness and gentility. Such is the external appearance; but compare it with his private life, with thofe actions which pass unseen, and you will find them by no means correfpondent. You will ufually find a hard heart, meannefs, felfishness, avarice, and a total want want of thofe virtues from which alone true benevolence, fincere friendship, and gentleness of difpofition can originate. You will, indeed, find even the appearances of benevolence and friendship proportioned to the fuppofed riches and rank of the perfon whofe favour is cultivated. It is a favourite maxim with those who teach the art of pleafing, that if you defire to please you can fcarcely fail to please. But what motive, according to their doctrine, is to excite this defire? A wish to render all with whom you converfe fubfervient to your interested purposes of avarice or ambition. It is a mean and despicable motive, when made the fole and conftant principle of converfation and behaviour. If this life is the whole of our exiftence, if riches and civil honours are the chief good, if truth, honour, and generofity, are but names to adorn a declamation, then, indeed, they who practise the art of pleafing, according to the vulgar idea of it, are, after all, the truly and the only wife, But let us not deem fo meanly of the world and its Creator; and if our favourable opinion of things is an error, it is not only pardonable but glorious; and a generous man will fay, like the noble antient, he had rather err with a Socrates and a Plato, than be right with a Machiavel. But, indeed, the virtues and the graces are much more nearly allied than they who are ftrangers to the virtues are willing to acknowledge. There is fomething extremely beautiful in all the moral virtues clearly understood and properly reduced to practice. Religion is alfo declared to be full of pleasantnefs, in that volume in which its nature is defcribed with the greatest authenticity. It must indeed be allowed, that he who is actuated in his defire of pleafing by morality and religion, may very properly add all the embellishments of external gracefulness; and he may reft affured, that the fincerity of his principles, and the goodness of his character, will enfure a degree of fuccefs in his attempts to pleafe, which a falfe pretender, with all his duplicity, can never attain. If true politeness confifts in yielding fomething of our own pretenfions to the self-love of others, in re preffing preffing our pride and arrrogance, and in a gentleness of fentiment and conduct; furely nothing can be more conducive to it than a religion which every where recommends brotherly love, meeknefs, and humility. I know not how paradoxical my opinion might appear to the fashionable clubs at St. James's, or to the profeffed men of the world, or to the proficient in what 1 call the infincere art of pleafing, but I cannot help thinking, that a true chriftian, one who thinks and acts, as far as the infirmity of his nature will permit confiftently with his principles, poffeffes qualities more capable of pleafing, than any of those which are faid fo eminently to have diftinguished a Marlborough and a Bolingbroke. The pious and amiable Mr. Nelson seems to me to have deferved the epithet of all-acconiplished much better than he to whom it has been fo often applied; and, if we may judge by his writings, and the accounts given of his life, as on the one hand there never was a better chriftian, fo on the other there never appeared a politer gentleman. It is evident that he derived his art of pleafing, not from a ftudy of the world, or practifing the tricks of little worldlings, but from the lovely qualities recommended in the gofpel, and from an imitation of the humble Jefus. They who ftudy the art of pleafing will probably have recourfe, as ufual, to the many volumes written on the fubject in the French language, or to the pofthumous letters of a frenchified Englishman; and perhaps they would fmile if an inftructor were to refer them, for the beft rules that have ever been given, to the fermon on the Mount. It is however certain, that the art of pleafing which is founded on fincere principles, derived from religion and morality, is as far fuperior to that base art which confifts only in fimulation and diffimulation, as the fine brilliancy of the real diamond excels the luftre of French pafte; or, as the rofeate hue on the cheek of Hebe, the painted vifage of a haggard courtezan. The infincere art of pleafing refembles the inferior fpecies of timber in a building, which, in order to pleafe the eye, requires the affiftance of paint; the art which is founded on fincerity, is more like that which displays far far greater beauty in the variety and richness of its own native veins and colour. A fhort time, or a flight touch, deftroys the fuperficial beauty of one; while the other acquires new graces from the hand of time. The rules and doctrines of morality and religion tend to correct all the malignant qualities of the heart; fuch as envy, malice, pride, and resentment. In doing this, they cut off the very fource of difagreeable behaviour. Morality and religion inculcate whatever is juft, mild, moderate, candid, and benevolent. In doing this, they effectually promote a fyftem of manners, which, without any finifter defign in the person who poffeffes them, cannot fail of being agreeable. If to thefe fubftantial powers of pleafing are added the last polish of a graceful deportment, the habits acquired in good company, an acquaintance with men and manners, a tafte for polite arts and polite books, no other requifites will be wanting to perfect the art. A man will be under no neceffity of hurting his confcience and his character in cultivating, I know not what, of a deceitful and affected behaviour. He may be at once pleafing and refpectable; and grow in favour with men, without offending his God. It is one circumftance greatly in favour of that art of pleafing which I recommend, that, even if it should not always fucceed in pleafing those with whom we converse, it will be fure to pleafe our own hearts; it will be fure to fatisfy our conscience with a sense of rectitude at the time we are acting under its direction, and to furnish us with a tranquil delight, unalloyed by the remembrance of treachery and meannefs, on a retrospective review of our lives and conversations. No. |