SIR, Is it come to this?  You never loved me; and the Creature you were with is the properest Person for your Associate.  I despise you, and hope I shall soon hate you as a Villain to The Credulous Flavia.

Robin ran back, with

Madam, Your Credulity when you are to gain your Point, and Suspicion when you fear to lose it make it a very hard Part to behave as becomes Your humble Slave, CYNTHIO.

Robin whipt away, and returned with,

Mr. Wellford, Flavia and Cynthio are no more.  I relieve you from the hard Part of which you complain, and banish you from my Sight for ever.  Ann Heart.

Robin had a Crown for his Afternoon’s Work; and this is published to admonish Cecilia to avenge the Injury done to Flavia.

T.

* * * * *

No. 399.  Saturday, June 7, 1712.  Addison.

  ‘Ut nemo in sese tentat descendere!’

  Pers.

Hypocrisie, at the fashionable End of the Town, is very different from Hypocrisie in the City.  The modish Hypocrite endeavours to appear more vicious than he really is, the other kind of Hypocrite more virtuous.  The former is afraid of every thing that has the Shew of Religion in it, and would be thought engaged in many Criminal Gallantries and Amours, which he is not guilty of.  The latter assumes a Face of Sanctity, and covers a Multitude of Vices under a seeming Religious Deportment.

But there is another kind of Hypocrisie, which differs from both these, and which I intend to make the Subject of this Paper:  I mean that Hypocrisie, by which a Man does not only deceive the World, but very often imposes on himself; That Hypocrisie, which conceals his own Heart from him, and makes him believe he is more virtuous than he really is, and either not attend to his Vices, or mistake even his Vices for Virtues.  It is this fatal Hypocrisie and Self-deceit, which is taken notice of in those Words, Who can understand his Errors? cleanse thou me from secret Faults. [1]

If the open Professors of Impiety deserve the utmost Application and Endeavours of Moral Writers to recover them from Vice and Folly, how much more may those lay a Claim to their Care and Compassion, who are walking in the Paths of Death, while they fancy themselves engaged in a Course of Virtue!  I shall endeavour, therefore, to lay down some Rules for the Discovery of those Vices that lurk in the secret Corners of the Soul, and to show my Reader those Methods by which he may arrive at a true and impartial Knowledge of himself.  The usual Means prescribed for this Purpose, are to examine our selves by the Rules which are laid down for our Direction in Sacred Writ, and to compare our Lives with the Life of that Person who acted up to the Perfection of Human Nature, and is the standing Example, as well as the great Guide and Instructor, of those who receive his Doctrines.  Though these two Heads cannot be too much insisted upon, I shall but just mention them, since they have been handled by many Great and Eminent Writers.