and Virtue every Thing in Nature that can pretend to give elegant Delight.  It may possibly be proved, that Vice is in it self destructive of Pleasure, and Virtue in it self conducive to it.  If the Delights of a free Fortune were under proper Regulations, this Truth would not want much Argument to support it; but it would be obvious to every Man, that there is a strict Affinity between all Things that are truly laudable and beautiful, from the highest Sentiment of the Soul, to the most indifferent Gesture of the Body.

T.

[Footnote 1:  See Nos. 66, 67, 334, 370, 376.]

[Footnote 2:  [Dancing]]

* * * * *

No. 467.  Tuesday, August 26, 1712.  John Hughes?

  ’Quodcunque meae poterunt Audere Camaenae
    Seu Tibi par poterunt, seu, quod spes abnuit ultra;
  Sive minus; certeque canent minus; omne vovemus
    Hoc tibi; ne tanto careat mihi nomine Charta.’

  Tibull. ad Messalam.

The Love of Praise is a Passion deeply fixed in the Mind of every extraordinary Person, and those who are most affected with it, seem most to partake of that Particle of the Divinity which distinguishes Mankind from the Inferior Creation.  The Supreme Being it self is most pleased with Praise and Thanksgiving; the other Part of our Duty is but an Acknowledgment of our Faults, whilst this is the immediate Adoration of his Perfections.  ’Twas an excellent Observation, That we then only despise Commendation when we cease to deserve it:  and we have still extant two Orations of Tully and Pliny, spoken to the greatest and best Princes of all the Roman Emperors, [1] who, no doubt, heard with the greatest Satisfaction, what even the most disinterested Persons, and at so large a Distance of Time, cannot read without Admiration. Caesar thought his Life consisted in the Breath of Praise, when he professed he had lived long enough for himself when he had for his Glory; others have sacrificed themselves for a Name which was not to begin till they were dead, giving away themselves to purchase a Sound which was not to commence till they were out of hearing:  But by Merit and superior Excellencies not only to gain, but, whilst living, to enjoy a great and universal Reputation, is the last Degree of Happiness which we can hope for here.  Bad Characters are dispersed abroad with Profusion, I hope for example Sake, and (as Punishments are designed by the Civil Power) more for the deterring the Innocent, than the chastising the Guilty.  The Good are less frequent, whether it be that there are indeed fewer Originals of this Kind to copy after, or that, thro’ the Malignity of our Nature, we rather delight in the Ridicule than the Virtues we find in others.  However, it is but just, as well as pleasing, even for Variety, sometimes to give the World a Representation of the bright Side of humane Nature, as well as the dark and gloomy:  The Desire of Imitation may, perhaps, be a greater Incentive to the Practice of what is good, than the Aversion we may conceive at what is blameable; the one immediately directs you what you should do, whilst the other only shews you what you should avoid:  And I cannot at present do this with more Satisfaction, than by endeavouring to do some Justice to the Character of Manilius. [2]