Theophrastus has not only prevented, but he has also out-done the Moderns in Characteristic-Writings.  Yet Mr. de la Rochefoucault had an extraordinary Genius.  He seems to be the only one, amongst all the Moderns, who was equal to so great a Work.  He had studied Man in himself; and, in a small Collection of moral Reflexions, he has laid open the various Forms and Folds of that Heart, which by Nature is deceitful above all Things.  He has given us, as it were, the Characters of all Mankind, by discovering those secret Springs of Self Love, which are the Source of all our Actions.—­Self Love is born with us; and this great Author has shewn, that there is no Principle in human Nature so secret, so deceitful:  ’Tis so Hypocritical, that it frequently imposes on it self, by taking the Appearances of Virtue for Virtue it self.  It borrows all the Disguises of Art:  It appears in a thousand Forms, and in a thousand Shapes; but yet the Principle of Error is still the same.

[Y] ——­ Velut Silvis ubi passim Palantes Error certo de Tramite pellit, Ille sinistrorsum, hic dextrorsum abit:  unus utrique Error, sed variis illudit Partibus.

    As Men that lose their Ways in Woods, divide,
    Some go on this, and some on t’other Side. 
    The Error is the same, all miss the Road,
    Altho’ in different Quarters of the Wood.

        Mr. Creech.

  [Y:  Horat.  Lib. 2.  Sat. 3. v. 48, _&c_.]

’Tis true Mr. de la Rochefoucault’s Design was too general, and his Piece cannot properly be reckoned among Characteristic-Writings.  But tho’ he did not professedly write Characters, yet this Work shews that he was very able to do it; and it may be of very great Service to those, who wou’d attempt any thing in this Kind.

I have often wonder’d that no English Writer has ever professedly attempted a Performance in the Characteristic-Way.  I mean, such a profess’d Performance, as wou’d extend it self to the different Conditions of Men, and describe the various Ends which they propose to themselves in Life; as wou’d take in the chief Branches of Morality and Behaviour, and, in some Measure, make a compleat Work:  For as to loose Attempts and Sketches in this Kind, there are many Years since we had some; the most considerable of which, I mean of those that bear the Title of Characters, are printed together with Sir Thomas Overbury’s Wife.  These are said to have been written, partly by that unfortunate Knight, and partly by some of his Friends.  And if the Editor had not taken Care to give us this Notice, yet still that great Disparity which appears but too visibly in them, wou’d manifestly prove that they were compos’d by very different Hands.—­There are, I confess, many good Things to be met with in these Characters, but they are very far from making a compleat Work:  And really this was not intended.  Besides, nothing