Man, if he has either Senfe or Integrity on his Side, will utterly deteft so fordid a Paffion. It may not be amifs to transcribe fuch Part of it as feems to be general in the Application. An envious Man (fays he) feeds on other's Evils, and bath no Difeafe, but bis Neighbour's Welfare; whatsoever God doth for him, he cannot be happy in Company; and if he were put to chufe, whether he would rather have Equals in a common Felicity, or Superiors in Mifery, he would demur upon the Election. You shall have him ever enquiring into the Eftates of his Equals and Betters: Wherein he is not more defirous to bear all, than loth to hear any thing cver good; and if just Report relate aught better than he would, be redoubles the Question, as being hard to believe what he likes not. Whom he dares not openly backbite, nor wound with a direct Cenfure, be frikes fmoothly with an over-cold Praife; when his Equal should rife to Honour, be ftrives against it unseen, and fuborneth Obstacles: But when he fees his Refiftance vain, he can give an hollow Gratulation in Prefence, but in fecret difparages that Advancement; either the Man is unfit for the Place, or the Place for the Man. No Perfon is fafe from his malignant Cenfure; no Action from bis jealous Construction. Since Envy is fo odious, and every way unlucky; fince it makes fo difagreeable a Fi16

gure,

gure, and does fo much Mifchief to itself and others, it may not be improper to of fer fomething particular to prevent it.

We should confider, that Providence has given the least of us more than we can pretend to: If we could make out a Title to more Privilege, to complain were not unreasonable; but none can be fo hardy, as to fay Heaven is in his Debt, and owed him a nobler Being or Subfiftance. We should remember that we are liberally dealt with; and then we fhould not be troubled to fee another in a better Condition. To confider that we have more than we deserve, will help Our Reason to filence our Murmuring, and make us afham'd to repine. If we don't over-rate our Pretenfions, all will be well: Humility difarms Envy, and ftrikes it dead.

We fhould endeavour likewife to improve our refpective Abilities: Men naturally defire to ftand fair in the Opinion of others; and to have fomewhat of Value to fupport. them in their own Thoughts. To be eafy, a Man fhould examine his Genius, exert his Spirits, and try to make the most of himself. There are few but may be remarkable in their Station; fo far, at leaft, as to guard off Contempt, and fecure a moderate Repute to themselves. And thofe that are good for fomething themselves, will be contented that ethers fhould be fo too.

To conclude: Let us entertain fo vile Notions of this Paffion, as to think ill of ourfelves for giving it Harbour: Let us paint it in its worft Colours to our Imagination, and fo we fhall discountenance our Opinion of it: Let us reflect on it as a Compound of Impotence and Malice; as a Quality that will prey on our Eafe and Satisfaction, difgrace us to the World, and make us miferable to ourselves.

RECREA

RECREATIONS

AND

STUDIES

W

E all of us complain of the Shortnefs of Time, faith Seneca; and yet have more than we know what to do with. Our Hours, fays he, are either Spent in doing nothing at all, or doing nothing to the Purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining our Days are but few, and acting as though there would be no End of them. though the whole Life is allowed by every one to be short, the feveral Divifions of it appear long and tedious. We are for lengthening our Span in general, but would fain contract the Parts of which it is compofed.

Thus al

How acceptable a Piece of Service would it be to the World, if any one could be happy enough to point out to them certain Methods for their filling up the empty Spaces of Life? There are useful and innocent Diversions

verfions to rub off Part of our Time, but we are not eafy to be fix'd at them: We are continually wanting an Amusement; but at a lofs to determine in what Recreations it muft confift. I muft confefs, I think it is below reasonable Creatures to be altogether converfant in fuch Diverfions as are merely innocent, and have nothing elfe to recommend them, but that there is no Hurt in them.

Pleafure and Recreation, of one kind or other, are abfolutely neceffary to relieve our Minds and Bodies from too conftant Attention and Labour. Indeed the Ufe of Wisdom ftands in tempering our Pleasures: There are fome fo rigid, or fo timorous, that they avoid all Diverfions, and dare not but abandon lawful Delights, for fear of offending. These are hard Tutors, if not Tyrants to themselves, whilst they pretend to a mortified Strictness, are injurious to their own Liberty, and to the Liberality of their Maker. We fhould learn firft, by a juft Survey, to know the due and lawful Bounds of Pleasure; and then beware either to go beyond a known Boundary, or in the Licence of our Defires, to remove it. When Pleasure is made the chief Purfuit of Life, a conftant Application to its Allurements will naturally root out the Force of Reafon and Reflection, and fubftitute in their Place a general Impatience of Thought,

and