PRODIGALITY. T O fpend much without getting, to lay out all without reckoning, and to give all without considering, are the chief effects of a prodigal mind. Prodigality is ever attended by injuftice and folly. Those that are reduced to mifery by vain profufion, raise more contempt than commifera tion. A person who fquanders away his fortune in rioting and profuseness, is neither juft to himself or others; his fuperfluities flow in an irregular channel, and the most unworthy are the greatest sharers of them, who never fail to cenfure him, when his fubftance is exhaufted. The Grecians had a law, that denied those their father's fepulchre that wafted their patrimony. It is wretched to fee a houfe ruined by a prodigal. A prodigal man generally does more injustice than a covetous one. The mifer robs himself, the prodigal his heir. Of all troubles in life, a wasted fortune is most grievous, as every want reminds us of its lofs. He who parts with his eftate before he dies, prepares himself for abundance of ill usage. See OECONOMY. PROFES PROFESSION. See: BUSINESS. PROMISES. AKE no certain promife of what is uncer Mtain. Hafty promises are commonly followed with speedy repentance. We make promises according to our hopes, and keep them according to our fears. A hafty promise ought not to preclude better confideration, nor be infifted on, if to the manifeft disadvantage of the promiser. He who is very ready to promise, is feldom equally ready to perform. The man who binds his promises by oaths, indirectly confeffes that his word is not to be taken. Be careful in your promises, and just in your per formances; it is better to do, and not promife, than to promise and not perform. Promises may get friends, but it is performances that keep them. Great men make promifes, but good men obferve them. It is harder to get a benefit when promised, than to get the promise of it. Depend not on promifes; exert your abilities, whatever they are, and you need not want a dinner. See GREAT MEN. PROSPE PROSPERITY. PRO ROSPERITY hath always been the cause of far greater evils to men, than adversity; and it is easier for a man to bear the latter patiently, than not to forget himself in the other. Profperity is the parent of impatience. Those who want the feweft earthly bleffings, moft regret that they want any. In great profperity, as well as in great calamity, we ought to look into ourselves, and fear. Prosperity sets up merit as a mark for envy to fhoot its shafts at. Profperity often difcovers vices, and adverfity virtue. Profperity destroys fools, and endangers the wife. A truly virtuous mind will more fear two days of prosperity, than an hundred of adversity. It is easier to procure profperity, than to retain it. The ill use we make of our profperity, is often the cause of our misfortunes. Profperity gets followers, but adverfity diftinguishes them. Prosperity knows not the worth of patience. Prosperity takes no counsel,and fears no calamity. He who in profperity, maintains an equable and modeft mind, is worthy of his good fortune: But fuch a RARA AVIS flies more in the imaginary than the material world. See ADVERSITY. See RICHES, PRUDENCE. PRUDENCE. See DISCRETION. PUBLIC SPIRIT. S felf-love is an inftinct implanted in our A nature for the preservation of each individu al; fo the love of our country is impreffed on our minds, for the happiness and fecurity of the whole. An ill-natured man, or a man of a vicious private character, cannot have a public fpirit; for charity begins at home. It would be as vain to expect religion in a rakę, or honour in a harlot, as patriotism, or the Amor Patriæ, in a private debauchée. See PATRIOTISM. Х QUALIFICATIONS AND QUALITIES. IT T is with fome good qualities as with our fenses; those persons that never had the use of them, can never have any notion of them. Our bad actions do not expofe us to so much perfecution and hatred, as our good qualities. We should not judge of a man's merit by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them. There There are some whofe defects become them; and others who have the misfortune to displease with their good qualities. There are some so light and trifling, that they are as far from having real faults, as real good quali❤ ties. The art of knowing how to use indifferent qualifications, gains, as it were, by stealth, the esteem of the world, and often procures a man more reputation, than real merit would do. Men are never fo ridiculous for the qualities they have, as for those they affect to have. The true maxim for the government of a man's conduct, should be this, ESSE QUAM VIDERI—rather BE than SEEM to be. 'Tis not enough for a man to have good qualities, he must also have the government of them. There are some great talents that are formed by bad qualities. All our qualities are uncertain and doubtful, whether good or bad, and lie too many of them, at the mercy of opportunity. A man has generally the good or ill qualities which he attributes to mankind. See DEFECTS, &c. RAILLERY, |