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where meet with Mafters to reclaim them are Bubbles to their own vain Curiofity; and often, by very painful Efforts, can but juft extricate themfelves from the greater Ignorance.

Others again have the Key of the Sciences, but never enter themfelves; they spend their Lives in learning remote and useless Languages. The moft trifling Idioms, the moft ridiculous and magical Characters employ their Minds, and excite their Induftry; they pity thofe who content themfelves with their own Language, or at most with Greek and Latin. These Men read all Hiftorians, and know nothing of History; run through all Books, but are not the wifer for any; their Defect is a barren Ignorance of Things and Principles: But their best Collection, their greatest Riches, confist in Abundance of Words and Phrafes, which they huddle together, and load their Memory withal, while their Understandings are empty and uninformed.

In fine, nothing has done Learning more Differvice among the fenfible Part of Man kind, than that indifcreet Value which Men of Letters oftentimes put upon the moft trifling Parts of Knowledge; that μικροφιλοτιμία in the Way of Scholarfhip, of which Theophrastus has given us a Character, as it relates to human Life and Affairs.

Affairs. 'Tis this that has brought fo ill a Report upon Critics, and Criticifm, and funk extremely the Value of that Sort of Knowledge, which has been of fuch excellent Use to the World, when wifely employed.

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DRESS.

O fooner are our Young Gentlemen defengag'd from the Confinement of Schools and Universities, but they defire to appear independent in the World, to have their Conduct and Allowance in their own Hands, and to make a Figure from their own Actions and Appearance: There is now a new Formation of the Man begun, to which the Taylor, Milliner, Perukemaker, and Hofier, are all to contribute in their feveral Occupations. There is a Council held on every individual Part of the Body's Furniture, and the grand Business of Life feems to confift in Knowledge of Fashion and Propriety of Dress.

All Gentlemen of Fortune, at least the Young and Middle-Aged, are apt to pride themselves a little too much upon their Drefs; and confequently to value others in fome Measure upon the fame Confideration: For it is grown, as the Guardian happily

obferves,

obferves, of univerfal Ufe in the Conduct of Life: Civilities and Refpect are only paid to Appearance. 'Tis a Varnish that gives a Luftre to every Action; a Paffe par-tout, that introduces us into all polite Affemblies; and the only certain Method of making most of the Youth of our Nation confpicuous.

Nor is this Extravagance of Foppery confin'd alone to what we might call our Diurnal Habit; nor can we be barely content to flourish in a laced Coat and a full-bottomed Perriwig; but we must be equally modifh and tawdry in that Undress, we refinedly ftile a Defbabile. We have too. many of your empty Virtuofo's, that are ambitious of glittering in this State of Negligence, and feem to take a gay Cap and Slippers, with a Scarf and Party-colour'd Gown, to be the Enfigns of Dignity and Distinction.

The Advice to the Ladies in the Regulation of Dress, is as proper and applicable to our Sex, and the Reflection drawn from the primitive Designs of Habit, as much a Subject for our Meditation. We should confider that Cloaths were not the Effect of Pride, but of Sin; and that inftead of making us vain, they should ferve to humble and mortify us, as having loft that Innocence which was a much greater Orna

ment

ment to us than the moft glorious Appa rel can be; fince Shame was the Original of Cloathing, it ought to be modeft; and all Fashions which are not fo, are finful, arguing the Wantonnefs of the Wearer, and provoking that of the Spectator; both which carry Sin in them.

There is not a more contemptible Animal in Nature, than a Man of meer Outfide: I at once abhor, and am afhamed of the Creature, that can look on the fashionable Head of a Cane, or Hinge of a SnuffBox, to be Accomplishments; that values himself only on exterior Ornaments; and thinks Conduct confifts in the Regulation of a Grimace, a practifed Smile, or a ftudied Bow.

There are a Set of such intollerable Fops in the World, that seeing but a new fashioned Shoe, will look upon their own, and blush, and can no longer believe themselves dreffed That come to Church, only to fhew themselves: Are proud of a foft Hand, which they preferve fo by a scented Pafte; Laugh with or without Reafon, becaufe either way they fhew the Whitenefs of their Teeth: They ftudy an engaging Turn of the Head, and a fort of Sweetness and Languifhing in the Eyes, which they never forget to make use of, as Graces to fet themselves off: Their

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