Every man willingly gives value to the praife, which he receives, and confiders the fentence paffed in his favour, as the fentence of difcernment. We admire in a friend that understanding which felected us for confidence. We admire more in a patron that judgement, which instead of scattering bounty indifcriminately, directed it to us; and those performances which gratitude forbids us to blame, affection will easily dispose us to exalt.

Life of Hallifaxe

PRID E.

SMALL things make mean men proud.

Preface to Shakespeare, p. 57.

Pride is a vice, which pride itself inclines every man to find in others, and to overlook in himself.

Life of Sir Tho. Browne, p. 280.

PRIDE AND ENVY.

PRIDE is feldom delicate, it will please itself with very mean advantages; and envy feels not its own happiness, but when it may be compared with the mifery of others.

P. of Abiffinia, p. 60.

PROS

PROSPERIT Y.

PROSPERITY, as is truly afferted by Seneca, very much obftructs the knowledge of ourselves. No man can form a just estimate of his own powers, by inactive fpeculation. That fortitude which has encountered no dangers, that prudence which has furmounted no difficulties, that integrity which has been attacked by no temptations, can at best be confidered but as gold, not yet brought to the test, of which therefore the true value cannot be affigned. Equally neceffary is fome variety of fortune to a nearer infpection of the manners, principles and affections of mankind. Rambler, vol. 3, p. 268.

Moderation in prosperity, is a virtue very difficult to all mortals.

Memoirs of the King of Pruffia, p. 137.

PEE VISHNESS.

PEEVISHNESS, though fometimes it arifes from old age, or the confequence of fome mifery, it is frequently one of the attendants on the profperous, and is employed by infolence, in exacting homage; or by tyranny, in harraffing subjection. It is the offspring of idleness, or pride; of idleness, anxious for trifles

or pride, unwilling, to endure the least obftruction of her wishes. Such is the confequence of peevishness; it can be borne only when it is despised.

Rambler, vol. 2. p. 114.

It is not easy to imagine a more unhappy condition than that of dependance on a peevish man. In every other state of inferiority, the certainty of pleasing is perpetually increased by a fuller knowledge of our duty, and kindnefs and confidence are ftrengthend by every new act of truft, and proof of fidelity. But peevishness facrifices to a momentary offence, the obfequiousness, or ufefulness, of half a life, and as more is performed, encreases her exactions.

Ditto, vol 3. p. 39.

Peevishness is generally the vice of narrow minds, and except when it is the effect of anguish and disease, by which the refolution is broken, and the mind made too feeble to bear the lightest addition to its miseries, proceeds from an unreasonable perfuafion of the impor tance of trifles. The proper remedy against it is, to confider the dignity of human nature, and the folly of fuffering perturbation and uneafinefs, from caufes unworthy of our notice.

Ditto, ditto, p. 41.

PEOPLE.

PEOPLE.

NO people can be great who have ceased to be virtuous.

Political state of Great Britain, p. 56.

The profperity of a people is proportionate to the number of hands and minds usefully employed. To the community, fedition is a fever, corruption is a gangrene, and idleness an atrophy. Whatever body, and whatever fociety waftes more than it requires, muft gradually decay; and every being that continues to be fed, and ceases to labour, takes away fomething from the public stock.

Idler, vol. 1. p. 121..

Great regard fhould be paid to the voice of the people in cafes where knowledge has been forced upon them by experience, without long deductions, or deep researches.

IT is as poffible to become pedantic by fear of pedantry, as to be troublesome by ill-timed

civility.

PUNCTUALITY.

PUNCTUALITY is a quality which the intereft of mankind requires to be diffused through all the ranks of life, but which many feem to confider as a vulgar and ignoble virtue, below the ambition of greatnefs, or attention of wit, fcarcely requisite amongst men of gaiety and spirit, and fold at its highest rate, when it is facrificed to a frolic or a jeft.

Rambler, vol. 4. p. 223.

AWI ÞÓRUDENCE.

PRUDENCE is of more frequent use than any other intellectual quality; it is exerted on flight occafions, and called into act by the curfory business of common life.

Idler, vol. z. p. 25.

Prudence operates on life in the fame manner as rules on compofition; it produces vigilance rather than elevation, rather prevents lofs than procures advantage, and often escapes mifcarriages, but seldom reaches either power, Tor honour, smóts.dson é }

Ditto, ditto.