SECT. I.

MORAL OBSERVATIONS.

1. Nothing but principle, can conduct a man through life.

2. Bad habits are more difficult to correct than to prevent.

3. Bad conduct will ever produce destructive consequences.

4. One absurdity or bad action, will ever beget another to support it.

5. Though you err to oblige, yet the person you so oblige, will secretly despise you.

6. Nothing can justify the doing a bad or an ungenerous action.

7. A man gains more enemies by partiality, than he make friends.

8. He who is unjust to others, can never be served with fidelity anhd affection.

9. For as much as you will be to others, so much will they be to you.

l0. Men will always act according to the idea they conceive of their own interest, or of what they owe to themselves.

ll. The ungenerous can have no claim to friendship, nor have they a right to murmur at retaliation.

l2. Where a desire of pleasing, supplants a regard for justice, disgrace is ever a consequence.

l3. He who is conscious of his own misconduct, hates all those who know it.

l4. Too strict an attention to ourselves, often induces us to forget others.

l5. A sordid penury, creates more enemies, than generosity makes friends.

l6. He, who is vainly profuse in himself, will ever be rapacious on others.

l7. Economy is the parent of greatness.

l8. He cannot be called avaritious or selfish, who is disinterested.

l9. He who is the most frugal, will always be the best accommodated.

20. He is the most just to others, who is just to himself.

2l. He who can gratify most, will always be the most caressed.

22. He establishes a friendship, who grants willingly, and refuses with concern.

23. There is nothing that deceives people more frequently than their own imaginations.

24. It argues great weakness to place a confidence in a bad man.

25. It is prudent and just to discredit the man who has once deceived you.

26. He who has been misled to betray a weakness, will never pardon the person who has imposed upon him.

27. He can have no claim to confidence, who betrays a just trust.

28. Nothing places any transaction in a more unfavourable point of view, or is more odious in itself, than treachery.

29. Those must be suspected, whose misconduct gives room for suspicion.

30. A declared mistrust, only serves to provoke, but never to reclaim.

3l. There is nothing more necessary to inspire fidelity, than a show of confidence.

32. He is the most dangerous enemy who acts under the appearance of friendship. [254]

33. He who can prositute himself to injure one man in complaisance to another, is qualified to serve the vilest purposes.

34. Nothing sooner betrays an odious disposition than to insult the weak and defenceless.

35. There is nothing more incompatible than spite and bravery.

36. Private conduct shows the internal man.

37. Nothing sooner discovers the disposition of a man, than the conduct of his dependents.

38. He who makes no allowance for the defects of others, must be esteemed a weak as well as a bad man.

39. The countenance or applause of a bad man is ever a disadvantage to him it is given.

40. The friendship of a dishonest man is not to be acquired by honest means.

4l. A bad man covets no other principle in another but the gratification of himself.

42. A tyrant admits of no other rule or precedent but his own will.

43. All tyrants covet to be thought good, and will therefore seek to ruin the man who will not applaud even their blackest crimes.

44. Tyrants have no principle; that which is matter of disgrace at one time is matter of applause at another.

45. Tyrants find a pretext for their oppression, in the resentment of those they have injured. A tyrant will always justify the doing of one injury, by the committing of another.

46. Nothing is more dreadful than tyranny and power united.

47. Whoever is terrible to others, will ever be afraid of himself.

48. Reluctance never accompanies an injurious design.

49. He who openly wrongs you, will never be your friend.

50. Vengeance never loses sight of injustice.

5l. He who is always feared, must be ever hated.

52. A continued dread, provokes men to desperate measures.

53. Injuries stimulate men to do those things, which otherwise they would not attempt.

54. The more patient a man bears an injury, the more violent he becomes when he resents.

55. He who provokes, does ever instigate.

56. The tongue may sometimes be bridled, but the mind can suffer no restraint.

57. He who countenances or connives at an injury, tolerates the extension of it to himself and others.

58. Calumny is the weapon of a coward, and his shield the secrecy of others.

59. Truth can be no defamation, it being the instrument of justice.

60. False informers should be branded with the same disgrace which they intended for those they fought to injure.

6l. Silence in consequence of censure, implies guilt, not contempt.

62. He is little less than abandoned, who is regardless of fame.

63. He is the most contemptible of beings, who has not spirit to support the justice of his own cause.

64. The goode conduct of a man is ever a disgrace to his enemies.

65. Nothing affords a truer satisfaction than the reflelction of having done a laudable action.

66. The first estimation of a man arises from himself.

67. Merit is the greatest ornament of dignity.

68. No man can be degreaded but by himself. [255]

69. The conduct of one man is a lesson of instruction to another.

70. He who boasts his own merit, pays himself, and acquits others of their obligations to him.

7l. He who associates with another, participates of his character.

72. Those will ever combine, whose condition and circumstances are similar.

73. The individuals of every minority will always league and combine for their mutual support.

74. He who screens a delinquent, is an accomplice of his crimes.

75. He insults justice who countenances a delinquent.

76. Ingratitude is the filth of a base mind.

77. There can be no ingratitude in refusing to do a bad or dishonourable action.

78. No gratitude can be due upon the reward of having done a bad action.

79. An obligation is hateful when inattention is a consequence.

80. A greater acknowledgement cannot be made to a generous friend, than to appear deserving of his friendship.

8l. The more eminent a man is, the more is expected from him.

82. The more conspicuous the man, the greater tghe object of envy and detraction.

83. No one will admire that virtue in another, who is incapable of enjoying it himself.

84. No minds are more susceptible of envy than those whose merit is below their birth and dignity.

85. Nothing exposes a man more to ridicule and insult than a supercilious air of superiorty.

86. Dignity can never be supported by insolence.

87. He deceives himself, who fancies a kindness is due to him on account only of his superior condition.

88. Pride and meanness are ever inseparable.

89. A supercilious man is ever his own companion.

90. He courts contempt, who lays himself open to indignity and insult.

9l. No resentment makes a more durable impression than that of contempt.

92. A liberty to offend is the privilege of no man.

93. The greatest test of true bravery is a fear to offend.

94. He who offers an insult bargains for a return.

95. Where the injured has spirit to demand satisfaction, ruin or disgrace must attend the aggressor.

96. An injury is ever new while the effect is felt, or till reparation be made.

97. Every concession is due to the injured.

98. He renders himself oddious, who quarrels with another for resenting an injury done him.

99. In all quarrels only one party can be culpable, and that is the aggressor.

l00. Nothing indicates magnanimity more than generosity to acknowledge an error.

l0l. Civility is the cheapest, and yet the most profitable traffic.

102. There is no character more amiable than that of a mediator.

l03. Servility to a superior is ever accompanied with the like insolence to an inferior.

l04. The opposite to ostentation is ever the true character. [256]

l05. Nothing argues or proclaims a greater consciousness of insignificance, than servility.

l06. Servility and magnanimity are ever incompatible.

l07. Pride and insolence admit of no distinction between servility and respect.

l08. Nothing can be distinguished less by a weak understanding, or can operate more powerfully upon it than servility.

l09. When the intellects are weak and the passions strong, nothing is more pernicious than servile adulation.