therefore he'll endeavour to ply where there's moft to be gotten. Thieves don't ufe to fet upon Beggars; a poor Man's Brains are not worth the plundering: He may be allowed to understand himself, and make the most of his Difcretion, if he pleafes. To purfue fuch Game as this, is but Lofs of Time, and fetting a Butterfly. As Conformity of Manners goes one Step towards the establishing of Friendship; the Flatterer will be fure to take care to fuit the Temper of him he means to play upon: His Bufinefs is to counterfeit the Inclination, and affect the Diverfions of another: He is for Town or Country, for Company or Retirement, for Exercife or Eafe, as the World is given, and the Freak of his Property directs. Did Flattery, indeed, as moft other Misfortunes do, generally, or altogether, wait on the debauch'd and ignoble Part of Mankind, the Mischief were of lefs Confequence, and might admit of an easier Prevention: But, as Worms breed moft in fweet and tender Woods, fo ufually the most obliging, the most brave, and generous Tempers, readyliest receive, and longeft entertain the flattering Infect that hangs and grows upon them. It is a Disease, which I fear, too many bring upon themselves by harbouring too large Ideas of their own Merit, which F 2 makes makes them think another cannot well out. praise them. Our Affections usually blind our difcerning Faculties; and hence it is that we are fo frequently expofed to the Attempts of a Parafite, under the Difguife and Vizard of a Friend. For Self-Love, that grand Flatterer within, willingly entertains another from without, who will but footh up and fecond the Man in the good Opinion he has conceived of himself. For he who defervedly lies under the Character of one that loves to be flattered, is doubtlefs fufficiently fond of himfelf; and through abundance of Complaifance to his own Perfon, not only wishes, but thinks himfelf Master of all thofe Perfections which may recommend him to others. It is a Business, of no fmall Importance, and which requires no ordinary Circumfpection, fo to be able to know a Flatterer in every Shape he affumes, that the counterfeit Refemblance fome Time or other bring not true Friendship itself into Sufpicion and Difrepute; A Man may hold an unknown Flatterer in his Bofom, till the Hour of Trial once advances, when his verbal Friendship should be put in Practice, and his fwoln Pretenfions of Service amount to fomething more than a bare Profeffion. For then he begins to confefs Falfehood, withdraws his Familiarity, puts on Airs of Con Constraint and Coolnefs, and yet would be thought rather to feem forry that he cannot, than unwilling to lend his Affistance. Shakespear, in a Speech of his Julius Cæfar, has admirably deciphered thefe Shadows of Friendship, where he thus obferves; Ever note, Lucilius, When Love begins to flacken and decay, There are no Tricks in plain and simple Faith: They fall their Creft, and like deceitful Jades, This is the true Characteristic of a profeffing Friend, and the direct Opposite of a real active one. Amicus certus in re incertâ cernitur, fays Ennius: A true Friend is diftinguished in the Crifis of Hazard and Neceffity; when the Gallantry of his Aid may fhew the Worth of his Soul, and the Loyalty of his Heart. The fame Sincerity of Love, that taught his Tongue to fpeak kind Things, engages him to confirm his Kindness by Action. Flattery, in fhort, is nothing but falfe Friendship, fawning Hypocrify, dishonest Civility, bafe Merchandize of Words, and F 3 a plaufi a plaufible Difcord of the Heart and Lips. His Tongue walks ever in one Track of unjuft Praises; and can no more tell how to difcommend, than to fpeak true. His Heart is nothing but a delightful Coufenage, whofe Rules are smoothing and guarded with Perjury; whofe Scope is to make Men Fools, in teaching them to overvalue themselves. As Euripides fays of Truth, That it loves plain Language; fo the Temper of a Friend is fincere, natural, without Paint or Varnish; but that of a Flatterer, as it is corrupt and difeas'd in itself, fo ftands it in need of many, and those curious and exquifite Remedies too, to correct it. It must be our Care, therefore, with the utmost Penetration we are Mafters of, to make Difcoveries of the Man we would cherish; to know ourselves and diftinguish him. For Flattery is an enfnaring Quality, and leaves a very dangerous Impreffion; It fwells a Man's Imagination, entertains his Vanity, and drives him to Dotage upon his Perfon. Some People are flattered out of common Senfe, their Understanding is fpirited away, and they have hardly the leaft Glimpse of themfelves. They live, as it were, under Delufion, repose prodigious Confidence in the Succours of their fpecious Friend, and think it is impoffible they 1 3 they can ever be unhappy. Indeed, the Friend whom Virtue or Religion hath gain'd, who is not fix'd either by Gain or Pleasure, him Extremity doth but faften; whilft, like a well-wrought Vault, he lies the ftronger, by how much more Weight he bears. When Neceffity calls him to it, he can be a Servant to his Equal, with the fame Will wherewith he can command his Inferior. These Qualities are the Touchftones of Friendship, and that difcover the bafe Metal of the Flatterer: For when Misfortunes begin to pinch and embarafs, when his Aid is required to difengage you, if he regards your Perfon, and values your Converfation, the Correfpondence will go on, and the old Signs of Friendship continue: But if he grows willing to drop the Acquaintance, and withdraw his Ceremony, if his Air grows flat, and his Countenance cools, thefe are all Indications of Falfehood and Management. This Change of Behaviour argues his former Fondnefs was only to furnish his Fancy, and ferve his Convenience. But it will not be Wisdom in us to stay till fuch fatal Junctures, and then to try the Experiment; which will not only be use lefs, but dangerous and hurtful: For 'tis a deplorable thing for a Man to find himfelf then deftitute of Friends, when he moft F4 |