Talent peculiar to Man, fince other Animals appear manifeftly endued with it, at least to fome degree; and, if that degree be found inferior, yet the Dif ference seems as great sometimes between one Man and another, and (perhaps they may fay merrily) even between themselves and their Adverfaries. Secondly, they find this Reason, to be such a narrow, misleading, uncertain Faculty, that, in their Opi nion, 'tis much unworthy of being the great Credential from the most high God for domineering over all our Fellow-Creatures, who indeed feem neither. to owe us, nor pay us Obedience. And if the boldeft Maintainer of this Opinion would be perfuaded to take a walk into a Wilderness of wild Beasts, shewing his Credential among them; 'tis probable they would all pay as great Submiffion to it, as fuch a rational Action deferv'd.

Cenfure, or Applaufe.] Either of these, if any thing general, is enough to carry away the Opinion of most People, who judge more by the Ear, than the Eye; of which there are ridiculous Inftances enough. I have feen a Man who was popular, not only excused but applauded, on account of the very fame Action for which another lay juftly under a publick Odium.

Snare

Snare.] If we did not truft fo much to this noble Faculty of Reafon, but chiefly to our Senfes, as other Creatures do; we fhould be no more deceived than they are, who feldom play the fool and hurt themselves by their profound Confidera. Was any Beaft Te tions, as many a wife Man docs.

ever seen to leap chearfully into a Fire, like the Widows and Slaves in India? Which tho' Wives in these Parts are not extremely apt to imitate; yet even among us, how many People of all Religions have fuffer'd and fought out Death on several Accounts, that are not much lefs unreasonable.

& Praises.] I believe no Man had ever a greater Reputation than BRUTUS, not only for Learning, Parts, and Eloquence, but for a Quality above all that, moral Honesty: Whose Glory therefore I would by no means endeavour to leffen, except in this ¡fingle Action; nor in that neither as to his Defign in doing it; for I have a real Veneration for him, but yet more for Truth. I fancy the general Partiality for BRUTUS as to his killing CÆSAR, has proceeded from two Causes; first, the common Cuftom of the World to cry up whatever they are like to be the better for; and fo on the contrary: as for example, Prodigality, a Vice equal to Avarice, tho' not so fordid, is commonly rather commended VOL. I.

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than

than blamed, and called Generofity, which is a Virtue. Thus in Common-wealths (which, by the way, have bred always the beft Writers) nothing could be more beneficial than killing any great afpiring Perfon; and therefore thofe refined Wits put the best glofs upon fuch Inhumanities. The other cause of their Partiality is the almost unparallel'd Merit of the Man, whofe very doing a thing was enough to make every body think it just But nothing is so dangerous as to be led into this fort of Mistake for want of confidering, that as the worst Men do well fometimes, the very beft are not infallible.

Chofe to live.] This is the hardest thing I have faid of BRUTUS in this whole Ode; which the thought of CÆSAR'S Clemency, and his Ingratitude has wrung from me: For, tho' a Benefactor may carry himself afterwards fo unjustly as to forfeit all Title to our Friendship, and perhaps to our Service alfo; yet to return him Evil for Good, is in my Opinion horrible, and the very reverfe of CHRIST'S excellent Sermon of Morality. And fince he kill'd CÆSAR after receiving a Pardon of his Life from him, I do BRUTUS no wrong in fuppofing him again capable of the fame Fault against another CÆSAR, whom he neither knew, nor loved

fo well; fince the publick Good and Liberty of Rome were as much concern'd in deftroying one as the other.

k

* Betray.] In this inftance of betraying a Friend, and in the following one, of deftroying one's Father, or Children; my meaning only is, that whatever Obligation or Concern we happen to be under, it may be a good Reason for facrificing our Interest to it, but not our Honefty, by doing any ill-natur'd or immoral Action.

'Can we.] In repeating these four Verses of Mr. Cowley, I have done an unusual thing; for notwithstanding that he is my Adverfary in the Argument, and a very famous one too, I could not endure to let fo fine a Thought remain as ill express'd in this Ode, as it is in his; which any body may find by comparing them together. But I would

not be understood as if I pretended to correct Mr. Cowley, tho' Expreflion was not his best Talent: For, as I have mended these few Verfes of his, I doubt not but he could have done as much for a great many of mine.

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As ftrong, as fine.] I, who oppose his Argument, must be allow'd to fay 'tis not a good one;

tho' at the fame time I acknowledge it to be fo fine a Fallacy, and to have fomething in it fo very fublime, that it impofes on our Reafon as much as CESAR did on Rome; and may be a little excufed by that Ufurper's Apophthegm, Si violandum eft jus, regnandi caufa eft.

"A Rape.] No body argues well, who does not argue fairly; and therefore I freely admit there was a Rape in the Cafe at firft, which is not to be defended. Accordingly, if BRUTUS had kill'd CÆSAR at the famous Battle of Pharfalia, he might have prevented this Rape, and his own Crime befides in revenging it fo long afterwards. But, instead of confpiring against his Life at that time, he only begg'd his own.

A Marriage fince.] CESAR was inexcufable for doing violence to his Country; yet Rome at last finding him fo mild a Governour, and fo excellent a Perfon in all refpects, fubmitted chearfully to him; all her greatcft Men, of whom BRUTUS himfelf was one, acquicfcing entirely under his Dictatorfhip: which has made me carry on Mr. Cowley's Metaphor a little farther than he did, and give his violated Matron in Marriage; fuppofing Rome a wealthy Bride, who, out of Kindnefs and Prudence

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