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I would advise this teacher of young gentlemen entering society-if he indeed believe that the Scripture is an authority to which respect and obedience are due to consider how his theory about modesty corresponds with the clear admonition of the greatest authority in Scripture. This worldly teacher inculcates, as we have seen, that modesty is a quality that never profits -that to underrate your merit is a certain means of having it undervalued. But what do we read in St. Luke, as the words of our Lord himself? “ When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee come and say to thee, Give this man place, and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted"

This is the wisdom which cannot err. This is the advice of Him who "knew what was in man," to the very innermost parts of his heart and mind; and I appeal to the understandings and feelings of all whom worldliness has not converted into mere creatures of puffery and artifice, whether conviction do not come with

these words, and whether it be not apparent that modesty, as well as honesty, is the best policy.

But the policy of the thing is a secondary consideration. Modesty is a Christian duty, and, moreover, it is the very soul of gracefulness-it is the veiled beauty of all good behaviour, the nameless charm that twines itself about all considerate kindness-the sweet spirit of fascination, which makes us love what otherwise we could but at the most admire.

Nor is it at all necessary to this virtue, that it should spring from ignorance of what we are fairly entitled to. The high authority of Scripture, as above quoted, shows that it is not so. Next after Scripture, though it be, like Salius in the race, longo intervallo, let me quote Milton in that exquisite description which stands matchless in all literature, and probably ever will so stand:

"She heard me thus, and though divinely brought, Yet innocence and virgin modesty,

Her virtue, and the conscience of her worth,
That would be woo'd, and not unsought be won.
Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retired,

The more desirable; or to say all,

Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought,
Wrought in her so, that seeing me she turn'd.

I follow'd her; she what was honour knew,
And with obsequious majesty approved
My pleaded reason."

176

BOLDNESS.

In discoursing of boldness, Lord Bacon begins by likening its operation in civil business to that of action, or gesticulation, in oratory. He says that Demosthenes being asked what was the chief part of an orator, he answered, Action. What next? Action. What next again? Action. He said it, continues Lord Bacon, who knew it best, and had by nature himself no advantage in that he commended. Demosthenes it seems had not reached that sublime of modern philosophy which teaches that a man should have no modesty, but commend most that in which he has an advantage.

The Elizabethan sage proceeds to comment upon the practical truth stated by Demosthenes as a strange thing, that that part of an orator which is but superficial, and rather the virtue of a player, should be placed so high above those other noble parts of invention, elocution, and the rest, nay, almost alone, as if it were all in all. "But, he continues, "the reason is plain. There is in human nature generally more of the fool than of the wise, and therefore the faculties by which the foolish part of men's minds is taken are most potent."

From this he proceeds to the subject of bold

ness.

In civil business, he says, what is first?

Boldness. What second and third? Boldness. "And yet," he continues," boldness is a child of ignorance and baseness, far inferior to other parts; but nevertheless it doth fascinate, and bind hand and foot those that are either shallow in judgment or weak in courage, which are the greatest part: yea, and prevaileth with wise men at weak times: therefore we see it hath done wonders in popular states, but with senates and princes less; and more, even upon the first entrance of bold persons into action, than soon after, for boldness is an ill-keeper of promise."

In the second volume of Mr. Alison's History of the French Revolution, is the following passage," Quid in rebus civilibus," says Bacon, "Maxime prodest? Audacia. Quid secundum? Audacia. Quid tertium ? Audacia. In promptu ratio est; inest enim naturæ humanæ, plerumque plus stulti quam sapientis, unde ut facultates eæ quibus capitur pars illa in animis mortalium stulta, sunt omnium potentissimæ. Attamen utcunque ignorantiæ et sordidi ingenii proles est Audacia, nihilominus fascinat, et captivos ducit eos qui vel judicio infirmiores sunt vel animo timidiores; tales autem sunt hominum pars maxima." "Le canon que

vous entendez," said Danton at the bar of the Assembly," n'est pas le canon d'alarm; c'est le pas de charge sur nos ennemis. Pour les vaincre, pour les atterrer, que faut il? De l'audace! encore de l'audace! toujours de l'audace!" It is not a little remarkable, that philosophical sagacity should have inspired to the sage of the sixteenth not only the idea, but the very words which a practical acquaintance with the storms of the revolution suggested to the terrible demagogue of the nineteenth century."-Vol. ii. p. 2.

Herein, as is usual with Lord Bacon, there is a great deal of wisdom condensed. What he says of boldness is applied to the proceedings of a man in gaining favour with the public, and he does not scruple to give the naked truth of the whole matter. Boldness, he says, is the child of ignorance and baseness. So much for its intrinsic worth. He admits, however, that it will prevail, at weak times, even with the wise; but it will prevail generally, because there is generally in human nature more of the fool than of the wise-because the shallow in judgment and weak in courage, are by far the greatest part. Therefore if one would condescend to have the favour of the majority, one must needs practise that quality which has no more respectable parentage than that of “ignorance and baseness."

But even as the means of obtaining sway over the multitude, boldness is certainly not enough. It will not do as the sole stock in trade. Let a man prove his ability in several, or even in one point of public action, and then if he would succeed with the world let him push on boldly, obtaining the confidence of others by showing that he has confidence in himself. But this is for mature years, or at all events, for cases in which there is reasonable presumption of maturity of judgment upon the point which is boldly urged. "Surely," says Lord Bacon, 66 as there are mountebanks for the natural

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