but lately separated from the Oare And that an ancient Estate is really better than one newly purchased though the Lands of the latter are richer and the Survey larger than the other Now if a man should prove so fanciful as to demand a greater Rent for his Farm because it has been in the Possession of his Family for some hundred of years I believe the want of Tenants would soon convince him of his Errour From whence it 's evident that in taking an Estimate of Nobility we are not so much to consider its Antiquity as the Merit of the first Grantee and the distinction the Prince has put upon it which like Figures or other marks upon Money stamp the value and tell the Subject for how much it is to pass Philot. Pray by your favour are not Meddals and Coyns valued more for their Antiquity than their Metal Philal. That Question is to the point and therefore I answer First That Coyns c. though they are valuable as rarities yet they signifie little in Exchange and common use And if a man has any debt to pay or Commodities to buy K. Charles his Image and superscription will do him much more service than Ce'sar's Secondly The Reason why these things are sometimes so much valued is not because they are old but useful They often rectifie Chronology and explain History and retrieve us several material parts of Learning which might otherwise have been irrecoverably lost Thirdly There is a disparity in the case of ancient Coyns and Families For in the first you have the same numerical peice in the latter nothing but the Name or Relation so that the change and succession of Persons seems to destroy the notion of Antiquity To make the Instance parallel we must suppose a Gentleman as old as Methusalem and then I confess he would be a great Curiosity and ought to be valued accordingly Philot. As I remember you were saying the merit of the first Gentleman of the House ought to be consider'd Philal. Yes I conceive that circumstance very material and that if upon enquiry it proves unintelligible or unlucky it 's no small abatement to the Family For if he Advanced himself by a voluntary engaging in unjust Quarrels he has no better pretence to Honour than what a resolute and successful Padder may Challenge If he owes his Heraldry to a servile Flattery and a dextrous Application to the vices of Princes the marks of their Favour are rather infamous than Honourable to his Posterity because he is ennobled for those qualities for which he ought to have been punished Philot. What if the Gentility was purchased I hope we may make the best of what we have paid for Philal. By all means But then this is a sign that Worth and distinguishing Qualities were wanting otherwise the Honour had been conferred Gratis The same may be said when Arms or Titles are given at the Instance or recommendation of a Favorite for this is down-right begging for Quality and looks more like an Alms than an Honour Father it 's a lessening to a mans Nobility when the Reason and Grounds of it are unknown for if his Rise had been derived from worthy and creditable Causes he would in all likelyhood have been as certainly acquainted with them as with his Arms It being both easie and for the Reputation of the Family that Records of this nature should have been preserv'd and therefore the loss of them seems rather to proceed from Design than Neglect In short if the first Principles of Honour happen to be thus coarse or counterfeit it 's not in the power of time to mend them A Pebble or Bristol stone will not change their natures and improve into Diamonds though they are laid up a thousand years together Philot. Hark you Mr. I doubt your Effects if you have any have lain but a little while in the Heralds Office Philal. Probably as long as your Worships But I take it to be much more a Gentlemanly quality to discover such unsociable mistakes than to abett them If we are capable of understanding any thing it must undoubtedly be more creditable to promote good humour and modesty in Conversation and give men right Apprehensions of themselves than to flatter them into groundless Conceits and make them believe they may be truly Great and yet good for nothing To maintain such indefensible and dangerous Principles of Honour which not only impose upon our Understandings but emasculate our Spirits and spoyl our Temper and tend only to the nourishing of Idleness and Pride is in my opinion no very Heroical undertaking Philot. Then I find we must come to the Merits of the Cause as you call them and examine upon what foundation the Family stands Philal. I think that is the only way to know what we have to trust to and how far we may insist upon the advantages of Birth Philot. What are the usual steps to Honour Philal. I suppose one of these three Learning Commerce or Arms. The pretences of Learning have been examined already To which I shall only add that if a Person whose mind is enlarged and beautified with all sorts of useful Knowledge is notwithstanding obliged to Modesty and Sobriety of thought then certainly those who claim under him and are wise only by Proxy ought not to grow too big upon their Relation to the Muses To Proceed Commerce is another Expedient which often distinguishes a man from the vulgar For Trading raises an Estate and that procures Honour so that in this Case Wealth is the main of the merit and that which is chiefly insisted on by those who inherit it But here we ought to be very cautious and meek-spirited till we are assured of the honestly of our Ancestours for Covetousness and Circumvention make no good Motto for a Coat And yet your men of Trade are too often assisted in their Fortunes by these Qualities Philot. I think you are too hard upon them and believe they may come into their Estates by more accountable methods viz. by their Industry by Understanding how to make use of all fair advantages and by the luck of a good Acquaintance Philal. I grant there is a great deal of Good Faith Frankness and Generosity to be found among Tradesmen and that such Professions are necessary to the convenience and splendor of Life and being thus useful ought to be esteemed Honourable But their being used to value small gains is apt without care to make them contract a narrowness of Spirit and to stand too much to the point of Interest Philot. What is that which they call the Mystery of Trade Philal. A great part of it consists in the skill of over-reaching their Customers which Science I fear is not learned meerly for Speculation Philot. Possibly it may be for Caution that they may not be imposed on by others Philal. I am willing to think so however these Arcana Officinae are counted such Essentials that except an Apprentice is fully
Pleasure cannot always be made the Vehicle of Health And when the Case requires it no Man blames the Doctor for preferring the Cure to the Palate Besides the bare mention of some Practices is enough to expose them And when Things are a Satyr upon themselves who can help it The Deformity lies in the Monster not in him who shows it I am far from desiring a Depression of the Laity or abetting any Spiritual Usurpation Honour and Civil Pretences are not Held at the Will of the Church and therefore She should not Seize without Warrant To make Orders a Patent for Pride and a Privilege for Misbehaviour is much more than runs in the Commission I am pleading for no Cynical Neglect no ill supported Forwardness no Briskness above Mens Business or their Talent But then I hope 't is no harm for Church-men to maintain their Liberty and keep the Property of their Persons to themselves Especially since They live amongst a Free People and have so good Evidence for their Title Farther There is no fear of Levelling from this Enquiry For Independency does not suppose Equality Freedom and Degrees are well enough consistent To prevent all Misconstruction I willingly grant it no Disadvantage to a Gentleman to Belong to a Person of Quality provided his Employment be Secular But the Function of an Ecclesiastick requires another Relation ERRATA OFfice of Chaplain page 4. line 25. for at read that p. 35. l. 7. for Inconsiderateness r. Inconsiderableness Essay upon Pride p. 19. l. 13. for indifferent r. different p. 56. l. 26. for Inscriptions r. the Inscriptions p. 62. l. 31. for that r. than p. 81. l. 2. for fanciful r. so fanciful THE OFFICE OF A Chaplain Enquir'd into and Uindicated FROM SERVILITY AND CONTEMPT THE OFFICE OF A CHAPLAIN Enquir'd into c. JUvenal observes Sat. 7. that the Practice of the Lawyers in his time was usually proportioned to the Figure they made at the Bar where he that appear'd in the best Equipage was supposed to have the greatest share of Law and Sense in him so that had the Vulgar had any Power in determining Right a good Cause might oftentimes have been lost for want of fine Cloaths to plead it in Whether any part of this Vanity prevails with us I shall not dispute however this Inference may be fairly allowed That the Success of Truth depends very much upon the Reputation of its Advocate For the generality of Mankind in regard they are not judicious and impartial enough to penetrate the bottom of things are more influenced by show and appearance than by substance and reality And therefore if a Man's Person or Office happens to wear an uncreditable Name and and falls under a general diâ—esteem though never so undeservedly he must not expect to be perswasive with others though the nature and proof of what he recommends may appear sufficiently evident and weighty to an unprejudiced mind For besides that Men are not willing to learn Rules of Wisdom and Conduâ—â— from those they contemn because this looks like a disparagement of themselves and sets the despised Person in some measure above them besides I say they are not over-willing to be informed by such Instructors 't is not often that they think they can For 't is generally taken for granted that Discourses cannot rise much above the Character of those that make them and that 't is scarce possible for an inconsiderable Man to say any think that is worth the taking notice of So that when Men have entertained a little Opinion of any Person he is under a mighty disadvantage of fixing any good Advice upon them The contemptible Notion they have of him gives their Judgments an ill tincture and makes them unindifferent so that they neither see things in their true colours nor allow them their proper weight but are apt to conclude the reasonings of those they disesteem resemble the insignificancy of their Authors and so many a gâ—od well-meaning Argument is turned back and discountenanced only for keeping suspected unreputable Company Of the truth of this Observation ill Men are very apprehensive who being desirous of enjoying the pleâ—sures of Vice without coming under the discipline of Ignominy and Restraint make it their business to misrepresent the Ministers of Religion depressing their Authority and decrying the usefulness of their Prosession being well assured that when they have disarm'd their Adversaries as they reckon them of their Reputation they need not fear any considerable disturbance from them In pursuance of this Design they would fain perswade the World that the Clergy are so far from deserving any additional Esteem upon the account of their Office that for this reason they ought to forfeit part of what they had before as if Orders suppos'd some antecedent Crime and were rather inflicted than given and that those who receive them ought to pass for Persons degraded from the privileges of Birth and Education or at least not to enjoy them without stain and abatement Now that there are some Persons and those not all of the lowest Rank who seem to be of this unreasonable Opinion is too apparent and therefore I shall desire them to consider that those who account the Priesthood a lessening of a Man's Quality must either believe all Religion to be an Imposture or if they do own the Being of a God their apprehension of him is so scandalous and unworthy that I think it would be a kindness to them to suppose them Atheists For 't is not so monstrous and provoking to deny the Existenee of a Deity as to suppose him void of Excellency and Perfection To imagine him to be so far from being the Fountain of Honour that He is rather to be accounted a discredit to those who belong to him and that a Person of Condition ought to be asham'd of his Service such a Notion of God Almighty as this besides the Absurdity of it looks like a malicious acknowledgment of his Being only to make him capable of contempt But besides at the Function of the Clergy in general is too often misunderstood which in such a sceptical and licentious Age we need not wonder at those who officiate in private Houses lie under particular Disadvantages Here the Master of the Family usually expects an extraordinary observance from the Priest and returns him less notice in exchange than to others of the same Order and Condition Now one would think in point of reason that an Ecclesiastical as well as a Civil or Military Officer should be more consider'd within the limits and extent of his Employ than elsewhere both upon the account of the Jurisdiction he hath there and because of the Advantage those he is concern'd with do or may receive from the Execution of his Office Now the reason of this unaccountable Practice must be resolved into one or both of these Pretences either 1. That a Clergyman officiating in a Family ought to be entertain'd no otherwise than under the
Grandeur upon the Endowments of Religion is a perfect Contradiction to the End and Design of them This makes the Church contemptible by the Strength of her own Revenues and causes the Monuments of our Fore-fathers Piety to be instrumental in undermining and exposing that Faith they thereby intended to secure and advance which whosoever is guilty of he may be assured he hath a Right to the Imprecations as well as the Patronage of the first Endowers of Churches which dreadful Legacy they were generally very careful to settle upon such irreligious Posterity Spelman de non temerand Eccl. In short To prostitute so sacred a Trust as this is to Pride and Ambition is in effect to sacrifice to the Devil with that which is consecrated to God Almighty and looks like a more provoking Impiety than Belshazzer's debauching to the Honour of his Idols in the Vessels of the Temple Dan. 5. 3 4. For here is not only an Abuse of Holy things but Persons too and God is dishonoured in those that Represent him upon a most solemn and important Account I shall now at last crave leave to desire those of the Clergy who are engaged in the Families of Secular Persons for I mean no other to reflect of what ill Consequence it is to Religion for them not to assert their Office in a prudent defensible way and how cheap in their Persons and unsuccessful in their Employment they must necessarily be if they betray the Privileges of their Function by servile Compliance and Flattery People will be apt to imagine and not without reason that those who will cringe below the Gravity of their Character to gain a little of this World can scarce have any Great and Religious Apprehensions of the other Overmuch Ceremony in a Clergyman is frequently misinterpreted and supposed to proceed not from his Breeding or Humility but from a consciousness of his Meanness and others are willing to allow him so much Sense as to be a competent Judg of his own Inconsiderateness and since he confesses himself contemptible by his Carriage they think it but just to treat him accordingly For Men of Figure excepting those who are very Understanding and Religious are apt to have Misapprehensions conveyed into them by over-proportioned Respect and to imagine the Distance between him that gives it and themselves to be much greater than really it is Since therefore as things stand there is some danger lest Churchmen should complement away the Usefulness and Authority of their Calling they would do well to decline superlative Observance for fear they give others a wrong Notion of their Employ or be thought to have Mens Persons in admiration because of Advantage It would be no more than requisite if they would reserve their Duty for their King their Bishop and their Parents and express their Gratitude to their Patrons in Language less liable to Misconstruction and more proper to the Relation between them For as they should not be unwilling to own the Distinctions which the King's Laws have made as they ought to make some particular Acknowledgments for the Favors and Civilities of those they are more immediately concern'd with and by inoffensive and agreeable Conversation prevent all reasonable Suspicion of their being displeas'd with the superiour Quality or Fortune of others so likewise are they obliged not to be so officiously or rather parasitically mindful of the Condition of any Person as wholly to be forgetful of their own For notwithstanding the Disadvantages they may sometimes happen to come into the World with the Constitution of the Government hath set them upon the same Level with the inferiour Gentry as a reward of their Education and out of regard to their Function Now that the Laws were not Priest-ridden and superstitiously lavish of their Honour in this case might were it necessary be abundantly proved from the reason of the thing and the general practice of other Countries both with respect to ancient and modern Times These Privileges therefore being confer'd upon just and publick Accounts a Man is sometimes bound to maintain and to surrender them up to the superciliousness of every assuming or ignorant Pretender is a Reflection upon the Wisdom and Ingratitude to the Religious Bounty of those Kings who granted them and which is worse a Churchman by making himself Contemptible hath parted with his Power of doing good and consequently disappointed the great End of his Calling Whereas without doubt 't is part of the Design of these Privileges to create a sutable Resolution and Presence of mind in those that have them that so their Spirit being raised up to their civil Station their Character and Department may be the better proportioned and their Actions keep a truer Decorum with the Nature of their Office that they might not be Over-awed and almost struck Dumb with the Glitterings of Title or Fortune but retain a graceful Freedom in Conversation neither Idolizing Greatness nor Neglecting it The Intention of the Laws in distinguishing the Clergy from the Vulgar besides the Consideration of their Merit was to put them into a better Capacity to maintain the Honour and Interest of Religion among all sorts of Persons that the Rich as well as the Poor might be advantaged by their Ministery and when Persons of Condition were to be told of their Faults the Priest might be fortified with a convenient Courage to give the Reproof and the others dispos'd to receive it without disgust and impatience Now to be ready upon all Occasions to resent any dishonour done to Religion with a prudent Gravity and Assurance carries such a noble Air of Greatness and undesigning Honesty in it that it Forces a secret Veneration from Enemies themselves and though a Man may happen to be unjustly hated for speaking unacceptable Truths yet he is sure never to be despised Whereas a diffident and unsupported Behaviour in a Clergyman is often suppos'd to proceed from ignoble Qualities and consequently will be sure to weaken the force of his publick Instructions it being natural for ill Men especially to disregard if not to deride the Admonitions of those they believe are afraid of them and he that cannot talk without concern before a Sinner of Quality any where but in the Pulpit might almost as good say nothing to him there For if a Churchman's Conversation be servile and designing all the Week his appearing with a new Set of Notions upon the Sunday will be interpreted only a formal Compliance with his Profession His pressing those Doctrines which his Practice contradicts will signify little either to his own Advantage or theirs that hear him For though Men ought to mind what is said and not who says it yet the Prejudices of the Generality are such that a good Cause usually suffers very much when 't is pleaded by an improper and exceptionable Advocate How fulsom an Entertainment it is to hear a Coward harangue upon Valour or a Covetous Miser preach up Contempt of the World The
equal to himself Philot. I grant you in the Primitive Times the advantage of Priesthood was equally shared among all the Order and none of that Character had any Superiority over another For then the Revenues of the Church consisted only in the voluntary Offerings of the People which were all deposited with the Bishop who assigned every one his respective portion so that no Priest had any dependence upon another for his maintenance but now the case is otherwise and a manought to be subject to him that supports him Philal. It 's somewhat hard that the bare alteration of the Church Revenues should make so wide a difference between those who were equal before that a man must lose his freedom only for want of a Presentation and be made a Servant because he does not take Tithes though he has as much spiritual Authority as if he did But I perceive you think there is no consideration equivalent to a little money and that he who receives it must be no longer at his own disposal though he makes never so valuable a return Since therefore you insist so much upon maintnance what if it appears that the Curate maintains the Parson Philot. That would be strange indeed Philal. To what end were the Church Revenues intended Philot. To keep up the worship of God Philal. Which way Philot. By settling a competent maintenance upon the Ministers of Religion that they may be in the better capacity to discharge their Office and not be obliged to lose their time and lessen their Character by engaging in Labourious or Mechanical Employments Philal. By your arguing there should be something for them to do Philot. Yes they are to take care of that Precinct to which their Endowment is annex'd Philal. I hope you don't mean not to come at it Philot. I mean they are to take care of the performance of the duties of their Office Philal. Then ought not he to have the Revenues who performs these Duties Philot. I am not willing to grant that Philal. Have a care of denying the conclusion you grant the Revenues of the Church were designed for the support of the Clergy Philot. Yes Philal. Of what Clergy Those who live many miles distant from the Premises Philot. No I 'm afraid they were intended for those who live upon the place otherwise methinks Endowments are a very slender Provision for the benefit of the Parish Philal. Then if the Curate does all the work ought he not to have the reward for his pains In short either he is qualified to undertake the Parish or not if not with what sincerity can he be employed If he is qualified why is he barred the profit when he only performs the Conditions upon which they were settled when none but himself answers the design they were intended for To speak properly the Rector seems to live out of the labours of another he is maintained by the perquisites of the Curates Office and therefore is in effect but a kind of Pensioner to him Philot. I see you are an everlasting Leveller you won't allow any encouragement to extraordinary Industry and Merit Philal. You mistake me I would have the best men have the best Livings but then before we go to doubling of Preferments possibly it were not amiss to examine whether the number of Benefices exceeds the Persons who are capable of them Let us first examine whether they will hold out one apiece and when every man has one then the supernumerary Livings may be divided amongst those who are most deserving Philot. In good time when it 's likely there there will be none left Now do you imagine the Church can be defended against her Adversaries by the strength of a single Parsonage But it may be you will say all our Plurality-men are not Writers Philal. No nor Readers neither Besides we may observe that Heresie and Schism were very successfully combated before Unions Dispensations and Consolidations were heard of If you consult Father Paul's History of the Council of Trent p. 216. he will inform you that Non-residence and Pluralities are things of no very primitive establishment I confess some of the Lay-managers of our Reformation have not been over-kind to the Church so that Affairs are not in so good a posture as they might have been But God be thanked there is still some provision left for the Ornament and Defence of Religion Philot. What Provision do you mean Philal. Why to speak to your Case there are Dignities to which those Gentlemen who are prepared to engage in the Controversie have a good right And with submission to better Judgments I think it would not be amiss if all dignified Persons held their Preferments by a new Tenure Philot. What Tenure Philal. By Knights Service pursuant to which they should be obliged to draw their Pens in the Cause when ever their Superiours required them to appear in the Field upon an Invasion with their Quota and in short to maintain any Post that shall be assigned Philot. What if a man has not a mind to quarrel must he be turn'd out of his Dignity for being of a peaceable Disposition Philal. Those peaceable men you speak of are none of the most useful in a time of War and therefore a smaller Gratification should content them Philot. What if they are disabled by age Philal. Then they should be continued for their past Services Philot. Truly this is a good probable Expedient to keep the Church Militia in Discipline and might for ought I know very much improve the noble Science of Controversie But to return to the old Argument if you intend to bring me over to your opinion of the Curate you must clear the business of his Salary a little better for I am afraid where he has his money he ought to own he has his Master too Philal. I confess there would be a great deal in what you say if the Rector had the right of Coinage If the Money had his Image and Superscription upon it the Curate's taking it for currant would conclude him under his Jurisdiction but that the bare receiving a sum should sink a Man into a servile state is past my comprehension For considering that Mony is a thing of such quality and sovereign sway in the World one would imagine it should bring Power and Reputation along with it and rather enlarge than abridge a Man's Liberty by receiving it And to mention nothing farther the nature of the Contract between the Rector and Curate is sufficient to give you satisfaction for there as has been observed the Curate undertakes no other Employment but the Instruction and Government of the Parish There is no attendance upon the Parson no running upon his Errands nor subjection to his Humour indented for Philot. Methinks it is a little hard a Curate must not be called a Servant as well as a Cook or a Footman since he has Wages as much as the other Philal. Possibly not always so much neither but
waving that if you had remembred what I urged to you before this Objection would have been no difficulty Philot. What was that Philal. Why that the Curate is to wait upon none but God Almighty that the manage of his Employment is not prescribed by the Rector but by the Rubrick and Constitutions of the Church and that he is not removeable at pleasure I suppose by this time you apprehend there is a difference between him and a Footman or a Steward either Philot. Well! Notwithstanding your subtlety this notion of Wages sticks in my Stomach still Philal. I wonder the glitter of a little Mony should dazle your Eyes at that rate that you cannot see so plain a distinction You don't seem to understand Commerce if you think that something of Authority and Dominion is always given in exchange for Mony Now I am of Diogenes his mind and believe it possible for one to buy a Master as well as a Servant Philot. As how Philal. Why for the purpose if a person of twenty one puts himself Apprentice to another you know this is seldom done without charge now what does a Man do in this case but purchase his subjection and hire himself a drubbing upon occasion To give one instance more When a Woman of Fortune marries a Man with nothing does she not give him Meat Drink and Wages to govern her And to end this dispute you know Physicians and Lawyers and Judges have Fees or Wages either given or assigned them by Law without being thought Servants to those they are concerned with Now what reason is there a Curate should have worse luck with his Mony than other People Philot. To deal plainly I suppose it is because he does not get enough of it If his Fees were as considerable as any of those Gentlemen you speak of I question not but his Office would be much more reputable Philal. Well guessed and therefore what Character do they deserve who confine him to this scandalous Pittance I believe you can scarcely name any sort of Injustice which has a more malignant influence upon Religion than this oppresion of Curates Philot. Why so Tragical Philal. Because their Poverty exposes them to Contempt which renders their Instructions insignificant and which is worse makes them less considerable in themselves as well as in the opinion of others Philot. I hope Poverty is no crime Philal. No but it 's a scurvy temptation especially to those who have lived freely and been bred to better Expectations For when a man finds his hopes disappointed himself unsupported and topp'd upon by Persons of meaner Pretences and Employments this is apt to pall his Spirits and check the courage of his thoughts so that his Compositions and Fortune will seem to be much of a piece Philot. I thought strait circumstances had been none of the worst promoters of Learning according to the old saying Ingenii largitor Venter Philal. I grant there is some truth in your observation and that it is Want which often reconciles men to Labour and Letters but this is at their first setting out when though they have not gained their point yet they are full of hopes which pricks them on and puts them upon their utmost but after they are once qualified for success and find their industry discouraged this makes them sink in the socket and fret away their strength and Spirits so that either out of impotence or disgust or dispair they give over the fruitless pursuit and seldom make any generous attempt ever after 'T is true there are some hardy souls that won't be beaten off by ill usage but these are very rarely to be met with Philot. Then you think there would be a strange improvement in the unbeneficed Clergy if they had a better Salary Philal. Yes I think they would have more Books and more Learning and more Credit They would not be so easily obliged to improper Compliances nor so liable to serveral other miscarriages in their Conduct Philot. By your discourse the slender provision which is made for them should be very Criminal Philal. Doubtless so it is For pray consider Philot. Pray be as brief as you can Philal. I say then for a Clergy man to enrich himself by the labour and necessities of one of his own Order and make his Figure out of the Church without performing the Services required is a direct translating the holy Revenues to a Foreign and secular use and consequently besides other aggravations is no better than sacrilege which is a very uncanonical Sin and unless we are very much in the dark will be accounted for afterwards In short this Practice has been the main ground of the Contempt of the Clergy making one part of them grow cheap by their Poverty and the other by their Covetousness Philot. Pray what allowance would you oblige the Rector to if you had the Regulation of that Affair Philal. To speak within Compass in my Opinion the Curate ought to have half the profits let the value of them be never so considerable for if the Parson has the other moiety for doing nothing I think he has no reason to complain But if the Living be small then he that supplies it should have two thirds assigned him because he cannot be decently supported under that proportion Philot. Well I am not disposed to examin that matter any farther But I beseech you what is all this to the business of Pride I think your Zeal for the Curates has transported you a little out of your Subject Philal. No such matter for it is generally nothing but Ambition which makes Men Covetous and Mean besides if it is a Digression it is a very seasonable one However I am willing to take my leave of this part of the Argument therefore if you please we will call a new Cause Philot. I think it is best to adjourn at present and when we meet again I will venture the other Brush with you Philal. Till then Farewel A SECOND CONFERENCE BETWEEN Philotimus and Philalethes Philal. WELL met I am glad the opportunity you mentioned is so quickly returned Philot. So am I and therefore if you please without any further Ceremony let us pursue the Argument we were last upon Philal. With all my Heart and since as has been shewed Learning and Conceit make so odd a Figure let us proceed to examine the pretences of Nobility for I am afraid the Vulgar Notion of it is screwed somewhat too high and that it has not Ballast enough to carry all the Sail which is commonly made out Philot. I must tell you you are upon a touchy Point and therefore I hope you will treat so nice a subject as this is with proportionable caution Philal. I am sensible of what you say and shall manage my enquiry with all the fairness and decency the free discussion of the Question will allow To begin you know all Men were equally Noble or if you will equally Plebeian at first now I would
if he pleases may be of kin to the Treason for the Infamy of that remains but as for the Quality 't is all wiped out as if it had never been And therefore though your Instance is true your Inference fails for the Son of a Traytor is not the Son of a Gentleman In short you must either allow that Quality like other Branches of Property stands upon the Basis of Law or else you unavoidably run into the Principle of Levelling For where the Distinctions of Condition are not ascertained by publick Provision every one is at Liberty to rate his own and his Neighbour's Station as he pleases Where there are no Inclosures all People may intercommon without Preference or Ceremony New Grounds of Honour may be set up and the old ones disclaimed and a Taylor may make himself a Lord and clap a Coronet upon his Goose if he has a mind to it Philot. I suppose your Conclusion is That the Notion of Honour is to be taken from the Laws and Government and not from any private Set of People how valuable soever in other Respects Philal. Right And from thence I infer that Duelling is a very dishonourable Practice For when you have given the best proof of your sufficiency and killed your Man you are seized into the Hands of Iustice treated like Assassinators and condemned to die with Circumstances of Ignominy You are not Indicted for acquitting your selves like Gentlemen but for disturbing the publick Peace and murthering the King's Subjects Now the Law never loads a Man with Reproaches nor punishes him thus coarsely for doing a handsom Action Philot. What do you tell me of Lawyers Cant Murdravit stragem excercuit practicavit Very pretty Stuff to dispatch a Man of Honour with You see how the Men betray their Ignorance by their Forms of Speaking And as for the Bench they have a thousand Pound per Annum for making of Malefactors and they must say something in Defence of their Trade Philal. As for the Bench the Bar and the rest they are not the Makers but the Ministers of Law they are the Servants of the Government and their Methods of Proceeding are chalked out by their Superiours And when the Reason of Things is good 't is not material though the Latin proves otherwise Indeed I think the Laws can't use you too rigorously for I 'm sure you treat them with great Contempt When Highway-men kill 't is commonly for a Livelihood to prevent Discovery or in the heat and surprize of Passion and when 't is over they seldom justify the Fact but condemn what they have done But your Tribe are Murtherers by Principle which is something worse than Malice prepence because 't is ready upon all Occasions and often acts without any Provocation except the Vanity of complying with a barbarous Custom As if it was as indifferent a thing to cut a Man's Throat or let it alone as to wear a Broad or Narrow brim'd Hat And that these little Concerns of Bloud ought to be perfectly governed by the Fashion And when the Barbarity is committed you have the Assurance to maintain it and to argue for the Murther against Law and Gospel In short I think you stand in the greatest defiance to Authority of all Men Living Philot. How so Philal. I have given you some of my Reasons and you shall have the rest 1. You scorn to refer your Differences to the Law but make your selves your own Judges Philot. If the Government will not make a sufficient Provision for the Honour of Gentlemen they must right their own Case and there 's an end on 't Philal. You would do well to prefer a Bill against all Kings and Parliaments since the Conquest and if that won't do challenge the Crown and the two Houses at their next Meeting to give you Satisfaction Do you not perceive That by thus taking the Business out of the Hands of the Government you both reproach and in effect renounce it at your Pleasure The Laws very well suppose that People are apt to be too partial and passionate in their own Concerns and therefore remit them to a publick Decision Now 't is a kind of Maxim with us That no Man should be wiser than the Laws Philot. What would you have me complain to a Magistrate when a Man gives me the Lye or any such sort of Affront These things won't bear an Action and yet a Gentleman will rather dye than put them up Philal. By the way a Lye was not counted so mortal an Affront till Charles the Fifth happen'd to say He was no Gentleman that would take it Now what has England to do with Germany If an Emperour throws out an unweigh'd Sentence must we be governed by it Are Law and Justice such Phantoms that a Spanish Rhodomontade should make them vanish Or must a Foreign Prince's Humour command farther than his Legal Authority Philot. The Prince's Opinion is the Standard of Mode And to be Precise and Singular looks like Spleen and Monkery and ill Breeding You know when Dionysius of Sicily had a Fit of Geometry upon him his Court took it immediately You could scarce meet a Man of Quality without a pair of Compasses about him and Visits were mostly spent about Squares and Circles But as soon as the King grew weary the Fashion was quite laid aside And then as Plutarch observes nothing was a greater Pedant than a Mathematician Philal. You lay so much stress upon these Compliances one would think you took them for part of your Allegiance Philot. Not to follow a Prince's Opinion is in effect to say he is mistaken which is an unhandsom Reflection Philal. In Things indifferent you say well But where Justice and Conscience are concerned meer Complaisance should not carry it By the extent of your Maxim you would have made an admirable Aethiopian Courtier Philot. What is that Philal. Diodorus Siculus tells us Biblioth l. 3. That the Aethiopians happened once to have a one Eyed bandy Leg'd Prince now such a Person would have made but an odd Figure if care had not been taken Philot. Pray how did the Court behave themselves upon this Accident Philal. Like Men of Honour They made a Fashion of their Prince's Misfortune and immediately shut up one of Natures Windows and got a sort of Scotch Boot to bend their Hams in Philot. I think I could have imitated Alexander's wry Neck as well as the Macedonians But this which you mention is a chargeable Fashion Philal. However it prevailed so far that a Gentleman would no more appear with strait Legs or two Eyes in his Head than you would in a pink'd Doublet or Boot-hose Tops You see how far good Breeding will carry a Man if he will but stick to his Principle But to return Your saying that these Indignities won't bear an Action is to confess that the Wisdom of the Nation has thought them below Notice And will you venture your All upon a Cause which would be Hissed