;n the Soul oj M an. 33- ./ be meafured by .the object of its love. He who loveth mean and fordid things, cloth thereby become bafe and vile; but a,noble and well- placed affection, cloth advance and improve the fpirit unto a conformity. with the perfections which it loves. The images of thefe do frequently prefcnt themfelves unto the n1ind, and, by a fe– cret force and I energy, in fin uate in to the very confl:itution of the foul, and muulSI. and fafhion it unto their own likenefs. Hence we n1ay fee how eafil y lovers or friends do flide into the imitation of -tb_e perfons whom they affect, and how, even before they are aware, they refemhle then1, not only in the more ·confidcrable inftances of their deportment, but alfo in their voice and gefture, and that which we call th~., ir mien and air. And certainl v we fhould as well tranfcribe the virtues .,and in vvard beauties of the fc>ul, if they were th e object and motive of our love. But now, as all the creatures we converfe with h::tvc their mixture a.nd alloy, we are al– ways in hazard to be fullied and corrupted by placing our affcCl:ion on them. Paaion doth eaGiy blind our eyes, fo that we firft approve, and then imitate the thi 1gs' that are hlameable in thcn1 . ..,... The true ' way to improve and ennoble our fouls, is, by
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