! 96 The Necejfity and Advantage. carried away with the fl:ream of the com– mon qp1n1on. And though the effects be not fo fudden and obfervable, yet thefe difcourfes are {till making fame fecret and infenGble i1npreffions upon us. Thus alh) is our judgment corrupted · about the qualities and endown1ents of the mind. Courage and gallantry, wit and eloquence and other accomplifhments of this nature, are magnified and t;xtolled be– yond all n1eafure; whereas hun1ility, and n1eeknefs, and devotion, and a1l thofe Chri– fiian graces which render a foul truly ex– cellent and lovely, are fpoken of as mean a.nd contemptible things: for though men have not th~ in1pudence formally to..n1ake the co1nparifon, and prefer the former; yet their very air, and W3Y of difcourfing·about thefe things, fufficiently tefiifies their opini– on. With what affection and concernment will they reprefent a gallant or learned man; but how faintly do they utter the character of a good 1nan! And fo, in cenfuring mens failings, they exaggerate the fn1aUefi infian– ·ces of weaknefs or imprudence, but fpeak :lightly , enough of the greatdl: crimes. Drunkenefs aod whoredon1 arc n1entioned in fuch terms as exprcfs Httle fenfe of their henious nature., and tend to leifen the hor- , ror
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