CHAPTER V. 45 Such wise and just distinctions ought to be made when we pass a judgment on mortal things, but envy condemns by wholesale. Envy is a cursedplant ; some fibres of it are rooted almost in everyman's nature, and it works in a sly and impercep- tible manner, and that even in some persons who in the main are men of wisdom and piety. They know not how to bear the praises that are given to an ingenious author, especially if he be living and of their profession, and therefore they will, if possible, find some blemish in his writings, that theymay nibble and bark at it. They will endeavour to diminish the honour of the best treatise that has been written on any subject, and to render it useless by their censures, rather than suffer theist envy to lie asleep, and the little mistakes of that author to pass unex- posed. Perhaps they will commend the work in general with a pretended air of candour, but pass so many sly and invidious re- marks upon it afterward, as shall effectually destroy all their cold and formal praises*. IX. When aperson feels any thing of this invidious humour working in him, he may by the following considerations attempt the correction of it. Let him think with himself how many are. the beauties of such an author whom he censures, in comparison of his blemishes, and remember that it is a much more honoura- ble and good-natured thing to find out peculiar beauties than faults : true and undisguised candour is a much more amiable and divine talent than accusation. Let him reflect again, what an easy matter it is to find a mistake in all human authors, who are necessarily fallible and imperfect. I confess where an author sets up himself to ridicule divine writers and things sacred, and yet assumes an air of sovereignty and dictatorship, to exalt and almost deify all the ,Pagan an- cients, and casts his scorn upon all the moderns, especially if They do but savour of miracles and the gospel, it is fit the admi- rers of this author should know that nature and these ancients are not the same; though some writers always unite them. Rea- son and nature never made these ancient heathens their standard, either of art ór genius, of writing or heroism. Sir Richard Steele in his little essay, called The Christian Hero, has shewu our Saviour and St. Paul in a more glorious and transcendent light, than a Virgil or a Homer could do for their Achilles, Ulysses, or aneas . and I am persuaded if Moses and David bad not been inspired writers, these very men would have rank- ed them at least with Herodotus and Horace, if net given them the superior place. * I grant when wisdom itself censures a weak and foolish performance, it Will pass its severe svatence.:and yet with an air of candour, if the author heá, any thing valuable in him: but envy will oftentimes imitate the same favourable airs, in order to make its false cavils appear more jest and orvdible, wheq it has a mind to snarl at same of the brightest performance* of a Cassas'writer.
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