manners; each of which has its peculiar merit, and may contribute to the entertainment, instruction, and reformation of mankind. The one confiders man chiefly as born for action; and as influenced in his actions by taste and fentiment; pursuing one object, and avoiding another, according to the value which thefe objects feem to poffefs, and according to the light in which they prefent themselves. Virtue, of all objects, is the moft valuable and lovely; and accor dingly this fpecies of philofophers paint her in the most amiable colours; borrowing all helps from poetry and eloquence, and treating their fubject in an eafy and obvious manner, fuch as is beft fitted to please the imagination, and engage the affections. Poft ftriking obfervations and inThey felect ftances from common life; place oppofite characters JB 2

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in a proper contraft; and alluring us into the paths of virtue by the views of glory and happiness, direct our steps in these paths by the foundeft precepts and moft illuftrious examples. They make us feel the difference betwixt vice and virtue; they excite and regulate our fentiments; and fo they can but bend our hearts to the love of probity and true honour, they think, that they have fully attained the end of all their labours.

THE other fpecies of philofophers treat man rather as a reasonable than an active being, and endeavour to form his understanding more than cultivate his manners. They regard mankind as a subject of spe. culation; and with a narrow fcrutiny examine human nature, in order to find thofe principles, which regulate our understanding, excite our fentiments, and make us approve or blame any particular object, action, or behaviour. They think it a reproach to all literature, that philofophy fhould not yet have fixed, beyond controverfy, the foundation of morals, reafoning, and criticism, and fhould for ever talk, of truth and falfehood, vice and virtue, beauty and deformity, without being able to determine the fource of these diftinctions. While they attempt this arduous talk, they are deterred by no difficulties; but proceeding from particular inftances to general principles, they fill push on their inquiries to, principles more gene ral, and rest not satisfied till they arrive at those ori

EL

ginal principles, by which, in every science, all human curiosity must be bounded. Tho' their specula tions feem abftra&t, and even unintelligible to common readers, they please themselves with the approbation of the learned and the wife; and think themfelves fufficiently compenfated for the labours of their whole lives, if they can discover some hidden truths,' which may contribute to the inftruction of pofterity.

'Tis certain, that the easy and obvious philofophy will always, with the generality of mankind, have the preference to the accurate and abftrufe; and by many will be recommended, not only as more agrec able, but more useful than the other. It enters more into common life; moulds the heart and affections; and, by touching thofe principles which actuate men, reforms their conduct, and brings them nearer that mos del of perfection which it defcribes. On the contrary, the abftrufe philofophy, being founded on a turn of mind, which cannot enter into bufinefs and to, mental action, vanishes when the philofopher leaves the fhade, and comes into open day; nor can its principles eafily res tain any influence over our conduct and behaviour. The feelings of our fentiments, the agitations of our paffions, the vehemence of our affections, diffipate all its conclufions, and reduce the profound philofopher to a mere plebeian.

THIS alfo must be confeffed, that the most durable, as well as juftest fame has been acquired by the easy philofophy, and that abftract reasoners seem hitherto to have enjoyed only a momentary reputation, from the caprice or ignorance of their own age, but have not been able to fupport their renown with more equitable pofterity. 'Tis eafy for a profound philofopher to commit a mistake in his fubtile reafonings; and one mistake is the neceffary parent of another, while he pufhes on his confequences, and is not deterred from embracing any conclufion, by its unufual appearance, or its contradiction to popular opinion. But a philofopher, who proposes only to represent the common sense of mankind in more beautiful and more engaging colours, if by accident he commits a mistake, goes no farther; but renewing his appeal to common fenfe, and the natural fentiments of the mind, returns into the right path, and fecures himfelf from any dangerous illufions. The fame of C1

O fourishes at prefent; but that of ARISTOTLE is utterly decayed. La BRUYERE paffes the feas, and still maintains his reputation: But the glory of MALEBRANCHE is confined to his own nation, and tos his own age. And ADDISON, perhaps, will be read" with pleasure, when LOCKE shall be intirely forgotten.

THE mere philofopher is a character which is commonly but little acceptable in the world, as being fuppofed