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diff --git a/29478.txt b/29478.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f32279a --- /dev/null +++ b/29478.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2847 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Letter to Dion, by Bernard Mandeville + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Letter to Dion + +Author: Bernard Mandeville + +Release Date: July 21, 2009 [EBook #29478] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A LETTER TO DION *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +Transcriber's Note: The Introduction, by Jacob Viner, was first +published without a copyright notice and, therefore, is in the public +domain. + + + +The Augustan Reprint Society + + +BERNARD MANDEVILLE + + +_A Letter to Dion_ + +(1732) + + +With an Introduction by Jacob Viner + +Publication Number 41 + +Los Angeles +William Andrews Clark Memorial Library +University of California +1953 + + + + +GENERAL EDITORS + +H. RICHARD ARCHER, _Clark Memorial Library_ +RICHARD C. BOYS, _University of Michigan_ +RALPH COHEN, _University of California, Los Angeles_ +VINTON A. DEARING, _University of California, Los Angeles_ + +ASSISTANT EDITOR + +W. EARL BRITTON, _University of Michigan_ + +ADVISORY EDITORS + +EMMETT L. AVERY, _State College of Washington_ +BENJAMIN BOYCE, _Duke University_ +LOUIS BREDVOLD, _University of Michigan_ +JOHN BUTT, _King's College, University of Durham_ +JAMES L. CLIFFORD, _Columbia University_ +ARTHUR FRIEDMAN, _University of Chicago_ +EDWARD NILES HOOKER, _University of California, Los Angeles_ +LOUIS A. LANDA, _Princeton University_ +SAMUEL H. MONK, _University of Minnesota_ +EARNEST MOSSNER, _University of Texas_ +JAMES SUTHERLAND, _University College, London_ +H. T. SWEDENBERG, JR., _University of California, Los Angeles_ + +CORRESPONDING SECRETARY + +EDNA C. DAVIS, _Clark Memorial Library_ + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The _Letter to Dion_, Mandeville's last publication, was, in form, a +reply to Bishop Berkeley's _Alciphron: or, the Minute Philosopher_. In +_Alciphron_, a series of dialogues directed against "free thinkers" in +general, Dion is the presiding host and Alciphron and Lysicles are the +expositors of objectionable doctrines. Mandeville's _Fable of the Bees_ +is attacked in the Second Dialogue, where Lysicles expounds some +Mandevillian views but is theologically an atheist, politically a +revolutionary, and socially a leveller. In the _Letter to Dion_, +however, Mandeville assumes that Berkeley is charging him with all of +these views, and accuses Berkeley of unfairness and misrepresentation. + +Neither _Alciphron_ nor the _Letter to Dion_ caused much of a stir. The +_Letter_ never had a second edition,[1] and is now exceedingly scarce. +The significance of the _Letter_ would be minor if it were confined to +its role in the exchange between Berkeley and Mandeville.[2] Berkeley +had more sinners in mind than Mandeville, and Mandeville more critics +than Berkeley. Berkeley, however, mere than any other critic seems to +have gotten under Mandeville's skin, perhaps because Berkeley alone +made effective use against him of his own weapons of satire and +ridicule.[3] + + [1] In its only foreign language translation, the _Letter_, + somewhat abbreviated, is appended to the German translation of + _The Fable of the Bees_ by Otto Bobertag, _Mandevilles + Bienenfabel_, Munich, 1914, pp. 349-398. + + [2] Berkeley again criticized Mandeville in _A Discourse + Addressed to Magistrates_, [1736], _Works_, A. C. Fraser ed., + Oxford, 1871, III. 424. + + [3] _A Vindication of the Reverend D---- B--y_, London, 1734, + applies to _Alciphron_ the comment of Shaftesbury that reverend + authors who resort to dialogue form may "perhaps, find means to + laugh gentlemen into their religion, who have unfortunately been + laughed out of it." See Alfred Owen Aldridge, "Shaftesbury and + the Deist Manifesto," _Transactions of the American Philosophical + Society_, New Series, XLI (1951), Part 2, p. 358. + +Berkeley came to closest grips with _The Fable of the Bees_ when he +rejected Mandeville's grim picture of human nature, and when he met +Mandeville's eulogy of luxury by the argument that expenditures on +luxuries were no better support of employment than equivalent spending +on charity to the poor or than the more lasting life which would result +from avoidance of luxury.[4] + + [4] Francis Hutcheson, a fellow-townsman of Berkeley, had + previously made these points against Mandeville's treatment of + luxury in letters to the _Dublin Journal_ in 1726, (reprinted in + Hutcheson, _Reflections upon Laughter, and Remarks upon the Fable + of the Bees_, Glasgow, 1750, pp. 61-63, and in James Arbuckle, + _Hibernicus' Letters_, London, 1729, Letter 46). In _The Fable of + the Bees_, Mandeville concedes that gifts to charity would + support employment as much as would equivalent expenditures on + luxuries, but argues that in practice the gifts would not be + made. + +Of the few contemporary notices of the _Letter to Dion_, the most +important was by John, Lord Hervey. Hervey charged both Berkeley and +Mandeville with unfairness, but aimed most of his criticism at +Berkeley. He claimed that _Alciphron_ displayed the weaknesses of +argument in dialogue form, that it tended either to state the +opponent's case so strongly that it became difficult afterwards to +refute it or so weakly that it was not worth answering. He found fault +with Berkeley for denying that Mandeville had told a great many +disagreeable truths--presumably about human nature and its mode of +operation in society--and with Mandeville for having told them in +public. He held, I believe rightly, that Mandeville, in associating +vice with prosperity, deliberately blurred the distinction between vice +as an incidental consequence of prosperity and vice as its cause: vice, +said Hervey, "is the child of Prosperity, but not the Parent; and ... +the Vices which grow upon a flourishing People, are not the Means by +which they become so."[5] + + [5] [Lord Hervey], _Some Remarks on the Minute Philosopher_, + London, 1732, pp. 22-23, 42-50. + +T. E. Jessop, in his introduction to his edition of _Alciphron_, +characterizes Berkeley's account of the argument of _The Fable of the +Bees_ as "not unfair," and says: "I can see no reason for whitewashing +Mandeville. The content and manner of his writing invite retort rather +than argument. Berkeley gives both, in the most sparkling of his +dialogues. Mandeville wrote a feeble reply, A _Letter to Dion_."[6] F. +B. Kaye, on the other hand, says of the exchange between Berkeley and +Mandeville that "men like ... Berkeley, who may be termed the +religious-minded ... in their anguish, threw logic to the winds, and +criticized him [i.e., Mandeville] for the most inconsistent reasons."[7] + + [6] _Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher_, T. E. Jessop, ed., in + _The Works of George Berkeley, Bishop of Cloyne_. Edited by A. A. + Luce and T. E. Jessop. London, etc., III. (1950), 9-10. + + [7] In his edition of _The Fable of the Bees_, Oxford, 1924, II. + 415-416. All subsequent references to _The Fable of the Bees_ + will be to this edition. + +Objective appraisal of the outcome of the debate between Berkeley and +Mandeville would presumably lead to a verdict somewhere between those +rendered, with appropriate loyalty to their authors, by their +respective editors. It is mainly for other reasons, however, that the +_Letter to Dion_ is still of interest. There is first its literary +merit. More important, the _Letter_ presents in more emphatic and +sharper form than elsewhere two essential elements of Mandeville's +system of thought, the advocacy, real or pretended, of unqualified +rigorism in morals, and the stress on the role of the State, of the +"skilful Politician," in evoking a flourishing society out of the +operations of a community of selfish rogues and sinners. The remainder +of this introduction will be confined to comments on these two aspects +of Mandeville's doctrine. Since the publication in 1924 of F. B. Kaye's +magnificent edition of _The Fable of the Bees_, no one can deal +seriously with Mandeville's thought without heavy reliance on it, even +when, as is the case here, there is disagreement with Kaye's +interpretation of Mandeville's position. + +It was Mandeville's central thesis, expressed by the motto, "Private +Vices, Publick Benefits," of _The Fable of the Bees_, that the +attainment of temporal prosperity has both as prerequisite and as +inevitable consequence types of human behavior which fail to meet the +requirements of Christian morality and therefore are "vices." He +confined "the Name of Virtue to every Performance, by which Man, +contrary to the impulse of Nature, should endeavour the Benefit of +others, or the Conquest of his own Passions out of a Rational Ambition +of being good."[8] If "out of a Rational Ambition of being good" be +understood to mean out of "charity" in its theological sense of +conscious love of God, this definition of virtue is in strict +conformity to Augustinian rigorism as expounded from the sixteenth +century on by Calvinists and, in the Catholic Church, by Baius, +Jansenius, the Jansenists, and others. Mandeville professes also the +extreme rigorist doctrine that whatever is not virtue is vice: in +Augustinian terms, _aut caritas aut cupiditas_. Man must therefore +choose between temporal prosperity and virtue, and Mandeville insists, +especially in the _Letter to Dion_, that on his part the choice is +always of virtue: + + ... the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World, and ... the + last-named is the very Thing a true Christian ought to renounce. + (p. 18)[9] + + [8] _Fable of the Bees_, I. 48-49. + + [9] All page references placed in the main text of this + introduction are to the _Letter to Dion_. + + "Tho' I have shewn the Way to Worldly Greatness, I have, without + Hesitation, preferr'd the Road that leads to Virtue." (p. 31) + +Kaye concedes: that Mandeville's rigorism "was merely verbal and +superficial, and that he would much regret it if the world were run +according to rigoristic morality;" that "emotionally" and "practically, +if not always theoretically," Mandeville chooses the "utilitarian" side +of the dilemma between virtue and prosperity; and that "Mandeville's +philosophy, indeed, forms a complete whole without the extraneous +rigorism."[10] Kaye nevertheless insists that Mandeville's rigorism was +sincere, and that it is necessary so to accept it to understand him. It +seems to me, on the contrary, that if Mandeville's rigorism were +sincere, the whole satirical structure of his argument, its provocative +tone, its obvious fun-making gusto, would be incomprehensible, and +there would be manifest inconsistency between his satirical purposes +and his procedures as a writer. + + [10] _Fable of the Bees_, II. 411. I, lxi, I, lvi. + +Kaye argues that rigorism was not so unusual as of itself to justify +doubt as to its genuineness in the case of Mandeville; rigorism was "a +contemporary point of view both popular and respected, a view-point not +yet extinct." To show that rigorism was "the respectable orthodox +position for both Catholics and Protestants," Kaya cites as rigorists, +in addition to Bayle, St. Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Daniel Dyke (the +author of _Mystery of Selfe-Deceiving_, 1642), Thomas Fuller +(1608-1661), William Law, and three Continental moralists, Esprit and +Pascal, Jansenists, and J. F. Bernard, a French Calvinist.[11] + + [11] _Ibid._, I. li, I. lv, I. cxxi. + +Christian rigorism by Mandeville's time had had a long history. From and +including St. Augustine on, it had undergone many types of doctrinal +dilution and moderation even on the part of some of its most ardent +exponents. In Mandeville, and in Kaye, it is presented only in its barest +and starkest form. Kaye, however, required by his thesis to show that +Mandeville's doctrine was "in accord with a great body of contemporary +theory,"[12] while accepting it as "the code of rigorism" treats it as +if it were identical with any moral system calling for any measure of +self-discipline or associated with any type of religious-mindedness.[13] +He also identifies it with rationalism in ethics as such, as if any +rationalistic ethics, merely because it calls for some measure of +discipline of the passions by "reason," is _ipso facto_ "rigorist."[14] + + [12] _Ibid._ I. cxxiv, note. + + [13] For example, Kaye cites from Blewitt, a critic of + Mandeville, this passage: "nothing can make a Man honest or + virtuous but a Regard to _some_ religious or moral Principles" + and characterizes it as "precisely the rigorist position from + which Mandeville was arguing when he asserted that our so-called + virtues were really vices, because not based _only_ on this + regard to principle." (_Ibid._ II. 411. The italics in both cases + are mine). The passage from Blewitt is not, of itself, manifestly + rigoristic, while the position attributed to Mandeville is + rigorism at its most extreme. + + As further evidence of the prevalence of rigorism, Kaye cites + from Thomas Fuller the following passage: "corrupt nature (which + without thy restraining grace will have a Vent.)" _Ibid._ I. + cxxi, note. But in Calvinist theology "restraining grace," which + was not a "purifying" grace, operated to make some men who were + not purged of sin lead a serviceable social life. (See John + Calvin, _Institutes of the Christian Religion_, Bk. II, Ch. III, + () 3, pp. I. 315-316 of the "Seventh American Edition," + Philadelphia, n.d.) As I understand it, the role of "restraining + grace" in Calvinist doctrine is similar to that of "honnetete" in + Jansenist doctrine, referred to _infra_. The rascals whom + Mandeville finds useful to society are not to be identified + either with those endowed with the "restraining grace" of the + Calvinists or with the "honnetes hommes" of the Jansenists. + + For other instances of disregard by Kaye of the variations in + substance and degree of the rigorism of genuine rigorists, see + _ibid._ II. 403-406, II. 415-416. + + [14] See especially F. B. Kaye, "The Influence of Bernard + Mandeville," _Studies in Philology_, XIX (1922), 90-102. + +Mandeville was presumably directing his satire primarily at contemporary +Englishmen, not at men who had been dead for generations nor at +participants in Continental theological controversies without real +counterpart in England, at least since the Restoration. If this is +accepted, then of the men cited by Kaye to show the orthodoxy and the +contemporaneity of rigorism only William Law has any relevance. But Law +was an avowed "enthusiast," and in the England of Mandeville's time this +was almost as heretical as to be an avowed sceptic. Calvinism in its +origins had been unquestionably--though not unqualifiedly--rigoristic. By +Mandeville's time, however, avowed Calvinism was almost extinct in +England; even in Geneva, in Scotland, in Holland, its rigorism had been +much softened by the spread of Arminianism and by a variety of procedures +of theological accommodation or mediation between the life of grace and +the life of this sinful world. On the Continent, Jansenists were still +expounding a severe rigorism. But Jansenist rigorism was not "orthodox." +Though not as extreme as Mandeville's rigorism, it had repeatedly been +condemned by Catholic authorities as "_rigorisme outre_."[15] + + [15] Cf. Denziger-Bannwart, _Enchiridion Symbolorum_. (See index + of any edition under "Baius," "Fenelon," "Iansen," "Iansenistae," + "Quesnell.") + +To take seriously Mandeville's rigorism, the narrowness with which he +defines "virtue," the broadness with which he defines "vice," his +failure to recognize any intermediate ground between "virtue" and +outright "vice," or any shades or degrees of either, the positiveness +with which he assigns to eternal damnation all who depart in any degree +from "virtue" as he defines it, is therefore to accept Mandeville as a +genuine exponent of a rigorism too austere and too grim not only for +the ordinary run of orthodox Anglicans or Catholics of his time but +even for St. Augustine (at times), for the Calvinists, and for the +Jansenists. + +Kaye justifiably puts great stress on the extent of Mandeville's +indebtedness to Pierre Bayle. There is not the space here to elaborate, +but it could be shown, I believe, that Mandeville was also indebted +greatly, both indirectly through Bayle and directly, to the Jansenist, +Pierre Nicole, and that Mandeville's rigorism was a gross distortion +of, while Bayle's was essentially faithful to, Nicole's system.[16] +Nicole insisted that "true virtue" in the rigorist sense was necessary +for salvation, but at the same time expounded the usefulness for +society of behavior which theologically was "sinful." But it was the +"sinful" behavior of _honnetes hommes_, of citizens conforming to the +prevalent moral standards of their class, not of rogues and rascals, +which Nicole conceded to be socially useful.[17] Mandeville, on the +other hand, not only lumped the respectable citizens with the rogues +and rascals, but it was the usefulness for society of the vices of the +rogues and rascals more than--and rather than--those of honest and +respectable citizens which he emphasized. In the flourishing hive, +prior to its reform, there were: + + ... Sharpers, Parasites, Pimps, Players, + Pick-pockets, Coiners, Quacks, South-sayers, + + * * * + + These were call'd Knaves, but bar the Name, + The grave Industrious were the same.[18] + + [16] The most pertinent writings of Nicole for present purposes + were his essays, "De la charite & de l'amour-propre," "De la + grandeur," and "Sur l'evangile du Jeudi-Saint," which in the + edition of his works published by Guillaume Desprez, Paris, + 1755-1768, under the title _Essais de morale_, are to be found in + volumes III, VI, and XI. + + [17] For a similar distinction by Bayle between _honnetes hommes_ + who are not of the elect and the outright rascals, see Pierre + Bayle, _Dictionaire historique et critique_. 5th ed., Amsterdam, + 1740, "Eclaircissement sur les obscenites," IV. () iv, p. 649. + + [18] _Fable of the Bees_, I. 19. + +The moral reform which brought disaster to the "Grumbling Hive" +consisted merely in abandonment of roguery and adoption of the +standards of the _honnete homme_.[19] + + [19] In the French versions of 1740 and 1750, the title, _The + Fable of the Bees: or, Private Vices, Publick Benefits_, is + translated as _La fable des abeilles ou les fripons devenus + honnestes gens_. + + For the "honnete homme" in 17th and 18th century usage as + intermediate between a knave and a saint, see M. Magendie, _La + politesse mondaine et les theories de l'honnetete en France_, + Paris, n.d., (ca. 1925), and William Empson, _The Structure of + Complex Words_, London, 1951, ch. 9, "Honest Man." + +The contrast between his general argument and that of Nicole or Bayle +throws light on the role which Mandeville's professed rigorism played +in the execution of his satirical purposes. It not only supports the +view of all his contemporaries that Mandeville's rigorism was a sham, +but also the view that he was not averse to having its insincerity be +generally detected, provided only that it should not be subject to +clear and unambiguous demonstration. By lumping together the "vices" of +the knave and the honest man, Mandeville could without serious risk of +civil or ecclesiastical penalties make rigorism of any degree seem +ridiculous and thus provide abundant amusement for himself and for +like-minded readers; he could then proceed to undermine all the really +important systems of morality of his time by applying more exacting +standards than they could meet. Against a naturalistic and sentimental +system, like Shaftesbury's, he could argue that it rested on an +appraisal of human nature too optimistic to be realistic. Against +current Anglican systems of morality, if they retained elements of +older rigoristic doctrine he could level the charge of hypocrisy, and +if they were latitudinarian in their tendencies he could object that +they were expounding an "easy Christianity" inconsistent with Holy Writ +and with tradition. + +Mandeville clearly did not like clergymen, especially hypocritical +ones, and there still existed sufficient pulpit rigorism to provide him +with an adequate target for satire and a substantial number of readers +who would detect and approve the satire. As Fielding's Squire Western +said to Parson Supple when the latter reproved him for some misdeed: +"At'nt in pulpit now? when art a got up there I never mind what dost +say; but I won't be priest-ridden, nor taught how to behave myself by +thee." Only if it is read as a satire on rigorist sermons can there be +full appreciation of the cleverness of the "parable of small beer" +which Mandeville, with obvious contentment with his craftsmanship, +reproduces in the _Letter to Dion_ (pp. 25-29) from _The Fable of the +Bees_. Here the standard rigorist proposition that there is sin both in +the lust and in the act of satisfying it is applied to drink, where the +thirst and its quenching are both treated as vicious.[20] + + [20] Kaye in a note to this parable, _Fable of the Bees_, I. 238, + cites as relevant, _I Cor. x. 31_; "Whether therefore ye eat, or + drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Even + more relevant, I believe, is _Deut. xxix. 19_, where, in the King + James version, the sinner boasts: "I shall have peace, though I + walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to + thirst." + +Mandeville, as Kaye interprets him, resembles the "_Jansenistes du +Salon_" who prided themselves on the fashionable rigor of their +doctrine but insisted on the practical impossibility of living up to it +in the absence of efficacious grace. In my interpretation, Mandeville +was both intellectually and temperamentally a "libertine" patently +putting on the mask of rigorism in order to be able at the same time to +attack the exponents of austere theological morality from their rear +while making a frontal attack on less exacting and more humanistic +systems of morality. The phenomenon was not a common one, but it was +not unique. Bourdaloue, the great seventeenth-century Jesuit preacher, +not very long before had called attention to libertines in France who +masqueraded in rigorist clothes in order to deepen the cleavages among +the members of the Church: "D'ou il arrive assez souvent, par +l'assemblage le plus bizarre et le plus monstrueux, qu'un homme qui ne +croit pas en Dieu, se porte pour defenseur du pouvoir invincible de la +grace, et devient a toute outrance le panegyriste de la plus etroite +morale."[21] + + [21] "Pensees diverses sur la foi, et sur les vices opposes," + _Oeuvres de Bourdaloue_, Paris, 1840, III. 362-363. + +The _Letter to Dion_ has bearing also on another phase of Mandeville's +doctrine which is almost universally misinterpreted. Many scholars, +including economists who should know better, regard Mandeville as a +pioneer expounder of laissez-faire individualism in the economic field +and as such as an anticipator of Adam Smith. Kaye accepts this +interpretation without argument. + +The evidence provided by _The Fable of the Bees_ in support of such an +interpretation is confined to these facts: Mandeville stressed the +importance of self-interest, of individual desires and ambitions, as +the driving force of socially useful economic activity; he held that a +better allocation of labor among different occupations would result, at +least in England, if left to individual determination than if regulated +or guided; he rejected some types of sumptuary legislation. + +All of this, however, though required for laissez-faire doctrine, was +also consistent with mercantilism, at least of the English type. The +later exponents of laissez-faire did not invent the "economic man" who +pursued only his own interest, but inherited him from the mercantilists +and from the doctrine of original sin. English analysis of social +process had in this sense always been "individualistic," and in this +sense both mercantilism and the widely-prevalent theological +utilitarianism were at least as individualistic as later laissez-faire +economics. Englishmen, moreover, had long been jealous of governmental +power, and at the height of English mercantilism they insisted upon +limits to appropriate governmental intervention. It is not safe, +therefore, to label anyone before Adam Smith as an exponent of +laissez-faire merely on the ground that he would exempt a few specified +types of economic activity from interference by government. It would be +misleading also to apply to eighteenth-century writers modern ideas as +to the dividing line between "interventionists" and exponents of +"liberalism" or of "laissez faire." As compared to modern +totalitarianism, or even to modern "central economic planning," or to +"Keynesianism," the English mercantilism of the late seventeenth and +the eighteenth century was essentially libertarian. It is only as +compared to Adam Smith, or to English classical and the Continental +"liberal" schools of economics of the nineteenth century, that it was +interventionist. + +Adam Smith is regarded as an exponent of laissez-faire because he laid +it down as a general principle (subject in practice to numerous and +fairly important specific exceptions) that the activities of government +should be limited to the enforcement of justice, to defense, and to +public works of a kind inherently unsuitable for private enterprise. He +based this doctrine partly on natural rights grounds, partly on the +belief that there was a pervasive natural and self-operating harmony, +providentially established, between individual interest and the +interest of the community, partly on the empirical ground that +government was generally inefficient, improvident, and unintelligent. + +There is nothing of such doctrine in Mandeville; there is abundant +evidence in his writings that Mandeville was a convinced adherent of +the prevailing mercantilism of his time. Most English mercantilists +disapproved of some or all kinds of sumptuary regulations on the same +grounds as Mandeville disapproved of some of them, namely, the +existence of more suitable ways of accomplishing their objectives or +the mistaken character of their objectives. Mandeville's objection to +charity schools on the ground that they would alter for the worse the +supplies of labor for different occupations was based on his belief +that England, unlike some other countries, already had more tradesmen +and skilled artisans than it needed. Mandeville, in contrast to Adam +Smith, put great and repeated stress on the importance of the role of +government in producing a strong and prosperous society, through +detailed and systematic regulation of economic activity. + +It is a common misinterpretation of Mandeville in this respect to read +his motto, "Private Vices, Publick Benefits," as a laissez-faire motto, +postulating the natural or spontaneous harmony between individual +interests and the public good. The motto as it appeared on title pages +of _The Fable of the Bees_ was elliptical. In his text, Mandeville +repeatedly stated that it was by "the skilful Management of the clever +Politician" that private vices could be made to serve the public good, +thus ridding the formula of any implication of laissez-faire. + +This is made clear beyond reasonable doubt by the _Letter to Dion_. +Berkeley, in _Alciphron_, had made Lysicles say: "Leave nature at full +freedom to work her own way, find all will be well." Mandeville, taking +this as directed against himself, disavows it vigorously, and cites the +stress he had put on "laws and governments" in _The Fable of the Bees_. +(pp. 3-4; see also 55). He repeats from _The Fable of the Bees_ his +explanation that when he used as a subtitle the "Private Vices, Publick +Benefits" motto, "I understood by it, that Private Vices, by the +dexterous Management of a skilful Politician, might be turned into +Publick Benefits." (pp. 36-37). Later he refers to the role of the +"skilful Management" of the "Legislator" (p. 42), and to "the Wisdom of +the Politician, by whose skilful Management the Private Vices of the +Worst of Men are made to turn to a Publick Benefit." (p. 45). "They are +silly People," he says, "who imagine, that the Good of the Whole is +consistent with the Good of every Individual." (p. 49). + +A recent work[22] provides indirectly unintentional support to my +denial that Mandeville was an exponent of laissez-faire. In this work +we are told that "The most famous exponent of what Halevy calls the +natural identity of interests is Bernard Mandeville" and that "What +Mandeville did for the principle of the natural identity of interests +Helvetius did for that of their artificial identity," that is, "that +the chief utility of governments consists in their ability to force men +to act in their own best interests when they feel disinclined to do +so." It so happens, however, that Helvetius as an apostle of state +intervention was not only not departing from Mandeville but was echoing +him even as to language. Helvetius said that motives of personal +temporal interest sufficed for the formation of a good society, +provided they were "manies avec adresse par un legislateur habile."[23] + + [22] John Plamenatz, _The British Utilitarians_, Oxford and New + York, 1949, pp. 48-49. + + [23] Helvetius, _De l'esprit_, Discours II. Ch. XXIV. In the + French version of _The Fable of the Bees_, the phrasing is almost + identical: See _La fable des abeilles_, Paris, 1750, e.g. II. + 261: "menages avec dexterite par d'habiles politiques." When the + Sorbonne, in 1759, condemned _De l'esprit_, it cited _The Fable + of the Bees_ as among the works which could have inspired it. (F. + Gregoire. _Bernard De Mandeville_, Nancy, 1947, p. 206). + + Kaye, in his "The Influence of Bernard Mandeville," (_loc. cit._, + p. 102), says that _De l'esprit_ "Is in many ways simply a French + paraphrase of _The Fable_." In his edition of _The Fable of the + Bees_, however, he says, "I think we may conclude no more than + that Helvetius had probably read _The Fable_." (_Fable of the + Bees_, I. CXLV, Note). Kaye systematically fails to notice the + significance of Mandeville's emphasis on the role of the "skilful + Politician." + +Here also there is a close link between Mandeville, Bayle, and the +Jansenists, especially Nicole and Domat. All of them adopted a +Hobbesian view of human nature. All of them followed Hobbes in +believing that the discipline imposed by positive law and enforced by +government was essential if a prosperous and flourishing society was to +be derived from communities of individuals vigorously pursuing their +self-regarding interests. Mandeville's originality was in pretending +that in the interest of true morality he preferred that the individual +pursuit of prosperity be abandoned even at the cost of social disaster. + + + + +A + +LETTER + +TO + +DION, + +Occasion'd by his Book + +CALL'D + +ALCIPHRON, + +OR + +The MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. + + + +_By the Author of the_ FABLE _of the_ BEES. + + + +_LONDON:_ + +Printed and Sold by J. ROBERTS in _Warwick-Lane_. +M.DCC.XXXII. + + + + +_SIR_, + +I have read your Two Volumes of _Alciphron_, or, The _Minute +Philosopher_ with Attention. As far as I am a Judge, the Language is +very good, the Diction correct, and the Style and whole Manner of +Writing are both polite and entertaining: All together bespeak the +Author to be a Man of Learning, good Sense and Capacity. My Design in +troubling you with this tedious Epistle in Print, which perhaps will be +longer than you could have wish'd it, is to rescue the Publick from a +vulgar Error, which Thousands of knowing and well-meaning People, and +your self, I see, among the Rest, have been led into by a common +Report, concerning _The Fable of the Bees_, as if it was a wicked Book, +wrote for the Encouragement of Vice, and to debauch the Nation. I beg +of you not to imagine, that I intend to blame you, or any other candid +Man like your self, for having rashly given Credit to such a Report +without further Examination. The _Fable of the Bees_ has been presented +by a Grand Jury more than once; and there is hardly a Book that has +been preach'd and wrote against with greater Vehemence or Severity. +When a Work is so generally exclaim'd against, a wise Man, who has no +Mind to mispend his Time, has a very good Reason for not reading it. +But as your second Dialogue is almost entirely levell'd at that Book +and its Author, and you have no where declar'd in Words at length (at +least, as I remember) that you never read _The Fable of the Bees_, it +is possible I might be ask'd, why I would take it for granted, that you +never had read it, when many of your Readers perhaps will believe the +contrary. If this Question was put to me, I would readily answer, that +I chose to be of that Opinion, because it is the most favourable I can +possibly entertain of _Dion_. It is not, Sir, believe me, out of +Disrespect, that I call you plain _Dion_; but because I would treat you +with the utmost Civility: It is the Name under which, I find, you are +pleas'd to disguise your self; and offering to guess at an Author, when +he chuses to be conceal'd, is, I think a Rudeness almost equal to that +of pulling off a Woman's Mask against her Will. + +Whoever reads your second Dialogue, will not find in it any real +Quotations from my Book, either stated or examined into, but that the +wicked Tenets and vile Assertions there justly exposed, are either such +Notions and Sentiments, as first, my Enemies, to render me odious, and +afterwards Common Fame had already father'd upon me, tho' not to be met +with in any Part of my Book; or else, that they are spiteful +Inferences, and invidious Comments, which others before you, without +Justness or Necessity, had drawn from and made upon what I had +innocently said. I find no Fault with you, Sir; for whilst a Person +believes these Accusations against me to be true, and is entirely +unacquainted with the Book they point at, it is not impossible that he +might inveigh against it without having any Mischief in his Heart, tho' +it was the most useful Performance in the World. A Man may be credulous +and yet well disposed; but if a Man of Sense and Penetration, who had +actually read _The Fable of the Bees_, and with Attention perused every +Part of it, should write against it in the same strain, as _Dion_ has +done in his second Dialogue, then I must confess, I should be at a +Loss, what Excuse to make for him. + +It is impossible that a Man of the least Probity, whilst he is writing +in Behalf of Virtue and the Christian Religion, should commit such an +immoral Act as to calumniate his Neighbour, and willfully misrepresent +him in the most atrocious Manner. If _Dion_ had read _The Fable of the +Bees_, he would not have suffer'd such lawless Libertines as +_Alciphron_ and _Lysicles_ to have shelter'd themselves under my Wings; +but he would have demonstrated to them, that my Principles differ'd +from theirs, as Sunshine does from Darkness. When they boasted of +setting Men free, and their abominable Design of ridding them of the +Shackles of Laws and Governments, he would have quoted to them the very +Beginning of my Preface. _Laws and Government are to the political +Bodies of civil Societies, what the vital Spirits and Life it self are +to the natural Bodies of animated Creatures._ From the same Preface he +would have shew'd those barefaced Advocates for all Manner of +Wickedness, the small Encouragement they were like to get from my Book; +and as soon as it appear'd, that by Liberty they meant Licentiousness, +and a Privilege to commit the most detestable Crimes with Impunity, he +would have quoted these Words: _When I assert, that Vices are +inseperable from great and potent Societies, and that it is impossible, +that their Wealth and Grandeur should subsist without; I do not say, +that the particular Members of them, who are guilty of any, should not +be continually reproved, or not punish'd for them when they grew into +Crimes._ This he would have corroborated by several Passages in the +Book it self, and not have forgot what I say, page 255. _I lay down as +a first Principle, that in all Societies, great or small, it is the +Duty of every Member of it to be good, that Virtue ought to be +encouraged, Vice discountenanc'd, the Laws obey'd, and the +Transgressors punish'd._ If he had only read the first Edition, a +little Book in Twelves, a Man of _Dion's_ Virtue and Integrity could +not have stifled the Care I have taken in Fifty Places, nor the many +Cautions I have given, that I might not offend or be misunderstood: On +the Contrary, he would have made use of them, to undeceive his Friends, +and prevented their groundless Fears and senseless Insinuations. If +_Dion_ had read what I have said about the Fire of _London_, Nothing +but his Politeness could have hinder'd him from bursting out into a +loud Laughter at the judicious Remark of the Learned _Crito_, where he +points at the Probability, that the late Incendiaries had taken the +Hint of their Villainies from _The Fable of the Bees_. + +I can't say, that there are not several Passages in that Dialogue, +which would induce one to believe, that you had dipt into _The Fable of +the Bees_; but then to suppose, that upon having only dipt in it, you +would have wrote against it as you have done, would be so injurious to +your Character, the Character of an honest Man, that I have not +Patience to reason upon such an uncharitable Supposition. I know very +well, Sir, that I am addressing my self to a Man of Parts, a Master in +Logick, and a subtle Metaphysician, not to be imposed upon by Sophistry +or false Pretences: Therefore I beg of you, carefully to examine what I +have said hitherto, and you'll be convinced; that my not believing you +to have read _The Fable of the Bees_, can proceed from Nothing but the +good Opinion I have of your Worth and Candour, which I hope I shall +never have any Occasion to alter. You are not the first, Sir, by five +hundred, who has been very severe upon _The Fable of the Bees_ without +having ever read it. I have been at Church my self when the Book in +Question has been preach'd against with great Warmth by a worthy +Divine, who own'd, that he had never seen it; and there are living +Witnesses now, Persons of unquestion'd Reputation, who heard it as well +as I. + +After all, you have advanced Nothing in the second Dialogue concerning +me, which it may not be proved to have been said or insinuated over and +over in Pamphlets, Sermons and News-Papers of all Sorts and Parties. I +can help you to another very good Reason why a Man of Sense might not +mistrust the ill Report, that has been spread about _The Fable of the +Bees_, and write against it in general Terms, tho' he had not read it. +Every body knows, what Pains our Party-writers take in contradicting +one another, and that there are few Things, which if the one praises, +the other does not condemn. Now, if we find the _London Journal_ have a +Fling at _The Fable of the Bees_ one Day, and _The Craftsman_ another, +it is a certain Sign that the ill Repute of the Book, must be well +establish'd and not to be doubted of. Then why might not an Author +write against it, without giving himself the Trouble of reading it? It +would be hard, a Man should not dare to affirm, that it is hot in the +_East-Indies_, without having made a tedious Voyage thither and felt +it. The more therefore I reflect, Sir, on your second Dialogue, and the +Manner you treat me in, the more I am convinced, that you never read +the Book I speak of, I mean, not read it through, or at least not with +Attention. If _Dion_ had inform'd himself concerning _The Fable of the +Bees_, as he might have done, he must have met with my Vindication of +it in some Shape or other. First, it came out in a News-Paper; after +that, I publish'd it in a Six-penny Pamphlet, together with the Words +of the first Presentment of the Grand Jury and an injurious abusive +Letter to Lord C. that came out immediately after it; both which had +been the Occasion of my writing that Vindication. The Reason I gave for +doing this, was, that the Reader might be fully instructed in the +Merits of the Cause between my Adversaries and my Self; and because I +thought it requisite, that to judge of my Defence, he should know the +whole Charge, and all the Accusations against me at large. I took Care +to have this printed in such a Manner, as to the Letter and Form, that +for the Benefit of the Buyers, it might conveniently be bound up, and +look of a Piece with the then last, which was the second Edition. Ever +since the whole Contents of this Pamphlet have been added to the Book, +and are at the End of the third, the fourth, and the fifth, as well as +this last Impression of 1732. If _Dion_ had seen and approved of this +Vindication, he would not have wrote against me at all; and if he had +thought my Answers not satisfactory, and that I had not clear'd my self +from the Aspersions, which had been cast upon me, it was unkind, if not +a great Disregard to the Publick, not to take Notice of it, and shew +the Insufficiency of my Defence, which from his own Writings it is +evident, that great Numbers of the _beau monde_ must have acquiesc'd +in, or not thought necessary. + +Give me Leave, then, Sir, for your own Sake, to treat you, as if you +never had read _The Fable of the Bees_ and in Return I give you my +Word, that I shall make no use of it to your Disadvantage; on the +Contrary, I take it for granted, that from the bad Character you had +heard of the Book from every Quarter, you had sufficient Reason to +write against it, as you have done, without any further Enquiry. This +being settled, I shall attempt to shew you the Possibility, that a Book +might come into such a general Disrepute without deserving it. An +Author, who dares to expose Vice, and the Luxury of the Time he lives +in, pulls off the Disguises of artful Men, and examining in to the +false Pretences, which are made to Virtue, lays open the Lives of +those, _Qui Curios simulant & Bacchanalia vivunt_: An Author, I say, +who dares to do this in a great, and opulent, and flourishing Nation, +can never fail of drawing upon him a great Number of Enemies. Few Men +can bear with Patience, to see those Things detected, which it is their +Interest, and they take Pains to conceal. As to Grand Juries, what they +go upon is, the Testimony of others; they don't judge of Books from +their own Reading; and many have been presented by them, which none, or +at least the greatest Part of them had never seen before. Yet when ever +the Publisher of a Book is presented by a Grand Jury, it is counted a +publick Censure upon the Author, a Disgrace not easily wiped off. + +The News-Writers, whose chief Business it is, to fill their Papers and +raise the Attention of their Readers, never forget any Scandal which +can be publish'd with Impunity. By this Means a Book, which once this +Indignity has been put upon, is in a few Days render'd odious, and in +less than a Fortnight comes to be infamous throughout the Kingdom +without any other Demerit; Those Polemick Authors among them, who are +Party-Men, and write either for or against Courts and Ministers, have a +greater Regard to what will serve their Purpose, than they have to +Truth or Sincerity. As they subsist by vulgar Errors, and are kept +alive by the Spirit of Strife and Contention, so it is not their +Business to rectify Mistakes in Opinion, but rather to encrease them +when it serves their Turn. They know, that whoever would ingratiate +themselves with Multitudes and gain Credit amongst them, must not +contradict them; which is the Reason that, how widely soever these +Party-Writers may differ from One another in Principles and Sentiments, +they will never differ in their Censure or Applause, when they touch +upon such Notions which are generally receiv'd. + +If you'll consider, Sir, what I have said in the two last Paragraphs, +you will easily see the Possibility that Books may get into an ill +Repute and a very bad Character without deserving it. The next I shall +endeavour to demonstrate to you, is, that this has been the Case of +_The Fable of the Bees_, and that the Animosities which have been shewn +against it, were originally owing to another Cause, than what my +Adversaries pretended to be the true one. In order to this, I shall be +obliged to make several Quotations from the Book it self, and repeat +many Things, which I have already said in the Vindication hinted at +before: But as I design this only for your self and those who have +judged of the Book from Common Report, and never perused either the +First or the Second Part of it, these Citations will be as new to you +as any other Part of my Letter. + +I am not ignorant of the Prejudice and real Hurt, which Authors do +themselves by making long Quotations. They interrupt the Sense, and +often break off the Thread of the Discourse; and many a Reader, when he +comes to the End of a long Citation, has forgot the main Subject, and +often the Thing it self, which that very Citation was brought in to +prove. For this Reason we see, that Judicious Writers avoid them as +much as possible; or that where they cannot do without, instead of +inserting them in the main Text of their Works, they make Place for +them in Notes or Remarks, which they refer to, or else an Appendix, +where many of them may be put together, and are never seen but by +Choice, and when the Reader is at Leisure. That this segregating all +extraneous Matter from the main Body of the Book, the Text it self, is +less disagreeable to most Readers, than the other, which I hinted at +first, is certain; but it is attended with this ill Consequence, which +the less engaging Method of Writing is not, to wit, that many curious +and often the most valuable Things, and which it is of the highest +Concern to the Author, that they should be known, are neglected and +never look'd into, only because they are put into Notes or Appendixes. +In my Case you'll find, Sir, that the long Quotations, some of them of +several Pages, which I am obliged to trouble you with, are more +material for the Vindication of my Book than all that can possibly be +said besides. For they will not only demonstrate to you, that I have +been shamefully misrepresented, but likewise give you a clear Insight +into the real Cause of the Anger, the Hatred, and Inveteracy, of my +Enemies, who first gave the Book an ill Name, and were the industrious +Authors of the false Reports, by which your self and many other good +Men, to my great Affliction, have been impos'd upon. You'll pardon me +then, Sir, if, consulting my own Interest in a just Defence, rather +than your Pleasure in reading it, I plant my strongest Evidences so +directly in your Way, that, if you'll do me the Favour of perusing this +Letter, it shall be impossible for you to remain ignorant any longer of +the Innocence of my Intentions, and the Injustice that has been done +me. + +In the Presentment of the Grand Jury in 1723, it is insinuated that in +_The Fable of the Bees_ there are Encomiums upon Stews, which I can +assure you, Sir, is not true. What might have given a Handle to this +Charge, must be a Political Dissertation concerning the best Method to +guard and preserve Women of Honour and Virtue from the Insults of +dissolute Men, whose Passions are often ungovernable. As in this there +is a Dilemma between two Evils, which it is impracticable to shun both, +so I have treated it with the utmost Caution, and begin thus: _I am far +from encouraging Vice, and should think it an unspeakable Felicity for +a State, if the Sin of Uncleanness could be utterly banish'd from it; +but I am afraid it is impossible._ I give my Reasons, why I think it +so; and speaking occasionally of the Musick-Houses at _Amsterdam_, I +give a short Account of them, than which Nothing can be more harmless. +To prove this to those who have bought or are possess'd of _The Fable +of the Bees_, it would be sufficient to appeal and refer to the Book: +But as one great Reason of my printing this Letter, is to shew my +Innocence to such, who, as well as your self, neither have read nor +care to buy the Book, it is requisite I should transcribe the whole. +You'll see, Sir, that my Aim is to shew, that these Musick-Houses are +discountenanc'd, at the same Time they are tolerated. + +_In the first Place, the Houses I speak of, are allow'd to be no where +but in the most slovenly and unpolish'd Part of the Town, where Seamen +and Strangers of no Repute chiefly lodge and resort. The Street, in +which most of them stand, is counted scandalous, and the Infamy is +extended to all the Neighbourhood round it. In the Second, they are +only Places to meet and bargain in, to make Appointments, in order to +promote Interviews of greater Secrecy, and no Manner of Lewdness is +ever suffer'd to be transacted in them; which Order is so strictly +observ'd, that, bar the Ill Manners and Noise of the Company that +frequent them, you'll meet with no more Indecency, and generally less +Lasciviousness there, than with us are to seen at a Play-House. +Thirdly, the Female Traders, that come to these Evening-Exchanges, are +always the Scum of the People, and generally such, as in the Day-Time +carry Fruit and other Eatables about in Wheel-barrows. The Habits +indeed they appear in at Night, are very different from their ordinaray +ones; yet they are commonly so ridiculously gay, that they look more +like the_ Roman _Dresses of strolling Actresses, than Gentlewomens +Cloaths: If to this you add the Awkwardness, the hard Hands and course +Breeding of the Damsels that wear them, there is no great Reason to +fear, that many of the better Sort of People will be tempted by them._ + +_The Musick in these Temples of_ Venus _is perform'd by Organs, not out +of Respect to the Deity that is worship'd in them, but the Frugality of +the Owners, whose Business it is to procure as much Sound for as little +Money as they can, and the Policy of the Government, which endeavours +as little as is possible, to encourage the Breed of Pipers and +Scrapers. All Sea-faring Men, especially the_ Dutch, _are, like the +Element they belong to, much given to Loudness and Roaring, and the +Noise of Half a Dozen of them, when they call themselves Merry, is +sufficient to drown Twice the Number of Flutes or Violins; whereas with +one Pair of Organs they can make the whole House ring, and are at no +other Charge than the keeping of one scurvy Musician, which can cost +them but little, yet notwithstanding the good Rules and strict +Discipline that are observ'd in these Markets of Love, the Schout and +his Officers are always vexing, mulcting, and, upon the least +Complaint, removing the miserable Keepers of them: Which Policy is of +two great Uses; First, it gives an Opportunity to a large Parcel of +Officers, the Magistrates make use of on many Occasions, and which they +could not be without, to squeeze a Living out of the immoderate Gains +accruing from the worst of Employments, and at the same Time punish +those necessary Profligates, the Bawds and Panders, whom, tho' they +abominate, they desire yet not wholly to destroy. Secondly, as on +several Accounts it might be dangerous to let the Multitude into the +Secret, that those Houses and the Trade that is drove in them are +conniv'd at, so, by this Means appearing unblameable, the wary +Magistrates preserve themselves in the good Opinion of the weaker Sort +of People, who imagine, that the Government is always endeavouring, +tho' unable, to suppress what it actually tolerates: Whereas if they +had a Mind to rout them out, their Power in the Administration of +Justice is so sovereign and extensive, and they know so well how to +have it executed, that one Week, nay one Night, might send them all a +packing._ + +I appeal to your self, Sir, whether this Relation is not more proper to +give Men (even the Voluptuous, of any Taste) a Disgust and Aversion to +the Women in those Houses, than it is to raise any criminal Desire. I +am sorry the Grand Jury should conceive, as they said, that I publish'd +this with a Design to debauch the Nation; without considering, in the +first Place, that there is not a Sentence nor a Syllable, that can +either offend the chastest Ear, or sully the Imagination of the most +vicious; or, in the Second, that the Matter complain'd of, is +manifestly address'd to Magistrates and Politicians, or at least the +most serious and thinking Part of Mankind; whereas a general Corruption +of Manners, as to Lewdness, to be produced by Reading, can only be +apprehended from Obscenities, easily purchased, and every Way adapted +to the Tastes and Capacities of the heedless Multitude, and +unexperienc'd Youth of both Sexes; but that the Performance so +outragiously exclaim'd against was never calculated for either of these +Classes of People, is self-evident from every Circumstance. The +Beginning of the Prose is altogether Philosophical, and hardly +intelligible to any, that have not been used to Matters of Speculation; +and the running Title of it is so far from being specious, or inviting, +that, without having read the Book it self, No body knows what to make +of it, whilst at the same Time the Price is Five Shillings. From all +which it is very plain, that if the Book contains any dangerous Tenets, +I have not been very sollicitous to scatter them among the People. I +have not said a Word to please or engage them, and the greatest +Compliment I have made them, has been, _Apage Vulgus_. _But as Nothing_ +(I say p 257.) _would more clearly demonstrate the Falsity of my +Notions, than that the Generality of the People should fall in with +them, so I don't expect the Approbation of the Multitude. I write not +to Many, nor seek for any Well-wishers, but among the Few that can +think abstractly, and have their Minds elevated above the Vulgar._ Of +this I have made no ill Use, and ever preserv'd such a tender Regard to +the Publick, that when I have advanced any uncommon Sentiments, I have +used all the Precautions imaginable that they might not be hurtful to +weak Minds that might casually dip into the Book. When (_page 255_) _I +own'd, that it was my Sentiment, that no Society could be raised into a +rich and mighty Kingdom, or, so raised, subsist in their Wealth and +Power for any considerable Time, without the Vices of Man, I had +premised what was true,_ that I had _never said or imagin'd, that Man +could not be virtuous, as well in a rich and mighty Kingdom, as in the +most pitiful Commonwealth;_ mind Sir, p. 257. _When I say, that +Societies cannot be raised to Wealth and Power and the Top of Earthly +Glory without Vices, I don't think, that by so saying, I bid Men be +vicious, any more than I bid them be quarrelsome or covetous, when I +affirm, that the Profession of the Law could not be maintain'd in such +Numbers and Splendour, if there was not Abundance of too selfish and +litigious People._ A Caution of the same Nature I had already given +towards the End of the Preface, on Account of a palpable Evil, +inseparable from the Felicity of _London_. The Words are these, _There +are, I believe, few People in London, of those that are at any Time +forc'd to go a-foot, but what could wish the Streets of it much cleaner +than generally they are, whilst they regard Nothing but their own +Cloaths and private Conveniency: but when once they come to consider, +that what offends them, is the Result of the Plenty, great Traffick and +Opulency of that mighty City, if they have any Concern in its Welfare, +they will hardly ever wish to see the Streets of it less dirty. For if +we mind the Materials of all Sorts, that must supply such an infinite +Number of Trades and Handicrafts as are always going forward, and the +vast Quantities of Victuals, Drink, and Fuel, that are daily consumed +in it; the Waste and Superfluities, that must be produced from them; +the Multitudes of Horses and other Cattle, that are always daubing the +Streets; the Carts, Coaches, and more heavy Carriages, that are +perpetually wearing and breaking the Pavement of them; and, above all, +the numberless Swarms of People, that are continually harassing and +trampling through every Part of them: If, I say, we mind all these, we +shall find, that every Moment must produce new Filth; and considering +how far distant the great Streets are from the River-side, what Cost +and Care soever be bestow'd to remove the Nastiness almost as fast as +it is made, it is impossible_ London _should be more cleanly before it +is less flourishing. Now would I ask if a good Citizen, in +Consideration of what has been said, might not assert, that dirty +Streets are a necessary Evil inseparable from the Felicity of_ London, +_without being the least Hindrance to the Cleaning of Shoes, or +Sweeping of Streets, and consequently without any Prejudice either to +the_ Blackguard _or the_ Scavengers. + +_But if, without any Regard to the Interest or Happiness of the City, +the Question was put, What Place I thought most pleasant to walk in? No +body can doubt but before the stinking Streets of_ London, _I would +esteem a fragrant Garden, or shady Grove in the Country. In the same +Manner, if, laying aside all worldly Greatness and Vain Glory, I should +be ask'd, where I thought it was most probable that Men might enjoy +true Happiness, I would prefer a small peaceable Society, in which Men, +neither envy'd nor esteem'd by Neighbours, should be contented to live +upon the Natural Product of the Spot they inhabit, to a vast Multitude +abounding in Wealth and Power, that should always be conquering others +by their Arms Abroad, and debauching themselves by Foreign Luxury at +Home._ + +I own, Sir, it is my Opinion, and I have endeavour'd to prove, that +Luxury, tho' depending upon the Vices of Man, is absolutely necessary +to render a great Nation formidable, opulent and polite at the same +Time. But before you pass any Judgment upon me for this, give me Leave +to put you in Mind of Two Things, which I take to be undeniably true. +The First is, that the Kingdom of _Christ_ is not of this World; and +that the last-named is the very Thing a true Christian ought to +renounce: I mean, that when we speak of the World in a figurative +Sense, as the Knowledge of the World, the Glory of the World; or in +_French, Le beau Monde, le grand Monde_; and when in a Man's Praise we +say, that he understands the World very well; that, I say, when we use +the Word in this Manner, it signifies, and we understand by it that +same World which the Gospel gives us so many Cautions and pronounces so +severely against. The Second is, that I have wrote in an Age and a +Nation, where the greatest Part of the Fashionable, and what we call +the better Sort of People, seem to be far more delighted with Temporal, +than they are with Spiritual Enjoyments, at the same Time that they +profess themselves to be Christians; and that whatever they may talk, +preach or write of a Future State and eternal Felicity, they are all +closely attach'd to this wicked World; or at least, that the +Generality, in their Actions and Endeavours, seem to be infinitely more +sollicitous about the one, than they are about the other. + +If you will consider these Two Things, you'll find, that I have +supposed no Necessity of Vice, but among those by whom worldly +Greatness is in Esteem and thought necessary to Happiness. The more +curious and operose Manufactures are, the more Hands they employ; and +that with the Variety of them, the Number of Workmen must still +encrease, wants no Proof. It is evident likewise, that Foreign Traffick +consists in changing of Commodities, and removing them from one Place +to another. No Nation, that has no Gold or Silver of their own Growth, +can purchase our Product long, unless we, or Some body else, will buy +theirs. The Epithets of polite and flourishing are never given to +Countries, before they are arriv'd at a considerable Degree of Luxury; +and a flourishing Nation without it, is Bread without Corn, a Perriwig +without Hair, or a Library without Books. + +Assertions as these, an indulgent Reader will say, might yet be borne +with; and Hypocrites, by putting false Glosses on Things, and giving +favourable Constructions to their Actions, might persuade the World, +that to make this necessary Consumption, they labour'd for the Publick +Good; that they fed on Trouts and Turbots, Quails and Ortolans, and the +most expensive Dishes, not to please their dainty Palates or their +Vanity, but to maintain the Fishmonger and the Poulterer and the many +Wretches, who, for a miserable Livelyhood, are daily slaving to furnish +them. That they wore gold Brocades, and made new Cloaths every +Fortnight, not to gratify their own Pride or Fickleness, but for the +Benefit of the Mercer, the Merchant, and the Weaver, and the +Encouragement of Trade in general. That the Extravagancy of their +Tables, and Splendor of Entertainments, were only the Effects of an +Hospitable Temper, their Benevolence to others, and a generous +Disposition: That Pride or Ostentation had no Hand in these Things, nor +yet in the laying out of the immense Sums for the Elegancy and +Magnificence of Equipages, Gardens, Furniture and Buildings. All these +Things, I dare say, you would let pass; but if you should hear a Man +say, that this Consumption depends chiefly upon Qualities, we pretend +to be asham'd of, it would be offensive to you; and if he should +maintain, that, without the Vices of Man, it would be impossible to +enjoy all the Ease, Glory, and Greatness, the World can afford, and +which, in short, we are fond of, you would think his Assertion to be a +terrible Paradox. + +Many People would believe, that Hunger, tho' they never felt the +Extremities of it, is, in order to live, as requisite to a Man, as it +is to a Cormorant, or to a Wolf; and that without Lust, if you give it +a softer Name, our Species could not be preserv'd, any more than that +of Bulls or Goats. But not One in a Thousand can imagine, tho' it be +equally demonstrable, that in the Civil Society the Avarice of Some and +the Profuseness of Others, together with the Pride and Envy of most +Individuals, are absolutely necessary to raise them to a great and +powerful, and, in the Language of the World, polite Nation. It seems +still to be a greater Paradox, that natural as well as moral Evil, and +the very Calamities we pray against, do not only contribute to this +worldly Greatness, but a certain Proportion of them is so necessary to +all Nations, that it is not to be conceiv'd, how any Society could +subsist upon Earth, exempt from all Evil, both natural and moral. + +Yet these Things are asserted, and, I think, demonstrated in _The Fable +of the Bees_. The Book has run through several Impressions, and met +with innumerable Enemies: Nothing was ever more reviled from the Pulpit +as well as the Press. I have been call'd all the ugly Names in Print, +that Malice or ill Manners can invent; but not one of my Adversaries +has attempted to disprove what I had said, or overthrow any one +Argument, I made Use of, otherwise than by exclaiming against it, and +saying that it was not true: which to me is a Sign, that not only what +I have advanced is not easy to refute, but likewise, that my Opposers +are more closely attach'd to the World, than even I my self had +imagined them to be. Otherwise it is impossible, but, perceiving this +Difficulty, some of them would have reason'd after the following +Manner, _viz._ Since this worldly Greatness is not to be attain'd to +without the Vices of Man, I will have Nothing to do with it; since it +is impossible to serve God and Mammon, my Choice shall be soon made: No +temper I Pleasure can be worth running the Risque of being eternally +miserable; and, let who will labour to aggrandise the Nation, I will +aim at higher Ends, and take Care of my own Soul. + +The Moment such a Thought enters into a Man's Head, all the Poison is +taken away from the Book, and every Bee has lost his Sting. + +Those who should in Reality prefer Spirituals to Temporals, and be seen +to take more Pains to attain an everlasting Felicity, than they did for +the Enjoyment of the fading Pleasures and transient Glorie of this +Life, would not grudge to make some Abatements in the Ease, the +Conveniencies, and the Comforts of it, or even to part with some of +their Possessions upon Earth, to make sure of their Inheritance in the +Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever Liking they might have to the curious +Embellishments and elegant Inventions of the Voluptuous, they would +refuse to purchase them at the Hazard of Damnation. In Judging of +themselves they would not be such easy Casuists, nor think it +sufficient not to act contrary to the Laws of the Land, unless they +likewise obey'd the Precepts of _Christ_. No Book would be plainer or +more intelligible to them than the Gospel; and without consulting +either Fathers or Councils, they would be satisfied, that mortifying +the Flesh never could signify to indulge every Appetite, not prohibited +by an Earthly Legislator. + +What Skill, pray, would it require in Controversy, to be convinced, +that to yield to all the Allurements, to comply with every Mode and +Fashion, and partake of all the Vanities of the World, was the very +Reverse of Renouncing it, if Words had any Signification at all? Here +lies the Difficulty; and here is the true Cause of the Quarrel, and all +the Spite and Invectives against _The Fable of the Bees_ and its +Author. My Adversaries will not be stinted, or abate an Ace of the +wordly Enjoyments they can purchase, because the whole Earth was made +for Man; Libertines say the same of Women, and with equal Justice; yet +relying on this pitiful Reason, they will eat and drink as deliciously +as they can: No Pleasure is denied them, forsooth, that is used with +Moderation; and in Cloaths, Houses, Furniture, Equipages and +Attendance, they may live in perfect Conformity with the most vain and +luxurious of the fashionable People; only with this Difference, that +their Hearts must not be attach'd to these Things, and their grand Hope +be in Futurity. This notable Proviso being once made, tho' in Words +only, all is safe; and no Luxury or Epicurism are so barefac'd, no Ease +is so effeminate, no Elegancy so vainly curious, and no Invention so +operose or expensive, as to interfere with Religion or any Promises +made of Renouncing the World; if they are warranted by Custom, and the +Usage of others, who are their Equals in Estate and Dignity. + +Oh rare Doctrine! Oh easy Christianity! To be moderate in numberless +Extravagancies, _Terence_ would tell them was as practicable as _cum +ratione insanire_: But if we grant the Possibility of it, how shall we +know and be convinced that they are sincere; that their Hearts and +Desires are so little engaged to this vile Earth, as they pretend; or +that the Thoughts of a World to come are any Part of their real +Concern, when we have Nothing but their bare Word for it, and all other +Appearances are unanimous, and the most positive Witnesses against +them? + +I know, that my Enemies won't allow, that I wrote with this View; tho' +I have told them before, and demonstrated, that _The Fable of the Bees_ +was a Book of exalted Morality; they refuse to believe me; their +Clamours against it continue; and what I have now said in Defence of +it, will be rejected, and call'd an Artifice to come off; that it is +full of dangerous, wicked and Atheistical Notions, and could not have +been wrote with any other Design than the Encouragement of Vice. Should +I ask them what Vices they were; Whoring, Drinking, Gaming; or desire +them to name any one Passage, where the least Immorality is +recommended, spoke well of, or so much as conniv'd at, they would have +Nothing to lay hold on but the Title Page. But why then, will you say, +are they so inveterate against it? I have hinted at it just now, but I +will more openly unfold that Mystery. + +I have, in the Book in Question, exposed the real Pleasures of the +Voluptuous, and taken Notice of the great Scarcity of true Self-denial +among Christians, and in doing this I have spared the Clergy no more +than the Laity: This has highly provoked a great many. But as I have +done this without the least Exaggeration, meddled with Nothing, but +what is plainly known and seen, and always said less than I could have +proved, my Adversaries were obliged to dissemble the Cause of their +Anger. What vex'd them the more was, that it was wrote without Rancour +or Peevishness; and, if not in a pleasant, at least in an open +good-humour'd Manner, free, I dare say, from Pedantry and Sourness. +Therefore None of them ever touch'd upon this Point, or spoke one +Syllable of the only Thing, which in their Hearts they hate me for. + +Here, Sir, I must trouble you with a Parable, in which are couch'd the +Prevarications and false Pretences with which the Generality of the +World would cover their real Inclinations and the Ends of their Wishes. +May it prove as diverting to you as the Matter is really instructive. + +_In old Heathen Times there was, they say, a Whimsical Country, where +the People talked much of Religion; and the greatest Part, as to +outward Appearance, seem'd really devout: The chief moral Evil among +them was Thirst, and to quench it, a Damnable Sin; yet they unanimously +agreed, that Every one was born Thirsty more or less. Small Beer in +Moderation was allow'd to All; and he was counted an Hypocrite, a +Cynick, or a Madman, who pretended that One could live altogether +without it; yet those, who owned they loved it, and drank it to Excess, +were counted Wicked. All this while the Beer it self was reckon'd a +Blessing from Heaven, and there was no Harm in the Use of it; all the +Enormity lay in the Abuse, the Motive of the Heart, that made them +drink it. He that took the least Drop of it to quench his Thirst, +committed a heinous Crime, whilst others drank large Quantities without +any Guilt, so they did it indifferently, and for no other Reason than +to mend their Complexion._ + +_They brew'd for other Countries as well as their own; and for the +Small Beer they sent abroad, they receiv'd large Returns of +Westphaly-Hams, Neats-Tongues, Hung-Beef, and Bolonia-Sausages, Red +Herrings, Pickled Sturgeon, Cavear, Anchovies, and every Thing that was +proper to make their Liquor go down with Pleasure. Those who kept great +Stores of Small Beer by them, without making use of it, were generally +envied, and at the same Time very odious to the Publick; and No body +was easy that had not enough of it to come to his own Share. The +greatest Calamity they thought could befall them, was to keep their +Hops and Barley upon their Hands; and the more they yearly consumed of +them, the more they reckon'd the Country to flourish._ + +_The Government had made very wise Regulations concerning the Returns +that were made for their Exports; encouraged very much the Importation +of Salt and Pepper, and laid heavy Duties on every Thing that was not +well season'd, and might any ways obstruct the Sale of their own Hops +and Barley. Those at_ Helm, _when they acted in Publick, shew'd +themselves on all Accounts exempt and wholly divested from Thirst; made +several Laws to prevent the Growth of it, and punish the Wicked who +openly dared to quench it. If you examin'd them in their private +Persons, and pry'd narrowly into their Lives and Conversations, they +seem'd to be more fond, or at least drank larger Draughts of Small Beer +than others, but always under Pretence that the Mending of Complexions +required greater Quantities of Liquor in them, than it did in those +they ruled over; and that what they had chiefly at Heart, without any +Regard to themselves, was to procure great Plenty of Small Beer among +the Subjects in general, and a great Demand for their Hops and Barley._ + +_As No body was debarr'd from Small Beer, the Clergy made use of it as +well as the Laity, and some of them very plentifully; yet all of them +desired to be thought less Thirsty by their Function than others, and +never would own, that they drank any, but to mend their Complexions. In +their Religious Assemblies they were more sincere; for as soon as they +came there, they all openly confess'd, the Clergy as well as the Laity, +from the highest to the lowest, that they were Thirsty; that Mending +their Complexions was what they minded the least, and that all their +Hearts were set upon Small Beer and Quenching their Thirst, whatever +they might pretend to the Contrary. What was remarkable is, that to +have laid Hold of those Truths to any one's Prejudice, and made use of +those Confessions afterwards out of their Temples, would have been +counted very impertinent; and Every body thought it a heinous Affront +to be call'd_ Thirsty, _tho' you had seen him drink Small Beer by whole +Gallons. The chief Topicks of their Preachers was the great Evil of +Thirst, and the Folly there was in quenching it. They exhorted their +Hearers to resist the Temptations of it, inveigh'd against Small Beer, +and often told them it was Poyson, if they drank it with Pleasure, or +any other Design than to mend their Complexions._ + +_In their Acknowledgments to the Gods, they thank'd them for the Plenty +of comfortable Small Beer they had received from them, notwithstanding +they had so little deserv'd it, and continually quench'd their Thirst +with it; whereas they were so thorowly satisfy'd, that it was given +them for a better Use. Having begg'd Pardon for those Offences, they +desired the Gods to lessen their Thirst, and give them Strength to +resist the Importunities of it; yet, in the Midst of their sorest +Repentance, and most humble Supplications, they never forgot Small +Beer, and pray'd that they might continue to have it in great Plenty, +with a solemn Promise, that how neglectful soever they might hitherto +have been in this Point, they would for the Future not drink a Drop of +it with any other Design than to mend their Complexions._ + +_These were standing Petitions, put together to last; and having +continued to be made use of without any Alterations for several Hundred +Years together, it was thought by Some, that the Gods, who understood +Futurity, and knew, that the same Promise they heard in_ June, _would +be made to them the_ January _following, did not rely much more on +those Vows, than we do on those waggish Inscriptions by which Men offer +us their Goods,_ To Day for Money, and to Morrow for Nothing. _They +often began their Prayers very mystically, and spoke many Things in a +spiritual Sense; yet they never were so abstract from the World in +them, as to end One without beseeching the Gods to bless and prosper +the Brewing Trade in all its Branches, and, for the Good of the Whole, +more and more to increase the Consumption of the Hops and Barley._ + +This Parable likewise has been very displeasing to my Enemies, yet they +never complain'd of it, nor ever shew'd their Resentment against those +Passages, where their Frailties were most exposed. But the true +Grievance not being to be named, their next Care was to hinder the +Spreading of my Animadversions upon them; that what I had said might +not be read by Many; and accordingly, giving the Book an ill Name, and +making some imperfect Quotations from it, they procure, as I have said +before, the Grand Jury's Presentment against it. But this being +now-a-Days the wrongest Way in the World to stifle Books, it made it +more known, and encreas'd the Sale of it. This made some hot People +raving mad; and now I began to be attack'd with great Fury from all +Quarters; but as Nothing has appeared yet, that might not be easily +answer'd from _The Fable of the Bees_ it self, or the Vindication I +have spoke of before, I have not hitherto thought fit to take Notice of +any. + +It was wrote for the Entertainment of idle People, and calculated for +Persons of Education, when they are at Leisure and want Amusement; and +therefore to ask Men of Business, or that have any Thing else to do, to +read such an incoherent Rhapsody throughout, would be an unreasonable +Request; at least, the Author himself ought to be more modest than to +expect it: Yet I must beg Leave to say, that whoever has not done this, +ought not to be so magisterial in his Censures, as Some have been on +Passages the most justifiable in the World. It is impossible to say +every Thing at once; and yet Every body, who has a Book before him, has +the Liberty of opening and shutting it, when and where he pleases. +There are many Things, which we entirely approve of, Part of which we +disliked, before we were acquainted with the whole; and we ought always +to consider, that Authors often reserve some Places on Purpose to clear +up and explain others, that are difficult and obscure: Even when we +meet with a Thing really offensive and no ways to be maintain'd, unless +we read a Book through, we do not know but the Author has excepted +against that very Passage himself; perhaps he has retracted, or begg'd +Pardon for it. + +It is hardly possible, that a Man of Candour and any tolerable +Judgment, who seriously considers the Book, can be offended at it. In +the First Place, he will find, that what I call Vices are the +Fashionable Ways of Living, the Manners of the Age, that are often +practis'd and preach'd against by the same People: Those Vices, that +the Persons who are guilty of them, are angry with me for calling them +so: The Decencies and Conveniencies, which my Adversaries are so fond +of, and which, rather than forsake and part with, they would take Pains +to justify. In the Second, That I address myself to the Voluptuous, +whose greatest Delight is in this World; and, that when I speak to +Others, that would be contented without Superfluities, and prefer +Virtue and Honesty to Pomp and Greatness, I lay down quite different +Maxims: That what I have said, Page 258, is true, _viz._ Tho' I have +shewn the Way to Worldly Greatness, I have, without Hesitation, +preferr'd the Road that leads to Virtue. + +Should it be objected, that I was not in Earnest, when I recommended +those mortifying Maxims, I would answer, That those, who think so, +would have said the same to St. _Paul_, or JESUS CHRIST himself, if he +had bid them sell their Estates and give their Money to the Poor. +Poverty and Self-denial have no Allurements in Sight of my Enemies; +they hate the Aspect and the very Thoughts of them, as much as they do +me; and therefore, whoever recommends them must be in Jest. No +Mathematical Demonstration is more true, than that to prohibit +Navigation, and all Commerce with Strangers, is the most effectual Way +to keep out Vice and Luxury: It is almost as true, that Citizens, and +Men of Worth, who defend their own, and fight _pro Aris & Focis_, when +once disciplin'd and inur'd to Hardship, are more to be depended upon +than hired Troops and mercenary Soldiers. Let a Man preach this in +_London_, and they'll say he is craz'd. But if Men won't buy Virtue at +the Price it is only to be had at, Whose Fault is that? + +I knew what People I had to deal with; and when I spoke of the +_Spartans_ and their Frugality, and how formidable they were to their +Enemies, I said then, that such a Way of Living, and a Glory to be +obtain'd by so austere a Self-denial, were not the Things which +Englishmen wanted or desired. There are Twenty Passages in the Book to +the same Purpose; but from this alone it is manifest, that, unless I +was a Fool, or a Madman, I could have no Design to encourage or promote +the Vices of the Age. It will be difficult to shew me an Author, that +has exposed and ridicul'd them more openly. Breaches of the Law I have +treated in a more serious Manner; and tho' it has been insinuated, that +I was an Advocate for all Wickedness and Villany in General, there is +no such Thing in the Book. I have said indeed, that we often saw an +evident Good spring up from a palpable Evil, and given Instances to +prove, that, by the wonderful Direction of unsearchable Providence, +Robbers, Murderers, and the worst of Malefactors were sometimes made +instrumental to great Deliverances in Distress, and remarkable +Blessings, which God wrought and conferr'd on the Innocent and +Industrious; but as to the Crimes themselves, I have never spoke of +them, but with the utmost Detestation, and on all Occasions urg'd the +great Necessity of punishing all, that are guilty of them, without +Favour or Connivance. + +That Honesty is the best Policy, even as to Temporals, is generally +true; but it does not so often raise Men to great Wealth and Power as +Knavery and Ambition; and Opportunity is a great Rascal. Attorneys, +Money-Scriveners, Bankers and Brokers, as well as Factors of all Sorts, +may, without doubt, be as honest in their Callings as Men of any other; +but it is evident in all Trades, that the greater the Trust is to be +reposed in Persons, and the more their Transactions are Secrets and +such as they can only be accountable for to God and their Conscience, +the more Latitude they have of being Knaves without being discover'd. +Should now a Man of a Business, where he has great Opportunity of +defrauding others with Impunity, be a cunning Sharper, a covetous +Miser, and a wicked Hypocrite; can it be a Question, whether he is not +more likely to get a great Estate, with the same setting out in a few +Years, than a charitable, religious Man, whose chief Care is not for +this World, in the same or any other Calling, equally beneficial to +fair Dealers? I am not ignorant of what may be said against me, about +God's Blessing, and on whom it is most likely to fall. The Dispositions +of Providence are unfathomable, and the Distribution of what we call +Good and Evil in this World, is a Mystery not to be accounted for by +the Notions we have of God's Justice, without having Recourse to a +Future State; therefore I need not to take this in Consideration here. +The Question is not, which is the readiest Way to Riches, but whether +the Riches themselves are worth being damn'd for. + +There never was yet, and it is impossible to conceive, an opulent +Nation, without great Vices: This is a Truth; and I am not accessary to +its being so, for divulging it. When I have shewn the Necessity of +Vice, to render a Society great and potent, I have exposed that +Greatness, and left it to them, the Members of it, whether it is worth +buying at that Price; and I defy all my Enemies to shew me, where I +have recommended Vice, or said the least Tittle, by which I contradict +that true, as well as remarkable Saying of Monsieur _Baile_. _Les +utilites du vice n'empechent pas qu' il ne soit mauvais._ Vice is +always bad, whatever Benefit we may receive from it.--But I have been +strangely treated. + +Should a thriving Youth in Athletick Health, almost arriv'd at Manhood, +industriously waste his Flesh for no other Purpose, than to weigh less, +I would 'count him a Fool for his Pains; because he runs the Risque of +doing himself great Injury. But he must ride; the Match is made; he has +a Master to oblige, and he is undone it he refuses: So he is managed +accordingly against the Time. If I had a Mind to expose this Practice, +and, laying open the whole Regimen Men are to go through in order to +waste, acquaint the World with the sharp Liquors they take, how they +are purged, sweated, stinted in their Food, and debarr'd from their +natural Rest; If, I say, I had a Mind to do this, and ridicule the +Expedient, I don't see where would be the Harm. As to the Thing it +self, No body would doubt, but drinking Vinegar, Physicking, Watching, +and Starving, would be a more proper Means to lose Flesh, than good +Nourishment three Times a Day, and comfortable Sleep at Night. But the +Question is, whether Weighing less, or the Riding it self, be of that +Importance, that a Man would undergo so much for it; and I believe, +most People, far from following this Method, would content themselves +with admiring and laughing at the Folly of it. But it would be +barbarous to say, that I had prescrib'd it, when I had openly declared +against it. But what Name would you give it, if the Jockeys themselves, +continuing their former Practice, should in Revenge, that I had expos'd +it, pretend seriously to exclaim against me for broaching a destructive +Doctrine, that would endanger the Health, and spoil the Growth of young +People, and to prove their Assertions, quote as many of my own Words as +would serve their Purpose, and no more? + +I take this to be a pretty near Resemblance of my Case: _Omne Simile +claudicat_. But it is not sufficient for me to say, that I am innocent, +any more than it is for my Enemies to cry out, that I am guilty: Men of +Sense can not be long imposed upon by either: It is the Book we must +stand or fall by at last; and it is to this I refer all judicious as +well as impartial Readers. They will soon find out the true Cause of +the Malice, and all the Clamours against me, and that my laying open +the luxurious Lives of some Men; my shewing the great Scarcity of +Self-denial among Christians as well as others, and, in short, my +reprehending, lashing and ridiculing Vice and Insincerity, have +procured me infinitely more Enemies than all the pretended +Encouragement to Vice and Immorality they can meet with; and if, after +perusing the whole, all Persons of Candour, and Capacity to read Books +of that Nature, are not fully convinced of this, may I be despised for +ever, and forfeit the good Opinion of all Men I value. But still the +Title, _Private Vices, Publick Benefits_: The hearing and seeing of it, +I shall be told, must be offensive to those, who don't read the Book, +and will never vouchsafe to look into it. + +Pray, Sir, let us examine this. It is evident, that the Words _Private +Vices, Publick Benefits_ make not a compleat Sentence according to +Grammar; and that there is at least a Verb, if not a great deal more +wanting to make the Sense perfect. In the Vindication of _The Fable of +the Bees_, I have said, that I understood by it, that _Private Vices_, +by the dexterous Management of a skilful Politician, might be turn'd +into _Publick Benefits_. There is Nothing forc'd or unnatural in this +Explanation; and Everybody ought to have the Liberty of being an +Interpreter of his own Words. But if I wave this Privilege, the worst +Construction that can be put upon the Words is, that they are an +Epitome of what I have labour'd to prove throughout the Book, that +Luxury and the Vices of Man, under the Regulations and Restrictions +laid down in the _Fable of the Bees_, are subservient to, and even +inseparable from the Earthly Felicity of the Civil Society; I mean what +is commonly call'd Temporal Happiness, and esteem'd to be such. + +As to those who, without reading the Book, may be corrupted by the +Sight, or by the bare Sound of the Words _Private Vices, Publick +Benefits_, I confess, I don't know what Provision to make for them. +People who judge of Books from their Titles, must be often imposed +upon. There is neither Blasphemy nor Treason in the Words, and they are +far enough from Obscenity: If any Mischief is to be fear'd from them, +_Drink and be Rich_, a Title that has been bawl'd about the Streets, +must be far more dangerous. This latter is a direct Precept, a +pernicious, as well as deceitful Doctrine, comprised in a full +Sentence, wrote in the Imperative Mood. What strange Consequence would +it be of, especially among the Poor, if, relying on the Wisdom of this +Title, and taking it for wholesome Advice, People should act +accordingly, without any further Examination? + +The true Reason why I made use of the Title, _Private Vices, Publick +Benefits_, I sincerely believe, was to raise Attention: As it is +generally counted to be a Paradox, I pitch'd upon it in Hopes that +those who might hear or see it, would have the Curiosity to know, what +could be said to maintain it; and perhaps sooner buy the Book, than +they would have done otherwise. This, to the best of my Knowledge, is +all the Meaning I had in it; and I think it must have been Stupidity to +have had any other. + +If it be urged, that these Benefits are worldly, I own it; and Every +body may see, in whose Sense I call them so; in the Language of the +World, the Age and the Time I live: This one of my Adversaries +perceived plainly, and endeavoured to take Advantage of it against me, +by saying, that Nothing could be a real Benefit, that did not conduce +to a Man's eternal Happiness; and that it was evident, that the Things, +to which I gave that Name, did not. I agree with him, that a Man's +Salvation is the greatest Benefit he can receive or wish for; and I am +persuaded, that, speaking of Things Spiritual, the Word is very proper +in that Sense; the same may be said of the Words Profit, Gain, and, if +you please, Lucre; but I deny, that without any Addition, this is the +common Acceptation of them; in which, I hope, I may have the Liberty to +make use of Words with the Rest of my Fellow-Subjects. All temporal +Privileges and worldly Advantages whatever, are call'd Benefits, and a +Thousand Things are beneficial to the Body, that have Nothing to do +with the Soul. So a Felon may have the Benefit of the Clergy; such are +Benefit-Tickets; and so a Man may go in the Country for the Benefit of +the Air. I would ask this wise Gentleman, when he reads, that a Play is +to be acted for the Benefit of such a one; which he thinks it is, the +Money the Person receives, or the Performance it self, that contributes +most to his eternal Happiness. + +But I am more cautious and exact, than my Enemies imagine: If I would +have made my Readers to understand, that the Vices of Men often prove +of worldly Advantage to those who commit them, tho' it is very true, +yet in this Case, I would not have used the Word Benefit in so general +a Manner: for as Nothing is of greater Concern to every individual +Person, than his future Welfare, Nothing can be Beneficial to him, in +an unlimited Sense, that might destroy, or any Ways interfere with his +eternal Happiness: But this eternal Happiness cannot at the soonest +commence till after this Life; and when a Man is dead, he ceases to be +a Member of the Society, and he is no longer a Part of the Publick; +which latter is a collective Body of living Creatures, living upon this +Earth, and consequently, as such, not capable of enjoying eternal +Happiness. A Miser may go directly to Hell, as the Reward of his +Avarice and Extortion, at the same Time, that the great Wealth he +leaves, and the Hospital he builds, are a considerable Relief to the +Poor, and consequently a Publick Benefit. + +If a Man should affirm, that the Publick is wholly incapable of having +any Religion at all, it would, perhaps, be shocking to some People; yet +it is as true, as that the Body Politick, which is but another Name for +the Publick, has no Liver nor Kidneys, no real Lungs nor Eyes in a +literal Sense. Mix'd Multitudes of Good and Bad Men, high and low +Quality, may join in outward Signs of Devotion, and perform together +what is call'd Publick Worship; but Religion it self can have no Place +but in the Heart of Individuals; and the most a Legislator can act in +Behalf of it in a Christian Country, is, first, to establish it by Law; +and, after that, every way to secure and promote the Exercise of it on +the one Hand; and, on the other, to prohibit and punish Wickedness, and +all Manner of Impiety, that can fall under the Cognizance of +Magistrates. But thus much I think to be necessary in the Civil +Administration of all Governments, for the temporal Interest of the +Whole, before true Christianity comes in Question, which is a private +Concern of every Individual: And tho' I have not every where taken +Notice of this, when I have been soothing the Voluptuous, yet when it +has come directly in my Way, I have earnestly recommended to all +Magistrates the Care of Divine Worship, even when my greatest Regard +has been for the Wealth and Greatness of Nations, and the Advancement +of worldly Glory; which good Christians ought to have little to do +with. Of which you may see an undeniable Proof in Page 352, where +speaking of the Instructions the Children of the Poor might receive at +Church; _From which,_ I say, _or some other Place of Worship, I would +not have the meanest of the Parish, that is able to walk to it, be +absent on Sundays,_ I have these Words: _It is the Sabbath, the most +useful Day in Seven, that is set apart for Divine Service & Religious +Exercise, as well as Resting from bodily Labour; and it is a Duty +incumbent on all Magistrates, to take a particular Care of that Day. +The Poor more especially, and their Children, should be made to go to +Church on it, both in the Fore- and the Afternoon, because they have no +Time on any other. By Precept and Example they ought to be encourag'd +to it from their Infancy. The wilful Neglect of it ought to be 'counted +scandalous; and if down-right Compulsion to what I urge, might seem too +harsh, and perhaps impracticable, all Diversions, at least, ought +strictly to be prohibited, and the Poor hinder'd from every Amusement +abroad, that might allure or draw them from it._ + +I return to my Subject. How shocking to Some, and ridiculous to others, +the explanatory Part of the Title I mention'd, may have been, yet it is +irrefragrably true; and there are various Ways, by which Private Vices +may become Publick Benefits, Ways more real and practicable, than what, +some Time ago, was offer'd by that serious Divine, whose Religion and +Piety are so amply set forth in that undisguised Confession of his +Faith, _The Tale of a Tub_. People may wrangle about the Definition of +Luxury as long as they please; but when Men may be furnish'd with all +the Necessaries for Life from their own Growth, and yet will send for +Superfluities from Foreign Countries, which they might (as many +actually do) live comfortably without, it certainly is a Degree of +Luxury, if there be such a Thing as Luxury in the World. Now, if a +Legislator, who is to take Care of the Welfare, and consequently the +Defence, as well as the Tranquility of the Publick, perceiving this +vicious Inclination and Longing after Superfluities, made use of it as +a Means to provide for the Publick Safety, and actually raised Money by +Licensing the Importation of such Foreign Superfluities; might it not +be said, that, by such skilful Management, _Private Vices_ were turn'd +into _Publick Benefits_? And is this not done, when heavy Duties are +laid on Sugar, Wine, Silk, Tobacco, and a Hundred other Things less +necessary, and not to be purchas'd but with infinite Toil and Trouble, +and at the Hazard of Men's Lives? If you tell me, that Men may make use +of all these Things with Moderation, and consequently that the Desire +after them is no Vice, then I answer, that either no Degree of Luxury +ought to be call'd a Vice, or, that it is impossible to give a +Definition of Luxury, which Every body will allow to be a just one. + +But I'll give you another Instance, how palpable and gross Vices may +be, and are turn'd into Publick Benefits. It is the Business of all +Law-givers to watch over the Publick Welfare, and, in order to procure +that, to submit to any Inconveniency, any Evil, to prevent a much +greater, if it is impossible to avoid that greater Evil at a cheaper +Rate. Thus the Law, taking into Consideration the daily Encrease of +Rogues and Villains, has enacted, that if a Felon, before he is +convicted himself, will impeach two or more of his Accomplices, or any +other Malefactors, so that they are convicted of a Capital Crime, he +shall be pardon'd and dismiss'd with a Reward in Money. There is no +Doubt but this is a good and wise Law; for without such an Expedient, +the Country would swarm with Robbers and Highwaymen Ten-times more than +it does; for by this Means we are not only deliver'd from a greater +Number of Villains, than we could expect to be from any other; but it +likewise stops the Growth of them, breaks their Gangs, and hinders them +from trusting One another. For Three Rogues, acting separately, cannot +do so much substantial Mischief on all Occasions, as when they act in +Company. All this while it is evident, that in this Case the Law has +only Regard to the Publick Good, and, to procure that, sets aside all +other Laws, and proceeds rather contrary to the Common Notions we have +of Justice; which, according to the _Civilians_, consists _in a +constant and perpetual Desire of giving every one his Due_: For instead +of Hanging, which is a Felon's Due, it pardons him; and for Fear he +should have some Goodness left, and that natural Compassion might make +him unwilling to destroy his dearest Friends, and perhaps his Brother, +with his Breath, the Law invites him to it by a large Sum of Money, and +actually bribes him to add to the Rest of his Crimes that Piece of +Treachery to his Companions, whom he had sworn Fidelity to, and perhaps +drawn into the Villany. + +It is in vain to tell me, that this Impeaching of his Companions is no +Crime in a Felon, but a Duty which he owes his Country; and that I +don't know but it is the Effect of his sincere Repentance, which makes +him look upon this open Confession as the only Attonement he is able to +make the Publick for all his Offences against it. Those who would +impeach Others from a Motive of Conscience, and a Sense of their Duty, +were not the Men the Legislature had in View. When that Law was made, +it was well known, from what was observed of Thieves, Pickpockets, and +House-breakers, that those Common Villains will do any Thing to get +Money, and still more to save Life, when they are conscious that it is +forfeited. The Knowledge of this was the Foundation of that Law. For +the Worst of Rogues have Friendship and Affection for one another; and +Constancy, Faithfulness, and Intrepidity are 'counted valuable +Qualities among them, as well as among other People. One Villain who +betrays another merely for Money, and without Necessity, thinks himself +to be guilty of a bad Action; and among the many Hundreds of Rogues, +who have impeach'd and hang'd their Companions, I don't believe there +ever was one, who made himself a Witness against an Associate, with +whom he was not at Enmity before, if he could have got the same +Temporal Advantage by holding his Tongue. + +This shews the Usefulness of such a Law, and at the same Time the +Wisdom of the Politician, by whose skilful Management the Private Vices +of the Worst of Men are made to turn to a Publick Benefit. There are +Men who are of Opinion, that no positive Evil may be done or commanded, +that Good may come of it, on any Account whatever: Should any one of +these be in doubt whether there is not some Reasonableness or other +Merit in this Law, besides its contributing to the Welfare of the +Society; I would ask him, if it would not be an unpardonable Folly, nay +a wicked Action in any Legislature, to enact, that a most abandon'd +Wretch, who has been guilty of many Capital Crimes, should, without +having shewn any Remorse, not only be pardon'd, but likewise with a +Reward in Money be let loose again upon the Publick; if what is +design'd by such an extraordinary Conduct, to wit, the Decrease of +Thefts and Villanies, might be obtain'd by any other Method, less +clashing with the common Notions we have of Justice: Which being +undeniably true, the only Reason that can be given, why Enacting this +is neither Wickedness nor Folly, is Necessity, and the Publick Benefit, +which is expected from it. + +If All I have said hitherto in Defence of the _Fable of the Bees_, and +what I have quoted from it, have not alter'd the Opinion you seem to +have had of the Book, I believe it is in vain to say any more: Other +Readers, I hope, will be less obdurate, and convinced by this Time, +that it was not wrote for the Encouragement of Vice and to debauch the +Nation; which is all I want; for as to the Performance, whether good or +bad, I shall say Nothing about it, whatever I think. I sincerely +believe, Sir, that most Authors (whatever they say to the Contrary) +have a better Opinion of their Works than they deserve; and I fancy, +that most People believe so too: Therefore whether it is well or ill +wrote, as to the Diction, Manner, and whatever regards the Composition, +is what I would never have troubled my Head about, tho' it had been +more generally condemn'd than it has been. + +The Censurers of the Book themselves, who have publickly attack'd it, +are not unanimous about the Merit of it; and Two of them, who have both +wrote against it by Name, differ very widely in their Opinion +concerning this Composition. A noted[24] Critick, who seems to hate all +Books that sell, and no other, has, in his Anger at that Circumstance, +pronounced against _The Fable of the Bees_ in this Manner: _It is a +wretched Rhapsody; the Wit of it is low; the Humour of it contemptibly +low, and the language often barbarous_. But a Reverend Divine, who has +wrote a long Preface against the same Book, seems not to have disliked +the Performance of it, nor to wonder at the quick Sale of it, which he +ascribes in a great Measure[25] _to the free, easy and lively Manner of +the Author_. From this Contrariety of Opinions, I shall infer Nothing +more, than that, if Men would be truly inform'd of the Book, it is not +safe to trust to the Reports which are spread of it. What Pity it is, +you did not know this before you wrote your _Minute Philosopher_! + + [24] _Mr. Dennis._ + + [25] _Dr. Fiddes's Treatise of Morality, Pref. Page XIX._ + +There are few Men, even among the most able, who can judge of Books +impartially. We are often influenc'd by our Love, or our Hatred, before +we are aware of it our selves. I have met with several good Judges of +Books, who disliked, and spoke very slightingly of your _Alciphron_; +and I found, the chief Reason was, because you attack'd all _Free +Thinkers_, without Exception. But I declare, that I think your Book, +for the Generality, to be well wrote; tho' you have us'd me most +unmercifully, and not acted, if you had read _The Fable of the Bees_, +like an honest Man. When a Person has a handsome Face, I can't be so +stupid as to believe him ugly, because he has us'd me ill. I differ +from My Lord _Shaftesbury_ entirely, as to the Certainty of the +_Pulchrum & Honestum_, abstract from Mode and Custom: I do the same +about the Origin of Society, and in many other Things, especially the +Reasons why Man is a Sociable Creature, beyond other Animals. I am +fully persuaded, His Lordship was in the Wrong in these Things; but +this does not blind my Understanding so far, as not to see, that he is +a very fine Author, and a much better Writer than my self, or you +either. If that noble Lord had been a much worse Author, and wrote on +the Side of Orthodoxy and the Church, I fancy, you would have thought +more favourably of his Capacity. I have seen what you have cited from +him, and the Manner you have done it in. But what Proportion does that +bear to Three large Volumes, and the many admirable Things he has said +against Priestcraft, and on the Side of Liberty and Human Happiness. +Upon the Whole, I dare say, that your _Minute Philosopher_ will meet +with very few Readers, among those that have read, and are not lash'd +in the _Characteristicks_, who will think, that My Lord _Shaftsbury_ +deserves one Tenth Part of the Indignity and Contempt, which you treat +_Cratylus_ with. + +Men may differ in Opinion, and both mean well. You, Sir, think it for +the Good of Society, that human Nature should be extoll'd as much as +possible: I think, the real Meanness and Deformity of it to be more +instructive. Your Design is, to make Men copy after the beautiful +Original, and endeavour to live up to the Dignity of it: Mine is, to +enforce the Necessity of Education, and mortify Pride. I was very much +delighted with what you say in your First Dialogue of Apple-trees and +Oranges; the different Productions of the first, and the Culture of the +other. The Allegory is very ingenious, and the Application just; but I +don't think, that the Conclusion, which must be drawn from it, will be +of great Use to you. Page 51. _Euphranor_ asks _Alciphron, Why may we +not conclude by a Parity of Reason, that Things may be natural to Human +Kind, and yet neither found in all Men, nor invariably the same, where +they are found?_ I answer, They may. But if all the Knowledge and +Accomplishments, which Men can attain to, are to be look'd upon as +natural, and peculiar to the whole Species, it must be the same with +Vice and Wickedness, as it is with Virtue and the Liberal Arts; and, +what I never could have imagin'd before, it must be as natural for a +Man to murder his Father, as it is to reverence him; and for a Woman to +poison her Husband, as it is to love him. + +If you would but look into the Reasons, Sir, I have given for +distinguishing between what is natural, and what is acquired, you would +not find any ill Intention in that Practice. Many Things are true, +which the Vulgar think Paradoxes. Believe me, Sir, to understand the +Nature of Civil Society, requires Study and Experience. Evil is, if not +the Basis of it, at least a necessary Ingredient in the Compound; and +the temporal Happiness of Some is inseparable from the Misery of +others. They are silly People who imagine, that the Good of the Whole +is consistent with the Good of every Individual; and the best of us are +insincere. Every body exclaims against Luxury; yet there is no Order of +Men which is not guilty of it; and if the Lawgivers are not always +endeavouring to keep up all Trades and Manufactures, that supply us +with the Means and Implements of Luxury, they are blamed. To wish for +the Encrease of Trade and Navigation, and the Decrease of Luxury at the +same Time, is a Contradiction. For suppose, that the Legislature, by +the Help of the Clergy, could introduce a general Frugality in this +Nation, we could never keep up our Traffick, and employ the same Hands +and Shipping, unless they could likewise persuade the Nations, we deal +with, to be more profuse than now they are, that they might take off +from our Hands so much more of the Implements of Luxury, as our +Consumption of them should be less than it had been before. + +The very same Things, which are Blessings in One Year, are Calamities +in another. In every Nation, those who are employ'd in Gardening and +Agriculture, are taught by Experience to manage their Affairs, as is +most suitable to the Climate and the Certainty or Irregularities of the +Seasons. If there were no Blasts in _England_, nine Tenths of the +Apple-trees would be superfluous. Ask the Gardeners about _London_, +whether they don't get more by a middling Crop, than a plentiful +Product; and whether Half of them would not be ruin'd, if every Thing +they sow or plant should come to Perfection: Yet Every body wishes for +Plenty and Cheapness of Provisions: But they are often Calamities to a +great Part of the Nation. If the Farmer can't have a reasonable Price +for his Corn, he can't pay his Landlord. We have often had the good +Fortune of having great Plenty, when other Nations have wanted. This is +a real Gain: But when all our Neighbours are sufficiently provided, and +we can no where export our Corn with Profit, Two plentiful Years, one +after an other, are a greater Detriment to the Publick by far, than a +middling Scarcity. A benevolent Man, who has a favourable Opinion of +his Kind, would perhaps imagine, that Labourers of all Sorts would go +to their Work with greater Alacrity, and bear the Fatigue of it with +more Chearfulness, in plentiful Years, than when Corn is at a high +Price, and with all their Industry they can hardly procure Food for +their Families. But the Contrary is true; and ask all considerable +Dealers, of Experience, who for many Years have employ'd a great Number +of Hands in the Woollen Manufacture, in Hard Ware, or Agriculture, and +they will tell you unanimously, that the Poor are most insolent, and +their Labour is least to be depended upon, when Provisions are very +cheap; and that they never can have so much Work done, or their Orders +so punctually comply'd with, as when Bread is dear. + +Your _Crito_ and _Euphranor_ are very good Characters; but what I +admire the most in them, is the consummate Patience in keeping Company, +and bearing for a whole Week together, with two such insupportable, out +of the way Rascals, as you have represented _Alciphron_ and _Lysicles_ +to be. I believe with you, that among the Vain and Voluptuous, there +are Abundance of superficial People, who call themselves _Free +Thinkers_, and are proud of being thought to be Unbelievers, without +having laid the Foundation of any Philosophy at all. But there never +were Two such Creatures in the World as those whom you have made the +Champions for Free-thinking. I don't speak as to their Irreligion and +Impiety, or their Incapacity of maintaining what they loudly assert; +for such there are many among Rakes and Gamesters. But the Knowledge, +good Sense and Penetration, which your Libertines display at some +Times, are inconsistent with the Ignorance, Folly and Stupidity they +shew at others. It is impossible that Men of Parts, and the least +Spirit, how much soever they were in the Wrong, could see themselves +defeated, banter'd and exposed with so much Tranquility and +Chearfulness; and I can't conceive how any, but egregious Coxcombs, +without Sense of Shame, could behave as _Alciphron_ and _Lysicles_ do +throughout your Dialogues. They are Fellows without Feeling or Manners. +If among Gentlemen there are abandon'd Wretches, who harbour Sentiments +so abominable and openly destructive to Society, as several are which +they advance, I am very well assured, that no well-bred Men would vent +them before Strangers in so shocking a Manner as they do. No Mortal +ever saw such Disputants before; they always begin with swaggering and +boasting of what they'll prove; and in every Argument they pretend to +maintain, they are laid upon their Backs, and constantly beaten to +Pieces, till they have not a Word more to say; and when this has been +repeated above half a Score times, they still retain the same Arrogance +and _mal-a-pert_ Briskness they were made to set out with at first; and +immediately after every Defeat, they are making fresh Challenges, +seemingly with as much Unconcern and Confidence of Success, as if +Nothing had pass'd before, or they remember'd Nothing of what had +happened. Such an Undauntedness in assaulting, and Alacrity in +yielding, as you have made them display, never met in the same +Individuals before. + +I know, Sir, that in drawing those Characters, you design'd them for +Monsters to be abhorr'd and detested; and in this you have succeeded to +Admiration, at least with me; for I can assure you, that I never saw +any two Interlocutors in the same Dialogue or Drama, whose Behaviour +and Principles I execrate more heartily, than I do theirs. And if you +would read the _Fable of the Bees_ impartially, you would be convinced +of this, from my Description of the Company I would chuse to converse +with. Upon, such a Condescension, I would likewise demonstrate to you, +how you and I might assist and be useful to one another, as Authors. + +You allow, that there are vicious Clergymen, who are unworthy of their +Function. I foresee, that Some of these, who have neither _Crito's_ +Learning, nor _Euphranor_'s good Sense, will make use of your +_Alciphron_ for an evil Purpose. Having by their bad Courses made +themselves contemptible to all who know them, they will endeavour to +stop the Mouths of all Opposers, by barely naming the _Minute +Philosopher_; and having, by the Credit of that Book, repell'd the +Censure they had deserv'd, insult the Laity, and lay claim to the +Honour and Deference, which ought only to be paid to worthy Divines. +These I will take in Hand, and convince, that you have not wrote to +justify those Ecclesiasticks, who by their Practice contradict the +Doctrine of _Christ_; and that they misconstrued your Intentions; who +leading vicious Lives themselves, demanded the same Respect from +Others, which you only affirm to be due to Clergymen of Merit and good +Morals. And as I would handle these, so you, in like Manner, would take +to Task those vile Profligates, who, copying after your Originals, +should at any Time endeavour to shelter themselves under my Wings. +Should ever a second _Lysicles_ pretend to prove, that the more +Mischief Men did, the more they acted for the Publick Welfare, because +it is said, in _The Fable of the Bees_, that without Vices, no great +Nation can be rich and flourishing, you would laugh at his Folly; and +if, for the same Reason, he urged, that Rapes, Murder, Theft, and all +Manner of Villanies ought to be applauded, or at least pass'd by with +Impunity, you would demonstrate to him, how immensly far my Design was +from screening Criminals, and shew him the many Passages, where I +insist upon it, that impartial Justice ought to be administer'd, and +that even for the Welfare of worldly-minded Men, Crimes should be +severely punish'd. You would inform him likewise, that I thought +Nothing more cruel, than the Lenity of Juries, and the Frequencies of +_Pardons_, and not forget to tell him, that my Book contained several +Essays on Politicks; that the greatest Part of it was a Philosophical +Disquisition into the Force of the Passions, and the Nature of Society, +and that they were silly People, who made any other Construction of it. + +I observe in your fifth Dialogue, that you think the Multitudes among +Christians to have better Morals, than they were possess'd of among the +antient Heathens. The Vices of Men have always been so inseparable from +great Nations, that it is difficult to determine any Thing with +Certainty about that Matter. But I am of Opinion, that the Morals of a +People in general, I mean the Virtues and Vices of a whole Nation, are +not so much influenced by the Religion that is profess'd among them, as +they are by the Laws of the Country, the Administration of Justice, the +Politicks of the Rulers, and the Circumstances of the People. Those who +imagine, that the Heathens were encouraged and led to criminal +Pleasures by the bad Examples of the Deities they worship'd, seem not +to distinguish between the Appetites themselves, the strong Passions in +our Nature, that prompt Men to Vices, and the Excuses they make for +committing them. If the Laws and Government, the Administration of +Justice, and the Care of the Magistrates were the same, and the +Circumstances of the People were likewise the same, I should be glad to +hear a Reason, why there should be more or less Incontinence in +_England_, if we were Heathens, than there is, now we are Christians. +The real Cause of Fornication, and Adultery, the Root of the Evil, is +Lust. This is the Passion, which is so difficult to conquer, whilst it +affects us. There are many Christians, no doubt, who subdue it by the +Fear of God, and Punishment hereafter; but I believe, that the +Heathens, who triumph'd over this Passion, from a Regard to Virtue, +were as considerable in Number. Among the nominal Christians, there are +not a Few, who forbear indulging this Passion, from worse Principles. I +believe it was the same with the Heathens. However, in _Great-Britain_ +there are Thousands that abstain from unlawful Pleasures, who would not +be so cautious, if they were not deterr'd from them by the Expence, the +Fear of Diseases, and that of losing their Reputation. These are three +Evils, against which all the bad Examples of the Gods can bring no +Remedy. + +In all Ages, Men have display'd Virtues and Vices, which their Religion +had Nothing to do with; and in many Actions, and even the most +important Affairs, they are not more influenced by what they believe of +a Future State, than they are by the Name of the Street they live in. +When People shew great Attachment to the World and their Pleasure, and +are very cool, and even neglectful in Religious Duties, it is +ridiculous to ascribe their good Qualities to their Christianity. +You'll give me Leave, Sir, to expatiate a little upon this Head, and +illustrate my Meaning in a Character or two, which I am going to draw. + +_Lepidus_, a Man of good Sense, is a Batchellor, and never intends to +marry. He is far from being chast, but cautious in his Amours. He is a +Lover of Mirth and Gaiety, hates Solitude, and would rather take up +with almost any Company, than be alone. He keeps a very good Table; no +Man treats with a better Grace; and seems never to be better pleased, +than when he is entertaining his Friends. He has a very great Estate, +yet at the Year's End he lays up but little of his large Revenue. +Notwithstanding this, he lives within Compass, and would think Nothing +more miserable, than not to be rich. He is a Man of Honour, and has a +high Value for Reputation. He is of the establish'd Church, and +commonly goes to it once every Sunday; but never comes near it at any +other Time. Once likewise every Year, either at _Easter_ or +_Whitsuntide_, he takes the Sacrament. For the Rest, Pleasure and +Politeness are his chief Study: He seems to be little affected with +Religion, and seldom speaks of it, either for or against it. Now, if a +Man, having well weigh'd and examin'd this Character, was ask'd what he +thought of _Lepidus_, as to his Principle, and the Motives of his +Actions, and he should give it as his Opinion, that this Sociableness, +this generous and _debonnair_ Temper of _Lepidus_ were owing to his +being a Christian, and not a Heathen or a Freethinker, it might be +call'd a charitable Construction, but I could never think it well +judg'd. But be that as it will, if a _Crito_ or an _Euphranor_ had a +Mind to advance such an Opinion, and stand to it, I am fully persuaded, +that it would be easy for them to say so much in Behalf of it; that it +would not only be difficult to disprove it, but likewise a very odious +Task to set about it. + +_Nicanor_ is a very sober Man; hardly ever drinks to Excess; yet he is +never without Wine of several Sorts, and is very free with it to his +Friends, and all who come to see him. But whatever his Company may do, +he always fills very sparingly for himself, and seldom drinks above +half a Pint at a Sitting. He never goes to a Tavern but about Business; +and when he is alone, Small Beer or Water are the Liquors he chuses. +_Nicanor_, who was always an industrious Man, is become rich by his +Trade, yet as indefatigable as ever, and seems to know no greater +Pleasure than the getting of Money. He is not void of Ambition; is +Deputy of the Ward he lives in, and hopes to be an Alderman before he +dies. Once in his Life he was drunk, but that was in driving a Bargain, +by which he got Five Hundred Pound in one Morning. Let us suppose, that +this Character being likewise look'd into, a Man shou'd take it into +his Head to affirm, that the Industry and Desire after Wealth of +_Nicanor_ were owing to his Love of Wine, One would imagine, that it +would not be difficult to refute this Man, and to prove, that what he +advanced was a wrong Judgment, if not a ridiculous Surmise. + +For if _Nicanor_ loved Wine, he would drink more of it. He is rich +enough to buy it, nay he has Plenty of it, tho' he hardly ever touches +it, when he is by himself. He grudges it not to Others; and it is +incredible, that if he loved Wine, he should only fill Thimbles full +for himself, whilst he saw Others drink Bumpers to his Cost with +Pleasure. You will think perhaps, that I have said too much already, to +prove a Thing that is as clear as the Sun. But if it was as reputable, +and 'counted as necessary to real Happiness to love Wine, as it is to +be Religious; and a Man of _Euphranor_'s Capacity had a Mind to be +_Nicanor_'s Advocate, and maintain, that the Love of Wine was the +Motive of his Industry, in Spight of all the Appearances to the +Contrary; if, I say, a Man had a Mind to maintain this, and had +_Euphranor_'s Capacity, he might make a great Shew for his Client, +without the Learning of _Crito_, and would certainly baffle his +Adversaries, if he had such pliable ones as _Alciphron_ and _Lysicles_ +to deal with. Come, would _Euphranor_ say, answer me, _Alciphron_; is +it not demonstrable, that the more Money a Man has, the more able he is +to buy Wine. _Alciphron_ would answer, I cannot deny that; and here the +Dialogue would begin. _Euphr._ When there are plain Evidences that a +Man has been drunk, would you deny it to be true? _Alciph._ I would +never speak against Matter of Fact. _Euph._ Would you pretend to prove +from a Man's having been drunk, that he does not love Wine? _Alciph._ I +own I would not. _Euph._ You, who are a Free Thinker, and have enquir'd +so minutely into Human Nature, do you think there is a Capacity in Man, +by which he can dive into the Hearts of others, and know their most +secret Thoughts with Certainty? _Alciph._ I don't think there is. +_Euph._ When Actions are good and laudable in themselves, and there are +two different Motives from which they might proceed, the one very +honourable, and the other scandalous; which is it most charitable, to +ascribe these Actions to the first Motive, or the latter? Why do you +hesitate, _Alciphron_? Would not a polite Man, speaking to another's +Face, say, that he thought his Actions proceeded from that Motive which +does the most Honour to him? _Alciph._ I should think so. _Euph._ O +_Alciphron_! from your own Concessions I can prove to you, how we ought +to judge of _Nicanor_; and that it is highly injurious to ascribe his +Industry, and the Pains he takes to get Money, to any Thing but his +Love of Wine. The Minute Philosophers may say what they please; but +Wine is not to be bought without Money; and you have own'd your self, +that the more Money a Man has, the more he is able to buy Wine. These +Things are self-evident: What a Man chuses, who is at Liberty to do +what he pleases, he must prefer to that which he chuses not; and why +should _Nicanor_ drink Wine any more than he would eat Cheese, if he +did not love it? That he drinks it, is plain; all his Friends and +Acquaintance can testify it; they have been Eye-witnesses to it; +therefore he loves it. And that he must love it beyond Measure, is +plain; for he has forfeited his Reason for the Sake of it, and has +drank Wine till he was drunk. _Alciphron_ being silenced by the Force +of these Arguments, _Lysicles_ perhaps would say, that he could not +give up this Point as _Alciphron_ had done; but that he was not +prepar'd to speak to it now, and therefore desired, that they might +break off the Discourse. Thus _Euphranor_ would triumph over his +Adversary, and the Dialogue would end. + +Duely to weigh these Two Characters, it is plain, that _Nicanor_ was an +abstemious Man; that the Motives which spurred him on to Industry, were +his Love of Money, and Desire after worldly Greatness. Considering the +small Delight he always seem'd to take in strong Liquors, and his known +Thirst after Gain, it is impossible to account rationally for his +excessive Drinking one Morning, than by ascribing it to his darling +Passion, the Love of Lucre, which made him venture to lose his Sobriety +rather than the Advantage which he expected from the Bargain he was +driving. Therefore it is plain from this Character, that the Love of +Wine, whether it was, counted blameable or praise-worthy, had no +Influence upon _Nicanor_'s Actions, and consequently that, tho' it had +been less than it was, it would never have diminish'd his Industry. + +In _Lepidus_ we see a fond Admirer of Company, and a discreet Lover of +himself, who would enjoy as much of the World as is possible, without +forfeiting the good Opinion of it: And a rich Man, of an even Temper, +might perform all this in a Christian Country, from no better +Principles than Pride and worldly Prudence, tho' he had very little or +no Religion. + +All This an hasty and inconsiderate Reader will call Folly, and tell +me, that I am fighting with my own Shadow; and that, from the Character +of _Nicanor_, no Mortal would imagine, that his Industry and Desire +after Wealth could proceed from, and be owing to his Love of Wine: But +I insist upon it, and you must allow it, Sir, that there would be no +greater Absurdity in an Attempt of proving this, than there would be in +ascribing the Sociableness and generous Behaviour of _Lepidus_ to his +being a Christian. All Men who are born of Christian Parents, and +brought up among Christians, are always deem'd to be such themselves, +whilst they acquiesce in, and not disown the Name: But unless People +are palpably influenc'd by their Religion, in their Actions and +Behaviour, there is no greater Advantage in being a Christian, than +there is in being a Mahometan or a Heathen. If a Person was made free +of a Company which presided over Artizans, in a toilsome laborious +Trade, and he neither had serv'd his Time to it before, nor ever +followed it afterwards, it could not be said of such a Person, whatever +other Use he might make of his Freedom, that he actually was, or had +been, of that laborious, toilsome Employment. A Man who was baptiz'd in +his Infancy, may comply with all the outward Forms of his Religion; +and, if he loves his Reputation, never be guilty of any notorious +Wickedness. But if all this While, which is not impossible, his Heart +is closely attach'd to this World; if he has a far greater Value for +Sensual, than he has for Spiritual Pleasures, and persists in a Course +of a voluptuous Life for many Years, without Repentance: A Man, I say, +who does this, cannot be a more real Christian, tho' he conform'd to +all the Rites and Ceremonies, and bore a great Sway in the Vestry, than +a Linnen-Draper could be a real Blacksmith, tho' he was free of the +Blacksmiths Company, and was a Livery-Man amongst them. + +That weak silly People may form such wrong Judgments, as I have hinted +at, from no worse Cause, than Want of Capacity, and mere Folly, I am +willing to believe. But when I see Men of very good Sense, and +considerable Knowledge, guilty of it, I can't help thinking, that they +do it with Design, and because they find their Interest in it. This is +certain, that when once it is taken for granted, that to be a +Christian, it is sufficient to acquiesce in being call'd so, and attend +the outward Worship of some Sect or other, it saves the Clergy a vast +Deal of Trouble, from Friends as well as Foes. For to quiet and satisfy +all scrupulous Consciences, is as great a Drudgery as it is to write in +Defence of Miracles. + +The Reason, Sir, why I have said so much on this Head, is, that among +those who outwardly shew the greatest Zeal for Religion and the Gospel, +I see hardly Any who teach us, either by Precept or Example, the +Severity of Manners which Christianity requires. They seem to be much +more sollicitous about the Name, than they are about the Thing it self; +as if, when Men would but own themselves to be Christians, it was no +great Matter for the Qualifications which must make them so. When of +late I have cast my Eyes upon the Behaviour of some People, who shall +be nameless, it has put me in Mind of the _Free-Masons_. These, you +know, are divided in several Companies; each Company have a Lodge of +their own; every Lodge has a Master; over all these Masters again, +there is a Grand Master. Some of them meet once a Month; others not so +often; they pretend to Mysteries, and eat and drink together; they make +use of several Ceremonies, which are peculiar to themselves, with great +Gravity; and with all this Bustle they make, I could never learn yet, +that they had any Thing to do, but to be _Free-Masons_, speak well of +the Honour of their Society, and either pity or despise all those who +are not Members of it: Out of their Assemblies, they live and converse +like other Men: And tho' I have been in Company with several of them, I +profess, unless I am told it, I can never know, who is a _Free-Mason_, +and who is not. + +I know, Sir, you love _Allegory_; and on that Score, I have been +extremely delighted with what you say, Page 332, of your first Volume; +where you justly ridicule and expose those Libertines, who pretend to +be Patriots for _Liberty and Property_. I beg Leave, for the Benefit of +other Readers, to transcribe the Passage. _When I hear, says Crito, +these two Words in the Mouth of a_ Minute Philosopher, _I am put in +Mind of the_ Teste di Ferro _at Rome. His Holiness, it seems, not +having Power to assign Pensions, on_ Spanish _Benefices, to Any but +Natives of_ Spain, _always keeps at_ Rome _Two Spaniards, call'd_ Teste +di Ferro, _who have the Name of all such Pensions, but not the Profit, +which goes to_ Italians. _As we may see every Day, both Things and +Notions placed to the Account of Liberty and Property, which in Reality +neither have, nor are meant to have any Share in them. What! is it +impossible for a Man to be a Christian, but he must be a Slave; or a +Clergyman, but he must have the Principles of an Inquisitor?_ This is +very _a propos_, and admirably well applied. I thank you for it. I know +Abundance of Divines, who seem to be very fond of the World, and are +always grasping at Wealth and Power; and whenever I hear Any of these +mention their Concern for Religion, and the Spiritual Welfare of +Others, as they often do, I shall always think on _Crito_'s Story, +laugh heartily, and say no more. For if I should imitate him, in +exclaiming every Time I saw _both Things and Notions placed to the +Account of_ Religion and the Spiritual Welfare of Others, _which, in +Reality, neither have, nor are meant to have any Share in them_, I +should never be able to follow any other Business, than to cry out, +What! is it impossible, that the Christian Religion should be taken +Care of, unless Ecclesiasticks ride in Coaches and Six; or the +Spiritual Welfare of the Laity, without Temporal Dominion and an +extravagant Power in the Clergy? + +My _Allegory_, you see, Sir, is but a Copy of yours, and therefore +cannot have the same Merit. How you will like it I can't tell; but I +fancy, that most of my Readers besides, will be of Opinion, that if his +Holiness makes no greater Advantage by his _Teste di Ferro_ at _Rome_, +than the Cause, which you espouse, is like to get by yours here, it +will hardly be worth his while to keep them any longer. + +Here, Sir, I shall take my Leave of you, in full Expectation, that, in +what relates to me, I shall find great Alterations in your next +Edition. To furnish you with as many Materials for this Purpose as I +can conveniently, I shall fill what Room I have left with another +Quotation from _The Fable of the Bees_, beginning Page 410. If my Paper +would have held out, and I could have added a Page or two more, you +would have seen how wickedly I have been misrepresented in what I say +about the Fire of _London_. + +_It is certain, that the fewer Desires a Man has, and the less he +Covets, the more easy he is to himself: The more active he is to supply +his own Wants, and the less he requires to be waited upon, the more he +will be beloved, and the less Trouble he is in a Family: The more he +loves Peace and Concord, the more Charity he has for his Neighbour: And +the more he shines in real Virtue, there is no doubt, but that in +Proportion he is acceptable to God and Man. But let us be Just. What +Benefit can these Things be of, or what Earthly Good can they do, to +promote the Wealth, the Glory and Worldly Greatness of Nations? It is +the Sensual Courtier, that sets no Limits to his Luxury; the Fickle +Strumpet that invents New Fashions every Week; the Haughty Dutchess, +that in Equipage, Entertainments, and all her Behaviour, would imitate +a Princess; the Profuse Rake and lavish Heir, that scatter about their +Money without Wit or Judgment, buy every Thing they see, and either +destroy or give it away the next Day; the Covetous and perjur'd +Villain, that squeez'd an immense Treasure from the Tears of Widows and +Orphans, and left the Prodigals the Money to spend. It is these that +are the Prey and proper Food of a full-grown_ Leviathan; _or, in other +Words, such is the calamitous Condition of Human Affairs, that we stand +in Need of the Plagues and Monsters I named, to have all the Variety of +Labour perform'd, which the Skill of Men is capable of inventing, in +order to procure an Honest Livelihood to the vast Multitudes of Working +Poor, that are required to make a large Society: And it is Folly to +imagine, that great and wealthy Nations can subsist, and be at once +Powerful and Polite, without._ + +_I protest against Popery as much as ever Luther or_ Calvin _did, or +Queen_ Elizabeth _herself; but I believe from my Heart, that the +Reformation has, scarce been more instrumental in rendring the Kingdoms +and States, that have embraced it, flourishing beyond other Nations, +than the silly and capricious Invention of Hoop'd and Quilted +Petticoats. But if this should be denied me by the Enemies of Priestly +Power, at least I am sure, that, bar the brave Men, who have fought for +and against that Lay-Man's Blessing, it has from its first Beginning to +this Day, not employ'd so many Hands, honest industrious labouring +Hands, as the abominable Improvement on Female Luxury, I named, has +done in Few Years. Religion is one Thing, and Trade is another. He that +gives most Trouble to Thousands of his Neighbours, and invents the most +operose Manufactures is, right or wrong, the greatest Friend to the +Society._ + +_What a Bustle is there to be made in several Parts of the World, +before a fine Scarlet, or Crimson Cloth can be produced? What a +Multiplicity of Trades and Artificers must be employ'd? Not only such +as are obvious, as Wool-combers, Spinners, the Weaver, the +Cloth-worker, the Scowrer, the Dyer, the Setter, the Drawer, and the +Packer; but others that are more remote, and might seem foreign to it; +as the Mill-wright, the Pewterer, and the Chymist, which yet are all +necessary, as well as a great Number of other Handicrafts, to have the +Tools, Utensils, and other Implements belonging to the Trades already +named: But all these Things are done at Home, and may be perform'd +without extraordinary Fatigue or Danger; the most frightful Prospect is +left behind, when we reflect on the Toil and Hazard that are to be +undergone Abroad, the vast Seas we are to go over, the different +Climates we are to endure, and the several Nations we must be obliged +to for their Assistance._ Spain _alone, it is true, might furnish us +with Wool to make the finest Cloth; but what Skill and Pains, what +Experience and Ingenuity are required to dye it of those beautiful +Colours! How widely are the Drugs and other Ingredients dispers'd +through the Universe, that are to meet in one Kettle. Allom, indeed, we +have of our own; Argol we might have from the_ Rhine, _and Vitriol +from_ Hungary; _all this is in_ Europe; _but then for Saltpetre in +Quantity, we are forc'd to go as far as the_ East-Indies: _Cochenille, +unknown to the Ancients, is not much nearer to us, tho' in a quite +different Part of the Earth; we buy it, 'tis true, from the_ Spaniards; +_but not being their Product, they are forc'd to fetch it for us from +the remotest Corner of the New World in the_ West-Indies. _Whilst so +many Sailors are broiling in the Sun, and swelter'd with Heat in the_ +East _and_ West _of us, another Set of them are freezing in the_ North, +_to fetch Potashes from_ Russia. + +_When we are thoroughly acquainted with all the Variety of Toil and +Labour, the Hardships and Calamities, that must be undergone to compass +the End I speak of, and we consider the vast Risques and Perils that +are run in those Voyages, and that Few of them are ever made, but at +the Expence, not only of the Health and Welfare, but even the Lives of +Many: When we are acquainted with, I say and duely consider the Things +I named, it is scarce possible to conceive a Tyrant so inhuman and void +of Shame, that beholding Things in the same View, he should exact such +terrible Services from his innocent Slaves; and at the same Time dare +to own, that he did it for no other Reason, than the Satisfaction a Man +receives from having a Garment made of Scarlet or Crimson Cloth. But to +what Height of Luxury must a Nation be arriv'd, where not only the +King's Officers, but likewise his Guards, even the Private Soldiers, +should have such impudent Desires!_ + +_But if we turn the Prospect, and look on all those Labours, as so many +voluntary Actions, belonging to different Callings and Occupations, +that Men are brought up to for a Livelihood, and in which Every one +works for himself, how much soever he may seem to labour for Others: If +we consider, that even the Sailors, who undergo the greatest Hardships, +as soon as one Voyage is ended, even after a Ship-wreck, are looking +out and solliciting for Employment in another: If we consider, I say, +and look on these Things in another View, we shall find, that the +Labour of the Poor is so far from being a Burthen, and an Imposition +upon them, that to have Employment is a Blessing, which, in their +Addresses to Heaven, they pray for; and to procure it for the +Generality of them, is the greatest Care of every Legislature._ + + +_FINIS._ + + + + +PUBLICATIONS OF THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY + +FIRST YEAR (1946-47) + +Numbers 1-6 out of print. + + +SECOND YEAR (1947-1948) + + 7. John Gay's _The Present State of Wit_ (1711); and a section on + Wit from _The English Theophrastus_ (1702). + + 8. Rapin's _De Carmine Pastorali_, translated by Creech (1684). + + 9. T. Hanmer's (?) _Some Remarks on the Tragedy of Hamlet_ (1736). + +10. Corbyn Morris' _Essay towards Fixing the True Standards of Wit, +etc._ (1744). + +11. Thomas Purney's _Discourse on the Pastoral_ (1717). + +12. Essays on the Stage, selected, with an Introduction by Joseph Wood +Krutch. + + +THIRD YEAR (1948-1949) + +13. Sir John Falstaff (pseud.), _The Theatre_ (1720). + +14. Edward Moore's _The Gamester_ (1753). + +15. John Oldmixon's _Reflections on Dr. Swift's Letter to Harley_ +(1712); and Arthur Mainwaring's _The British Academy_ (1712). + +16. Nevil Payne's _Fatal Jealousy_ (1673). + +17. Nicholas Rowe's _Some Account of the Life of Mr. William +Shakespeare_ (1709). + +18. "Of Genius," in _The Occasional Paper_, Vol. III, No. 10 (1719); +and Aaron Hill's Preface to _The Creation_ (1720). + + +FOURTH YEAR (1949-1950) + +19. Susanna Centlivre's _The Busie Body_ (1709). + +20. Lewis Theobold's _Preface to The Works of Shakespeare_ (1734). + +21. _Critical Remarks on Sir Charles Grandison, Clarissa, and Pamela_ +(1754). + +22. Samuel Johnson's _The Vanity of Human Wishes_ (1749) and Two +_Rambler_ papers (1750). + +23. John Dryden's _His Majesties Declaration Defended_ (1681). + +24. Pierre Nicole's _An Essay on True and Apparent Beauty in Which from +Settled Principles is Rendered the Grounds for Choosing and Rejecting +Epigrams_, translated by J. V. Cunningham. + + +FIFTH YEAR (1950-51) + +25. Thomas Baker's _The Fine Lady's Airs_ (1709). + +26. Charles Macklin's _The Man of the World_ (1792). + +27. Frances Reynolds' _An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Taste, +and of the Origin of Our Ideas of Beauty, etc._ (1785). + +28. John Evelyn's _An Apologie for the Royal Party_ (1659); and _A +Panegyric to Charles the Second_ (1661). + +29. Daniel Defoe's _A Vindication of the Press_ (1718). + +30. Essays on Taste from John Gilbert Cooper's _Letters Concerning +Taste_, 3rd edition (1757), & John Armstrong's _Miscellanies_ (1770). + + +SIXTH YEAR (1951-1952) + +31. Thomas Gray's _An Elegy Wrote in a Country Church Yard_ (1751); and +_The Eton College Manuscript_. + +32. Prefaces to Fiction; Georges de Scudery's Preface to _Ibrahim_ +(1674), etc. + +33. Henry Gally's _A Critical Essay on Characteristic-Writings_ (1725). + +34. Thomas Tyers' A Biographical Sketch of Dr. Samuel Johnson (1785). + +35. James Boswell, Andrew Erskine, and George Dempster. _Critical +Strictures on the New Tragedy of Elvira, Written by Mr. David Malloch_ +(1763). + +36. Joseph Harris's _The City Bride_ (1696). + +37. Thomas Morrison's _A Pindarick Ode on Painting_ (1767). + +38. John Phillips' _A Satyr Against Hypocrites_. + +39. Thomas Warton's _A History of English Poetry_. + +40. Edward Bysshe's _The Art of English Poetry_. + + + + +William Andrews Clark Memorial Library: University of California + +THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY + +_General Editors_ + + +H. RICHARD ARCHER +Wm. Andrews Clark Memorial Library + +R. C. BOYS +University of Michigan + +RALPH COHEN +University of California, Los Angeles + +VINTON A. DEARING +University of California, Los Angeles + +_Corresponding Secretary:_ MRS. EDNA C. DAVIS, +Wm. Andrews Clark Memorial Library + +THE SOCIETY exists to make available inexpensive reprints (usually +facsimile reproductions) of rare seventeenth and eighteenth century +works. The editorial policy of the Society remains unchanged. As in the +past, the editors welcome suggestions concerning publications. 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SARBIEWSKI: _The Odes of Casimire_ (1646), +Introduction by Maren-Sofie Roestvig. + +_An Essay on the New Species of Writing Founded by Mr. Fielding_ +(1751). Introduction by James A. Work. + +[THOMAS MORRISON]: _A Pindarick Ode on Painting_ (1767). +Introduction by Frederick W. Hilles. + +[JOHN PHILLIPS]: _Satyr Against Hypocrits_ (1655). +Introduction by Leon Howard. + +_Prefaces to Fiction._ Second series. Selected with an +introduction by Charles Davies. + +THOMAS WARTON: _A History of English Poetry: An Unpublished +Continuation_. Introduction by Rodney M. Baine. + +Publications for the first six years (with the exception of +NOS. 1-6, which are out of print) are available at the rate of +$3.00 a year. 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