Art reduces the End to the Means, in the fame manner as we refer the Parts to the whole, or the Effects to the Cause. And tho' in his third Book of Ethicks, he declares, that 'tis impoffible to obferve an exact Method on this Subject, by reafon of common Infirmity and Inftability, and the changeable Nature of human Actions; yet he is ftill regular to Admiration. But nothing has fo much advanced the Glory of Ariftotles's Morals, as the general Polity of the World; there being scarce any well-regulated Government but what is founded upon this Bottom. For which reafon it was studiously declin'd by Machiavel, as too good and virtuous to enter into his Schemes, who advanc'd no other Arts of Empire but thofe of Falfhood and Villany. But, after all, this moral Doctrine, as well as that of Socrates and Plato, is only capable of making a Philofopher, and has not Strength enough to make an honeft Man: It may teach a Man to know his Duty, but it cannot engage him to love and embrace it. 'Tis not from these boafted Maxims, that a Man can derive true Courage and Patience to fupport him under Affliction: And he that owes all his Virtue to his Philofophy, is virtuous only upon Force.

V.

The great Principle of Morality advanc'd by Zeno, the Chief of the Stoicks, was to live conformably to Nature; founded upon a pretended Nulla in Maxim of Plato's School," that we ought to re, nifi in" look for the fovereign Good in Nature only." naturæ But as this Maxim too much favour'd and inquaren dulg'd Senfuality, and likewife fell in with the dum fummum bo impudent Doctrines of Antifthenes and the Cynicks, it fcandaliz'd many Philofophers, and gave Cic. Qu, them a Prejudice against Zeno, and his Notions. Acad. 1,

num.

And

mum bo

Fin. 5

Idem beate

433 And therefore, that he might repair his Credit In explewith the Publick, he gave a more honeft Turn to tione nahis Opinion, in explaining this Conformity to turæ fumNature, by an Agreeablenefs to right Reafon. num conThis Explication of their Master was again dif-fiftere. ferently interpreted by his Scholars. Cleanthes Cic. de maintain'd, it was to live according to the Guidance of that divine Ray which Heaven had vivere, & darted into every Man's Soul. Chryfippus affirm'd, fecundùm that 'twas to act according to the Light and Di- naturam rection of Virtue and Reafon; but both the one vivere, Id. and the other grounded their Expofitions upon Epift. Zeno's Principle, that Virtue and Reafon are confin'd within as ftrait Limits as Truth; and that, as whatever is contrary to Truth is equally falfe, fo whatever is contrary to Reason and Virtue is equally unreasonable and vitious. All turn'd upon this Rule with Zeno's Followers. But the World agreed in rejecting the Confe- Stoicis quences of fo extravagant an Opinion. No- placet, thing was thought more ridiculous than their omnia pecParity of Sins, and nothing more false than that cata effe paria. Tranquillity which they grounded upon an In- Cic., Qu difference to external Good and Evil. Thefe Acad.4. Paradoxes may, at first Sight, raife our Admira- Illa paration, but can only move our Laughter upon a doxa priclofer View. That Kingdom of the wife Man admiratiomâ fpecie which Zeno fo much applauds, and which made nem, reevery Philofopher of his Sect a Master and Go- explicatâ vernour of a World, was but a fpecies of Phren- rifum mofy; and that Calmnefs of Spirit which he af- vent. ibid. fected by a feeming Infenfibility of outward Things, was no better than a visionary Dream. For may we not discover a real Perturbation under this appearing Serenity? And are not all the Arguments of Seneca in his Books of Tranquil- Nimis alta promittitis, nimis dura præcipitis: nos homunciones fumus, negare omnia nobis non poffumus, Sen, Ep. 11.6.

Vereor ne

ille plura

tribuat virtuti, quam natura

Stoici eam

lity and Conftancy, empty and frivolous? There is nothing of Sincerity, nothing of Nature in all this. The whole Stoical Virtue was the Offfpring of mere Vanity. That external Grimace of Wisdom profefs'd in the Porch, was a moft falfe and deceitful Picture of the Soul: Men were made Philofophers only by Way of Machine: All that was preach'd and taught was a certain Loftinefs of Sentiments, very wild and unfociable, and no Way proportion'd to the patiatur. Infirmities of Mankind. Thofe fine Speeches Cic. Qu. of Conftancy, Moderation, Equanimity, InAcad. 4. trepidity and Greatnefs of Soul, among these falfe Pretenders to Wisdom, were but fo many fapienti- big Words, invented to cover and difguise their am inter- Pride. It was not a true Honour, but a haughpretantur, ty and affuming Statelinefs that reign'd in their quam ad- Conduct. The Stoick, as drawn at full Length mortalis by Seneca and Epictetus, is but an imaginary wife eft confe- Man, and fuch as the World never faw: And Plutarch in one of his Tracts against Zeno, proves the Morals of this Philofopher to have been more romantick, than all the ancient Tales. In Tiberius's Reign, Men affected the Character of Stoicks, as fome Sort of Shelter under their Rubelli- Misfortunes; and this amounted to no more than um Plau- the taking up of fome odd Maxims, ftrain'd to tum afa Pitch beyond Reafon and Humanity, which fumpfiffe arroganti- taught them to compofe their Countenance, am Stoico- and to die with a better Grace. Tacitus reports rum, quæ of one Senator, in particular, that he affum'd the Habit of this Sect, as the most suitable to 51 his turbulent and intriguing Spirit: And we find by the Ancients, that a Stoick unmask'd, appetentes made but a very contemptible Figure. In which facit. regard Lipfius feems to be greatly mistaken,

buc nemo

cutus. Cic. in Lel.

fchola

turbidos

5 nego

tiorum

An, XIV.

Stoici ex omnibus Philofophis accommo datiffimè fcripferunt ad veritatem Chriftianam. Lips, 1. Ep. 97.

when

when he bestows fo large Encomiums on this moral System, and pretends, that 'tis of all the most agreeable to our Religion. For my part, nothing feems to me more difagreeable; because it tends only to the nourishing up of a Spirit of Pride and Independance; for if a Stoick be humble in his Words, 'tis for no other stoici reEnd but that he may be haughty in his Con- bus acuti, ceit. This Morality may feem indeed, more oratione brillant than others, as being compos'd of fpe- magnifici. cious Maxims, and affuming Expreffions; but Quint.XI the Virtue it profeffes is a mere Shadow, and every Thing is vain in a Stoick, to his very Modefty.

VI.

pum de

There is nothing that has a fairer Shew of Honefty than the moral Doctrine, of Epicurus. It proposes no other End, but the pureft Pleafures of the Mind, and profeffes only to lead Men into a State of perfect Liberty, by curing their Weaknesses, and reftraining their Paffions, and investing them with the true Character of Wisdom. Epicurus himself was a Person of great Capacity, and a very good Manager; who Omnis took a large Round, the better to come at his AristipPoint, and to falve Appearances. He knew cuit color. that the foft, voluptuous, and temporizing Do- Hor. &rine of Ariftippus had been cenfur'd by Plato Xenophon and Xenophon, and by all those who exprefs'd any Concern for Difcipline and Probity. And Voluptat. therefore he was obliged to be more fevere, as Anim. the only Way to gain a favourable Hearing; Epicuro and he fo artfully conceal'd his real Sentiments homini duunder a frugal Life, and a prudent Behaviour, o af that Tully, who blames him on many other Ac-pero non eft fatis, counts, could not but commend him on this. &c. Cic. Gaffen- Tufc. s.

contra

Plato de

verè dici,

Cic. de

Fin. 2.

Video ab Gaffendus has made a large Apology for the OpiEpicuro nion of this Philofopher, and pretends, that multa fe- the Pleasure in which he fix'd the foveraign multa Good, was nothing elfe but the higheft Tranpræclare. quillity of Mind, in Conjunction with the most Qu Tufi perfect Health of Body. But Tully, Horace and Epicureo- Plutarch, as well as almost all the Fathers of the rum philoSophia fufChurch, give us a very different Reprefentacipit pa- tion. Indeed the Nature of this Pleasure, in’ trocinium which the chief happiness is fuppos'd to be feated, Voluptatis. is a grand Problem in Epicurus's Morals. And Cicero informs us, that his Scholars were wont Identidem to complain of their being generally mifunderdicitis nos ftood, when they deliver'd themselves upon that non intel- Subject. Thus were learned Men divided in the ligere Judgment they pafs'd on this Doctrine, which acquam vocording to Epicurus's different Ways of explainluptatem dicatis. ing it, had two Faces, the one fair and agreeaibid. ble, the other rough and fevere. For fomeSolent ifti times he fpeaks like a Philofopher, and very gravely declaims againft the Pleafures of Senfe: intelligere At other times his Rigors are all foftn'd, and luptatem he appears a very difcreet Advocate for Dedicat Epi- bauchery. We must allow him to have been a great Politician in his Pleasures, and one that ibid. refolv'd to carefs the Men of Liberty, without luptates difobliging the Men of Sobriety and Strictness. Epicurus He had fome peculiar Secrets in his School, interdum which he took Care not to divulge to all the fic extenu- World. In publick, his Difcourfes ftill ran upon the Pleasures of the Mind: But he knew how loqui pu- to change his Language, among his Confidents, tes; inter- and at eafier Hours. And thus, we have the dum lau- whole Mystery of this celebrated Doctrine: It was

negare nos

quam vo

curus.

Dulces vo

at, ut

Curium

dat ut

quid præ

terea fit bonum neget fe poffe fufpicari. Cic. de Fin, 2.

Epicureos quædam apud fe arcana habuiffe, neque fe permittere omnibus. Ex.Clem, Alex. Strom. 5.

innocent