A collection of the moral and instructive sentiments, maxims, cautions, and reflexions, contained in the histories of Pamela, Clarissa, and Sir Charles Grandison.:

V.

Vanity. Conceit. Affectation.

A VAIN man will be apt to construe to his ad|vantage any particularity shewn him by a lady, mean by it what she will, i. 16. 18. [17. 19].

The person who is vain of exterior advantages, gives cause to doubt his interior, i. 186. 247. [193. 256].

The outside of a vain man generally runs away with him, i. 269. [278].

Some persons are not able to forego the ostentation of sagacity, tho' they sacrifice to it the tenderness due to friendship and charity, ii. 205. [289].

Men who have a Conceit of their own volubility, love to find ears to exert their talents upon, ii. 330. [iii. 66].

Men of parts may, perhaps, think they have a pri|vilege to be vain; yet they have the least occasion of any to be so, since the world is ready to find them out and extol them, ii. 384. [iii. 117].

The man who is disposed immoderately to exalt him|self, must despise every body else in proportion, iii. 42. [185].

Men vain of their learning and acquirements, pa|rading with one another before the other Sex, may pro|bably have women present, who, tho' sitting in smiling silence, may rather despise than admire them, iii. 202. [336].

The man who in conversation takes, knowingly, the wrong side of an argument, shews Vanity in the high compliment he pays to his own abilities, iii. 202. [336].

The man who wants to be thought wiser, or better, or abler, than he is, does but provoke a scrutiny into his pretensions, which seldom ends to his advantage, iii. 240. [iv. 28].

He that exalts himself insults his neighbours, who are then provoked to question even the merit which otherwise might have been allow'd to be his due, ibid.

A too great consciousness of superiority often brings on contempt, iii. 274. [iv. 60].

Old bachelors, when they like a woman, frequently think they have nothing to do but to persuade themselves to marry, iii. 297. [iv. 83].

Affectation will make a woman seem not to understand indecent freedoms of speech in men; but modesty, if the freedoms are gross, will make her resent them, iv. 36. [224].

It is generally the conscious overfulness of Vanity or Conceit that makes the vain man most upon his guard to conceal his Vanity, Lovel. iv. 302. [v. 137].

Opinionative women are in danger, when they meet with a flatterer; who will magnify their wisdom in order to take advantage of their folly, Lovel. v. 67. [317].

Self-sufficiency makes a weak person the fittest of all others for the artful and designing to work upon, v. 282. [vi. 193].

An open-mouth'd Affectation to shew white teeth, Lovelace considers as an invitation to amorous familiarity, v. 289. [vi. 201].

The darkest and most contemptible ignorance, is that of not knowing one's self; and that all we have, and all we excel in, is the gift of God, vii. 272. [viii. 197].

See Heart. Human Nature. Men and Women.

Vapours.

VAPOURISH people are perpetual subjects for physi|cians to work upon, Lovel. iv. 35. [228].

Low-spirited people are the physical tribe's milch cows, Lovel. iv. 38. [228].

Vapourish people draw out fearful bills of indictment against themselves, Lovel. iv. 38. [228].

If persons of low spirits have not real unhappiness, they can make it even from the overflowings of their good fortune, iv. 311. vi. 407. [v. 147. vii. 339].

The mind will at any time run away with the body, vi. 66. [396].

The mind that busies itself to make the worst of every disagreeable occurrence, will never want woe, vi. 367. [vii. 297].

The distempers we make to ourselves, and which it is in our power to lessen, ought to be our punishment if we do not lessen them, vi. 407. [vii. 339].

See Health. Physic.

Veracity. Truth.

THOSE persons have profited little by a long course of heavy afflictions, who will purchase their relief from them at the expence of their Veracity, iv. 106. [300].

It is presumed, that no man ever ruined a woman but at the expence of his Veracity, iv. 159. [358].

A departure from truth was hardly ever known to be a single departure, iv. 267. [v. 100].

Were I to live a thousand years, says Clarissa, I would always suspect the Veracity of a swearer, v. 366. [vi. 284].

How glorious is it for a child to be able to say with Clarissa, that she never, to the best of her knowlege, told her mother a wilful untruth, vi. 160. [vii. 77].

I have never lyed to man, says Lovelace, and hardly ever said Truth to Woman; the first is what all free livers cannot say, the second, what every Rake can, vii. 212. [viii. 135].

See Advice to Women. Courtship. Love. Lover. Vows.

Violent Spirits.

VEHEMENT and obstinate Spirits, by tiring out op|position, will make themselves of importance, i. 29. [31].

People who allow nothing, will be granted nothing, i. 57. [59].

Those who aim to carry too many points, will not be able to carry any, ibid.

We are too apt to make allowances for such tempers as early indulgence has made uncontroulable, ii. 48. [140].

If a boisterous Spirit, when it is under obligation, is to be allowed for, what, were the tables to be turn'd, would it not expect? ibid.

Too great allowances made for an impetuous Spirit, are neither happy for the person, nor for those who have to deal with him, ibid.

Providence often makes hostile Spirits their own punishers, ii. 151. [238].

While a gentle Spirit will suffer from a base world, a violent one keeps imposition at distance, iii. 66. [208].

Imposing Spirits and froward Spirits have a great ad|vantage over courteous ones, iii. 148. [284].

Violent Spirits provoked, will quarrel with the first they meet, iii. 210. 265. [iii. 342. iv. 51].

Violent Spirits want some great sickness or heavy mis|fortune to befal them, to bring them to a knowlege of themselves, vii. 18. [357].

The man who is violent in his resentments, when he thinks himself right, would oftener be so, but for that violence, vii. 108. [viii. 26].

He is guilty of great injustice, who is more apt to give contradiction than able to bear it, vii. 108. [viii. 27].

Impetuosity of temper generally brings on abasement, ibid.

See Anger. Insolence. Passion. Pride. Prospe|rity. Resentment. Revenge.

Virtue. Virtuous. Principle.

WHAT a mind must that be, which, tho' not virtu|ous itself, admires not virtue in another! i. 189. [197].

No woman can be lovely, that is not virtuous, ii. 66. [157].

If persons pretending to Principle, bear not their te|stimony against unprincipled actions, what check can they have? ii. 73. [163].

In a general corruption a stand must be made by some|body, or Virtue will be lost: And shall it not be I, will a worthy mind ask, who shall make this stand? ii. 75. [165].

Provocations and temptations are the test of Virtue, iii. 85. [ii. 350].

Honours next to divine, are due to a woman whose Virtue is superior to trial or temptation, ii. 353. [iii. 89].

Lively women seldom know the worth of a virtuous man, ii. 397. [iii. 130].

Sound Principles and a good heart, are the only bases on which the hopes of a happy future, with respect to both worlds, can be built, iii. 321. [iv. 106].

The Virtue of a woman tried, and approved, pro|cures for her not only general respect, but a higher de|gree of love when proved, even from the tempter, v. 103. [vi. 67].

A virtuous woman will conquer her affection for a man who is capable of insulting her modesty, v. 192. [vi. 97].

What virtuous woman can submit to make that man her choice, whose actions were and ought to be her abhorrence? vi. 45. [375].

See Generosity. Goodness. Innocence. Merit. Magnanimity. Modesty. Prudence. Purity.

Vivacity.

PERSONS of active spirits and a pleasurable turn, seldom take pains to improve themselves, i. 65. [67].

Lively talents are oftener snares than advantages, i. 186. [194].

That is a happy Vivacity which enables a person to enjoy the present, without being anxious about the fu|ture, ii. 92. [181].

Persons of Vivacity, do not always content themselves with saying what they think may be said; but, to shew, their penetration or sagacity, will indulge themselves in

saying all that can be said on a subject, ii. 212. [295, 296].

It is difficult for persons of lively dispositions so to behave, as to avoid censure, v. 250. [vi. 159].

It is impossible to share the delights which very lively spirits give, without partaking of the inconveniencies that will attend their volatility, vi. 54. [384].

Vows. Curses. Oaths. Promises. Pro|testations.

A PROMISE ought not to preclude better considera|tion, ii. 215. [299].

What must be that man who would be angry at a woman, whom he hopes one day to call his wife, for dispensing with a rash Promise when she is convinced it was rash, ibid.

The Vows of a maiden may be dispensed with by her Father when he hears them, Num xxx. 3, 4, 5. ibid.

In like manner the Vows of a wife may be dispensed with by her husband, ibid.

Could the Curser punish as he speaks, he would be a fiend, ii. 282. [iii. 21].

The Almighty gives not his assent to rash and inhu|man Curses, iii. 122. [260].

To pray for those that curse us, is to perform a duty, and thereby to turn a Curse into a blessing, iii. 123. [261].

The man that is very ready to promise, is seldom equally ready to perform, iii. 150. [295].

It is a shame for grown persons to have frequent need to make promises of amendment, iii. 304. [iv. 90].

The most immaculate Virtue is not safe with a man who has no regard to his own honour, and makes a jest of the most solemn Vows and Protestations, iii. 332. [iv. 117].

One continued string of Oaths, Vows, and Protesta|tions, varied only by time and place, fill the mouth of a libertine, v. 133. [vi. 35].

Men, who gain their dishonourable ends by perjuries,

no less prophane and defy heaven, than deceive and injure their fellow-creatures, v. 267. [vi. 177].

The man who binds his Promises by Oaths, indirectly confesses that his word is not to be taken, v. 366. See also i. 378. [vi. 284. See also ii. 70].

Is it likely, that he who makes free with his God, will scruple any thing that may serve his turn with his fellow-creatures? v. 366. [vi. 284].

The assertions of a libertine, who is not allow'd to swear to what he avers, will lose their principal force, Lovel. vi. 95. [vii. 6].

Those men who are most ready to resent the Lye given them by a man, least scruple, generally, to break the most solemn Oath to a woman, vi. 340. 342. [vii. 268. 270].

See Advice to Women. Courtship. Libertine. Love. Lover. Veracity.