Miscellaneous essays by Monsieur St. Euremont ; translated out of French. With a character / by a person of honour here in England ; continued by Mr. Dryden.

OBSERVATIONS UPON THE MAXIM; Which says, One ought to despise Fortune, and not care for the Court.

IT is more difficult to perswade this Maxim, than the rest. They that receive Favours, even they that have but simple Pretentions, laugh at a Notion so contrary to theirs.

I confess, that it is not easie to believe, that Reasonable Men would make this Opinion Universal: I fansie they had no other design than to speak to the Unfortu∣nate, and to cure sick Minds of an unpro∣fitable Disquiet.

In this case I cannot condemn them; if 'tis permitted to call a Mistress Ungrateful and Cruel, when a Man hath served her without any effect; 'tis sure most reason∣able for those that think to have received Outrages from Fortune, to have the Pri∣vilege

of forsaking her, and to seek, far from the Court, a Repose which makes some amends to them for the advantages which she has denyed them: what injury is done her to return Contempt for Con∣tempt?

I don't find it strange then in this case, for a Gentleman to despise the Court: but I think it ridiculous for him to despise it, in hopes of making himself honoured. It is fine to act the Philosopher, but this Philosophy is to me suspected of Vanity. I am not the Cully of those Hypocrites at Court, that preach to others upon retreat, and cannot perswade themselves that 'tis a happiness. The more they labour to make a suitable appearance in their Soli∣tude, the more earnest is their desire of altering their State.

They don't so much as attend the call of Fortune: the least hope makes them forget all their Oaths; they cast them∣selves at the Feet of that Mistress, whom they had exclaim'd against; they become the Slaves of those Favourites, whom they had braved; and their false Constan∣cy has been of no other use, than to render their change the more contemptible.

They return to the Court, like Persons of another World; their Habits, their Air, their Language, are no more Al-a-mode; they pass for Strangers in their own Country, and for ridiculous Per∣sons amongst the young Courtiers. There is no Patience which they don't put to the extremity, with their Tales of Anci∣ent Times, and their Stories of the Old War. They give Lessons to all Comers, both of Military Discipline, and fine Gallantry. They put forth upon all oc∣casions cold Ralleries against Flaxen Per∣riwigs and wide Pantaloons. Too happy, provided you hearken to them, and make an appearance of giving Credit to them: but the thanks which you receive, are not worth the tiresomeness they give you.

There are others, that are not less dis∣pleasing to me; they are those, who can't leave the Court, and yet are vexed at every thing which passes there; who interess themselves in the disgrace of the most indifferent Persons, and who find fault with the Preferment of their own Friends.

They look upon, as an injustice, all the Good and Bad that's done to others; it

doth not suffice to merit the being Happy to avoid their Envy: but to be Unhappy, just suffices to attract their Pity.

In the mean time, if you hearken to these Persons, they'll talk to you of no∣thing but Constancy, Generosity, and Honour: and in every thing they say, there's always a melancholy Air that makes you sad, instead of affording you some Comfort. They meet with a cer∣tain Pleasure in Complaints, which makes you not to be obliged to them for their Pity. They never find the State well Governed, they favour no living Person, they give Quarter only to the Dead. Their Choler blemishes the best Things; if through respect it spares the Prince, it diffuseth it self bitterly amongst his Fa∣vourites. In a word, they are ill Cour∣tiers, ill Philosophers, and very unprofita∣ble Friends.

They are uncapable of the Cares of a Tumultuous Life, they can't taste the Repose of a Retired one, their Disquiet tosses them up and down, and raises them to nothing: Like those that travel in a Dream, the error of their Imagination torments them more, than the truth it self would do; and just as if they had

dreamt all their Life, they find them∣selves as little advanced the last Day, as they were the first.

We are not in a time to storm against the Government. He that Rules is no less above Censorious Persons, by the Wisdom of his Conduct, than by the Majesty of his Rank. In truth, 'tis a Misfortune for the Peevish Courtiers, to have no Minister in their Prospect, that might serve as a pretence for their Cabals. But at last, Intrigue is no more in fashion, the Court laughs at those that discommend it, one gains nothing there by acting the discontented, she is repulsed by the importunity of those, who can't be satisfied; she is deaf to their Complaints, because one's aweary of pitying those, who complain eternally.

In whatsoever place you go, you ought to depend upon finding the World com∣posed of two sort of Persons, the one mind their Employments, the other con∣sult their Pleasures.

The first fly from the access of the mi∣serable, and are afraid of becoming so by Contagion. To enter into their Com∣merce, one must hide his Infirmity, and be serviceable to them in some things:

Interest alone is an infallible bait to pro∣cure their Confidence, Compassion is of no use therein, they are hardened by a long experience against the Miseries of others, and have preserved nothing of Tenderness, but for themselves.

Those that give themselves up entirely to their Diversions, have something more of Humanity, and are more familiar. Their Mistresses, their Confidents advan∣tage themselvs by the follies which em∣ploy them. Their Souls are more open, but their Conduct more uncertain: Pas∣sion always carries them beyond Friend∣ship, they look upon the Duties of Life, as an insupportable burthen. To live long with them, you must follow the course of their Pleasure, confide but little in them, and know their Minds as much as you can.

The greatest Art consists in knowing well these two sorts of Persons. As long as you are engaged in the World, you must comply with its Maxims, because there is no fancy more unprofitable, than the Wisdom of these, who turn to Re∣formers of the Age.

'Tis a Person that one cannot long re∣present without offending his Friends, and

rendring himself ridiculous: there is no Life chast enough to afford this privilege, when Employments do not allow it.

In the mean time, the most part of these Reformers have their Prospects, their Interests, their Cabals: one may well exclaim against them, all that is asserted of them at Court and upon the Stage, doth not move them; if they find one Passage stopt, they re-enter at an∣other. Proteus had less variety of shapes, than these Persons have of Air and Lan∣guage. Hearken to their Remonstran∣ces, you shall have them immediately for Masters; Give no attention to them, they become your Enemies. The most secure way then, is to avoid their Con∣versation, to have always before our Eyes, that these Reformers have been Men like us, and are still, for all the Figure they make, and perhaps more than we. As long as Fortune smiled up∣on them, they have enjoyed her Favours: are they fallen into any Disgrace, they seek to raise themselves, and put them∣selves forward by a Reputation of Integri∣ty. They become Persons of Quality, just as Wanton Girls become Wise. Old Age too hastily advanced, brings Re∣morse

with Wrinkles; Frauds and Kna∣very are of no more use, Cullies are un∣deceived, Disgrace approaches, one is at a loss how to behave himself. The World is a Comedy, every Comedian plays his part therein: but there is no∣thing so unbecoming as to shew himself when 'tis ended, and to come and censure those, that remain upon the Stage.

To what purpose is it, to hate in ano∣ther, the Fortune they seem to neglect for themselves? if they would have it be∣lieved, that they have quitted it, why do they pretend to find fault with others for pursuing the same?

Their Aversion is tied to those, that stand for Favours, their envy to those that obtain them, and their Animosity to the Persons that distribute them: And to have their esteem, or their friendship, one must be dead, or at least very miserable.

I know that a Gentleman is always to be pitied in Adversity, and that a Fop is always to be despised, whatsoever Con∣dition he is in. But to hate Favourites through the sole hatred of Favour; to love the miserable through the sole Con∣sideration of their Disgrace, is a very odd

sort of Conduct, incommodious to him∣self, insupportable to others, and always prejudicial.

Notwithstanding, the diversity of minds shews all these different effects in the Life of Courtiers.

We have said, there are Persons enough at Court, that break with their Friends at the very moment, when some disorder happens to them; who have neither Friendship, nor Aversion, but what is measured by Interest. Whosoever is not useful to them, never wants Defects; and he that is in a State of serving them, is en∣dowed with all Perfections.

There are others, who don't content themselves with deserting the unfortunate, they insult over them even in the mis∣fortune: the more humility they shew in flattering Favourites, the more fierce they are in affronting those, that are fallen into some Disgrace.

To speak the truth, if the moroseness of those, who storm against Fortune conti∣nually, is extravagant, the Prostitution of those who Sacrifice to her even as far as their Friends, is infamous.

There is an exact Situation between Baseness, and False Generosity; there is a

true Honour that Rules the Conduct of Reasonable Persons. It is not disallow∣able for an honest Man to have his Am∣bition and his Interest; but he must fol∣low them by lawful means. He may have Art without Subtilty, Dexterity without Deceit, and Complaisance with∣out Flattery. When he is a Friend of the Favourites, he enters agreeably into their Pleasures, and faithfully into their Secrets: if they happen to fail, he par∣takes of their Misfortunes, as well as he did of their Favours.

The same Spirit that knew how to please them, can give them comfort; He makes their Miseries less troublesome, as he ren∣dred their Pleasures more agreeable; he manages his Service ingeniously without staining his Fidelity, or injuring his For∣tune; he serves more conveniently for himself, and more to the advantage of his Friends.

Oftentimes he is less discouraged, than those who seek their own glory in assisting others, who aim at nothing but to re∣commend themselves by Marks of Con∣stancy, and who prefer the noise of a good Action before the good of those whom they oblige.

Of these two sorts of Persons, the one make an appearance of being at a distance from the unfortunate to the end of serving them the better, the others run after them to be their Conduct. Whilst the first con∣ceal themselves, and only think how to relieve the afflicted, the others love no∣thing so much as to exercise a cruel and imperious Generosity, and to insult over those, that stand in need of their Credit.

I have gone too far in this Discourse. I go to conclude by the Opinion one should have of Favourites.

Methinks their greatness ought not to dazle our Eyes; in our Souls we may judge of them, as the rest of Men; to esteem them, or undervalue them accor∣ding to their merit, to respect them or de∣spise them according to the good or ill they do to us: never to be wanting in the ac∣knowledgement that's due to them, to con∣ceal carefully the displeasures they give us: and when Honour or Interest would carry us to Revenge, to respect the Inclination of the Master in the Person of the Enemy. Not to confound the publick good with our own, and never to make a Civil War of a particular Quarrel.

To despise them, to hate them, these are free Motions so long as they are kept secret: as these Motions are in us, they depend ••pon us alone; but when they carry us to things wherein the State is in∣volved, we owe to that an account of our Actions, and the Justice of the State hath its Rights upon such Criminal Under∣takings.