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The true nature of the crimè of Detraction, and the subtilty of it, in disguising it selfe.
HAving entred you safely into the Court, and condu∣cted you as I may say, through the roomes of State, and shewed their ordinary furniture of snares, as Ambition, Flattery, and Dissimulation; it followes in order to passe into the withdrawing roomes and cabinets, which are commonly furnished with the finest and daintiest stuffs, to wit,
with more subtle and refined temptations; among which I con∣ceive there is none more sharpe and piquant, and consequently lesse controverted or reproved, then Detraction, and Medi∣sance: Wherefore it will not be amisse to worke a little, to file downe as much as we can, the point of it, by the instruments of Religion, which the Holy Spirit ministereth to us fitted for this purpose, by the hand of Solomon, Remove from thee a fro∣ward mouth, and let detracting lips be farre from thee. * 1.1
But lest this first severe aspect, may seem to affront any in∣nocent * 1.2 good humour, upon the Stage of conversation; tis fit to declare, that I only understand by Medisance, all such spee∣ches as may probably derogate from the fame and good re∣pute of our neighbour; which though it be done in never so gracefull or facetious a manner, hath still the deformity of sin lying under the finest coverings, any fancy can cast over it, and consequently ought not to be admitted into good com∣pany, upon the recommendation of never so handsome cloathes.
The Chimiques say, that in all materiall bodies there is a salt, which is the most spirituall and active portion of them: which suggesteth to me this conceipt, that in the immaterialities of our passions, there may be said to be a kind of salt or spirit, which is the most subtill and sharpe point of them; and upon this score, I may say, that Medisance is the salt of envy; as con∣taining the most quick and piquant part of this passion; it agre∣eth likewise in this property with Salts and Spirits calcined, which do not sensibly discover the matter out of which they are extracted, being reduced into differing formes; neither doth Medisance in many cases manifest at all the quality from whence it is derived, being drawn into another appearance of jest and ingeniosity; and surely the nature of such poysonous plants, ought to be the most proclaimed, the taste whereof is pleasant, and the occurrence familiar among innocent herbs, of which kind is this spirit of detraction; which I may not unfitly compare to Mercury sublimate, that tasteth like sugar; where∣fore the children of this Family ought the more cautiously be
advertised of the malignity thereof, since the matter lyes so of∣ten in their way.
The Apostle Saint James, as Gods advocate, brings a hai∣nous charge against this libertinage, which in the world doth * 1.3 pretend to passe, at the highest, for no more then a trespasse, not a sin; but thus he informeth against it; Detract not from one another; he that detracteth from his brother, or he that judgeth his brother, detracteth from the Law, and judgeth the Law; so that not onely the credit of man, but even the honour of God seemeth violated by these invasions, since even the law of God is said to be impleaded by such aspersions; God seemeth to have tender'd so much the good fame of man, as he hath joyn∣ed his own honour with it, as a convoy against the insults of our vitious fancyes, that we might at least respect Gods con∣cernment in the violation of the fame of one another; detracti∣on is thus proved to be one of the greatest offenders in humane society, yet the familiarity covereth so much the faultinesse, as it suffereth the seldomest of any criminall, by reason of the many disguises it can interchange: insomuch as sometimes religious justice that would not connive, knoweth not how to take notice of it, meeting it so ingeniously transformed, but for the most part it is not strictly looked after.
The case of medisance in courts, is like that of loose wo∣men in the world that are very handsome, who do oftener gain and corrupt the officers of justice, then they are detected and indicted by them; for abuses and derisions of one another, passe for such a kind of Pecadill••o among the children of this age, as they conceive it the office of a Gentleman rather to rescue and shelter it, when it is pursued by just reprehension, then to deliver it up as a criminall; but surely if we consider whose law the Apostle telleth us is offended and impugned by these asperities, we shall find the Method of Jael to be fol∣lowed, rather then that of Rahab, with these emissaries of the Prince of this world, which are imployed by him to bring him back the fruits of our corrupted earth, which is very luxuriant in this mistery of iniquity; insomuch as we may say of this
unhappy facundity, that our earth needs no rain to fall upon it, that is, no externall provocation to fertilize it, there riseth a mist out of it selfe that watereth it, to wit, our innate per∣versity, which causeth this pregnancy of thorns and briars, that prick and scratch one another in a reciprocall and custo∣mary detraction, wherein we differ much from the opinion of the holy Ghost, for we conceive we gather the best figs from these thorns, and the best grapes from these brambles, that is, we raise the most pleasant points of our discourse, and the most chearful rejoycings of our hearts out of these pungencies and stingings of one another.
Of all the disguises medisance puts on, that of mirth is the most common, and the most cunning; for there it appear∣eth in so naturall a habit, weareth the clothes of innocence and harmlesnesse so handsomely, and speaketh the language so well, as seldome any inquire whether it be a native of that state; but as strangers are easilier discovered by their accents then by the impropernesse of their words; So medisance re∣taineth most commonly some forreign accent, if it be well ob∣served, that betrayeth it to be no native of the state of inno∣cence; yet we are likely over-civill, in taking notice of this forreigner, and very familiarly use detraction, as we do stran∣gers we would oblige, when we flatter their failings in our lan∣guage by the warrant of civility, and take no notice of what we cannot chuse but perceive; This kind of court-ship is much used in our entertainment of all ingenious and well fashioned mordancy or detraction.
In this particular more then in any other, we commonly at Court observe the precept of doing to others, as we would be done to our selves; For we examine one anothers faults in this kind, rather as complices then judges, so generall is the con∣currence towards the maintenance of this common interest of our fancyes entertainment: For alas, how few are there in Courts that are not either theevs or receivers in this stealth of one anothers good name? for those who have not tongues to commit the fact, have eares to entertaine it, and it may be
truly said in this case, that if there were no such receivers, there would be no such theeves, since the good reception and welcome that witty medisance finds, doth surely entertain the profession; and alas how few resolve with the Psalmist, that * 1.4 this oyle of sinners shall not make fat their head, but do rather use it to keep their faces smooth, and shining in smiles & gaye∣tyes; little remembring what Saint Paul saith of whisperers and detracters, that not onely they that do such things, are wor∣thy of death, but they also that have pleasure in those that do * 1.5 them.
Ought we not to be the more vigilant in the discernment and discountenancing this licentiousnesse, when we consider how hardly this offence can come to be sentenced, since the committers of it are very often the onely possible Judges of the crime? so well is it dissembled to the rest of the company; which even when they do suspect it is rendred very partial, by being interrested in the pleasure, and not conceiving them∣selves concerned in the fault; wherefore every one must be his own sincere overseer and censor of the edition of his lan∣guage on this Theame, since he is not likely to meet any other correction; All other licentiousnesse of speech doth likely meet with some adverse party in the company, and so cometh not off without being shot at with some reprehension, but plea∣sant and sharp medisance, as if it were in contribution with all humours, passeth commonly freely in all conversations, with∣out so much as the warning of an enemy.
Our own consciences must therefore be the conductors of our fancyes, when they are licensed to go out in partyes a la petite guerre, as the French cals it, to a kind of little warre in conversation; and the French have suted methinks this kind of liberty of speech very aptly with a terme, calling it faire la guerre, as it were shirmishing of wits with one another: and I conceive that medisance may be very properly matched in this particular, with the custome that parties have in the cour∣ses they make upon high-wayes, in their own quarters; for when they take from travellers in the tearms of civill asking,
because the words are not violent, they maintaine the action to be lawfull; whereby many times when in effect they do rob, they perceive not their own theft; after fuch a sort medisance or detraction while it useth the tearmes of raillerie, that is, quaint & handsome jesting, although it take away what repu∣tation it pleaseth, yet the actors deceive themselves in the crime by the civill and sociable forme whereinto it is contri∣ved.
The insinuation therefore of this mischievous quality into mirth, ought to be watched with the more attention, since the preception of it is often very difficult, & the prejudice alwaies very desperate; for it worketh it selfe into conversation, (which is the best externall fruit our reason beareth) like a worm by a little orifice, but it tainteth and corrupteth more then the birds, which prey directly upon the skin of the fruit, that is, then more professed indecencies and presumptions, which are like birds easier seen and driven away, by an apparent gravity and sobriety set up in our behaviour.
It importeth us very much to preserve conversation (which seemeth the intellectuall aire, that our soules breath in and out) as pure and wholsome as we can, since though the infection of it, do not sensibly offend us at the instant, yet it worketh upon our minds by a more subtil infusion of malignity, where∣by it corrupts by degrees the habit and disposition of our soules; wherefore the Psalmist tells us, that with the perverse, we shall be perverted; and how often do we find this surreptious contagion crept into our hearts, without much sence of the in∣troducement? of which case Solomon saith, The words of the whisperer are as it were simple, and the same come to the most in∣ward * 1.6 parts of the belly; let us therefore consult a little how to obstruct the passages of this so subtile insinuation.
Pro. 4. 24.
Medisance defined.
Jam. 4. 11.
Psal. 140.
1. Rom. 30. 32.
Pro. 26. 22.