Of wisdom three books / written originally in French by the Sieur de Charron ; with an account of the author, made English by George Stanhope ...

CHAP. LIII. The Three Sorts or Degrees of Life, as it is common to the Generality of Men, di∣stinguish'd and compar'd together.

IT is easie to observe Three distinct Sorts, and as it were Degrees of Life, common to Men in ge∣neral. One Private, in which every Man is una∣voidably concern'd; for by this I mean only what passes with each Man's Self, within, and in regard to his Own Breast. The Second is Domestick, in one's Own House and Family, with regard to what passes at Home, and in our ordinary Course of Af∣fairs. The Third is Publick, and respects what is exposed to the common View of the World. In the First of these there is no manner of Restraint;

in the Second no Pains or Study to recommend one's Behaviour, as being not accountable for our Own Management to Them that live under our Own Roof and Government; but all the Reserve, and Artifice, and Dissimulation is in a manner appro∣priated to the last of These. Now it is much more difficult to be regular and exact in the first of these Degrees, than in either of the other; and the Examples of Persons that are, or have been so, have been infi∣nitely fewer; and so in proportion the Case stands with the Second too, in comparison of the Third sort. The Reason is obvious and evident. For where there is no body to judge, or controul, or countermand; nay, where there is not so much as a Spectator to observe our Actions; where we have no apprehension of Punishment for doing amiss, no expectation of Reward for doing well, we are much more remiss and careless in our Behaviour. Reason and Conscience are here the only Guides we have to follow; and although These may be some Check, yet that is not comparable to the Restraints we feel, when placed in open View, and made the common Mark of All, who must needs see, and will take a Freedom of censuring our Actions. Applause and Glory, fear of Scandal and Reproach, or some other Passion of the like Nature, are much more powerful Motives; these carry and manage us after a very different manner. (And indeed the greatest part of Mankind are more govern'd by Passions of this Nature, than by any strict Sense of Duty, and regard to Virtue) These put us upon our Guard, and teach us Prudence upon force. And from the Influence of These it is, that many People have the Reputation of Holy and Excellent Persons; and behave Themselves as such in the Eye of the World; who yet in reality, and at the bottom, are mere Hypocrites, stark nought, and rotten at the Core, and have not one commendable

Quality belonging to them. What passes before Men is all Farce and Counterfeit; we put it on for Convenience, and are concern'd to appear thus to the Spectators; but the Truth of us is con∣ceal'd, and the Man can have no true Judgment made of him, but from what he does in private and alone. We must see him in his constant and every-day's Dress, and strip him of those Orna∣ments that set him off when he comes abroad: We must know his Temper and his usual Deport∣ment, for all the rest is Fiction and Constraint.* 1.1 All the World are Actors, and play their Parts to please the Audience. And it was well observ'd by a Wise Man, That none are good, except such as are so inwardly, and by Themselves: And that Virtue is always the same; as cautious, as prudent upon the account of Conscience, as it is in Obedience to the publick Laws and Customs of the World; as fearful of offending one's own Self, and as careful to avoid the Condemnation of one's own Breast, when no Eye sees us, as it is of the Observation and Reproaches of all Mankind. Publick Actions, such as Exploits in War, delivering an Opinion in Senate or Council, discharging an Embassy, go∣verning a Nation, or the like, are bright and loud; every body sees, every body hears of them; and therefore These are perform'd with all possible Di∣ligence and Circumspection; but such Private and Domestick ones, as Chiding, Laughing, Selling and Buying, Borrowing and Paying, and Con∣versing with our own Families, and most intimate Acquaintance, are silent and dark; they make no Noise, fear no Discovery, and are therefore thought worthy very little, or not any Attention or Con∣sideration at all. Nay, we are sometimes scarce so

much as sensible of them when we do them. And if in These, Men be so unthinking, a little Reflecti∣on will soon convince us, that they are infinitely more so, in Those yet more secret and merely internal; such as Loving, Hating, Desiring, of which none is or can be conscious, but their own Minds.

There is one Thing more, fit to be observed up∣on this Occasion, and a very sad and wicked Thing it is (viz.) That Men, being depraved by a kind of Hypocrisie, natural to them, have taught Themselves and Others to make a greater Con∣science, and be infinitely more Scrupulous and con∣cern'd, for their outward Behaviour; (which con∣sists in Shew, and Form, and is perfectly free and at their own Disposal, of no Consequence in the World, but all over Set-Countenance and Cere∣mony, Things of no real Difficulty, and as lit∣tle Substance and Effect) than they are for in∣ward Miscarriages, or private Actions; (such as are buried in Secrecy, and make no Figure, but yet are highly Expedient and Necessary, very Va∣luable in Themselves, and therefore very Difficult) For upon these Last, the Reforming of our Souls, the Moderating of our Passions, and the Regula∣ting our whole Life and Conversation depends. And yet the Former are not only preferred before them in our Care and Concern, but the Matter is so ordered, that even They who find themselves well disposed, will by constant Study and Sollici∣tude to discharge those outward Actions punctual∣ly, degenerate into Formality of course, and by insensible Degrees grow Cold, and Negligent, in their Regard for the others.

Now, of all these Sorts, it is plain, that the Men (as Hermits for Instance) who live in per∣fect Solitude, and have but One of these Three, That of the Internal and most private Life only to

take Care of, are upon better Terms, and have an easier Task to discharge, than Those that have Two; and so likewise he that hath the Domestick Care added to the former, and so lies under a Du∣ty in Two Capacities, is exposed to less Difficulty than the Persons of a Publick Life and Character, upon whom the Care of all the Three Degrees is incumbent.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Universus mundus exercet histrioniam.