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. XLIII. Of Temperance in Speaking.

[unspec 1] THough the government of the Tongue do not usually come under this head of Temperance, yet all People, I suppose, will allow, that there is not any instance, in which Moderation is more useful and necessary; and that this is so essential a part of Wisdom, that no Treatise upon this Subject can be tolerably complete without it. He that offendeth not in word, the same is a perfect Man, (says St. James,) and the Reason is evidently what he gives there at large, that the Tongue is all in all: Good and Evil pro∣ceed from it; Life and Death depend upon it.* 1.1 Which be∣ing formerly illustrated at large, all that lies upon me to do more at present, is only to lay down some short and plain Directions, for our Conduct and good management of so very important a Member.

[unspec 2] Let our Discourse then be sober and sparing, the know∣ing how and when to be silent is a mighty advantage, and contributes exceedingly to our knowing how to speak; for he that is unskilfull in one of these Points, can never be expert in the other. To talk much and to talk well are Qualities that seldom or never go together; and therefore one of the Philosophers made it his Observation, that the most accomplished Men, are generally they that say least. Those that abound in words, are commonly barren both in good Sense, and good Actions; like Trees, which when they shoot in great quantities of Leaves, bear little Fruit; or lean Corn that runs all into Straw. The Lacedaemonians, (of whom we have made so frequent mention, for their noble improvements in Virtue and Valour,) were no less memorable for Silence, and made this one part of their so∣lemn Profession, to Educate their Youth in a modest and reserved way of Conversation. So justly, so generally is this sort of Restraint approved and commended; so necessary, so prudent, that Prayer of the Psalmist, that God would enable him by his Grace, to set a Watch before his mouth, and keep the door of his lips. An Emblem of this we have in the Mosaical Institution; where, among many Typical repre∣sentations of Moral Duties this seems to be one; That every Vessel was unclean, which had not a Cover fastened to it:

And the wisest Author that ever wrote, hath left us this Mark to distinguish Men by, The Heart of Fools is in their mouth, but the Tongue of the Wise is in their Heart.

[unspec 3] A second Qualification absolutely necessary upon this oc∣casion, is Truth; without this the end of Speech is utterly perverted and lost. For Speech was principally designed to be assisting to Truth, in bringing others to the knowledge of it, by representing every thing in its native and proper Colours; and discovering the mysteries of Errour and Deceit; that being thus detected, they may no longer have it in their power to mis-lead our Judgments. For what indeed is Speech, but a Key to our Thoughts? An instrument of com∣municating what we feel, and see, and desire, and so of transfusing our whole Hearts into the bosoms of them with whom we converse? Now this makes it obvious to every considering Man; that Fidelity and exact Truth ought to be an inseparable attendant upon every Word we utter; for there is no other method of conveying our Intelligence; no other Glass in which we can see one another's Souls; and therefore it is as much as all the benefits of Conversation, and Commerce, and this noble Prerogative of Mankind is worth, to take care, that the Mirrour cast no false Refle∣ctions. He that falsifies in his Discourse, ought to be treated as a common Enemy; detested as a Traytor to publick So∣ciety; For if when once this Footing fails us, we have no fresh ground to stand upon, all Faith and Security is given up, and we know not where to have Men, nor what to make of them. How vile the Sin of Lying is, hath been declared before.* 1.2 They who practice it out of design, are of all wretches the most profligate and despicable; and they who do it in Raillery, should consider how insolent a thing it is to banter and abuse the Credulity of Mankind; and that Truth and mutual Faith are things much too serious and too weighty to be made a Diversion, and sacrificed to the itch of an unmannerly Jest.

[unspec 4] Thirdly, Our Expressions should be Natural and Modest and Chast; provoking no blushes, offensive to none, even the most nice and purged Ears; our Discourse free from Vehemence and Contention; for in such cases Men seem to be more concerned for themselves than for the Truth; and to speak, not so much the reason of the thing, as their own Passions. Speech was designed for a mutual Comfort and Improvement; to inform and mend Men's Minds, not to corrupt and seduce them, And therefore, as Artifice and Af∣fectation

is nauseous, so Indecency and Lewdness, and every thing that tends to Obscenity or Licentiousness, is wicked and abominable.

[unspec 5] Fourthly, Our Discourse should be serious and significant, profitable and advantageous; not trifling, and impertinent and vain. The little Tattle of the Town, what is done at the Court, or the Park, or the Play-House; how People were dressed, and how they behaved themselves; repeating idle Verses, scraps of Plays, and little foolish Jests, and tel∣ling frivolous Stories; though they make up so very consi∣derable a part of modish Conversation, are yet, (to speak freely,) signs of a great poverty of Thought, and have more of the Buffoon, than of the Man in them. He that provides no better Entertainment for his Company, than all this amounts to, is at a very low Ebb; and shews, that he hath spent a great deal of time to very small purpose. How very little hath a Man to do, that employs himself at this rate: And what precious account does all that leisure turn to, which hath been laid out upon qualifying himself for so noble and accomplisht a way of Discourse? Under this head of Trifling and Impertinence, I think we may very well reckon that Folly of entertaining Company with long ac∣counts of our Selves, and our own Affairs; what Feats we have done, or what Calamities we have suffered; for of what consequence soever these things may be to us, they are of none at all to the Persons we tell them to; except it be to give them a taste of our Folly, and from a dislike of our Conversation, to avoid the same absurdity in their own. We fancy, because these Accidents are pleasing to us, that they are so to them; but alas! the difference of Persons should be considered; for to render the Story agreeable to tell, there needs no other Recommendation, than that our selves are at the bottom of it; but then the very same rea∣son renders it as nauseous to the Hearer, not only because he finds no Concern of his own there, but from that natural Aversion and Disdain we bear to Men, who are always big and full of themselves, and have the vanity to suppose, that whatever relates to them is worthy to be the Concern of all they converse with.

But especially, we should be careful not to transgress this Rule of profiting others, by running into the contrary ex∣treme of Injurious or Offensive Language; For Speech is in the very original intention of it, an Instrument, and Har∣binger, a Reconciler, and Uniter of Mankind, and there∣fore,

to apply it to any purposes contrary to these, is to abuse, and pervert the nature and design of it. This Con∣sideration was never more necessary than now; and, if ap∣plied to the modern way of Conversation, would soon con∣vince us, how vainly those Persons pretend to Wit, and Sense, and Honour, whose whole Discourse consists of Slan∣der, Detraction, Mockery or Reproach, sacrificing the re∣putations of the absent to an ill-natured Jest; or exposing and ridiculing their Defects, by Mimickry, and Buffoonery; all which are infinitely unbecoming the Character such Men aspire after, and a Diversion too base and barbarous for any Wise or Good Man to allow himself in.

[unspec 6] Our Discourse should be Easie and Pleasant, Courteous and Entertaining; not Rough and Harsh, Difficult and Troublesome. For this reason it will require some prudence in the Choice, or the declining of our Subject. We should contrive, as much as possibly we can, to start nothing but what will keep our Company in good humour; never to en∣gage in Controversies, where any that are present shall find themselves concerned; for this either disobliges, if they think fit to let the Argument fall; or else it draws them into Disputes, and occasions Warmth, and Uneasiness; and per∣haps Coldness, and angry Resentments afterwards. But, though there should be no personal Interest in the case, yet nothing of Controversie in general should be industriously begun; for common Discourse is not the proper season for that. If the Question be Substantial and of great Concern∣ment, the respect of a private Conference is due to it; but if it be some nice and subtle point, it is not worth so much as our common Talk. Such Questions have been aptly enough compared to Crabfish, of which some are all Shell, and when we have taken great pains to open, and prepare them for our Palates, nine parts of ten must be thrown away, and a very poor pittance remains fit for Eating. Their diffi∣cult and abstruse Speculations raise a Noise and a Dust, but when we examine what account they turn to, little comes of them, but Heat, and Calmour, and Contra∣diction.

[unspec 7] Our Expressions should be strong and clear, our Argu∣ments sinewy and full; not loose, and flat, and languishing; and therefore we should observe and avoid the formality of Pedants, the stiff-set way of Pleaders, and the impertinent Affectation of the Ladies.

[unspec 8] This particular sort of Temperance extends likewise to one very necessary Virtue, which I think may not unfitly be called the Continence of the Tongue: That I mean, of keeping Secrets; which, though already spoken to in the Chapter concerning Fidelity,* 1.3 I thought not improper to make another mention of here. And the rather, because I take Secrets here in a more large and comprehensive Sense; so that the Virtue at present prescribed, does not only oblige us not to disclose those things, which were committed to our Trust, under the Seal of Secresie; but also to suppress, whatever in Prudence and our own Discretion, appears unfit to be divulged. All that is dangerous, or of ill conse∣quence; all that can any way reflect upon our own, or be injurious to another's Reputation. In a word, so strict a Guard, so steady a Conduct in all our Conversation, that our Tongue may not out-run our Judgment; and that nei∣ther our own Consciences, or those we keep Company with, upon the severest and most impartial Recollection, have cause to accuse us, of saying any thing which was not fit to be said. This is of greater Importance, and needs to be more diligently attended to, than People seem generally well aware of; and yet it is no more, than every Man's own Reflections upon the indecent Gayeties, and unthinking Freedoms, in Conversation, and the many ill Effects and hard Censures these produce, may soon convince him of: And satisfie him, not only of the Beauty and Comeliness, but of the safety and great advantage there is, in a modest and cautious reserve. While the word is kept in, it is en∣tirely our own; but if it once break loose from us, it can never be retrieved; we have lost all our Property and Juris∣diction, and must stand to the courtesie of the World; who will make what use they please of it, and very seldom are just or good-natured enough, to make the right use, or to understand it as innocently as we intended it.

[unspec 9] Now as the advantage of Speech in general is an Excel∣lence peculiar to Mankind, and sets us above Brutes; so Eloquence exalts those that are Masters and Professors of it, above the rate of common Men. For this is the Art, or Science of speaking, a more accurate and exquisite way of Communicating our Thoughts; of enforcing and adorning Reason: This is the Rudder of the Soul that steers and turns Men, and sets us at the Helm of our Audience, to carry them whither we please: It falls in with the Heart, and secretly moves our Passions, like the Chords in Musick,

which, in a skilful Composition, conspire together to make a more perfect, and delightful Harmony.

[unspec 10] By Eloquence I mean, all that is necessary to make an accomplished Orator. For this does consist, not only in per∣spicuity, and purity of Expression, the Elegance and Pro∣priety of the Words, the happy Choice and regular Dispo∣sition, the fulness and roundness of the Period, and the just∣ness of a sweet and musical Cadence; but it must also be assisted and strengthned by other Ornaments and Graces, and Motions of the Person himself: Every Word should be inspired with Life and Vigour; first, by a clear and sweet Voice, a proper and distinct Pronunciation, rising and falling, gently and easily, as is best accommodated to the matter and design: Then by a grave and unaffected Action, where the Countenance, the Hands, the whole Body, the every part and gesture speak as well as the Mouth, all follow them ove∣ments of the Soul, and give a lively Image of the Affecti∣ons within. For the Orator is the Representative of his Audience, and must first of all in his own Person put on the several Passions, which he labours to infuse into others.

* 1.4We weep and laugh as we see others do: He only makes me sad, who shews the way, And first is sad himself; then (Telephus) I feel the weight of your Calamities, And fancy all your Miseries my own. Ld. Roscom.

It is in such cases with the Standers by, as it was with Brasidas and his Enemy, who drew the Dart out of his own Wound, with which he stabbed him to the Heart. Thus Passion is first conceived and formed in our own Mind, then born and brought into the World by apposite Expression, and afterwards, by a subtle and quick Contagion, conveyed into others, and begets its likeness there. By this short Re∣flection it sufficiently appears, that Men of soft and gentle Tempers, are not cut out for Orators. Their Spirits are too sedate and sluggish to communicate any powerful Impres∣sions. They want the Force, and Fire, the Sprightliness and Activity, that is necessary to animate what they say. And when such Persons would display the most masterly

beauties of Eloquence, they languish and faulter by the way, and drop short of the Mark. Thus Cicero reproached Calli∣dius, who accused Gallus with a sneaking Voice and lan∣guishing Action, by telling him, that his Coldness and In∣differency betrayed the falseness of his Charge. But when a Man hath all that Vigour and Ornament touched upon be∣fore, his Words will be as strong and compulsive as the Commands of a Tyrant, with all the Pomp and Terrour of his Guards about him. They will commit an irresistible Violence upon the Soul; not only perswade and draw, but drag his Auditory whether they will or no, lead them in Triumph, and establish to themselves an Absolute and Arbi∣trary Dominion over the Minds of Men.

[unspec 11] It may perhaps be objected in prejudice of Eloquence, that all this Skill is needless; since Truth alone is sufficient∣ly powerful and perswasive, and stands in need of no studied and artificial Practices, to vindicate, or to recommend it. And indeed, were the Minds of Men free, and pure, un∣prepossest with Passion, or Interest, or any other prejudicate Opinion, the Objection must be allowed to have a great deal of weight in it. But we are to consider and deal with Men, according to the state we find them in; a state of Cor∣ruption and Prejudice, in which Art, or Nature, Misinfor∣mation, or ill Habits have bribed and byassed their Affecti∣ons, and made them draw the wrong way, and bent them violently against the Truth. And thus they come to require a sort of Treatment, very different from that, which is most agreeable to their original Constitution. As therefore we are forced, first of all to soften and open the pores of the Steel by Fire, that it may afterwards receive that Liquor which tempers it, and grow harder in the Water: so the warmths of Eloquence are necessary to put the Spirits in motion, and by rendring the Minds of Men more supple and pliable, to give them a stronger and more lasting tincture of Truth. This is the true and proper design of Eloquence; and the end it should constantly aim at, is, to fortifie and protect Virtue against Vice, Truth against Falshood, and Innocence against Calumny and false Accusation. The Orator (says Theophrastus) is the true Physician of Souls, and his business must be to Cure the Venomous Bitings of Serpents, by the Charms of his Musick; that is, The poysonous Slanders, and false Insinuations of wicked Men, by the harmony of Reason, set out to the best advantage. But since there is no possibility of cutting off ill Men from the use of this ad∣vantage

too, since they will be sure to seize and usurp the Weapon, for the more effectual Execution of their mischie∣vous Designs; we are the more concerned not to go into the Field Naked, but to beat them at their own Weapon, and with equal Industry and Skill to Counter-work them; that so Virtue and Truth may not be circumvented, or tamely lost, for want of proper Preparations to defend it. Several indeed have abused their attainments of this kind to very villainous purposes, and made Eloquence the instrument of Ruin and Oppression to private Persons, and whole Commu∣nities of Men. This is a melancholy Truth; too manifest to be denied. But then the Consequence of grancing it must be, not to despise or set aside the thing, upon the account of any ill Effects, that have followed upon the misemployment of it. No, This is a Misfortune common to every thing, that is useful and excellent; for none of these are so necessarily confined to Goodness, but that they are capable of being perverted to very great Evil. Nature hath provided them with an Aptitude and Efficacy; but it will depend upon the Disposition of the Person that manages those Powers, what sort of Effects those natural Abilities shall be applied and de∣termined to. For even that Reason and Understanding, which is the peculiar Prerogative of Humane Nature, and sets us above Brutes, is most miserably abused; turned against God and our selves, and made the occasion of our more inexcusable Ruin; but this is only an accidental Mis∣fortune, far from the natural tendency of so noble a Privi∣lege. And he, who would argue from hence that Mankind had better want these Faculties, may justly seem to have de∣generated into Brute, and to be forsaken of all that Rea∣son, which he so wildly and so rashly condemns.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Book I. Chap. 23.
• * 1.2

  Chap. 10.
• * 1.3

  Chap. 8.
• * 1.4

  —Si vis me flere, dolendum est— Primum ipsi tibi: tunc tua me infortunia laedent, Telephe.—Hor. de Arte Poet.••