The works of the late Dr. Benjamin Franklin consisting of his Life written by himself : together with Essays humorous, moral, & literary, chiefly in the manner of the Spectator.

THE HANDSOME and DEFORMED LEG.

THERE are two sorts of people in the world, who with equal degrees of health and wealth, and the other comforts of life, becomes the one hap|py; and the other miserable. This arises very much from the different views in which they consider things, persons, and events; and the effect of those different views upon their own minds.

In whatever situation men can be placed, they may find conveniencies and inconveniencies: in whatever company, they may find persons and conversation more or less pleasing: at whatever table, they may meet with meats and drinks of better and worse taste, dishes better and worse dressed: in whatever climate they will find good and bad weather: un|der whatever government, they may find good and bad laws, and good and bad administration of those laws: in whatever poem, or work of genius, they may see faults and beauties: in almost every face, and every person, they may discover fine features and defects, good and bad qualities.

Under these circumstances, the two sorts of peo|ple above-mentioned, fix their attention, those who are disposed to be happy, on the conveniences of things, the pleasant parts of conversation, the well dressed dishes, the goodness of the wines, the fine weather, &c. and enjoy all with cheerfulness. Those who are to be unhappy, think and speak only of the contraries. Hence they are continu|ally discontented themselves, and, by their remarks, sour the pleasures of society; offend personally ma|ny people, and make themselves every where disa|greeable. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. But as the disposition to criticise, and to be disgusted, is perhaps, taken up origi|nally by imitation, and is, unawares, grown into a habit, which, though at present strong, may ne|vertheless be cured, when those who have it are convinced of its bad effects on their felicity; I hope this little admonition may be of service to them, and put them on changing a habit, which, though in the exercise it is chiefly an act of ima|gination, yet has serious consequences in life, as it brings on real griefs and misfortunes. For as many are offended by, and nobody loves this sort of people; no one shews them more than the most common civility and respect, and scarcely that; and this frequently puts them out of humour, and draws them into disputes and contentions. If they aim at obtaining some advantage in rank or for|tune, nobody wishes them success, or will stir a step, or speak a word to favour their pretensions. If they incur public censure or disgrace, no one will defend or excuse, and many join to aggravate their misconduct, and render them completely odi|ous:

If these people will not change this bad habit, and condescend to be pleased with what is pleasing, without fretting themselves and others about the contraries, it is good for others to avoid an acquaintance with them; which is always dis|agreeable, and sometimes very inconvenient, espe|cially when one finds one's self entangled in their quarrels.

An old philosophical friend of mine was grown, from experience, very cautious in this particular, and carefully avoided any intimacy with such peo|ple. He had, like other philosophers, a thermo|meter to shew him the heat of the weather; and a barometer, to mark when it was likely to prove good or bad; but there being no instrument in|vented to discover, at first sight, this unpleasing disposition in a person, he, for that purpose, made use of his legs; one of which was remarkably handsome, the other, by some accident, crooked and deformed. If a stranger, at the first interview, regarded his ugly leg more than his handsome one, he doubted him. If he spoke of it, and took no notice of the handsome leg, that was sufficient to determine my philosopher to have no further ac|quaintance with him. Every body has not this two legged instrument; but every one, with a lit|tle attention, may observe signs of that carping, fault-finding disposition, and take the same resolu|tion of avoiding the acquaintance of those infected with it. I therefore advise those critical, queru|lous, discontented, unhappy people, that if they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to be respected and beloved by others, and happy in themselves, they should leave off looking at the ugly leg.