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The beauties of the Spectators, Tatlers, and Guardians
The beauties of the Spectators Tatlers and Guardians Author:Joseph Addison Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: minds the wonderful advantage of truth and integrity' to the profperity even of our worldly afla;rs ; thefe pen are fq blinded by tlieir covetoulnefs and ambitio... more »n, that they cannot look beyond a prefent advantage, nor forbear to feize upon it, though by ways ever fo indirect ; they cannot fee fo far as to the rc- rnoteft coniequences of a Ready integrity, and the vaft benefit and advantage which it will bring a man at laft. Weie but this fort of men wife and clear fight- cd enough to difceru this, they would be honeft out of very knavery, not out of any love to honefty and virtue, but with a crafvy defign. to promote and advance more effectually their own iiuerefts ; and therefore the juftice of the Divine Providence- hath hid this trueft point of wifdom from their eyes, that bad men might not be upon equal terms with the juft and upright, and feive their own wicked defigns by. honeft' and lawful means. " Indeed, it a man were only to deal in the world for a day, and fhould never have occafion to converfe more with mankind, never more need their good opin- IC" Cr tcd word, it were then no ercatmatter (fpeafe-- ing as to the concernments of this world) if a man fpant his reputation all at once, and ventured it at one throw : But if he is to continue in the world, and would have the advantage of converfation whilft he is in it, let him make ufe of truth and fincerity irf all his words and actions ; for nothing but this will lait and hold out to the end ; all other arts will fail, bai truth and integrity will carry a man through, and bear him out to the laft." Spectator, Vol. IV. No. 552. FAME. T. HE foul', confidered abftraandedly from its pafTions, is of a rerrrifs and iedentary nature, flow in its refolves, and languifhihg in its execution. The ufe therefore of the paf...« less