Chapter II: Part 2

Cleo. I don't say it does. But there is no Passion in Human Nature so beneficial, that, according as it is managed, may not do Mischief as well as good. What do you think of Love? If this Fear had not been common to the whole Species, none could have been influenc'd by it; the Consequence of which must have been, that Men would have rejected the true Religion as well as the false. There is Nothing that Men may differ in, in which they will ever be all of the same Opinion: And abstruse Truths do often seem to be less probable than well dress'd Fables, when they are skilfully accommodated to our Understanding, and agreeable to our own Way of thinking. That there is but one God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, that is an all-wise and perfectly good Being, without any Mixture of Evil, would have been a most rational Opinion, tho' it had not been reveal'd. But Reasoning and Metaphysicks must have been carried on to a great Height of Perfection, before this Truth could be penetrated into by the Light of Nature. _Plutarch_, who was a Man of great Learning, and has in many Things display'd good Sense and Capacity, thought it impossible, that one Being should have been the Cause of the Whole, and was therefore of Opinion, that there must have been Two Principles; the one to produce all the Good; and the other all the Evil that is in the World. And Some of the greatest men have been of this Opinion, both before and since the Promulgation of the Gospel. But whatever Philosophers and men of Letters may have advanced, there never was an Age or a Country where the Vulgar would ever come into an Opinion that contradicted that Fear, which all men are born with, of an invisible Cause, that meddles and interferes in Human Affairs; and there is a greater Possibility, that the most Senseless Enthusiast should make a knowing and polite Nation believe the most incredible Falsities, or that the most odious Tyrant should persuade them to the grossest Idolatry, than that the most artful Politician, or the most popular Prince, should make Atheism to be universally received among the Vulgar of any considerable State or Kingdom, tho' there were no Temples or Priests to be seen. From all which I would shew, that, on the one Hand, you can make no Multitudes believe contrary to what they feel, or what contradicts a Passion inherent in their Nature, and that, on the other, if you humour that Passion, and allow it to be just, you may regulate it as you please. How unanimous soever, therefore, all Rulers and Magistrates have seem'd to be in promoting some Religion or other, the Principle of it was not of their Invention. They found it in Man; and the Fear of an invisible Cause being universal, if Governours had said nothing of it, every Man in his own Breast would have found Fault with them, and had a Superstition of his own to himself. It has often been seen, that the most subtle Unbelievers among Politicians have been forced, for their own Quiet, to counterfeit their Attachment to religion, when they would a Thousand Times rather have done without it.

Hor. It is not in the Power then, you think, of Politicians, to contradict the Passions, or deny the Existence of them, but that, when once they have allow'd them to be just and natural, they may guide Men in the Indulgence of them, as they please.

Cleo. I do so; and the Truth of this is evident likewise in another Passion, (_viz_) that of Love, which I hinted at before; and Marriage was not invented to make Men procreate; they had that Desire before; but it was instituted to regulate a strong Passion, and prevent the innumerable Mischiefs that would ensue, if Men and Women should converse together promiscuosly, and love and leave one another as Caprice and their unruly Fancy led them. Thus we see, that every Legislator has regulated Matrimony in that Way, which, to the best of his Skill, he imagin'd would be the most proper to promote the Peace Felicity in general of Those he govern'd: And how great an Imposter soever _Mahomet_ was, I can never believe, that he would have allow'd his _Mussulmen_ Three or Four Wives a piece, if he had thought it better, than one; Man should be contented with and confin'd to One Woman; I mean better upon the Whole, more beneficial to the Civil Society, as well in Consideration of the Climate he lived in--, as the Nature and the Temperament of those _Arabians_ he gave his Laws to.

Hor. But what is all this to the Origin of Honour? What Reason have you to think it to be of Gothick Extraction?

Cleo. My Conjecture concerning Honour, as it signifies a Principle from which Men act, is, that it is an Invention of Politicians, to keep Men close to their Promises and Engagements, when all other Ties prov'd ineffectual; and the Christian Religion itself was often found insufficient for that Purpose.

Hor. But the Belief of an over-ruling Power, that will certainly punish Perjury and Injustice, being common to all Religions, what pre-eminence has the Christian over the Rest, as to the Civil Society in Temporals?

Cleo. It shews and insists upon the Necessity of that Belief more amply and more emphatically than any other. Besides, the Strictness of its Morality, and the exemplary Lives of Those who preach'd it, gain'd vast Credit to the mysterious Part of it; and there never had been a Doctrine or Philosophy from which it was so likely to expect, that it would produce Honesty, mutual Love and Faithfulness in the Discharge of all Duties and Engagements as the Christian Religion. The wisest Moralists, before that Time, has laid the greatest Stress on the Reasonableness of their precepts; and appeal'd to Human Understanding for the Truth of their Opinions. But the Gospel, soaring beyond the Reach of Reason, teaches us many Things, which no Mortal could ever have known, unless they had been reveal'd to him; and several that must always remain incomprehensible to finite Capacities; and this is the Reason, that the Gospel presses and enjoins Nothing with more Earnestness than Faith and Believing.

Hor. But would Men be more sway'd by Things they believed only, than they would be by those they understood?

Cleo. All Human Creatures are sway'd and wholly govern'd by their Passions, whatever fine Notions we may flatter our Selves with; even those who act suitably to their Knowledge, and strictly follow the Dictates of their Reason, are not less compell'd so to do by some Passion or other, that sets them to Work, than others, who bid Defiance and act contrary to Both, and whom we call Slaves to their Passions. To love Virtue for the Beauty of it, and curb one's Appetites because it is most reasonable so to do, are very good Things in Theory; but whoever understands our Nature, and consults the Practice of Human Creatures, would sooner expect from them, that they should abstain from Vice, for Fear of Punishment, and do good, in Hopes of being rewarded for it.

Hor. Would you prefer that Goodness, built upon Selfishness and Mercenary Principles, to that which proceeds from a Rectitude of Thinking, and a real Love of Virtue and Reasonableness of Mens Actions?

Cleo. We can give no better Proof of our Reasonableness, than by judging rightly. When a Man wavers in his Choice, between present Enjoyments of Ease and Pleasure, and the Discharge of Duties that are troublesome, he weighs what Damage or benefit will accrue to him upon the Whole, as well from the Neglect as the Observence of the Duties that are prescrib'd to him; and the greater the Punishment is he fears from the Neglect, and the more transcendent the Reward is which he hopes for from the Observance, the more reasonably he acts, when he sides with his Duty. To bear with Inconveniencies, Pain and Sorrow, in Hopes of being eternally Happy, and refuse the Enjoyments of Pleasure, for Fear of being Miserable for ever, are more justifiable to Reason, and more consonant to good Sense, than it is to do it for Nothing.

Hor. But our Divines will tell you, that this Slavish Fear is unacceptable, and that the Love of God ought to be the Motive of good Actions.

Cleo. I have Nothing against the refin'd Notions of the Love of God, but this is not what I would now speak of. My Design was only to prove, that the more firmly Men believe Rewards and Punishments from an invisible Cause, and the more this Belief always influences them in all their Actions, the closer they'll keep to Justice and all Promises and Engagements. It is this that was always most wanted in the Civil Society; and, before the Coming of _Christ_, Nothing had appear'd upon Earth, from which this grand _Desideratum_, this Blessing, might so reasonably be expected as it might from his Doctrine. In the Beginning of Christianity, and whilst the Gospel was explain'd without any Regard to Wordly Views, to be a Soldier was thought inconsistent with the Profession of a Christian; but this Strictness of the Gospel-Principles began to be disapproved of in the Second Century. The Divines of those Days were most of them become arrant Priests, and saw plainly, that a Religion, which would not allow its Votaries to assist at Courts or Armies, and comply with the vain World, could never be made National; consequently, the Clergy of it could never acquire any considerable Power upon Earth. In Spirituals they were the Successors of the Apostles, but in Temporals they wanted to succeed the Pagan Priests, whose Possessions they look'd upon with wishful Eyes; and Worldly Strength and Authority being absolutely necessary to establish Dominion, it was agreed, that Christians might be Soldiers, and in a just War fight with the Enemies of their Country. But Experience soon taught them, that those Christians, whose Consciences would suffer them to be Soldiers, and to act contrary to the Doctrine of Peace, were not more strict Observers of other Duties; that Pride, Avarice and Revenge ranged among them as they did among the Heathens, and that many of them were guilty of Drunkenness and Incontinence, Fraud and Injustice, at the same Time that they pretended to great Zeal, and were great Sticklers for their Religion. This made it evident, that there could be no Religion so strict, no System of Morality so refin'd, nor Theory so well meaning, but some People might pretend to profess and follow it, and yet be loose Livers, and wicked in their Practice.

Hor. Those who profess to be of a Theory, which they contradict by their Practice, are, without Doubt, hypocrites.

Cleo. I have more Charity than to think so. There are real Believers that lead Wicked Lives; and Many stick not at Crimes, which they never would have dared to commit, if the Terrors of the Divine Justice, and the Flames of Hell, had struck their Imagination, and been before them in the same Manner as they really believe they shall be; or if at that Time their Fears had made the same Impression upon them, which they do at others, when the Evil dreaded seems to be near. Things at a Distance, tho' we are sure that they are to come, make little Impression upon us in Comparison with those that are present and immediately before us. This is evident in the Affair of Death: There is No Body who does not believe, that he must die, Mr. _Asgil_ perhaps excepted; yet it hardly ever employs People's Thoughts, even of Those who are most terribly afraid of it whilst they are in perfect Health, and have every Thing they like. Man is never better pleas'd than when he is employ'd in procuring Ease and Pleasure, in thinking on his own Worth, and mending his Condition upon Earth. Whether This is laid on the Devil or our Attachment to the World, it is plain to me, that it flows from Man's Nature, always to mind to Flatter, Love, and take Delight in himself; and that he cares as little as possible ever to be interupted in this grand Employment. As every organ, and every part of Man, seems to be made and wisely contriv'd for the Functions of this Life only, so his Nature prompts him, not to have any Sollicitude for Things beyond this World. The Care of Self-Preservation we are born with, does not extend it self beyond this Life; therefore every Creature dreads Death as the Dissolution of its Being, the Term not to be exceeded, the End of All. How various and unreasonable soever our Wishes may be, and how enormous the Multiplicity of our Desires, they terminate in Life, and all the Objects of them are on this Side the Grave.

Hor. Has not a Man Desires beyond the Grave, who buys an Estate, not to be enjoy'd but by his Heirs, and enters into Agreements that shall be binding for a Thousand Years.

Cleo. All the Pleasure and Satisfaction that can arise from the Reflection on our Heirs, is enjoy'd in this Life: And the Benefits and Advantages we wish to our Posterity are of the same Nature with those which we would wish to our Selves if we were to live; and what we take Care of is, that they shall be Rich, keep their Possessions, and that their Estates, Authority and Prerogatives shall never diminish, but rather encrease. We look upon Posterity as the Effect of which we are the Cause, and we reckon our Selves as it were to continue in them.

Hor. But the Ambitious that are in Pursuit of Glory, and sacrifise their Lives to Fame and a lasting Reputation, sure they have Wishes beyond the Grave.

Cleo. Tho' a Man should stretch and carry his Ambition to the End of the World, and desire not to be forgot as long as that stood, yet the Pleasure that arises from the Reflection on what shall be said of him Thousands and Thousand of Years after, can only be enjoy'd in this Life. If a vain Coxcomb, whose Memory shall die with him, can be but firmly persuaded, that he shall leave an eternal Name, the Reflection may give him as much Pleasure as the greatest Hero can receive from reflecting on what shall really render him immortal. A Man, who is not regenerated, can have no Notion of another World, or future happiness; therefore his Longing after it cannot be very strong. Nothing can affect us forcibly but what strikes the Senses, or such Things which we are conscious of within. By the Light of Nature only, we are capable of demonstrating to our Selves the necessity of a First Cause, a Supreme Being; but the Existence of a Deity cannot be render'd more manifest to our Reason, than his Essence is unknown and incomprehensible to our Understanding.

Hor. I don't see what you drive at.

Cleo. I am endeavouring to account for the small Effect and little Force, which Religion, and the Belief of future Punishments, may be of to mere Man, unassisted with the Divine Grace. The Practice of nominal Christians is perpetually clashing with the Theory they profess. Innumerable Sins are committed in private, which the Presence of a Child, or the most insignificant Person, might have hinder'd, by Men who believe God to be omniscient, and never question'd his Ubiquity.

Hor. But pray, come to the Point, the Origin of Honour.

Cleo. If we consider, that men are always endeavouring to mend their Condition and render Society more happy as to this World we may easily conceive, when it was evident that Nothing could be a Check upon Man that was absent, or at least appear'd not to be present, how Moralists and Politicians came to look for Something in Man himself, to keep him in Awe. The more they examin'd into Human Nature, the more they must have been convinced, that Man is so Selfish a Creature, that, whilst he is at Liberty, the greatest Part of his Time will always be bestow'd upon himself; and that whatever Fear or Revenerence he might have for an invisible Cause, that Thought was often jostled out by others, more nearly relating to himself. It is obvious likewise, that he neither loves nor esteems any Thing so well as he does his own Individual; and that here is Nothing, which he has so constantly before his Eyes, as his own dear Self. It is highly probable, that skilful Rulers, having made these observations for some Time, would be tempted to try if Man could not be made an Object of Reverence to himself.

Hor. You have only named Love and Esteem; they alone cannot produce Reverence by your own Maxim; how could they make a man afraid of himself?

Cleo. By improving upon his Dread of Shame; and this, I am persuaded, was the Case: For as soon as it was found out, that many vicious, quarrelsome, and undaunted Men, that fear'd neither God nor Devil, were yet often curb'd and visibly with-held by the Fear of Shame; and likewise that this Fear of Shame might be greatly encreas'd by an artful Education, and be made superiour even to that of Death, they had made a Discovery of a real Tie, that would serve many noble Purposes in the Society. This I take to have been the Origin of Honour, the Principle of which has its Foundation in Self-liking; and no Art could ever have fix'd or rais'd it in any Breast, if that Passion had not pre-existed and been predominant there.

Hor. But, how are you sure, that this was the Work of Moralists and Politicians, as you seem to insinuate?

Cleo. I give those Names promiscuously to All that, having studied Human Nature, have endeavour'd to civilize Men, and render them more and more tractable, either for the Ease of Governours and Magistrates, or else for the Temporal Happiness of Society in general. I think of all Inventions of this Sort, the same which told [4] you of Politeness, that they are the joint Labour of Many, Human Wisdom is the Child of Time. It was not the Contrivance of one Man, nor could it have been the Business of a few Years, to establish a Notion, by which a rational Creature is kept in Awe for Fear of it Self, and an Idol is set up, that shall be its own Worshiper.

[Footnote 4: Fable of the Bees, Part. II. page 132.]

Hor. But I deny, that in the Fear of Shame we are afraid of our Selves. What we fear, is the judgment of others, and the ill Opinion they will justly have of us.

Cleo. Examine this thoroughly, and you'll find, that when we covet Glory, or dread Infamy, it is not the good or bad Opinion of others that affects us with Joy or Sorrow, Pleasure or Pain; but it is the Notion we form of that Opinion of theirs, and must proceed from the Regard and Value we have for it. If it was otherwise, the most Shameless Fellow would suffer as much in his Mind from publick Disgrace and Infamy, as a Man that values his Reputation. Therefore it is the Notion we have of Things, our own Thought and Something within our Selves, that creates the Fear of Shame: For if I have a Reason, why I forbear to do a Thing to Day, which it is impossible should be known before to Morrow, I must be with-held by Something that exists already; for Nothing can act upon me the Day before it has its Being.

Hor. The Upshot is I find, that Honour is of the same Origin with Virtue.

Cleo. But the Invention of Honour, as a Principle, is of a much later Date; and I look upon it as the greater Atchievement by far. It was an Improvement in the Art of Flattery, by which the Excellency of our Species is raised to such a Height, that it becomes the Object of our own Adoration, and Man is taught in good Earnest to worship himself.

Hor. But granting you, that both Virtue and Honour are of Human Contrivance, why do you look upon the Invention of the One to be a greater Atchievement than that of the other?

Cleo. Because the One is more skilfully adapted to our inward Make. Men are better paid for their Adherence to Honour, than they are for their Adherence to Virtue: The First requires less Self-denial; and the Rewards they receive for that Little are not imaginary but real and palpable. But Experience confirms what I say: The Invention of Honour has been far more beneficial to the Civil Society than that of Virtue, and much better answer'd the End for which they were invented. For ever since the Notion of Honour has been receiv'd among Christians, there have always been, in the same Number of People, Twenty Men of real Honour, to One of real Virtue. The Reason is obvious. The Persuasions to Virtue make no Allowances, nor have any Allurements that are clashing with the Principle of it; whereas the Men of Pleasure, the Passionate and the Malicious, may all in their Turns meet with Opportunities of indulging their darling Appetites without trespassing against the Principle of Honour. A virtuous Man thinks himself obliged to obey the Laws of his Country; but a Man of Honour acts from a Principle which he is bound to believe Superiour to all Laws. Do but consider the Instinct of Sovereignty that all Men are born with, and you'll find, that in the closest Attachment to the Principle of Honour there are Enjoyments that are ravishing to Human Nature. A virtuous Man expects no Acknowledgments from others; and if they won't believe him to be virtuous, his Business is not to force them to it; but a Man of Honour has the Liberty openly to proclaim himself to be such, and call to an Account Every body who dares to doubt of it: Nay, such is the inestimable Value he sets upon himself, that he often endeavours to punish with Death the most insignificant Trespass that's committed against him, the least Word, Look, or Motion, if he can find but any far-fetch'd reason to suspect a Design in it to under-value him; and of this No body is allow'd to be a Judge but himself. The Enjoyments that arise from being virtuous are of that Nicety, that every ordinary Capacity cannot relish them: As, without Doubt, there is a noble Pleasure in forgiving of Injuries, to Speculative Men that have refin'd Notions of Virtue; but it is more Natural to resent them; and in revenging one's self, there is a Pleasure which the meanest Understanding is capable of tasting. It is manifest then, that there are Allurements in the Principle of Honour, to draw in Men of the lowest Capacity, and even the vicious, which Virtue has not.

Hor. I can't see, how a Man can be really virtuous, who is not likewise a Man of Honour. A Person may desire to be Honest, and have an Aversion to Injustice, but unless he has Courage, he will not always dare to be just, and may on many Occasions be afraid to do his Duty. There is no Dependance to be had on a Coward, who may be bully'd into vicious Actions, and every Moment be frighten'd from his Principle.

Cleo. It never was pretended, that a Man could be Virtuous and a Coward at the same Time, since Fortitude is the very First of the Four Cardinal Virtues. As much Courage and Intrepidity as you please; but a virtuous Man will never display his Valour with Ostentation, where the Laws of God and Men forbid him to make Use of it. What I would demonstrate, is, that there are many Allowances, gross Indulgences to Human Nature in the Principle of Honour, especially of modern Honour, that are always exclaim'd against by the Voice of Virtue, and diametrically opposite to the Doctrine of _Christ._

Hor. Yet the further we look back for these Seven or Eight Hundred years, the more we shall find Honour and Religion blended together.

Cleo. When Ignorance, for several Ages, had been successfully encouraged and was designedly introduced to make Way for Credulity, the Simplicity of the Gospel and the Doctrine of _Christ_ were turn'd into Gaudy Foppery and vile Superstition. It was then, that the Church of _Rome_ began openly to execute her deep-laid Plot for enslaving the Laity. Knowing, that no Power or Authority can be established or long maintain'd upon Earth without real Strength and Force of Arms, she very early coax'd the Soldiery, and made all Men of Valour her Tools by Three Maxims, that, if skilfully follow'd, will never fail of engaging Mankind in our Favour.

Hor. What are those, pray.

Cleo. Indulging Some in their Vices, Humouring Others in their Folly, and Flattering the Pride of All. The various Orders of Knighthood were so many Bulwarks to defend the Temporals of the Church, as well against the Encroachments of her Friends, as the Invasions of her Enemies. It was in the Institutions of these Orders, that Pains were taken by the grand Architects of the Church, to reconcile, in outward Shew, the Principle of Honour with that of the Christian Religion, and make Men stupidly believe, that the Height of Pride is not inconsistent with the greatest Humility. In these Solemnities the jugling Priests resolved to be kept out no where; had commonly the greatest Share; continually blending Rites seemingly Sacred with the Emblems of vain Glory, which made all of them an eternal Mixture of Pomp and Superstition.

Hor. I don't believe, that ever Any body set those Things in such a Light besides your Self; but I see no Design, and the Priests gave themselves a great Deal of Trouble for Nothing.

Cleo. Yet it is certain, that, by this and other Arts, they made themselves sure of the most dangerous Men; for by this Means the boldest and even the most wicked became Bigots. The less Religion they had, the more they stood in Need of the Church; and the farther they went from God, the more closely they stuck to the Priests, whose Power over the Laity was then the most absolute and uncontroul'd when the Crimes of These were most flagrant and enormous.

Hor. I believe, that among the Men of Honour Many were tainted with Pride and Superstition at the same Time; but there were others in whom superlative Bravery was united with the strictest Virtue.

Cleo. All Ages have had Men of Courage, and all Ages have had Men of Virtue; but the Examples of Those you speak of, in whom superlative Bravery was united with the strictest Virtue, were always extremely scarce, and are rarely to be met with, but in Legends and Romances, the Writers of both which I take to have been the greatest Enemies to Truth and sober Sense the World ever produc'd. I don't deny, that by perusing them Some might have fallen in Love with Courage and Heroism, others with Chastity and Temperance, but the Design of both was to serve the Church of _Rome_, and with wonderful Stories to gain the Attention of the Readers, whilst they taught Bigotry, and inured them to believe Impossibilities. But what I intended was to point at the People that had the greatest Hand in reconciling, to outward Appearance, the Principle of Honour with that of the Christian Religion, the Ages This was done in, and the Reasons for which it was attempted. For it is certain, that by the Maxims I named, the Church made her self sure of Those who were most to be fear'd. Do but cast your Eyes on the childish Farces, some Popes have made great Men the chief Actors in, and the apish Tricks they made them play, when they found them intoxicated with Pride, and that at the same Time they were Believers without Reserve. What Impertinence of tedious Ceremonies have they made the greatest Princes submit to, even such as were noted for being cholerick and impatient! What Absurdities in Dress have they made them swallow for Ornaments and Marks of Dignity! If in all these the Passion of Self-liking had not been highly gratify'd as well as play'd upon, Men of Sense could never have been fond of them, nor could they have been of that Duration; for many of them are still remaining even in Protestant Countries, where all the Frauds of Popery have been detected long ago; and such Veneration is paid to some of them, that it would hardly be safe to ridicule them. It is amazing to think, what immense Multitudes of Badges of Honour have been invented by Popery, that are all distinct from the Rest, and yet have Something or other to shew, that they have a Relation to Christianity. What a vast Variety of Shapes, not resembling the Original, has the poor Cross Cross been tortur'd into! How differently has it been placed and represented on the Garments of Men and Women, from Head to Foot! How inconsiderable are all other Frauds that Lay-Rogues now and then have been secretly guilty of, if you compare them to the bare-fac'd Cheats and impudent Forgeries, with which the Church of _Rome_ has constantly imposed upon Mankind in a triumphant Manner! What contemptible Baubles has that Holy Toy-shop put off in the Face of the Sun for the richest Merchandize! She has bribed the most Selfish and penetrating Statesmen, with empty Sounds, and Titles without Meaning. The most resolute Warriours She has forced to desist from their Purposes, and do her dirty Work against their own Interest. I shall say Nothing of the Holy War; how often the Church has kindled and renew'd it, or what a Handle She made of it to raise and establish her own Power, and to weaken and undermine that of the Temporal Princes in Christendom. The Authority of the Church has made the greatest Princes and most haughty Sovereigns fall prostrate before, and pay Adoration to the vilest Trumpery, and accept of, as Presents of inestimable Worth, despicable Trifles, that had no Value at all but what was set upon them by the Gigantick Impudence of the donors, and the childish Credulity of the Receivers, the Church misled the Vulgar, and then made Money of their Errors. There is not an Attribute of God, and hardly a Word in the Bible, to which she gave not some Turn or other, to serve her Worldly Interest. The Relief of Witch-craft was the Fore-runner of Exorcisms; and the Priests forged Apparitions to shew the Power they pretended to, of laying Spirits, and casting out Devils. To make accused Persons, sometimes by Ordeal, at others by single Combat, try the Justice of their Cause, were both Arrows out of her Quiver; and it is from the latter, that the Fashion of Duelling took its Rise. But those single Combats at first were only fought by Persons of great Quality, and on some considerable Quarrel, when they ask'd Leave of the Sovereign to decide the Difference between them by Feats of Arms; which being obtain'd, Judges of the Combat were appointed, and the Champions enter'd the List with great Pomp, and in a very solemn Manner. But as the Principle of Honour came to be very useful, the Notions of it, by Degrees, were industriously spread among the Multitude, till at last all Swords-men took it in their Heads, that they had a right to decide their own Quarrels, without asking any Body's Leave. Two Hundred Years ago----

Hor. Pardon my Rudeness, I cannot stay one Moment. An Affair of Importance requires my Presence. It is an Appointment which I had entirely forgot when I came hither. I am sure I have been staid for this Half Hour.

Cleo. Pray, _Horatio_, make no Apologies. There is no Company I love better than I do yours when you are at Leisure; but----

Hor. You don't stir out I know; I shall be back again in Two Hours Time.

Cleo. And I shall be at Home for No body but your Self.

The Second Dialogue Between _Horatio_ and _Cleomenes_.

Horatio. I Believe I am within my Time.

Cleo. By above Ten Minutes.

Hor. When I came back in the Chair, I was thinking how artfully, all this Afternoon, you avoided saying any Thing of Honour, as it relates to the Fair Sex. Their Honour, you know, consists in their Chastity, which is a real Virtue in your own Sense, not to be practis'd without palpable Self-denial. To make a Vow of perpetual Virginity, and to be resolute enough, never to break it, is a Task not to be perform'd without the utmost Mortification to Flesh and Blood, especially in handsome clever Women that seem to be made for Love, as you and I have seen a great many in the Nunneries in _Flanders_. Self-liking or Pride have Nothing to do there; for the more powerfully that Passion operates in either Men or Women, the less Inclination they'll shew to be mew'd up in a Cloyster, where they can have None but their own Sex to converse with.

Cleo. The Reason why I said Nothing of Honour as it relates to the fair Sex, was because we had spoke of it already in a former Conversation; by the same Token, that I told you then, that [5] _the Word Honour, I mean, the Sence of it, was very whimsical, and the Difference in the Signification so prodigious, according as the Attribute was either applied to a Man, or to a Woman, that neither shall forfeit their Honour, tho' each should be guilty, and openly boast of what would be the other's greatest Shame._

[Footnote 5: Fable of the Bees, part II. page 128.]

Hor. I remember it, and it is true. Gallantry with Women, is no Discredit to the Men, any more than Want of Courage is a Reproach to the Ladies. But do you think this is an Answer to what I said?

Cleo. It is an Answer to your Charge against me of making Use of an Artifice, which, I declare to you, never enter'd into my Head. That the Honour of Women in general, is allow'd to consist in their Chastity, is very true; the Words themselves have been made Use of as Synonimous even among the Ancients: But this, strictly speaking, ought only to be understood of Worldly Women, who act from Political Views, and at best from a Principle of Heathen Virtue. But the Women you speak of among the Christians, who, having vow'd a perpetual Virginity, debar themselves from sensual Pleasures, must be set on, and animated by a higher Principle than that of Honour. Those who can voluntarily make this Vow in good Humour and Prosperity, as well as Health and Vigour, and keep it with Strictness, tho' it is in their Power to break it, have, I own with you, a Task to perform, than which Nothing can be more mortifying to Flesh and Blood. Self-liking or Pride, as you say, have Nothing to do there. But where are these Women to be found?

Hor. I told you; in the Religious Houses.

Cleo. I don't believe there is one in a Thousand that answers the Character you gave of them. Most Nuns are made whilst they are very young, and under the Tuition of others; and oftner by Compulsion than their own Choice.

Hor. But there are Women grown, who take the Veil voluntarily, when they are at their own Disposal.

Cleo. Not many, who have not some substantial Reason or other for it, that has no Relation to Piety or Devotion; such as the Want of a Portion suitable to their Quality; Disappointments or other Misfortunes in the World. But to come to the Point. There are but two Things which, in Celibacy, can make Men or Women, in Youth and Health, strictly comply with the Rules of Chastity; and these are Religion, and the Fear of Shame. Good Christians, that are wholly sway'd by the Sense of a Religious Duty, must be supernaturally assisted, and are Proof against all Temptations. But These have always been very scarce, and there are no Numbers of them any where, that one can readily go to. It would perhaps be an odious Disquisition, whether, among all the young and middle-aged Women who lead a Monastick Life, and are secluded from the World, there are Any that have, abstract from all other Motives, Religion enough to secure them from the Frailty of the Flesh, if they had an Opportunity to gratify it to their Liking with Impunity. This is certain, that their Superiors, and Those under whose Care these Nuns are, seem not to entertain that Opinion of the Generality of them. They always keep them lock'd up and barr'd; suffer no Men to converse with them even in Publick, but where there are Grates between them, and not even then within Reach of one another: And tho' hardly a Male Creature of any Kind is allow'd to come near them, yet they are ever suspicious of them, pry into their most Secret Thoughts, and keep constantly a watchful Eye over them.

Hor. Don't you think this must be a great Mortification to young Women?

Cleo. Yes, a forc'd one; but there is no voluntary Self-denial, which was the Thing you spoke of. The Mortifitation which they feel is like that of Vagabonds in a Work-House: There is no Virtue in the Confinement of either. Both are dissatisfied, without Doubt, but it is because they are not employ'd to their Liking; and what they grieve at, is, that they can't help themselves. But there are Thousands of vain Women, whom no Thoughts of Futurity ever made any Impression upon, that lead single Lives by Choice, and are at the same Time careful of their Honour to the greatest Nicety, in the Midst of Temptations, gay sprightly Women, of amorous Complexions, that can deny a passionate, deserving Lover, whose Person they approve of and admire, when they are alone with him in the dark; and all this from no better Principle than the Fear of Shame, which has its Foundation in Self-liking, and is so manifesty derived from that and no other Passion. You and I are acquainted with Women, that have refused Honourable Matches with the Men they loved, and with whom they might have been Happy, if they themselves had been less intoxicated with Vanity.

Hor. But when a Woman can marry, and be maintain'd suitably to her Quality, and she refuses a Man upon no other Score, than that his Fortune, or his Estate, are not equal to her unreasonable Desires, the Passion she acts from is Covetousness.

Cleo. Would you call a Woman covetous, who visibly takes Delight in Lavishness, and never shew'd any Value for Money when She had it: One that would not have a Shilling left at the Year's End, tho' she had Fifty Thousand Pounds coming in? All Women consult not what is befitting their Quality: What many of them want is to be maintain'd suitably to their Merit, their own Worth, which with great Sincerity they think inestimable and which consequently no Price can be equal to. The Motive therefore of these Women is no other, than what I have call'd it, their Vanity, the undoubted Offspring of Self-liking, a palpable Excess, an extravagant Degree of the Passion, that is able to stifle the loudest Calls of Nature, and with a high Hand triumphs over all other Appetites and Inclinations. What Sort of Education now do you think the fittest to furnish and fill young Ladies with this high Esteem for themselves and their Reputation, which, whilst it subsists and reigns in them, is an ever-watchful and incorruptible Guardian of their Honour? Would you mortify or flatter; lessen or increase in them the Passion of Self-liking, in order to preserve their Chastity? In short, which of the Two is it, you would stir up and cultivate in them if you could, Humility or Pride?

Hor. I should not try to make them Humble, I own: And now I remember, that in our Third Conversation, speaking of raising the Principle Honour in both Sexes, you gave some plausible Reasons why [6] Pride should be more encourag'd in Women than in Men. So much for the Ladies. I shall now be glad to hear what you have to add further concerning Honour, as it relates to Men only, and requires Courage. When I took the Freedom to interupt you, you was saying Something of Two Hundred Years ago.

[Footnote 6: Fable of the Bees part II. p. 126.]

Cleo. I was then going to put you in Mind, that Two Hundred Years ago and upward, as all Gentlemen were train'd up to Arms, the Notions of Honour were of great Use to them; and it was manifest, that never any Thing had been invented before, that was half so effectual to create artificial Courage among Military Men. For which Reason it was the Interest of all politicians, among the Clergy, as well as the Laity, to cultivate these Notions of Honour with the utmost Care, and leave no stone unturn'd to make Every body believe the Existence and Reality of such a Principle; not among Mechanicks, or any of the Vulgar, but in Persons of high Birth, Knights, and others of Heroick Spirit and exalted Nature. I can easily imagine, how, in a credulous, ignorant Age, this might be swallow'd and generally receiv'd for Truth; nor is it more difficult to conceive, how illiterate Men and rude Warriours, altogether unacquainted with Human Nature, should be so far imposed upon by such Assertions, as to be fully persuaded, that they were really posses'd of; and actually animated by such a Principle, constantly ascribing to the Force and Influence of it every Effort and Suggestion they felt from the Passion of Self-liking. The Idol it self was finely dress'd up, made a beautiful Figure, and the Worship of it seem'd to require Nothing, that was not highly commendable and most beneficial to Society. Those who pretended to pay their Adoration to it, and to be true Votaries of Honour, had a hard Task to perform. They were to be Brave and yet Courteous, Just, Loyal, and the Protectors of Innocence against Malice and Oppression. They were to be the profess'd Guardians of the Fair; and chaste, as well as profound Admirers of the Sex: But above all, they were to be Stanch to the Church, implicite Believers, zealous Champions of the Christian Faith, and implacable Enemies to all Infidels and Hereticks.

Hor. I believe, that between Two and Three Hundred Years ago, Bigotry was at the greatest Height.

Cleo. The Church of _Rome_ had, long before that Time, gain'd such an Ascendant over the Laity, that Men of the highest Quality stood in Awe of the least Parish-Priest. This made Superstition fashionable; and the most resolute Heroes were not ashamed to pay a blind Veneration to every Thing which the Clergy was pleased to call Sacred. Men had an entire Confidence in the Pope's Power; his blessing of Swords, Armours, Colours and Standards; and No body doubted of the Influence, which Saints and Angels had upon Earth, the miraculous Virtue of Relicks, the Reality of Witches and Enchantments, the Black Art, or that Men might be made invulnerable.

Hor. But the Ignorance of those Days notwithstanding, you believe, that there were Men of that strict Honour, you have been speaking of.

Cleo. Men of Honour, I told you, were required and supposed to be possess'd of those Qualities; and I believe, that several endeavour'd to be, and some actually were such, as far as Human Frailty would let them; but I believe likewise, that there were others, who gain'd the Title, by their Undauntedness only, and had but a small Stock of any other Virtue besides; and that the Number of these was always far the greatest. Courage and Intrepidity always were, and ever will be the grand Characteristick of a Man of Honour: It is this Part of the Character only, which it is always in our Power to demonstrate. The best Friend a King has, may want an Opportunity to shew his Loyalty: So a Man may be just and chaste, and yet not be able to convince the World that he is so; but he may pick a Quarrel, and shew, that he dares to Fight when he pleases, especially if he converses with Men of the Sword. Where the Principle of Honour was in high Esteem, Vanity and Impatience must have always prompted the most proud and forward to seek after Opportunities of Signalizing themselves, in order to be stiled Men of Honour. This would naturally occasion Quarrelling and Fighting, as it did and had frequently done before the Time I speak of. As Duelling was made a Fashion, the Point of Honour became, of Course, a common Topick of Discourse among the best bred Men: By this Means the Rules for Quarrelling and Ponctilio in Behaviour, which at first were very uncertain and precarious, came to be better understood, and refin'd upon from Time to Time, till, in the Beginning of the last Century, the Sence of Honour was arrived to such a Degree of Nicety all over _Europe_, especially in _France_, that barely looking upon a Man was often taken for an Affront. The Custom of Duelling, by this, was become to universal in that Kingdom, that the Judges themselves thought it dishonourable to refuse a Challenge. _Henry_ IVth. seeing the best Blood of France so often sacrific'd to this Idol, endeavour'd to put a Stop to it, but was not able; and the several Edicts made in 1602 and 1609 were fruitless. The Resolutions of Parliament likewise, made in the Reign of _Lewis_ XIIIth. were as ineffectual: the First Check that was given to Duelling, was in the Minority of _Lewis_ XIVth, and from the Method by which it was prevented at last, it is evident, that Honour is an Idol, by Human Contrivance, rais'd on the Basis of Human Pride.

Hor. The Method by which a Stop was put to it, was strictly to punish and never to pardon Any that either sent or accepted of Challenges, whether they fought or not.

Cleo. This was not trusted to only. An Edict was publish'd in the Year 1651, by which Courts of Honour were erected throughout the Kingdom, with Gentlemen Commissioners in every Bailiwick, that were to have Advice of, and immediately to interpose in all Differences that might arise between Gentlemen. The Difficulty they labour'd under was, that they would abolish the Custom of Duelling without parting with the Notions of Honour; destroying of which must have been certain Ruin to a warlike Nation, that once had received them; and therefore they never design'd, that the Worship of the Idol should cease, but they only try'd, whether it was not to be satisfied with less valuable Victims, and other Sacrifices besides human Blood. In the Year 1653, _Lewis_ XIV. set forth another Declaration against Duels; in which having made some Additions to his former Edict, he commands the Marshals of _France_ to draw up a Regulation touching the Satisfactions and Reparations of Honour, which they should think necessary for the several Sorts of Offences. This Order was immediately obey'd, and nineteen Articles were drawn up and publish'd accordingly. In these, calling a Man Fool, Coward, or the Like, was punish'd with a Month's Imprisonment; and after being released, the Offender was to declare to the Party so offended, that he had wrongfully and impertinently injur'd him by outragious Words, which he own'd to be false, and ask'd him to forgive. Giving one the Lie, or threatning to beat him, was two Month's Imprisonment, and the Submission to be made afterwards yet more humble than the foregoing. For Blows, as striking with the Hand, and other Injuries of the same Nature, the Offender was to lye in Prison Six Months, unless, at the Request of the offended, half of that Time was chang'd into a pecuniary Mulct, that might not be under Fifteen Hundred Livres, to be paid before he was set at Liberty, for the Use of the Nearest Hospital to the Abode of the offended; after which, the Offender was to submit to the same Blows from the offended, and to declare by Word of Mouth, and in Writing, that he had struck him in a Brutish Manner, and beg'd him to pardon and forget that Offence.

Hor. What Mortal could submit to such Condescensions?

Cleo. For Caning, or Blows given with a Stick, the Punishment was still more severe; and the Offender was to beg pardon upon his Knees.

Hor. I should have no great Opinion of a Man's Honour, who would not chuse to Die rather than comply with such Demands.

Cleo. Several thought as you do, and were hang'd for their Pains. But what Need a Man come to those Extremes, when he could have Satisfaction for any real Offence that might provoke him? For the Articles took Notice of, and made ample Provisions against all Manner of Injuries, from the most trifling Offences to the highest Outrages, and were very severe against all those that should refuse to submit to the Penalties imposed. The Marshals of _France_ remain'd the Supreme Judges in all these Matters; and under them acted the Governours and Lieutenants General of Provinces, in whose Absence the Gentlemen Commissioners in every Bailiwick, having Power to call the Officers of Justice to their Assistance, were to take all provisional Care imaginable; so that no Lawyers or Mechanicks had a Hand in composing any Differences concerning the Point of Honour.

Hor. All these Things, we'll say, are wisely contriv'd; but in complaining first there is a meanness which a Man of Honour cannot stoop to.

Cleo. That the Instinct of Sovereignty will always bid Men revenge their own Wrongs, and do Justice to themselves, is certain. But I wanted, to shew you the Equivalent, that wise Men substituted in the Room of Dueling, and which Men of unqueston'd Honour took up with. The Scheme was contrived by Men of tried Valour, whose Example is always of great Weight: Besides, from the Nature of the Remedies that were applied to the Evil, it must always follow, that those who had given the greatest Proofs of their Courage, would be the most ready to subscribe to those Articles.

Hor. In our last Conversation but one you told me, that [7] all Laws pointed at, and tally'd with some Frailty or Passion in our Nature; pray, what is it that these Laws of Honour tally with?

[Footnote 7: Fable of the Bees, part II. page 318.]

Cleo. It is self-evident, that they point at Self-liking and the Instinct of Sovereignty. But what is singular in these Laws is, that in their Operation they are the reverse of all others.

Hor. I don't understand you.