When you have given your self the Titles of a Man of Modesty, and Good Nature, of Truth, and Prudence, of Resignation, and Magnanimity , take care that your Practise answers up to your Character ; And if your Distinctions and your Life Do not agree, if any of these glorious Names are lost in your Mismanagement, recover them as soon as you can. Remembring withal, that Prudence implies Consideration, Care and Comprehensive Enquiry : that to be Unanimous ⁵ or Resign'd, signifies a Chearful complyance with the Allotments of Providence. That Magnanimity imports an Elevation of Soul, a Noble contempt of Pleasure and Pain ; of Glory and Death ; and all those things which People are either fond or afraid of. Now if you can earn the Honour of this Stile and neither fly out of the compass of the Character, nor yet desire it from other Folks, you'l be quite another Man, and steer a quite different Course from what you do at present. And indeed 'tis high time to begin : For to desire to go on at this rate, to be polluted with Appetite, and Harrassed with Passion any longer, is a senceless and a scandalous wish. It resembles the meanest of those poor Wretches in the Amphitheater, who when they are half devoured, ⁶ and have nothing but Wounds left them, beg notwithstanding to be respited till the Morrow ; tho' they know themselves only reserved for the same Teeth that tore them before. Act up then to these few Names of Credit , and work them into the Soul of you. And if you find your Virtue big enough for the Practice stand your Ground, and think your self Transported to the Fortunate Islands, ⁷ But if you are overmatch'd, and begin to give way, and perceive your Station an Impediment, e'en knock off, and retire where you may manage better. And if this won't do, you may give Life the slip ; but then let there be nothing of Passion, or Hurry in the Manner : Walk gravely and handsomly into the other World ; And thus the last Action of your Life will be the only one worth the owning. And to remember those good Qualities above mention'd the more effectually, you should consider that Imitation is the most acceptable part of Worship, and that the Gods had much rather Mankind should Resemble, than Flatter them : That Operation is the right Proof of Nature ; That Trees are distinguished by their Fruit, Dogs by the Qualities proper to their Kind; And thus it holds with Men too, who ought to quit that Name, unless they can answer the Idea, and make out their Claim by their Actions.