For the Future, don't spend your Thoughts upon other People, unless you are put upon it by Common Interest. For the prying into foreign Business, that is musing upon the Talk, Fancies, and Contrivances of another, and guessing at the what and why, of his Actions; All this does but make a Man forget himself, and Ramble from his own Reason. He ought therefore not to work his Mind to no purpose, nor throw a superfluous Link into the Chain of Thought; And more especially, to stand clear of Curiosity, and Malice, in his Enquiry. And to come Home, and make all sure; Let it be your way to think upon nothing, but what you could freely Discover, if the Question was put to you : So that if your Soul was thus laid open, there would nothing appear, but what was Sincere, Good-natur'd, and publick Spirited; not so much as one Libertine, or Luxurious Fancy, nothing of Litigiousness, Envy, or unreasonable Suspicion, or any thing else, which would not bear the Light, without Blushing. A Man thus qualified, may be allowed the first Rank among Mortals; he is a sort of Priest, and Minister of the Gods, and makes a right use of the Deity within him; ⁴ By the Assistance of which he is preserv'd uninfected with Pleasure, invulnerable against Pain; out of the reach of Injury, and above the Malice of Ill People. Thus he Wrastles for the noblest Prize ⁵ stands firm on the most slippery Ground, and keeps his Feet against all his Passions; To go on with him, his Honesty is right Sterling, and touches as well as it looks; he always resigns to Providence, and meets his Fate with Pleasure: He never minds other Peoples Thoughts, or Actions, unless Publick Reason and General Good require it. No; He confines himself to his own Business, and contemplates upon his Post, and Station; And endeavours to do the First as it should be, and believe well of the Latter: I say of the Latter; for Fate is both inevitable, and convenient. He considers that all Rational Beings are of Kin; and that General Kindness and Concern for the whole World, is no more than a piece of Humanity. That every ones Good Opinion is not worth the gaining; but only of those who live up to the Dignity of their Nature. As for others, he knows their way of Living, and their Company; their Publick, and their Private Disorders; And, why indeed should he value the Commendation of such People, who are so Vitious and Fantastical, as not to be able to please themselves?