His bounty expects no return.

meaning, they never fail of finding him: for he is every where, and fills his own work. If a man should borrow money of Seneca, and say that he owes it to Annæus, or Lucius, he may change the name, but not his creditor; for, let him take which of the three names he pleases, he is still a debtor to the same person. As justice, integrity, prudence, frugality, fortitude, are all of them the goods of one and the same mind, so that which soever of them pleases us, we cannot distinctly say, that it is this or that, but the mind.

But, not to carry this digression too far, that which God himself does, we are sure is well done; and, we are no less sure, that for whatsoever he gives, he neither wants, expects, nor receives any thing in return: so that the end of a benefit ought to be the advantage of the receiver; and that must be our scope, without any by-regard to ourselves. It is objected to us, the singular caution we prescribe in the choice of the person, for it were a madness, we say, for an husbandman to sow the sand, which, if true, say they, you have an eye upon profit, as well in giving as in ploughing and sowing; and then, say they again, that, if the conferring of a benefit were desirable in itself, it would have no dependence upon the choice of the man, for let us give it, when, or wheresoever we please, it would be still a benefit. This does not at all affect our assertion; for the the

person,

All Benefits must be gratuitous.

matter, the manner, and the time, are circumstances absolutely necessary to the reason of the action; there must be a right judgment in all respects to make it a benefit. It is my duty to be true to a trust, and yet there may be a time, or a place, wherein I would make little difference betwixt the renouncing of it, and the delivering of it up; and the same rule holds in benefits. I will neither render the one, nor bestow the other, to the damage of the receiver. A wicked man will run all risks to do an injury, and to compass his revenge; and shall not an honest man venture as far to a good office? All benefits must be gratuitous. A merchant sells me the corn that keeps me and my family from starving, but he sold it for his interest, as well as I bought it for mine, and so I owe him nothing for it. He that gives for profit, gives to himself; as a physician or a lawyer gives counsel for a fee, and only makes use of me for his own ends; as a grazier fats his cattle, to bring them to a better market. This is more properly the driving of a trade, than the cultivating of a generous commerce. This for that, is rather a truck than a benefit; and he deserves to be cozened, that gives any thing in hope of a return. And, in truth, what end should a man honourably propound? Not profit sure; that is vulgar and mechanic, and he that does not contemn it, can never be grateful. And then for

Ingratitude despised.

glory, it is a mighty matter, indeed, for a man to boast of doing his duty. We are to give, if it were only to avoid not giving; if any thing comes on it, it is clear gain; and at worst, there is nothing lost, beside, that one benefit well placed, makes amends for a thousand miscarriages. It is not that I would exclude the benefactor neither, for being himself the better for a good office he does for another. Some there are that do us good only for their own sakes, others for ours, and some again for both. He that does it for me, in common with himself, if he had a prospect upon both in the doing of it, I am obliged to him for it, and glad with all my heart that he had a share in it. Nay, I were ungrateful, and unjust, if I should not rejoice, that what was beneficial to me, might be so likewise to himself.

To pass now to the matter of gratitude and ingratitude, there never was any man yet so wicked as not to approve of the one, and detest the other, as the two things in the whole world, the one to be the most abominated, the other the most esteemed. The very story of an ungrateful action puts us out of all patience, and gives us a loathing for the author of it. "That inhuman villain,” we cry, to do so horrid a thing." Not that inconsiderate fool, for omitting so profitable a virtue. Which plainly shews the sense we naturally have, both of the one, and of the other, and that

66

Gratitude for Benefits procures more.

we are led to it by a common impulse of reason, and of conscience. Epicurus fancies God to be without power, and without arms, above fear himself, and as little to be feared. He places him betwixt the orbs, solitary and idle, out of the reach of mortals, and neither hearing our prayers, nor minding our concerns; and allows him only such a veneration and respect as we pay to our parents. If a man should ask him now, why any reverence at all, if we have no obligation to him? or rather, why that greater reverence to his fortuitous atoms? His answer would beThat it is for their majesty, and their admirable nature, and not out of any hope or expectation from them. So that, by his proper confession, a thing may be desirable for its own worth. "But," says he, "gratitude is a virtue that has commonly profit annexed to it." And where is the virtue, say I, that has not? But still the virtue is to be valued for itself, and not for the profit that attends it. There is no question, but gratitude for benefits received, is the ready way to procure more; and, in requiting one friend, we encourage many; but these accessions fall in by the by, and, if I were sure that the doing of good offices would be my ruin, I would yet pursue them. He that visits the sick in hopes of a legacy, let him be ever so friendly in all other cases, I look upon him in this to be no better than

Several sorts of ungrateful men.

a raven, that watches a weak sheep, only to peck out the eyes of it. We never give with so much judgment and care, as when we consider the honesty of the action, without any regard to the profit of it; for our understandings are corrupted by fear, hope and pleasure.

IF the world were wise, and as honest as it should be, there would be no need of caution or precept, how to behave ourselves in our several stations and duties; for both the giver and the receiver would do what they ought to do of their own accord. The one would be bountiful, and the other grateful; and the only way of minding a man of one good turn, would be the following of it with another. But, as the case stands, we must take other measures, and consult, the best we can, the common ease and relief of mankind.

As there are several sorts of ungrateful men, so there must be several ways of dealing with them; either by artifice, counsel, admonition, or reproof, according to the humour of the person, and the degree of the offence: provided always, that as well in the re-minding a man of a benefit, as in the bestowing of it, the good of the receiver