CÆSAR, mean time, fearless, and fond of him, Was as industrious all the while, To give fuch (a) ample marks of fond esteem, To fee with how much ease love can the wife beguile. Nothing lefs for him provide, Than in the world's great empire to fucceed: Which we are bound in justice to allow, Is all-fufficient proof to show, That BRUTUs did not strike for his own fake: And if, alas! he fail'd, 'twas only by mistake. NOTE S. (a) T HE Doubtful.] In which number are comprehended all the sceptics of both forts, viz. they who without much confideration are apt to flight the Holy Bible, and all religion depending on it, because they have neither the patience, nor the parts, to examine any thing throughly; and others, more modeft, who would on several accounts accept thofe doctrines which are taught us, if their judgment, informed by a well-meaning and industrious inquiry (which is all that God has given us for our guide) did not perceive, in fome of them at least, a manifeft abfurdity; apprehending alfo a kind of impiety in believing things inconsistent not only with common fenfe, but with that reverend notion we ought to have of the Deity. They conceive it to be one of thofe abfurdities, that a poor animal, called a man, should be invested by God with a right of defpotick dominion over all the rest of the creation, when all the while we are but too plainly sensible of being unable to comprehend rightly the minutest part of it. Should we not (say they) undervalue and laugh at one of ourselves, for giving a large patrimony to a booby fon, without inftructing or breeding him up to underftand or enjoy it? But when no other answer is to be well made, the reply to all is, that, as odd as this appears, yet God has done it, and therefore we ought to believe it well done, and highly prudent; which most certainly is a true conse quence, if the premises were right; but that will be examined impartially in the following notes. (b) Concern'd.] A word of a double fignification; both of being interested in a business, and of being troubled at any ill fuccefs of it. The word in this place implies both; first, because the Doubtful are a part of mankind, who claim this dominion, and fo are reasonably inquisitive about it; and secondly, because they have occasion to be troubled upon finding their title to it fo very weak, after so much wealth and blood spent in the controversy. 'Tis well too, if we are not one day called to account, and made to pay dear costs for fo contentious a quarrel. (c) Only one Man.] Here now comes properly the examination of what grounds they go on, who pretend that God has done us this great honour, and that therefore we ought to believe it well and wifely done, whatever incongruities may appear in it; which is a confequence that must certainly be agreed to, if the first part can be as well made out: but, alas! (say our scepticks) when we come to that, instead of a proof, there is nothing produced but one poor text in Genefis, whether written by Mofes or fome other man (for that is now difputed among divines themselves) is of no importance, fince a man ftill, one of our own imperfect, unknowing kind; and, if he is to be credited on his single word against all our fenfe and reafon, in a thing also that seems to derogate fo much from the infinite wifdom of divine Providence, fure there is need first of proving him infallible; whereas all the proof of that is only derived by tradition from other men still, who therefore cannot certify for one another. 'Tis faid alfo by thefe fceptics, that 'tis worth our observing, how the author of this text of man's dominion over all other creatures, has written another very extraordinary one; viz. that God walked in the garden of Eden in the cool of the evening; which, if excus'd on the account of being only a figurative expreffion, yet much invalidates a narration of fuch a vast importance, that tropes and figures feem a little impro per in it. Divines are unwilling to fave its credit by the difficulty of our understanding the Hebrew tongue (tho' no ill excufe, fince it is allowed to be fometimes unintelligible) for fear of their adverfaries making the fame objection to other texts as extraordinary, and perhaps to all the Old Testament. Upon the whole matter, and to end so tedious a note, 'tis probable the wife author of Genefis, for reasons that might be gi ven, and many more which we now cannot guefs at, had found it fit and necessary to infuse this opinion of man's fuperiority into the Jews. And who knows but it was as needful to encourage them against the beasts of a wilderness in which they wandered fo long, as against the kings of Canaan; whom MOSES, like a wife leader, affured them before-hand the Lord would deliver into their hands? (d) Reafon.] Left their aforefaid argument in defence of this opinion may not appear convincing, divines have added that of Reason, and fet it up to be not only an instance, but an evidence of our title over all things; as being a particu lar talent and bleffing bestowed on mankind alone. But the fcepticks evade this again, first, by denying that 'tis a talent peculiar to man, fince other animals appear manifeftl, endued with it, at least to fome degree; and, if that degree be found inferior, yet the difference feems as great fometimes between one man and another, and (perhaps they may fay merrily) even between themselves and their adverfaries. Secondly, they find this Reason to be fuch a narrow, misleading, uncertain faculty, that, in their opinion, it is much unworthy of being the great credential from the most high God, for domineering over all our fellow-creatures, who indeed seem neither to owe us, nor pay us obedience. And if the boldest maintainer of this opinion would be perfuaded to take a walk into a wildernefs of wild beafts, fhewing his credential among them; 'tis probable they would all pay as great fubmiffion to it, as fuch a rational action deserved. (e) Cenfure, or Applaufe.] Either of thefe, if any thing general, is enough to carry away the opinion of most people, N who judge more by the ear than the eye; of which there are ridiculous instances enough. I have seen a man who was popular, not only excufed but applauded, on account of the very same action for which another lay justly under a publick odium. (f) Snare.] If we did not trust so much to this noble faculty of Reason, but chiefly to our fenfes, as other creatures do; we should be no more deceiv'd than they are, who feldom play the fool and hurt themselves by their profound confiderations, as many a wife man does. Was any beast ever feen to leap chearfully into a fire, like the widows and flaves in India? which tho' wives in these parts are not extremely apt to imitate; yet, even among us, how many people, of all religions, have fuffered and fought out death on several accounts, that are not much lefs unreasonable? (g) Praifes.] I believe no man had ever a greater repu tation than BRUTUS, not only for learning, parts, and eloquence, but for a quality above all that, moral honesty: whofe glory therefore I would by no means endeavour to leffen, except in this single action; nor in that neither, as to his defign in doing it; for I have a real veneration for him, but yet more for truth. fancy the general partiality for BRUTUS, as to his killing CÆSAR, has proceeded from two causes; first, the common custom of the world to cry up whatever they are like to be the better for; and fo on the contrary as for example, prodigality, a vice equal to avarice, tho' not so fordid, is commonly rather commended than blamed, and called generofity, which is a virtue. Thus in commonwealths (which, by the way, have bred always the best writers) nothing could be more beneficial than killing any great aspiring perfon; and therefore those refined wits put the best glofs upon fuch inhumanities. The other caufe of their partiality is the almost un parallelled merit of the man, whofe very doing a thing was enough to make every body think it just. But nothing is fo dangerous as to be led into |