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would be the firft perhaps to prove, in certaincafes, the contrary. A fortune at court, or thefavor of a lady, have prevailed on many toconceal, and they could not conceal withoutreftraining, which is one ftep towards correcting,the vices they were by nature addided to themod. Shall we imagine now, that the beauty ofvirtue and the deformity of vice, the charms of abright and lafting reputation, the terror of beingdelivered over as criminals to s a!l pofterity, thereal benefit arifing from a confciendous difchargeof the duty we owe to others, which benefitfortune can neither hinder nor take away, andthe reafonablenefs of conforming ourfelves to thedefigns of God manifefted in the conftitutionof the human nature; fliall we imagine, I fay,that all thefe are not able to acquire the famepower over thofe who are continually called uponto a contemplation of them , and they who applythemfelves to the ftudy of hiflory are fo calledupon, as other motives, mean and fordid incomparifon of thefe, can ufurp on other men?
2. That the ftudy of hiftory, far from makingus wifer, and more ufeful citizens, as well asbetter men, may be of no advantage whatfoever;that it may ferve to render us mere antiquariesand fcholars; or that it may help to make usforward coxcombs, and prating pedants, I havealready allowed. But this is not the fault of hif-tory : and to convince us that it is not, we needonly contraft the true ufe of hiftory with the ufethat is made of it by fuch men as thefe. We
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