166

Le Ho ll an d ois

luxe ne devient vice dans un homme, quequand il surpasse sa condition sa & fortune.

Vous ne croiriez peutétre pas qu’une mo-rale auíîï indulgente en apparence fût celled’un Docteur des plus austères. Elle en vientcependant, & ce Docteur c’est le judicieuxRobert Barclay. Je cite ses propres parolespour la feule rareté du fait. (a)

J’ai

(a) The third thlng » to he treated of , is the vanityand superjlnity of Apparel, in vvhich firfi tvvothtngs are to he conjtdered , the condition ofthe pers m , and the countrcy. he lives in,TFe sha/l not fay , t bat ail persans are to becloathed alike, becaufe it vvill perhaps neitherfute their bodys, mr theirs eflates, And if amanbe cloathed foberly and vvithout faperflttity ,thottgh they may be finer , t h an t ha t, vvhich hisservant is cloathed with , vve shall not blâmehim for it : the abjlaining from [uperfluitys ,vvhich his condition and éducation h a t k accufi-tomed him too, may be, in him, a greater a biof mortification , t h an the abfitaining from finercloaths in the servant, who never vvas accufie-med to them. As to the conntrey , what it na~tttrally prodnces may be no vanity to the inha~bitants to use , on what is commonly importedto them by vvay of exchange, seing it is vvit-hout doubt that the Création is for the stje ofman. So vvhere Stlfiabounds, it may be vvorn,as vveol ; and vvere vve in tbofe countreys , ornear unto them , vvhere gold or filver vvere ascommon as iron ot brafs, the ette migbt be nfed

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