Nature and Religion having thus introduc'd Decency, the strict and religious regard paid to that Decency is become a Virtue; essential Virtue, and is so in all the requisite Parts of Virtue; I mean, those which are understood as commanded by the Laws of GOD or by the Laws of NATURE, and this is MODESTY, as it is the Subject of our present Discourse.
We say that Modesty is the guard of Virtue; and in some respects it is so; and were Modesty universal, Virtue would need no other Defence. But as the World now stands, she is fain to fly to other Succours, such as Laws of Men, the Command of Religion, the Power of Reason, and, at last, the Protection of Governours; so hard is she pursued by Vice and the degenerate Passions of Men.
MODESTY then, as I am to understand it here, and to discourse about it, is nothing but a strict regard to Decency, as Decency is a strict regard to Virtue, and Virtue is a strict regard to Religion; indeed they seem all, in some Sense, to be synonimous, and to mean the same thing. It is true. Honour and Virtue may (speaking strictly) be said in some Cases to be preserved, though Decency is not so much, or equally regarded: But let all that plead the possibility of that Distinction know that however possible it may be, it is so far from being probable (that where Decency is given up Honour should or can be preserved) that they will find it very hard to have it be believed; as they that give up their Modesty cannot be said to preserve Decency, so they that give up Decency will be hardly believed to preserve their Virtue.
