conſider, how it is with many of their Neighbours, they would find it their Duty to be Thankful, that it is no Worſe with Themſelves. It is ſome Relief to the Miſerable to ſhew them that there are Others yet more Miſerable, and there is not any thing ſo Timerous, but ſomething elſe is affraid of It. There are Thoſe, 'tis True, that Die for the very Fear of Death, and Plunge themſelves into Certain Miſery, upon the Bare Apprehenſion of it: But this comes rather from their Spleen, than their Miſfortune.
Since ſo it is, that Nature Provides for the Neceſſities of All Creatures, and for the Well Being of Every One in it's kind: And ſince it is not in the Power of any Creature to make it ſelf Other than what by Providence it was Deſign'd to be; what a Madneſs is it to Wiſh our ſelves Other than what we Are, and what we Muſt continue to Be: Since the Thing is Bounded, and the Whole Matter Pre-Determin'd. Every Atome of the Creation has its Place Aſſign'd: Every Creature has its Proper Figure, and there is No Diſputing with Him that Made it ſo. Why have not I This? and why have not I That? are Queſtions for a Philoſopher of Bedlam to ask; and we may as well Cavil at the Motions of the Heavens, the Viciſſitude of Day and Night, and the Succeſſion of the Seaſons, as Expoſtulate with Providence upon any of the reſt of Gods Works. The Aſſe would have Horns, and the Tinker would fain be in Bed with my Lady. The Ape would have a Tail; and why mould not a Mountebank Complain that he is not a Miniſter of State or Juſtice? But in ſhort, the Poor, Wretched, Blind Mole puts in with her Doctrine to take up the Quarrel.
And what's the Caſe of the Hares now, but an Inſtance to Fortifie us againſt Panick Frights and Terrors, for Trivial Cauſes; where the Fears are a great deal more Terrible than the Dangers? In All Theſe Caſes, we fancy our ſelves much more Miſerable than we Are, for want of taking a True Eſtimate of Things. We fly into Tranſports without Reaſon, and Judge of the Happineſs, or Calamity, of Humane Life, by Falſe Lights. A Strict Enquiry into the Truth of Matters will Help us in the One, and Compariſon will ſet us Right in the Other. The Dogs and the Eagles Frighted the Hares; The Hares Frighted the Frogs, and the Frogs, Twenty to One, Frighted ſomething elſe. This is according to the Courſe of the World, One Fears Another, and ſome body elſe is affraid of Him.
It may ſeem to be a kind of a Malicious Satisfaction, that One Man derives from the Misfortunes of Another. But the Philoſophy of This Reflexion ſtands upon Another Ground; for Our Comfort does not Ariſe from Other peoples being Miſerable, but from This Inference upon the Ballance, That we ſuffer only the Lot of Humane Nature: And as we are Happy or Miſerable, compar'd with Others, So Other People are Miſerable or Happy Compar'd with Us: By which Juſtice of Providence, we come to be Convinc'd of the Sin, and the Miſtake of our Ingratitude. What would not a man give to be Eas'd of the Gout or the Stone? Or ſuppoſing an Incurable Poverty on the One Hand, and an Incurable Malady on the Other, Why ſhould not the Poor Man think himſelf Happier in his Rags, than the Other in his Purple? But the Rich Man Envies the Poor mans Health, without conſidering his Want; and the Poor Man Envies the Others Treaſure without conſidering his Diſeaſes. What's an Ill Name in the World to a Good Conſcience within Ones ſelf? And how much leſs Miſerable upon the Wheel, is One man that is Innocent, than Another under the Same Torture that's Guilty. The Only Way