WE had possibly dwelt longer upon such Reflections, had I not been suddenly diverted by the repeated Clamours of a Voice, which each of us imagin’d he had very often heard: VVhereupon, as it were, by common consent, we began to look round about us, to see if any of our little Company were missing, and finding that Eugenius was so, we readily concluded the Voice we heard, though somewhat alter’d by distance, and other circumstances, to be his; and accordingly we hasted towards the place, whence we judg’d the Voice to proceed, that in case he were in any Distress, or had met with any Disaster, we might rescue or relieve him: But when we came near, we could now and then distinctly hear him speak some words so loud, and yet so incoherent and unable to compleat a Sense, as if he meant that all thereabouts should hear him, and no Body understand him. This made us double our Curiosity, and our Pace, till at length we descry’d him all alone in a solitary corner, wherein yet his Loudness kept us from believing he sought privacy: But as soon as he discover’d us, he seem’d both surpris’d and troubl’d at it; coming to meet us, he first begg’d our pardon, if having been Louder than he thought, he had put us to a trouble he did not intend; and then Laughing, ask’d us, if we did not think him Mad: But Eusebius smiling, told him, that before we could answer that Question, we must ask one of him, which was, what he had been doing. VVhilst you, (answers Eugenius) were (I doubt not) better employ’d, my natural Curiosity seduc’d me to spend some time in Ranging about the places near the River-side, and as I was passing by this Field, the accidental Lowing of an Ox made me take notice, that this Neighbouring Hill and Wood, furnish this place with an excellent Eccho, which I at first try’d only by VVhooping and Hollowing; but afterwards diverted my self by framing my Questions so, as to make that Babling Nymph (for so you know the Poets will have Eccho to be) to Discourse with me.
For my part, (says Lindamor) I should by no means like her Conversation, because that two Qualities she has, which to me would very much discommend it: And to prevent our asking him what those Qualities were, One of them, (says he) is, that she vouchsafes to Discourse indiscriminally with all commers that Talk to her, provided that they make Noise enough.
You are much in the right, (says Eugenius) for that easiness of admitting all kind of Company, provided Men have boldness enough to intrude into ours, is one of the uneasiest Hardships, (not to say Martyrdoms) to which Custom has expos’d us, and does really do more Mischief than most Men take notice off; since it does not only keep impertinent Fools in countenance, but encourages them to be very troublesome to wise Men. The VVorld is pester’d with a certain sort of Praters, who make up in Loudness what their Discourses want in Sense; and because Men are so easie Natur’d as to allow the hearing to their Impertinencies they presently presume that the things they speak are none; and most Men are so little able to discern in Discourse betwixt Confidence and Wit, that like our Eccho, to any that will but talk loud enough they will be sure to afford answers. And, (which is worse) this readiness to hazard our Patience, and certainly lose our Time, and thereby incourage others to multiply idle words, of which the Scripture seems to speak threatningly, is made by Custom an Expression, if not a Duty, of Civility; and so even a Virtue is made accessary to a Fault.
For my part, (subjoyns Eugenius) though I think these Talkative people worse publick Grievances than many of those for whose prevention, or redress, Parliaments are wont to be assembled, and Laws to be enacted; and though I think their Robbing us of our time as much a worse Mischief than those petty Thefts for which Judges condemn Men, as a little Money is a less valuable Good than that precious Time, which no sum of it can either purchase or redeem; yet I confess, I think that those of our great Lords and Ladies, that can admit this sort of Company, deserve it: For if such Persons have but minds in any measure suited to their Qualities, they may safely, by their Discountenance, banish such pitifull Creatures, and secure their Quiet, not only without injuring the Reputation of their Civility, but by advancing that of their Judgment. And I fear, (continues Eugenius) that those who decline this Imployment (and indeed Improvement) of their Titles, or other kinds of Eminency, do by their Remisness more harm than they imagine; For though the Judgment and Company of such Persons, be not always the best grounded, or the best chosen, yet their Quality or Station in the VVorld makes it usually the most conspicuous, and the most consider’d. And I doubt not, there is no such Multitude of dis-interest Lovers of Good things, but that there will be the fewer found Studious to express VVit and Virtue in Conversation, when they see, that in the Estimate of those that are look’d upon as the chief Judges of what is or is not good Company, the most empty and impertinent Prattle with confidence, or loudness, procures a Man at least as good a Reception as the best and most rational Discourse without it. And, which is yet worse, that Tyrannous thing, which we misname Civility, has so degraded Reason, as well as displac’d Piety, in Conversation, that if there be never so many Persons together, entertaining themselves with rational or instructive Discourse, in case there come in but one impertinent Creature that is below it, all these shall sink themselves to his Level, and as much debase their Discourse, as if they believ’d it fitter, that all the rational Conversers should fore-go the Exercise and the Benefit of their VVit and Virtue, than that a Fool should not appear to talk as wisely as any of them; and thus they seem’d asham’d of their Attainments, instead of making him asham’d of his Ignorance, and reducing him to improve himself into a capacity of being fit for their Company; whereas, from a contrary practice, they might derive the great Advantage, either of freeing themselves from uninvited Companions, or of making them worth the having.
But, (subjoyns Lindamor) I remember I told you there was a second Quality, that I dislik’d in the Nymph I found you entertaining, and that is, that, when I will, I can make her speak to me, just what I please. I know (replies Eugenius) that a moderate degree of Complaisance, is not only in many cases allowed us by Discretion, but necessary to keep up the Pleasantness, not to say the very Peace, of humane Societies; For if all Men, at all times, spake their Minds freely, and did not soften one another by concealing their mutual Dislikes, and Dissents, and by certain outward Expressions of Kindness, or Respect, made by Complements and Gestures, Men have so many Imperfections, and so much Self-love with all, that scarce any two of them would endure one another; Nay, and in spight of that Indulgence, which provident Nature has implanted in all Animals, for the preservation of their Species, in that of the Individuals that compose it, and as much as our own Faultiness has added to that Fondness; yet, I doubt, we shall scarce find one Man of a thousand, that would endure so much as himself, if we did not for the most part exercise Complaisance within our own Breasts, and did not as much flatter our selves, and disguise our selves, to our selves, as we flatteringly disguise our selves to others.
But, (continues Eugenius) when all this is said, I may endure, but I shall scarce choose and prize a Companion, that, like an Eccho, uses no liberty of his own, but allows me to direct whatever I would have to be answered me: And I know not whether I could not better like one that would ever dissent from me, than one that would never do so; I cannot look upon him either as my Friend, or as Person worthy to be made so, who never evinces his being more concerned to advantage me, than to please me, by making use of the liberty of a Friend, and thereby shewing, that he considers not barely himself, but me; besides, that as there is no true Friendship where there is not an Union of Affections, so methinks there can be no good Company where there is not sometimes a Dissent in Opinions.
Eusebius, that was a Friend to Seriousness, without being an Enemy to Pleasantness, gathering from the long Pause made by his Friends, that they designed not the prosecuting of this Discourse any further; Me-thinks, Gentlemen, (says he, Smiling) you are very severe to a harmless Nymph, who is so modest, and reserved, that she will never put you upon beginning a Conference with her, and so Complaisant in it, that ‘tis your own fault if ever she says any thing to you, that displeases […], and for my part, (continues he) I have that opinion of humane things, that as I think there are very few so perfect, but that we may find something in them fit to be shunn’d, so there are not many so imperfect, but that they may suggest to us somewhat or other, that may not be unworthy of our imitation; and as Lindamor has taken notice of two Qualities in our Eccho, which discommended it to him, so I have observed as many, that I rather approve than dislike.
For, in the first place, ‘tis evident, that our Nymph (however Eugenius has been pleased to mis-call her a Babler) is much less Talkative than most of her own Sex, or indeed of ours; for she never begins to talk with any Body, not speaking unless she be spoken to. He that considers how much of the Discourse that wastes Men’s time, and entertains the most Companies with the most applause, consists of Talk that tends either to flatter those that are present, or detract from the absent, or to censure our Superiours, or our Betters, or to express our own Profaneness, or to excite the Pride or Carnality of others; and he that shall consider, that though by these and many other ways we are extremely apt to offend in words, yet we must give an Account for that kind of words, what sort soever bemeant by them, which our Translators render Idle ones; and that the Judge himself tells Men, that they shall by their words, as well as by their actions, be justified, or condemned; will easily believe, that if Silence were as much in Fashion as ‘tis charitable to Mankind to wish it, the Regions of Hell would be far thinlier Peopled than now they are like to be.
I could tell you, that Silence discovers Wisdome, and conceals Ignorance, and ‘tis a property that is so much belonging to wise Men, that even a Fool, when he holdeth his peace, may pass for one of that sort; And I could easily add I know not how much in the commendation of this excellent Quality, if I knew how at the same time to praise Silence, and to practise it; so that it may well pass for an excellency in the Nymph, whose Apology I am making, that she does not speak but when it is necessary she should, I mean, when she is spoken to, in such a way as does exact her answer.
But this is not all the good qualities of our Eccho; for as she rarely speaks but when ‘tis expected she should, so she seldome repeats above a small part of what is said to her; this I account a very seasonable piece of Discretion, especially in such treacherous and fickle times as ours, where, almost as if he thought himself fit to be an universal States-man, such a one concerns himself very needlessly for almost all the publique Quarrels in Christendome, and shews himself zealous for a party which will receive no advantage by his disquiets; and not content like a Merchant-venturer, his Passion may upon this account make him a Sufferer by what happens in the Remotest parts of the World; In our own fatal Differences, (which ‘tis almost as unsafe to speak freely of, as ‘tis unhappy to be involv’d in them) he will on needless occasions declare, with his Opinion, his want of Judgment, and perhaps Ruine himself with those under whose Protection he lives, by spreading Reports, and maintaining Discourses, that rendred him suspected among those, who think that a Man must wish their Forces should be beaten, if he can think they may have been so; Nay, I have known some, that, though put into considerable Employments, could not hold talking of their own Party, at a rate of freedome which those that have so much Innocence as not to deserve it, will scarce have so much Goodness as to support it: So that me-thinks, these Men deal with their Fortunes as Children oftentimes do with their Cards, when having taken a great deal of pains to build fine Castles with them, they themselves afterwards ruine them with their Breath.
It may be a greater without being a more prejudicial price of Folly, to believe all that one hears, than to report all that one believes; and especially, those are to be censured for want of our Nymphs reservedness, by whom it loses that name; for though those kind of Men make sure by their way of Talking, to make others take notice how much they are confided in by their own party, yet sure they would take a discreeter course, if they did but consider, that the proof they give, that they are trusted with secrets, is, that they are unfit to be so.
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