WE were by this time come back to the Baited places we had left, when Eugenius, to whom his Rambling up and down, added to the heat of the Day, had given a vehement Thirst, spying a place where the Banks were very low, and almost level with the Surface of the Water, left us for a little while to repair thither; and Kneeling upon the Ground, he took up with his Hat, which by Cocking the Brims he turn’d into a kind of Cup, such a proportion of Water that he quench’d his Thirst with it; and carelessly throwing the rest upon the Ground, quickly return’d towards the Company, which he found he had not left so silently, but that our Eyes had been upon him all the while he was absent; and that sight afforded Eusebius an occasion to tell us, Our friend Eugenius, might, if he had pleased, by stooping lower with his Head, have Drank immediately out of the entire River; but you see he thought it more safe, and more convenient, to Drink out of a rude extemporary Cup; and that this way suffic’d him fully to quench his Thirst, we may easily gather, by his pouring away of some remaining Water as superfluous: And […] he should tell us, that he could not have quench’d his Thirst with a sufficient quantity of Water, because he Drank it not out of the River, but out of his Hat; I doubt not, you would think him troubl’d with a more formidable Distemper than Thirst, and conclude him in a greater need of Physick than of VVater.
Thus (resumes Eusebius) to a sober Man, provided he have a Competency of Estate suited to his Needs and Condition, it matters not very much whether that Competency be afforded him by a moderate or by an exuberant Fortune, and oftentimes ‘tis more safe and convenient, and no less satisfactory, to receive this Competency out of that which is but a little, than out of that which is a great deal more than enough; for not only the necessities of Nature are few, but her capacities are limited. And therefore, how much soever you have of Meat, and Drink, and the like accommodations; the Body of a Man can enjoy but a certain, and that too no very great, Measure of them, proportion’d to the Cravings of our stinted Nature, by more than which ‘tis not the Body, but the unruly Fancy, that is Gratify’d; as when the Stomach is satisfy’d, a Table full of untouch’d Dishes feeds but a Man’s Eye, or his Pride; and if he should Cram a little part of it into his Stomach, it would but be Nauseated at first, and afterwards breed ill Humours and Diseases. And accordingly, ‘tis no less than Solomon that says, When Goods encrease, they are encreas’d that Eat them; and what Good is there to the Owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their Eyes? I dare not absolutely (pursues he) condemn those that think not the necessities of Nature the only Measures of a Competency of Fortune; for though he that wants not them, wants a just cause to quarrel with Providence, yet Custom has so Entail’d some ways of Expence upon some Stations in the World, that since a Man can scarce Live without Them, and yet without Disgrace, there are but few who are so great Stoicks, or such mortify’d Christians, as not to think, that what is more than enough for one, may be less than enough for another, and as not to estimate their having or wanting a Competency, not only by the Exigencies of Nature, but by those of a Man’s particular Quality, or Station. But (subjoyns Eusebius) he that has, in this liberal sence, a sufficiency of outward Goods, is me-thinks but ill advis’d, as well as unthankfull, if he repine at his Portion, because it is inferiour to those of the famously Rich: For though an unwieldy Affluence may afford some empty Pleasure to the Imagination, (for to the Body it scarce affords any at all) yet that small Pleasure is far from being able to countervail the Imbittering cares that attend an over-grown Fortune: For whatever the unexperienc’d may imagine, the frequent and sad Complaints of the Rich themselves sufficiently manifest, that ‘tis but an uneasie Condition, that makes our Cares necessary for things that are meerly superfluous; and that Men, whose Possessions are so much spread and display’d, are but thereby expos’d the fairer and wider Marks that may be hit in many places by misfortune. Nor will Carelesness secure them, since a provident concern of a Man’s Estate, though it be great, being by the Generality of Men look’d upon as a Duty, and a part of Prudence, he cannot suffer himself to be wrong’d or cheated of that, without losing, with his Right, his Reputation.
For my part, (says Lindamor) I do the more wonder to see Men so greedy of Lading themselves, as the Scripture speaks, with thick Clay, that they Hoard up their Treasures from those uses which alone make Riches worthy the Name of Goods, and Live by a temper quite contrary to that of Saint Paul, As having all things, and possessing nothing. When I consider the things they pretend to by this as mean as unchristian Appetite; The two chief of these, are wont to be, The keeping of a great House, and the leaving their Children great Matches. As to the former, though others are too much advantag’d by it not to extol it, and though it be sometimes indeed in some cases a decent, and almost necessary, piece of Greatness, yet ‘tis in my opinion one of the most unhappy Attendants that retain to it; for the Laws of Hospitality, and much more those of Custom, turns him that keeps a great Table into an Honourable Host, subjects him to comply with the various and oftentimes unreasonable Humours of a succession of Guests, that he cares not for at all, and that care as little for him; it brings him in a world of Acquaintance, to whom he must own himself oblig’d, because they come to Eat his Meat, and must really requite them, by giving them the pretiousest thing he has to part with, his Time: And a full Table, together with the Liberties that Custom allows at it, if not exacts there, tempt him both to Indulgence to his Appetite, prejudicial to his Health, and if they do not prevail with him to speak, do often at least to dispose him to hear, and to connive at, such free Discourses as are prejudicial to his Interests; so that there is more than one account upon which a great Entertainer may be involv’d in David’s Curse, against his mortal Enemy, of having his Table become a Snare.
And for the design (continues Lindamor) of laying up vast Estates for a Man’s Children; if they be Sons, he thereby but encreases their Temptation to wish the Father Dead, and provides Incentives to their Vice, and Fuel for their Excesses, when he is so: And if they be Daughters, not to repeat the newly mention’d Inconveniences; how many unhappy young Women have we seen, who, upon the score of the vast Portions left them by their Parents, have been betray’d, and sold by their Guardians, or by those Relations that should have been, as they were call’d, their Friends? and how often have we also seen, that an unwieldy Fortune has been so far from Purchasing the Heir to it a good Husband, that it has procur’d her a Bad one, by making her think her self oblig’d and qualify’d to Match with some high Title, and procuring her to be Haunted by some, whose Vices perhaps alone have reduc’d him to Sell himself to redeem his Fortune, and to make an Address which aims but at the Portion, not the Person; and accordingly, when he has got the one, he slights the other, and despises her for the want of that high Extraction she priz’d in him, and perchance hates her too, for confining him from some former and more than pretended Passion.
I perceive then, Lindamor, (says Eusebius) that you are, as well as I, dispos’d to think him not a meer Fool, that pray’d God to give him neither Poverty, nor Riches, but to supply him with things suitable to his Condition, Prov. 30. 8. (That seeming to be the meaning of the Hebrew Phrase;) A pinching Poverty, and a luxuriant Fortune (though different Extremes) being liable to almost equal Inconveniences, and a Competency affording us enough to engage us to Thankfulness, without Administring such Temptations to Sensuality and Pride.
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