To a Man who hath a mind to find a Fault, an Excuse generally giveth farther hold. Explaining is generally half confessing. Innocence hath a very short Style. When a Jealousy of any kind is once raised, it is as often provoked as cured by any Arguments, let them be never so reasonable. When Laziness letteth things alone, it is a Disease; but when Skill doth it, it is a Vertue. Malice may help a Fool to aggravate, but there must be _Skill_ to know how to extenuate. To lessen an Object that at the first Sight giveth Offence, requireth a dexterous Hand: There must be Strength as well as Skill to take off the Weight of the first Impression. When a Man is very unfortunate, it looketh like a saucy thing in him to justify himself. A Man must stoop sometimes to his ill Star, but he must never lie down to it. The Vindications Men make of themselves to _Posterity_ would hardly be supported by Good-Sense, if they were not of some Advantage to their own Families. The defending an ill Thing is more criminal than the doing it, because it wanteth the Excuse of its not being premeditated. An Advocate for Injustice is like a Bawd that is worse than her Client who committeth the Sin. There is hardly any Man so strict as not to vary a little from Truth when he is to make an Excuse. Not telling all the Truth is hiding it, and that is comforting or abetting a Lye. A long Vindication is seldom a skilful one. _Long_ doth at least imply _Doubtful_ in such a Case. A Fool should avoid the making an Excuse, as much as the committing a Fault; for a Fool's Excuse is always a second Fault: and whenever he will undertake either to hide or mend a thing, he proclaimeth and spoileth it. _Of_ MALICE _and_ ENVY. Malice is a greater Magnifying-Glass than Kindness. Malice is of a low Stature, but it hath very long Arms. It often reacheth into the next World, Death itself is not a Bar to it. Malice, like Lust, when it is at the Height, doth not know Shame. If it did not sometimes cut itself with its own Edge, it would destroy the World. Malice can mistake by being _keen_ as well as by being _dull_. When Malice groweth _critical_, it loseth its Credit. It must go under the Disguise of Plainness, or else it is exposed. Anger may have some Excuse for being blind, but Malice none: for Malice hath time to look before it. When Malice is overgrown, it cometh to be the highest degree of Impertinence. For that reason, it must not be fed and pampered, which is apt to make it play the fool. But where it is wise and steady, there is no Precaution, that can be quite Proof against it. Ill-will is seldom cured on a sudden, it must go off by degrees, by insensible Transpiration. Malice may be sometimes out of Breath, Envy never. A Man may make Peace with Hatred, but never with Envy. No Passion is better heard by our will, than that of Envy: No Passion is admitted to have Audience with less Exception.