Essays, or discourses, vol. 2 (of 4) : $b Selected from the works of Feyjoo, and translated from the SpanishFeijoo, Benito Jerónimo
Philosophy
Essays, or discourses, vol. 2 (of 4) : $b Selected from the works of Feyjoo, and translated from the Spanish
Feijoo, Benito Jerónimo
Spanish essays -- Translations into English
XI. There is no doubt, but that all the particulars which compose a
courteous carriage, should lead to the attainment of a certain end, and
should be calculated to induce a certain manner in all a man’s exterior
behaviour, that should be free from any mixture of the indecent, the
offensive, or the tiresome; but that on the contrary it should rather
be combined, with the grateful, the decent, and the opportune.
XII. Urbanity, like all other moral virtues, is placed between two
vicious extremes; one of which it is apt to run into by exceeding, and
the other by deficiency, or not doing enough. The first is occasioned
by that excessive complaisance which borders upon meanness; and the
second, by a rigid unsavoury reserve, which has the appearance of
rusticity.
SECT. III.
XIII. As there is no virtue, whose use is so general and common as than
of Urbanity, so there is no one which is so much counterfeited and
falsified by hypocrisy. There are men who by seldom finding themselves
in a situation to exercise some particular virtues, are not very
anxious about contriving means to imitate them by hypocrisy; but as
Urbanity is a virtue that all men have opportunities of exercising,
it is in the power of all men to counterfeit it by deceit. In truth,
the hypocrites in the line of Urbanity are innumerable. All the world
super-abound with expressions of submission and profound respect,
with obsequious offers, and with exaggerated professions of esteem,
with smiling countenances, whose essence consists in the command they
have of their features, and in expressions of their lips, in which
their hearts have not the least share; but on the contrary, are rather
impressed with sentiments, that are quite opposite to those false
appearances, and mock demonstrations.
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