An honest Writer, who has the Profit as well as the Pleasure of his Reader in View, ought always to tell the Truth. But as he is at Liberty to chuse his manner of telling it, so that Method of Instruction ought to be observ’d in _Characteristic-Writings_, which will keep up the good Humour of the Reader, altho’ he is, at the same Time, made sensible of his Errors. And this Artifice ought industriously to be pursu’d, since the proper Management of it is so necessary to the Success of _Characteristic-Writings_. For those who love and admire Truth themselves, must yet be sensible that ’tis generally unwelcome, both to themselves and to others, when the Point of Self-Interest is concern’d. And the Reason of it is, not because Truth is really ugly and deform’d, but because it presents to our View certain Inconsistencies and Errors, which Self-Love will not allow us to condemn. And therefore the great Art and Difficulty, in making Truth pleasant and profitable, is so to expose Error, as not to seem to make any Attacks upon the Province of Self-Love. [F] _Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico Tangit, & admissus circum præcordia ludit, Callidus excusso Populum suspendere naso._ [F: Persius Sat. I. V. 116, &c.] ----With conceal’d Design, Did crafty _Horace_ his low Numbers join: And, with a sly insinuating Grace, Laugh’d at his Friend, and look’d him in the Face: Wou’d raise a Blush, where secret Vice he found; And tickle, while he gently prob’d the Wound. With seeming Innocence the Crowd beguil’d; But made the desp’rate Passes, when he smil’d. Mr. _Dryden_. This was the Character of one of the greatest _Roman_ Poets; and in this Art, amongst the Moderns, [G]_Benserade_ particularly excell’d, if we may believe his Successor and Panegyrist _Pavillon_. [G: Dictionaire de _Bayle_. Artic. _Benserade._ Not. L.] What is the proper Style for _Characteristic-Writings_ is briefly laid down by [H]_Libanius_ in the following Words. Ἐργάση τὴν ἠθοποιίαν χαρακτῆρι σαφεῖ, συντόμῳ, ἀνθηρῷ, ἀπολύτῳ, ἀπηλλαγμένῳ πάσης πλοκῆς τε καὶ σχήματος. “When you describe Manners you must use a plain, concise, florid, easy Style, free from all artificial Turns and Figures.” Every Thing must be even, smooth, easy and unaffected; without any of those Points and Turns, which convey to the Mind nothing but a low and false Wit, in which our Moderns so much abound, and in which they seem to place their greatest Beauties. [H: Ap. _Is. Casaub._ Proleg. ad Theophrast.]