[R: C. des Biers de Fortune. sub fin.]

’Tis not enough that a Character be drawn conformable to that
Existence which it really has, or probably may have in Nature: It must
further be cloath’d in proper Sentiments, and express’d in a simple
and natural Style. But Mr. _de la Bruyere_, consider’d as a Writer of
Characters, is too affected in his way of Thinking, and too artificial
in the Turn of his Expressions.

The previous Apology which he made for himself in this Point, is so
far from the Purpose, that nothing is more so.

Recollecting, [S]says he, that amongst the Writings ascrib’d to
_Theophrastus_ by _Diogenes Laertius_, there is one which bears the
Title of _Proverbs_, i.e. of loose unconnected Observations, and
that the most considerable Book of Morality, that ever was made,
bears that Name in the sacred Writings; we have been excited by
such great Examples to imitate, according to our Capacity, a like
Way of Writing concerning Manners.

--’Tis true, that in the Catalogue of _Theophrastus _ his Works,
preserv’d by [T]_Diogenes Laertius_, there is one Book under the Title
περὶ παροιμιῶν concerning _Proverbs_: But that, probably, was nothing
but a Collection of some of those short, remarkable, useful, pithy
Sayings, which are of common Use in the World, and which every Nation
has peculiar to it self. However, tho’ we cannot exactly tell, what the
Nature of that Performance was, because the Book is now lost, yet we are
certain, on the other Hand, that the Design of _Solomon_ was not to
write Characters, but to deliver some Maxims of Morality by way of
Advice and Instruction. So that for a profess’d Writer of Characters,