calamity; a wife be made uneasy all her life for a misinterpreted
word or action; nay, a good, a temperate, and a just man shall be
put out of countenance by the representation of those qualities that
should do him honour; so pernicious a thing is wit when it is not
tempered with virtue and humanity.

I have indeed heard of heedless, inconsiderate writers that, without
any malice, have sacrificed the reputation of their friends and
acquaintance to a certain levity of temper, and a silly ambition of
distinguishing themselves by a spirit of raillery and satire; as if
it were not infinitely more honourable to be a good-natured man than
a wit. Where there is this little petulant humour in an author, he
is often very mischievous without designing to be so. For which
reason I always lay it down as a rule that an indiscreet man is more
hurtful than an ill-natured one; for as the one will only attack his
enemies, and those he wishes ill to, the other injures indifferently
both friends and foes. I cannot forbear, on this occasion,
transcribing a fable out of Sir Roger L'Estrange, which accidentally
lies before me. A company of waggish boys were watching of frogs at
the side of a pond, and still as any of them put up their heads,
they would be pelting them down again with stones. "Children," says
one of the frogs, "you never consider that though this be play to
you, 'tis death to us."

As this week is in a manner set apart and dedicated to serious
thoughts, I shall indulge myself in such speculations as may not be
altogether unsuitable to the season; and in the meantime, as the
settling in ourselves a charitable frame of mind is a work very
proper for the time, I have in this paper endeavoured to expose that
particular breach of charity which has been generally overlooked by