BOOK III PART III
to do themselves justice openly, in words, no
more than other people; and even if they show
a reserve and secret doubt in doing themselves
justice in their own thoughts, they will be more
applauded. That impertinent, and almost uni-
versal propensity of men, to over-value them-
selves, has given us such a prejudice against
self-applause, that we are apt to condemn it,
by a general rule, wherever we meet with it;
and it is with some difficulty we give a priv-
ilege to men of sense, even in their most se-
cret thoughts. At least, it must be owned, that
some disguise in this particular is absolutely
requisite; and that if we harbour pride in our
breasts, we must carry a fair outside, and have
the appearance of modesty and mutual defer-
ence in all our conduct and behaviour. We
must, on every occasion, be ready to prefer
others to ourselves; to treat them with a kind