Page:Life and Writings of Homer.pdf/76

64 they are worth, or what they will sell themselves for. The Man of real Virtue appears with double Lustre after the Refusal; and he who has withstood one Temptation, when his Foible is found out, and rightly applied to, gives way upon the second, and ﬁxes his Price. Mankind in this respect are like certain Indian Feathers; they do not shew to Advantage in one Light only, but the Disorder and Dangers frequent at such Junctures, set all their Passions a going, and turn them into every Shape they are capable of: And these Attitudes, when well observed, and justly copied, give us the excellent Pieces above-mentioned.

, the Times of such Struggles have a kind of Liberty peculiar to themselves: They raise a free and active Spirit, which over-spreads the Country: Every Man ﬁnds himself on such Occasions his own Master, and that he may be whatever he can make himself: He knows not how high he may rise, and is unawed by Laws, which are then of no Force. He ﬁnds his own Weight, tries his own Strength, and if there is any hidden worth, or curbed Mettle in him, certainly shews and gives it vent. Accordingly we see, that the Genius’s produced at these Times, give great Proofs of Read; and Capacity, especially in politielt Managements and civil Affairs, in the