Education > British grammar: or, an essay, in four parts, towards speaking and writing the English language grammatically, and inditing elegantly

204 The British Grammar.
make your Retreat with a very good Grace ; you
were never pofitive, and is now glad to be better in¬
formed. This have made fome approve the Socrati-
cal Way of Reafoning, where while you fcarce af¬
firms any Thing, you canjl hardly be caught in an
Abfurdity ; and though poffibly you is endeavouring
to bring over another to your Opinion, ’who is firmly
fixed, you feems only to defire Information from he.
In order to keep that Temper nuho is fo difficult,
and yet fo neceffary to preferve, you mayefl pleafe to
confider, that nothing can be more unjufer or ridi¬
culous, than to be angry with another, becaufe him are
not of your Opinion. The Intereft, Education, and
Means by ’whom Men attains their Knowledge, is fo
very different, that it are impoffible them foouldfl all
think alike, and him haze at lead as much Reafon to
be angry,with you, as you with he. Sometimes, to
keep yourfelf cool, it may be of Service to afk your-
felf fairly, what might have been your Opinion, hadjl
you all the Biaffes of Education and Intereft your
Adverfary mayft poflibly have ? But if you contends for
the Honour of Victory alone, you may lay down this
as an infallible Maxim, that you can]} not make a
more falfe Step, or give your Antagonift a more
greater Advantage over you, than by falling into a
Paffion.
When an Argument is over, how many weighty
Reafons do a Man recoiled, --who his Heat and Vio¬
lence made he utterly forget ?
It art yet more abfnrd to be angry with a Man be¬
caufe him do not apprehend the Force of your Rea¬
fons, or give weak ones of his own. If you argues
for Reputation, th>efe make your Vi dory the more ealier ;
him is certainly in all Refpeds an Objed of your
Pity, rather than Anger; and if him canji not com¬
prehend what you does, you ougbtcjl to f.iank Nature
for her Favours, ’which have given you fo muckjhe
more clearer Underftanding.
You may pleafe to add thefe Con federation, that
among your Equals no one value your Anger, voho
enJy $rey upon its Mailer j and perhaps you mayejl
find