THERE is a certain impartiality necessary to make what a man says bear any weight with those he speaks to. This quality, with respect to men’s errors and vices, is never seen but in good-natured men. They have ever such a frankness of mind, and benevolence to all men, that they cannot receive impressions of unkindness without mature deliberation; and writing or speaking ill of a man upon personal considerations, is so irreparable and mean an injury, that no one possessed of this quality is capable of doing it. But the truth of it is, satirists describe the age, and backbiters assign their descriptions to private men.

I remember a humorous fellow at Oxford, when he heard any one had spoken ill of him, used to say, “I will not take of him my revenge until I have forgiven him.” What he meant by this was, that he would not enter upon this subject until it was grown as indifferent to him as any other: and I have, by this rule, seen him more than once triumph over his adversary with an inimitable spirit and humour; for he came to the assault against a man full of sore places, and he himself invulnerable.