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(illegible text)ry Gentleman belonging to the college is to have a (illegible text)y. The ſcheme is modeſt and pretty and it is hoped, ⟨that⟩ it will afford a notable hint for every man of pleaſure, as is the cuſtom in Spain, to padlock his miſtreſs, ⟨and⟩ put up the key in his pocket.
But here. Gentlemen, I muſt beg your pardon, when call to mind that my text is modeſty, and ſhall endeavour, in the courſe of this Oration, to make a few ⟨small⟩ digreſſions of this ſort as poſſible.
The greateſt of Orators are ſome times neceſſitated ⟨to⟩ exemplify things by their oppoſite qualities, every ⟨virtue⟩ is beſt pointed out by explaining its oppoſite vice; ⟨and⟩ every vice too, is beſt illuſtrated by recommending its oppoſite virtue. Be pleaſed then, Gentlemen, to ⟨let⟩ this ſuffice for my excuſe, and after I have taken a ⟨draught⟩ of Porter I ſhall proceed. 'Tis a hard thing ⟨for⟩ man to know when to ſpeak as when to hold his ⟨tongue⟩; and to give himſelf, in both caſes, with modeſty and prudence: But the difficulty will be where to ⟨begin⟩: for they are effectually two works in one, ⟨ſome⟩ men are ſilent for want of aſſurance, and ſome again for want of ſenſe; and there is one, unhappineſs in ⟨the⟩ caſe too, that the worſt ſpeakers are commonly the ⟨longeſt⟩, and men of vanity rather than men of buſineſs. ⟨I⟩ have heard of a tedious haranguer, who, when he had (illegible text)n himſelf out of breath and his auditory of patience with a long winded ſpeech, aſked a friend of his to ⟨tell⟩ him freely what he liked beſt in his oration? Who ⟨gave⟩ him this anſwer, That he liked that beſt which he ⟨left⟩ out. To come to my point. The ſkill of managing this province aright, is, in truth, the maſter-piece ⟨of⟩ a ſober mans life, for we are always either talking ⟨or⟩ ſaying nothing, in a conſtant ſucceſſion of ſpeech and ⟨silence⟩ by turns.
As humility regulates the interior, ſo modeſty diſciplines the exterior. This is the index that marks the ⟨motion⟩ of our ſoul: It diſcovers the ſituation of our ⟨paſſions⟩, and tell us whether they obey the empire of ⟨ſenſe⟩ or of reaſon. For providence ſeems to have
