l J 2 the deformed and handsome leg. J^^y i^^ 



contentions. If they aim at obtainiig some advantage 

 in rank or fortune, nobody widies them succefs, or will 

 stir a step or speak a word to favour their pretensions- 

 If they incur public censure 9r disgrace, no one will de- 

 fend or excuse, and many join to aggravate their mis- 

 conduct, and render them completely odious. If these 

 people will not change this bad habit, and condescend to 

 be pleased with what is pleasing, without fretting them- 

 selves and others about the contraries, it is good for 

 others to avoid an acquaintance with them, which is al- 

 ways disagreeable, and stjmetimes very inconvenient, es- 

 pecially when one fintis himself entangled in their quarrels. 

 An old philosophical friend of mine, was grown, from 

 experience, very cautious in this particular, and carefully 

 avoided any intimacy with such people. He had, like 

 other philosophers, a thermometer to fliow him the heat 

 of the weather, and a barometer, to mark when it was 

 likely to prove good or bad ; but there being no instru- 

 ment invented to discover, at first sight, this unpleasing 

 disposition, in a person, he for that purpose made use of 

 his legs, one of which was remarkably handsome, the o- 

 ther, by some accident, crooked and deformed. If a 

 stranger, at the first interview, regarded his ugly leg more 

 than his handsome one, he dcubtcd him. If lie spoke oli 

 it, and took no notice of the handsome leg, that was suf. 

 ficient to determine my philosopher to have no further 

 acquaintance with him. Every body has not this i vvo 

 legged instrument — but every one, with a little attention^ 

 may observe signs of that carping, fault finding dispositi- 

 on, and take the same resolution of avoiding the acquain- 

 tance of those infected with it. I therefore advise those 

 c ritical, querulous, discontented, unhappy people, that if 

 they wifh to be respected and beloved by others, and hap, 

 py in themselves, they fliould /cave off looking at the ugly leg. 



