368 FABLES. 



persons in whose nature it is interwoven; and men 

 of discerning and generous minds have a pleasure 

 in discovering it, and in bringing into notice the 

 worthy man, who is diffident of his merit, and 

 cannot prevail upon himself to challenge the praise 

 or tribute he deserves. It is, however, to be 

 lamented, that such patrons are not very nume- 

 rous, and that the assuming arrogance and teasing 

 importunities of the greedy forward man should so 

 commonly succeed in attaining his ends, while 

 modesty in silence starves unnoticed, and is for 

 ever poor. Were men in exalted stations of life 

 to pay more attention to the importance of this, 

 and endeavour to discover modest worth, to draw 

 merit from the shade, and virtue from obscurity, 

 and distribute their patronage and their favours 

 to such only, their own affairs, as well as those of 

 the public, would be better managed, and the 

 difference between the conduct of upstart pride 

 and sensible plain honesty would soon shew itself 

 in its true unvarnished colours. 



