Moderation in Ex fence indifpenjtbly necejfary. 281 
ruins himfelf, many will be ruined ; ruined beyond the pro- 
portion which others are benefited ; and confequently the in- 
tered of the date will be hurt. If the vintner, by felling 
wine, acquires fucli a fortune as to gain a title, and the lord, 
by drinking it, becomes fo poor as to have no coach for his 
coronet, ’tis ten to one, but this mutation of property occa- 
fions a diminution of virtue, as well as riches and didindtion, 
and leaves the date in a worfe condition than it was. 
It is impodible to feparate the virtues and vices of pri- 
vate men from the benefit or injury of the date which is 
compofed of fuch men. Many caufes may interfere to pre- 
vent the total ruin of it : all vices are not equally pernicious ; 
fome may do very little or no harm, beyond the individual • or 
the confequences of the injury may be very remote : provi- 
dence has fo ordained, that there is hardly a cafe fo defperate, 
but there are remedies for it ; but I fee no remedy for great 
vice in fome, except it be great virtue in others. 
There is a certain degree of expence, according to the abili- 
ties of individuals, which promotes the intered of a commu- 
nity upon principles of worldly grandeur ; but beyond this de- 
gree it mud languish and decay. This general principle is 
obvious ; but the true measure of fuch expence every one 
ought to feek in his own fortune. He that ruins himfelf by 
extravagance, is a bad fubjedt ; tho’ not fo bad as he who hoard- 
ing up his wealth, ties up the hands of indudry, and endevors 
to keep every one incapable of enjoying the good things of life. 
There is alfo a certain degree of magnificence and grandeur 
O o infe- 
