F A M 
only proper motive to virtuous conduft is the fenfe of 
duty; and of this fenfe of duty, the proper end is the 
happinefs of man, and the proper principle is the com¬ 
mand of God. This is the teIt of virtue and benevo¬ 
lence. We- all know, that adlions, apparently the fame, 
and tending to the fame ends, may yet proceed from very 
different intentions ; and it is univerfally allowed, that the 
pretenfion.s of every adlion muff be appreciated according 
to the nature of the principle which gave it birth. Is 
any action performed with a premeditated purpofe to at¬ 
tain the favour of the mighty ? it is a child of ambition. 
Is it to allure the wealth of the world ? it is an impitlfe 
of avarice. Is it to fecnre the praifes of men ? it is 
the offspring of vanity. Is it to benefit the human race, 
and honour the Being who formed 11s ? it is the fruit of 
benevolence and piety ; it is truly rational, laudable, and 
meritorious. 
If thefe obfervations be well founded, it will follow, 
that even the approbation of good men muff be delired 
and purfued with fome reftridlions. The fame which 
they beftow on a virtuous conduft, may be fairly fought 
and cheerfully accepted, as the gift of a gracious provi¬ 
dence ; as an atteftation to the dictates of conifcience ; as 
an encouragement to perfevere in what is right ; and, “as 
an earncft of better things to come.” But it fliould never 
be coveted as the only or as the principal reward of vir¬ 
tue, or as the end which fliould regulate and animate 
noble exertions. 
To afpire after the applaufe of the multitude, argues 
a weaknefs of foul, and often leads its votary to folly and 
to crimes. Open and fteady virtue can fcarcely be prac- 
tifed, in the prefent ftate of fociety, without incurring the 
odium of the vicious. The friend of liberty necelfarily 
difpleafes the oppreffor j-the man of benevolence is cen- 
fured by the felfiffi mifer ; the man of courage offends 
the coward ; the man of induffry is envied by the flug- 
gard ; the man of genius is calumniated by the ftupid and 
illiterate. “ Envy and detraction (fays Dr. Percival) are 
the price which muff be paid for pre-eminence in virtue.” 
“Woe unto you (fay the Scriptures of truth), when all 
men (ball fpeak well of you for fuch can only be hy¬ 
pocrites, fycophants, or debauchees. Like Cataline, they 
muff learn, “ Cum triflibus fevere , cum rcmijfus jucuiidc, cum 
fenibus gravitur , cum juventute comiter, vivcrc." They muff 
learn, in a word, to accommodate themfel ves to the whims 
and the vices of all around them. What fpirit, truly en¬ 
nobled by a virtuous piety, and accuffomed to regard the 
Supreme Being as the fpeClator of its molt fecret thoughts 
and aftions, would deign to court that proftituted ap¬ 
plaufe which every defigning hypocrite, every pharifaical 
devotee, every wheedling villain, can more fuccefsfully 
obtain? But even though the applaufe of the many 
were in itfelf both harmlefs and profitable, yet it is a 
prize fo diftraCting in the purfuit, fo precarious in the 
polfeffion, and fo unfatisfying often in the enjoyment, 
that no wife man would be willing to reft any confider'able 
part of his happinefs upon the acquisition of it. An 
eager purfuit after fame is attended with conffant anxiety 
and perturbation of mind. The tranquillity of the foul 
■ isdiffurbed ; the connection and regularity of the thoughts 
are broken ; the mind is perpetually on the ffretch after 
fome chimerical project :—fome imaginary happinefs, 
w hich, even though obtained, never fatisfies—never com¬ 
municates any rational pleafure, any pure enjoyment : 
One felf-approving hour whole years outweighs 
Of ftupid ftarers and of loud huzzas. 
But even to thofe who can be “ ravifhed with the 
whiitlings of a name,” who can be fatisfied “with a fan¬ 
cied life in others’ breath,” the duration of their plea¬ 
fure is often fhort and tranfitory. The happinefs of the 
lover of praife depends almoft entirely upon the. pleafure, 
upon the whim, of others. By a flight of their fancy, 
the darling object of his wifhes may be fnatched, in all 
Vol.VII. No.420. 
F A M 209 
its bloom, from his greedy grafp, ere he. can once tafte 
its fweets, or even furvey all its beauties.—For he 
Who builds his hope in th* air of men’s fair looks, 
Lives like a drunken failor on a maft, 
Ready, with every nod, to tumble down 
Into the fatal bowels of the deep. 
To-day, he may be the favourite of his fovereign ; to¬ 
morrow, the outcaft of fociety. To-day, he may ftand 
in the prefence of princes; to-morrow, he may be ranked 
with the beggar on the dunghill. “ To-day (fays WoD 
fey)—to-day, he puts forth 
The tender leaves of hope ; to-morrow bloffoms, 
And bears hisbluftiing honours thick upon him ; 
The third day comes a froft, a killing froft ; 
And when he thinks, good eafy man ! full furely, 
His greatnefs is a-ripening, nips his Ihoot, 
And then he falls as I do.” 
We cannot conclude thefe obfervations better, than 
by quoting the words of two eminent writers who have 
made for.re remarks on this Tubjedt. “He who governs 
by reafon (fays Dr. Percival) this animating principle of 
aCtion (the love of fame); who uniformly aims at moral 
reCtitude in his conduCt ; who fuffers no popular praife 
or vulgar opinion to elate or to miflead him ; and who 
is undepreffed by the cenfures of interefted or incompe¬ 
tent judges, will Command the effeem of thofe whofe 
fuffrages alone are fame ; will be honoured and revered 
by pcfterity, and will obtain the favour of God himfelf, 
the omnifcient obferver and fovereign rewarder of merit.” 
“The love of reputation (fays Dr. Jortin), when di¬ 
rected by reafon, is allowable ; but reafon muff govern, 
and not be governed. Our love of it muff be moderate: 
we muff love it as a tiling which, though pleafant and 
profitable, is precarious, attended with fome inconve¬ 
niences, not eafily kept, fometimes undefervedly loft, 
and, laftly, of no life to us beyond the grave. We, 
whofe continuance here is fo (hort, are fcarcely born for 
this world, or for any thing that this world can bellow. 
Our reputation we can enjoy no longer than whilft we live. 
A reputation after death, if it only begins then, is of 
fmall value ; it is ljke a favourable wind after a fliip- 
wreck: when we go hence, what good can arife to our 
own perfons from it? Here we mull leave it; and here 
it will remain and furvive, for a greater or lei’s number 
of years, as time and chance will determine ! Good ac¬ 
tions are a treafure, which we can carry hence with us. 
If we are fecure of thefe, it is no matter if the world be 
negligent of us, and we pals our days unregarded, and 
pofterity know not that we ever had a being. Our vir¬ 
tues are immortal, and true honour will be their recorn- 
pence—an honour which we fhall receive from God, from 
holy angels, and from juft men made perfeCt, and which 
fhall continue to all eternity.” 
“ Common Fame is feldom to blame.”—Or, “ It muff 
be true what every man fays.”—.Or, “ No fmoke without 
•fome.fire.”—Inlinuating, that a general report is feldom 
without fome grounds. The Latins fay, Rumor publicus 
non omninofrujlra cjf. —Thefe proverbial fayings, however, 
ought not to be applied without great caution, and under 
lelf-evident proofs. 
“ Better a good Fame than a good Face.”—That is, 
reputation is always preferable to beauty. The one is 
perpetual, the other fleeting and vifionary, and rapid in 
decay. 
FA'ME-GIVING, adj. Bellowing fame.—In retire¬ 
ment he figh’d for the fame-giving chair. Cambridge. 
FA'MED, adj. Renowned; celebrated; much talked 
of.—He is fam'd for mildnefs, peace, and prayer. Shakefp. 
FA'MELESS, adj. Having no fame ; without renown: 
Then let me, famelefs, love the-fields and woods, 
The fruitful water’d vales, and running floods. May. 
FA'MES CANI'NA. See Boulimus, vol. iii. p. 310. 
3 II FAMI'LIARj 
