be a very worthy Member of Society: That if the
Beauty of any Woman created in him an Uneasiness, he had a Right from Nature to
relieve himself;« with many other things, which I then detested so much, that I
took Leave of the Society that very Evening, and never returned to it again.
Being now reduced to a State of Solitude, which I did not like, I became a great
Frequenter of the Play-houses, which indeed was always my favourite Diversion,
and most Evenings past away two or three Hours behind the Scenes, where I met
with several Poets, with whom I made Engagements at the Taverns. Some of the
Players were likewise of our Parties. At these Meetings we were generally
entertain'd by the Poets with reading their Performances, and by the Players
with repeating their Parts: Upon which Occasions, I observed the Gentleman who
furnished our Entertainment, was commonly the best pleased of the Company; who,
tho' they were pretty civil to him to his Face, seldom failed to take the first
Opportunity of his Absence to ridicule him. Now I made some Remarks, which
probably are too obvious to be worth relating. »Sir,« says Adams, »your Remarks
if you please.« First then, says he, I concluded that the general Observation,
that Wits are most inclined to Vanity, is not true. Men are equally vain of
Riches, Strength, Beauty, Honours, etc. But, these appear of themselves to the
Eyes of the Beholders, whereas the poor Wit is obliged to produce his
Performance to shew you his Perfection, and on his Readiness to do this that
vulgar opinion I have before mentioned is grounded: But doth not the Person who
expends vast Sums in the Furniture of his House, or the Ornaments of his Person,
who consumes much Time, and employs great Pains in dressing himself, or who
thinks himself paid for Self-Denial, Labour, or even Villany by a Title or a
Ribbon, sacrifice as much to Vanity as the poor Wit, who is desirous to read you
his Poem or his Play? My second Remark was, that Vanity is the worst of
Passions, and more apt to contaminate the Mind than any other: For as
Selfishness is much more general than we please to allow it, so it is natural to
hate and envy those who stand between us and the Good we desire. Now in Lust and
Ambition these are few; and even in Avarice we find many who are no Obstacles to
our Pursuits; but the vain Man seeks Pre-eminence; and every