XIII. As there is no virtue, whose use is so general and common as than
of Urbanity, so there is no one which is so much counterfeited and
falsified by hypocrisy. There are men who by seldom finding themselves
in a situation to exercise some particular virtues, are not very
anxious about contriving means to imitate them by hypocrisy; but as
Urbanity is a virtue that all men have opportunities of exercising,
it is in the power of all men to counterfeit it by deceit. In truth,
the hypocrites in the line of Urbanity are innumerable. All the world
super-abound with expressions of submission and profound respect,
with obsequious offers, and with exaggerated professions of esteem,
with smiling countenances, whose essence consists in the command they
have of their features, and in expressions of their lips, in which
their hearts have not the least share; but on the contrary, are rather
impressed with sentiments, that are quite opposite to those false
appearances, and mock demonstrations.
XIV. What, then, should Urbanity be implanted in the heart? Without
doubt it should, or it is at least from thence that it ought to derive
its origin. If it was otherwise, how could it be a virtue? Reason tells
us, that there is an honest complaisance due from one man to another;
and whatever reason dictates should be esteemed a virtue. But how can a
lying, deceitful, and affected complaisance be a virtue? It is evident
it cannot. Urbanity then should arise from the bottom of the soul. What
does not do that, is not Urbanity, but hypocrisy that counterfeits
it. An honest soul, stands in no need of fiction to assist it in the
observance of all those attentions which compose good-breeding, because
it is naturally inclined to the observance of them, left alone to
itself. By an innate propensity, accompanied by the light of reason,
such a one will never, upon any occasion, be found wanting in the
respect that is due to his superiors, nor in the condescension he
should shew to his equals, nor in the affability he should practice
with his inferiors, nor in the good-will and gracious manner, with
which he should manifest to all men, both in words and deeds, these
laudable dispositions of his mind, and his love of human society.
XV. I am not ignorant, that Urbanity is commonly understood to consist
in our external testification of respect and benevolence to those
with whom we converse. But if this testification, is not accompanied
with the affections of the mind that are expressed by it, it becomes
deceitful, and cannot possibly constitute that sort of urbanity, which
consists in a virtuous habit; for in order to constitute such a one,
it would be necessary that the testification should be sincere, which
amounts to the same as saying, that there is essentially included in
urbanity, the existence of those sentiments, which are expressed by
courteous words and actions.