’Tis Vain and Dangerous to Enter into Competitions with our Superiours,
in what Kind soever, whether it be in Arms, Letters, Expence, Strength
of Body, Arts and Sciences, or the like. ’Tis Impossible for any Man,
in fine, to take a True Measure of Another, without an Exact Knowledge
and a True Judgment of Himself. Nay the Attempt of any thing above our
force, with Vanity, and Presumption, most certainly ends in a Miscarriage
that makes the Pretender Ridiculous. The Out-doing of a Great Man in
his Own Way, Savours in some degree of Ill Manners, as it is upon the
Main, a High Point of Indiscretion. One Man takes it for an Affront to
be Out-witted; Another to be Out-Fool’d, as _Nero_ could not Endure to
be Out-Fiddled; But in short, be the Matter never so Great, or never so
Trivial, ’tis the same Case as to the Envy of the Competition.