Men Mind the Pleasure, and the Satisfaction of a Fancy, or a Loose
Appetite more then they do Better Things; and they are sooner brought to
Themselves, and set Right by the _Innuendo_ of a _Parable_, then by the
Dint of direct Reason. There are many Men that are Infinitely Tender in
Point of Honour, and have very little Regard yet upon the Main, to Truth
and Equity. Now such People as These are sooner Wrought upon by Shame
then by Conscience, when they find themselves Fool’d and Shamm’d (as we
say) into a Conviction. This Fable tells us what we Ought to do in the
Case of Attending to Instructive and Profitable Counsels. It tells us
also what we are apt to do, in Heark’ning after Fooleries: and loosing
the Opportunity of Hearing and Learning Better Things. And it shews us in
fine, the Force of an Allegory betwixt Jest and Earnest; which in such
a Case as This, is certainly the most Artificial, Civil, and Effectual
Manner of Reproche. I call it a _Reproche_, for ’tis an Affront to Good
Manners as well as to Ordinary Prudence, not to Hearken to a Man of
Authority; That is to say, to the Voice of Wisdom, when she speaks to
us out of the Mouth of a Philosopher. Men that have Wandring Thoughts
at such a Lecture, deserve as well to be Whipt, as Boys for Playing at
Push-Pin, when they should be Learning their Lesson: Beside, that it is
only Another way of calling a Man Fool, when no Heed is given to what he
says. Now _Demades_ that Understood both his Bus’ness, and the Weak side
of Humane Nature perfectly Well, never troubled his Head to bring his
Auditory to their Wits again by the Force of Dry and Sober Reason; but
Circumvented them by a Delicate Figure, into a Curiosity that led them
Naturally to a Better Sense of their Interest, and their Duty.