No Man should make Sport with, or Condemn any thing in another, without
first Considering whether he be not Guilty of the very same thing
Himself. The _Bear_ is led after _One_ Manner; the _Multitude_ are led
after _Another_ Manner; and in some sort or other we are all led; only
the _Bearward_ in this Fable leads but _One_ Brute, and the _Mountebank_
leads a _Thousand_: And what’s the whole Bus’ness at last, but Noise,
Novelty, and Example? And One Fool Staring and Hooting for Company after
Another; We take more Care to do as _Others_ do, then to do as we _ought_
to do, or in truth to Understand the Sum and Substance of our Duties.
The _Peoples_ leaving the _Mountebank_ for the _Bear_, Imports as great
Readiness, even to leave _Him_ too for what comes next, and shews us
that there’s no Trusting to the _Mobile_. It may serve also to Mind us,
that the very Course of our Lives is little better then a _Series_ of
Mistakes, and a Transition from One Weakness to Another. He that finds
himself Uneasie in One Unreasonable Choice, has Recourse naturally to
Another, perchance as Unreasonable: And let him be never so Sick of the
Error, there’s yet some Pleasure in the Variety; though it be but in the
_Hope_ of Mending the Matter.