Page images
PDF
EPUB

the value, but of which, though we are not able to tell the least amount, we know, with fufficient certainty, the greateft, and are convinced that the greatest is not much to be regretted.

But, if any paffion has fo much ufurped our understanding, as not to fuffer us to enjoy advantages with the moderation prescribed by reafon, it is not too late to apply this remedy, when we find ourfelves finking under forrow, and inclined to pine for that which is irrecoverably vanished. We may then usefully revolve the uncertainty of our own condition, and the folly of lamenting that from which, if it had ftayed a little longer, we should ourselves have been taken away.

With regard to the sharpeft and most melting forrow, that which arifes from the lofs of those whom we have loved with tenderness, it may be observed, that friendship between mortals can be contracted on no other terms, than that one must some time mourn for the other's death: And this grief will always yield to the furvivor one confolation proportionate to his affliction; for the pain, whatever it be, that he himself feels, his friend has escaped,

Nor is fear, the most overbearing and refiftlefs of all our passions, lefs to be temperated by this univerfal medicine of the mind. The frequent contemplation of death, as it fhows the vanity of all human good, discovers likewife the lightness of all terrestrial evil, which certainly can laft no longer than the subject upon which it acts; and according to the old observation, must be shorter, as it is more violent, The most cruel calamity which misfortune can produce, muft, by the neceffity of nature, be quickly at VOL. IV.

[ocr errors]

an end. The foul cannot long be held in prison, but will fly away, and leave a lifeless body to human malice.

-Ridetque fui ludibria trunci.

And foaring mocks the broken frame below.

The utmost that we can threaten to one another is that death, which, indeed, we may precipitate, but cannot retard, and from which, therefore, it cannot become a wife man to buy a reprieve at the expence of virtue, fince he knows not how fmall a portion of time he can purchase, but knows, that whether short or long, it will be made lefs valuable by the remembrance of the price at which it has been obtained. He is fure that he destroys his happiness, but is not fure that he lengthens his life.

The known shortness of life, as it ought to mo derate our paffions, may likewife, with equal pro priety, contract our defigns. There is not time for the most forcible genius, and moft active industry, to extend its effects beyond a certain fphere. To project the conqueft of the world, is the madness of mighty princes; to hope for excellence in every science, has been the folly of literary heroes; and both have found at laft, that they have panted for a height of eminence denied to humanity, and have loft many opportunities of making themselves useful and happy, by a vain ambition of obtaining a species of honour, which the eternal laws of providence have placed beyond the reach of man.

The mifcarriages of the great defigns of princes are recorded in the hiftories of the world, but are of

little ufe to the bulk of mankind, who feem very little interested in admonitions against errors which they cannot commit. But the fate of learned ambition is a proper fubject for every scholar to confider; for who has not had occafion to regret the diffipation of great abilities in a boundless multiplicity of purfuits, to lament the fudden defertion of excellent defigns, upon the offer of some other subject made inviting by its novelty, and to obferve the inaccuracy and deficiencies of works left unfinished by too great an extenfion of the plan?

It is always pleafing to obferve, how much more our minds can conceive, than our bodies can perform; yet it is our duty, while we continue in this complicated state, to regulate one part of our compofition by fome regard to the other. We are not to indulge our corporeal appetites with pleasures that impair our intellectual vigour, nor gratify our minds with fchemes which we know our lives must fail in attempting to execute. The uncertainty of our duration ought at once to fet bounds to our défigns, and add incitements to our induftry; and when we find ourselves inclined either to immenfity in our fchemes, or fluggishness in our endeavours, we may either check, or animate, ourfelves, by recollecting, with the father of phyfick, that art is long, and life is Short.

might share in their converfation. But it was not in their power to withhold their attention from my performance, which had fo entirely taken poffeffion of their minds, that no entreaties of mine could change their topick, and I was obliged to ftifle, with claret, that praise which neither my modesty could hinder, nor my uneasiness reprefs.

The whole week was thus fpent in a kind of literary revel, and I have now found that nothing is fo expensive as great abilities, unless there is joined with them an infatiable eagerness of praise; for to elcape from the pain of hearing myfelf exalted above the greatest names dead and living of the learned world, it has already coft me two hogfheads of port, fifteen gallons of arrack, ten dozen of claret, and five and forty bottles of champagne.

I was refolved to ftay at home no longer, and, therefore, rofe early and went to the coffee-house; but found that I had now made myself too eminent for happiness, and that I was no longer to enjoy the pleasure of mixing, upon equal terms, with the rest of the world. As foon as I enter the room, I fee part of the company raging with envy, which they endeavour to conceal, fometimes with the appearance of laughter, and fometimes with that of contempt; but the difguife is fuch that I can discover the fecret rancour of their hearts, and as envy is defervedly its own punishment, I frequently indulge myself in tormenting them with my presence.

But though there may be fome flight fatisfaction received from the mortification of my enemies, yet my benevolence will not fuffer me to take any pleasure in the terrors of my friends. I have been

cautious,

cautious, fince the appearance of my work, not to give myself more premeditated airs of fuperiority, than the moft rigid humility might allow. It is, indeed, not impoffible that I may fometimes have laid down my opinion, in a manner that fhewed a conciousness of my ability to maintain it, or interrupted the converfation, when I faw its tendency, without fuffering the fpeaker to wafte his time in explaining his fentiments; and, indeed, I did indulge myself for two days in a custom of drumming with my fingers, when the company began to lose themselves in abfurdities, or to encroach upon fubjects which I knew them unqualified to difcufs, But I generally acted with great appearance of refpect, even to those whose stupidity I pitied in my heart. Yet, notwithstanding this exemplary mo→ deration, fo univerfal is the dread of uncommon powers, and fuch the unwillingness of mankind to be made wifer, that I have now for fome days found myself fhunned by all my acquaintance. If I knock at a door, no body is at home; if I enter a coffee-house, I have the box to myself. I live in the town like a lion in his defert, or an eagle on his rock, too great for friendship or fociety, and condemned to folitude, by unhappy elevation and dreaded afcendancy.

Nor is my character only formidable to others, but burdenfome to myself, I naturally love to talk without much thinking, to scatter my merriment at random, and to relax my thoughts with ludicrous remarks and fanciful images; but fuch is now the importance of my opinion, that I am afraid to offer it, left, by being established too hastily into a maxim,

« PreviousContinue »