moulded by a strong fancy into any form. But the images which memory prefents are of a ftubborn and untractable nature, the objects of remembrance have already exifted, and left their fignature behind them impreffed upon the mind, fo as to defy all attempts of rafure or of change. As the fatisfactions, therefore, arifing from memory are less arbitrary, they are more folid, and are, indeed, the only joys which we can call our own. Whatever we have once repofited, as Dryden expreffes it, in the facred treasure of the paft, is out of the reach of accident, or violence, nor can be loft either by our own weakness, or another's malice: -Non tamen irritum Quodcunque retro eft efficiet, neque Quod fugies femel bora vexit. Be fair or foul, or rain or fhine, The joys I have poffefs'd in spite of fate are mine. But what has been has been, and I have had my hour. DRYDEN. There is certainly no greater happiness than to be able to look back on a life usefully and virtuously employed, to trace our own progrefs in exiftence, by fuch tokens as excite neither fhame nor forrow. Life, in which nothing has been done or fuffered to diftinguish one day from another, is to him that has paffed it, as if it had never been, except that he is confcious how ill he has husbanded the great depofit of his Creator. Life, made memorable by crimes, and and diversified through its several periods by wickedness, is indeed easily reviewed, but reviewed only with horror and remorse. The great confideration which ought to iufluence us in the use of the prefent moment, is to arise from the effect, which, as well or ill applied, it must have upon the time to come; for though its actual existence be inconceivably fhort, yet its effects are unlimited; and there is not the smallest point of time but may extend its confequences, either to our hurt or our advantage, through all eternity, and give us reason to remember it for ever, with anguish or exultation. The time of life, in which memory feems particularly to claim predominance over the other faculties of the mind, is our declining age. It has been remarked by former writers, that old men are generally narrative, and fall eafily into recitals of paft tranfactions, and accounts of perfons known to them in their youth. When we approach the verge of the grave it is more eminently true; Vita fumma brevis fpem nos vetat inchoare longam. Life's fpan forbids thee to extend thy cares, CREECH. We have no longer any poffibility of great viciffitudes in our favour; the changes which are to hap pen in the world will come too late for our accommodation; and those who have no hope before them, and to whom their present state is painful and irk, fome, fome, muft of neceffity turn their thoughts back to try what retrofpect will afford. It ought, therefore, to be the care of those who wish to pass the laft hours with comfort, to lay up fuch a treasure of pleasing ideas, as fhall fupport the expences of that time, which is to depend wholly upon the fund already acquired. -Petite binc, juvenefque fenefque Finem animo certum, miferifque viatica canis. Seek here, ye young, the anchor of your mind; ELPHINSTON. In youth, however unhappy, we folace ourselves with the hope of better fortune, and however vicious, appease our confciences with intentions of repentance; but the time comes at last, in which life has no more to promife, in which happiness can be drawn only from recollection, and virtue will be all that we can recollect with pleasure. NUMB. 42. SATURDAY, August 11, 1750. Mihi tarda fluunt ingrataque tempora. HOR. How heavily my time revolves along. ELPHINSTON. To the RAMBLER. I Mr. RAMBLER, AM no great admirer of grave writings, and therefore very frequently lay your papers afide before I have read them through; yet I cannot but confess that, by flow degrees, you have raised my opinion of your understanding, and that, though I believe it will be long before I can be prevailed upon to regard you with much kindness, you have, however, more of my esteem than those whom I fometimes make happy with opportunities to fill my tea-pot, or pick up my fan. I fhall therefore chufe you for the confident of my diftreffes, and ask your counfel with regard to the means of conquering or escaping them, though I never expect from you any of that softness and pliancy, which conftitutes the perfection of a companion for the ladies: as, in the place where I now am, I have recourse to the mastiff for protection, though I have no intention of making him a lap-dog. My Mamma is a very fine lady, who has more numerous and more frequent affemblies at her house than any other perfon in the fame quarter of the town. I was bred from my earliest infancy in a per petual petual tumult of pleasure, and remember to have heard of little elfe than meffages, vifits, playhouses, and balls; of the awkwardnefs of one woman, and the coquetry of another; the charming convenience of fome rifing fashion, the difficulty of playing a new game, the incidents of a masquerade, and the dreffes of a court-night. I knew before I was ten. years old all the rules of paying and receiving vifits, and to how much civility every one of my acquaintance was entitled; and was able to return, with the proper degree of referve or of vivacity, the ftated and established answer to every compliment; fo that I was very foon celebrated as a wit, and a beauty, and had heard before I was thirteen all that is ever faid to a young lady. My mother was generous to fo uncommon a degree as to be pleafed with my advance into life, and allowed me, without envy or reproof, to enjoy the fame happiness with herfelf; though most women about her own age were very angry to see young girls fo forward, and many fine gentlemen told her how cruel it was to throw new chains upon mankind, and to tyrannize over them at the same time with her own charms, and those of her daughter. I have now lived two and twenty years, and have paffed of each year nine months in town, and three at Richmond; fo that my time has been spent uniformly in the fame company, and the fame amuse ments, except as fashion has introduced new diverfions, or the revolutions of the gay world have afforded new fucceffions of wits and beaus, However, my mother is fo good an economist of pleasure, that I have no spare hours upon my hands; for |