decent and affectionate teftimony of kindness and efteem; fomething will be extorted by nature, and fomething may be given to the world. But all beyond the bursts of paffion, or the forms of folemnity, is not only useless, but culpable; for we have no right to facrifice, to the vain longings of affection, that time which providence allows us for the task of our station.

Yet it too often happens that forrow, thus lawfully entering, gains fuch a firm poffeffion of the mind, that it is not afterwards to be ejected; the mournful ideas, first violently impreffed, and afterwards willingly received, so much engross the attention, as to predominate in every thought, to darken gaiety, and perplex ratiocination. An habitual sadness seizes upon the foul, and the faculties are chained to a fingle object, which can never be contemplated but with hopeless uneafinefs.

From this ftate of dejection it is very difficult to rife to cheerfulness and alacrity, and therefore many who have laid down rules of intellectual health, think prefervatives eafier than remedies, and teach us not to truft ourselves with favourite enjoyments, not to indulge the luxury of fondnefs, but to keep our minds always suspended in such indifference, that we may change the objects about us without emotion.

An exact compliance with this rule might, perhaps, contribute to tranquillity, but furely it would never produce happiness. He that regards none fo much as to be afraid of lofing them, muft live for ever without the gentle pleafures of fympathy and confidence; he muft feel no melting fondness, no warmth of benevolence, nor any of those honeft joys

which nature annexes to the power of pleafing. And as no man can juftly claim more tenderness than he pays, he must forfeit his fhare in that officious and watchful kindness which love only can dictate, and thofe lenient endearments by which love only can foften life. He may justly be overlooked and neglected by fuch as have more warmth in their heart; for who would be the friend of him, whom, with whatever affiduity he may be courted, and with whatever services obliged, his principles will not fuffer to make equal returns, and who, when you have exhausted all the inftances of good will, can only be prevailed on not to be an enemy?

An attempt to preserve life in a state of neutrality and indifference, is unreasonable and vain. If by excluding joy we could fhut our grief, the fcheme would deferve very ferious attention; but fince, however we may debar ourselves from happiness, mifery will find its way at many inlets, and the affaults of pain will force our regard, though we may withhold it from the invitations of pleasure, we may furely endeavour to raise life above the middle point of apathy at one time, fince it will neceffarily fink below it at another.

But though it cannot be reasonable not to gain happinefs for fear of lofing it, yet it must be confeffed, that in proportion to the pleasure of poffeflion, will be for fome time our forrow for the lofs; it is therefore the province of the moralift to enquire whether fuch pains may not quickly give way to mitigation. Some have thought that the most certain way to clear the heart from its embarraffment is to drag it by VOL. IV.

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force into scenes of merriment. Others imagine, that fuch a tranfition is too violent, and recommend rather to footh it into tranquillity, by making it acquainted with miferies more dreadful and afflictive, and diverting to the calamities of others the regard which we are inclined to fix too closely upon our own misfortunes.

It may be doubted whether either of thofe remedies will be fufficiently powerful. The efficacy of mirth it is not always easy to try, and the indulgence of melancholy may be fufpected to be one of those medicines, which will deftroy, if it happens

not to cure.

The fafe and general antidote against forrow, is employment. It is commonly observed, that among foldiers and feamen, though there is much kindness, there is little grief; they fee their friend fall without any of that lamentation which is indulged in fecurity and idlenefs, because they have no leisure to spare from the care of themselves; and whoever fhall keep his thoughts equally bufy, will find himself equally unaffected with irretrievable loffes.

Time is obferved generally to wear out forrow, and its effects might doubtlefs be accelerated by quickening the fucceffion, and enlarging the variety of objects.

Si tempore longo

Leniri poterit luctus, tu fperne morari,

Qui fapiet fibi tempus erit.

"Tis long ere time can mitigate your grief;

To wisdom fly, fhe quickly brings relief.

GROTIUS.

F. LEWIS.

Sorrow

Sorrow is a kind of ruft of the foul, which every new idea contributes in its paffage to fcour away. It is the putrefaction of stagnant life, and is remedied by exercise and motion.

NUMB. 48. SATURDAY, Sept. 1, 1750.

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Non eft vivere, fed valere, vita.

For life is not to live, but to be well.

MART.

ELPHINSTON.

MONG the innumerable follies, by which we lay up in our youth repentance and remorfe for the fucceeding part of our lives, there is fcarce any against which warnings are of lefs efficacy, than the neglect of health. When the fprings of motion are yet elastick, when the heart bounds with vigour, and the eye sparkles with fpirit, it is with difficulty that we are taught to conceive the imbecility that every hour is bringing upon us, or to imagine that the nerves which are now braced with fo much ftrength, and the limbs which play with fo much. activity, will lose all their power under the gripe of time, relax with numbnefs, and totter with debility.

To the arguments which have been used against complaints under the miseries of life, the philofophers have, I think, forgot to add the incredulity of those to whom we recount our fufferings. But if the purpose of lamentation be to excite pity, it is furely fuperfluous for age and weaknefs to tell their plaintive ftories; for pity prefuppofes fympathy, and a little attention will fhew them, that those who

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who do not feel pain, feldom think that it is felt; and a short recollection will inform almoft every man, that he is only repaid the infult which he has given, fince he may remember how often he has mocked infirmity, laughed at its cautions, and cenfured its impatience.

The valetudinarian race have made the care of health ridiculous by fuffering it to prevail over all other confiderations, as the mifer has brought frugality into contempt, by permitting the love of money not to fhare, but to engrofs his mind: they both err alike, by confounding the means with the end; they grasp at health only to be well, as at money only to be rich; and forget that every terreftrial advantage is chiefly valuable, as it furnishes abilities for the exercife of virtue.

Health is indeed fo neceffary to all the duties, as well as pleafures of life, that the crime of fquandering it is equal to the folly; and he that for a fhort gratification brings weakness and difeafes upon himself, and for the pleafure of a few years paffed in the tumults of diverfion, and clamours of merriment, condemns the maturer and more experienced part of his life to the chamber and the couch, may be justly reproached, not only as a spendthrift of his own happiness, but as a robber of the publick; as a wretch that has voluntarily difqualified himself for the business of his ftation, and refused that part which providence affigns him in the general tafk of human nature.

There are perhaps very few conditions more to be pitied than that of an active and elevated mind, labouring under the weight of a diftempered body;

the