wholly reftore all the organs and fenfes to the human body to as great a duration, as it had before enjoyed from its birth to the day of the application of these my inedicines. But, my beloved fon, care must be taken to apply them within ten hours after the breath is out of the body, while yet the clay is warm with its late life, and yet capable of refufcitation. I find my frame grown Crazy with perpetual toil and meditation; and I conjure you, as foon as I am dead, to anoint me with this unguent; and when you fee me begin to move, pour into my lips, this inestimable liquor, elfe the force of the ointment will be ineffectual. By this means you will give me life as I have you, and we will from that hour mutually lay afide the authority of having beto ved life on each other, but live as brethren, nd prepare new medicines against fuch another period of time as will demand another application of the fanie restoratives. few days after thefe wonderful ingredients were delivered to Alexandrinus, Bafilius departed this life. But fuch was the pious forrow of the fon at the lofs of fo excellent a father, and the firft tranfports of grief had fo wholly difabled him from all manner of bufinefs, that he never thought of the medicines till the time to which his father had limited their efficacy was expired. To tell the truth, Alexandrinus was a man of wit and plea fure, and confidered his father had lived out his natural time, his life was long and uniform, fuitable to the regularity of it; but that he himself, poor finner, wanted a new life, to repent of a very bad one hitherto; and in the examination of his heart, refolved to go on as he did with this natural being of his, but repent very faithfully, and fpend very piously the life to which he fhould be restored by application to thefe rarities, when time fhould come, to his own person.

In a

It has been obferved, that Providence frequently pu nishes the felf-love of men, who would do immoderately for their own offspring, with children very much below their characters and qualifications, infomuch that they only tranfinit their names to be borne by those who give daily proofs of the vanity of the labour and ambition of their progenitors.

It happened thus in the family of Bafilius; for Alexandrinus began to enjoy his ample fortune in all the extremities of household expence, furniture, and infolent equipage; and this he purfued till the day of his own ceparture began, as he grew fenfible, to approach. As Bafilius was punished with a fon very unlike him, Alexandrinus was vifited by one of his own difpofition. It is natural that ill men fhould be fufpicious, and Alexandrinus, befides that jealousy, had proofs of the vicious difpofition of his fon Renatus, for that was his name.

Alexandrinus, as I have obferved, having very good reafons for thinking it unfafe to truft the real fecret of his phial and gallipot to any man living, projected to make ture work, and hope for his fuccefs depending from the avarice, not the bounty of his benefactor.

་

With this thought he called Renatus to his bed-fide, and bespoke him in the moft pathetic gesture and accent. As much, my fon, as you have been addicted to vanity and pleasure, as I also have been before you, you nor I could efcape the fame, or the good effects of the profound knowledge of our progenitor, the renowned Bafilius. His fymbol is very well known in the philofophic world, and 1 thall never forget the venerable air of his countenance, when he let me into the profound myfteries of the SmaJagdine table of Hermes. It is true, faid he, and far removed from all colour of deceit; that which is inferior is like that which is fuperior, by which are acquired and perfected all the miracles of a certain work. The father is the fun, the mother the moon, the wind • is the womb, the earth is the nurse of it, and mother ⚫ of all perfection. All this must be received with modefty and wisdom.' The chymical people carry in all their jargon a whimsical fort of piety, which is ordinary with great lovers of money, and is no more but deceiving themfelves, that their regularity and strictnefs of manners for the ends of this world, has fome affinity to the innocence of heart which mult recommend them to the next. Renatus wondered to hear his father talk fo like an adept, and with fuch a mixture of piety, while Alexandrinus obferving his attention fixed, proceeded this phial, child, and this little earthen put will add to thy eftate fo much, as to make thee the

richest man in the German empire. I am going to my long home, but fhall not return to common duft. Then he refumed a countenance of alacrity, and told him, that if within an hour after his death he anointed his whole body, and poured down his throat that liquor which he had from old Bafilius, the corps would be converted into pure gold. I will not pretend to exprefs to you the unfeigned tenderneffes that paffed between thefe two extraordinary perfons; but if the father recommended the care of his remains with vehemence and affection, the fon was not behind-hand in profelling that he would not cut the leaft bit off him, but upon the utmost extremity, or to provide for his younger brothers and filters.

Weil, Alexandrinus died, and the heir of his body (as our term is) could not forbear in the wantonnefs of his heart, to measure the length and breadth of his beloved father, and cast up the enfuing value of him before, he proceeded to operation. When he knew the immenfe rewards of his pains, he began the work: but lo! when he had anointed the corps all over, and began to apply the liquor, the body tirred, and Renatus, in a frigh, broke the phial.

T.

N° 427.

Thursday, July 10.

Quantum à rerum turpitudine abes, tantùm te à verborum libertate fejungas.

TULL.

We should be as careful of our words, as our actions; and as far from fpeaking, as from doing ill,

IT is a certain fign of an ill-heart to be inclined to

defamation. They who are harmless and innocent can have no gratification that way; but it ever arifes from a neglect of what is laudable in a man's felf, and an impatience of feeing it in another. Elfe why should

·

virtue provoke? Why should beauty displease in such a degree, that a man given to fcandal never lets the mention of either pals by him without offering fomething to the diminution of it? A lady the other day at a visit being attacked fomewhat rudely by one, whofe own character has been very roughly treated, antwered a great deal of heat and intemperance very calmly, Good madam fpare me, who am none of your match; I speak ill of no body, and it is a new thing to me to be spoken ill of.' Little minds think fame confifts in the number of votes they have on their fide among the multitude, whereas it is really the infeparable follower of good and worthy actions. Fame is as natural a follower of merit, as a thadow is of a body. It is true, when crouds prefs upon you, this fhadow cannot be feen, but when they separate from around you, it will again appear. The lazy, the idle, and the froward, are the perfons who are moft pleafed with the little tales which pafs about the town to the difadvantage of the reft of the world. Were it not for the pleasure of fpeaking ill, there are numbers of people who are too lazy to go out of their own houfes, and too ill-natured to open their lips in conversation. It was not a little diverting the other day to obferve a lady reading a post-letter, and at thefe words, ⚫ After

་

all her airs, he has heard some story or other, and the match is broke off,' give orders in the midst of her reading, Put to the horfes.' That a young woman of merit had miffed an advantageous fettlement, was news not to be delayed, left fomebody elfe fhould have given her malicious acquaintance that fatisfaction before her. The unwillingness to receive good tidings is a quality as infeparable from a scandal-bearer, as the readiness to divulge bad. But, alas! how wretchedly low and contemptible is that ftate of mind, that cannot be pleafed but by what is the fubject of lamentation. This temper has ever been in the highest degree odious to gallant fpirits. The Perfian foldier, who was heard reviling Alexander the Great, was well admonished by his officer, Sir, you are paid to fight against Alexander, and not to rail at him.'

Cicero, in one of his pleadings, defending his client from general fcandal, fays very handfomely, and with

་

much reafon,There are many who have particular engagements to the profecutor: there are many who are known to have ill-will to him for whom I appear; there are many who are naturally addicted to delamation, and envious of any good to any man, who may have contributed to fpread reports of this kind: for nothing is so swift as fcandal, nothing is more easily fent abroad, nothing received with more welcome, nothing diffufes itself fo univerfally. I fhall not defire, that if any report to our difadvantage has any ground for it, you would overlook or extenuate it: but if there be any thing advanced, without a perfon who can fay whence he had it, or which is attefted by one who forgot who told him it, or who had it from one of fo ་ little confideration that he did not then think it worth his notice, all fuch teftimonies as thefe, I know, you will think too flight to have any credit against the innocence and honour of your fellow-citizens.' When an ill report is traced, it very often vanishes among fuch as the orator has here recited. And how defpicable a creature muft that be, who is in pain for what paffes among fo frivolous a people? There is a town in Warwick hire of good note, and formerly pretty famous for much animofity and diffenfion, the chief families of which have now turned all their whispers, backbitings, envies, and private malices, into mirth and entertainment, by means of a peevith old gentlewoman, known by the title of the lady Bluemantle. This heroine had for many years together out-done the whole fifterhood of goflips, in invention, quick utterance, and unprovoked malice. This good body is of a lafting conftitution, though extremely decayed in her eyes, and decrepid in her feet. The two circumftances of being always at home from her lameness, and very attentive from her blindness, make her lodgings the receptacle of all that paffes in town, good or bad; but for the latter fhe feems to have the better memory. There is another thing to be noted of her, which is, that as it is ufual with old people, the has a livelier memory of things which paffed when the was very young, than of late years. Add to all this, that he does not only not love any body, but fhe hates every body. The statue in Rome does not