THE RAMBLER. NUMBER LXXXII, LONDON, Saturday, December 29. 1750, Omnia Caftor emit, fic fiet ut omnia vendat. MART. SIR, To the RAMBLER. Suppofe it will not be neceffary to folicit your good will by any formal preface or apology, when I have informed you, that I have long been known in the world of learning, as the most laborious and zealous virtuofo that the prefent age VOL. IV. D has has had the honour of producing; and that the inconveniencies which I now fuffer, have been brought upon me an unextinguishable ardour of curiofity, and an unfhaken perfeverance in the acquifition of all the productions of art and na ture. It was obferved, from my entrance into the world, that I had fomething uncommon in my difpofition; and there appeared in me very early tokens of genius, fuperior to the bulk of mankind. I was always an enemy to trifles, and threw away my rattle at the time when other children but begin to fhake it. I was particularly fond of my coral, but would never fuffer my nurfe to ring the bells. As I grew older, I was more thoughtful and ferious; and, inftead of amusing myself with puerile diverfions, made collections of natural rarities; and never walked into the fields without bringing home ftones of remarkable forms, or infects of fome uncommon fpecies. I never entered an old houfe, from which I did not take away fome painted glass; and often lamented, that I was not one of that happy generation who demolished the convents and monafteries, and broke windows by law, Being thus early poffeffed by a tafte for folid knowledge, I paffed my youth with very little dif turbance from paffions and appetites; and, having no pleafure in the company of boys and girls, who talked of plays, politics, fafhions, or love, I carried on my inquiries with inceffant diligence, and had amaffed more ftones, moffes, and fhells, than are to be found in many celebrated collections, at an age in which the greatest part of young men are are studying under tutors, or endeavouring to recommend themselves to notice by their drefs, their air, and their levities. When I was two and twenty years old, I became, by the death of my father, poffeffed of a fmall eftate in land, with a very large fum of money in the public funds; and muft confefs that I did not much lament him: for he was a man of mean parts; bent rather upon growing rich than wife; and once fretted at the expence of only ten fhillings, which he happened to overhear me offering for the fting of a hornet, though it was a cold moist fummer, in which very few hornets had been seen. He often recommended to me the ftudy of phyfic; in which, faid he, you may at once gratify your curiofity after natural history, and increafe your fortune by benefiting mankind. I heard him, Mr RAMBLER, with pity; and, as there was no profpect of elevating a mind formed to grovel, fuffered him to pleafe himself with hoping that I fhould fometime follow his advice: for you know that there are men, with whom, when they have once fettled a notion in their heads, it is to very little purpofe to dispute. Being now left wholly to my own inclinations, I very foon enlarged the bounds of my curiofity, and contented myself no longer with fuch rarities as required only judgment and induftry, and when once found, might be had for nothing. I now turned my thoughts to exotics and antiques; and became fo well known for my generous patronage of ingenious men, that my levee was crouded with vifitants; fome to fee my mufeum; and others |