could have produced little advantage, and which were exposed to a thousand chances of disturbance and interruption. It is obfervable, that either by nature or by habit, our faculties are fitted to images of a certain extent, to which we adjust great things by divifion, and little things by accumulation. Of extensive surfaces we can only take a furvey, as the parts fucceed one another; and atoms we cannot perceive till they are united into maffes. Thus we break the vast periods of time into centuries and years; and thus, if we would know the amount of moments, we must agglomerate them into days and weeks. The proverbial oracles of our parfimonious anceftors have informed us, that the fatal waste of fortune is by small expences, by the profusion of fums too little fingly to alarm our caution, and which we never fuffer ourselves to confider together. Of the fame kind is the prodigality of life; he that hopes to look back hereafter with fatisfaction upon paft years, must learn to know the prefent value of fingle minutes, and endeavour to let no particle of time fall useless to the ground. It is ufual for those who are advised to the attainment of any new qualification, to look upon themfelves as required to change the general course of their conduct, to dismiss business, and exclude pleafure, and to devote their days and nights to a particular attention. But all common degrees of excellence are attainable at a lower price; he that fhould fteadily and refolutely affign to any fcience or language those interftitial vacancies which intervene in the most crowded variety of diverfion or employment, ment, would find every day new irradiations of knowledge, and discover how much more is to be hoped from frequency and perfeverance, than from violent efforts and fudden defires; efforts which are foon remitted when they encounter difficulty, and defires, which, if they are indulged too often, will shake off the authority of reafon, and range "capriciously from one object to another. The difpofition to defer every important defign to a time of leisure, and a state of fettled uniformity, proceeds generally from a falfe eftimate of the human powers. If we except thofe gigantick and stupendous intelligences who are faid to grafp a fyftem by intuition, and bound forward from one series of con- . clufions to another, without regular fteps through intermediate propofitions, the most successful ftudents make their advances in knowledge by fhort flights, between each of which the mind may lie at reft. For every fingle act of progreffion a fhort time is fufficient; and it is only neceffary, that whenever that time is afforded, it be well employed. Few minds will be long confined to fevere and laborious meditation; and when a fuccessful attack on knowledge has been made, the student recreates himfelf with the contemplation of his conqueft, and forbears another incurfion, till the new-acquired truth has become familiar, and his curiofity calls upon him for fresh gratifications. Whether the time of intermiffion is spent in company, or in folitude, in neceffary business, or in voluntary levities, the understanding is equally abstracted from the object of inquiry; but perhaps, if it be detained by occupations lefs pleafing, it returns again to study with greater alacrity, than 1 than when it is glutted with ideal pleasures, and furfeited with intemperance of application. He that will not fuffer himself to be difcouraged by fancied impoffibilities, may fometimes find his abilities invigorated by the neceffity of exerting them in fhort intervals, as the force of a current is increased by the contraction of its channel. From fome caufe like this, it has probably proceeded, that among thofe who have contributed to the advancement of learning, may have rifen to eminence in oppofition to all the obftacles which external circumstances could place in their way, amidst the tumult of bufinefs, the diftreffes of poverty, or the diffipations of a wandering and unfettled ftate. A great part of the life of Erafmus was one continual peregrination; ill fupplied with the gifts of fortune, and led from city to city, and from kingdom to kingdom, by the hopes of patrons and preferment, hopes which always flattered and always deceived him; he yet found means, by unshaken conftancy, and a vigilant improvement of those hours, which, in the midst of the most restless activity, will remain unengaged, to write more than another in the fame condition would have hoped to read. Compelled by want to attendance and folicitation, and fo much verfed in common life, that he has tranfmitted to us the most perfect delineation of the manners of his age, he joined to his knowledge of the world, fuch application to books, that he will stand for ever in the first rank of literary heroes. How this proficiency was obtained he fufficiently discovers, by informing us, that the Praife of Folly, one of his moft most celebrated performances was compofed by him on the road to Italy; ne totum illud tempus quo equo fuit infidendum, illiteratis fabulis terreretur, left the hours which he was obliged to fpend on horfeback fhould be tattled away without regard to literature. An Italian philofopher expreffed in his motto, that time was his eftate; an eftate indeed, which will produce nothing without cultivation, but will always abundantly repay the labours of industry, and fatisfy the most extensive desires, if no part of it be fuffered to lie wafte by negligence; to be over-run with noxious plants, or laid out for fhew rather than for use. NUMB. 109. TUESDAY, April 2, 1751. Gratum eft, quod patria civem populoque dedifti, Si facis, ut patria fit idoneus, utilis agris, Plurimum enim intererit, quibus artibus, et quibus hunc tu Grateful the gift! a member to the state, If that member ufeful fhall create ; you Train'd both to war, and when the war fhall cease, For much it boots which way you train your boy, SIR, To the RAMBLER. Juv. ELPHINSTON. THOUGH you seem to have taken a view fufficiently extenfive of the miseries of life, and have employed much of your fpeculation on mournful fubjects, you have not yet exhaufted the whole ftock of human infelicity. There is still a fpecies of wretchedness which escapes your obfervation, though it might fupply you with many fage remarks, and falutary cautions. I cannot but imagine the ftart of attention awakened by this welcome hint; and at this inftant fee the Rambler fnuffing his candle, rubbing his fpectacles, ftirring his fire, locking out interruption, and fettling himself in his eafy chair, that he may enjoy a new calamity without difturbance. For, whether it be that continued fickness or misfortune has acquainted 2 |