Page images
PDF
EPUB

I

NUMB. 134. SATURDAY, June 29, 1751.

Quis fcit, an adjiciant hodierne craftina fumma

Tempora Di fuperi!

Who knows if Heav'n, with ever-bounteous pow'r
Shall add to-morrow to the present hour?

HOR.

FRANCIS.

SAT yesterday morning employed in deliberating on which, among the various fubjects that occurred to my imagination, I fhould beftow the paper of to-day. After a fhort effort of meditation by which nothing was determined, I grew every moment more irrefolute, my ideas wandered from the first intention, and I rather wifhed to think, than thought, upon any settled subject; till at last I was awakened from this dream of study by a fummons from the prefs the time was come for which I had been thus negligently purpofing to provide, and, however dubious or fluggifli, I was now neceffitated. to write.

Though to a writer whofe defign is fo comprehen. five and miscellaneous, that he may accommodate himself with a topick from every fcene, of life, or view of nature, it is no great aggravation of his task to be obliged to a fudden compofition; yet I could not forbear to reproach myself for having fo long neglected what was unavoidably to be done, and of which every moment's idlenefs increased the difficulty. There was however fome pleasure in reflecting that I, who had only trifled till diligence was necef

fary,

fary, might ftill congratulate myself upon my fuperiority to multitudes, who have trifled till diligence is vain; who can by no degree of activity or refolution recover the opportunities which have flipped away; and who are condemned by their own carelefnefs to hopeless calamity and barren forrow.

The folly of allowing ourselves to delay what we know cannot be finally escaped, is one of the general weakneffes, which, in fpite of the inftruction of moralifts, and the remonftrances of reafon, prevail to a greater or lefs degree in every mind; even they who most steadily withstand it, find it, if not the most violent, the moft pertinacious of their paffions, always renewing its attacks, and though often vanquifhed, never destroyed.

It is indeed natural to have particular regard to the time prefent, and to be most folicitous for that which is by its nearness enabled to make the strongest impreffions. When therefore any fharp pain is to be fuffered, or any formidable danger to be incurred, we can scarcely exempt ourfelves wholly from the feducements of imagination; we readily believe that another day will bring fome fupport or advantage which we now want; and are easily perfuaded, that the moment of neceffity which we defire never to arrive, is at a great distance from us.

Thus life is languifhed away in the gloom of anxiety, and confumed in collecting refolution which the next morning diffipates; in forming purposes which we scarcely hope to keep, and reconciling ourfelves to our own cowardice by excufes, which, while we admit them, we know to be abfurd. Our VOL. V. firmness

Dd

firmness is by the continual contemplation of mifery hourly impaired; every fubmiffion to our fear enlarges its dominion; we not only waste that time in which the evil we dread might have been fuffered and furmounted, but even where procrastination produces no abfolute increase of our difficulties, make them less fuperable to ourselves by habitual terrors. When evils cannot be avoided, it is wife to contract the interval of expectation; to meet the mischiefs which will overtake us if we fly; and suffer only their real malignity without the conflicts of doubt, and anguish of anticipation.

To act is far easier than to fuffer; yet we every day fee the progrefs of life retarded by the vis inertia, the mere repugnance to motion, and find multitudes repining at the want of that which nothing but idleness hinders them from enjoying. The case of Tantalus, in the region of poetick punishment, was somewhat to be pitied, because the fruits that hung about him retired from his hand; but what tenderness can be claimed by thofe who, though perhaps they fuffer the pains of Tantalus, will never lift their hands for their own relief?

There is nothing more common among this torpid generation than murmurs and complaints; murmurs at uneafinefs which only vacancy and fufpicion expofe them to feel, and complaints of diftreffes which it is in their own power to remove. Laziness is commonly affociated with timidity. Either fear originally prohibits endeavours by infufing defpair of fuccefs; or the frequent failure of irrefolute struggles, and the conftant defire of avoiding labour, imprefs

by

by degrees falfe terrors on the mind. But fear, whether natural or acquired, when once it has full poffeffion of the fancy, never fails to employ it upon vifions of calamity, fuch as, if they are not diffipated by useful employment, will foon overcaft it with horrors, and imbitter life not only with thofe miferies by which all earthly beings are really more or less tormented, but with those which do not yet exist, and which can only be difcerned by the perfpicacity of cowardice.

Among all who facrifice future advantage to prefent inclination, scarcely any gain fo little as thofe that fuffer themselves to freeze in idleness. Others are corrupted by fome enjoyment of more or less power to gratify the paffions; but to neglect our duties, merely to avoid the labour of performing them, a labour which is always punctually rewarded, is furely to fink under weak temptations. Idleness never can secure tranquillity; the call of reafon and of conscience will pierce the closest pavilion of the fluggard, and though it may not have force to drive him from his down, will be loud enough to hinder him from fleep. Thofe moments which he cannot resolve to make ufeful by devoting them to the great business of his being, will still be ufurped by powers that will not leave them to his difpofal ; remorfe and vexation will feize upon them, and forbid him to enjoy what he is fo defirous to appropriate.

There are other caufes of inactivity incident to more active faculties and more acute difcernment. He to whom many objects of pursuit arise at the fame time, will frequently hefitate between different defires,

Dd 2

defires, till a rival has precluded him, or change his course as new attractions prevail, and harass himself without advancing. He who fees different ways to the fame end, will, unless he watches carefully over his own conduct, lay out too much of his attention upon the comparison of probabilities, and the adjustment of expedients, and pause in the choice of his road till fome accident intercepts his journey. He whofe penetration extends to remote confequences, and who, whenever he applies his attention to any defign, difcovers new profpects of advantage, and poffibilities of improvement, will not eafily be perfuaded that his project is ripe for execution; but will fuperadd one contrivance to another, endeavour to unite various purposes in one opera. tion, multiply complications, and refine niceties, till he is entangled in his own fcheme, and bewildered in the perplexity of various intentions. He that refolves to unite all the beauties of fituation in a new purchase, muft wafte his life in roving to no purpose from province to province. He that hopes in the fame houfe to obtain every convenience, may draw plans and ftudy Palladio, but will never lay a ftone. He will attempt a treatife on fome important fubject, and amafs materials, confult authors, and study all the dependent and collateral parts of learning, but never conclude himself qualified to write. He that has abilities to conceive perfection, will not eafily be content without it; and fince perfection cannot be reached, will lofe the opportunity of doing well in the vain hope of unattainable excellence.

The

« PreviousContinue »