feems to confefs the true purpose of human existence, perpetual diffipation. By encouraging people to employ their whole attention on trifles, and make amufement their fole ftudy, you will teach them how to avoid many very uneafy reflections. All the foft feelings of humanity, the fympathies of friendship, all natural temptations to the care of a family, and folicitude about the good or ill of others, with the whole train of domeftick and focial affections, which create fuch daily anxieties and embarraffments, will be happily ftifled and fuppreffed in a round of perpetual delights; and all ferious thoughts, but particularly that of bereafter, be banished out of the world; a moft perplexing apprehenfion, but luckily a moft groundlefs one too, as it is fo very clear a cafe, that nobody ever dies. I am, &c. CHARIESSA. NUMB. 101. TUESDAY, March 5, 1751. Mella jubes Hyblaa tibi vel Hymettia nafci, Alas! dear Sir, you try in vain, No bee from Corfica's rank juice, SIR, H To the RAMBLER. MART.. F. LEWIS. AVING by feveral years of continual ftudy. treasured in my mind a great number of principles and ideas, and obtained by frequent exercise the power of applying them with propriety, and combining them with readiness, I refolved to quit the university, where I confidered myself as a gem hidden in the mine, and to mingle in the crowd of publick life. I was naturally attracted by the company of those who were of the same age with myself, and finding that my academical gravity contributed very little to my reputation, applied my faculties to jocularity and burlefque. Thus, in a short time, I had heated my imagination to fuch a state of activity and ebullition, that upon every occafion it fumed away in bursts of wit, and evaporations of gaiety. I became on a fudden the idol of the coffee-house, was in one winter folicited to accept the prefidentship of five clubs, was dragged by violence to to every new play, and quoted in every controversy upon theatrical merit; was in every publick place furrounded by a multitude of humble auditors, who retailed in other places of refort my maxims and my jefts, and was boasted as their intimate and companion, by many, who had no other pretensions to my acquaintance, than that they had drank chocolate in the fame room. You will not wonder, Mr. RAMBLER, that I mention my fuccefs with fome appearance of triumph and elevation. Perhaps no kind of fuperiority is more flattering or alluring than that which is conferred by the powers of converfation, by extemporaneous fprightlinefs of fancy, copiousness of language, and fertility of fentiment. In other exertions of genius, the greater part of the praife is unknown and unenjoyed; the writer, indeed, spreads his reputation to a wider extent, but receives little pleasure or advantage from the diffusion of his name, and only obtains a kind of nominal fovereignty over regions which pay no tribute. The colloquial wit has always his own radiance reflected on himfelf, and enjoys all the pleasure which he beftows; he finds his power confeffed by every one that approaches him, fees friendship kindling with rapture, and attention fwelling into praise. The defire which every man feels of importance and esteem, is so much gratified by finding an affembly, at his entrance, brightened with gladness and hushed with expectation, that the recollection of fuch diftinctions can scarcely fail to be pleasing whenfoever it is innocent. And my confcience does not reproach me with any mean or criminal effects of va nity; fince I always employed my influence on the fide of virtue, and never facrificed my understanding or my religion to the pleasure of applause. There were many whom either the defire of enjoying my pleasantry, or the pride of being thought to enjoy it, brought often into my company; but I was careffed in a particular manner by Demochares, a gentleman of a large eftate, and a liberal dispofition. My fortune being by no means exuberant, inclined me to be pleased with a friend who was willing to be entertained at his own charge. I became by daily invitations habituated to his table, and, as he believed my acquaintance neceffary to the character of elegance, which he was defirous of establishing, I lived in all the luxury of affluence, without expence or dependence, and paffed my life in a perpetual reciprocation of pleasure, with men brought together by fimilitude of accomplishments, or defire of improvement. But all power has its sphere of activity, beyond which it produces no effect. Demochares being called by his affairs into the country, imagined that he should increase his popularity by coming among his neighbours accompanied by a man whose abilities were fo generally allowed. The report prefently spread through half the country that Demoshares was arrived, and had brought with him the celebrated Hilarius, by whom fuch merriment would be excited, as had never been enjoyed or conceived before. I knew, indeed, the purpofe for which I was invited, and, as men do not look diligently our for poffible mifcarriages, was pleafed to find myself courted upon principles of intereft, aud confidered as capable of reconciling factions, compofing feuds, and uniting a whole province in focial happiness. After a few days spent in adjufting his domeftick regulations, Demochares invited all the gentlemen of his neighbourhood to dinner, and did not forget to hint how much my prefence was expected to heighten the pleasure of the feaft. He informed me what prejudices my reputation had raifed in my favour, and reprefented the fatisfaction with which he fhould fee me kindle up the blaze of merriment, and should remark the various effects that my fire would have fuch diverfity of matter. upon This declaration, by which he intended to quicken my vivacity, filled me with folicitude. I felt an ambition of fhining which I never knew before; and was therefore embarraffed with an unusual fear of difgrace. I paffed the night in planning out to myself the conversation of the coming day; recollected all my topicks of raillery, propofed proper fubjects of ridicule, prepared smart replies to a thousand questions, accommodated anfwers to imaginary repartees, and formed a magazine of remarks, apophthegms, tales, and illuftrations. The morning broke at last in the midst of these bufy meditations. I rofe with the palpitations of a champion on the day of combat; and notwithftanding all my efforts, found my fpirits funk under the weight of expectation. The company foon after began to drop in, and every one, at his entrance, was introduced to Hilarius. What conception the inhabitants of this region had formed of a wit, I cannot yet discover; but observed that they all feemed, after the regular exchange of compli ments, |