worn themselves out in unavailing mifery.

Yet fo much is this paflion the natural confequence of tenderness and endearment, that however painful and however ufelefs, it is juftly reproachful not to feel it on fome oocafions; and fo widely and constantly has it always prevailed, that the laws of fome nations, and the customs of others, have limited a time for the external appearances of grief caused by the diffolution of clofe alliances, and the breach of domestick union. It feems determined by the general fuffrage of mankind, that forrow is to a certain point laudable, as the offspring of love, or at least pardonable as the effect of weakness; but that it ought not to be fuffered to increase by indulgence, but must give way after a stated time to focial duties, and the common avocations of life. It is at firft unavoidable, and therefore must be allowed, whether with or without our choice; it may afterwards be admitted as a decent and affectionate teftimony of kindness and efteem; fomething will be extorted by nature, and fomething may be given to the world. But all beyond the bursts of passion, or the forms of folemnity, is not only ufelefs but culpable; for we have no right to facrifice, to the vain longings of affection, that time which Providence allows us for the task of our station.

Yet it too often happens that forrow, thus lawfully entering, gains fuch a firm poffeffion of the mind, that it is not afterwards to be ejected; the mournful ideas, firft violently impreffed, and afterwards willingly received, fo much engrofs the attention, as to predominate in every thought, to darken gaiety, and perplex ratiocination. An habitual fadnefs feizes upon the foul, and the faculties are chained to a fingle object, which can never be contemplated but with hopelefs uneafinefs.

From this state of dejection it is very difficult to rife to cheerfulness and alacrity, and therefore many who have laid down rules of intellectual health, think prefervatives eafier than remedies, and teach us not to trust ourselves with favourite enjoyments, not to indulge the luxury of fondnefs, but to keep cur minds always fufpended in fuch indifference, that we may change the objects about us without emotion.

An exact compliance with this rule

might perhaps contribute to tranquillity, but furely it would never produce happinefs. He that regards none fo much as to be afraid of losing them, must live for ever without the gentle pleasures of fympathy and confidence; he must feel no melting fondness, no warmth of benevolence, nor any of those honeft joys which nature annexes to the power of pleafing. And as no man can juftly claim more tenderness than he pays, he muft forfeit his share in that officious and watchful kindness which love only can dictate, and thofe lenient endearments by which love only can foften life. He may justly be overlooked and neglected by fuch as have more warmth in their heart; for who would be the friend of him, whom, with whatever affiduity he may be courted, and with whatever fervices obliged, his principles will not fuffer to make equal returns, and who, when you have exhaufted all the inftances of good will, can only be prevailed on not to be an enemy.

An attempt to preferve life in a state of neutrality and indifference, is unreafonable and vain. If by excluding joy we could fhut out grief, the scheme would deferve very ferious attention; but fince, however we may debar ourfelves from happiness, mifery will find it's way at many inlets, and the affaults of pain will force our regard, though we may withhold it from the invitations of pleafure, we may furely endeavour to raife life above the middle point of apathy at one time, fince it will neceffarily fink below it at another.

But though it cannot be reasonable not to gain happinefs for fear of losing it, yet it must be confeffed, that in proportion to the pleasure of poffeffion, will be for fome time our forrow for the lofs; it is therefore the province of the moralift to enquire whether fuch pains may not quickly give way to mitigation. Some have thought that the most certain way to clear the heart from it's embar raffiment is to drag it by force into scenes of merriment. Others imagine, that fuch a tranfition is too violent, and recommend rather to footh it into tranquillity, by making it acquainted with miferies more dreadful and afflictive, and diverting to the calamities of others the regard which we are inclined to fix too clofely upon our own misfortunes.

It may be doubted whether either of

thofe

thofe remedies will be fufficiently powerful. The efficacy of mirth it is not always eafy to try, and the indulgence of melancholy may be fufpected to be one of thofe medicines which will deftroy, if it happens not to cure.

The fafe and general antidote against forrow is employment. It is commonly obferved, that among foldiers and feamen, though there is much kindness, there is little grief; they fee their friend fall without any of that lamentationwhich is indulged in fecurity and idleness, becaufe they have no leifure to fpare from the care of themselves; and whoever shall keep his thoughts equally bufy, will find himself equally unaffected with irretrievable loffes.

MONG the innumerable follies, repentance and remorfe for the fucceeding part of our lives, there is fcarce any against which warnings are of lefs efficacy, than the neglect of Health. When the fprings of motion are yet elaftick, when the heart bounds with vigour, and the eye fparkles with fpirit, it is with difficulty that we are taught to conceive the imbecility that every hour is bringing upon us, or to imagine that the nerves which are now braced with fo much ftrength, and the limbs which play with fo much activity, will lofe all their power under the gripe of time, relax with numbness, and totter with debility.

A by which the lay up in our youth

To the arguments which have been ufed against complaints under the miferies of life, the philofophers have, I think, forgot to add the incredulity of thofe to whom we recount our fufferings. But if the purpose of lamentation be to excite pity, it is furely fuperfluous for age and weakness to tell their plaintive ftories; for pity prefuppofes fympathy, and a little attention will fhew them, that thofe who do not feel pain, seldom think that it is felt; and a short recollection will inform almost every man, that he is only repaid the infult which he has given, fince he may remember how often he has

MART.

ELPHINSTON.

mocked infirmity, laughed at it's cau

tions, and cemured at simpatience.

The valetudinarian race have made the care of health ridiculous by fuffering it to prevail over all other confiderations, as the mifer has brought frugality into contempt, by permitting the love of money not to fhare, but to engrofs his mind : they both err alike, by confounding the means with the end; they grafp at health only to be well, as at money only to be rich; and forget that every terreftrial advantage is chiefly valuable, as it furnifhes abilities for the exercife of virtue.

Health is indeed fo neceffary to all the duties, as well as pleafures of life, that the crime of fquandering it is equal to the folly; and he that for a fhort gratification brings weakness and difeafes upon himself, and for the pleasure of a few years paffed in the tumults of diverfion, and clamours of merriment, condemns the maturer and more experienced part of his life to the chamber and the couch, may be juftly reproached, not only as a fpendthrift of his own happinefs, but as a robber of the publick; as a wretch that has voluntarily difqualified himself for the bufinefs of his station, and refufed that part which Providence affigns him in the general task of human nature.

There

but with the lofs of more vigour than is porportionate to the effect produced. Whoever takes up life before-hand, by depriving himself of reft and refreshment, must not only pay back the hours, but pay them back with ufury; and for the gain of a few months but half enjoyed, must give up years to the liftleffnets of languor, and the implacability of pain. They whofe endeavour is mental excelfence, will learn perhaps too late, how much it is endangered by difeafes of the body; and find that knowledge may eafily be loft in the starts of melancholy, the flights of impatience, and the peevishnefs of decrepitude.

CREECH:

THE of

are

dence has given to man in common with the rest of the inhabitants of the earth. Immediately after our birth, thirst and hunger incline us to the breaft, which we draw by instinct, like other young creatures, and when we are satisfied, we exprefs our uneafinefs by importunate and inceffant cries, till we have obtained a place or posture proper for repofe.

The next call that roufes us from a ftate of inactivity, is that of our paffions; we quickly begin to be fenfible of hope and fear, love and hatred, defire and averfion; these arifing from the power of comparison and reflection, extend their range wider, as our reafon ftrengthens, and our knowledge enlarges. At firft we have no thought of pain, but when we actually feel it; we afterwards begin to fear it; yet not before it approaches us very nearly; but by degrees we difcover it at a greater distance, and find it lurking in remote confequences. Our terror in time improves into cau tion, and we learn to look round with vigilance and folicitude, to ftop all the avenues at which mifery can enter, and to perform or endure many things in themfelves toilfome and unpleafing, becaufe we know by reafon, or by experience, that our labour will be overbalanced by the reward, that it will ei

But as the foul advances to a fuller exercife of it's powers, the animal appetites, and the paffions immediately arifing from them, are not fufficient to find it employment; the wants of nature are foon fupplied, the fear of their return is easily precluded, and fomething more is neceffary to relieve the long intervals of inactivity, and to give those faculties, which cannot lie wholly quiefcent, fome particular direction. For this reafon, new defires and artificial pasfions are by degrees produced; and, from having wishes only in confequence of our wants, we begin to feel wants in confequence of our wishes; we per.uzde ourselves to fet a value upon things which are of no use, but because we have agreed to value thein; things which can neither fatisfy hunger, nor mitigate pain, nor fecure us from any real calamity, and which, therefore, we find of no ef teem among thofe nations whofe artless and barbarous manners keep them always anxious for the neceffaries of life.

This is the original of avarice, vanity, ambition, and generally of all thofe defires which arife from the comparison of our condition with that of others. He that thinks himfelf poor, because his neighbour is richer; he that, like Cæfar would rather be the firit man of P

а vil

lage,

lage, than the fecond in the capital of the world, has apparently kindled in himfelf defires which he never received from nature, and acts upon principles established only by the authority of cuf

tom.

Of thofe adfcititious paffions, fome, as avarice and envy, are univerfally condemned; fome, as friendship and curiofity, generally praifed: but there are others about which the fuffrages of the wife are divided, and of which it is doubted, whether they tend most to promote the happinefs, or increafe the mifries of mankind.

Of this ambiguous and difputable kind is the love of famine, a defire of filling the minds of others with admiration, and of being celebrated by generations to come with praifes which we thail not hear. This ardour has been confidered by fome, as nothing better than splendid madneís, as a flame kindled by pride, and fanned by foily; for what, fay they, can be more remote from wiidom, than to direct all our actions by the hope of that which is not to exit till we ourselves are in the grave? To pant after that which can never be poffeffed, and of which the value thus wildly put upon it, arifes from this particular condition, that, during life, it is not to be obtained? To gain the favour, and hear the applaufes of our contemporaries, is indeed equally defirable with any other prerogative of fuperiority, becaule fame may be of ufe to finooth the paths of life, to terrify oppofition, and fortify tranquility; but to what end fhall we be the darlings of mankind, when we can no longer receive any benefits from their favour? It is more reafonable to with for reputation, while it may yet be enjoyed; as Anacreon calls upon his companions to give him for prefent use the wine and garlands which they purpofe to bestow upon his tomb.

The advocates for the love of fame allege in it's vindication, that it is a paffion natural and univerfal; a flame lighted by Heaven, and always burning with greatest vigour in the mott enlarged and elevated minds. That the defire of being praifed by pofterity implies a refolution to deferve their praifes, and that the folly charged upon it is only a noble and difinterefted generofity, which is not felt, and therefore not understood, by those who have been always accuftomed to refer every thing to them

felves, and whofe felfishness has contracted their understandings. That the foul of man, formed for eternal life, naturally fprings forward beyond the limits of corporeal exiftence, and rejoices to confider herself as co-operating with future ages, and as co-extended with endlefs duration. That the reproach urged with fo much petulance, the reproach of labouring for what cannot be enjoyed, is founded on an opinion which may with great probability be doubted; for fince we fuppofe the powers of the foul to be enlarged by it's feparation, why fhould we conclude that it's knowledge of fublunary tranfactions is contracted or extinguished?

Upon an attentive and impartial review of the argument, it will appear that the love of fame is to be regulated rather than extinguifhed; and that men fhould be taught not to be wholly carelefs about their memory, but to endeavour that they may be remembered chiefly for their virtues, fince no other reputation will be able to tranfmit any pleafure beyond the grave.

It is evident that fame, confidered merely as the immortality of a name, is not leis likely to be the reward of bad actions than of good; he therefore has no certain principle for the regulation of his conduct, whofe fingle aim is not to be forgotten. And hiftory will inform us, that this blind and undistinguished appetite of renown has always been uncertain in it's effects, and directed by accident or opportunity, indifferently to the benefit or devaftation of the world. When Themistocles complained that the trophies of Miltiades hindered him from fleep, he was animated by them to perform the fame fervices in the fame caufe. But Cæfar, when he wept at the fide of Alexander's picture, having no honeft opportunities of action, let his ambition break out to the ruin of his country.

If, therefore, the love of fame is fo far indulged by the mind as to become independent and predominant, it is dangerous and irregular; but it may be ufefully employed as an inferior and fecondary motive, and will ferve fometimes to revive our activity, when we begin to languish and lofe fight of that more certain, more valuable, and more durable reward, which ought always to be our firft hope and our laft. But it must be ftrongly impreffed upon our minds, that virtue is not to be purfued as one of the

mea