hade their faces from the weather. We recommend the care of their nobler part, and tell them how little addition is made by all their arts to the grates of the mind. But when was it known that female goodness or knowledge was able to attract that officioufnefs, or infpire that ardour, which beauty produces whenever it appears? And with what hope can we endeavour to perfuade the ladies, that the time fpent at the toilet is loft in vanity, when they have every moment fome new convietion, that their interest is more effectually promoted by a ribband well dif

pofed, than by the brightest act of heroick virtue?

In every instance of vanity it will be found, that the blame ought to be shared among more than it generally reaches; all who exalt trifles by immoderate praife, or inftigate needlefs emulation by invidious incitements, are to be confidered as perverters of reafon, and corrupters of the world: and fince every man is obliged to promote happiness and virtue, he fhould be careful not to mislead unwary minds, by appearing to fet too high a value upon things by which no real excellence is conferred.

HERE no generally Tindulge is temper fogenations operate by tarts on particular occafions, or in certain parts of life; but hope begins with the firft power of comparing our actual with our poffible ftate, and attends us through every ftage and period, always urging us forward to new acquifitions, and holding out fome diftant bleffings to our view, promifing us either relief from pain, or increase of happiness.

Hope is neceffary in every condition. The miferies of poverty, of fickness, of captivity, would, without this comfort, be infupportable; nor does it appear that the happielt lot of terreftrial existence can fet us above the want of this general bleffing; or that life, when the gifts of nature and of fortune are accumulated upon it, would not still be wretched, were it not elevated and delighted by the expectation of fome new poffeflion, of fome enjoyment yet behind, by which thewith fhall be at last fatisfied, and the heart filled up to it's utmost extent.

Hope is, indeed, very fallacious, and promites what it feldom gives; but it's promifes are more valuable than the gifts of fortune, and it feldom fruftrates us without affuring us of recompenfing the delay by a greater bounty.

I was mufing on

incli

nation which every this range anive himself, and confidering the advantages and dangers proceeding from this gay profpect of futurity, when, falling asleep, on a fudden I found myfelf placed in a garden, of which my fight could defcry no limits. Every fcene about me was gay and gladiome, light with funfhine, and fragrant with perfumes; the ground was painted with all the variety of fpring, and all the choir of nature was finging in the groves, When I had recovered from the first raptures with which the confufion of pleasure had for a time entranced me, I began to take a particular and deliberate view of this delightful region. I then perceived that I had yet higher gratifications to expect, and that, at a finail diftance from me, there were brighter flowers, clearer fountains, and more lofty groves, where the birds, which I yet heard but faintly, were exerting all the power of melody. The trees about me were beautiful with verdure, and fragrant with bloffoms; but I was tempted to leave them by the fight of ripe fruits, which feemed to hang only to be plucked. I therefore walked haftily forwards, but found, as I proceeded, that the colours of the field faded at my approach, the fruit fell before I reached

reft retired with their prize, and were led by Wisdom to the bowers of Content. Turning then towards the gate of Fancy, I could find no way to the feat of Hope; but though fhe fat full in view, and held out her gifts with an air of invitation, which filled every heart with rapture, the mountain was, on that fide, inacceffibly steep, but fo channelled and shaded, that none perceived the impoffibility of afcending it, but each imagined himself to have difcovered a way to which the reft were ftrangers. Many expedients were indeed tried by this induftrious tribe, of whom fone were making themfelves wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion. But with all their labour, and all their artifices, they never rofe above the ground, or quickly fell back, nor ever approached the throne of Hope, but continued ftill to gaze at a diftance, and laughed at the flow progrefs of those whom they faw toiling in the Straight of Difficulty.

Part of the favourites of Fancy, when they had entered the garden, without making, like the reft, an attempt to climb the mountain, turned immediately to the vale of Idleness, a calm and undifturbed retirement, from whence they could always have Hope in profpect, and to which they pleafed themfelves with believing that the intended fpeedily to defcend. These were indeed fcorned by all the reft; but they seemed very little affected by contempt, advice, or reproof, but were refolved to expect at eafe the favour of the goddess.

Among this gay race I was wandering, and found them ready to answer all my queftions, and willing to communicate their mirth: but turning round, I faw two dreadful monsters entering the vale, one of whom I knew to be Age, and the other Want. Sport and revelling were now at an end, and an univerfal fhrick of affright and distress burst out and awaked me.

Juv.

HE younger Pliny has very juftly

ferve our attention, the moft fplendid are not always the greateft. Fame, and wonder, and applaufe, are not excited but by external and adventitious circumftances, often diftinct and feparate from virtue and heroifin. Eminence of ftation, greatnefs of effect, and all the favours of fortune, must concur to place excellence in publick view; but fortitude, diligence, and patience, divested of their fhow, glide unobferved through the crowd of life, and fuffer and act, though with the fame vigour and conftancy, yet without pity and without praife. This remark may be extended to all parts of life. Nothing is to be eftimated by it's effect upon common eyes and common ears. A thousand miferies

HERVEY.

make filent and invifible inroads on man

throbs, which never break into complaint. Perhaps, likewise, our pleasures are for the most part equally fecret, and moft are borne up by fome private fatisfaction, fome internal consciousness, fome latent hope, fome peculiar profpect, which they never communicate, but referve for folitary hours, and clandeftine meditation.

The main of life is, indeed, compof-. ed of fmall incidents, and petty occurrences; of wishes for objects not remote, and grief for difappointments of no fatal confequence; of infect vexations which fting us and fly away, impertinences which buzz a while about us, and are heard no more; of meteorous pleafures which dance before us and are difU 2

fipated;

fipated; of compliments which glide off the foul like other mufick, and are forgotten by him that gave and him that received them.

Such is the general heap out of which every man is to cull his own condition : for, as the chemifts tell us, that all bodies are refolvable into the fame elements, and that the boundlefs variety of things arifes from the different proportions of a very few ingredients; fo a few pains and a few pleafures are all the materials of human life, and of thefe the proportions are partly allotted by Providence, and partly left to the arrange

ment of reafon and of choice.

As thefe are well or ill difpofed, man is for the moft part happy or miferable. For very few are involved in great events, or have their thread of life entwifted with the chain of caufes on which armies or nations are fufpended; and even thofe who feem wholly bufied in publick affairs, and elevated above low cares, or trivial pleasures, pafs the chief part of their time in familiar and domeftick fcenes; from thefe they come into publick life; to these they are every hourrecalled by paffions not to be fuppreffed; in these they have the reward of their toil, and to thefe at laft they retire.

The great end of prudence is to give cheerfulness to thofe hours which fplendour cannot gild, and acclamation cannot exhilarate; thofe foft intervals of unbended amufement, in which a man fhrinks to his natural dimensions, and throws afide the ornaments or difguifes, which he feels in privacy to be ufelefs incumbrances, and to lofe all effect when they became familiar. To be happy at home is the ultimate refult of all ambition; the end to which every enterprise and labour tends, and of which every defire prompts the profecution.

It is, indeed, at home that every man muit be known by thofe who would make a just estimate either of his virtue or felicity; for fimiles and embroidery are alike occafional, and the mind is of ten dreffed for fhow in painted honour and fictitious benevolence.

Every man must have found fome whofe lives, in every houfe but their own, was a continual feries of hypocrify, and who concealed under fair appearances bad qualities, which, whenever they thought themselves out of the reach of cenfure, broke out from their

reftraint, like winds imprifoned in their caverns, and whom every one had reafon to love, but they whofe love a wife man is chiefly folicitous to procure. And there are others who, without any fhow of general goodnefs, and without the attractions by which popularity is conciliated, are received among their own families as beftowers of happiness, and reverenced as inftructors, guardians, and benefactors.

The most authentick witneffes of any man's character are those who know him in his own family, and fee him without any reftraint, or rule of conduct, but fuch as he voluntarily preferibes to himfelf. If a man carries virtue with him into his private apartments, and takes no advantage of unlimited power or probable fecrecy; if we trace him through the round of his time, and find that his character, with thofe allowances which mortal frailty muft always want, is uniform and regular, we have all the evidence of his fincerity that one man can have with regard to another: and, indeed, as hypocrify cannot be it's own reward, we may, without hesitation, determine that his heart is pure.

The higheft panegyrick, therefore, that private virtue can receive, is the praife of fervants. For, however vanity or infolence may look down with contempt on the fuffrage of men undignified by wealth, and unenlightened by education, it very feldom happens that they commend or blame without juftice. Vice and virtue are eafily diftinguished. Oppreffion, according to Harrington's aphorifm, will be felt by thofe that cannot fee it; and, perhaps, it falls out very often, that, in moral queftions, the philofophers in the gown, and in the livery, differ not fo much in their fentiments as in their language, and have equal power of difcerning right, though they cannot point it out to others with equal address.

There are very few faults to be committed in folitude, or without fome agents, partners, confederates, or witneffes; and therefore the fervant must commonly know the fecrets of a master, who has any fecrets to entrust; and failings, merely perfonal, are fo frequently expofed by that fecurity which pride and folly generally produce, and fo inquifitively watched by that defire of reducing the inequalities of condition, which

the

the lower orders of the world will always feel, that the teftimony of a menial domeftick can feldom be confidered as defective for want of knowledge. And though it's impartiality may be fometimes fufpected, it is at least as credible as that of equals, where rivalry inftigates cenfure, or friendship dictates palliations.

The danger of betraying our weaknefs to our fervants, and the impoffibility of concealing it from them, may be justly confidered as one motive to a regular and irreproachable life. For no condition is more hateful or defpicable, than his who has put himself in the power of his fervant; in the power of him whom, perhaps, he has firft corrupted by making him fubfervient to his vices, and whofe fidelity he therefore cannot enforce by any precepts of honesty, or reafon. It is feldom known that authority, thus acquired, is poffeffed without infolence, or that the mafter is not forced to confefs, by his tameness or for

hearance, that he has enflaved himself by fome foolish confidence. And his crime is equally punished, whatever part he takes of the choice to which he is reduced; and he is from that fatal hour, in which he facrificed his dignity to his paffions, in perpetual dread of infolence or defamation; of a controuler at home, or an accufer abroad. He is condemned to purchase, by continual bribes, that fecrecy which bribes never fecured, and which, after a long course of submiffion, promises, and anxieties, he will find violated in a fit of rage, or in a frolick of drunkennefs.

To dread no eye, and to fufpect no tongue, is the great prerogative of innocence; an exemption granted only to invariable virtue. But guilt has always it's horrors and folicitudes; and to make it yet more fhameful and deteftable, it is doomed often to ftand in awe of those to whom nothing could give influence or weight, but their power of betraying.

Ovid.

N old Greek epigrammatift, intend

ELPHINSTON

parts of the drama were diftinguifhed by

tend the laft ftage of man, imprecates upon thofe who are fo foolish as to wish for long life, the calamity of continuing to grow old from century to century. He thought that no adventitious or foreign pain was requifite, that decrepitude itfelf was an epitome of whatever is dreadful, and nothing could be added to the curfe of Age, but that it fhould be extended beyond it's natural limits.

The moft indifferent or negligent fpec. tator can indeed fcarcely retire without heaviness of heart, from a view of the laft fcenes of the tragedy of life, in which he finds those who in the former

defigns, and diffimilitude of perfonal qualities, all involved in one conmon diftrefs, and all ftruggling with afflic tion which they cannot hope to over