of those who now adopt or enlarge his theory, very few have read the detail of his experiments. His name is, indeed, reverenced; but his works are neglected; we are contented to know, that he conquered his opponents, without enquiring what cavils were produced against him, or by what proofs they were confuted. Some writers apply themselves to fstudies boundless and inexhaustible, as experiments and natural philofophy. These are always loft in fucceffive compilations as new advances are made, and former obfervations become more familiar. Others fpend their lives in remarks on language, or explanations of antiquities, and only afford materials for lexicographers and commentators, who are themselves overwhelmed by fubfequent collectors, that equally deftroy the memory of their predeceffors by amplification, tranfpofition, or contraction. Every new fyftem of nature gives birth to a warm of expofitors, whose bufinefs is to explain and illuftrate it, and who can hope to exift no longer than the founder of their fect preferves his reputation. There are, indeed, few kinds of compofition from which an author, however learned or ingenious, can hope a long continuance of fame. He who has carefully studied human nature, and can well defcribe it, may with most reafon flatter his ambition. Bacon, among all his pretentions to the regard of potterity, feems to have pleated himfelf chiefly with his Effays, which come home to men's business and bofoms, and of which therefore he declares his expectation, that they will live as long as books laft. It may, however, fatisfy an honeft and benevolent mind to have been ufefal, though lefs confpicuous; nor will he that extends his hope to higher rewards be fo much anxious to obtain praise, as to difcharge the duty which Providence affigns him. N° CVII. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1751. ALTERNIS IGITUR CONTENDERE VERSIBUS AMBO ON THEMES ALTERNATE NOW THE SWAINS RECITE; which the unavoidable compariton of my performances with thofe of my predeceffors has produced, there is none more general than that of uniformity. Many of my readers remark the want of thofe changes of colours, which formerly fed the attention with unexhausted novelty, and of that intermixture of fubjects, or alternation of manner, by which other writers relieved wearinefs, and awakened expectation. I have, indeed, hitherto avoided the practice of uniting gay and folemn fubjects in the fame paper, because it feems abfurd for an author to counteract himfelf, to prefs at once with equal force upon both parts of the intellectual balance, or give medicines, which, like the double poison of Dryden, deftroy the force of one another. I have endeavoured fometimes to divert, and fometimes to elevate; but have imagined it an ufeless attempt to disturb merriment by VIRG. ELPHINSTON. drollery. Yet I fhall this day publish two letters of very different tendency, which I hope, like tragi-comedy, may chance to pleafe even when they are not critically approved. TO THE RAMBLER. TH One day when my mamma was gone out of the room, I asked a very great fcholar what the ftile was? He told me, he was afraid I fhould hardly underftand him when he informed me, that it Hh2 was was the ftated and established method of computing time. It was not, indeed, likely that I fhould understand him; for I never yet knew time computed in my life, nor can imagine why we fhould be at fo much trouble to count what we cannot keep. He did not tell me whether we are to count the time paft, or the time to come; but I have confidered them both by myfelf, and think it as foolish to count time that is gone, as money that is fpent; and as for the time which is to come, it only feems farther off by counting; and therefore when any pleafure is promifed me, I always think of the time as little as I can. I have fince liftened very attentively to every one that talked upon this fubject, of whom the greater part feem not to understand it better than myfelf; for though they often hint how much the nation has been mistaken, and rejoice that we are at laft growing wifer than our ancestors, I have never been able to difcover from them, that any body has died fooner or been married later for counting time wrong; and therefore I began to fancy that there was a great buftle with little confequence. At last, two friends of my papa, Mr. Cycle, and Mr. Starlight, being, it feems, both of high learning, and able to make an almanack, began to talk about the new style. Sweet Mr. Starlight-I am fure I fhall love his name as long as I live; for he told Cycle roundly, with a fierce look, that we should never be right without a year of confu fon. Dear Mr. Rambler, did you ever hear any thing fo charming? a whole year of confufion! When there has been a rout at mamma's, I have thought one night of confufion worth a thoufand nights of reft; and if I can but fee a year of confufion, a whole year of cards in one room, and dancings in another, here a fealt, and there a masquerade, and plays, and coaches, and hurries, and meffages, and milliners, and raps at the door, and vifits, and frolicks, and new fashions, I shall not care what they do with the rest of the time, nor whether they count it by the old style or the new; for I am refolved to break loose from the nursery in the tumult, and play my part among the reft; and it will be strange if I cannot get a husband and a chariot in the year of confusion. Cycle, who is neither fo young nor fo handiome as Starlight, very gravely maintained, that all the perplexity may I Your humble Servant, MR. RAMBLER, Was feized this morning with an un ufual pensiveness, and finding that books only ferved to heighten it, took a ramble into the fields, in hopes of relief and invigoration from the keennefs of the air and brightnefs of the fun. As I wandered wrapped up in thought, my eyes were ftruck with the hofpital for the reception of deferted infants, which I furveyed with pleasure, till by a natural train of fentiment, I began to reflect on the fate of the mothers. For to what shelter can they fly? Only to the arms of their betrayer, which perhaps are now no longer open to receive them; and then how quick muft be the transition from deluded virtue to fhameless guilt, and from thameless guilt to hopelels wretchedness! The anguish that I felt, left me no reft till I had, by your means, addrefled myself to the publick on behalf of thofe forlorn creatures, the women of the town; whofe mifery here might fatisfy the most rigorous cenfor, and whofe participation of our common nature might furely furely induce us to endeavour, at least, their preservation from eternal punish ment. These were all once, if not virtuous, at least innocent; and might ftill have continued blamelefs and ealy, but for the arts and infinuations of thote whofe rank, fortune, or education, furnished them with means to corrupt or to delude them. Let the libertine reflect a moment on the fituation of that woman, who, being forfaken by her betrayer, is reduced to the neceffity of turning proftitute for bread, and judge of the enormity of his guilt by the evils which it produces. It cannot be doubted but that numbers follow this dreadful courfe of life with fhame, horror, and regret; but where can they hope for refuge? The world is not their friend, nor the world's law.' Their fighs, and tears, and groans, are criminal in the eye of their tyrants, the bully and the bawd, who fatten on their mifery, and threaten them with want or a gaol, if they fhew the leaft design of efcaping from their bondage. To wipe all tears from off all faces, is a task too hard for mortals; but to alleviate misfortunes is often within the moft limited power: yet the opportunities which every day affords of relieving the most wretched of human beings are over-looked and neglected, with equal difregard of policy and goodnefs. There are places, indeed, fet apart, to which thefe unhappy creatures may refort, when the difeafes of incontinence seize upon them; but if they obtain a cure, to what are they reduced? Either to return with the fmall remains of beauty to their former guilt, or perish in the streets with nakednets and hunger. How frequently have the gay and thoughtless, in their evening tolicks, feen a band of thefe miferable females, covered with rags, fhivering with cold, and pining with hunger; and, without either pitying their calamities, or reflecting upon the cruelty of those who perhaps firft feduced them by caresses of fondnefs, or magnificence of promises, go on to reduce others to the fame wretchednefs by the fame means? To ftop the increase of this deplorable multitude, is undoubtedly the first and most preffing confideration. To pre vent evil is the great end of government, the end for which vigilance and feverity are properly employed. But furely thofe whom paffion or intereft have already depraved, have fome claim to compaffion, from beings equally frail and fallible with themselves. Nor will they long groan in their prefent affliotions, if none were to refuse them relief, but these that owe their exemption from the fame diftreis only to their wildom and their virtue. I am, &c. AMICUS. N° CVIII. SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1751. INCIPE. SAPERE AUDE, VIVENDI RECTE QUI PROROGAT HORAM, RUSTICUS EXPECTAT DUM DEFLUAT AMNIS: AT ILLE BEGIN, BE BOLD, AND VENTURE TO BE WISE; Hox. HE WHO DEFERS THIS WORK FROM DAY TO DAY, N ancient poet, unreasonably dif A contented at the prefent itate of things, which his fyftem of opinions. obliged him to reprefent in it's wort form, has obferved of the earth, that COWLEY. tains, and fome loft under barren fands; fome fcorched with unintermitted heat, and fome petrified with per-. petual froft; fo that only a few regions, remain for the production of fruits, the pasture of cattle, and the accom it's greater part is covered by the uninhabitable ocean; that of the reft,modation of man.' ♦ fome is encumbered with naked moun, The fame observation may be tranf ferred unto maffes. Thus we break the vaft 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. ferred to the time allotted us in our pre-we cannot perceive, till they are united fent state. When we have deducted all that is abforbed in fleep, all that is ine. vitably appropriated to the demands of nature, or irrefiitibly engroffed by the tyranny of cuftom; all that paffes in regulating the fuperficial decorations of life, or is given up in the reciprocations of civility to the difpofal of others; all that is torn from us by the violence of difeafe, or ftolen imperceptibly away by Jaffitude and languor; we fhall find that part of our duration very fmall of which we can truly call ourselves mafters, or which we can fpend wholly at our own choice. Many of our hours are loft in a rotation of petty cares, in a conftant recurrence of the fame employments; many of our provifions for eate or happineis are always exhaufted by the prefent day; and a great part of our existence ferves no other purpose, than that of enabling us to enjoy the rest. Of the few moments which are left in our difpofal, it may reasonably be expected, that we should be fo frugal as to let none of them flip from us without fome equivalent; and perhaps it might be found, that as the earth, however ftraitened by rocks and waters, is capable of producing more than all it's inhabitants are able to confume, our lives, though much contracted by incidental distraction, would yet afford us a large fpace vacant to the exercife of reafon and virtue; that we want not time but diligence, for great performances; and that we fquander much of our allowance, even while we think it sparing and infufficient. This natural and neceffary comminution of our lives, perhaps, often makes us infenfible of the negligence with which we fuffer them to flide away. We never confider ourselves as poffeffed at once of time fufficient for any great defign, and therefore indulge ourselves in fortuitous amufements. We think it unneceffary to take an account of a few fupernumerary moments, which,however employed, could have produced little advantage, and which were expofed to a thousand chances of disturbance and interruption. It is obfervable, that either by mature 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 extenfive furfaces we can only take a furvey, as the parts fucceed one another; and atoniş The proverbial oracles of our paríimonious ancestors have informed us that the fatal waite of fortune is by fmall expences, by the profufion 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 patt years, muft learn to know the prefent value of fingle minutes, and endeavour to let no particle of time fall uielefs to the ground. It is ufual for thofe who are advised to the attainment of any new qualification, to look upon themselves as required to change the general courfe of their conduct, to difmifs bufinefs, and exclude pleature, and to devote their days and nights to a particular attention. Butall common degrees of excellence are attainable at a lower price; he that should fteadily and refolutely affign to any fcience or language thofe interstitial va cancies which intervene in the most crowded variety of diverfion or employment, would find every day new irradiations of knowledge, and difcover 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 capricioufly from one object to another. The difpofition to defer every important defign to a time of leifure, and a state of fettled uniformity, proceeds generally from a false eftimate of the human powers. If we except thofe gigantick and ftupendous intelligences who are faid to grafp a fyftem by intuition, and bound forward from one feries of conclutions to another, without regular steps through intermediate propofitions, the most fuccefsful students 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 will 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 fpent in company, or in folitude, in neceflary bufinefs, or in voluntary levities, the underftanding is equally abstracted from the object of enquiry; but, perhaps, if it be detained by occupations lefs pleafing, it returns again to study with greater alacrity, than when it is glutted with ideal pleafures, 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 neceflity of exerting them in thort intervals, as the force of a current is increased by the contraction of it's channel. From fome caufe like this, it has probably proceeded, that among those who have contributed to the advancement of learning, many have rifen to eminence in oppofition to all the obftacles which external circumftances could place in their way, amidst the tumult of busineis, the diftreffes of poverty, or the diffipations of a wandering and unfettled state. A great part of the life of Erafinus was one continual peregrination; ill fupplied with the gifts of fortune, and led from city to city, and from kingdom to king pre dom, by the hopes of patrons and ferment, hopes which always flattered and always deceived him; he yet found means by unfhaken conftancy, and a vigilant improvement of thofe 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 ftand for ever in the first rank of literary heroes. How this proficiency was obtained he fufficiently difcovers, by informing us, that the Praife of Folly, one of his most celebrated performances, was compoted by him on the road to Italy; ne totum illut tempus quo equo fuit infi dendum, illiteratis fabulis tereretur-left the hours which he was obliged to spend on horfeback should be tattled away without regard to literature, An Italian philofopher expreffed in his motto, that time was his eftate; an estate indeed, which will produce nothing without cultivation, but will always abundantly repay the labours of induftry, and fatisfy the most extenfive defires, 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. N° CIX. TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 1751. GRATUM EST, QUOD PATRIE CIVEM, POPULOQUE DEDISTI, SI FACIS UT PATRIÆ SIT IDONEUS, UTILIS AGIS, UTILIS ET BELLORUM PACIS REBUS AGENDIS. PLURIMUM ENIM INTERERIT, QUIBUS ARTIBUS, ET QUIBUS HUNC TU MORIBUS INSTITUTAS. GRATEFUL THE GIFT! A MEMBER TO THE STATE, IF YOU THAT MEMBER USEFUL SHALL CREATE; TRAIN'D BOTH TO WAR, AND WHEN THE WAR SHALL CEASE, AS FOND, AS FIT T'IMPROVE THE ARTS OF PEACE. Jvv. of your fpeculation on mournful fubjects, you have not yet exhaufted the whole ttock of human infelicity. There is still a species of wretchedness which elcapes your obiervation, though it might fupply |