importance, in reality none are conscious except ourselves.

Proportionate to the prevalence of this love of praife is the variety of means by which it's attainment is attempted. Every man, however hopeless his pretenfions may appear to all but himself, has fome project by which he hopes to rife to reputation; fome art by which he imagines that the notice of the world will be attracted; fome quality, good or bad, which difcriminates him from the com, mon herd of mortals, and by which others may be perfuaded to love, or compelled to fear him. The afcents of honour, however steep, never appear inacceffible; he that despairs to scale the precipices by which valour and learning have conducted their favourites, difcovers fome by-path, or easier acclivity, which, though it cannot bring him to the fummit, will yet enable him to overlook thote with whom he is now contending for eminence; and we feldom require more to the happiness of the prefent hour, than to furpafs him that stands next before us.

As the greater part of human kind Speak and act wholly by imitation, moft of those who afpire to honour and applaufe propose to themselves fome example which ferves as the model of their conduct, and the limit of their hopes. Almoft every man, if closely examined, will be found to have enlifted himself under fome leader whom he expects to conduct him to renown; to have fome hero or other, living or dead, in his view, whofe character he endeavours to affume, and whofe performances he la bours to equal.

When the original is well chofen and judiciously copied, the imitator often arrives at excellence, which he could never have attained without direction; for few are formed with abilities to difcover new poffibilities of excellence, and to diftinguish themselves by means never tried before.

But folly and idleness often contrive to gratify pride at a cheaper rate: not the qualities which are molt illuftrious, but those which are of eafieft attainment, are felected for imitation; and the honours and rewards which publick gratitude has paid to the benefactors of mankind, are expected by wretches who can only imitate them in their vices and defects, or adopt fome petty fingularities, of

which thofe from whom they are borrowed were fecretly ashamed.

No man rifes to fuch a height as to become confpicuous, but he is on one fide cenfured by undiicerning malice, which reproaches him for his belt actions, and flanders his apparent and incontestable excellencies; and idolized on the other by ignorant admiration, which exalts his faults and foilies into virtues. It may be obferved, that he by whofe intimacy his acquaintances imagine themfelves dignified, generally diffies among them his mien and his habits; and indeed without more vigilance than is generally, applied to the regulation of the minuter parts of behaviour, it is not easy, when we converfe much with one whofe general character excites our vener tion, to efcape all contagion of his peculiarities, even when we do not deliberately think them worthy of our notice, and when they would have excited laughter or difgult had they not been protected by their alliance to nobler quanties, and accidentally conforted with knowledge or with virtue.

The faults of a man loved or honour

ed, fometimes fteal fecretly and imperceptibly upon the wife and virtuous, but by injudicious fondnets or thoughtless vanity are adopted with defign. There is fcarce any failing of mind or body, any error of opinion, or depravity of practice, which, inftead of producing fhame and difcontent, it's natural effects, has not at one time or other gladdened vanity with the hopes of praise, and been difplayed with oitentatious induftry by those who fought kindred minds among the wits or herces, and could prove their relation only by fimilitude of deformity..

In confequence of this perverfe ambition, every habit which reason con• demns may be indulged and avowed. When a man is upbraided with his faults, he may indeed be pardoned if he endeavours to run for fhelter to fome celebrated name; but it is not to be fuffered that, from the retreats to which he fled from infamy, he fhould iffue again with the confidence of conquefts, and call upon mankind for praise. Yet we fee men that waste their patrimony in luxury, deftroy their health with debauchery, and enervate their minds with idlenefs, because there have been fome whom luxury never could fink into con

tempt,

ments. The incident which I am going to relate will thew, that to deftroy the effect of all our fuccefs, it is not ne ceffary that any fingle calamity fhould fall upon us, that we should be haraffed by implacable perfecution, or excruciated by irremediable pains; the brighteft hours of profperity have their clouds, and the ftream of life, if it is not ruffled by obstructions, will grow putrid by ftag

nation.

My father refolving not to imitate the folly of his ancestors, who had hitherto left the younger fons encumbrances on the eldeft, deftined me to a lucrative profeffion; and I being careful to lofe no opportunity of improvement, was, at the ufual time in which young men enter the world, well qualified for the exercite of the business which I had chofen.

My eagerness to distinguish myself in publick, and my impatience of the narrow fcheme of life to which my indigence confined me, did not fuffer me to continue long in the town where I was born. I went away as from a place of confinement, with a refolution to return no more, till I fhould be able to dazzle with my fplendor those who now looked upon me with contempt, to reward thofe who had paid honours to my dawning merit, and to fhew all who had suffered me to glide by them unknown and neg. lected, how much they mitook their intereft in omitting to propitiate a genius like mine.

Such were my intentions when I fallied forth into the unknown world, in queft of riches and honours, which I expected to procure in a very fhort time; for what could withhold them from industry and knowledge? He that indulges hope will always be difappointed. Repu tation I very foon obtained; but as merit is much more cheaply acknowledged than rewarded, I did not find myfelf yet enriched in proportion to my celebrity.

I had however in time furmounted the obftacles by which envy and competition obftruct the first attempts of a new claimant, and faw my opponents and cenfurers tacitly confeffing their defpair of fuccefs, by courting my friendship and yielding to my influence. They who once perfued me, were now fatisfied to efcape from me; and they who had before thought me prefumptuous in hoping to overtake them, had now their utmoit with, if they were permitted at no great distance quietly to follow me.

My wants were not madly multiplied as my acquifitions increated; and the time came at length, when I thought myfelf enabled to gratify all reasonable defires, and when, therefore, I refolved to enjoy that plenty and ferenity which I had been hitherto labouring to procure, to enjoy them while I was yet neither crushed by age into infirmity, nor fo habituated to a particular manner of life as to be unqualified for new studies or entertainments.

I now quitted my profeffion, and to fet myself at once free from all importunities to refume it, changed my refidence, and devoted the remaining part of my time to quiet and amusement. Amidt innumerable projects of pleasure which reftiefs idleness incited me to form, and of which most, when they came to the moment of execution, were rejected for others of no longer continuance, fome accident revived in my imagination the pleafing ideas of my native place. It was now in my power to vifit thofe from whom I had been fo long abfent, in fuch a manner as was confiftent with my former refolution, and I wondered how it could happen that I had fo long delayed my own happiness.

Full of the admiration which I fhould excite, and the homage which I should receive, I dressed my servants in a more oftentatious livery, purchased a magnificent chariot, and refolved to dazzle the inhabitants of the little town with an unexpected blaze of greatness.

While the preparations that vanity required were made for my departure, which, as workmen will not easily be hurried beyond their ordinary rate, I thought very tedious, I folaced my impatience with imaging the various cenfures that my appearance would produce, the hopes which fome would feel from my bounty, the terror which my power would ftrike on others; the awkward refpect with which I fhould be accosted by timorous officioufnefs; and the diftant reverence with which others, lefs familiar to fplendour and dignity, would be contented to gaze upon me. I de liberated a long time, whether I should immediately defcend to a level with my former acquaintances, or make my condefcenfion more grateful by a gentle tranfition from haughtinefs and referve. At length I determined to forget fome of my companions, till they discovered themfelves by fome indubitable token,

and

and to receive the congratulations of others upon my good fortune with indifference, to thow that I always expected what I had now obtained. The acclamations of the populace I purpofed to reward with fix hogfheads of ale, and a roasted ox, and then recommend to them to return to their work.

At last all the trappings of grandeur were fitted, and I began the journey of triumph, which I could have wished to have ended in the fame moment; but my horfes felt none of their master's ardour, and I was fhaken four days upon rugged roads. I then entered the town, and having graciously let fall the glaffes, that my perfon might be feen, paffed flowly through the treet. The noite of the wheels brought the inhabitants to their doors, but I could not perceive that I was known by them. At laft I alighted, and my name, I fuppofe, was told by my fervants, for the barber ftept from the oppofite houfe, and feized me by the hand with honeft joy in his countenance, which, according to the rule that I had preferibed to myself, I repreffed with a frigid gracioufnefs. The fellow, instead of linking into dejection, turned away with contempt, and left me to confider how the fecond falutation fhould be received. The next friend was better treated, for I foon found that I must purchafe by civility that regard which I had expected to enforce by infolence.

There was yet no smoke of bonfires,

no harmony of bells, no fhout of crowds, nor riot of joy; the bufinefs of the day went forward as before, and after having ordered a fplendid fupper, which no man came to partake, and which my chagrin hindered me from tafting, I went to bed, where the vexation of difappointment overpowered the fatigue of my journey, and kept me from fleep,

I rofe fo much humbled by thofe mortifications, as to inquire after the prefent ftate of the town, and found that I had been absent too long to obtain the triumph which had flattered my expectation. Of the friends whofe compliments I expected, fome had long ago moved to diftant provinces, fome had loft in the maladies of age all fenfe of another's profperity, and fome had forgotten our former intimacy amidst care and dif treffes. Of three whom I had refolved to punish for their former offences by a longer continuance of neglect, one was, by his own induftry, raised above my fcorn, and two were fheltered from it in the grave. All thofe whom I loved, feared or hated, all whofe envy or whole kindness I had hopes of contemplating with pleafure, were fwept away, and their place was filled by a new generation with other views and other competitions; and among many proofs of the impotence of wealth, I found that it conferred upon me very few diftinctions in my native place.

I am, Sir, &c.

SEROTINUS.

MART.

O complaint has been more frequently repeated in all ages than that of the neglect of merit affociated with poverty, and the difficulty with which valuable or pleafing qualities force themselves into view, when they are obfcured by indigence. It has been long obferved, that native beauty has little power to charm without the ornaments which fortune beftows, and that to want the favour of others is often fufficient to hinder us from obtaining it.

trefs, or toiling for bread. Among the multitudes overvhelined with infuperable calamity, it is common to find those whom a very little affiftance would enable to support themselves with decency, and who yet cannot obtain from near relations what they fee hourly lavished in oftentation, luxury, or frolick. There are natural reasons why poverty does not easily conciliate affection. He that has been confined from his infancy to the conversation of the lowest classes of mankind, must neceffarily want thofe accomplishments which are the ufual means of attracting favour; and though truth, fortitude, and probity, give an indifputable right to reverence and kindnefs, they will not be diftinguished by common eyes, unless they are brightened by elegance of manners, but are caft afide like unpolished gems, of which none but the artist knows the intrinfick value, till their afperities are fimoothed and their incrustations rubbed away.

The groffness of vulgar habits obftructs the efficacy of virtue, as impurity and harthnefs of ftyle impairs the force of reason, and rugged numbers turn off the mind from artifice of difpofition, and fertility of invention. Few have ftrength of reafon to over-rule the perceptions of fenfe; and yet fewer have curiofity or benevolence to ftruggle long against the firft impreffion: he therefore who fails to please in his falutation and addrefs, is at once rejected, and never obtains an opportunity of fhowing his latent excellencies, or effential qualities.

It is indeed not eafy to prescribe a fuccefsful manner of approach to the diftreffed or neceffitous, whofe condition fubjects every kind of behaviour equally to miscarriage. He whofe confidence of merit incites him to meet without any apparent fenfe of inferiority the eyes of thofe who flattered themselves with their own dignity, is confidered as an infolent leveller, impatient of the just prerogatives of rank and wealth, eager to ufurp the station to which he has no right, and to confound the fubordinations of fociety; and who would contribute to the exaltation of that spirit which even want and calamity are not able to restrain from rudenel's and rebellion?

But no better fuccefs will commonly be found to attend fervility and dejec

tion, which often give pride the confidence to treat them with contempt. A requeft made with diffidence and timidity is eafily denied, because the petitioner himself feems to doubt it's fitnefs.

Kindness is generally reciprocal; we are defirous of pleafing others, because we receive pleasure from them; but by what means can the man please whofe attention is engroffed by his distresses, and who has no leifure to be officious; whose will is restrained by his neceffities, and who has no power to confer benefits; whofe temper is perhaps vitiated by mifery, and whofe understanding is impeded by ignorance?

It is yet a more offenfive difcouragement, that the fame actions performed by different hands produce different effects, and inftead of rating the man by his performances, we rate too frequently the performance by the man. It fometimes happens in the combinations of life, that important fervices are performed by inferiors; but though their zeal and activity may be paid by pecuniary rewards, they feldom excite that flow of gratitude, or obtain that accumulation of recompence, with which all think it their duty to acknowledge the favour of those who defcend to their affiftance from a higher elevation. To be obliged, is to be in fome refpect inferior to another; and few willingly indulge the memory of an action which raifes one whom they have always been accuftomed to think below them, but fatisfy themselves with faint praise and penurious payment, and then drive it from their own minds, and endeavour to conceal it from the knowledge of others.

It may be always objected to the fervices of those who can be fupposed to want a reward, that they were produced not by kindness but intereft; they are therefore, when they are no longer wanted, eafily dilregarded as arts of infinu, ation, or ftratagems of felfishness. Benefits which are received as gifts from wealth, are exacted as debts from indigence; and he that in a high ftation is ce lebrated for fuperfluous goodnefs, would in a meaner condition have barely been confeffed to have done his duty.

It is scarcely poffible for the utmost benevolence to oblige, when exerted under the difadvantages of great inferiority; for by the habitual arrogance of

wealth,