Vida, a man of confiderable skill in the politicks of literature, directs his pupil wholly to abandon his defence, and even when he can irrefragably refute all objections, to fuffer tamely the exultations of his antagonist. This rule may perhaps be juft, when advice is afked, and feverity folicited, because no man tells his opinion fo freely as when he imagines it received with implicit veneration; and criticks ought never to be confulted, but while errors may yet be rectified or infipidity fuppreffed. But when the book has once been difmiffed into the world, and can be no more retouched, I know not whether a very different condu&t fhould not be prescribed, and whether firmnefs and spirit may not fometimes be of use to overpower arrogance and repel brutality. Softnefs, diffidence, and moderation, will often be mistaken for imbecility and dejection; they lure cowardice to the attack by the hopes of eafy victory; and it will foon be found that he whom every man thinks he can conquer, fhall never be at peace. The animadverfions of criticks are commonly fuch as may eafily provoke the fedateft writer to fome quickness of refentment and afperity of reply. A man who by long confideration has familiarifed a fubject to his own mind, carefully furveyed the feries of his thoughts, and planned all the parts of his compofition into a regular dependance on each other, will often start at the finiftrous interpretations, or abfurd remarks, of hafte and ignorance, and wonder by what infatuation they have been led away from the obvious fenfe, and upon what peculiar principles of judgment they decide against him. The eye of the intellect, like that of the body, is not equally perfect in all, nor equally adapted in any to all objects; the end of criticifin is to fupply it's defects; rules are the inftruments of mental vifion, which may indeed affist our faculties when properly ufed, but pro duce confufion and obfcurity by unskilful application. Some feem always to read with the microfcope of criticifm, and employ their whole attention upon minute elegance, or faults fcarcely vifible to common obfervation. The diffonance of a fyllable, the recurrence of the fame found, the repetition of a particle, the fmalleft deviation from propriety, the flightest defect in conftruction or arrangement, fwell before their eyes into enormities. As they difcern with great exactness, they comprehend but a narrow compass, and know nothing of the juftnefs of the defign, the general spirit of the performance, the artifice of connection, or the harmony of the parts; they never conceive how small a proportion that which they are busy in contemplating bears to the whole, or how the petty inaccuracies with which they are offended, are abforbed and loft in general excellence. Others are furnished by criticism with a telescope. They fee with great clearnefs whatever is too remote to be difcovered by the rest of mankind, but are totally blind to all that lies immediately before them. They discover in every paffage fome fecret meaning, fome remote allufion, fome artful allegory, or fome occult imitation which no other reader ever fufpected; but they have no perception of the cogency of arguments, the force of pathetick fentiments, the various colours of diction, or the flowery embellishments of fancy; of all that engages the attention of others, they are totally infenfible, while they pry into worlds of conjecture, and amuse themfelves with phantoms in the clouds. In criticifin, as in every other art, we fail sometimes by our weakness, but more frequently by our fault. We are sometimes bewildered by ignorance, and fometimes by prejudice, but we seldom deviate far from the right, but when we deliver ourselves up to the direction of vanity. No CLXXVII. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1751. TURPE EST DIFFICILES HABERE NUGAS. MART. THOSE THINGS WHICH NOW SEEM FRIVOLOUS AND SLIGHT, TO THE RAMBLER. WHEN I was, at the ufual time, feffion to which my friends had deftined me, being fummoned, by the death of my father, into the country, I found myself master of an unexpected fum of money, and of an estate, which though not large, was, in my opinion, fuilicient to support me in a condition far preferable to the fatigue, dependance, and uncertainty, of any gainful occupation. I therefore refolved to devote the rett of my life wholly to curiofity, and without any confinement of my excurfions, or termination of my views, to wander over the boundless regions of general knowledge. This fcheme of life feemed pregnant with inexhaustible variety, and therefore I could not forbear to congratulate myfelf upon the wisdom of my choice. I furnished a large room with all conveniencies for study; collected books of every kind; quitted every fcience at the firft perception of difgult; returned to it again as foon as my former ardor happened to revive; and having no rival to deprefs me by comparifon, nor any critick to alan me with objections, Ifpent day after day in profound tranquillity, with only fo much complacence in my own improvements, as ferved to excite and animate my application. Thus I lived for fome years with complete acquiefcence in my own plan of conduct, rifing early to read, and dividing the latter part of the day between economy, exercife, and reflection. But in time I began to find my mind contracted and stiffened by folitude. My cafe and elegance were fenfibly impaired; I was no longer able to accommmodate myself with readiness to the accidental current of converfation, my notions grew particular and paradoxical, and my phrafeology formal and un ROSCOMMON. : fashionable; I fpoke, on common occafions, the language of books. My quickness of apprehenfion, and celerity I delivered my opinion, or detailed my knowledge, I was bewildered by an unfeafonable interrogatory, difconcerted by any flight oppofition, and overwhelmed and lost in dejection when the fmallest advantage was gained against me in difpute. I became decifive and dogmatical, impatient of contradiction, perpetually jealous of my character, infolent to fuch as acknowledged my faperiority, and fullen and malignant to all who refufed to receive my dictates. This I foon difcovered to be one of those intellectual difeafes which a wife man should make hatte to cure. I therefore refolved for a time to fhut my books, and learn again the art of converfation; to defecate and clear my mind' by brifker motions, and ttronger impulfes, and to unite myfelf once more to the living generation. For this purpose I hasted to London, and entreated one of my academical acquaintances to introduce me into fome of the little focieties of literature which are formed in taverns and coffee-houtes. He was pleafed with an opportunity of fhewing me to his friends, and foon obtained me admiffion among a felect company of curious men, who met once a week to exhilarate their studies, and compare their acquifitions. The eldest and most venerable of this fociety was Hirfutus, who, after the first civilities of my reception, found means to introduce the mention of his favourite ftudies, by a fevere cenfure of those who want the due regard for their native country, He informed me, that he had early withdrawn his attention from foreign trifles, and that fince he begun to addit his mind to ferious and manly ftudies, he had very carefully aaffed all the English books that were printed 3 3 1 printed in the black character. This While I was liftening to this hoary Chartophylax then obferved how fatally human fagacity was fometimes baffled, and how often the most valuable difcoveries are made by chance. He had employed himself and his emissaries feven years at great expence, to perfect his feries of Gazettes, but had long wanted a fingle paper, which, when he defpaired of obtaining it, was fent him wrapped round a parcel of tobacco. the genealogy of a family extinct, or a letter written in the reign of Elizabeth. Every one of thefe virtuofos looked on all his affociates as wretches of depraved taste and narrow notions. Their converfation was, therefore, fretful and wafpifh, their behaviour brutal, their merriment bluntly farcaftick, and their ferioufnefs gloomy and fufpicious. They were totally ignorant of all that paffes, or has lately paffed, in the world; unable to difcufs any question of religious, political, or military knowledge; equally rangers to fcience and politer learning, and without any wish to improve their minds, or any other pleafure than that of difplaying rarities, of which they would not fuffer others to make the proper ufe. Hirfutus gracionfly informed me, that the number of their fociety was limited, but that I might fometimes attend as an auditor. I was pleafed to find myself in no danger of an honour which I could not have willingly accepted, nor gracefully refused, and left them without any intention of returning; for foon found, that the fuppreffion of thofe habits with which I was vitiated, required affociation with men very different from this folemn race. I am, Sir, &c. VIVACULUS. It is natural to feel grief or indignation when any thing, neceflary or useful, is wantonly waited, or negligently destroyed; and therefore my correfpondent cannot be blamed for looking with uneafinefs on the wafte of life. Leifure and curiofity might foon make great advances in ufeful knowledge, were they not diverted by minute emulation and laborious trifles. It may, however, fomewhat mollify his angor, to reflect, that perhaps none of the assembly which he describes, was capable of any nobler employment, and that he who does his beft, however little, is always to be difMany were admitted into this fociety tinguished from him who does nothing. as inferior members, because they had Whatever bufies the mind without corcollected old prints and neglected pam-rupting it, has at least this use, that it Cantilenus turned all his thoughts upon old ballads, for he confidered them as the genuine records of the national tafte. He offered to fhew me a copy of The Children in the Wood,' which he firmly believed to be of the first edition, and by the help of which the text might be freed from feveral corruptions, if this age of barbarity had any clain to fuch favours from him. phlets, or poffeffed fome fragment of an- refcues the day from idleness, and he that is never idle will not often be vicious. N° CLXXVIII. N° CLXXVIII. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1751. PARS SANITATIS VELLE SANARÍA FUIT. TO YIELD TO REMEDIES IS HALF THE CURE. PYTHAGORAS is reported to whom have required from those whom he inftructed in philofophy a probationary filence of five years. Whether this prohibition of fpeech extended to all the parts of this time, as feems generally to be fuppofed, or was to be obferved only in the school or in the prefence of their mafter, as is more probable, it was fufficient to discover the pupil's difpofition; to try whether he was willing to pay the price of learning, or whether he was one of those whofe ardour was rather violent than lasting, and who expected to grow wife on other terms than thofe of patience and obedience. Many of the bleffings univerfally defired are very frequently wanted, because most men, when they should labour, content themselves to complain, and rather linger in a state in which they cannot be at reft, than improve their condition by vigour and refolution. Providence has fixed the limits of human enjoyment by immoveable boundaries, and has fet different gratifications at fuch a distance from each other, that no art or power can bring them together. This great law it is the bufinefs of every rational being to underftand, that life may not país away in an attempt to make contradictions confiftent, to combine opposite qualities, and to unite things which the nature of their being must always keep afunder. Of two objects tempting at a distance on contrary fides, it is impoffible to approach one but by receding from the other; by long deliberation and dilatory projects they may be both loft, but can never be both gained. It is, therefore, neceffary to compare them, and when we have determined the preference, to withdraw our eyes and our thoughts at once from that which reafon directs us to reject. This is the more neceffary, if that which we are forfaking has the power of delighting the fenfes, or fireing the fancy. He that once turns afide to the allurements of unlawful pleasure, can have no fecurity that he shall ever regain the paths of virtue. SENECA. having related the story of Orpheus, Vos hæc fabula refpicit, It may be observed in general, that the future is purchased by the present. It is not poffible to fecure diftant or permanent happiness but by the forbearance of fome immediate gratification. This is fo evidently true with regard to the whole of our existence, that all the precepts of theology have no other tendency than to enforce a life of faith; a life regulated not by our fenfes but our belief; a life in which pleasures are to be refufed for fear of invifible punishments, and calamities fometimes to be fought, and always endured, in hope of rewards that fhall be obtained in another state. Even if we take into our view only that particle of our duration which is terminated by the grave, it will be found that we cannot enjoy one part of life beyond the common limitations of pleafure, but by anticipating fome of the fatisfaction which should exhilarate the following years. The heat of youth may spread happiness into wild luxuriance, but the radical vigour requifite to make it perennial is exhaufted, and all that can be hoped afterwards is languor and fterility. The The reigning error of mankind is, that we are not content with the conditions on which the goods of life are granted. No man is infenfible of the value of knowledge, the advantages of health, or the convenience of plenty, but every day fhews us thofe on whom the conviction is without effect. Knowledge is praised and defired by multitudes whom her charms could never roufe from the couch of floth; whom the fainteft invitation of pleasure draws away from their studies; to whom any other method of wearing out the day is more eligible than the use of books, and who are more easily engaged by any converfation, than fuch as may rectify their notions or enlarge their comprehenfion. Every man that has felt pain, knows how little all other comforts can gladden him to whom health is denied. Yet who is there does not fometimes hazard it for the enjoyment of an hour? All affemblies of jollity, all places of pub. lick entertainment, exhibit examples of ftrength wafting in riot, and beauty withering in irregularity; nor is it easy to enter a houfe in which part of the family is not groaning in repentance of past intemperance, and part admitting disease by negligence, or foliciting it by luxury. There is no pleasure which men of every age and fect have more generally agreed to mention with contempt, than the gratifications of the palate; an entertainment fo far removed from intellectual happiness, that fearcely the moft fhameless of the fenfual herd have dared to defend it: yet even to this, the loweft of our delights, to this, though neither quick nor lafting, is health with all it's activity and fprightlinefs daily facrificed; and for this are half the miferies endured which urge impatience to call on death. The whole world is put in motion by. the wish for riches, and the dread of poverty. Who, then, would not imagine that fuch conduct as will inevitably deftroy what all are thus labouring to acquire, must generally be avoided? That he who spends more than he receives, muft in time become indigent, cannot be doubted; but how evident foever this confequence may appear, the spendthrift moves in the whirl of pleasure with too much rapidity to keep it before his eyes, and, in the intoxication of gaiety, grows every day poorer without any fuch fenfe of approaching ruin as is fufficient to wake him into caution. Many complaints are made of the mifery of life; and indeed it must be confeffed that we are fubject to calamities by which the good and bad, the diligent and flothful, the vigilant and heed, lefs, are equally afflicted. But furely, though fome indulgence may be allowed to groans extorted by inevitable mifery, no man has a right to repine at evils which, against warning, against experience, he deliberately and leifurely brings upon his own head; or to confider himself as debarred from happiness by fuch obftacles as refolution may break, or dexterity may put aside. Great numbers who quarrel with their condition, have wanted not the power but the will to obtain a better state. They have never contemplated the difference between good and evil fufficiently to quicken averfion, or invigorate defire; they have indulged a drowsy thoughtleffnefs or giddy levity; have committed the balance of choice to the management of caprice; and when they have long accustomed themselves to re ceive all that chance offered them, without examination, lament at last that they find themfelves deceived. No CLXXIX. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1751. EVER PERPETUO RISU PULMONEM AGITARE SOLEBAT. Juv. DEMOCRITUS WOULD FEED HIS SPLEEN, AND SHAKE VERY man, fays Tully, has two characters; one which he partakes with all mankind, and by which he is diftinguished from brute |