dispatch. I miftook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books. My acquaintances by degrees began to fall away; but I perceived the decline of my bufinefs with little emotion, because whatever deficience there might be in my gains I expected the next lottery to fupply.

Mifcarriage naturally produces diffidence; I began now to feek affiftance against ill luck, by an alliance with thofe that had been more fuccessful. I enquired diligently at what office any prize had been fold, that I might purchafe of a propitious vender; folicited those who had been fortunate in former lotteries, to partake with me in my new tickets; and whenever I met with one that had in any event of his life been eminently profperous, I invited him to take a larger fhare. I had, by this rule of conduct, fo diffufed my intereft, that I had a fourth part of fifteen tickets, an eighth of forty, and a fixteenth of ninety.

I waited for the decifion of my fate with my former palpitations, and looked upon the bufinefs of my trade with the ufual neglect. The wheel at last was turned, and it's revolutions brought me a long fucceffion of forrows and difappointments. I indeed often partook of a small prize, and the lofs of one day was generally balanced by the gain of the next; but my defires yet remained unfatisfied, and when one of my chances had failed, all my expectation was fufpended on those which remained yet undetermined. At laft a prize of five thousand pounds was proclaimed; I caught fire at the cry, and enquiring the number, found it to be one of my own tickets, which I had divided among thofe on whofe luck I depended, and of which I had retained only a fixteenth part.

You will eafily judge with what de. teftation of himfelf a man thus intent upon gain reflected that he had fold a prize which was once in his poffeffion. It was to no purpose, that I represented to my mind the impoffibility of recalling the paft, or the folly of condemning an act which only it's event, an event which no human intelligence could foresee, proved to be wrong. The prize which, though put in my hands, had been fuffered to flip from me, filled me with anguish, and knowing that complaint would only expose me to ridicule, I gave myself up filently to grief, and loft by degrees my appetite and my rest.

My indifpofition foon became vifible; I was vifited by my friends, and among them by Eumathes, a clergyman, whose piety and learning gave him such an afcendant over me, that I could not refuse to open my heart. There are,' faid he, few minds fufficiently firm to be trufted in the hands of chance. Whoever finds himself inclined to anticipate futurity, and exalt poffibility to certainty, fhould avoid every kind of 'cafual adventure, fince his grief must be always proportionate to his hope. You have long wafted that time which by a proper application would have certainly, though moderately, increased your fortune, in a laborious and anxious purfuit of a species of gain which no labour or anxiety, no art or expe⚫dient can fecure or promote. You are now fretting away your life in repent

ance of an act, against which repent❝ance can give no caution, but to avoid the occafion of committing it. Roufe from this lazy dream of fortuitous riches, which, if obtained, you could fcarcely have enjoyed, because they 'could confer no confcioufnefs of defert; return to rational and manly induftry, and confider the meer gift of luck as below the care of a wise man.”

JUVENAL.

which Providence has connected with them, and to catch advantages without paying the price at which they are offer

ed

and flatteries and proteftations. She admitted his vifits, enjoyed, for five years, the happinefs of keeping all her expec. tants in perpetual alarms, and amufed herself with the various stratagems which were practifed to difengage her affections. Sometimes the was advifed with great earnestnefs to travel for her health, and fometimes intreated to keep her brother's house. Many ftories were fpread to the disadvantage of Leviculus, by which the commonly seemed affected for a time, but took care foon afterwards to exprefs her conviction of their falle hood. But being at last fatiated with this ludicrous tyranny, fhe told her lover, when he preffed for the reward of his fervices, that he was very fenfible of his merit, but was refolved not to impoverish an ancient family.

He then returned to the town, and foon after his arrival became acquainted with Latronia, a lady distinguished by the elegance of her equipage, and the re gularity of her conduct. Her wealth was evident in her magnificence, and her prudence in her economy, and there fore Leviculus, who had fcarcely confidence to folicit her favour, readily acquitted fortune of her former debts, when he found himself diftinguished by her with fuch marks of preference as a woman of modefty is allowed to give. He now grew bolder, and ventured to breathe out his impatience before her. She heard him without refentment, in time permitted him to hope for happiarefs, and at laft fixed the nuptial day, without any distrustful referve of pin. money, or fordid ftipulations for join ture, and fettlements.

Leviculus was triumphing on the eve of marriage, when he heard on the stairs the voice of Latronia's maid, whom frequent bribes had fecured in his fervice. She foon burst into his room, and told him that he could not fuffer him to be longer deceived; that her mittress was now spending the laft payment of her fortune, and was only fupported in her expence by the credit of his eftate. Leviculus fhuddered to fee himfelf fo near a precipice, and found that he was indebted for his efcape to the refentment of the maid, who, having af fifted Latronia to gain the conqueft, quarrelled with her at last about the plunder.

Leviculus was now hopeless and difconfolate, till one Sunday he faw a lady in the Mall, whom her dress declared a widow; and whom, by the jolting prance of her gait, and the broad refplendence of her countenance, he guessed to have lately buried fome profperous citizen. He followed her home, and found her to be no less than the relict of Prune the grocer, who having no children, had bequeathed to her all his debts and dues, and his estates real and perfonal. No formality was neceffary in addreffing Madam Prune, and therefore Leviculus went next morning without an introductor. His declaration was received with a loud laugh; the then collected her countenance, wondered at his impudence, asked if he knew to whom he was talking, then thewed him the door, and again laughed to find him confufed. Leviculus difcovered that this coarseness was nothing more than the coquetry of Cornhill, and next day returned to the attack. He foon grew familiar to her dialect, and in a few weeks heard, without any emotion, hints of gay clothes with empty pockets; concurred in many fage re marks on the regard due to the people of property; and agreed with her in detellation of the ladies at the other end of the town, who pinched their bellies to buy fine laces, and then pretended to laugh at the city.

He fometimes prefumed to mention marriage; but was always answered with a flap, a hoot, and a flounce. At latt he began to prefs her clofer, and thought himself more favourably received, but going one morning, with a resolution to trifle no longer, he found her gone to church with a young journeyman from the neighbouring shop, of whom she had become enamoured at her window.

In these, and a thousand intermediate adventures, has Leviculus fpent his time, till he is now grown grey with age, fatigue, and difappointment. He begins at lalt to find that fuccefs is not to be expected, and being unfit for any employment that might improve his fortune, and unfurnished with any arts that might amufe his leifure, is condemned to wear out a tattelefs life in narratives which few will hear, and complaints which none will pity.

T

HE hoftility perpetually exercised between one man and another, is caufed by the defire of many for that which only few can poffefs. Every man would be rich, powerful and famous; yet fame, power, and riches, are only the names of relative conditions, which imply the obfcurity, dependance, and poverty of greater numbers.

This univerfal and inceffant competition produces injury and malice by two motives, intereft and envy; the profpect of adding to our poffeffions what we can take from others, and the hope of alleviating the fenfe of our difparity by leffening others, though we gain nothing

to ourselves.

Of these two malignant and deftructive powers, it seems probable at the first view, that intereft has the strongest and moft extenfive influence. It is eafy to conceive that opportunities to feize what has been long wanted, may excite defires almost irrefiftible; but furely the fame eagerness cannot be kindled by an accidental power of destroying that which gives happiness to another. It must be more natural to rob for gain, than to ravage only for mischief.

Yet I am inclined to believe, that the great law of mutual benevolence is oftener violated by envy than by intereft, and that most of the mifery which the defamation of blamelefs actions, or the obstruction of honeft endeavours, brings upon the world, is inflicted by men that propofe no advantage to themselves but the fatisfaction of poifoning the banquet which they cannot talte, and blasting the harvest which they have no right to reap.

Intereft can diffuse itself but to a narrow compafs. The number is never large of theie who can hope to fill the potts of degraded power, catch the fragments of fhattered fortune, or fucceed to the honours of depreciated beauty. But the empire of envy has no limits, as it requires, to it's influence, very little

LUCAN.

help from external circumstances. Envy may always be produced by idleness and pride, and in what place will they not be found?

Intereft requires fome qualities not univerfally beltowed. The ruin of another will produce no profit to him who has not difcernment to mark his advantage, courage to feize, and activity to purfue it; but the cold malignity of envy may be exerted in a torpid and quiefcent state, amidst the gloom of stupi dity, in the coverts of cowardice. He that falls by the attacks of intereft, istorn by hungry tigers; he may discover and refift his enemies. He that perithes in the ambushes of envy, is deftroyed by unknown and invifible affailants, and dies like a man fuffocated by a poisonous vapour, without knowledge of his danger, or poffibility of conteft.

Intereft is feldom pursued but at some hazard. He that hopes to gain much, has commonly fomething to lofe, and when he ventures to attack fuperiority, if he fails to conquer, is irrecoverably crushed. But envy may act without expence or danger. To spread fufpicion, to invent calumnies, to propagate scandal, requires neither labour nor courage. It is eafy for the author of a lie, however malignant, to escape detection, and infamy needs very little industry to affift it's circulation.

Envy is almoft the only vice which is practicable at all times, and in every place; the only paffion which can never lie quiet for want of irritation: it's effects therefore are every where difcover. able, and it's attempts always to be dreaded.

It is impoffible to mention a name which any advantageous distinction has made eminent, but fome latent animofity will burst out. The wealthy trader, however he may abstract himself from publick affairs, will never want those who hint, with Shylock, that ships are

but

but boards. The beauty, adorned only with the unambitious graces of innocence and modefty, provokes, when ever the appears, a thousand murmurs of detraction. The genius, even when he endeavours only to entertain or inftruct, yet fuffers perfecution from innumerable criticks, whofe acrimony is excited merely by the pain of feeing others pleased, and of hearing applauses which another enjoys.

The frequency of envy makes it fo familiar, that it efcapes our notice; nor do we often reflect upon it's turpitude or malignity, till we happen to feel it's influence. When he that has given no provocation to malice, but by attempting to excel, finds himself pursued by multitudes whom he never faw, with all the implacability of perfonal refentment; when he perceives clamour and malice let loose upon him as a public enemy, and incited by every ftratagem of defamation; when he hears the miffortunes of his family, or the follies of his youth, expofed to the world; and every failure of conduct, or defect of nature, aggravated and ridiculed; he then learns to abhor thofe artifices at which he only laughed before, and difcovers how much the happiness of life would be advanced by the eradication of envy from the human heart.

Envy is, indeed, a stubborn weed of the mind, and fellom yields to the culture of philofophy. There are, however, confiderations, which, if carefully implanted and diligently propagated, might in time overpower and reprefs it, fince no one can nurse it for the fake of pleasure, as it's effects are only shame, anguish, and perturbation.

It is above all other vices inconfiftent with the character of a focial being, because it facrifices truth and kindness to very weak temptations. He that piun

ders a wealthy neighbour gains as much as he takes away, and may improve his own condition in the fame proportion as he impairs another's; but he that blasts a flourishing reputation, must be content with a small dividend of additional fame, fo fmall as can afford very little confolation to balance the guilt by which it is obtained.

I have hitherto avoided that dangerous and empirical morality, which cures one vice by means of another. But envy is fo bafe and deteftable, fo vile in it's original, and fo pernicious in it's effects, that the predominance of almost any other quality is to be preferred. It is one of thofe lawless enemies of fociety, against which poifoned arrows may honeftly be ufed. Let it therefore be conftantly remembered, that whoever envies another confeffes his fuperiority, and let those be reformed by their pride who have loft their virtue.

It is no flight aggravation of the injuries which envy incites, that they are committed against those who have given no intentional provocation; and that the fufferer is often marked out for ruin, not because he has failed in any duty, but because he has dared to do more than was required.

Almost every other crime is practifed by the help of fome quality which might have produced esteem or love, if it had been well employed; but envy is mere unmixed and genuine evil; it pursues a hateful end by defpicable means, and defires not fo much it's own happiness as another's m:fery. To avoid depravity like this, it is not neceffary that any one fhould afpire to heroifm or fan&tity, but only that he fhould refolve not to quit the rank which nature affigns him, and wish to maintain the dignity of a human being.

"Juv.

S every scheme of life, fo every

DRYDEN.

mingled in the fame proportions. The

tages and inconveniencies, though not

ments to which a large work would have 3 F2

expofed