an adept, who having long laboured for the benefit of mankind, is not willing, like too many of his predeceffors, to conceal his fecrets in the grave.

Many have fignalized themselves by melting their eitates in crucibles. I was born to no fortune, and therefore had only my mind and body to devote to knowledge, and the gratitude of pofterity will atteft, that neither mind nor body have been spared. I have sat whole weeks without fleep by the side of an athanor, to watch the moment of projection; I have made the first experiment in nineteen diving engines of new construction; I have fallen eleven times fpeechlefs under the shock of electricity; I have twice diflocated my limbs, and once fractured my fkull, in effaying to fly; and four times endangered my life by fubmitting to the transfufion of blood.

In the first period of my ftudies, I exerted the powers of my body more than those of my mind, and was not without hopes that fame might be purchafed by a few broken bones without the toil of thinking; but having been fhattered by fome violent experiments, and conftrained to confine myself to my books, I paffed fix and thirty years in fearching the treafures of ancient wifdom, but am at laft amply recompenfed for all my perfeverance.

The curiofity of the prefent race of philofophers having been long exercifed upon electricity, has been lately transformed to magnetifm; the qualities of the loadstone have been investigated, if not with much advantage, yet with great applaufe; and as the highest praise of art is to imitate nature, I hope no man will think the makers of artificial magnets celebrated or reverenced above their deferts.

I have for fome time employed myfelf in the fame practice, but with deeper knowledge and more extenfive views. While my contemporaries were touching needles and raising weights, or bufying themselves with inclination and variation, I have been examining thofe qualities of magnetifm which may be applied to the accommodation and happinefs of common life. I have left to inferior understandings the care of conducting the failor through the hazards of the ocean, and referved to myflf the more difficult and illuftrious province of preferving the connubial compact from

violation, and fetting mankind free for ever from the danger of fuppofititious children, and the torments of fruitiefs vigilance and anxious fufpicion.

To defraud any man of his due praise is unworthy of a philofopher; I shall therefore openly confefs, that I owe the firft hint of this ineftimable fecret to the Rabbi Abraham Ben Hannafe, who, in his treatife of precious ftones, has left

,הקאלאמיטא : this account of the magnet

&c. The calamita, or loadstone that attracts iron, produces many bad fantafies in man. Women fly from this stone. If therefore any husband be 'disturbed with jealoufy, and fear left his wife converfes with other men, let him lay this tone upon her while the is afleep. If the be pure, the will, when the awakes, clafp her husband fondly in her arms; but if he be guilty, fhe will fall out of bed, and run away. When first I read this wonderful paffage, I could not eafily conceive why it had remained hitherto unregarded in fuch a zealous competition for magnetical fame. It would furely be unjust to fufpect that any of the candidates are ftrangers to the name or works of Rabbi Abraham, or to conclude, from a late edict of the Royal Society in favour of the English language, that philofophy and literature are no longer to act in concert. Yet, how fhould a quality fo ufeful efcape promulgation but by the obfcurity of the language in which it was delivered? Why are footmen and chambermaids paid on every fide for keeping fecrets which no caution nor expence could fecure from the all-penetrating magnet? Or, why are fo many witneffes fummoned, and fo many artiSices practifed, to difcover what fo cafy an experiment would infallibly reveal?

Full of this perplexity, I read the lines of Abraham to a friend, who advifed me not to expofe my life by a mad indulgence of the love of fame; he warned me by the fate of Orpheus, that knowledge or genius could give no protection to the invader of female prerogatives; affured me that neither the arinour of Achilles, nor the antidote of Mithridates, would be able to preferve me; and counfelled me, if I could not live without renown, to attempt the acquifition of univerfal empire, in which the honour would perhaps be equal, and the dan ger certainly be lefs. I, a solitary student, pretend not to 372 much

much knowledge of the world, but am unwilling to think it fo generally corrupt, as that a fcheme for the detection or incontinence fhould bring any danger upon it's inventor. My friend has indeed told me, that all the women will be my enemies, and that however I flatter myfelf with hopes of defence from the men, I fhall certainly find myself deferted in the hour of danger. Of the young men, faid he, fome will be afraid of sharing the disgrace of their mothers, and fome the danger of their mittreffes; of those who are married, part are already convinced of the falsehood of their wives, and part shut their eyes to avoid conviction; few ever fought for virtue in marriage, and therefore few will try whether they have found it. Almoft every man is carelefs or timorous, and to trust is eafter and fafer than to examine.

Thefe obfervations difcouraged me till I began to confider what reception I was likely to find among the ladies, whom I liave reviewed under the three claffes of maids, wives, and widows, and cannot but hope that I may obtain fome countenance among them. The fingle ladies I fuppofe univerfally ready to patronize my method, by which connubial wickedness may be detected, fince no woman marries with a previous defign to be unfaithful to her husband. And to keep them steady in my caufe, I promife never to fell one of my magnets to a man who steals a girl from school; marries a woman forty years younger than himself; or employs the authority of parents to obtain a wife without her own confent.

Among the married ladies, notwithftanding the infinuations of flander, I yet refolve to believe, that the greater part are my friends, and am at least convinced, that they who demand the teft, and appear on my fide, will fupply, by their fpirit, the deficiency of their numbers, and that their enemies will fhrink and quake at the fight of a magnet, as the flaves of Scythia fled from the fcourge.

The widows will be confederated in my favour by their curiofity, if not by

their virtue; for it may be observed, that women who have outlived their hufbands, always think themselves entitled to fuperintend the conduct of young wives; and as they are themselves in no danger from this magnetick trial, I fhall expect them to be eminently and unanimously zealous in recommending it.

With thefe hopes I fhall, in a fhort time, offer to fale magnets armed with a particular metallick compofition, which concentrates their virtue, and determines their agency. It is known that the efficacy of the magnet, in common operations, depends much upon it's armature; and it cannot be imagined that a stone, naked or cafed only in the common manner, will discover the virtues afcribed to it by Rabbi Abraham. The fecret of this metal I fhall carefully conceal, and therefore am not afraid of imitators, nor fhall trouble the offices with folicitation for a patent.

I fhall fell them of different fizes, and various degrees of ftrength. I have fome of a bulk proper to be hung at the bed's head, as fcare-crows, and fome fo fmall that they may be easily concealed. Some I have ground into oval forms to be hung at watches; and fome, for the curious, I have fet in wedding-rings, that ladies may never want an attestation of their innocence. Some I can produce fo fluggish and inert, that they will not act before the third failure; and others fo vigorous and animated, that they exert their influence against unlawful wishes, if they have been willingly and deliberately indulged. As it is my practice honeftly to tell my customers the properties of my magnets, I can judge by their choice of the delicacy of their fentiments. Many have been contented to spare coft by purchafing only the lowest degree of efficacy, and all have started with terror from those which operate upon the thought. One young lady only fitted on a ring of the ftrongeft energy, and declared that the fcorned to feparate her wishes from her acts, or allow herfelf to think what she was forbidden to practise. I am, &c. HERMETICUS.

N° CC.

TO THE RAMBLER.

MR. RAMBLER,

UCH is the tenderness or infirmity

BOWLES.

project, and too much intoxicated by fudden elevation, or too little polifhed by thought and converfation, to enjoy

fliction oppreffes them, they have immediate recourfe to lamentation and complaint, which, though it can only be allowed reasonable when evils admit of remedy, and then only when addreffed to thofe from whom the remedy is expected, yet feems even in hopeless and incurable diftreffes to be natural, fince those by whom it is not indulged, imagine that they give a proof of extraordinary fortitude by fuppreffing it.

I am one of thofe who, with the Sancho of Cervantes, leave to higher characters the merit of fuffering in filence, and give vent without fcruple to any forrow that fwells in my heart. It is therefore to me a fevere aggravation of a calamity, when it is fuch as in the common opinion will not justify the acerbity of exclamation, or fupport the folemnity of vocal grief. Yet many pains are incident to a man of delicacy, which the unfeeling world cannot be perfuaded to pity, and which, when they are feparated from their peculiar and perfonal circumstances, will never be confidered as important enough to claim attention, or deferve redrefs.

Of this kind will appear to grofs and vulgar apprehenfions, the miferies which I endured in a morning visit to Profpero, a man lately raifed to wealth by a lucky

decency.

We fet out in the world together; and for a long time mutually affifted each other in our exigencies, as either happened to have money or influence beyond his immediate neceffities. You know that nothing generally endears men fo much as participation of dangers and misfortunes; I therefore always confidered Profpero as united with me in the ftrongeft league of kindness, and imagined that our friendship was only to be broken by the hand of death. I felt at his fudden fhoot of fuccefs an honest and difinterested joy; but as I want no part of his fuperfluities, am not willing to defcend from that equality in which we hitherto have lived.

Our intimacy was regarded by me as a difpenfation from ceremonial vifits; and it was fo long before I faw him at his new houfe, that he gently complained of my neglect, and obliged ine to come on a day appointed. I kept my promife, but found that the impatience of my friend arofe not from any defire to communicate his happiness, but to enjoy his fuperiority.

When I told my name at the door, the footman went to fee if his mafter was at home, and, by the tardiness of his return, gave me reafon to fufpect that

time

time was taken to deliberate. He then informed me, that Profpero defired my company, and fhowed the staircase carefully fecured by mats from the pollution of my feet. The best apartments were oftentatiously fet open, that I might have a diftant view of the magnificence which I was not permitted to approach; and my old friend receiving me with all the infolence of condefcenfion at the top of the stairs, conducted me to a back room, where he told me he always breakfafted when he had not great company.

On the floor where we fat lay a carpet covered with a cloth, of which Profpero ordered his fervant to lift up a corner, that I might contemplate the brightness of the colours, and the elegance of the texture, and asked me whether I had ever seen any thing fo fine before. I did not gratify his folly with any outcries of admiration, but coldly bade the footman let down the cloth.

We then fat down, and I began to hope that pride was glutted with perfecution, when Profpero defired that I would give the fervant leave to adjust the cover of my chair, which was flipt a little afide to show the damask; he informed me that he had bespoke ordinary chairs for common ufe, but had been difappointed by his tradefmen. I put the chair afide with my foot, and drew another fo haftily, that I was entreated not to rumple the carpet.

Breakfait was at laft fet, and as I was not willing to indulge the peevishnefs that began to feize me, I commended the tea; Profpero then told me, that another time I should tafte his finest fort, but that he had only a very finall quantity remaining, and referved it for thofe whom he thought himself obliged to treat with particular refpect.

While we were converfing upon fuch fubjects as imagination happened to fuggeft, he frequently digreffed into directions to the fervant that waited, or made a flight enquiry after the jeweller or filverfmith; and once, as I was purfuing an argument with fome degree of earneftness, he started from his pofture of attention, and ordered, that if Lord Lofty called on him that morning, he fhould be fhewn into the beft parlour.

My patience was not yet wholly fubdued. I was willing to promote his fatisfa&tion, and therefore obferved, that the figures on the china were eminently

pretty. Profpero had now an opportu nity of calling for his Drefden china• Which,' fays he, I always affociate with my chafed tea-kettle." The cups were brought; I once refolved not to have looked upon them, but my curiofity prevailed. When I had examined them a little, Profpero defired me to fet them down, for they who were accuf tomed only to common dishes, feldom handled china with much care. You will, I hope, commend my philofophy, when I tell you that I did not dash his baubles to the ground.

He was now fo much elevated with his own greatness, that he thought fome humility neceffary to avert the glance of envy, and therefore told me, with an air of foft compofure, that I was not to eftimate life by external appear ance, that all thefe fhining acquifitions had added little to his happiness, that he ftill remembered with pleasure the days in which he and I were upon the level, and had often, in the moment of reflection, been doubtful, whether he fhould lofe much by changing his condi tion for mine.

I began now to be afraid left his pride fhould, by filence and fubmiffion, be emboldened to infults that could not eafily be borne, and therefore coolly confidered, how I fhould reprefs it without fuch bitterness of reproof as I was yet unwilling to ufe. But he interrupted my meditation, by afking leave to be dreffed, and told me, that he had promifed to attend fome ladies in the park, and, if I was going the fame way, would take me in his chariot. I had no incli nation to any other favours, and therefore left him without any intention of feeing him again, unlefs fome misfortune fhould restore his understanding. I am, &c.

ASPER.

Though I am not wholly infenfible of the provocations which my corre fpondent has received, I cannot altoge ther commend the keennefs of his refentment, nor encourage him to perfist in his refolution of breaking off all commerce with his old acquaintance. One of the golden precepts of Pythagoras directs, that a friend should not be hated for little faults; and furely, he upo whom nothing worfe can be charged, than that he mats his ftairs, and covers his carpet, and fets out his finery to fhow before thofe whom he does not admit to

ufe

ufe it, has yet committed nothing that fhould exclude him from common degrees of kindness. Such improprieties often proceed rather from (tupidity than malice. Those who thus fhine only to dazzle, are influenced merely by custom and example, and neither examine, nor are qualified to examine, the motives of their own practice, or to ftate the nice limits between elegance and of tentation. They are often innocent of the pain which their vanity produces, and infult others when they have no worse purpose than to please themfelves.

He that too much refines his delicacy will always endanger his quiet. Of thofe with whom nature and virtue. oblige us to converfe, fome are ignorant of the arts of pleafing, and offend when they defign to carefs; fome are negligent, and gratify themselves without regard to the quiet of another; fome perhaps are malicious, and feel no greater fatisfaction in profperity, than that of railing envy and trampling inferiority. But whatever be the motive of infult, it is always best to overlook it, for folly scarcely can deserve refentment, and malice is punished by neglect.

SANCTUS HABERI

AGNOSCO PROCEREM.

Juv.

OYLE has obferved, that the ex

STEPNEY.

activity different degrees of merit and

facility of labour, would be much promoted, if the various expedients and contrivances which lie concealed in private hands were by reciprocal communications made generally known; for there are few operations that are not performed by one or other with fome peculiar advantages, which though ingly of little importance, would by conjunction and concurrence open new inlets to knowledge, and give new powers to diligence.

There are, in like manner, feveral moral excellencies diftributed among the different claffes of a community. It was faid by Cujacius, that he never read more than one book, by which he was not inftructed; and he that fhall enquire after virtue with ardour and attention, will feldom find a man by whofe example or fentiments he may not be improved.

Every profeffion has fome effential and appropriate virtue, without which there can be no hope of honour or fuccefs, and which, as it is more or lefs cultivated, confers within it's fphere of

the fubdivifions of mankind under the planets which they fuppofe to influence their lives, the moralift may diftribute them according to the virtues which they neceffarily practife, and confider them as diftinguithed by prudence or fortitude, diligence or patience.

So much are the modes of excellence fettled by time and place, that men may be heard boafting in one street of that which they would anxiously conceal in another. The grounds of fcorn and efteem, the topicks of praife and fatire, are varied according to the feveral virtues or vices which the courfe of life has difpofed men to admire or abhor; but he who is folicitous for his own improvement must not be limited by local reputation, but fele&t from every tribe of mortals their characteristical virtues, and conftellate in himself the scattered graces which fhine fingle in other men.

The chief praife to which a trader afpires is that of punctuality, or an exact and rigorous obfervance of corninercial engagements; nor is there any vice of which he fo much dreads the im

putation,