BOWLES.

what kind of wine he liked beft, he answered That which is drunk at the cost of others."

Though the character of Diogenes has never excited any general zeal of imitation, there are many who refemble him in his taste of wine; many who are frugal, though not abltemious; whofe appetites, though too powerful for reafon, are kept under restraint by avarice; and to whom all delicacies lofe their flavour when they cannot be obtained but at their own expence.

Nothing produces more fingularity of manners and inconftancy of life, than the conflict of oppofite vices in the fame mind. He that uniformly purfues any purpofe, whether good or bad, has a fettled principle of action; and as he may always find affociates who are travelling the fame way, is countenanced by example, and feltered in the multitude; but a man actuated at once by different desires, must move in a direction peculiar to himself, and fuffer that reproach which we are naturally inclined to bestow on thofe who deviate from the rest of the world, even without enquiring whether they are worfe or better. Yet this confli&t of defire fometimes produces wonderful efforts. To riot in far-fetched dishes, or furfeit with onexhausted variety, and yet practise the molt rigid economy, is furely an art which may justly draw the eyes of mankind upon them whofe industry or judgment has enabled them to attain it. To him, indeed, who is content to break open the chefts, or mortgage the manors of his ancestors, that he may hire the minilters of excefs at the highest

we often hear the votaries of luxury boasting of the elegance which they owe to the taste of others, relating with rap ture the fucceffion of difhes with which their cooks and caterers fupply them, and expecting their fhare of praife with the difcoverers of arts and the civilizers of nations. But to fhorten the way to convivial happiness, by eating without coft, is a fecret hitherto in few hands, but certainly deferves the curiofity of those whofe principal enjoyment is their dinner, and who fee the fun rife with no other hope than that they fhall fill their bellies before it fets.

Of them that have within my know. ledge attempted this fcheme of happiness, the greater part have been immediately obliged to defift; and fome, whom their firft attempts flattered with fuccefs, were reduced by degrees to a few tables, from which they were at laft chafed to make way for others; and having long habituated themfelves to fuperfluous plenty, growled away their latter years in difcontented competence.

None enter the regions of luxury with higher expectations than men of wit, who imagine that they shall never want a welcome to that company whose ideas they can enlarge, or whofe imagina tions they can elevate, and believe themfelves able to pay for their wine with the mirth which it qualifies them to produce. Full of this opinion, they crowd, with little invitation, wherever the fmell of a feaft allures them, but are feldom encouraged to repeat their vifits, being dreaded by the pert as rivals, and hated by the dull as disturbers of the company.

No man has been fo happy in gaining and keeping the privilege of living at luxurious houfes as Gulofulus, who after thirty years of continual revelry, has now eftablished, by uncontroverted prefcription, his claim to partake of every entertainment, and whofe prefence they who afpire to the praise of a sumptuous table are careful to procure on a day of importance, by fending the invitation a fortnight before.

Gulofulus entered the world without any eminent degree of merit; but was careful to frequent houfes where perfons of rank reforted. By being often feen, he became in time known; and from fitting in the fame room, was fuffered to mix in idle converfation, or affifted to fill up a vacant hour, when better amusement was not readily to be had. From the coffee-house he was fometimes taken away to dinner; and as no man refufes the acquaintance of him whom he fees admitted to familiarity by others of equal dignity, when he had been met at a few tables, he with lefs difficulty found the way to more, till at last he was regularly expected to appear wherever preparations are made for a feaft, within the circuit of his acquaintance.

When he was thus by accident initiated in luxury, he felt in himself no inclination to retire from a life of fo much pleasure, and therefore very feriously confidered how he might continue it. Great qualities, or uncommon accomplishments, he did not find neceffary; for he had already feen that merit rather enforces refpect than attracts fondness; and as he thought no folly greater than that of lofing a dinner for any other gratification, he often congratulated himlelf, that he had none of that difgufting excellence which impreffes awe upon greatefs, and condemns it's poffeffors to the fociety of those who are wife or brave, and indigent as themselves.

Gulofulus having never allotted much of his time to books or meditation, had no opinion in philofophy or politicks, and was not in danger of injuring his intereft by dogmatical pofitions, or violent contradiction. If a difpute arofe, he took care to liften with earnest attention; and when either fpeaker grew vehement and loud, turned towards him with eager quicknefs, and uttered a hort phrafe of admiration, as if fur

prifed by fuch cogency of argument as he had never known before. By this filent conceffion, he generally preferved in either controvertift fuch a conviction of his own fuperiority, as inclined him rather to pity than irritate his adversary, and prevented thofe outrages which are fometimes produced by the rage of defeat, or petulance of triumph.

Gulofulus was never embarrassed but when he was required to declare his fentiments before he had been able to difcover to which fide the mafter of the houfe inclined, for it was his invariable rule to adopt the notions of those that invited him.

It will fometimes happen that the infolence of wealth breaks into contemptuoufness, or the turbulence of wine requires a vent; and Gulofulus feldom fails of being fingled out on such emergencies, as one on whom any experiment of ribaldry may be fafely tried. Sometimes his lordihip finds himself inclined to exhibit a fpecimen of raillery for the diverfion of his gueft, and Gulofulus always fupplies him with a fubject of merriment. But he has learned to confider rudeness and indignities as familiarities that entitle him to greater freedom: he comforts himself, that thofe who treat and infult him pay for their laughter, and that he keeps his money while they enjoy their jest.

His chief policy confifts in felecting fome difh from every course, and recommending it to the company, with an air fo decifive, that no one ventures to contradict him. By this practice he acquires at a feaft a kind of dictatorial authority; his tafte becomes the standard of pickles and feafoning, and he is venerated by the profeffors of epicurifm, as the only man who understands the niceties of cookery.

Whenever a new fauce is imported, or any innovation made in the culinary fyftem, he procures the earliest intelligence, and the most authentick receipt; and by communicating his knowledge under proper injunctions of secrecy, gains a right of tafting his own dish whenever it is prepared, that he may tell whether his directions have been fully

understood.

By this method of life Gulofulus has fo impreffed on his imagination the dignity of feafting, that he has no other topick of talk, or subject of medita

tion. His calendar is a bill of fare; he measures the year by fucceffive dainties. The only common places of his memory are his meals; and if you ask him at what time an event happened, he confiders whether he heard it after a dinner of turbot or venifon. He knows, indeed, that those who value theinfelves upon fenfe, learning, or piety, speak of

him with contempt; but he confiders them as wretches envious or ignorant, who do not know his happinefs, or with to fupplant him; and declares to his friends, that he is fully fatisfied with his own conduct, fince he has ted every day on twenty dishes, and yet doubled

his eftate.

SUC

UCH is the emptinefs of human enis the are always inpatient of the prefent. Attainment is followed by neglect, and poffeffion by difguft; and the malicious remark of the Greek epigrammatift on marriage may be applied to every other courfe of life, that it's two days of happiness are the first and the laft.

Few moments are more pleafing than thofe in which the mind is concerting measures for a new undertaking. From the first hint that wakens the fancy, till the hour of actual execution, all is improvement and progrefs, triumph and felicity. Every hour brings additions to the original scheme, fuggefts fome new expedient to fecure fuccefs, or difcovers confequential advantages not hitherto forefeen. While preparations are made, and materials accumulated, day glides after day through elyfian profpects, and the heart dances to the fong of hope.

Such is the pleasure of projecting, that many content themselves with a fucceffion of vifionary fchemes, and wear out their allotted time in the calm amufement of contriving what they never attempt or hope to execute.

Others, not able to feast their imagination with pure ideas, advance fome. what nearer to the groffness of action, with great diligence collect whatever is requinte to their defign, and, after a thoufand researches and confultations, are fnatched away by death, as they

FRANCIS.

ftand in proci u waiting for a proper opportunity to begin.

If there were no other end of life, than to find fome adequate folace for every day, I know not whether any condition could be preferred to that of the man who involves himself in his ow thoughts, and never fuffers experience to thew him the vanity of ipeculation; for no fooner are notions reduced practice, than tranquillity and confidence forfake the breaft; every day brings it's talk, and often without bring ing abilities to perform it: difficulties embarrass, uncertainty perplexes, oppolition retards, cenfure exafperates, or neglect depreffes. We proceed, becaufe we have begun; we complete our defign, that the labour already spent may not be vain: but as expectation gra dually dies away, the gay fmile of alacrity difappears, we are compelled to implore feverer powers, and trutt the event to patience and constancy.

When once our labour has begun, the comfort that enables us to endure it is the profpect of it's end; for though in every long work there are fome joyous intervals of felf-applaufe, when the attention is recreated by unexpected facility, and the imagination foothed by incidental excellencies; yet the toil with which performance ftruggles after idea, is fo irksome and disgusting, and fo frequent is the neceffity of refting be low that perfection which we imagined within our reach, that feldom any man 3 M 2

obtains

obtains more from his endeavours than a painful conviction of his defects, and a continual refufcitation of defi es which he feels himself unable to gratify.

So certainly is wearineis the concomitant of our undertakings, that every man, in whatever he is engaged, confoles himself with the hope of change; if he has made his way by affiduity to publick employment, he talks among his friends of the delight of retreat; if by the neceffity of folitary application he is fecluded from the world, he liftens with a beating heart to diftant noifes, longs to mingle with living beings, and refolves to take hereafter his fill of diverfions, or difplay his abilities on the univerfal theatre, and enjoy the pleasure of diftinction and applause.

Every defire, however innocent, grows dangerous, as by long indulgence it beComes afcendant in the mind. When We have been much accustomed to confider any thing as capable of giving happinefs, it is not easy to reftrain our ardour, or to forbear fome precipitation in our advances, and irregularity in our purfuits. He that has cultivated the tree, watched the fwelling bud and opening bloffom, and pleafed himself with computing how much every fun and fhower add to it's growth, scarcely stays till the fruit has obtained it's maturity, but defeats his own cares by eagerness to reward them. When we have diligently laboured for any purpose, we are willing to believe that we have attained it, and, because we have already done much, too fuddenly conclude that no more is to be done.

All attraction is increased by the approach of the attracting body. We never find ourselves fo defirous to finish, as in the latter part of our work, or so impatient of delay, as when we know that delay cannot be long. Thus unfeasonable importunity of difcontent may be partly imputed to languor and wearincfs, which must always oppress thofe more whofe toil has been longer continued; but the greater part ufually proceeds from frequent contemplation of that eafe which is now confidered as within reach, and which, when it has once flattered our hopes, we cannot fuffer to be withheld.

In fome of the nobleft compofitions of wit, the conclufion falls below the vigour and fpirit of the first books; and as a genius is not to be degraded by the

imputation of human failings, the csufe of this declension is commonly fought in the structure of the work, and plau. fible reafons are given why in the defective part lefs ornament was neceflary, or less could be admitted. But, perhaps, the author would have confeded, that his fancy was tired, and his per. feverance broken; that he knew his de fign to be unfinished, but that when he faw the end to near, he could no longer refufe to be at rest..

Against the inftillations of this frigid opiate, the heart fhould be fecured by all the confiderations which once concurred to kindle the ardour of enterprize. Whatever motive first incited action, has ftill greater force to ftimulate perfeve rance; ince he that might have lain m at fit in blameless obfcurity, cannot afterwards defift but with infamy and reproach. He whom a doubtful promile of diftant good could encourage to fet difficulties at d. fiance, ought not to remit his vigour, when he has almost obtained his recompence. To faint or loiter, when only the last efforts are re quired, is to fleer the ship through tem pelts, and abandon it to the winds in fight of land; it is to break the ground and scatter the feed, and at last to neglect the harvest.

The matters of rhetorick direct, that the most forcible arguments be produced in the latter part of an oration, left they fhould be effaced or perplexed by fupervenient images. This precept may be justly extended to the series of life: nothing is ended with honour, which does not conclude better than it began. It is not fufficient to maintain the first vigour; for excellence lofes it's effect upon the mind by cuftom, as light after time ceases to dazzle. Admiration mu be continued by that novelty which first produced it, and how much foever is given, there must always be reafon to imagine that more remains.

We not only are most fenfible of laft impreffions, but fuch is the unwil lingness of mankind to admit tranfcen dent merit, that, though it be difficult to obliterate the reproach of miscarriages by any fubfequent atchievement, however illuftrious, yet the reputation railed by a long train of fuccefs, may be finally ruined by a fingle failure; for weakne or error will be always remembered by that malice and envy which it gratifies

For the prevention of that difgface,