which laffitude and negligence may bring at laft upon the greateft performances, it is neceffary to proportion carefully our labour to our strength. If the design comprifes many parts, equally effential, and therefore not to be feparated, the only time for caution is before we engage; the powers of the mind must be then impartially estimated, and it muft be remembered, that not to complete the plan, is not to have begun it; and that nothing is done, while any thing is omitted. But, if the task confifts in the repetition of fingle acts, no one of which derives it's efficacy from the reft, it may be attempted with lefs fcruple, becaufe there is always opportunity to retreat with honour. The danger is only, left we expect from the world the indulgence with which most are difpofed to treat themfelves; and in the hour of hitlersnefs imagine, that the diligence of one day will atone for the idleneis of another, and that applaufe begun by approbation will be continued by habit. He that is himself weary will foon weary the publick. Let him therefore lay down his employment, whatever it be, who can no longer exert his former activity or attention; let him not endea your to struggle with cenfure, or obiti.? nately infeft the tage till a general hif commands him to depart. N° CCVIII. SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1752. Ηράκλειτος ἐγώ· τί με ῶ κά τω ἔλκετ' ἄμέσα ; DIOG. I AERT. BE GONE, YE BLOCKHEADS, HERACLITUS CRIES, IME, which puts an end to all Thuman pleafures and forrows, has likewife concluded the labours of the Rambler. Having fupported, for two years, the anxious employment of a periodical writer, and multiplied my effays to four volumes, I have now determin. ed to defift. The reafons of this refolution it is of little importance to declare, fince juftification is unnecessary when no objection is made. I am far from fuppofing, that the ceffation of my performances will raife any inquiry, for I have never been much a favourite of the publick, nor can boast that, in the progress of my undertaking, I have been animated by the rewards of the liberal, the careffes of the great, or the praises of the eminent. But I have no defign to gratify pride by fubmiffion, or malice by lamentation; nor think it reafonable to complain of neglect from thofe whofe regard I never folicited. If I have not been diftinguifhed by the diftributors of literary honours, I have feldom defcended to the arts by which favour is obtained. I have feen the meteors of fashion rife and fall, without any attempt to add a moment to their duration. I have never complied with temporary curiofity, nor enabled my readers to difcufs the topick of the day; I have rarely exemplified my affertions by living characters; in my papers, no man could look for cenfures of his enemies, or praifes of himfelf; and they only were expected to perufe them, whofe paffions left them kilure for abstracted truth, and whom virtue could please by it's naked dignity. To fome, however, I am indebted for encouragemeat, and to others for affilt ance. The number of my friends was never great, but they have been fuch ag would not fuffer me to think that I was writing in vain, and I did not feel muck dejection from the want of popularity. My obligations having not been frequent, my acknowledgments may be foon difpatched. I can restore to all my correfpondents their productions, with little diminution of the bulk of my volumes, though not without the lofs of fome pieces to which particular honours have been paid. The parts from which I claim no other other praife than that of having given them an opportunity of appearing, are the four billets in the tenth paper, the fecond letter in the fifteenth, the thirtieth, the forty-fourth, the ninety-feventh, and the hundredth papers, and the fecond letter in the hundred and feventh. Having thus deprived myself of many excutes which candour might have admitted for the inequality of my compofitions, being no longer able to allege the neceflity of gratifying correfpondents, the importunity with which publication was folicited, or obftinacy with which correction was rejected, I muft remain accountable for all my faults, and fubmit, without fubterfuge, to the cenfures of criticilin, which, however, I fhall not endeavour to foften by a formal deprecation, or to overbear by the influence of a patron. The fupplications of an author never yet reprieved him a moment from oblivion; and, though greatness has fometimes fheltered guilt, it can afford no protection to ignorance or dulnefs. Having hitherto attempted only the propagation of truth, I will not at laft violate it by the confeffion of terrors which I do not feel; having laboured to maintain the dignity of virtue, I will not now degrade it by the mcannefs of dedication. The feeming vanity with which I have fometimes poken of myself, would perhaps require an apology, were it not extenuated by the example of those who have published oflays before me, and by the privilege which every namclefs writer has been hitherto allowed. A mafk, fays Caftiglione, confers a right of acting and speaking with lefs reftraint, even when the wearer happens to be known.' He that is difcovered without his own confent, may claim fome indulgence, and cannot be rigorously called to justify thofe fallies or frolicks which his difguife muft prove him defirous to conceal. But I have been cautious left this offence fhould be frequently or grofsly committed; for, as one of the philofophers directs us to live with a friend,, as with one that is fome time to become an enemy, I have always thought it the duty of an anonymous author to write, as if he expected to be hereafter known. I am willing to flatter myfelf with hopes, that, by collecting thefe papers, I am not preparing, for my future life, either thame or repentance. That all are happily imagined, or accurately pe lifhed, that the fame fentiments have not fometimes recurred, or the fame expreffions been too frequently repeated, I have not confidence in my abilities fufficient to warrant. He that condemns himself to compofe on a ftated day, will often bring to his task an attention diffipated, a memory embarraffed, an imagination overwhelmed, a mind diftracted with anxieties, a body languishing with dif eafe: he will labour on a barren topick, till it is too late to change it; or, in the ardour of invention, diffufe his thoughts into wild exuberance, which the preffing hour of publication cannot suffer judgment to examine or reduce. Whatever fhall be the final fentence of mankind, I have at least endeavoured to deferve their kindness. I have laboured to refine our language to grammatical purity, and to clear it from col loquial barbarifms, licentious idioms, and irregular combinations. Something, perhaps, I have added to the elegance of i's conftruction, and fomething to the harmony of it's cadence. When common words were lefs pleafing to the ear, or less distinct in their fignification, I have familiarized the terms of philofophy by applying them to popular ideas, but have rarely admitted any word not authorized by former writers; for I believe that whoever knows the English tongue in it's prefent extent, will be able to exprefs his thoughts without further help from other nations. As it has been my principal defign to inculcate wifdom or piety, I have allotted few papers to the idle sports of ima gination. Some, perhaps, may be found, of which the highest excellence is harm. lefs merriment; but fcarcely any man is fo fteadily ferious as not to complain, that the feverity of dictatorial inftruction has been too feldom relieved, and that he is driven by the fternnefs of the Rambler's philofophy to more cheerful and airy companions. Next to the excurfions of fancy are the difquifitions of criticifin, which, in my opinion, is only to be ranked among the fubordinate and inftrumental arts. Arbitrary decifion and general exclamation I have carefully avoided, by afferting nothing without a reafon, and establishing all my principles of judgment on unalterable and evident truth. In the pictures of life I have never heen fo ftudious of novelty or furprize, as to depart wholly from all refemblance; a fault which writers defervedly cele brated frequently commit, that they may raife, as the occafion requires, either mirth or abhorrence. Some enlargement may be allowed to declamation, and fome exaggeration to burlesque; but as they deviate further from reality, they become lefs ufeful, because their leffons will fail of application. The mind of the reader is carried away from the contemplation of his own manners; he finds in himfelf no likenefs to the phantom before him; and though he laughs or rages, is not reformed. The effays profelfedly ferious, if I have been able to execute my own in tentions, will be found exactly conformable to the precepts of Chriftianity, without any accommodation to the licentiounefs and levity of the prefent age. I therefore look back on this part of my work with pleafure, which no blame or praife of man fhall diminish or augment. fhall never envy the honours which wit and learning obtain in any other caufe, if I can be numbered among the writers who have given ardour to virtue, and confidence to truth. Αὐτῶν ἐκ μακά ρῶν ἀντάξιν εἶπ' αμοιβή. RINI S. CONTENT S. PAGE NUMB. VOLUME THE FIRST. 1. Difficulty of the firft Addrefs. Practice of the Epick Poets. Convenience of Periodical Performances 11. The Neceffity and Danger of looking into Futurity. Writers naturally fanguine. Their Hopes liable to Disappointment 1. An Allegory on Criticism v. The modern Form of Romances preferable to the ancient. The Ne vi. Happiness not local 3333 31 33 36 39 48 VII. Retirement natural to a great Mind. It's religious Use VIII. The Thoughts to be brought under Regulation; as they respect the Ix. The Fondness of every Man for his Profeffion. The gradual Improve ment of Manufactures x. Four Billets with their Answers. Remarks on Masquerades XIV. The Difference between an Author's Writings and his Conversation xv. The Folly of Cards. A Letter from a Lady that has loft her Money XVI. The Dangers and Mileries of literary Eminence XVII. The frequent Contemplation of Death neceffary to moderate the XVIII. The Unhappiness of Marriage caused by irregular Motives of Choice 43- of the early Choice of a Profeffion 46 xx. The Folly and Inconvenience of Affectation 49 xxI. The Anxieties of Literature not less than those of publick Stations. The Inequality of Authors Writings 51 XXII. An Allegory on Wit and Learning 53 XXIII. The Contrariety of Criticifm. The Vanity of Objection. An Au thor obliged to depend upon his own Judgment 55 tural Character not to be forfaken XXIV. The Neceflity of attending to the Duties of common Life. The na xxv. Rafhnefs preferable to Cowardice. Enterprize not to be repreffed XXIX. The Folly of anticipating Misfortunes Axxx. The Obfervance of Sunday recommended; an Allegory |