found her in the garden, bustling and vigilant, with all the tokens of long life.

Sometimes, however, the fell into distempers, and was thrice given up by the doctor, yet she found means of flipping through the gripe of death, and after having tortured me three months at each time with violent alternations of hope and fear, came out of her chamber without any other hurt than the lofs of flesh, which in a few weeks fhe recovered by broths and jellies.

As most have fagacity fufficient to guefs at the defires of an heir, it was the conftant practice of those who were hoping at fecond hand, and endeavoured to fecure my favour against the time when I fhould be rich, to pay their court, by informing me that my aunt began to droop, that fhe had lately a bad night, that the coughed feebly, and that she could never climb May hill ; or at least, that the autumn would carry her off. Thus was I flattered in the winter with the piercing winds of March, and in fummer with the fogs of September. But fhe lived through spring and fall, and fet heat and cold at defiance, till after near half a century, I buried her on the fourteenth of last June, aged ninety-three years, five months, and fix days.

For two months after her death I was rich, and was pleafed with that obfequioufnefs and reverence which wealth inftantaneously procures. But this joy is now paft, and I have returned again to my old habit of wifhing. Being accuftomed to give the future full power over my mind, and to ftart away from the fcene before me to fome unexpected enjoyment, I deliver up myself to the tyranny of every defire which

fancy

fancy fuggefts, and long for a thousand things which I am unable to procure. Money has much lefs power than is afcribed to it by those that want it. I had formed fchemes which I cannot execute, I had fuppofed events which do not come to pafs, and the rest of my life muft pafs in craving folicitude, unless you can find fome remedy for a mind, corrupted with an inveterate difeafe of wifhing, and unable to think on any thing but wants, which reafon tells me will never be fupplied.

I am, &c.

CUPIDUS.

NUMB. 74. SATURDAY, Dec. 1, 1750.

Rixatur de laná fæpe caprina.

For nought tormented, the for nought torments.

HOR.

ELPHINSTON.

MEN feldom give pleasure, where they are.

not pleafed themselves; it is neceffary, therefore, to cultivate an habitual alacrity and cheerfulness, that in whatever ftate we may be placed by Providence, whether we are appointed to confer or receive benefits, to implore or to afford protection, we may fecure the love of : those with whom we tranfact. For though it is generally imagined, that he who grants favours, may spare any attention to his behaviour, and that usefulnefs will always procure friends; yet it has been found that there is an art of granting requests, an art very difficult of attainment;

15

that

that officiousness and liberality may be so adulter ated, as to lofe the greater part of their effect; that compliance may provoke, relief may harafs, and liberality diftrefs.

No disease of the mind can more fatally difable it from benevolence, the chief duty of focial beings, than ill-humour or peevishness; for though it breaks not out in paroxyfms of outrage, nor bursts into clamour, turbulence, and bloodshed, it wears out happiness by flow corrofion, and fmall injuries inceffantly repeated. It may be confidered as the canker of life, that deftroys its vigour and checks its improvement, that creeps on with hourly depredations, and taints and vitiates what it cannot confume.

Peevishness, when it has been fo far indulged, as to outrun the motions of the will, and discover itself without premeditation, is a fpecies of depravity in the highest degree difgufting and offenfive; because no rectitude of intention nor softness of addrefs, can enfure a moment's exemption from affront and indignity. While we are courting the favour of a peevish man, and exerting ourselves in the most diligent civility, an unlucky fyllable displeases, an unheeded circumftance ruffles and exafperates; and in the moment when we congratulate ourselves upon having gained a friend, our endeavours are frustrated at once, and all our affiduity forgotten in the cafual tumult of fome trifling irritation.

This troublesome impatience is sometimes nothing more than the symptom of fome deeper malady. He that is angry without daring to confefs his refentment, or forrowful without the liberty of telling his grief, is too frequently inclined to

give vent to the fermentations of his mind at the firft paffages that are opened, and to let his paffions boil over upon those whom accident throws in his way. A painful and tedious courfe of ficknefs frequently produces fuch an alarming apprehenfion of the leaft increase of uneafinefs, as keeps the foul perpetually on the watch, fuch a restless and inceffant folicitude, as no care or tenderness can appeafe, and can only be pacified by the cure of the diftemper, and the removal of that pain by which it is excited.

Nearly approaching to this weaknefs, is the captiousness of old age. When the ftrength is crushed, the fenfes dulled, and the common pleasures of life become infipid by repetition, we are willing to impute our uneafinefs to caufes not wholly out of our power, and please ourselves with fancying that we fuffer by neglect, unkindnefs, or any evil which admits a remedy, rather than by the decays of nature, which cannot be prevented or repaired. We therefore revenge our pains upon thofe on whom we refolve to charge them; and too often drive mankind away at the time we have the greatest need of tenderness and affiftance.

But though peevishnefs may fometimes claim our compaflion, as the confequence or concomi tant of mifery, it is very often found, where nothing can justify or excufe its admiffion. It is frequently one of the attendants on the profper ous, and is employed by infolence in exacting homage, or by tyranny in haraffing subjection. It is the offspring of idleness or pride; of idleness anxious for trifles; or pride unwilling to en dure the leaft obftruction of her wishes. Thofe

who

who have long lived in folitude indeed naturally contract this unfocial quality, becaufe, having long had only themselves to please, they do not readily depart from their own inclinations; their fingularities therefore are only blameable, when they have imprudently or morofely withdrawn themselves from the world; but there are others, who have, without any neceffity, nurfed up this habit in their minds, by making implicit fubmiffivenefs the condition of their favour, and fuffering none to approach them, but those who never speak but to applaud, or move but to obey.

He that gives himself up to his own fancy, and converfes with none but fuch as he hires to lulk him on the down of abfolute authority, to footh him with obfequiousness, and regale him with flattery, foon grows too flothful for the labour of conteft, too tender for the afperity of contradiction, and too delicate for the coarfeness of truth; a little oppofition offends, a little restraint enrages, and a little difficulty perplexes him; having been accustomed to fee every thing give way to his humour, he foon forgets his own littlenefs, and expects to find the world rolling at his beck, and all mankind employed to accommodate and delight him.

Tetrica had a large fortune bequeathed to her by an aunt, which made her very early independent, and placed her in a state of fuperiority to all about her. Having no fuperfluity of understanding, she was foon intoxicated by the flatteries of her maid, who informed her that ladies, fuch as fhe, had nothing to do but take pleasure their own way; that she wanted nothing from others, and had

therefore