neceffary to gaiety; and that those who defire to partake of the pleasure of wit must contribute to its. production, fince the mind ftagnates without external ventilation, and that effervefcence of the fancy, which flashes into transport, can be raised only by the infufion of diffimilar ideas. NUMB. 102. SATURDAY, March 9, 1751. Ipfa quoque affiduo labuntur tempora motu Non fecus ac fiumen: neque enim confiftere flumen, Ovid. ELPHINSTON. LIFE," fays Seneca, "is a voyage, in the progrefs of which we are perpetually "changing our fcenes: we first leave childhood "behind us, then youth, then the years of ri"pened manhood, then the better and more plea"fing part of old age." The perufal of this paffage having incited in me a train of reflections on the state of man, the inceffant fluctuation of his wishes, the gradual change of his disposition to all external objects, and the thoughtleffnefs with which he floats along the ftream of time, I funk into a flumber amidst my meditations, and, on a fudden found found my ears filled with the tumult of labour, the fhouts of alacrity, the fhrieks of alarm, the whistle of winds, and the dash of waters. My astonishment for a time repreffed my curiofity; but foon recovering myself fo far as to enquire whither we were going, and what was the caufe of fuch clamour and confufion, I was told that they were launching out into the ocean of life; that we had already paffed the ftreights of infancy, in which multitudes had perished, some by the weakness and fragility of their veffels, and more by the folly, perverfenefs, or negligence, of thofe who undertook to fteer them; and that we were now on the main fea, abandoned to the winds and billows, without any other means of fecurity than the care of the pilot, whom it was always in our power to choose among great numbers that offered their direction and affiftance. I then looked round with anxious eagerness; and firft turning my eyes behind me, faw a ftream flowing through Bowery iilands, which every one that failed along feemed to behoid with pleasure; but no fooner touched, than the current, which, though not noify or turbulent, was yet irrefiftible, bore him away. Beyond these islands all was darkness, nor could any of the paffengers defcribe the fhore at which he first embarked. Before me, and on each other fide, was an expanfe of waters violently agitated, and covered with fo thick a mift, that the most perfpicuous eye could fee but a little way. It appeared to be full of rocks and whirlpools, for many funk unexpectedly while they were courting the gale with full fails, and infulting those whom they had left behind. So numerous, indeed, were the dangers, and fo thick the the darkness, that no caution could confer fecurity. Yet there were many, who, by falfe intelligence, betrayed their followers into whirlpools, or by violence pufhed those whom they found in their way against the rocks. The current was invariable and infurmountable; but though it was impoffible to fail against it, or to return to the place that was once paffed, yet it was not fo violent as to allow no opportunities for dexterity or courage, fincè though none could retreat back from danger, yet they might often avoid it by oblique direction. It was, however, not very common to steer with much care or prudence; for by fome univerfal infatuation, every man appeared to think himfelf fafe, though he faw his conforts every moment finking round him; and no fooner had the waves clofed over them, than their fate and their misconduct were forgotten; the voyage was pursued with the fame jocund confidence; every man congratulated himfelf upon the foundinefs of his veffel, and believed himself able to ftem the whirlpool in which his friend was fwallowed, or glide over the rocks on which he was dafhed: nor was it often obferved that the fight of a wreck made any man change his courfe: if he turned afide for a moment, he foon forgot the rudder, and left himself again to the difpofal of chance. This negligence did not proceed from indifference, or from weariness of their prefent condition; for not one of those who thus rufhed upon deftruction, failed, when he was finking, to call loudly upon his affociates for that help which could not now be given him; and many spent their last moments in cautioning others against the folly by which they were intercepted in the midst of their courfe. Their benevolence was fometimes praised, but their admonitions were unregarded. The veffels in which we had embarked being confefedly unequal to the turbulence of the ftream of life, were vifibly impaired in the courfe of the voyage; fo that every paffenger was certain, that how long foever he might, by favourable accidents, or by inceffant vigilance, be preserved, he must fink at last. This neceffity of perishing might have been expected to fadden the gay, and intimidate the daring, at leaft to keep the melancholy and timorous in perpetual torments, and hinder them from any enjoyment of the varieties and gratifications which nature offered them as the folace of their labours; yet in effect none seemed lefs to expect deftruction than those to whom it was most dreadfui; they all had the art of concealing their danger from themselves; and those who knew their inability to bear the fight of the terrors that embarraffed their way, took care never to look forward, but found fome amufement for the prefent moment, and generally entertained themselves by playing with HOPE, who was the constant affociate of the voyage of life. Yet all that HOPE ventured to promife, even to those whom the favoured moft, was, not that they fhould escape, but that they should fink laft; and with this promife every one was fatisfied, though he laughed at the rest for feeming to believe it. HOPE, indeed, apparently mocked the credulity of her companions; for in proportion as their veffels grew leaky, the redoubled her affurances of safety; and none were more bufy in making provifions for a long a long voyage, than they whom all but themselves faw likely to perish foon by irreparable decay. In the midft of the current of life was the gulph. of INTEMPERANCE, a dreadful whirlpool, interfperfed with rocks, of which the pointed crags were concealed under water, and the tops covered with herbage, on which EASE fpread couches of repofe,' and with fhades where PLEASURE warbled the fong of invitation. Within fight of these rocks all who failed on the ocean of life muft neceffarily pafs. REASON, indeed, was always at hand to steer the paffengers through a narrow outlet by which they might efcape; but very few could, by her intreaties or remonftrances, be induced to put the rudder into her hand, without ftipulating that she fhould approach fo near unto the rocks of PLEASURE, that they might folace themselves with a fhort enjoyment of that delicious region, after which they always determined to pursue their courfe without any other deviation. She REASON was too often prevailed upon fo far by these promises, as to venture her charge within the eddy of the gulph of INTEMPERANCE, where, indeed, the circumvolution was weak, but yet interrupted the courfe of the veffel, and drew it, by infenfible rotations, towards the centre. then repented her temerity, and with all her force endeavoured to retreat; but the draught of the gulph was generally too ftrong to be overcome; and the paffenger, having danced in circles with a pleafing and giddy velocity, was at laft overwhelmed and loft. Thofe few whom REASON was able to extricate, generally fuffered fo many fhocks upon the points which shot out from the rocks of PLEASURE, that they were unable to continue |