Nugaculus was distinguished in his earlier years by an uncommon livelinefs of imagination, quickness of fagacity, and extent of knowledge. When he entered into life, he applied himself with particular inquifitivenefs to examine the various motives of human actions, the complicated influence of mingled affections, the different modifications of intereft and ambition, and the various causes of miscarriage and fuccess both in publick and private affairs.

Though his friends did not difcover to what purpose all these obfervations were collected, or how Nugaculus would much improve his virtue or his fortune by an inceffant attention to changes of countenance, burfts of inconfideration, fallies of paffion, and all the other cafualties by which he ufed to trace a character, yet they could not deny the ftudy of human nature to be worthy of a wife man; they therefore flattered his vanity, applauded his discoveries, and liftened with fubmiffive modefty to his lectures on the uncertainty of inclination, the weakness of refolves, and the inftability of temper, to his account of the various motives which agitate the mind, and his ridicule of the modern dream of a ruling paffion.

Such was the first incitement of Nugaculus to a close inspection into the conduct of mankind. He had no intereft in view, and therefore no defign of fupplantation; he had ne malevolence, and therefore detected faults without any intention to expose them; but having once found the art of engaging his attention upon others, he had no inclination to call it back to himself, but has paffed his time in keeping a watchful eye upon every rifing

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rifing character, and lived upon a small eftate without any thought of encreasing it.

He is, by continual application, become a general master of fecret hiftory, and can give an account of the intrigues, private marriages, competitions, and ftratagems, of half a century. He knows the mortgages upon every man's eftate, the terms upon which every fpendthrift raises his money, the real and reputed fortune of every lady, the jointure ftipulated by every contract, and the expectations of every family from maiden aunts and childless acquaintances. He can relate the economy of every houfe, knows how much one man's cellar is robbed by his butler, and the land of another underlet by his fteward; he can tell where the manor-houfe is falling, though large fums are yearly paid for repairs; and where the tenants are felling woods without the consent of the owner.

To obtain all this intelligence he is inadvertently guilty of a thoufand acts of treachery. He fees no man's fervant without draining him of his truft; he enters no family without flattering the children into difcoveries; he is a perpetual fpy upon the doors of his neighbours; and knows by long experience, at whatever distance, the looks of a creditor, a borrower, a lover, and a pimp.

Nugaculus is not ill-natured, and therefore his industry has not hitherto been very mischievous to others, or dangerous to himfelf; but fince he cannot enjoy this knowledge but by discovering it, and, if he had no other motive to loquacity, is obliged to traffick like the chymifts, and purchase one fecret with another; he is every day more hated as he is more known; for he is confidered

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by great numbers as one that has their fame and their happiness in his power, and no man can much love him of whom he lives in fear.

Thus has an intention, innocent at firft, if not laudable, the intention of regulating his own behaviour by the experience of others, by an accidental declenfion of minutenefs, betrayed Nugaculus, not only to a foolish, but vicious waste of a life which might have been honourably paffed in publick fervices or domeftick virtues. He has loft his original intention, and given up his mind to employments that engross, but do not improve it.

NUMB. 104. SATURDAY, March 16, 1751.

-Nihil eft quod credere de fe

Non poffit

None e'er rejects hyperboles of praise.

THE

JUVENAL.

HE apparent infufficiency of every individual to his own happiness or safety, compels us to feek from one another affiftance and support. The neceffity of joint efforts for the execution of any great or extenfive defign, the variety of powers diffeminated in the fpecies, and the proportion between the defects and excellencies of different perfons, demand an interchange of help and communication of intelligence, and by frequent reciprocations of beneficence unite mankind in society and friendship.

If it can be imagined that there ever was a time when the inhabitants of any country were in a state

of equality, without diftinction of rank or peculiarity of poffeffions, it is reasonable to believe that every man was then loved in proportion as he could contribute by his ftrength, or his skill, to the supply of natural wants; there was then little room for peevish diflike or capricious favour: the affection admitted into the heart was rather esteem than tenderness; and kindness was only purchafed by benefits. But when by force or policy, by wifdom or by fortune, property and fuperiority were introduced and established, fo that many were condemned to labour for the fupport of a few, then they whofe poffeflions fwelled above their wants naturally laid out their fuperfluities upon pleasure; and those who could not gain friendship by neceffary offices endeavoured to promote their interest by luxurious gratifications, and to create need which they might be courted to fupply.

The defires of mankind are much more numerous than their attainments, and the capacity of imagination much larger than actual enjoyment. Multitudes are therefore unfatisfied with their allotment; and he that hopes to improve his condition by the favour of another, and either finds no room for the exertion of great qualities, or perceives himself excelled by his rivals, will by other expedients endeavour to become agreeable where he cannot be important, and learn, by degrees, to number the art of pleafing among the most useful tudies and moft valuable acquifitions,

This art, like others, is cultivated in proportion to its usefulness, and will always flourish most where it is most rewarded; for this reafon we find it practifed with great affiduity under abfolute governments, where honours and riches are in

the

the hands of one man, whom all endeavour to propitiate, and who foon becomes fo much accuftomed to compliance and officioufnefs, as not easily to find, in the most delicate addrefs, that novelty which is neceffary to procure attention.

It is difcovered by a very few experiments, that no man is much pleafed with a companion, who does not increafe, in fome refpect, his fondnefs of himfelf; and, therefore, he that wifhes rather to be led forward to profperity by the gentle hand of favour, than to force his way by labour and merit, muft confider with more care how to display his patron's excellencies than his own; that whenever he approaches, he may fill the imagination with pleafing dreams, and chafe away difguft and wearinefs by a perpetual fucceffion of delightful images.

This may, indeed, fometimes be affected by turning the attention upon advantages which are really poffeffed, or upon profpects which reafon fpreads before hope; for whoever can deferve or require to be courted, has generally, either from nature or from fortune, gifts, which he may review with fatisfaction, and of which when he is artfully recalled to the contemplation, he will feldom be difpleased.

But those who have once degraded their understanding to an application only to the paffions, and who have learned to derive hope from any other fources than induftry and virtue, feldom retain dignity and magnanimity fufficient to defend them against the conftant recurrence of temptation to falfehood. He that is too defirous to be loved, will foon learn to flatter, and when he has exhaufted

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