deceive us. We are unhappy, at least less happy than our nature feems to admit; we neceffarily defire the melioration of our lot; what we defire we very reasonably seek, and what we seek we are naturally eager to believe that we have found. Our confidence is often difappointed, but our reason is not convinced, and there is no man who does not hope for fomething which he has not, though perhaps his wishes lie unactive, because he forefees the difficulty of attainment. As among the numerous ftudents of Hermetick philofophy, not one appears to have defifted from the task of tranfmutation, from conviction of its impoffibility, but from weariness of toil, or impatience of delay, a broken body, or exhaufted fortune.

Irrefolution and mutability are often the faults of men, whofe views are wide, and whofe imagination is vigorous and excurfive, because they cannot confine their thoughts within their own boundaries, of action, but are continually ranging over all the fcenes of human exiftence, and confequently are often apt to conceive that they fall upon new regions of pleasure, and start new poffibilities of happinefs. Thus they are bufied with a perpetual fucceffion of schemes, and pass their lives in alternate elation and forrow, for want of that calm and immoveable acquiefcence in their condition, by which men of flower understandings are fixed for ever to a certain point, or led on in the plain beaten track, which their fathers and grand-fires have trod before them.

Of two conditions of life equally inviting to the profpect, that will always have the difadvantage which we have already tried; because the evils which we have felt we cannot extenuate; and

though

though we have, perhaps from nature, the power as well of aggravating the calamity which we fear, as of heightening the bleffing we expect, yet in those meditations which we indulge by choice, and which are not forced upon the mind by neceffity, we have always the art of fixing our regard upon the more pleafing images, and fuffer hope to dispose the lights by which we look upon futurity.

The good and ill of different modes of life are fometimes fo equally oppofed, that perhaps no man ever yet made his choice between them upon a full conviction and adequate knowledge; and therefore fluctuation of will is not more wonderful, when they are propofed to the election, than ofcillations of a beam charged with equal weights. The mind no fooner imagines itself determined by fome prevalent advantage, than fome convenience of equal weight is difcovered on the other fide, and the refolutions which are fuggefted by the niceft examination, are often repented as foon as they are taken.

Eumenes, a young man of great abilities, inherited a large eftate from a father, long eminent in confpicuous employments. His father, haraffed with competitions, and perplexed with multiplicity of business recommended the quiet of a private ftation with fo much force, that Eumenes for fome years refisted every motion of ambitious wishes; but being once provoked by the fight of oppreffion, which he could not redress, he began to think it the duty of an honest man to enable himfelf to protect others, and gradually felt a defire of greatness, excited by a thousand projects of advantage to his country. His fortune placed him in the fenate, his knowledge and eloquence advanced

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him at court, and he poffeffed that authority and influence which he had refolved to exert for the happiness of mankind.

He now became acquainted with greatness, and was in a fhort time convinced, that in proportion as the power of doing well is enlarged, the temptations to do ill are multiplied and enforced. He felt himself every moment in danger of being either feduced or driven from his honeft purposes. Sometimes a friend was to be' gratified, and fometimes a rival to be crushed, by means which his confcience could not approve. Sometimes he was forced to comply with the prejudices of the publick, and fometimes with the fchemes of the ministry. He was by degrees wearied with perpetual ftruggles to unite policy and virtue, and went back to retirement as the shelter of innocence, perfuaded that he could only hope to benefit mankind by a blameless example of private virtue. Here he spent fome years in tranquillity and beneficence; but finding that corruption increased, and falfe opinions in government prevailed, he thought himself again fummoned to posts of publick truft, from which new evidence of his own weakness again determined him to retire.

Thus men may be made inconftant by virtue and by vice by too much or too little thought; yet inconftancy, however dignified by its motives, is always to be avoided, becaufe life allows us but a small time for enquiry and experiment, and he that steadily endeavours at excellence, in whatever employment, will more benefit mankind than he that hesitates in chufing his part till he is called to the performance. The traveller that refolutely follows a rough and winding path, will fooner

reach

reach the end of his journey, than he that is always changing his direction, and wastes the hours of daylight in looking for fmoother ground and fhorter paffages.

NUMB. 64. SATURDAY, October 27, 1750.

Idem velle, et idem nolle, ea demum firma amicitia eft.

SALLUST.

To live in friendship is to have the fame defires and the fame averfions.

HEN Socrates was building himself a house

at Athens, being asked by one that observed the littleness of the defign, why a man so eminent would not have an abode more fuitable to his dignity? he replied, that he fhould think himself fufficiently accommodated, if he could fee that narrow habitation filled with real friends. Such was the opinion of this great mafter of human life, concerning the infrequency of fuch an union of minds as might deferve the name of friendship, that among the multitudes whom vanity or curiofity, civility or veneration, crouded about him, he did not expect, that very fpacious apartments would be neceffary to contain all that should regard. him with fincere kindness, or adhere to him with. fteady fidelity.

So many qualities are indeed requifite to the poffibility of friendship, and fo many accidents must concur to its rife and its continuance, that the greatest part of mankind content themselves without it, and supply its place as they can, with interest and dependance.

Multitudes are unqualified for a conftant and warm reciprocation of benevolence, as they are

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incapacitated for any other elevated excellence, by perpetual attention to their interest, and unrefifting fubjection to their paffions. Long habits may fuperinduce inability to deny any defire, or reprefs, by fuperior motives, the importunities of any immediate gratification, and an inveterate felfifhnefs will imagine all advantages diminished in proportion as they are communicated.

But not only this hateful and confirmed corruption, but many varieties of difpofition, not inconfiftent with common degrees of virtue, may exclude friendship from the heart. Some ardent enough in their benevolence, and defective neither in officioufnefs nor liberality, are mutable and uncer◄ tain, foon attracted by new objects, difgufted without offence, and alienated without enmity. Others are foft and flexible, eafily influenced by reports or whispers, ready to catch alarms from every dubious circumftance, and to listen to every fufpicion which envy and flattery fhall fuggeft, to follow the opinion of every confident advifer, and move by the impulfe of the last breath. Some are impatient of contradiction, more willing to go wrong by their own judgment, than to be indebted for a better or a fafer way to the fagacity of another, inclined to confider counfel as infult, and enquiry as want of confidence, and to confer their regard on no other terms than unreferved fubmiffion and implicit compliance. Some are dark and involved, equally careful to conceal good and bad purpofes; and pleased with producing effects by invisible means, and fhewing their defign only in its execution. Others are univerfally communicative, alike open to every eye, and equally profufe of their own fecrets and thofe of others, without the neceffary vigilance