to estimate their virtues by their vices. To this fatal error all thofe will contribute, who consound the colours of right and wrong, and, instead of helping to settle their boundaries, mix them with so much art, that no common mind is able to disunite them. In narratives, where historical veracity has no place, I cannot discover why there should not be exhibited the most persect idea of virtue; of virtue not angelical, nor above probability, for what we cannot credit we shall never imitate, but the highest and purest that humanity can reach, which, exercised in such trials as the various revolutions of things shall bring upon it, may, by conquering some calamities, and enduring others, teach us what we may hope, and what we can persorm. Vice, for vice is necessary to be shewn, should always disgust; nor should the graces of gaiety, or the dignity of courage, be so united with it, as to reconcile it to the mind. Wherever it appears, it should raise hatred by the malignity of its practices, and contempt by the meanness of its stratagems; for while it is supported by either parts or spirit, it will be seldom heartily abhorred. The Roman tyrant was content to be hated, is he w.is but seared; and there arc thoufands of the readers of romances willing to be thought wicked, is they may be allowed to be wits. It is theresore to be steadily inculcated, that virtue is the highest proofos understanding, and the only solid basis of greatness; and that vice is the natural consequence of narrow thoughts; that it begins in mistake, and ends in ignominy.

Numb. 5. Tuesday, Aprils J75o.

Et munc email agtr, tiunc emnit farturit arbos,

Kumc frondent Jil,uæ, nunc ftrmojijjimm annul. ViRG,

Now ev'ry field, now ev'ry tree is green;

Now genial nature's ftirest face is seen. Elphinston.

EVERY man is sufficiently discontented with some circumstances of his present state, to suffer his imagination to range more or less in quest of future happiness, and to fix upon some point of time, in which, by the removal of the inconvenience which now perplexes him, or acquisition of the advantage which he at present wants,' he shall find the condition of his lise very much improved.

When this time, which is too often expected with great impatience, at last arrives, it generally comes without the blessing for which it was desired i but we solace ourselves with some new prospect, and press forward again with equal eagerness.

It js lucky for a man, in whom this temper prevails, when he turns his hopes upon things wholly out of his own power; since he forbears then to precipitate his affairs, for the sake of the great event that is to complete his selicity, and waits for the blissful hour with less neglect of the measures necessary to be taken in the mean time.

I have

I have long known a person of this temper, who indulged his dream of happiness with less hurt to himself than such chimerical wishes commonly produce, and adjusted his scheme with such address, that his hopes were in sull bloom three parts of the nd in the other part never wholly blasted, Many, perhaps, would be desirous of learning by what means he procured to himlelf such a cheap and lasting satissaction. It was gained by a constant practice of reserring the removal of all his uneasiness to the coming of the next spring; if his health was impaired, the spring would restore it; if what he wanted was at a high price, it would sall its value in the spring.

The spring indeed did often come without any of these efsects, but he was always certain that the next would be more propitious; nor was ever convinced, that the present spring would sail him before the middle of summer; for he always talked of the spring as coming till it was past, and when it was once past, every one agreed with him that it was coming.

By long converse with this man, I am, perhaps, brought to seel immoderate pleasure in the contemplation of this delightsul season; but I have the satissaction of finding many, whom it can be no shame to resemble, insected with the same enthusiasm; for there is, I believe, scarce any poet of eminence, who has not lest some testimony of his fondness for the flowers, the zephyrs, and the warblers of the spring. Nor has the most luxuriant imagination been able to describe the serenity and; 5 happiness happiness of the golden age, otherwise than by giving a perpetual spring, as r,he highest reward of uncorrupted innocence.

There is, indeed, something inexpressibly pleasing in the annual renovation of the world, and the new display of the treasures of nature. The eold and darkness of winter, with the naked deformity of every object on which we turn our eyes, make us rejoice at the succeeding season, as well for what we have escaped, as for what we may enjoy t and every budding flower, which a warm situation brings early to our view, is considered by us as a messenger to notisy the approach of more joyous days.

The Sprino affords to a mind, so free from the disturbance of cares or passions as to be vacant to calm amusements, almost every thing that our present state makes us capable of enjoying. The variegated verdure of the fields and woods, the succession of grateful odours, the voice of pleasure pouring out its notes on every side, with the gladneis apparently conceived by every animal, from the growth' of his food, and the clemency of the weather, throw over the whole earth an air of gaiety, significantly expressed by the smile of nature.

Yet there are men to whom these scenes are able to give no delight, and who hurry away from all the varieties of rural beauty, to lofe their hours and divert their thoughts by cards, or assemblies, a tavern dinner, dr the prattle of the day.

It may be laid down as a position which will seldom deceive, that when a man cannot bear his own company there is something wrong. He must fly'

srom

from himself, either because he seels a tediousness in lise from the equipoise of an empty mind, which, having no tendency to one motion more than another but as it is impelled by some external power, must always have recourse to foreign objects; or he must be afraid of the intrusion of some unpleasing ideas, and, perhaps, is struggling to escape from the remembrance of a lofs, the sear of a calamity, or some other thought of greater horror.

Thofe whom sorrow incapacitates to enjoy the pleasures of contemplation, may properly apply to such diversions, provided they are innocent, as lay strong hold on the attention; and thofe, whom sear of any suture asfliction chains down to misery, must endeavour to obviate the danger.

My considerations shall, on this occasion, be turned on such as are burdensome to themselves merely because they want subjects for reflection, and to whom the volume of nature is thrown open, without affording them pleasure or instruction, because they never learned to read the characters.

A French author has advanced this seeming paradox, that 'very few men know how to take a walk; and, indeed, it is true, that sew know how to take a walk with a profpect of any other pleasure, than the same company would have afforded them at home.

There are animals that borrow their colour from the neighbouring body, and consequently vary their hue as tin y happen to change their place. In like manner it ought to be the endeavour of every man to derive his reflections from the objects about

him;