a thoufand duties unpersormed, and wish, vainly .wish for his return, not so much that we may receive, as that we may bestow happiness, and recompense that kindness which besore we never understood. There is not, perhaps, to a mind well instructed, a more painsul occurrence, than the death of one whom we have injured without reparation. Our crime seems now irretrievable, it is indelibly recorded, and the stamp of fate is fixed upon it. We consider, with the most afflictive anguish, the pain which we have given, and now cannot alleviate, and the losses which we have caused, and now cannot repair. Of the fame kind are the emotions which the death of an emulator or competitor produces. Whoever had qualities to alarm our jealousy, had excellence to deserve our fondness, and to whatever ardour of opposition interest may inslame us, no man ever outlived an enemy, whom he did not then wish to have made a friend. Thofe who are versed in literary history know that the elder Scaliger was the redoubted antagonist of Cardan and Erasmus; yet at the death of each of his great rivals he relented, and complained that they were snatched away from him besore their reconciliation was completed. Tu-ne ill am moreris? A)! quid me linguis, Erasme, Art thou too fall'n? ere anger could subside Such Such are the sentiments with which we finally review the effects of passion, but which we sometimes delay till we can no longer rectisy our errors. Let us therefore make haste to do what we shall certainly at last wish to have done; let us return the caresses of our friends, and endeavour by mutual endearments to heighten that tenderness which is the balm of lise. Let us be quick to repent of injuries while repentance may not be a barren anguish, and let us open our eyes to every rival excellence, and pay early and willingly thofe honours which justice will compel us to pay at last. Athanatus. Numb. 55. Tuesday, Sept. 25, 1750. Mature propior define yimeri Inter ludert •uirgints. Nenfiquid Plolcensatis Now near to death that comes but flow. To the RAMBLER. S I R, I HAVE been but a little time converfant in the woild, yet I have already had frequent opportunities of observing the little efficacy of remonstrance and complaint, which, however extorted by oppression, or supported by reason, are detested by one part of the world as rebellion, censured by another as peevishness, by some heard with an appearance of compassion, only to betray any of thofe fallies of vehemence and resentment, which are apt to break out upon encouragement, and by others passed over with indifference and neglect, as matters in which they have no concern, and which is they should endeavour to examine or regulate, they might draw mischies upon themselves. 6 Yet Yet since it is no less natural for thofe who think themselves injured to complain, than for others to neglect their complaints, I shall venture to lay my case before you, in hopes that you will ensorce my opinion, is you think it just, or endeavour to rectify my sentiments, is I am mistaken. I expect at least, that yqu will divest yourself of partiality, and that whatever your age or solemnity may be, you will nor, with the dotard's insolence, pronounce me ignorant and foolish, perverse and resractory, only because you perceive that I am young. My father dying when I was but ten years old, lest me, and a brother two years younger than myself, to the care of my mother, a woman of birth and education, whofe prudence or virtue hediad no reason to distrust. She selt, for some time, all the sorrow which nature calls forth, upon the final separation of persons dear to one another; and as her gries was exhausted by its own violence, it subsided into tenderness for me and my brother, and the year of mourning was spent in caresses, consolations, and instruction, in celebration of my father's virtues, in prosessions of perpetual regard to his memory, and hourly instances of such fondness as gratitude will not easily suffer me to forget. But when the term of this mournsul selicity was expired, and my mother appeared again without the ensigns of sorrow, the ladies of her acquaintance began to tell her, upon whatever motives, that it was time to live like the rest of the world; a powerful argument, which is seldom used to a woman without effect. Lady Giddy was incessantly relating the occurrences of the town, and Mrs. Gravel? told told her privately, with great tenderness, that it began to be publickly observed how much she overacted her part, and that most of her acquaintance suspected her hope of procuring another husband to be the true ground of all that appearance of tendernefs and piety. - All the officiousness of kindness and folly was busied to change her conduct. She was at one time alarmed with censure, and at another fired with praise. She was told of balls, where others shone 1 only because she was absent; of new comedies to which all the town was crouding; and of many ingenious ironies, by which domestick diligence was made contemptible. It is difficult for virtue to stand alone against sear on one side, and pleasure on the other; especially when no actual crime is propofed, and prudence itself can suggest many reasons for relaxation and indulgence. My mamma was at last persuaded to accompany Miss Giddy to a play. She was received with a boundless profusion of compliments, and attended home by a very fine gentleman. Next day she was with less difficulty prevailed on to play at Mrs. Gravely's, and came home gay and lively; for the distinctions that had been paid her awakened her vanity, and good luck had kept her principles of frugality from giving her disturbance. She now made her second entrance into the world, and her friends were sufficiently industrious to prevent any return to her former lise; every morning brought messages of invitation, and every evening was passed in places of diversion, from which she for some time complained that she had rather be absent. In a Vol. V. A a short |