own advice, or enquiry whether the advantage of the new scheme be proportionate to the labour.

It is obferved, by the younger Pliny, that an orator ought not fo much to felect the ftrongest arguments which his caufe admits, as to employ all which his imagination can afford; for, in pleading, thole reafons are of most value, which will most affect the judges; and the judges, fays he, will be always moit touched with that which they had before' conceived. Every man, who is called to give his opinion of a performance, decides upon the fame principle; he first suffers himself to form expectations, and then is angry at his disappointment. He lets his imagination rove at large, and wonders thať qualy unconfined in the boundless ocean of poflibility, takes a different course.

anothe t

9

But, though the rule of Pliny be judiciously laid down, it is not applicable to the writer's caufe, because there always lies an appeal from domeftick criticism to a higher judicature, and the publick, which is never corrupted, nor often deceived, is to pass the last sentence upon literary claims.

Of the great force of preconceived opinions I had many proofs, when I first entered upon this weekly labour. My readers having, from the performances of my predeceffors, established an idea of unconnected effays, to which they believed all future authors under a neceffity of conforming, were impatient of the leaft deviation from their fyftem, and numerous remonftrances were accordingly made by each, as he found his favourite fubject omitted or delayed. Some were angry that the RAMBLER did not, like the SPECTATOR, introduce himself to the acquaintance of the publick, by an account of his own birth and ftudies, an enumeration of his adventures, and a defcription of his phyfiognomy. Others foon began to remark that he was a folemn, ferious, dictatorial writer, without fprightlinefs or gaiety, and called out

with vehemence for mirth and humour. Another admonished him to have a special eye upon the various clubs of this great city, and informed him that much of the Spectator's vivacity was laid out upon fuch affemblies. He has been cenfured for not imitating the politenefs of his predeceffors, having hitherto neglected to take the ladies under his protection, and give them rules for the juft oppofition of colours, and the proper dimenfions of ruffles and pinners. He has been required by one to fix a particular cenfure upon thofe matrons who play at cards with fpectacles. And another is very much offended whenever he meets with a fpeculation, in which naked precepts are comprised, without the imitation of examples and characters.

I make not the least question that all these monitors intend the promotion of my design, and the inftruction of my readers; but they do not know, or do not reflect that an author has a rule of choice pecu liar to himself; and felects thofe fubjects which he is beft qualified to treat, by the courfe of his ftudies, or the accidents of his life; that fome topicks of amusement have been already treated with too much fuccefs to invite a competition; and that he who endeavours to gain many readers, muft try various arts of invitation, effay every avenue of pleasure, and make frequent changes in his methods of approach.

I cannot but confider myself amidst this tumult of criticism, as a ship in a poetical tempeft, impelled at the fame time by oppofite winds, and dashed by the waves from every quarter, but held upright by the contrariety of the affailants, and fecured, in fome meafure, by multiplicity of diftrefs. Had the opinion of my cenfurers been unanimous, it might, perhaps, have overfet my refolution; but fince I find them at variance with each other, I can, without fcruple, neglect them, and endeavour to gain

G.5

the

the favour of the publick, by following the direction of my own reafon, and indulging the fallies of my own imagination.

NUMB. 24. SATURDAY, June 9, 1750.

Nemo în fefe tentar descendere.

A

None, none defcends into himself.

PERSIUS.

DRYDEN.

MONG the precepts, or aphorifms, admitted by general confent, and inculcated by frequent repetition, there is none more famous among the mafters of ancient wifdom, than that compendious leffon, rv reavlov, Be acquainted with thyfelf afcribed by fome to an oracle, and by others to Chilo of Lacedemon.

This is, indeed, a dictate, which, in the whole extent of its meaning, may be faid to comprife all the fpeculation requifite to a moral agent. For what more can be neceffary to the regulation of life, than the-knowledge of our original, our end, our duties, and our relation to other beings?

It is however very improbable that the first author, whoever he was, intended to be understood in this unlimited and complicated fenfe; for of the inquiries, which, in fo large an acceptation, it would feem to recommend, fome are too extenfive for the powers of man, and fome require light from above, which was not yet indulged to the heathen world.

We might have had more fatisfaction concerning the original import of this celebrated fentence, if hiftory had informed us, whether it was uttered as a general inftruction to mankind, or as a particular caution to fome private inquirer; whether it

was

was applied to fome fingle occafion, or laid down as the univerfal rule of life.

There will occur, upon the flighteft confiderátion, many poffible circumftances, in which this monition might very properly be inforced; for every error in human conduct muft arife from ignorance in ourselves, either perpetual or temporary; and happen either because we do not know what is best and fitteft, or because our knowledge is at the time of action not prefent to the mind.

When a man employs himfelf upon remote and unneceffary fubjects, and wastes his life upon queftions, which cannot be refolved, and of which the folution would conduce very little to the advancement of happiness; he, when he lavifhes his hours in calculating the weight of the terraqueous globe, or in adjusting fucceffive fyftems of worlds beyond the reach of the telescope; he may be very properly recalled from his excurfions by this precept, and reminded that there is a nearer being with which it is his duty to be more acquainted; and from which, his attention has hitherto been witheld, by ftudies, to which he has no other motive, than vanity or cu riofity.

The great praise of Socrates is, that he drew the wits of Greece, by his inftruction and example, from the vain purfuit of natural philofophy to moral inquiries, and turned their thoughts from ftars and tides, and matter and motion, upon the various modes of virtue, and relations of life. All his lectures were but commentaries upon this faying; if we fuppofe the knowledge of ourfelves recommended by Chilo, in oppofition to other inquiries lefs fuitable to the ftate of man.

The great fault of men of learning is still, that they offend against this rule, and appear willing to ftudy any thing rather than themselves; for which G 6

reafen

reafon they are often defpifed by thofe, with whom they imagine themselves above comparison; defpifed, as ufelefs to common purposes, as unable to conduct the moft trivial affairs, and unqualified to perform those offices by which the concatenation of fociety is preserved, and mutual tenderness excited and maintained.

Gelidus is a man of great penetration, and deep refearches. Having a mind naturally formed for the abftrufer sciences, he can comprehend intricate combinations without confufion, and being of a temper naturally cool and equal, he is feldom interrupted. by his paffions in the pursuit of the longest chain of unexpected confequences. He has, therefore, a long time indulged hopes, that the folution of fome problems, by which the profeffors of fcience have been hitherto baffled, is referved for his genius and indutry. He spends his time in the higheft room of his. houfe, into which none of his family are fuffered to. enter; and when he comes down to his dinner, or his reft, he walks about like a stranger that is there only for a day, without any tokens of regard or tendernefs. He has totally divefted himself of all human fenfations; he has neither eye for beauty, nor ear for complaint; he neither rejoices at the good. fortune of his nearest friend, nor mourns for any publick or private calamity. Having once received a letter, and given it his fervant to read, he was informed, that it was written by his brother, who, being fhip-wrecked, had fwam naked to land, and was deftitute of neceffaries in a foreign country. Naked and deftitute! fays Gelidus, reach down the laft volume of meteorological obfervations, extract a an exact account of the wind, and note it carefully in the diary of the weather,

The family of Gelidus once broke into his study, to thew him that a town at a small distance was on