NUMB. 5. TUESDAY, April 3, 1750. Et nunc omnis ager, nunc omnis parturit arbos, E VIRG. ELPHINSTON. VERY man is fufficiently difcontented with fome circumstances of his prefent ftate, to fuffer his imagination to range more or lefs in queft of future happiness, and to fix upon fome point of time, in which, by the removal of the inconvenience which now perplexes him, or acquifition of the advantage which he at prefent wants, he fhall find the condition of his life very much improved. When this time, which is too often expected with great impatience, at laft arrives, it generally comes without the bleffing for which it was defired; but we folace ourselves with fome new profpect, and prefs forward again with equal eagerness. It is lucky for a man, in whom this temper prevails, when he turns his hopes upon things wholly out of his own power; fince he forbears then to precipitate his affairs, for the fake of the great event that is to complete his felicity, and waits for the blissful hour, with lefs neglect of the meafures neceffary to be taken in the mean time. I have long known a perfon of this temper, who indulged his dream of happiness with lefs hurt to himfelf than fuch chimerical wishes commonly produce, and adjusted his fcheme with fuch addrefs, that his hopes were in full bloom three parts of the year, and in the other part never wholly blafted. Many, perhaps, would be defirous of learning by what means he procured to himself fuch a cheap and lafting fatiffaction. It was gained by a conftant practice of referring the removal of all his uneafiness to the coming of of the next spring; if his health was impaired, the fpring would reftore it; if what he wanted was at a high price, it would fall its value in the spring. The fpring, indeed, did often come without any of these effects, but he was always certain that the next would be more propitious; nor was ever convinced that the prefent fpring would fail him before the middle of fummer; for he always talked of the fpring as coming 'till it was paft, 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 feel immoderate pleasure in the contemplation of this delightful season; but I have the satisfaction of finding many, whom it can be no fhame to resemble, infected with the fame enthusiafm; for there is, I believe, fcarce any poet of eminence, who has not left fome teftimony of his fondness for the flowers, the zephyrs, and the warblers of the fpring. Nor has the most luxuriant imagination been able to defcribe the ferenity and happiness of the golden age, otherwife than by giving a perpetual fpring, as the highest reward of uncorrupted innocence. There is, indeed, fomething inexpreffibly pleafing, in the annual renovation of the world, and the new difplay of the treasures of nature. The cold and darknefs of winter, with the naked deformity of every object on which we turn our eyes, make us rejoice at the fucceeding feafon, as well for what we have efcaped, as for what we may enjoy; and every budding flower, which a warm fituation brings early to our view, is confidered by us as a meffenger to notify the approach of more joyous days. The SPRING affords to a mind, fo free from turbance of cares or paffions as to be vacant amufements, almost every thing, that our present present ftate makes us capable of enjoying. The variegated verdure of the fields and woods, the fucceffion of grateful odours, the voice of pleasure pouring out its notes on every fide, with the gladnefs 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, fignificantly expreffed 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 affemblies, a tavern dinner, or the prattle of the day. It may be laid down as a position which will feldom deceive, that when a man cannot bear his own company there is fomething wrong. He must fy from himself, either because he feels a tediousness in life from the equipoife of an empty mind, which, having no tendency to one motion more than another but as it is impelled by fome external power, muft always have recourfe to foreign objects; or he must be afraid of the intrufion of fome unpleafing ideas, and, perhaps, is ftruggling to escape from the remembrance of a lofs, the fear of a calamity, or fome other thought of greater horrour. Those whom forrow incapacitates to enjoy the pleasures of contemplation, may properly apply to fuch diverfions, provided they are innocent, as lay strong hold on the attention; and those, whom fear of any future affliction chains down to mifery, must endeavour to obviate the danger. My confiderations fhall, on this occafion, be turned on fuch as are burthenfome to themfelves merely because they want fubjects for reflection, and to whom the volume of nature it thrown open, without affording them pleasure or inftruction, because they never learned to read the characters. VOL. I. C A French A French author has advanced this feeming paradox, that very few men know how to take a walk ; and, indeed, it is true, that few know how to take a walk with a prospect of any other pleasure, than the fame company would have afforded them at home. There are animals that borrow their colour from the neighbouring body, and, confequently, vary their hue as they 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; for it is to no purpose that he alters his pofition, if his attention continues fixed to the fame point. The mind fhould be kept open to the accefs of every new idea, and fo far difengaged from the predominance of particular thoughts, as eafily to accommodate itself to occafional entertainment. A man that has formed this habit of turning every new object to his entertainment, finds in the productions of nature an inexhauftible ftock of materials upon which he can employ himself, without any temptations to envy or malevolence; faults, perhaps, feldom totally avoided by thofe, whofe judgment is much exercifed upon the works of art. He has always a certain profpect of difcovering new reafons for adoring the fovereign Author of the universe, and probable hopes of making some discovery of benefit to others, or of profit to himself. There is no doubt but many vegetables and animals have qualities that might be of great ufe, to the knowledge of which there is not required much force of penetration, or fatigue of ftudy, but only frequent experiments, and clofe attention. What is faid by the chymifts of their darling mercury, is, perhaps, true of every body through the whole creation, that, if a thoufand lives fhould be be spent upon it, all its properties would not be found out. Mankind muft neceffarily be diverfified by various taftes, fince life affords and requires fuch multiplicity of employments, and a nation of naturalifts is neither to be hoped, or defired; but it is furely not improper to point out a fresh amusement to those who languifh in health, and repine in plenty, for want of fome fource of diverfion that may be lefs easily exhaufted, and to inform the multitudes of both fexes, who are burthened with every new day, that there are many fhows which they have not feen. He that enlarges his curiofity after the works of nature, demonftrably multiplies the inlets to happinefs; and, therefore, the younger part of my readers, to whom I dedicate this vernal fpeculation, muft excufe me for calling upon them, to make ufe at once of the fpring of the year, and the fpring of life; to acquire, while their minds may be yet impreffed with new images, a love of innocent pleafures, and an ardour for ufeful knowledge; and to remember, that a blighted fpring makes a barren year, and that the vernal flowers, however beautiful and gay, are only intended by nature as preparatives to autemnal fruits. ✓ |