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AUGUSTUS, a few moments before his death,

asked his friends who stood about him, if they thought he had acted his part well; and upon receiving fuch an answer as was due to his extraordinary merit,

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Let

me then," fays he, go off the ftage with your applaufe;" ufing the expreffion with which the Roman actors made their exit at the conclufion of a dramatic piece. I could with that men, while they are in health, would confider well the nature of the part they are engaged in, and what figure it will make in the minds of thofe they leave behind them: whether it was worth coming into the world for; whether it be fuitable to a reasonable being; in fhort, whether it appears graceful in this life, or will turn to advantage in the next. Let the fycophant, or buffoon, the fatirift, or the good companion, confider with himself, when his body fhall be laid in the grave, and his foul pafs into another state of existence, how much it would redound to his praise to have it faid of him, that no man in England eat better, that he had an admirable talent at turning his friends into ridicule, that no body out-did~him at an ill-natured jeft, or that he never went to bed before he had difpatched his third bottle. These are, however, very common funeral orations, and elogiums on deceafed perfons who have acted among mankind with some figure and reputation.

But if we look into the bulk of our fpecies, they are fuch as are not likely to be remeinbered a moment after their disappearance. They leave behind them no traces of their existence, but are forgotten as though they had never been. They are neither wanted by the

poor, regretted by the rich, nor celebrated by the learned They are neither miffed in the commonwealth, nor lamented by private perfons. Their actions are of no fignificancy to mankind, and might have been performed by creatures of much lefs dignity than thofe who are diftinguished by the faculty of reafon An eminent French author fpeaks fomewhere to the following purpofe: I have often feen from my chamber-window two noble creatures, both of them of an erect countenance and endowed with reafon. Thefe two intellectual beings are employed from morning to night, in rubbing two finooth ftones one upon another; that is, as the vulgar phrafe it, in polishing marble.

My friend, fir ANDREW FREEPORT, as we were fitting in the club last night, gave us an account of a fober citizen, who died a few days fince. This honeft man being of greater confequence in his own thoughts, than in the eye of the world, had for fome years past kept a journal of his life. Sir ANDREW fhewed us one week of it. Since the occurrences fet down in it mark out fuch a road of action as that I have been fpeaking of, I fhall prefent my reader with a faithful copy of it; after having firft informed hiin, that the deceafed perfon had in his youth been bred to trade, but finding himself not so well turned for bufinefs, he had for feveral years last past lived altogether upon a moderate annuity.

MONDAY, eight of the clock. 1 put on my clothes, and walked into the parlour:

Nine of the clock ditto. Tied my knee-firings, and washed my hands.

Hours ten, eleven and twelve: Smoked three pipes of Virginia. Read the Supplement and Daily Courant. Things go ill in the north. Mr. Nifby's opinion there

upon.

One of the clock in the afternoon. Chid Ralph for miflaying my tobacco.box

Sat down to dinner. Mem. Too

Two of the clock. many plumbs, and no fuet.

From three to four. Took my afternoon's nap.

From four to fix.

S. S. E.

Walked into the fields. Wind,

From fix to ten. At the club. Mr. Nifby's opinion about the peace.

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'Ten of the clock. Went to bed, flept found.

TUESDAY, being holiday, eight of the clock. Rofe

as ufual.

Nine of the clock. Wathed hands and face, fhaved, put on my double-foaled fhoes.

Ten, cleven, twelve. Took a walk to lington.
One. Took a pot of mother Cob's mild.

Between two and three. Returned, dined on a knuckle of veal and bacon. Mem. Sprouts wanting. Three Nap as ufual.`

From four to fix. Coffee houfe.

A difh of twift. Grand vifier ftrangled.

Read the news.

From fix to ten. At the club. Mr. Nifby's account of the great Tuik.

Ten. Dream of the grand vifier. Broken fleep.

WEDNESDAY, eight of the clock. Tongue of my fhoe-buckle broke. Hands but not face.

Nine. Paid off the butcher's bill. Mem. To be allowed for the laft leg of mutton

Ten, eleven. At the coffee-houfe. More work in the north. Stranger in a black wig afked me how flocks.

went.

From twelve to one. Walked in the fields. Wind to the fouth.

From one to two. Smoked a pipe and a half.
Two. Dined as ufual. Stomach good.

'Three. Nap broken by the falling of a pewter dish. Mem. Cook-maid in love, and grown careless.

From four to fix. At the coffee-house. Advice from Smyrna, that the grand viker was first of all ftrangled, and afterwards beheaded.

Six of the clock in the evening Was half an hour in the club before any body elle came. Mr. Niby of opinion that the grand vifier was not ftrangled the fixth intent.

Ten at night. Went to bed. Slept without waking until nine next morring

THURSDAY, nine of the clock. Staid within until two of the clock for fir Timothy; who did not bring me my annuity according to his promife.

Two in the afternoon. Sat down to dinner. Lofs of appetite. Small-beer four. Beef over-corned.

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Three. Could not take my nap.

Four and five. Gave Ralph a box on the ear. Turned off my cook maid. Sent a meffenger to fir Timothy. Mem. I did not go to the club to-night. Went to bed at nine o'clock.

FRIDAY. Paffed the morning in meditation upon fir Timothy, who was with me a quarter before twelve. Twelve of the clock. Bought a new head to my cane, and a tongue to my buckle. Drank a glass of purl to recover appetite. Two and three. From four to fix.

Dined and flept well.

Met

Went, to the coffee-house. Smoked feveral pipes. Mr. Niby of opinion that laced coffee is bad for the head.

Mr. Niby there.

Six of the clock. At the club as fleward. Sat late. Twelve of the clock. Went to bed, dreamt that I drank fmall-beer with the grand visier.

SATURDAY, Waked at eleven, walked in the fields, wind N. E.

Twelve. Caught in a shower.

One in the afternoon. Returned home, and dried myfelf.

Two. Mr. Niby dined with me.

First courfe, marrow-bones; fecond, ox cheek, with a bottle of Brooks and Hellier.

Three of the clock. Overflept myself.

Six. Went to the club. Like to have fallen into a gutter. Grand vifier certainly dead, &c.

care

I queftion not but the reader will be furprised to find the above-mentioned journalist taking fo much of a life that was filled with fuch inconfiderable actions, and received fo very small improvements; and yet, if we look into the behaviour of many whom we daily converfe with, we fhall find that most of their hours are taken

up

in thofe three important articles of eating, drinking, and fleeping. I do not fuppofe that a man lofes his time, who is not engaged in public affairs, or in an illuftrious course of action. On the contrary, I believe our hours may very often be more profitably laid out in fuch tranfactions as make no figure in the world, than in fuch as are apt to draw upon them the attention of mankind. One may become wifer and better by feveral methods of employing one's felf in fecrecy and filence, and do what is laudable without noife or oftentation. I would, however, recommend to every one of my readers, the keeping a journal of their lives for one week, and fetting down punctually their whole feries of employmen's during that fpace of time. This kind of felf-examination would give them a true ftate of themselves, and incline them to confider feriously what they are about. One day would rectify the omiflions of another, and make a man weigh all thofe indifferent actions, which, though they are easily forgotten, muft certainly be accounted for.

L.

N' 318.

Wednesday, March 5.

VIRG. Ecl. 8. ver. 63.

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-non omnia poffumus omnes.

With different talents form'd, we variously excel.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

A CERTAIN vice which you have lately attacked, has not yet been confidered by you as growing fo deep in the heart of man, that the affectation out-> ◄ lives the practice of it You must have obferved that men who have been bred in arms preferve to the most extreme and feeble old-age a certain daring in their afpect in like manner, they who have paffed their time in gallantry and adventure, keep up, as well as they can, the appearance of it, and carry a petulant inclination to their last moments. Let this ferve for a preface

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