pinefs which they never felt, and beauty which they never regarded. To be able to procure its own entertainments, and to fubfift upon its own ftock, is not the prerogative of every mind. There are indeed underftandings fo fertile and comprehenfive, that they can always feed reflection with new fupplies, and fuffer nothing from the preclufion of adventitious amufements; as fome cities have within their own walls enclosed ground enough to feed their inhabitants in a fiege. But others live only from day to day, and must be conftantly enabled, by foreign fupplies, to keep out the encroachments of languor and stupidity. Such could not indeed be blamed for hovering within reach of their ufual pleasure, more than any other animal for not quitting its native element, were not their faculties contracted by their own fault. But let not those who go into the country, merely because they dare not be left alone at home, boaft their love of nature, or their qualifications for folitude; nor pretend that they receive instantaneeus infufions of wifdom from the Dryads, and are able, when they leave fmoke and noife behind, to act, or think, or reafon for themfelves. 16 NUMB. 136. SATURDAY, July 6, 1751. Ἐχθρὸς γὰρ μοι κεῖνος ὁμῶς ὤνδαο πύλησιν, Ὂς χ έτερον μὲν κευθει ἐνὶ φρεσὶν, ἄλλα δὲ βάζει. Ηom. Who dares think one thing, and another tell, POPE. THE regard which they whofe abilities are employed in the works of imagination claim from the rest of mankind, arifes in a great measure from their influence on futurity. Rank may be conferred by princes, and wealth bequeathed by mifers or by robbers; but the honours of a lafting name, and the veneration of diftant ages, only the fons of learning have the power of beftowing. While therefore it continues one of the characterifticks of rational nature to decline oblivion, authors never can be wholly overlooked in the fearch after happiness, nor become contemptible but by their own fault. The man who confiders himself as conftituted the ultimate judge of difputable characters, and entrufted with the diftribution of the laft terreftrial rewards of merit, ought to fummon all his fortitude to the fupport of his integrity, and refolve to difcharge an office of fuch dignity with the most vigilant caution and fcrupulous juftice. To deliver examples to pofterity, and to regulate the opinion of future times, is no flight or trivial undertaking; nor is it eafy to commit more attrocious treafon against the great republick of humanity, than by falfifying its records and nifguiding its decrees. To To fcatter praife or blame without regard to juftice, is to deftroy the diftinction of good and evil. Many have no other test of actions than general opinion; and all are so far influenced by a fenfe of reputation, that they are often reftrained by fear of reproach, and excited by hope of honour, when other principles have loft their power; nor can any species of proftitution promote general depravity more than that which deftroys the force of praife, by fhewing that it may be acquired without deferving it, and which, by fetting free the active and ambitious from the dread of infamy, lets loofe the rapacity of power, and weakens the only authority by which greatness is controlled. Praife, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its fcarcity. It becomes cheap as it becomes vulgar, and will no longer raife expectation or animate enterprife. It is therefore not only neceffary, that wickednefs, even when it is not fafe to cenfure it, be denied applaufe, but that goodness be commended only in proportion to its degree; and that the garlands, due to the great benefactors of mankind, be not fuffered to fade upon the brow of him who can boast only petty fervices and eafy virtues. Had thefe maxims been univerfally received, how much would have been added to the task of dedication, the work on which all the power of modern wit has been exhaufted. How few of these initial panegyricks had appeared, if the author had been obliged firft to find a man of virtue, then to diftinguifh the diftinct fpecies and degree of his defert, and at last to pay him only the honours which he might juftly claim. It is much much easier to learn the name of the last man whom chance has exalted to wealth and power, to obtain by the intervention of fome of his domefticks the privilege of addreffing him, or in confidence of the general acceptance of flattery, to venture on an addrefs without any previous folicitation; and after having heaped upon him all the virtues to which philofophy has affigned a name, inform him how much more might be truly faid, did not the fear of giving pain to his modefty reprefs the raptures of wonder and the zeal of veneration. Nothing has fo much degraded literature from its natural rank, as the practice of indecent and promifcuous dedication; for what credit can he expect who profeffes himfelf the hireling of vanity, however profligate, and without fhame or fcruple celebrates the worthlefs, dignifies the mean, and gives to the corrupt, licentious, and oppreffive, the ornaments which ought only to add grace to truth. and lovelinefs to innocence? Every other kind of adulteration, however fhameful, however mischievous, is lefs deteftable than the crime of counterfeiting characters, and fixing the ftamp of literary fanction upon the drofs and refufe of the world. Yet I would not overwhelm the authors with the whole load of infamy, of which part, perhaps the greater part, ought to fall upon their patrons. If he that hires a bravo, partakes the guilt of murder, why fhould he who bribes a flatterer, hope to be exempted from the fhame of falfehood? The unhappy dedicator is feldom without fome motives which obftruct, though not destroy, the liberty of choice; he is oppreffed by miferies which he hopes to relieve, or inflamed by ambition: which he expects to gratify. But the patron has no incitements equally violent; he can receive only a fhort gratification, with which nothing but ftupidity could dispose him to be pleafed. The real fatisfaction which praise can afford is by repeating aloud the whispers of conscience, and by fhewing us that we have not endeavoured to deferve well in vain. Every other encomium is, to an intelligent mind, fatire and reproach; the celebration of thofe virtues which we feel ourselves to want, can only imprefs a quicker fenfe of our own defects, and fhew that we have not yet fatisfied the expectations of the world, by forcing us to obferve how much fiction must contribute to the completion of our character. Yet fometimes the patron may claim indulgence; for it does not always happen, that the encomiaft has been much encouraged to his attempt. Many a haplefs author, when his book, and perhaps his dedication, was ready for the prefs, has waited long before any one would pay the price of proftitution, or confent to hear the praises deftined to infure his name against the cafualties of time; and many a complaint has been vented against the decline of learning, and neglect of genius, when either parfimonious prudence has declined expence, or honeft indignation rejected falfehood. But if at laft, after long. enquiry and innumerable difappointments, he find a lord willing to hear of his own eloquence and taste, a statesman defirous of knowing how a friendly historian will reprefent his conduct, or a lady delighted to leave to the world fome memorial of her wit and beauty, fuch weakness cannot be |