from a false notion men have taken up, that an abun dance of the world is an effential ingredient in the happiness of life. Wordly things are of fuch a quality as to leffen upon dividing, so that the more partners there are, the lefs muft fall to every private man's fhare. The confequence of this is, that they look upon one another with an evil eye, each imagining all the reft to be embarked in an intereft, that cannot take place but to his prejudice. Hence are thofe eager competitions for wealth or power; hence one man's fuccefs becomes another's disappointment; and, like pretenders to the fame miftrefs, they can. feldom have common charity for their rivals. Not that they are naturally difpofed to quarrel and fall out, but it is natural for a man to prefer himself to all others, and to fecure his own interest first. If that which men efteem their happiness were, like the light, the fame fufficient and unconfined good, whether ten thousand enjoy the benefit of it, or but one, we should fee men's good-will, and kind endeavours, would be as univerfal. Homo qui erranti commiter monftrat viam, To direct a wanderer in the right way is to light another man's candle by one's own, which loses none of its light by what the other gains.' But, unluckily, mankind agree in making choice. of objects, which inevitably engage them in perpetual differences. Learn therefore, like a wife man, the true estimate of things. Defire not more of the world than is neceffary to accommodate you in passing through it; look upon every thing beyond, not as ufelefs only, but burdenfome. Place not your your quiet in things which you cannot have without putting others beside them, and thereby making them your enemies, and which, when attained, will give you more trouble to keep, than fatisfaction in the enjoyment. Virtue is a good of a nobler kind: it grows by communication, and fo little resembles earthly riches, that the more hands it is lodged in, the greater is every man's particular stock. So, by propagating and mingling their fires, not only all the lights of a branch together caft a more extenfive brightness, but each fingle light burns with a stronger flame. And, laftly, take this along with you, that if wealth be an inftrument of pleafure, the greatest pleasure it can put into your power, is that of doing good. It is alfo worth confidering, that the organs of fenfe act within a narrow compass, and the appetites will foon fay they have enough: Which of the two therefore is the happier man? he who, confin. ing all his regard to the gratification of his own appetites, is capable but of fhort fits of pleafure? or the man who, reckoning himself a fharer in the fatisfactions of others, especially those which come to them by his means, enlarges the sphere of his happiness? The last enemy to benevolence I fhall mention, is uneafinefs of any kind. A guilty, or a difcontented mind, a mind ruffled by ill-fortune, difcontented by its own paffions, foured by neglect, or fretting at difappointments, hath not leisure to attend to the neceffity or reasonableness of a kindness desired, nor a tafte for those pleasures which wait on beneficence, which demand a calm and unpolluted heart to relish them. The most miserable of all beings is the most envious; as, on the other hand, the most communicative is the happiest. And if you are in search of the feat of perfect love and friendship, you will not find it until you come to the region of the bleffed, where happiness, like a refreshing ftream, flows from heart to heart in an endless circulation; and is preVOL. VIII. t R ferved ferved fweet and untainted by the motion. It is old advice, if you have a favour to request of any one, to obferve the foftest times of addrefs, when the foul, in a flush of good-humour, takes a pleasure to show itfelf pleafed. Perfons confcious of their own integrity, fatisfied with themfelves and their condition, and full of confidence in a Supreme Being, and the hope of immortality, furvey all about them with a flow of good-will. As trees which, like their foil, fhoot out in expreffions of kindness, and bend beneath their own precious load, to the hand of the gatherer. Now if the mind be not thus eafy, it is an infallible fign that it is not in its natural state: place the mind in its right pofture, it will immediately dif cover its innate propenfion to beneficence. No. 602. MONDAY, OCTOBER 4. Facit hoc illos hyacynthos. This makes them hyacinths. Juv. Sat. vi. ver. 110. HE following letter comes from a gentleman, Twho, I and, is very diligent in making his ob servations, which I think too material not to be communicated to the public. SIR, In order to execute the office of love-cafuift to • Great Britain, with which I take myself to be invefted by your paper of September 8th, I fhall make fome farther obfervations upon the two sexes in general, beginning with that which always ought to have the upper-hand. After having obferved with • much 1 much curiofity the accomplishments which are apt to captivate female hearts, I find that there is no • person so irresistible as one who is a man of importance, provided it be in matters of no confequence. One who makes himfelf talked of, though it be for the particular cock of his hat, or for prating aloud in the boxes at a play, is in a fair way of be ing a favourite. I have known a young fellow make his fortune by knocking down a constable; and may venture to fay, though it may seem a pa• radox, that many a fair one has died by a duel, in which both the combatants have furvived. About three winters ago, I took notice of a < young lady at the theatre, who conceived a paffion for a notorious rake that headed a party of cat-calls; and am credibly informed, that the Emperor of the Mohocks married a rich widow, within three ⚫ weeks after having rendered himself formidable in the cities of London and Westminster. Scouring and breaking of windows have done frequent execution upon the fex. But there is no fet of thefe male-charmers who make their way more fuccefsfully, than thofe who have gained themfelves a name for intrigue, and have ruined the greatest number of reputations. There is a strange curiofity in the female world to be acquainted with the dear man who has been loved by others, and to know what it is that makes him fo agreeable. His reputation does more than half his bufinefs. Eve ry one that is ambitious of being a woman of fa 'fhion, looks out for opportunities of being in his company; fo that, to ufe the old proverb, When • his name is up, he may lie a-bed. I was very fenfible of the great advantage of being a man of importance upon thefe occafions, on the day of the king's entry, when I was feated in a balcony behind a cluster of very pretty coun try ladies, who had one of thefe fhowy gentlemen • in the midst of them. The first trick I caught him at was bowing to feveral perfons of quality whom he did not know; nay, he had the impudence to hem at a blue garter who had a finer equipage than ordinary, and feemed a little concerned at the impertinent huzzas of the mob, that hindered his ⚫ friend from taking notice of him. There was indeed one who pulled off his hat to him, and upon the ladies afking who it was, he told them it was a foreign minifter that he had been very merry with the night before; whereas, in truth, it was the city • common-hunt. He was never at a lofs when he was afked any ‹ perfon's name, though he feldom knew any one, under a peer. He found Dukes and Earls among the aldermen, very good-natured fellows among the Privy-counfellors, with two or three agreeable old rakes among the Bishops and Judges. In short, I collected from his whole difcourfe, that he was acquainted with every body, and knew no body. At the fame time, I am miftaken if he did not that day make more advances in the affec⚫tions of his miftrefs, who fat near him, than he could have done in half a year's courtship. •Ovid has finely touched this method of making love, which I fhall here give my reader, in Mr. Dryden's tranflation. Page the eleventh. Thus love in theatres did first improve, Then |