Page images
PDF
EPUB

CONVERSATION

OF A

COMPANY OF EPHEMERE;

WITH THE SOLILOQUY OF ONE ADVANCED IN AGE

YOU

TO MADAME BRILLIANT.

OU may remember, my dear friend, that when we lately fpent that happy day, in the delightful garden and fweet fociety of the Moulin Joly, I ftopt a little in one of our walks, and ftaid fome time behind the company.

We had been fhewn numberlefs fkeletons of a kind of little fly, called an Ephemera, whofe fucceffive generations, we were told, were bred and expired within the day. I happened to fee a living company of them on a leaf, who appeared to be engag ed in converfation. You know I understand all the inferior animal tongues: my too great application to the ftudy of them, Is the best excufe I can give for the little progrefs, I have made in your charming language. I liftened through curiofity to the difcourfe of thefe little creatures; but as they, in their natural vivacity, spoke three or four together, I could make but little of their converfation, I found, however, by fome broken expreffions that I heard now and then, they were difputing warmly on the merit of two foreign muficians, the one a coufin, the other a mufcheto; in which difpute they spent their time, feemingly as regard

of the A nefs of life as if they had been fure

of living a month. Happy people, thought I, you live certainly under a wife, juft, and mild government, fince you have no public grievances to complain of, nor any fubject of contention, but the perfections or imperfections of foreign mufic. I turned my head from them to an old grey-headed one who was fingle on another leaf, and talking to himfelf. Being amufed with his foliloquy, I put it down in writing, in hopes it will likewife amufe her to whom I am fo much indebted for the most. pleafing of all amufements, her delicious company, and heavenly harmony.

"It was," fays he, "the opinion of learned philofophers of our race, who lived and Aourished long before my time, that this vaft world the Moulin Jor ly could not itself fubfift more than eighteen hours; and I thing there was fome foundation for that opinion; fince, by the apparent motion of the great luminary, that gives life to all nature, and which in my time has evidently declined confiderably towards the ocean at the end of our earth, it must hen finish its courfe, be extinquifhed in the waters hat furround us, and leave the world in cold and larkness, neceffarily producing univerfal death and leftruction. I have lived feven of thofe hours; a great age, being no lefs than 420 minutes of timeHow yery few of us continue fo long! I have seen renerations born, flourish and expire. My preent friends are the cildren and grand-children of he friends of my youth, who are now, alas, no nore! And I muft foon follow them; for, by he course of nature, though ftill in health, I can1ot expect to live above feven or eight minutes onger. What now avails all my toil and labour, n amalling honey-due on this leaf, which I can

II. Circumfpection, which furveys the whole chefs-board, or scene of action, the relations of the feveral pieces and fituations, the dangers they are refpectively expofed to, the feveral poffibilities of their aiding each other, the probabilities that the adverfary may take this or that move, and attack this or the other piece, and what different means can be used to avoid his ftroke, or turn its confequences against him.

III. Caution, not to make our moves too haftiJy. This habit is beft acquired by observing ftrictly the laws of the game, fuch as, "If you "touch a piece, you must move it fomewhere

[ocr errors]

if you fet it down, you must let it stand ;" and it is therefore beft that the fe rules fhould be obferved, as the game thereby becomes more the image of human life, and particularly of war; in which, if you have incautiously put yourfelij into a bad and dangerous pofition, you cannot obtain your enemy's leave to withdraw your troops, and place them more fecurely, but you must a bide all the confequences of your rafhnefs,

And, laftly, we learn by chefs the habit of nat being difcouraged by prefent bad appearances in the Atate of our affairs, the habit of hoping for a favourable change, and that of perfevering in the Search of refources. The game is fo full of events, there is fuch a variety of turns in it, the fortune of it is fo fubject to fudden viciffitudes, and one b frequently, after long contemplation, difcovers the means of extricating onefelf from a fuppofed infur mountable difficulty, that one is encouraged to continue the conteft to the laft, in hopes of victory by our own fkill, or at leaft of giving a ftale mite, by the neglegence of our adverfary. And

whoever confiders, what in chefs he often fees inftances of, that particular pieces of fuccefs are apt to produce prefumption, and its confequent inattention, by which the lofs may be recovered, will learn not to be too much difcouraged by the prefent fuccefs of his adversary, nor to despair of final good fortune, upon every little check he receives in the purfuit of it.

That we may therefore, be induced more frequently to choose this beneficial amufe ment, in preference to others, which are not attended with the fame advantages, every circumftance which. may increafe the pleafures of it fhould be regarded and every action or word that is unfair, difrespectful, or that in any way may give uneafiness, fhould be avoided, as contrary to the immediate intention of both the players, which is to pafs the time agreeably.

Therefore, first, if it is agreed to play according to the ftrict rules; then thofe rules are to be exactly obferved by both parties, and fhould not be infifted on for one fide, while deviated from by the other for this is not equitable.

Secondly, if it is agreed not to cbferve the rules exactly, but one party demands indulgences, be fhould then be as wiling to allow them to the other.

Thirdly, no falfe move fhould ever be made to extricate yourself out of a difficulty, or to gain an advantage. There can be no pleafure in playing with a perfon once detected in fuch unfair practice.

Fourthly, if your adverfary is long in playing, you ought not to hurry him, or exprefs any uneafinefs at his delay. You should not fing, nor whis tie, nor look at your watch, nor take up a book to

and fometimes painful dreams, it becomes of fome confequence to obtain the one kind, and avoid the other; for, whether real or imaginary, pain is pain, and pleasure is pleafure. If we can fleep without dreaming, it is well that painful dreams are avoided. If, while we fleep, we can have any pleafing dreams, it is as the French say, tant gagné, fo much added to the pleasure of life.

To this end it is, in the first place, neceffary to be careful in preferving health, by due exercife, and great temperance; for, in fickness, the imagination is difturbed; and difagreeable fometimes terrible, ideas are apt to prefent themfelves. Ex. ercife fhould precede meals, not immediately follow them; the firft promotes, the latter, unless moderate, obftructs digeftion. If, after exercise, we feed fparingly, the digeftion will be eafy and good, the body lightfome, the temper cheerful, and all the animal functions performed agreeably. Sleep, when it follows, will be natural and undif turbed. While indolence, with full feeding, oc cafion nightmares and horrors inexpreffible: we fall from precipices, are affaulted by wild beafts, murderers and demons, and experience every va riety of diftrefs. Obferve, however that the quan tities of food and exercife are relative things: thofe who move much may, and indeed ought to eat more; thofe who use little exercife, thould eat little. Ingeneral, mankind, fince the improvement of cookery eat about twice as much as nature requires. Suppers are not bad, if we have not dined; but reftlefs nights naturally follow hearty fuppers, after full dinners. Indeed as there is a difference in conftitutions, fome reft well after thefe meals; it! cofts them only a frightful dream, and an apoplexy, fter which they fleep till doomfday. Nothing is

« PreviousContinue »