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dently declined confiderably towards the ocean at the end of our earth, it must "then finish its course, be extinguished "in the waters that furround us, and "leave the world in cold and darkness, "neceffarily producing univerfal death "and deftruction. I have lived feven "of those hours; a great age, being no "lefs than 420 minutes of time. How 66 very few of us continue so long? I "have seen generations born, flourish, "and expire. My prefent friends are "the children and grand-children of the "friends of my youth, who are now, "alas, no more! And I must foon "follow them; for, by the course of na"ture, though ftill in health, I cannot "expect to live above feven or eight "minutes longer. What now avails all "my toil and labour, in amaffing honey"dew on this leaf, which I cannot live "to enjoy! What the political struggles "I have been engaged in, for the good

" of

"of my compatriot inhabitants of this “bush, or my philosophical studies, for "the benefit of our race in general! for "in politics (what can laws do without "morals?) our prefent race of ephemera "will in a courfe of minutes become cor

rupt, like those of other and older bushes, "and confequently as wretched: And "in philosophy how small our progress! "Alas! art is long, and life is fhort! "My friends would comfort me with "the idea of a name, they fay, I fhalf "leave behind me ; and they tell me I "have lived long enough to nature and "to glory. But what will fame be to "an ephemera who no longer exists? " and what will become of all history in "the eighteenth hour, when the world "itself, even the whole Moulin Joly, "fhall come to its end, and be buried in "univerfal ruin ?"

To me, after all my eager pursuits, no folid pleasures now remain, but the reflection

flection of a long life fpent in meaning well, the fenfible converfation of a few good lady ephemeræ, and now and then a kind fmile and a tune from the ever amiable Brilliant.

B. FRANKLIN.

ON

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MORALS OF CHESS.

PLAYING at chess is the most ancient and most univerfal game known among men; for its original is beyond the memory of history, and it has, for numberlefs ages, been the amufement of all the civilized nations of Afia, the Perfians, the Indians, and the Chinese. Europe has had it above a thousand years; the Spaniards have spread it over their part of America, and it begins lately to make its appearance in thefe ftates. It is fo interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is never played for money. Thofe, therefore, who have leifure for fuch diverfions, cannot find one that is more innocent; and the following piece, written with a view to corVOL. I.

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rect

rect (among a few young friends) fome little improprieties in the practice of it, fhews, at the fame time, that it may, in its effects on the mind, be not merely innocent, but advantageous, to the vanquifhed as well as the victor.

THE game of chefs is not merely an idle amusement. Several very valuable qualities of the mind, ufeful in the courfe of human life, are to be acquired or ftrengthened by it, fo as to become habits, ready on all occafions. For life is a kind of chefs, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adverfaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in fome degree, the effects of prudence or the want of it. By playing at chefs, then, we may learn,

I. Forefight, which looks a little into futurity, and confiders the confequences that may attend an action: for it is continually

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