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fed away thofe months and years, in which he fhould have laboured, muft remember that he has now only a part of that of which the whole is little; and

that fince the few moments remaining are to be confidered as the last trust of Heaven, not one is to be loft.

Ne LXXII. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1750.

STR,

OMNIS ARISTIPPUM DECUIT STATUS, ET COLOR, ET RES,
SICTANTEM MAJORA FERE; PRESENTIBUS EQUUM.

YET ARISTIPPUS EV'RY DRESS BECAME;

IN EV'RY VARIOUS CHANGE OF LIFE THE SAME;

AND THOUGH HE AIM'D AT THINGS OF HIGHER KIND,
YET TO THE PRESENT HELD AN EQUAL MIND.

TO THE RAMBLER.

of

HOSE who exalt themselves into TH Tthe the chair of inftruction, without enquiring whether any will fubmit to their authority, have not fufficiently confidered how much of human life paffes în little incidents, cursory conversation, flight bufinefs, and cafual amusements; and therefore they have endeavoured only to inculcate the more awful virtues, without condescending to regard thofe petty qualities, which grow important only by their frequency, and which, though they produce no fingle acts of heroifm, nor aftonish us by great events, yet are every moment exerting their influence upon us, and make the draught of life fweet or bitter by imperceptible inftillations. They operate unfeen and unregarded, as change of air makes us Lick or healthy, though we breathe it without attention, and only know the particles that impregnate it by their falutary or malignant effects.

You have fhewn yourself not ignorant of the value of thofe fubaltern endowments, yet have hitherto neglected to recommend Good-Humour to the world, though a little reflection will fhew you that it is the balm of being, the quality to which all that adorns or elevates mankind must owe it's power of pleafing. Without good-humour, learning and bravery can only confer that fuperiority which fwells the heart of the lion in the defart, where he roars without reply, and ravages without refiftance. Without good-humour virtue may awe by it's dignity, and amaze by it's brightness; but must always be viewed

Hor.

HOR

FRANCIS.

at a distance, and will scarcely gain a friend or attract an imitator.

Good-humour may be defined a habit of being pleafed; a conftant and perennial foftnefs of manner, eafinefs of approach, and fuavity of difpofition; like that which every man perceives in himfelf, when the first transports of new felicity have fubfided, and his thoughts are only kept in motion by a flow fucceffion of foft impulfes. Good-humour is a state between gaiety and unconcern; the act or emanation of a mind at leifure to regard the gratification of another.

It is imagined by many, that whenever they afpire to pleafe, they are required to be merry, and to fhew the gladnefs of their fouls by flights of pleafantry, and burfts of laughter. But though thefe men may be for a time heard with applause and admiration, they feldom delight us long. We enjoy them a little, and then retire to eafinefs and good-humour, as the eye gazes awhile on eminences glittering with the fun, but foon turns aching away to verdure and to flowers.

Gaiety is to good-humour as animal perfumes to vegetable fragrance; the one overpowers weak fpirits, and the other recreates and revives them. Gaiety feldom fails to give fome pain; the hearers either ftrain their faculties to accompany it's towerings, or are left behind in envy and despair. Good-humour boafts no faculties which every one does not believe in his own power, and pleats principally by not offending.

It is well known that the most certain way to give any man pleafure is to X z perfuade

perfuade him that you receive pleasure from him, to encourage him to freedom and confidence, and to avoid any fuch appearance of fuperiority as may overbear and deprefs him. We fee many that by this art only spend their days in the midft of careffes, invitations, and civilities; and without any extraordinary qualities or attainments, are the univerfal favourites of both fexes, and certainly find a friend in every place. The darlings of the world will, indeed, be generally found fuch as excite neither jealoufy nor fear, and are not confidered as candidates for any eminent degree of reputation, but content themfelves with common accomplishments, and endeavour rather to folicit kindness than to raise esteem; therefore in affemblies and places of refort it seldom fails to happen, that though at the entrance of fome particular períor every face brightens with gladnels, and every hand is extended in falutation, yet if you purfue him beyond the firft exchange of civilities, you will find him of very small importance, and only welcome to the company as one by whom all conceive themfelves admired, and with whom any one is at liberty to amufe himfelf, when he can find no other auditor or companion, as one with whom all are at eafe, who will hear a jeft without criticifm, and a narrative without contradiction, who laughs with every wit, and yields to every difputer.

There are many whofe vanity always inclines them to affociate with thofe from whom they have no reason to fear mortification; and there are times in which the wife and knowing are willing to receive praife without the labour of deferving it, in which the most elevated mind is willing to defcend, and the most active to be at reft. All therefore are at fome hour or another fond of companions whom they can entertain upon eafy terms, and who will relieve them from folitude, without condemning them to vigilance and caution. We are moft inclined to love when we have nothing to fear, and he that encourages us to please ourselves will not be long without preference in our affection to thofe whofe learning holds us at the distance of pupils, or whole wit calls all attention from us, and leaves us without importance and without regard. It is remarked by Prince Henry, when he fees Falitaff lying on the ground, that be could have bitter stared a better man,

He was well acquainted with the vices and follies of him whom he lamented; but while his conviction compelled him to do juftice to fuperior qualities, his tenderness still broke out at the remembrance of Falftaff, of the cheerful companion, the loud buffoon, with whom he had paffed his time in all the luxury of idleness, who had gladded him with unenvied merriment, and whom he could at once enjoy and defpife.

You may perhaps think this account of thofe who are diftinguished for their good-humour, not very confiftent with the praifes which I have bestowed upon it. But furely nothing can more evi, dently fhew the value of this quality, than that it recommends those who are deftitute of all other excellencies, and procures regard to the trifling, friendhip to the worthless, and affection to the dull.

Good-humour is indeed generally degraded by the characters in which it is found; for being confidered as a cheap and vulgar quality, we find it often neglected by those that having excellencies of higher reputation and brighter fplendour, perhaps imagine that they have fome right to gratify themselves at the expence of others, and are to demand compliance, rather than to practise it. It is by fome unfortunate mistake that almoft all thofe who have any claim to efteem or love, prefs their pretenfions with too little confideration of others. This mistake my own intereft, as well as my zeal for general happiness, makes me defirous to rectify; for I have a friend who, because he knows his own fidelity and ufefulness, is never willing to fink into a companion: I have a wife whofe beauty first fubdued me, and whofe wit confirmed her conqueft, but whose beauty now ferves no other purpose thap to entitle her to tyranny, and whose wit is only used to justify perverfenefs.

Surely nothing can be more unreafonable than to lofe the will to please, when we are confcious of the power, or show more cruelty than to chufe any kind of influence before that of kindness. He that regards the welfare of others, should make his virtue approachable, that it may be loved and copied; and he that confiders the wants which every man feels, or will feel, of external affiftance, muít rather wifh to be furrounded by thofe that love him, than by thofe that admire his excellencies, or folicit his fa

yours;

yours; for admiration ceases with novelty, and intereft gains it's end and retires. A man whofe great qualities want the ornament of fuperficial attrac

tions, is like a naked mountain with mines of gold, which will be frequented only till the treasure is exhaufted. I am, &c. PHILOMIDES.

N° LXXIII. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1750.

SIR,

STULTE QUID HEU VOTIS FRUSTRA PUERILIBUS OPTAS
QUE NON ULLA TULIT, FERTVE, FERETVE DIES.

Ovid.

WHY THINKS THE FOOL WITH CHILDISH HOPE TO SEE
WHAT NEITHER 18, NOR WAS, NOR E'ER SHALL BE?

TO THE RAMBLER.

feel any

F you I which you recommend to others, you of that compaffion will not disregard a cafe which I have reafon from obfervation to believe very common, and which I know by experience to be very miferable. And though the querulous are feldom received with great ardour of kindness, I hope to efcape the mortification of finding that my lamentations fpread the contagion of impatience, and produce anger rather than tenderness. I write not merely to vent the fwelling of my heart, but to enquire by what means I may recover my tranquillity; and shall endeavour at brevity in my narrative, having long known that complaint quickly tires, however elegant, or however juft.

ELPHINSTON.

thofe ladies must revert at laft to the hereditary eftate, and that his family might lofe none of it's dignity, refolved to keep me untainted with a lucrative employment; whenever therefore I discovered any inclination to the improvement of my condition, my mother never failed to put me in mind of my birth, and charged me to do nothing with which I might be reproached when I should

come to my aunts estate.

In all the perplexities or vexations which want of money brought upon us, it was our conftant practice to have recourfe to futurity. If any of our neighbours furpaffed us in appearance, we went home and contrived an equipage, with which the death of my aunts was to fupply us. If any purse-proud upftart was deficient in refpect, vengeance was referred to the time in which our eftate was to be repaired. We registered every act of civility and rudeness, enquired the number of difhes at every feait, and minuted the furniture of every houfe, that we might, when the hour of affluence fhould come, be able to eclipse all their fplendor, and furpass all their magnificence.

I was born in a remote county, of a family that boasts alliance with the greateft names in English hiftory, and extends it's claims of affinity to the Tudors and Plantagenets, My ancestors, by little and little wafted their patrimony, till my father had not enough left for the fupport of a family, without defcending to the cultivation of his own grounds, being condemned to pay three Upon plans of elegance and fchemes fifters the fortunes allotted them by my of pleasure the day rofe and fet, and the grandfather, who is fufpected to have year went round unregarded, while we made his will when he was incapable of were bufied in laying out plantations on adjufting properly the claims of his chil- ground not yet our own, and deliberatdren, and who, perhaps without defign, ing whether the manor-house should be enriched his daughters by beggaring his rebuilt or repaired. This was the fon. My aunts being, at the death of amufement of our leisure, and the sotheir father, neither young nor beauti- lace of our exigencies; we met together ful, nor very eminent for foftnefs of be- only to contrive how our approaching haviour, were fuffered to live unfolicited, fortune fhould be enjoyed; for in this and by accumulating the intereft of their our converfation always ended, on whatportions, grew every day richer and eyer fubject it began. We had none of prouder. My father pleafed himself the collateral interefts which diverfify with foreseeing that the poffeffions of the life of others with joys and hopes,

but

but had turned our whole attention on one event, which we could nether haften nor retard, and had no other object of curiofity than the health or fickness of my aunts, of which we were careful to procure very exact and early intelligence.

This vifionary opulence for a while foothed our imagination, but afterwards fired our wishes, and exasperated our neceffitics; and my father could not always reftrain himself from exclaiming, that no creature had fo many lives as a cat and an old maid. At laft, upon the recovery of his fifter from an ague, which he was fuppofed to have caught by fparing fire, he began to lose his tomach; and four months afterwards funk into the grave.

My mother, who loved her husband, furvived him but a little while, and left me the fole heir of their lands, their fchemes, and their wishes. As I had not enlarged my conceptions either by books or converfation, I differed only from my father by the freshness of my cheeks, and the vigour of my step; and, like him, gave way to no thoughts but of enjoying the wealth which my aunts were hoarding.

At length the eldest fell ill. I paid the civilities and compliments which fickness requires with the utmoft punctuality. I dreamed every night of efcutcheons and white gloves, and enquired every morning at an early hour, whether there were any news of my dear aunt. At laft a meffenger was fent to inform me, that I must come to her without the delay of a moment. I went and heard her laft advice, but opening her will, found that she had left her fortune to her fecond fifter.

I hung my head; the younger fifter threatened to be married, and every thing was difappointment and difcontent. I was in danger of lofing irreparably one third of my hopes, and was condemned ftill to wait for the reft. Of part of my terror, I was foon eafed; for the youth, whom his relations would have compelled to marry the old lady, after innumerable ftipulations, articles, and fettlements, ran away with the daughter of his father's groom; and my aunt, upon this conviction of the perfidy of man, refolved never to liften more to amorous addreffes.

Ten years longer I dragged the fhackles of expectation, without ever fuffering a

day to pass in which I did not compute how much my chance was improved of being rich to-morrrow. At last the second lady died, after a fhort illness, which yet was long enough to afford her time for the disposal of her eftate, which she gave to me after the death of her fifter.

I was now relieved from part of my mifery; a larger fortune, though not in my power, was certain and unalienable ; nor was there now any danger that I might at last be frustrated of my hopes by a fret of dotage, the flatteries of a chambermaid, the whifpers of a tale-bearer, or the officioufnefs of a nurse. But my wealth was yet in reverfion, my aunt was to be buried before I could emerge to grandeur and pleafure; and there were yet, according to my fathers obfervation, nine lives between me and happiness.

I however lived on, without any clamours of difcontent, and comforted myfelf with confidering, that all are mor tal, and they who are continually decaying muft at last be destroyed.

But let no man from this time fuffer his felicity to depend on the death of his aunt. The good gentlewoman was very regular in her hours, and fimple in her diet; and in walking or fitting ftill, waking or fleeping, had always in view the prefervation of her health. She was fubject to no diforder, but hypochondriac dejection; by which, without intention, the increafed my miferies; for whenever the weather was cloudy, the would take her bed, and fend me notice that her time was come. I went with all the haste of eagerness, and fometimes received paffionate injunctions to be kind to her maid, and directions how the last offices fhould be performed; but if before my arrival the fun happened to break out, or the wind to change, I met her at the door, or found her in the garden, bustling and vigilant, with all the tokens of long life.

Sometimes, however, fhe fell into diftempers, and was thrice given over by the doctor; yet the found means of flipping through the gripe of death; and after having tortured me three months at each time with violent alternations of hope and fear, came out of her chamber without any other hurt than the lofs of flesh, which in a few weeks fhe recovered by broths and jellies.

As moft have fagacity fufficient to guess at the defires of an heir, it was

the

the conftant practice of those who were hoping at fecond hand, and endeavoured to fecure my favour against the time when I should be rich, to pay their court, by informing me, that my aunt began to droop, that he had lately a bad night, that the coughed feebly, and that the could never climb May hill; or at leaft, that the autumn would carry her off. Thus was I flattered in the winter with the piercing winds of March, and, in fummer, with the fogs of September. But the lived through fpring and fall, and fet heat and cold at defiance; till, after near half a century, I buried her on the fourteenth of laft June, aged ninetythree years, five months, and fix days.

For two months after her death I was rich; and was pleafed with that obfequioufnefs and reverence which wealth inftantaneously procures. But this joy

is now paft, and I have returned again to my old habit of wifhing. Being accuftomed to give the future full power over my mind, and to start away from the fcene before me to fome expected enjoyment, I deliver up myself to the tyranny of every defire which fancy fuggefts, and long for a thousand things which I am unable to procure. Money has much less power than is afcribed to it by thote that want it. I had formed fchemes which I cannot execute; I had supposed events which do not come to pass; and the rest of my life muft pafs in craving folicitude, unless you can find some remedy for a mind, corrupted with an inveterate disease of withing, and unable to think on any thing but wants, which reafon tells me will never be fupplied. I am, &c.

CUPIDUS.

N° LXXIV. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1750.

RIXATUR DE LANA SEPE CAPRINA.

HOR

FOR NOUGHT TORMENTED, SHE FOR NOUGHT TORMENTS.

EN feldom give pleasure where

ELPHINSTONA

canker of life, that deftroys it's vigour,

M they are not pleated themselves, and checks it's improvement, that creeps

it is necellary, therefore, to cultivate an habitual alacrity and cheerfulness, that in whatever state we may be placed by Providence, whether we are appointed to confer or receive benefits, to implore or to afford protection, we may fecure the love of thofe with whom we tranfact. For though it is generally imagined, that he who grants favours may fpare any attention to his behaviour, and that ufefulnets will always procure friends; yet it has been found that there is an art of granting requests, an art very difficult of attainment; that officioufnels and liberality may be to adulterated, as to lofe the greater part of their effect; that compliance may provoke, relief may harafs, and liberality distress.

No difeafe of the mind can more fatally difable it from benevolence, the chief duty of focial beings, than ill humour or peevishness; for though it breaks not out in paroxiims of outrage, nor bursts into clamour, turbulence, and bloodshed, it wears out happiness by flow corrosion, and finall injuries inceflantly repeated. It may be confidered as the

on with hourly depredations, and taints and vitiates what it cannot confume.

Peevishness, when it has been fo far indulged as to outrun the motions of the will, and difcover itself without premeditation, is a fpecies of depravity in the highest degree difgufting and offenfive, because no rectitude of intention, nor foftnefs of address, can ensure a mo ment's exemption from affront and indignity. While we are courting the favour of a peevish man, and exerting ourselves in the moft diligent civility, an unlucky fyllable difpleafes, an unheeded. circumftance ruffles and exafperates; and in the moment when we congratulate ourfelves upon having gained a friend, our endeavours are fruftrated at once, and all our affiduity forgotten in the cafual tumult of fome trifling irritation.

This troublesome impatience is fometimes nothing more than the fymptom of fome deeper malady. He that is angry without daring to confess his refentment, or forrowful without the liberty of telling his grief, is too frequently inclin

to give vent to the fermentations of

his

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