fupply you with many fage remarks, and falutary cautions.

I cannot but imagine the ftart of attention awakened by this welcome hint; and at this inftant fee the Rambler fnuffing his candle, rubbing his fpectacles, ftirring his fire, locking out interruption, and fettling himself in his eatychair, that he may enjoy a new calamity without difturbance. For, whether it be that continued ficknets or misfortune has acquainted you only with the bitterness of being; or that you imagine none but yourself able to difcover what I fuppofe has been feen and felt by all the inhabitants of the world; whether you intend your writings as antidotal to the levity and merriment with which your rivals endeavour to attract the favour of the publick; or fancy that you have fome particular powers of dolorous declamation, and warble out your groans with uncommon elegance or energy; it is certain, that whatever be your fubject, melancholy for the most part burfts in upon your speculation, your gaiety is quickly overcaft, and though your readers may be flattered with hopes of pleafantry, they are seldom difiniffed but with heavy hearts.

That I may therefore gratify you with an imitation of your own fyllables of fadnefs, I will inform you that I was condemned by fome difatrous influence to be an only fon, born to the apparent profpect of a large fortune, and allotted to my parents at that time of life when fatiety of common diverfions allows the mind to indulge parental affection with greater intentenefs. My birth was celebrated by the tenants with feats, and dances, and bagpipes; congratulations were fent from every family within ten miles round; and my parents difcovered in my first cries fuch tokens of future virtue and understanding, that they declared themselves determined to devote the remaining part of life to my happinefs and the increafe of their eftate.

The abilities of my father and mother were not perceptibly unequal, and education had given neither much advantage over the other. They had both kept good company, rattled in chariots, glittered in playhouses, and danced at court, and were both expert in the games that were in their time called in as auxiliaries against the intrusion of thought.

When there is fuch a parity between two perfons affociated for life, the de

jection which the hufband, if he be not completely stupid, mult always fuffer for want of fuperiority, finks him to fubmiflivenefs. My mamma therefore governed the family without controul; and except that my father ftill retained fome authority in the ftables, and now and then, after a fupernumerary bottle, broke a looking-glais or china difh to prove his fovereignty, the whole course of the year was regulated by her direction, the fervants received from her all their orders, and the tenants were continued or difiniffed at her difcretion.

She therefore thought herself entitled to the fuperintendance of her fon's education; and when my father, at the initigation of the parfon, faintly propoted that I should be fent to school, very pofitively told him, that she would not fuffer fo fine a child to be ruined; that the never knew any boys at a grammar-fchool that could come into a room without blushing, or fit at the table without fome awkward uneafinefs; that they were always putting themselves into danger by boisterous plays, or vitiating their behaviour with mean company; and that, for her part, fhe would rather follow me to the grave, than fee me tear my clothes, and hang down my head, and fneak about with dirty fhoes and blotted fingers, my hair unpowdered, and my hat uncocked.

My father, who had no other end in his propofal than to appear wife and manly, foon acquiefced, fince I was not to live by my learning; for indeed he had known very few ftudents that had not fome ftiffnels in their manner. They therefore agreed, that a domestick tutor fhould be procured, and hired an honest gentleman of mean converfation and narrow fentiments, but whom, having paffed the common forms of literary education, they implicitly concluded qualified to teach all that was to be learned from a fcholar. He thought himfelf fufficiently exalted by being placed at the fame table with his pupil, and had no other view than to perpetuate his felicity by the utmoft flexibility of fubmiffion to all my mother's opinions and caprices. He frequently took away my book, left I fhould mope with too much application, charged me never to write without turning up my ruffles, and generally brushed my coat before he difiniffed me into the parlour.

He had no occafion to complain of

too

too burthenfome an employment; for my mother very judiciously confidered, that I was not likely to grow politer in his company, and fuffered me not to pafs any more time in his apartment than my leffon required. When I was fummoned to my task, fhe enjoined me not to get any of my tutor's ways, who was feldom mentioned before me but for practices to be avoided. I was every. moment admonished not to lean on my chair, cross my legs, or fwing my hands like my tutor; and once my mother very feriously deliberated upon his total difimiffion, because I began, she said, to learn his manner of sticking on my hat, and had his bend in my fhoulders, and his totter in my gait.

Such, however, was her care, that I efcaped all these depravities, and when I was only twelve years old, had rid myself of every appearance of childish diffidence. I was celebrated round the country for the petulance of my remarks, and the quickness of my replies; and many a fcholar five years older than myfelf have I dashed into confufion by the steadiness of my countenance, filenced by my readinefs of repartee, and tortured with envy by the addrefs with which I picked up a fan, prefented a inuff-box, or received an empty tea-cup. At fourteen I was completely skilled in all the niceties of drefs, and I could not only enumerate all the variety of filks, and diftinguish the product of a French loom, but dart my eyes through a numerous company, and obferve every deviation from the reigning mode. I was univerfally skilful in all the changes of expenfive finery; but as every one, they lay, has fomething to which he is particularly born, was eminently knowing in Bruffels lace.

The next year faw me advanced to the truft and power of adjufting the ceremonial of an affembly. All received their partners from my hand, and to me every ftranger applied for introduction. My heart now difdained the inftructions of a tutor, who was rewarded with a fmall annuity for life, and left me qualified, in my own opinion, to govern myself.

In a fhort time I came to London, and as my father was well known among the higher claffes of life, foon obtained admiffion to the moft fplendid affemblies and most crowded card-tables. Here I found myself universally caref

fed and applauded: the ladies praifed the fancy of my cloaths, the beauty of my form, and the foftnefs of my voice; endeavoured in every place to force them. felves to my notice; and invited by a thousand oblique folicitations my at tendance to the playhouse, and my falutations in the park. I was now happy to the utmost extent of my conception; I paffed every morning in drefs, every afternoon in vifits, and every night in fome felect affemblies, where neither care nor knowledge were fuffered to moleft us.

After a few years, however, these delights became familiar, and I had leisure to look round me with more attention. I then found that my flatterers had very little power to relieve the langour of fatiety, or recreate wearinefs, by varied amusement; and therefore endeavoured to enlarge the fphere of my pleasures, and to try what fatisfaction might be found in the fociety of men. I will not deny the mortification with which I perceived, that every man whofe name I had heard mentioned with refpect, received me with a kind of tenderness nearly bordering on compaffion; and that thofe whofe reputation was not well eftablished, thought it neceffary to juftify their understandings, by treating me with contempt. One of thefe witlings elevated his creft, by asking me in a full coffee-houfe the price of patches; and another whispered that he wondered why Mils Frifk did not keep me that afternoon to watch her squirrel.

When I found myself thus hunted from all mafculine converfation by those who were themselves barely admitted, I returned to the ladies, and refolved to dedicate my life to their fervice and pleafure. But I find that I have now loft my charms. Of those with whom I entered the gay world, fome are married, fome have retired, and some have fo much changed their opinion, that they fcarcely pay any regard to my civilities, if there is any other man in the place. The new fight of beauties to whom I have made my addreffes, fuffer me to pay the treat, and then titter with boys. So that I now find myself welcome only to a few grave ladies, who, unacquainted with all that gives either ufe or dignity to life, are content to pass their hours between their bed and their cards, without etteem from the old, or reverence from the young.

Ii

I cannot

I cannot but think, Mr. Rambler, that I have reafon to complain; for furely the females ought to pay fome regard to the age of him whofe youth was paffed in endeavours to please them. They that encourage folly in the boy, have no right to punish it in the man.

Yet I

find, that though they lavish their first fondnefs 'upon pertnefs and gaiety, they foon transfer their regard to other qualities, and ungratefully abandon their adorers to dream out their laft years in ftupidity and contempt. I am, &c. FLORENTULUS

PRUDENTI

HAT to pleafe the Lord and FaTher of the univerie, is the fupreme interest of created and dependent beings, as it is eally proved, has been univerfally confelled; and fince all rational agents are conicious of having neglected or violated the duties prefcribed to them, the fear of being rejected, or punithed by God, has always burdened the hu man mind. The expiation of crimes, and renovation of the forfeited hopes of divine favour, therefore conftitutes a large part of every religion.

The various methods of propitiation and atonement which fear and folly have dictated, or artifice and interet tolerated in the different parts of the world, however they may fometimes reproach or degrade humanity, at Jeait flew the general content of all ages and nations in their opinion of the placability of the divine nature. Tha: God will forgive, may, indeed, be established as the frit and fundamental truth of religion; for though the knowledge of his existence is the origin of philofophy, yet, without the belief of his mercy, it would have little influence upon our moral conduct. There could be no proípect of enjoying the protection or regard of him, whom the lenit deviation from rectitude made inexorable for ever; and every man would naturally withdraw his thoughts from the contemplation of a creator,

F. LEWIS.

whom he must confider as a governer too pure to be pleated, and too fevere th be pacified; as an enemy infinitely wife, and infinitely powerful, whom he could neither deceive, efcape, nor refift.

Where there is no hope, there can be no endeavour. A conftant and unfailing obedience is above the reach of terrettrial diligence; and therefore the progrefs of life could only have been the natural defcent of negligent defpair from crime to crime, had not the univerfal perfuafion of forgivenefs to be obtained by proper means of reconciliation, recalled thofe to the paths of virtue whom their pallions Lad folicited afide; and animated to new attempts, and firmer perfeverance, those whom difficulty had difcouraged, or religion furprifed."

In times and regions fo disjoined from each other, that there can scarcely be imagined any communication of fentiments either by commerce or tradition, has prevailed a general and uniform expectation of propitiating God by corporal aufterities, of anticipating his vengeance by voluntary inflictions, and ap peafing his juftice by a speedy and cheer. ful fubmiffion to a lefs penalty when a greater is incurred.

Incorporated minds will always feel fome inclination towards exterior acts and ritual obfervances. Ideas not reprefented by fenfible objects are fleeting,

variable,

ariable, and evanefcent. We are not able to judge of the degree of conviction which operated at any particular time upon our own thoughts, but as it is recorded by fome certain and definite effect. He that reviews his life in order to determine the probability of his acceptance with God, if he could once eftablish the neceffary proportion, between crimes and fufferings, might fecurely reft upon his performance of the expiation; but while fafety remains the reward only of mental purity, he is always afraid left he fhould decide too foon in his own favour, left he fhould not have felt the pangs of true contrition; left he fhould miftake fatiety for deteltation, or imagine that his paffions are fubdued when they are only fleeping.

From this natural and reasonable diffidence arofe, in humble and timorous piety, a difpofition to confound penance with repentance, to repofe on human determinations, and to receive from fome judicial fentence the ftated and regular affignment of reconciliatory pain. We are never willing to be without refource; we feek in the knowledge of others a fuccour for our own ignorance; and are ready to truft any that will undertake to direct us when we have confidence in ourselves.

This defire to afcertain by fome outward marks the ftate of the foul, and this willingness to calm the conscience by fome fettled method, have produced, as they are diverfified in their effects by various tempers and principles, moft of the difquifitions and rules, the doubts and folutions, that have embarraffed the doctrine of repentance, and perplexed tender and flexible minds with innumerable fcruples concerning the neceflary measures of forrow, and adequate degrees of felf-abhorrence; and thefe rules corrupted by fraud, or, debafed by credulity, have, by the com, mon refiliency of the mind from one extreme to another, incited others to an open contempt of all fubfidiary ordinances, all prudential caution, and the whole difcipline of regulated piety.

Repentance, however difficult to be practifed, is, if it be explained without fuperftition, eafily understood. Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from the conviction that it has offended God. Sorrow, and fear, and anxiety, are properly not parts, but adjuncts of repentance; yet they are too

clofely connected with it, to be easily feparated; for they not only mark it's fincerity, but promote it's efficacy.

No man commits any act of negligence or obstinacy, by which his fafety or happiness in this world is endangered, without feeling the pungency of remorfe. He who is fully convinced that he fuffers by his own failure, can never forbear to trace back his miscarriage to it's firft caufe, to image to himself a contrary behaviour, and to form involuntary resolutions against the like fault, even when he knows that he fhall never again have the power of committing it. Danger confidered as imminent, naturally produces fuch trepidations of impatience as leave all human means of fafety behind them: he that has once caught an alarm of terror, is every moment feized with ufelefs anxieties; adding one fecurity to another, trembling with fudden doubts, and distracted by the perpe tual occurrence of new expedients. If, therefore, he whofe crimes have de prived him of the favour of God, can reflect upon his conduct without disturbance, or can at will banish the reflection; if he who confiders himself as fu fpended over the abyfs of eternal perdition only by the thread of life, which muft foon part by it's own weakness, and which the wing of every minute may divide, can caft his eyes around him with out fhuddering with horror, or panting with fecurity; what can he judge of himself but that he is not yet awakened to fufficient conviction, fince every lofs is more lamented than the lofs of the Divine favour, and every danger more dreaded than the danger of final condemnation?

Retirement from the cares and pleafures of the world has been often recommended as ufeful to repentance. This at least is evident, that every one retires, whenever ratiocination and recollection are required on other occafions: and furely the retrofpect of life, the disentanglement of actions complicated with innumerable circumftanees, and diffused in various relations, the difcovery of the primary movements of the heart, and the extirpation of lufts and appetites deeply rooted and widely spread, may be allow ed to demand fome feceffion from fport and noife, and business and folly. Some fufpenfion of common affairs, fome paufe of temporal pain and pleasure, is doubtlefs neceflary to him that deliberates for Iia eternity