anger could not take away. Caft thine eyes round thee, whatever thou beholdest will, in a few hours, be thine; apply thine ear to my dictates, and thefe poffeffions will promote thy happiness. Afpire not to public honours, enter not the palaces of kings; thy wealth will fet thee above infult, let ⚫thy moderation keep thee below envy. • Content thyself with private dignity, diffuse thy riches among thy friends, let every day extend thy beneficence, and fuffer not thy heart to be at reft ⚫ till thou art loved by all to whom thou ⚫art known. In the height of my power, I faid to defamation" Who will "hear thee?" and to artifice" What "canft thou perform?" But, my fon, defpife not thou the malice of the weakeft; ⚫ remember that venom fupplies the • want of ftrength, and that the lion may perish by the puncture of an alp.' Morad expired in a few hours. A. bouzaid, after the months of mourning, determined to regulate his conduct by his father's precepts, and cultivate the love of mankind by every art of kindness and endearment. He wifely confidered that domeftick happiness was firft to be Secured, and that none have fo much power of doing good or hurt, as thofe who are prefent in the hour of negligence, hear the bursts of thoughtless merriment, and obferve the ftarts of unguarded paffion. He therefore augmented the pay of all his attendants, and requited every exertion of uncommon diligence by fupernumerary gratuities. While he congratulated himself upon the fidelity and affection of his family, he was in the night alarmed with robbers, who being purfued and taken, declared that they had been admitted by one of his fervants; the fervant immediately confeffed, that he unbarred the door, because another not more worthy of confi. dence was entrusted with the keys. Abouzaid was thus convinced that a dependant could not eafily be made a friend; and that while many were foliciting for the first rank of favour, all those would be alienated whom he difappointed. He therefore refolved to affociate with a few equal companions felected from among the chief men of the province. With thefe he lived happily for a time, till familiarity set them free from reftraint, and every man thought himself at liberty to indulge his own ་ caprice, and advance his own opinions. They then disturbed each other with contrariety of inclinations, and difference of fentiments; and Abouzaid was neceffitated to offend one party by concurrence, or both by indifference. He afterwards determined to avoid a clofe union with beings fo difcordant in their nature, and to diffufe himself in a larger circle. He practifed the smile of univerfal courtesy, and invited all to his table, but admitted none to his retirements. Many who had been rejected in his choice of friendship, now refused to accept his acquaintance; and of those whom plenty and magnificence drew to his table, every one preffed forward toward intimacy, thought himself overlooked in the crowd, and murmured be. caufe he was not diftinguished above the reft. By degrees all made advances, and all refented repulfe. The table was then covered with delicacies in vain; the mufick founded in empty rooms; and Abouzaid was left to form in folitude fome new fcheme of pleasure or fecurity. Refolving now to try the force of gratitude, he enquired for men of fcience, whofe merit was obfcured by poverty. His houfe was foon crowded with poets, fculptors, painters, and defigners, who wantoned in unexperienced plenty, and employed their powers in celebration of their patron. But in a fhort time they forgot the diftrefs from which they had been rescued, and began to confider their deliverer as a wretch of narrow capa-' city, who was growing great by works which he could not perform, and whom they overpaid by condescending to accept his bounties. Abouzaid heard their murmurs, and difmiffed them; and from that hour continued blind to colours, and deaf to panegyrick, As the fons of art departed, muttering threats of perpetual infamy, Abouzaid, who stood at the gate, called to him Hamet the poet. Hamet,' said he, thy ingratitude has put an end to my hopes and experiments: I have now learned the vanity of those labours that wish to be rewarded by human. ⚫ benevolence; I fhail henceforth do good, and avoid evil, without respect to the opinion of men; and refolve to folicit only the approbation of that Being whom alone we are fure to please by endeavouring to please him.”, 3 H N° CXCI. N° CXCI. TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1752. CERIUS IN VITIUM FLECTI, MONITORYBUS ASPER. THE YOUTH YIELDING LIKE WAX, TH' IMPRESSIVE FOLLY BEARS; TO THE RAMBLER. DEAR MR. RAMBLER, Have been four days confined to my HOR. FRANCIS. But it is fit that they should take their turn; for I am fure, while they can keep poor girls clofe in the nurfery, they tyrannize over us in a very fhameful man I have bee by a call, which has al- ner, and fill our imaginations with tales ready kept me from three plays, nine fales, five shows, and fix card-tables, and put me feventeen visits behind-hand; and the doctor tells my mamma, that if I fret and cry, it will fettle in my head, and I shall not be fit to be feen thele fix weeks. But, dear Mr. Ram bler, how can I help it? At this very time Meliffa is dancing with the prettiest gentleman;-she will breakfast with him to-morrow, and then run to two auctions, and hear compliments, and have prefents; then she will be dreft, and vifit, and get a ticket to the play; then go to cards and win, and come home with two flambeaus before her chaw. Dear Mr. Rambler, who can bear it? My aunt has just brought me a bundle of your papers for my amufement. She fays, you are a philofopher, and will teach me to moderate my defires, and look upon the world with indifference. But, dear Sir, I do not wish, nor intend, to moderate my defires, nor can I think it proper to look upon the world with indifference, till the world looks with indifference on me. I have been forced, however, to fit this morning a whole quarter of an hour with your paper before my face; but just as my aunt came in, Phyllida had brought me a letter from Mr. Trip, which I put within the leaves, and read about abfence, and inconfoleableness, and ardour, and irrefiftible paffion, and eternal conftancy, while my aunt imagined that I was puzzling myself with your philofophy, and often cried out when the faw me look confufed If there is any word that you do not understand, child, I will explain it." Dear foul! how old people that think themfelves wife may be impofed upon! of terror, only to make us live in quiet fubjection, and fancy that we can never be fafe but by their protection. I have a mamma and two aunts, who have all been formerly celebrated for wit and beauty, and are ftill generally admired by thofe that value themselves upon their understanding, and love to talk of vice and virtue, nature and fimplicity, and beauty and propriety; but if there was not fome hope of meeting me, fcarcely a creature would come near them that wears a fashionable coat. Thefe ladies, Mr. Rambler, have had me under their government fifteen years and a half, and have all that time been endeavouring to deceive me by fuch reprefentations of life as I now find not to be true; but I know not whether I ought to impute them to ignorance or malice, as it is poffible the world may be much changed fince they mingled in general conversation. Being defirous that I fhould love books, they told me, that nothing but knowledge could make me an agreeable companion to men of fenfe; or qualify me to diftinguifh the fuperficial glitter of va nity from the folid merit of understanding; and that a habit of reading would enable me to fill up the vacuities of life without the help of filly or dangerous amufements, and preferve me from the fnares of idleness, and the inroads of temptation. But their principal intention was to make me afraid of men; in which they fucceeded fo well for a time, that I durft not look in their faces, or be left alone with them in a parlour; for they made me fancy, that no man ever spoke but to deceive, or looked but to allure; that the girl who fuffered him that had once fqueezed her hand to approach her a fe cond cond time, was on the brink of ruin; and that the who answered a billet, with out confulting her relations, gave love fuch power over her, that he would certainly become either poor or infa mous. From the time that my leading-ftrings were taken off, I fcarce heard any men tion of my beauty but from the milliner, the mantua-maker, and my own maid; for my mamma never faid more, when fhe heard me commended, but The girl is very well," and then endeavoured to divert my attention by fome enquiry after my needle, or my book. It is now three months fince I have been fuffered to pay and receive vifits, to dance at publick affemblies, to have a place kept for me in the boxes, and to play at Lady Racket's rout; and you may eafily imagine what I think of thofe who have fo long cheated me with falfe expectations, disturbed me with fictitious terrors, and concealed from me all that I have found to make the happiness of woman. I am fo far from perceiving the ufefulness or neceffity of books, that if I had not dropped all pretenfions to learning, I should have loft Mr. Trip, whom I once frighted into another box, by retailing fome of Dryden's remarks upon a tragedy; for Mr. Trip declares, that he hates nothing like hard words, and I am fure, there is not a better partner to be found; his very walk is a dance. I have talked once or twice among ladies about principles and ideas, but they put their fans before their faces, and told me I was too wife for them, who for their part never pretended to read any thing but the play-bill, and then asked me the price of my best head. Thofe vacancies of time which are to be filled up with books, I have never yet obtained; for, confider, Mr. Rambler, I go to bed late, and therefore cannot rife early; as foon as I am up, I drefs for the gardens;, then walk in the park; then always go to some sale or show, or entertainment at the little theatre; then must be dreffed for dinner; then must pay my vifits; then walk in the park; then hurry to the play; and from thence to the card table. This is the general courfe of the day, when there happens nothing extra ordinary; but fometimes I ramble into the country, and come back again to a ball; fometimes I am engaged for a whole day and part of the night. If, at any time, I can gain an hour by not being at home, I have fo many things to do, fo many orders to give to the milliner, fo many alterations to make in my clothes, fo many vifitants names to read over, fo many invitations to accept or refufe, fo many cards to write, and fo many fashions to confider, that I am loft in confufion, forced at laft to let in company or ftep into my chair, and leave half my affairs to the direction of my maid. This is the round of my day; and when fhall I either ftop my course, or fo change it as to want a book? I fuppofe it cannot be imagined, that any of these diverfions will foon be at an end. There will always be gardens, and a park, and auctions, and hows, and playhouses, and cards; vifits will always be paid, and clothes always be worn; and how can I have time unemployed upon my hands? But I am moft at a lofs to guefs for what purpose they related fuch tragick ftories of the cruelty, perfidy, and artifices of men, who, if they ever were fo malicious and deftructive, have certainly now reformed their manners. I have not, fince my entrance into the world, found one who does not profefs himself devoted to my fervice, and ready to live or die, as I fhall command him. They are fo far from intending to hurt me, that their only contention is, who fhall be allowed most closely to attend, and molt frequently to treat me; when different places of entertainment, or schemes of pleafure are mentioned, I can fee the eye sparkle and the cheeks glow of him whofe proposals obtain my approbation; he then leads me off in triumph, adores my condefcenfion, and congratulates himself that he has lived to the hour of felicity. Are thefe, Mr. Rambler, creatures to be feared? Is it likely that any injury will be done me by those who can enjoy life only while I favour them with my prefence? As little reafon can I yet find to fuspect them of ftratagems and fraud. When I play at cards, they never take advantage of my mistakes, nor exact from me a rigorous obfervation of the game. Even Mr. Shuffle, a grave gene tleman, who has daughters older than myfelf, plays with me fo negligently, that I am fometimes inclined to believe he lofes his money by design, and yet he is so fond of play, that be fays, he 3 H2 will |