with innumerable Objects that are proper to raise and keep alive this happy Temper of Mind. If we confider this World in its Subferviency to Man, one would think it was made for our ufe; but if we confider it in its natural Beauty and Harmony, one would be apt to conclude it was made for our Pleasure. "The Sua, which is as the great Soul of the Universe, and produces all the Neceffaries of Life, has a particular Influence in chearing the Mind of Man, and making the Heart glad. THOSE feveral living Creatures which are made for Dur Service or Suftenance, at the fame time either fill the Woods with their Musick, furnish us with Game, or raise pleasing Ideas in us by the delightfulness of their Appearance. Fountains, Lakes, and Rivers are as refrefking to the Imagination, as to the Soil through which they pals. THERE are Writers of great Distinction, who have made it an Argument for Providence, that the whole Earth is covered with Green, rather than with any other Colour, as being fuch a right Mixture of Light and Shade, that it comforts and firengthens the Eye inftead of weakning or grieving it. For this reason feveral Painters have a green Cloth hanging near them, to cafe the Eye upon, after too great an Application to their Colouring. A famous modern Philofopher accounts for it in the following manner: All Colours that are more luminous, overpower and diffipate, the animal Spirits which are employ'd in fight; on the contrary, those that are more obfcure do not give the animal Spirits a fufficient Exercife; whereas the Rays that produce in us the Idea of Green, fall upon the Eye in fuch a due proportion, that they give the animal Spirits their proper Play, and by keeping up the Struggle in a juft Ballance, excite a very pleating and agreeable Senfation. Let the Caufe be what it will, the Effect is certain, for which reason the Poets afcribe to this particular Colour the Epithet of Chearful. TO confider further this double End in the Works of Nature, and how they are at the fame time both wifeful and entertaining, we find that the most importans t Parts in the vegetable World are thofe which are the most beautiful. These are the Seeds by which the feveral Races of Plants are propagated and continued, and which are always lodged in Flowers or Bloffoms. Nature feems to hide her principal Defign, and to be induftrious in making the Earth gay and delightful, while the is carrying on her great Work, and intent upon her own Prefervation. Husbandman after the fame manner is employed in laying out the whole Country into a kind of Garden or Landskip, and making every thing (mile about him, whilft in reality he thinks of nothing but of the Harvest, and Encreafe which is to arife from it. The WE may further obferve how Providence has taken care to keep up this Chearfulness in the Mind of Man, by having formed it after fuch a manner, as to make it capable of conceiving Delight from feveral Objects which feem to have very little ufe in them; as from the Wildnefs of Rocks and Defarts, and the like grotefque Parts of Nature. Those who are verfed in Philofophy may fill carry this Confideration higher, by obferving that if Matter had appeared to us endowed only with thofe real Qualities which it actually poffeffes, it would have made but a very joyless and uncomfortable Figure; and why has Providence given it a Power of producing in us fuch imaginary Qualities, and Taftes, and Colours, Sounds and Smells, Heat and Cold, but that Man, while he is converfant in the lower Stations of Nature, might have his Mind cheared and delighted with agreeable Senfations? Ia fhort, the whole Univerfe is a kind of Theatre filled with Obje&ts that either raise in us Pleasure, Amusement, or Admiration. THE Reader's own Thoughts will fuggest to him the Viciffitude of Day and Night, the Change of Seafons, with all that Variety of Scenes which diverfify the Face of Nature, and fill the Mind with a perpetual Succeffion of beautiful and pleafing Images. I fhall not here mention the feveral Entertainments of Art, with the Pleasures of Friendship, Books, Converfation, and other accidental Diversions of Life, because I would only take notice of fuch Incitements to a chear ful ful Temper, as offer themselves to Perfons of all Ranks and Conditions, and which may fufficiently fhew us that Providence did not defign this World should be filled with Murmurs and Repinings, or that the Heart of Man should be involved in Gloom and Melancholy. I the more inculcate this Chearfulness of Temper, as it is a Virtue in which our Countrymen are observed to be more deficient than any other Nation. Melancholy is a kind of Demon that haunts our Island, and often conveys her felf to us in an eafterly Wind. A celebrated French Novelift, in oppofition to thofe who begin their Romances with the flowry Season of the Year, enters on his Story thus: In the gloomy Month of November, when the People of England hang and drown themselves, a difconfolate Lover walked out into the Fields, &c. EVERY one ought to fence against the Temper of his Climate or Conftitution, and frequently to indulge in himself thofe Confiderations which may give him a Serenity of Mind, and enable him to bear up chearfully against thofe little Evils and Misfortunes which are common to humane Nature, and which by a right Improvement of them will produce a Satiety of Joy, and an uninterrupted Happiness. AT the fame time that I would engage my Reader to confider the World in its most agreeable Lights, I mult own there are many Evils which naturally fpring up amidst the Entertainments that are provided for us; but thefe, if rightly confider'd, fhould be far from overcafting the Mind with Sorrow, or destroying that Chearfulness of Temper which I have been recommending. This Interfperfion of Evil with Good, and Pain with Pleasure, in the Works of Nature, is very truly afcrib'd by Mr. Locke, in his Effay on Human Understanding, to a moral Reason, in the following Words: BEYOND all this, we may find another Reason why God hath fcattered up and down feveral Degrees of Pleafure and Pain, in all the things that environ and affec us, and blended them together, in almost all that our Thoughts and Senfes have to do with; that we finding Im Imperfection, Diffatisfaction, and Want of compleat Happinefs in all the Enjoyments which the Creatures can afford - us, might be led to feek it in the Enjoyment of him, with whom there is Fulness of Joy, and at whofe Right Hand are Pleasures for evermore. L N° 388. Monday, May 26. -Tibi res antique Laudis & Artis Mr. SPECTATOR, T Virg. IT is my Cuftom, when I read your Papers, to read over the Quotations in the Authors from whence you take them: As you mention'd a Paffage lately out of the fecond Chapter of Solomon's Song, it occafion'd my looking into it; and upon reading it I thought the Ideas fo exquifitely foft and tender, that I could not help 'making this Paraphrafe of it; which, now it is done, I can as little forbear fending to you. Some Marks of your Approbation, which I have already receiv'd, have 'given me fo fenfible a Taste of them, that I cannot for⚫ bear endeavouring after them as often as I can with any • Appearance of Success. A I am, SIR, Your most obedient humble Servant. The Second Chapter of Solomon's Song. I. Swhen in Sharon's Field the blushing Rofe The fragrant Odours thro' the Air: Or as the Lilly in the shady Vale, Does o'er each Flow'r with beauteous Pride prevail, And And Brands with Dews and kindeft Sun-shine kleft, And their united Charms are less than mine. As much as faireft Lillies can furpafs Beneath his pleafing Shade My wearied Limbs at Eafe I laid, And on his fragrant Boughs reclin'd my Head. my Head he hung the Banners of his Love's IV. I faint! I die! my labouring Breaft } } } Ob! |