NUMB. 52. SATURDAY, April 14, 1759.

THE

Refponfare cupidinibus.

HOR.

HE practice of self-denial, or the forbearance of lawful pleasure, has been confidered by almost every nation, from the remoteft ages, as the higheft exaltation of human virtue; and all have. agreed to pay refpect and veneration to those who abstained from the delights of life, even when they did not cenfure those who enjoy them.

The general voice of mankind, civil and barbarous, confeffes that the mind and body are at variance, and that neither can be made happy by its proper gratifications, but at the expence of the other; that a pampered body will darken the mind, and an enlightened mind will macerate the body. And none have failed to confer their esteem on thofe who prefer intellect to fenfe, who controul their lower by their higher faculties, and forget the wants and defires of animal life for rational difquifitions or pious contemplations.

The earth has scarce a country fo far advanced towards political regularity as to divide the inhabitants into claffes, where fome orders of men or women are not diftinguished by voluntary severities, and where the reputation of their fanctity is not increased in proportion to the rigour of their rules, and the exactness of their performance.

When an opinion to which there is no temptation. of interest spreads wide and continues long, it may be reasonably prefumed to have been infused by nature or dictated by reafon. It has been often obferved that the fictions of impofture, and illufions of fancy, foon give way to time and experience; and that nothing keeps its ground but truth, which gains every day new influence by new confirma

tion.

But truth, when it is reduced to practice, eafily becomes fubject to caprice and imagination, and many particular acts will be wrong, though their general principle be right. It cannot be denied that a juft conviction of the reftraint neceffary to be laid upon the appetites has produced extravagant and unnatural modes of mortification, and inftitutions which, however favourably confidered, will be found to violate nature without promoting piety.

But the doctrine of felf-denial is not weakened in itself by the errors of thofe who mifinterpret or mifapply it; the encroachment of the appetites upon the understanding is hourly perceived, and the state of those whom fenfuality has enflaved, is known to be in the highest degree defpicable and wretched.

The dread of fuch fhameful captivity may juftly raise alarms, and wifdom will endeavour to keep danger at a distance. By timely caution and fufpicious vigilance thofe defires may be repreffed, to which indulgence would foon give abfolute dominion; those enemies may be overcome, which,

when

when they have been a while accustomed to victory, can no longer be resisted.

Nothing is more fatal to happiness or virtue, than that confidence which flatters us with an opinion of our own strength, and by affuring us of the power of retreat precipitates us into hazard. Some may fafely venture further than others into the regions of delight, lay themselves more open to the golden fhafts of pleasure, and advance nearer to the refidence of the Syrens; but he that is best armed with conftancy and reafon is yet vulnerable in one part or other, and to every man there is a point fixed, beyond which, if he paffes, he will not easily return. It is certainly moft wife, as it is moft fafe, to ftop before he touches the utmost limit, fince every step of advance will more and more entice him to go forward, till he shall at laft enter the receffes of voluptuoufnefs, and floth and defpondency clofe the paffage behind him.

To deny early and inflexibly, is the only art of checking the importunity of defire, and of preserving quiet and innocence. Innocent gratifications must be fometimes withheld; he that complies with all lawful defires will certainly lofe his em pire over himself, and in time either fubmit his reason to his wishes, and think all his defires lawful, or difmifs his reafon as troublefome and intrufive, and refolve to snatch what he may happen to wish, without enquiry about right and wrong.

No man, whofe appetites are his masters, can perform the duties of his nature with ftrictnefs and regularity;

6'

regularity; he that would be fuperior to external influences must first become fuperior to his own paffions.

When the Roman general, fitting at fupper with a plate of turnips before him, was folicited by large prefents to betray his truft, he asked the meffengers whether he that could fup on turnips was a man likely to fell his country. Upon him who has reduced his fenfes to obedience temptation has loft its power, he is able to attend impartially to virtue, and execute her commands without hefitation..

To fet the mind above the appetites is the end of abftinence, which one of the Fathers obferves to be not a virtue, but the ground-work of virtue. By forbearing to do what may innocently be done, we may add hourly new vigour or refolution, and fecure the power of refiftance when pleasure or intereft fhall lend their charms to guilt.

NUMB. 53. SATURDAY, April 21, 1759.

SIR,

To the IDLER.

camp, to be brave; By good company in

Have a wife that keeps good company. You know that the word good varies its meaning according to the value fet upon different qualities in different places. To be a good man in a college, is to be learned; in a and in the city, to be rich. the place which I have the misfortune to inhabit, we understand not only thofe from whom any good can be learned, whether wifdom or virtue; or by whom any good can be conferred, whether profit or reputation. Good company is the company of those whose birth is high, and whofe riches are great, or of those whom the rich and noble admit to familiarity.

I am a gentleman of a fortune by no means exuberant, but more than equal to the wants of my family, and for fome years equal to our defires. My wife, who had never been accustomed to Splendour, joined her endeavours to mine in the fuperintendence of our economy; we lived in decent plenty, and were not excluded from moderate pleasures.

But