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HONOR and fhame from no condition rife:
Act well your part; there all the honor lies.
Fortune in men has some small diff'rence made;
One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade;
The cobler apron'd, and the parfon gown'd,
The friar hooded, and the monarch crown'd.
"What differ more (you cry) than crown and cowl?"
I'll tell you, friend! a wife man and a fool.
You'll find, if once the monarch acts the monk,
Or, cobler like, the parfon will be drunk,

Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow;
The reft is all but leather and prunella.-Pope.

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AMONG the Symerons, or fugitive negroes in the South Seas, being in a state that does not fet them above continual cares for the immediate neceffaries of life, he that can temper iron beft, is among them most esteemed: and, perhaps, it would be happy for every nation, if honors and applaufes were as juftly diftributed, and he were moft diftinguished whose abilities were moft ufeful to fociety. How many chimerical titles to precedence, how many falfe pretences to refpect, would this rule bring to the ground!-Johnson.

The Handsome and Deformed LEG.

THERE are two forts of people in the world, who with equal degrees of health and wealth, and the other comforts of life, become the one happy, and the other miferable. This arifes very much from the different views in which they consider things, perfons, and events; and the effect of thofe different views upon their own minds.

IN whatever firuation men can be placed, they may find conveniencies and inconveniencies: in whatever company, they may find perfons and converfation more or lefs pleafing : at whatever table, they may meet with meats and drinks of better and worfe talle, dishes better and worfe dreffed; in whatever climate, they will find good and bad weather: under whatever government, they may find good and bad laws, and good and bad adminiftration of thofe laws: in whatever poem, or work of genius, they may fee faults and beauties in almoft every face, and every perfon, they may difcover fine features and defects, good and bad qualities.

Under thefe circumftances, the two forts of people abovementioned, fix their attention--those who are disposed to be happy, on the conveniencies of things, the pleasant parts of

The Handfome and Deformed Leg.

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converfation, the well dreffed difhes, the goodness of the wines, the fine weather, &c. and enjoy all with cheerfulness. Those who are to be unhappy, think and fpeak only of the contraries. Hence they are continually difcontented. themfelves, and, by their remarks, four the pleafures of fociety; offend perfonally many people, and make themfelves every where difagreeable. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, fuch unhappy perfons would be the more to be pitied. But as the difpofition to criticife, and to be difgufted, is perhaps taken up originally by imitation, and is, unawares, grown into a habit, which, though at prefent ftrong, may nevertheless be cured, when those who have it are convinced of its bad effects on their felicity; I hope this little admonition may be of service to them, and put them on changing a habit, which, though in the exercise it is chiefly an act of imagination, yet has ferious confequences in life, as it brings on real griefs and misfortunes. For as many are offended by, and nobody loves this fort of people; no one fhews them more than the most common civility and respect, and fcarcely that; and this frequently puts them out of humour, and draws them into difputes and contentions. If they aim at obtaining fome advantage in rank or fortune, nobody wishes them fuccefs, or will stir a step, or speak a word to favor their pretenfions. If they incur public cenfure or difgrace, no one will defend or excufe, and many join to aggravate their mifconduct, and render them completely odious. If thefe people will not change this bad habit, and condefcend to be pleased with what is pleafing, without fretting themselves and others about the contraries, it is good for others to avoid an acquaintance with them; which is always difagreeable, and fometimes very inconvenient, efpecially when one finds one's felf entangled in their quarrels.

An old philofophical friend of mine was grown from experience, very cautious in this particular, and carefully avoided any intimacy with fuch people. He had, like other philofophers, a thermometer to fhew him the heat of the weather; and a baronicter, to mark when it was likely to prove good or bad; but there being no inftrument invented to difcover, at first fight, this unpleafing difpofition in a perfon, he, for that purpose, made ufe of his legs; one of which was remarkably handfome, the other, by fome accident, crooked and deformed. If a tranger, at the first interview, regarded his ugly leg more than his handfome one, he doubted him.

M

If he fpoke of it, and took no notice of the handfome leg, that was fufficient to determine my philofopher to have no further acquaintance with him. Every body has not this two legged inftrument: but every one, with a little attention, may obferve figns of that carping, fault-finding difpofition, and take the fame refolution of avoiding the acquaintance of thofe infected with it. I therefore advife thofe critical, queru lous, difcontented, unhappy people, that if they wish to be refpected and beloved by others, and happy in themselves, they should leave off looking at the ugly leg.—Frauklin.

HAPPINESS.

NO happiness can be where is no reft,
Th' unknown, untalk'd-of man is only bleft,
He, as in fome fafe cliff, his cell does keep,
From thence he views the labour of the deep:
The gold-fraught veffel, which mad tempells beat,
He fees now vainly make to his retreat;

And when from far the tenth wave does appear,
Shrinks up in filent joy, he is not there.--Dryden.
-TO be good is to be happy: Angels
Are happier than men, because they're better.
Guilt is the fource of forrow; 'tis the fiend,
Th' avenging fiend that follows us behind.

With whips and flings. The blefs'd know none of this,
But reft in everlafting peace of mind,

And find the height of all their heav'n is goodness.-Rows.
WHAT art thou, happiness, fo fought by all,

So greatly envied, yet fo feldom found?

Of what frange nature is thy compofition,
When gold and grandeur fue to thee in vain ?
The prince who leads embattled thousands forth,
And with a nod commands the universe,
Knows not the language to make thee obey.
Tho' he with armies ftrew the hostile plain,
And hew out avenues of death, he still
Lofes his way to thee, because content
Appears not on the road, to light him to thee:-
Content and happinefs are then the fame;
And they are feldom found, but in the bed
Where unmolefted innocence refides.-Havard.

THERE is nothing more difficult than to lay down any fixed and certain rules for happinefs, or indeed to judge with

Happiness-Hufband.-Heaven.

135

any precifion of the happinefs of others from the knowledge of external circumttances. There is fometimes a little pock of black in the brightest and gayeft colours of fortune, which contaminates and deadens the whole. On the contrary, when all without looks dark and difmal, there is often a fecret ray of light within the mind, which turns every thing to real joy and gladnefs.-Fielding.

ALL natural and almost all political evils are incident alike to the bad or good. They are confounded in the mifery of a famine, and not much diftinguished in the fury of a faction. They fink together in a tempeft, and are driven together from their country by invaders. All that virtue can afford is quietness of confcience, a Ready profpe&t of a happier flate, which will enable us to endure every calamity with patience.-Johnfon.

THE happiness of the generality of people is nothing if it is not known, and very little if it is not envied. - Idler.

IT is impoffible to form a philofophic fyftem of happiness which is adapted to every condition in life; fince every perfoa who travels in this great purfuit, takes a feparate road. The different colours which fuit different complexions, are not more various than the different pleafures appropriated to particular minds. The various fects who have pretended to give leffons to inftruct men in happiness, have defcribed their own particular fenfations without confidering ours, have only loaded their difciples with constraint, without adding to their real felicity. Goldfmith.

HUSBAND.

THE Gillieft fellows are in general the worft of hufbands: and it may be afferted as a fact, that a man of fenfe rarely behaves very ill to a wife who deferves very well.-Fielding.

HEAVEN.

WHAT a poor value do men fet on heav'n!
Heav'n, the perfection of all that can

Be faid, or thought, riches, delight, or harmony,
Health, beauty; and all thefe not fubject to
The wafte of time; but in their height eternal;
Loft for a penfion, or poor fpot of earth,
Favour of greatnefs, or an hour's faint pleasure;
As men, in fcorn of a true flame that's near,

Should run to light their taper at a glow-worm.-Shirley.

HOPE.

HOPE, with a goodly profpect feeds the eye,
Shews from a rifing ground poffeffion nigh;
Shortens the diftance, or o'erlooks it quite,
So eafy 'tis to travel with the fight.-Dryden.
CALL up your better reafon to your aid,
And hope the beft: that friendly beam is left
To cheer the wretch, and lighten thro' his forrows;
Nor can he fink fo low, but hope will find him :
The pleafing profpect of a better day

Shines thro' the gloom of life, and fhortens pain.-Havard.
O HOPE! fweet flatt'rer! whofe delufive touch
Sheds on afflicted minds the balm of comfort,
Relieves the load of poverty, fuftains

The captive, bending with the weight of bonds,
And fmooths the pillow of difeafe and pain,

Send back th' exploring meffenger with joy

And let me hail thee from that friendly grove.-Glover, THE wretch condemn'd with life to part,

Still, fill on hope relies;

And every pang, that tends the heart,
Bids expectation rife.

Hope, like the glimmering taper's light,
Adoras and cheers the way;
And fill, as darker grows the night,
Emits a brighter ray.-Goldsmith.

HUMILITY.

WOULD I had trod the humble path, and made
My induftry lefs ambitious; the fhrub
Securely grows, the tallest tree ftands most
In the wind; and thus we diftinguish the
Noble from the bafe; the noble find their
Lives and deaths fill troublesome :
But humility doth fleep, whilft the ftorm
Grows hoarfe with fcolding.-Davenant,
THERE are fome that ufe

Humility to ferve their pride, and feem
Humble upon their way, to be prouder
At their wish'd journey's end.-Denbam.

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