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each of them being the fource of the beft and moft grateful fatisfactions that Heaven has conferred on the fons of men. But I should be glad to know what the real value of this boasted exemption from care, which they promife their difciples, jully amounts to? an exemption flattering to felf-love, I confefs; but which, upon many occurrences in human life, fhould be rejected with the utmost disdain. For nothing, furely, can be more inconfiftent with a well-poifed and manly fpirit, than to decline engaging in any laudable action, or to be difcouraged from perfevering in it, by an apprehenfion of the trouble and folicitude with which it may probably be attended. Virtue herself, indeed, ought to be totally renounced, if it be right to avoid every poffible means that may be productive of uneafinefs: for who, that is actuated by her principles, can obferve the conduct of an oppofite character, without being affected with fome degree of fecret diffatisfaction? Are not the juft, the brave, and the good, neceffarily expofed to the difagreeable emotions of difLike and averfion, when they refpectively meet with inftances of fraud, of cowardice, or of villainy? It is an effential property of every well-conflituted mind, to be affected with pain, or pleafure, according to the nature of those moral appearances that prefent themselves to obfervation.

If fenfibility, therefore, be not incompatible with true wifdom (and it furely is not, unless we fuppofe that philofophy deadens every finer feeling of our nature) what just reafon can be affigned, why the fympathetic fufferings which may refult from friendship, fhould be a fufficient indacement for banishing that generous affection from the human breaft? Extingith all emotions of the heart, and what difference will remain, I do not fay between man and brute, but between man and a mere inanimate clod? Away then with thofe auftere philofophers, who reprefent virtue as hardening the foul against all the fofter impreffions of humanity! The fact, certainly, is much otherwife: a truly good man is, upon many occafions, extremely fufceptible of tender fentiments; and his heart expands with joy, or fhrinks with forrow, as good or ill fortune accompanies his friend. Upon the whole, then, it may fairly be concluded, that, as in the cafe of virtue, fo in that of friendship, thofe painful fenfations, which may fometimes be produced by the one, as well as by the other, are equally infufficient

grounds for excluding either of them from taking poffeffion of our bofoms.

They who infift that " utility is the first and prevailing motive, which induces mankind to enter into particular friendships," appear to me to diveft the affociation of its most amiable and engaging principle. For, to a mind rightly difpofed, it is not fo much the benefits received, as the affectionate zeal from which they flow, that gives them their best and most valuable recommendation. It is fo far indeed from being verified by fact, that a fenfe of our wants is the original caufe of forming thefe amicable alliances; that, on the contrary, it is obfervable, that none have been more distinguished in their friendships than those whofe power and opulence, but, above all, whofe fuperior virtue (a much firmer fupport) have raised them above every neceffity of having recourse to the assistance of others.

The true distinction, then, in this queftion is, that "although friendship is certainly productive of utility, yet utility is not the primary motive of friendship." Thofe felfifh fenfualifts, therefore, who, lulled in the lap of luxury, prefume to maintain the reverse, have furely no claim to attention; as they are neither qualified by reflection, nor experience, to be competent judges of the fubject.

Good Gods! is there a man upon the face of the earth, who would deliberately accept of all the weath and all the affluence this world can bestow, if offered to him upon the fevere terms of his being unconnected with a single mortal whom he could love, or by whom he fhould be beloved? This would be to lead the wretched life of a detefted tyrant, who, amidst perpetual fufpicions and alarms, paffes his miferable days a stranger to every tender fentiment, and utterly precluded from the heart-felt fatisfactions of friendship.

Melmoth's Tranflation of Cicero's Lælius.

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They are, both of them, women in years, and alike in birth, fortune, education, and accomplishments. They were originally alike in temper too; but, by different management, are grown the reverse of each other. Arachne has accuftomed herfelf to look only on the dark side of every object. If a new poem or play makes its appearance, with a thoufand brilliancies, and but one or two blemishes, the flightly fkims over the paflages that should give her pleafure, and dwells upon thofe only that fill her with diflike.If you fhew her a very excellent portrait, the looks at fome part of the drapery which has been neglected, or to a hand or finger which has been left unfinished. Her garden is a very beautiful one, and kept with great neatnefs and elegancy; but, if you take a walk with her in it, the talks to you of nothing but blights and ftorms, of fnails and caterpillars, and how impoffible it is to keep it from the litter of falling leaves and worm-cafts. If you fit down in one of her temples, to enjoy a delightful profpect, fhe obferves to you, that there is too much wood, or too little water; that the day is too funny, or too gloomy; that it is fultry, or windy; and finishes with a long harangue upon the wretchedness of our climate.-When you return with her to the company, in hope of a little chearful converfation, fhe cafts a gloom over all, by giving you the hiftory of her own bad health, or of fome melancholy accident that has befallen one of her daughter's children. Thus fhe infenfibly finks her own fpirits, and the fpirits of all around her; and, at laft, difcovers, fhe knows not why, that her friends are grave.

Meliffa is the reverfe of all this. By conftantly habituating herfelf to look only on the bright fide of objects, the preferves a perpetual chearfulness in herself, which, by a kind of happy contagion, fhe communicates to all about her. If any miffortune has befallen her, fhe confiders it might have been worfe, and is thankful to Providence for an efcape. She rejoices in folitude, as it gives her an opportunity of knowing herself; and in fociety, becaufe fhe can communicate the happiness fhe enjoys. She oppofes every man's virtues to his failings, and can find cut fomething to cherish and applaud in the very worit of her acquaintance. She opens every book with a defire to be entertained or inftructed, and therefore feldom miffes what the looks for. Walk with her,

though it be on a heath or a common, and fhe will difcover numberless beauties, unobferved before, in the hills, the dales, the brooms, brakes, and the variegated flowers of weeds and poppies. She enjoys every change of weather and of feafon, as bringing with it fomething of health or convenience. In converfation, it is a rule with her, never to ftart a fubject that leads to any thing gloomy or difagreeable. You therefore never hear her repeating her own grievances, or thofe of her neighbours, or (what is worst of all) their faults and imperfections. If any thing of the latter kind be mentioned in her hearing, fhe has the addrefs to turn it into entertainment, by changing the most odious railing into a pleafant raillery. Meliffa, like the bee, gathers honey from every weed; while Arachne, like the fpider, fuck: poifon from the fairest flowers. The confequence is, that, of two tempers once very nearly allied, the one is ever four and diffatisfied, the other always gay and chearful; the one fpreads an univerfal gloom, the other a continual funfhine.

Thus

There is nothing more worthy of our attention, than this art of happiness. In converfation, as well as life, happiness very often depends upon the flightest incidents. The taking notice of the badness of the weather, a north-eaft-wind, the approach of winter, or any trifling circumftance of the difagreeable kind, fhall infenfibly rob a whole company of its good-humour, and fling every member of it into the vapours. If, therefore, we would be happy in ourfelves, and are defirous of communicating that happiness to all about us, these minutie of converfation ought carefully to be attended to. The brightness of the sky, the lengthening of the day, the increafing verdure of the fpring, the arrival of any little piece of good news, or whatever carries with it the moft diftant glimpfe of joy, fhall frequently be the parent of a focial and happy converfation. Goodmanners exact from us this regard to our company. The clown may repine at the funfhine that ripens the harvest, because his turnips are burnt up by it; but the man of refinement will extract pleasure from the thunder-ftorm to which he is expofed, by remarking on the plenty and refreshment which may be expected from the fucceeding fhower.

Thus does politenefs, as well as good fenfe, direct us to look at every object on

the

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118. Happiness is founded in Rectitude of Conduct.

All men purfue Good, and would be happy, if they knew how: not happy for minutes, and miferable for hours; but happy, if poffible, through every part of their existence. Either, therefore, there is a good of this fteady, durable kind, or there is none. If none, then all good muft be tranfient and uncertain; and if fo, an object of the lowest value, which can little deferve either our attention or inquiry. But if there be a better good, fuch a good as we are feeking; like every other thing, it must be derived from fome caufe; and that caufe must be either external, internal, or mixed; in as much as, except thefe three, there is no other poffible. Now a fteady, durable good cannot be derived from an external caufe; by reafon, all derived from externals muft fluctuate as they fluctuate. By the fame rule, not from a mixture of the two; because the part which is external will proportionably deftroy its effence. What then remains but the caufe internal; the very caufe which we have fuppofed, when we place the Sovereign Good in Mind-in Rectitude of Conduct ?

Ibid.

119. The Choice of Hercules. When Hercules was in that part of his youth, in which it was natural for him to confider what courfe of life he ought to pariae, he one day retired into a defert, where the filence and folitude of the place very much favoured his meditations. As he was mufing on his prefent condition, and very much perplexed in himself on the fate of life he should chufe, he faw two women, of a larger ftature than ordinary, approaching towards him. One of them had a very noble air, and graceful deportment; her beauty was natural and eafy, her perfon clean and unfpotted, her eyes cat towards the ground with an agreeable refery, her motion and behaviour full of modeity, and her raiment as white as fnow. The other had a great deal of health and Bordnets in her countenance, which the

had helped with an artificial white and red' and the endeavoured to appear more graceful than ordinary in her mien, by a mixture of affectation in all her gestures. She had a wonderful confidence and affurance in her looks, and all the variety of colours in her drefs, that the thought were the most proper to fhew her complexion to advantage. She cat her eyes upon herfelf, then turned them on thofe that were prefent, to fee How they liked her, and often looked on the figure the made in her own fhadow. Upon her nearer approach to Hercules, the ftepped before the other lady, who came forward with a regular, compofed carriage, and running up to him, accolted him after the following

manner:

"My dear Hercules," fays fhe, "I find you are very much divided in your thoughts upon the way of life that you ought to chufe: be my friend, and follow me; I will lead you into the poffefiion of pleafure, and out of the reach of pain, and remove you from all the noife and difquietude of bufinefs. The affairs of either war or peace fhall have no power to disturb you. Your whole employment fhall be to make your life eafy, and to entertain every fenfe with its proper gratifications. Sumptuous tables, beds of rofes, clouds of perfumes, concerts of mufic, crowds of beauties, are all in readinefs to receive you. Come along with me into this region of delights, this world of pleasure, and bid farewel for ever to care, to pain, to bufinefs." Hercules hearing the lady talk after this manner, defired to know her name: to which fhe answered, " My friends, and those who are well acquainted with me, call me Happiness; but my enemies, and those who would injure my reputation, have given me the name of Pleasure."

By this time the other lady was come up, who addreffed herfelf to the young hero in a very different manner:-" Hercules," fays he, "I offer myself to you, becaufe I know you are defcended from the Gods, and give proofs of that defcent, by your love to virtue, and application to the ftudies proper for your age. This makes me hope you will gain, both for yourfelf and me, an immortal reputation. But before I invite you into my fociety and friendship, I will be open and fincere with you; and mult lay this down as an established truth, that there is nothing truly valuable, which can be purchafed

without

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without pains and labour. The Gods have fet a price upon every real and noble pleasure. If you would gain the favour of the Deity, you must be at the pains of worshipping him; if the friendship of good men, you must study to oblige them; if you would be honoured by your country, you must take care to ferve it: in short, if you would be eminent in war or peace, you must become master of all the qualifications that can make you fo. These are the only terms and conditions upon which I can propofe happiness."

The Goddess of Pleasure here broke in upon her difcourfe: "You fee," faid fhe, "Hercules, by her own confeffion, the way to her pleasures is long and difficult; whereas that which I propofe is fhort and eafy." "Alas!" faid the other lady, whofe vifage glowed with paffion, made up of fcorn and pity, "what are the pleafures you propofe? To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are athirit, fleep before you are tired; to gratify appetites before they are raised, and raife fuch appetites as nature never planted. You never heard the most delicious mufic, which is the praife of one's-felf; nor faw the most beautiful object, which is the work of one's own hands. Your votaries pafs away their youth in a dream of miftaken pleasures; while they are hoarding up anguish, torment, and remorfe, for old

age.

"As for me, I am the friend of Gods, and of good men; an agreeable companion to the artizan; an houfhold guardian to the fathers of families; a patron and protector of fervants; an affociate in all true and generous friendships. The banquets of my votaries are never coftly, but always delicious; for none eat or drink at them, who are not invited by hunger and thirst. Their flumbers are found, and their wakings chearful. My young men have the pleasure of hearing themfelves praised by thofe who are in years; and thofe who are in years, of being honoured by thofe who are young. In a word, my followers are favoured by the Gods, beloved by their acquaintance, efteemed by their country, and, after the clote of their labours, honoured by potterity."

We know, by the life of this memorable hero, to which of thefe two ladies he gave up his heart; and, I believe, every one who reads this, will do him the juftice to approve his choice. Tatler.

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As you are now no longer under the eye of either a parent, or a governor, but wholly at liberty to act according to your own inclinations; your friends cannot be without their fears, on your account; they cannot but have fome uneafy apprehenfions, left the very bad men, with whom you may converfe, fhould be able to efface thofe principles, which fo much care was taken at first to imprint, and has been fince to preferve, in you.

The intimacy, in which I have, for many years, lived with your family, fuffers me not to be otherwife than a sharer of their concern, on this occafion; and you will permit me, as fuch, to lay before you thofe confiderations, which, while they fhew you your danger, and excite your caution, may not be without their use in promoting your fafety.

That it fhould be the endeavour of our parents, to give us juft apprehenfions of things, as foon as we are capable of receiving them; and, in our earlier years, to flock our minds with useful truths-to accuftom us to the ufe of our reason, the reftraint of our appetites, and the government of our paflions, is a point, on which, I believe, all are agreed, whofe opinions about it you would think of any confequence.

From a neglect in thefe particulars, you fee fo many of one fex, as much Girls at Sixty, as they were at Sixteen-their follies only varied-their purfuits, though differently, yet equally, trifling; and you thence, likewife, find near as many of the other fex, Boys in their advanced years-as fond of feathers and toys in their riper age, as they were in their childhood-living as little to any of the purposes of Reaton, when it has gained its full ftrength, as they did when it was weakeft. And, indeed, from the fame fource all thofe vices proceed, which moft difturb and diftrefs the world.

When no pains are taken to correct our bad inclinations, before they become confirmed and fixed in us; they acquire, at length, that power over us, from which we have the worst to fear-we give way to them in the inftances where we fee plaineft, how grievously we must fuffer by our com

pliance

Fliance we know not how to refift them, Lotwithstanding the obvious ruin which will be the confequence of our yielding to them.

I don't fay, that a right education will be as beneficial, as a wrong one is hurtful: the very best may be disappointed of its proper effects.

Though the tree you fet be put into an excellent foil, and trained and pruned by the skiifulleft hand; you are not, however, fure of its thriving: vermin may destroy all your hopes from it.

When the utmost care has been taken to fend a young man into the world well principled, and fully apprifed of the reafonableness of a religious and virtuous life; he is, yet, far from being temptation proof he even then may fall, may fall into the worst both of principles and practices; and he is very likely to do fo, in the place where you are, if he will affociate with thofe who speak as freely as they act; and who feem to think, that their understand-, ing would be lefs advantageoufly fhewn, were they not to use it in defence of their

rices.

That we may be known by our company, is a truth become proverbial. The ends we have to serve may, indeed, occahon us to be often with the perfons, whom we by no means refemble; or, the place, in which we are fettled, keeping us at a great distance from others, if we will converfe at all, it must be with fome, whofe manners we leaft approve. But when we have our choice when no valuable intereft is promoted by affociating with the corrupt when, if we like the company of the wife and confiderate, we may have it; that we then court the one, and fhun the other, feems as full a proof, as we can well give, that, if we avoid vice, it is not from the fenfe we have of the amiablenefs of virtue.

Had I a large collection of books, and never looked into any that treated on grave and useful fubjects, that would contribute to make me wifer or better; but took those frequently, and thofe only, into my hands, that would raise my laughter, or that would merely amufe me, or that would give me loofe and impure ideas, or that inculcated atheistical or fceptical notions, or that were filled with fcurrility and invective, and therefore could only ferve to gratify my fpleen and ill-nature; they, who knew this to be my practice, muit,

certainly, form a very unfavorable opinion of my capacity, or of my morals. If nature had given me a good understanding, and much of my time paffed in reading: were I to read nothing but what was trifling, it would fpoil that understanding, it would make me a Trifler: and though formed with commendable difpofitions, or with none very blameable; yet if my favourite authors were fuch as encouraged me to make the most of the prefent hour; not to look beyond it, to tafte every pleafure that offered itfelf, to forego no advantage, that I could obtain-fuch as gave vice nothing to fear, nor virtue any thing to hope, in a future ftate; you would not, I am fure, pronounce otherwise of those. writers, than that they would hurt my natural difpofition, and carry me lengths of guilt, which I fhould not have gone, without this encouragement to it.

Nor can it be allowed, that reading wrong things would thus affect me, but it must be admitted, that hearing them would not do it lefs. Both fall under the head of Conversation; we fitly apply that term alike to both; and we may be faid, with equal propriety, to converfe with books, and to converfe with men. The impreffion, indeed, made on us by what we hear, is, ufually, much stronger than that received by us from what we read. That which paffes in our ufual intercourfe is liftened to, without fatiguing us each, then, taking his turn in ípeaking, our attention is kept awake: we mind throughout what is faid, while we are at liberty to exprefs our own fentiments of it, to confirm it, or to improve upon it, or to object to it, or to hear any part of it repeated, or to atk what questions we please concerning it.

Difcourfe is an application to our eyes, as well as ears; and the one organ is here fo far affiftant to the other, that it greatly increases the force of what is tranfmitted to our minds by it. The air and action of the fpeaker gives no fmall importance to his words: the very tone of his voice adds weight to his reafoning; and occafions that to be attended to throughout, which, had it come to us from the pen or the prefs, we should have been asleep, before we had read half of it.

That bad companions will make us as bad as themfelves, I don't affirm. When we are not kept from their vices by our principles, we may be fo by our constitu

H

tion;

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