Sense are short and fugitive; grow fainter with Age, and duller by Repetition; cannot be revived but after fome Intervals; and must wait the returns of Appetite, which are not always at any Man's call, and feldomeft at theirs who indulge them most. But the Pleasures of Imagination are free from all those Inconveniences; and are both of larger extent, and longer duration. They comprehend not only all that is beautiful and magnificent in Nature, but all that is elegant and curious in Art. Nor are they even confined to Objects which have a real Existence, but can be raised from intellectual Images, and Beings of the Mind's own creation. The Material, and the Moral World, are equally the Scenes of these refined Pleafures; and the Mind receives the like amiable Ideas of Beauty, Order and Harmony, from the Structure and Contrivance of both.

As to Duration, the Advantage these Pleafures have beyond the others is very obvious, upon the smallest reflection. As they do not fo immediately depend on the Texture of the Body, and the Constitution of animal Fluids, of confequence they are not fubject to fuch frequent Languors, or fo fpeedy a Decay. The immenfe Variety too of the Objects which excite them, must neceffarily occafion their longer continuance. Accordingly we find, that fuch Perfons as have once got a taste of them, have ufually gone on without weariness to their Lives end in the pursuit of

them ;

them; and théré have been many Instances given wherein they have continued to aniinate a Philofophical or Poetical Enthusiasm to extreme old Age: whereas, I believe, there can scarce be found one Example of the most lively and vigorous Rake that ever knock'd down Watchmen, or broke Windows, beyond fifty. Generally at that time, if they do not commence Converts to Reafon and good Senfe, they degenerate either into heavy dull Sots, or queer fplenetick old Fellows, who can endure no body, nor no body endure them.

2

2

A WELL-TURN'D Imagination being of fuch importance in Life, it is useful to enquire into the propereft Employments for making it fo. I believe, the most part of my Readers will outrun me in this Point, and presently fix upon the purfuit of useful or elegant Studies, as the best Method either to form a Tafte, or employ our leifure Moments with Satisfaction to ourfelves, and without Injury to others. A Man who can retire from the World, to feek entertainment in his Closet, has a thousand Advantages which other People have no Idea of. He is Master of his own Company, and his own Pleasures; and can command either the one or the other, according to his prefent Circumstances, or Temper, All Nature is ready for his View, and all Ages of Mankind to appear at his Call. He can tranfport himself to the most diftant Regions, and enjoy the best and politest Company

Company that ever the World afforded. Things alfo appear to him in a different light from what they do to the unthinking part of the Species. He fees more of their Beauties, and is every day discovering fome thing new to love, or to admire in them. Inanimate things have Reason and Discourse in his Contemplation of them. A beautiful Landskip, a fine Picture, or a Statue, give him fomething equivalent to the Pleasure of Converfation. In a word, he acquires a kind of Property in every thing he fees in the material Univerfe, and an Intereft in every thing which has, or possibly can happen in the intellectual; and by that means participates in all the Bounties of Nature, and in all the profperous Events of Mankind.

HERE, I am fenfible, it will be objected, that the Difficulty ftill recurs, and that a Tafte is previously requifite to make Men employ themselves in this kind of Studies, which are faid to be the Means for their acquiring a true Tafte. This is what indeed I cannot deny. Yet it does not in the leaft invalidate any thing I have faid. For all Men have that Taste originally, and fuch a Sense of Things as would naturally pur them on the Purfuits I have mentioned, were it not in a great meafure fuppreffed by infpiring them early with Principles of Vanity and Selfishness, which render them

inattentive to every thing without them, and make them confine all their Enjoyments within themselves; which being a Violence done to Nature, muft of neceffity produce very violent and irregular Effects. Let our Affections have but their natural play, and it will not be fo hard as is commonly imagined to direct them to thofe good Purpofes for which our kind Creator implanted them.

LET People therefore who have any Influence over others, be at the pains to awaken this Senfe in them, and chalk out to them fuch Methods of employing their time as will furnish Occafions of gratifying it. They who are incapable of feverer Studies, may yet have Amusements given them, which, if they do no more, may preserve them from doing of Mischief. The very reading of Romances, however dangerous to People of fmall Fortunes, may have its ufe among the Rich and the Idle, both in foftning their Minds, and keeping them out of much worse Occupations. At leaft, I think, it will be granted me, that it were much better the Beau Monde were ridiculous in the romantick Notions of Love and Gallantry, which that kind of Learning produces, than in the modern Refinements of Debauchery, which they get without any Learning at all; that they exerted their Valour much oftner upon

vifionary Giants, than living and mortal Chairmen; that they fell in love with more Utopian Queens, and ruined fewer Hibernian Spinfters; that they thought oftner of Necromancers and Enchantments, than Cards and Dice; and that they employed more time in the fantastick Bufinefs of Cafle-Building, than reducing the Manfion and Hall-Houfes of their Ancestors to the fame etherial Existence.

I am, SIR, Yours, &c.

HIBERNICUs.

N° 68.

Saturday, July 16, 1726.

To the AUTHOR of the Dublin Journal.

Incorrupta fides, nudaque veritas.

SIR,

F

HOR.

ACTIONS and Parties in a State, or any other Society, are no doubt very pernicious, both in regard to the publick and the private Peace of all its Members in the ordinary Occurrences of Life; and therefore every wife and good Man will

con