tried almost every calling and profeffion, he purfued philofophy. Being one day afked which of his various pursuits had afforded him the moft fatisfaction, repose, and content? he replied in these terms: "Know there is no ftate in which man can be placed that he will not defire a change; there is no poft of honor without danger, no riches to be obtain❜d without fatigue and uneafinefs, no profperity that is immutable and endless, nor any pleafure, however agreeable, which is not tiresome in the end; fo that if ever I have had any repose and tranquillity, it is fince I have entirely devoted myself to reading."

The truth of this philofopher's affertion cannot be contested; for whilft we are engaged in the other idle pursuits of this world, we are like a horse in a mill, going the conftant round of defires, ungratified, hopes often fruftrated, and wifhes feldom fatisfied; but conftantly accompanied by fears, apprehenfions, and uneafinefs: nay, when our most fanguine expectations are crowned with fuccefs, after we have obtained all we can crave, a few moments of enjoyment are enough to fatiate, or, as the poet finely expreffes it,

The very wish is in poffeffion loft.

The reason is obvious, though feldom adverted to; thofe things we are poffeffed of, we do not fufficiently

Z 2

ficiently appreciate, whilft we highly, far too highly, over-rate the properties of others. A juft and impartial estimation of our poffeffions and deficiencies, is the fummit of philofophy.

Application to books relieves us from all these agitations. They make us acquainted with the frivolity, the futility, and the vanity of worldly pursuits: we are taught this useful knowledge from the grave, which can have no interest in deceiving us; the experience of the dead is unquestionable. The folidity of their conversation is infinitely preferable to the vivacity of the living. Are we defirous of knowing what is neceffary for our future happiness? They inftruct us without hypocrify. Are the sciences the objects of our researches? they communicate the depths of learning, without exacting a falary. Are we inquifitive about the politics of ftates? they reveal them without the asperity of party, or the oftentation of pedants. Is theology the subject of our attention? in them we find teachers without prieftly pride, or bigotted ambition.

These, among many others, are the advantages we derive from reading, by which we converse familiarly with the greatest geniufes of antiquity, and make Homer, Virgil, Horace, and Martial our friends and companions; and this agreeable, amufing, and inftructive fociety diverts us from

other

· other living affociates, who are often, by their example and acquaintance, fatal to our health, our fortunes, and our time.

In a word, reading is a prefervative against every mental, and moft corporeal evils; and may, therefore, be justly filed the universal remedy or grand

panacea.

LAW ANECDOTE.

ARICH old country neighbour of the late

Α

Counsellor Fazakerly, who had often endeavoured to fteal his advice, taking an opportunity one day, in the courfe of a morning's ride, to afk his opinion upon a point of fome confequence; he gave it very fully, upon the business: but fome time afterwards, the Squire coming to the other's chambers in town in a great hurry, fays, "Zounds, Mr. Fazakerly! I have loft four or five thousand pounds by your advice. By my advice, neighbour! how fo?" replied Fazakerly. "Why, you were in the wrong in the opinion you gave me relative to the manor of S" "My opinion!" fays the Counsellor, turning to one of his books; "I don't remember giving you any opinion upon the fubject; I don't remember having had any

fuch

fuch thing before me; I fee nothing of it in my. book.' "Book! No, (fays the other) it was as we were riding out together at Prefton laft fum-. mer." "O!" fays the Counsellor, "I remember it now; but that was only my travelling opinion; and to tell you truly, neighbour, my opinion is never to be relied upon unless the cafe appears in

my

fee book!!!"

FRIENDSHIP.

THEY

HEY who would confine Friendship to two perfons, seem to confound the wife fecurity of Friendship with the jealousy and folly of love. The hafty, fond and foolish intimaces of young people, founded commonly upon fome flight fimilarity of character, altogether unconnected with good conduct, upon a tafte perhaps for the fame ftudies, the fame amusement, the fame diverfions, or upon their agreement in fome fingular principles or opinion, not commonly adopted: thofe intimacies which a freak begins, and which a freak puts an end to; how agreeable foever they may appear, whilft they laft, can by no means deferve the facred and venerable name of Friendship.

It were happy if, in forming Friendships, virtue could concur with pleafure: but the greatest part

of

of human gratifications approach fo nearly to vice, that few who make the delight of others their rule of conduct, can avoid difingenuous compliances; yet, certainly, he that suffers himself to be driven or allured from virtue, mistakes his own intereft, fince he gains fuccour by means, for which his friends, if ever he becomes wife, muft fcorn him, and for which, at laft, he muft fcorn himself.

He that hopes for that advantage which is to be gained by unrestrained communication, muft fometimes hazard, by unpleafing truths, that Friendship which he afpires to merit. The chief rule to be obferved in the execution of this dangerous office, is to preserve it pure from all mixture of interest or vanity, to forbear admonition or reproof, when our confciences tell us, that they are incited, not by the hopes of reforming faults, but the defire of fhewing our difcernment, or gratifying our own pride by the mortification of another. The fondeft and firmeft Friendfhips are often diffolved by fuch openness and fincerity as interrupt our enjoyment of our own approbation, or recall us to the remembrance of thofe failings which we are more willing to indulge than to correct.

Friendship improves happiness, and abates mifery, by the doubling of our joy, and dividing our grief.

The