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"Why," faid I within myfelf, "could not I "be as fincere and peremptory as Johnson? He "takes his rest and is at peace; I am fleepless and

in terrors: Though a fervant by condition, in his will he is independent : I, who have not the "like call of duty, have not the fame liberty of "mind: he refuses what he does not chufe to "obey, I obey all things whether I chufe them or (" not; And wherefore do I this? Because I am a flatterer: And why did I fwallow a whole "naufeous dofe to humour my aunt's caprice, "when her own chambermaid, who received her

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wages, would not touch it with her lips? Be་ cause I am a flatterer: And what has this flat"" tery done for me, who am a flave to it? what "did I gain by it at my uncle's? I was the echo "of his opinions, fhifted as they shifted, fided "with him against truth, demonstration, reason, "and even the evidence of my own fenses: Ab. "ject wretch, I funk myfelf in my own eftem "first, then loft all fhadow of refpect with him, "and was finally expelled from his doors, whilst "I was in the very act of proftituting my own judgment to his grofs abfurdities: And now "again, here I am at my aunt's, devoted to the "fame mean flattery, that has already fo fhamefully betrayed me. What has flattery gained "for me here? A bitter harvest truly I have had "of it; poifoned by an infernal dose, which I "had no plea for fwallowing; furfeited by dain"ties I had no appetite to tafte, and now con"demned to fleepless hours within a haunted "chamber, which her own domeftic would not "confent even to enter: Fool that I am to be the "dupe of fuch a vapor as flattery !defpicable

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"wretch,

"wretch, not to affert a freedom of will, which "is the natural right of every man, and which 66 even fervants and hirelings exercise with a spi"rit I envy, but have not the heart to imitate : "I am afhamed of my own meanness; I blush "for myself in the comparifon, and am determined, if I furvive till to-morrow, to affert the dignity of a man, and abide by the confe"quences."

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In meditations like thefe night paffed away, and the dawn of morning called me from my bed: I rose and refreshed my fpirits with a walk through a most charming plantation: I met a countryman at his work-Friend," faid I, you are early "at your labour."-"Yes," anfwered he, "'tis by 6: my labour I live, and whilft I have health and "ftrength to follow it, I have nothing to fear but "God alone." So! thought I, here is a leffon for me; this man is no flatterer; then why do I worship what a clown despises?

I found my aunt ready for breakfast; fhe queftioned me about my night's reft; I answered her with truth that I had enjoyed no reft, but had neither feen nor heard any thing to alarm me, and was perfuaded there were no grounds for the report of her chamber being haunted. "I am as "well perfuaded as yourself of that," he replied; "I know 'tis only one of Johnson's whims ; "but people you know will have their whims, "and it was great courtesy in you to facrifice a

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night's reft to his humour: my servants have "been fpoiled by indulgence, but it is to be "hoped they will learn better fubmiffion by your "example." There was a farcastic tone in my aunt's manner of uttering this, which gave it

VOL. IV.

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more the air of ridicule than compliment, and I blusht to the eyes with the consciousness of deferving it. After breastfaft fhe took me into her clofet, and, defiring me to fit down to a writing table, Nephew," faid fhe, "I know my bro"ther Antony full well; he is a tyrant in his na"ture, a b got to his opinions, and a man of a "moft perverted understanding; but he is rich " and you have your fortune to make; he can "infult, but you can flatter; he has his weak"neffes, and you can avail yourself of them; "fuppofe you write him a penitential letter."I now faw the opportunity prefent for exerting my new-made refolution, and felt a spirit rifing within me, that prompted me to deliver myfelf as follows. "No, madam, I will neither gratify my "uncle's pride, nor lower my own felf-esteem, by "making him any fubmiffion; I defpife him for "the infults he has put upon me, and myfelf for having in fome fort deferved them; but I will never flatter him or any living creature more; "and if I am to forfeit your favour by refifting your commands, I must meet the confequences, and will rather truft to my own labour for fup"port than depend upon the caprice of any per"fon living; least of all on him.” "Heyday, cried my aunt, you refufe to write !-you will "not do as I advile you ?" "In this particular," I replied, permit me to say I neither can, nor will, "obey you." And you are refolved to think "and act for yourself." "In the prefent cafe I "am, and in all cafes, let me add, where my ho66 nour and my confcience tell me I am right." "Then," exclaimed my aunt, "I acknowledge "you for my nephew; I adopt you from this

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"hour;"

"hour" and with that she took me by the hand moft cordially; "I faw," faid fhe," or thought "I faw, the fymptoms of an abject fpirit in you, " and was refolved to put my fufpicions to the "teft; all that has paft here fince your coming "has been done in concert and by way of trial; "your haunted chamber, the pretended fears of my butler, his blunt refufal, all have been ex"periments to found your character, and I fhould "totally have defpaired of you, had not this last "inftance of a manly fpirit reftored you to my "esteem you have now only to perfift in the

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fame line of conduct to confirm my good opi"nion of you, and enfure your own profperity " and happiness."

Thus I have given my hiftory, and if the ex. ample of my reformation fhall warn others from the contemptible character, which I have fortunately escaped from, I fhall be most happy, being truly anxious to approve myself the friend of mankind, and the Obferver's very fincere well-wither. WILL. SIMPER,

No CXXXIII.

Citò fcribendo non fit ut bene fcribatur; bene fcri

bendo fit ut citò.

(QUINTIL. LIB. X.)

THE celebrated author of the Rambler in his concluding paper fays, I have laboured to refine our language to grammatical purity, and to clear it from colloquial

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colloquial barbarifms, licentious idioms and irregular combinations: Something perhaps I have added to the elegance of its construction, and something to the harmony of its cadence. I hope our language hath gained all the profit, which the labours of this meratorious writer were exerted to produce in ftile of a certain defcription he undoubtedly excels; but though I think there is much in his effays for a reader to admire, I fhould not recommend them as a model for a difciple to copy.

Simplicity, eafe and perfpicuity fhould be the first objects of a young writer : Addison and other authors of his clafs will furnish him with examples, and affift him in the attainment of these excellencies; but after all, the ftile in which a man fhall write, will not be formed by imitation only; it will be the ftile of his mind; it will affimilate itfelf to his mode of thinking, and take its colour from the complexion of his ordinary difcourfe, and the company he conforts with. As for that diftinguishing characteristic, which the ingenious effayift terms very properly the harmony of its cadence; that I take to be incommunicable and immediately dependant upon the ear of him, who models it. This harmony of cadence is fo ftrong a mark of discrimination between authors of note in the world of letters, that we can depofe to a ftile whofe modulation we are familiar with, almoft as confidently as to the hand-writing of a correfpondent. But though I think there will be found in the periods of every eftablished writer a certain peculiar tune, (whether harmonious or otherwife) which will depend rather upon the natural ear than upon the imitative powers, yet I would not be understood to say that the ftudy of

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