wrong opinions are entertained, that they mutually destroy each other, and leave the mind open to

truth."

"I did not expect, answered the princefs, to hear that imputed to falfehood which is the confequence only of frailty. To the mind, as to the eye, it is difficult to compare with exactness objects vast in their extent, and various in their parts. Where we fee or conceive the whole at once, we readily note the difcriminations, and decide the preference: but of two fyftems, of which neither can be furveyed by any human being in its full compass of magnitude and multiplicity of complication, where is the wonder, that judging of the whole by parts, I am alternately affected by one and the other as either preffes on my memory or fancy? We differ from ourselves just as we differ from each other, when we fee only part of the queftion, as in the multifarious relations of politicks and morality; but when we perceive the whole at once, as in numerical computations, all agree in one judgment, and none ever varies his opinion."

"Let us not add, faid the prince, to the other evils of life, the bitterness of controverfy, nor endeavour to vie with each other in fubtilties of argument. We are employed in a fearch, of which both are equally to enjoy the fuccefs, or fuffer by the mifcarriage. It is therefore fit that we affift each other. You furely conclude too haftily from the infelicity of marriage against its inftitution: will not the mifery of life prove equally that life cannot be the gift of heaven? The world must be peopled by marriage, or peopled without it."

" How

"How the world is to be peopled, returned Nekayah, is not my care, and needs not be yours. I fee no danger that the prefent generation fhould omit to leave fucceffors behind them: we are not now inquiring for the world, but for ourselves."

CHAP. XXVIII.

THE DEBATE OF MARRIAGE CONTINUED.

TH

HE good of the whole, fays Raffelas, is the fame with the good of all its parts. If marriage be beft for mankind, it must be evidently beft for individuals, or a permanent and neceffary duty must be the cause of evil, and fome must be inevitably facrificed to the convenience of others. In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a fingle life are, in a great meafure, neceffary and certain, but hofe of the conjugal ftate accidental and avoidable.

"I cannot forbear to flatter myfelf, that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy. The general folly of mankind is the caufe of general complaint. What can be expected but difappointment and repentance from a choice made in the immaturity of youth, in the ardour of defire, without judgment, without forefight, without inquiry after conformity of opinions, fimilarity of manners, rectitude of judgment, or purity of fentiment?

"Such is the common procefs of marriage. A youth or maiden meeting by chance, or brought together by artifice, exchange glances, reciprocate civilities, go home, and dream of one another.

Having little to divert attention, or diverfify thought, they find themselves uneafy when they are apart, and therefore conclude that they fhall be happy together. They marry, and discover what nothing but voluntary blindness before had concealed; they wear out life in altercations, and charge nature with cruelty.

"From those early marriages proceeds likewife the rivalry of parents and children: the fon is eager to enjoy the world before the father is willing to forfake it, and there is hardly room at once for two generations. The daughter begins to bloom before the mother can be content to fade, and neither can forbear to wish for the abfence of the other.

"Surely all these evils may be avoided by that deliberation and delay which prudence prefcribes to irrevocable choice. In the variety and jollity of youthful pleasures life may be well enough fupported without the help of a partner. Longer time will increase experience, and wider views will allow better opportunities of inquiry and felection: one advantage, at leaft, will be certain; the parents will be vifibly older than their children."

"What reason cannot collect, faid Nekayah, and what experiment has not yet taught, can be known only from the report of others. I have been told that late marriages are not eminently happy. This is a question too important to be neglected, and I have often propofed it to thofe, whofe accuracy of remark, and comprehenfiveness of knowledge, made their fuffrages worthy of regard. They have generally determined, that it is dangerous for a man and woman to fufpend their fate upon each VOL. XI. other,

G

other, at a time when opinions are fixed, and habits. are eftablished; when friendships have been contracted on both fides, when life has been planned into method, and the mind has long enjoyed the contemplation of its own profpects.

"It is fcarcely poffible that two travelling through the world under the conduct of chance, fhould have been both directed to the fame path, and it will not often happen that either will quit the track which cuftom has made pleafing. When the defultory levity of youth has fettled into regularity, it is foon fucceeded by pride afhamed to yield, or obftinacy delighting to contend. And even though mutual efteem produces mutual defire to pleafe, time itself, as it modifies unchangeably the external mien, determines likewife the direction of the paffions, and gives an inflexible rigidity to the manners. Long cuftoms are not eafily broken: he that attempts to change the courfe of his own life, very often labours in vain; and how fhall we do that for others, which we are feldom able to do for ourfelves?

"But furely, interpofed the prince, you fuppofe the chief motive of choice forgotten or neglected. Whenever I fhall feek a wife, it fhall be my first queftion, whether he be willing to be led by reafon ?"

"Thus it is, faid Nekayah, that philofophers are deceived. There are a thoufand familiar difputes which reafon never can decide; queftions that elude inveftigation, and make logick ridiculous; cafes where fomething must be done, and where little can be faid. Confider the ftate of mankind, and inquire how few can be fuppofed to act upon any occafions,

Occafions, whether fmall or great, with all the reafons of action prefent to their minds. Wretched would be the pair above all names of wretchednefs, who should be doomed to adjust by reason, every morning, all the minute detail of a domeftick day.

"Those who marry at an advanced age, will probably escape the encroachments of their children; but, in diminution of this advantage, they will be likely to leave them, ignorant and helpless, to a guardian's mercy: or, if that fhould not happen, they must at leaft go out of the world before they fee those whom they love beft either wife or great.

"From their children, if they have lefs to fear, they have lefs alfo to hope, and they lofe, without equivalent, the joys of early love, and the convenience of uniting with manners pliant, and minds fufceptible of new impreffions, which might wear away their diffimilitudes by long cohabitation, as foft bodies, by continual attrition, conform their furfaces to each other.

"I believe it will be found that thofe who marry late are best pleased with their children, and those who marry early with their partners."

"The union of these two affections, faid Raffelas, would produce all that could be wished. Perhaps there is a time when marriage might unite them, a time neither too early for the father, nor too late for the husband."

"Every hour, anfwered the princefs, confirms my prejudice in favour of the pofition fo often uttered by the mouth of Imlac, That nature fets her gifts on the right hand and on the left.' Thofe conditions, which flatter hope and attract defire, are fo conftiG 2

tuted,