NUMB. 40. SATURDAY, August 4, 1750. Nec dicet, cur ego amicum Offendam in nugis? Ha nugæ feria ducent Nor fay, for trifles why fhould I displease HOR. FRANCIS. T has been remarked, that authors are genus irritabile, a generation very easily put out of temper, and that they feldom fail of giving proofs of their irafcibility upon the flighteft attack of criticism, or the most gentle or modeft offer of advice and information. Writers being beft acquainted with one another, have represented this character as prevailing among men of literature, which a more extenfive view of the world would have fhewn them to be diffused through all human nature, to mingle itself with every fpecies of ambition and defire of praife, and to discover its effects with greater or lefs reftraint, and under difguifes more or lefs artful, in all places and all conditions. The quarrels of writers, indeed, are more obferved, because they neceffarily appeal to the decifion of the publick. Their enmities are incited by applaufes from their parties, and prolonged by treacherous encouragement for general diverfion; VOL. IV. S and and when the contest happens to rife high between men of genius and learning, its memory is continued for the fame reafon as its vehemence was at first promoted, because it gratifies the malevolence or curiofity of readers, and relieves the vacancies of life with amusement and laughter. The perfonal difputes, therefore, of rivals in wit are fometimes tranfinitted to pofterity, when the grudges and heartburnings of men lefs confpicuous, though carried on with equal bitterness, and productive of greater evils, are exposed to the knowledge of thofe only whom they nearly affect, and fuffered to pafs off and be forgotten among common and cafual tranfactions. The refentment which the discovery of a fault or folly produces, must bear a certain proportion to our pride, and will regularly be more acrimonious as pride is more immediately the principle of action. In whatever therefore we wish or imagine ourselves to excel, we shall always be displeased to have our claims to reputation difputed, and more displeased, if the accomplishment be fuch as can expect reputation only for its reward. For this reafon it is common to find men break out into rage at any infinuations to the disadvantage of their wit, who have borne with great patience reflections on their morals; and of women it has been always known, that no cenfure wounds fo deeply, or rankles fo long, as that which charges them with want of beauty. As men frequently fill their imaginations with trifling pursuits, and please themselves moft with things of small importance, I have often known very fevere and lafting malevolence excited by unlucky cenfures, which would have fallen without any effect, had had they not happened to wound a part remarkably tender. Guftulus, who valued himself upon the nicety of his palate, difinherited his eldeft fon for telling him that the wine, which he was then commending, was the fame which he had fent away the day before not fit to be drunk. Proculus withdrew his kindness from a nephew, whom he had always confidered as the most promifing genius of the age, for happening to praise in his prefence the graceful horfemanship of Marius. And Fortunio, when he was privy counfellor, procured a clerk to be difmiffed from one of the publick offices, in which he was eminent for his fkill and affiduity, because he had been heard to fay, that there was another man in the kingdom on whose skill at billiards he would lay his money against Fortunio's. Felicia and Floretta had been bred up in one house, and shared all the pleafures and endearments of infancy together. They entered upon life at the fame time, and continued their confidence and friendship; confulted each other in every change of their dress, and every admiffion of a new lover; thought every diverfion more entertaining whenever it happened that both were prefent, and when feparated juftified the conduct, and celebrated the excellencies, of one another. Such was their intimacy, and fuch their fidelity; till a birth-night approached, when Floretta took one morning an opportunity, as they were confulting upon new clothes, to advise her friend not to dance at the ball, and informed her that her performance the year before had not answered the expectation which her other accomplishments had raised. Felicia commended S 2 her her fincerity, and thanked her for the caution; but told her that she danced to please herself, and was in very little concern what the men might take the liberty of faying, but that if her appearance gave her dear Floretta any uneafiness, she would stay away. Floretta had now nothing left but to make new pro-. teftations of fincerity and affection, with which Fe-. licia was fo well fatisfied, that they parted with more than usual fondnefs. They ftill continued to vifit, with this only difference, that Felicia was more punctual than before, and often declared how high a value she put upon fincerity, how much fhe thought that goodness to be efteemed which would venture to admonish a friend of an error, and with: what gratitude advice was to be received, even when it might happen to proceed from mistake. In a few months Felicia, with great feriousness, told Floretta, that though her beauty was fuch as gave charms to whatever fhe did, and her qualifications fo extenfive, that he could not fail of excellence in any attempt, yet fhe thought herself obliged by the duties of friendship to inform her, that if ever fhe betrayed want of judgment, it was by too frequent compliance with folicitations to fing, for that her manner was fomewhat ungraceful, and her voice had no great compafs. It is true, fays Floretta, when I fung three nights ago at lady Sprightly's, I was hoarfe with a cold; but I fing for my own fatisfaction, and am not in the leaft pain whether I am liked. However, my dear Felicia's kindness is not the lefs, and I fhall always think myself happy in fo true a friend. From this time they never faw each other without mutual profeffions of efteem, and declarations of confidence, but went foon after into the country to vifit their relations. When they came back, they were prevailed on, by the importunity of new acquaintance, to take lodgings in different parts of the town, and had frequent occafion when they met, to bewail the distance at which they were placed, and the uncertainty which each experienced of finding the other at home. Thus are the fondeft and firmeft friendships diffolved, by fuch openness, and fincerity, as interrupt our enjoyment of our own approbation, or recal us to the remembrance of thofe failings, which we are more willing to indulge than to correct. It is by no means neceffary to imagine, that he who is offended at advice, was ignorant of the fault, and refents the admonition as a falfe charge; for perhaps it is moft natural to be enraged, when there is the strongest conviction of our own guilt. While we can easily defend our character, we are no more disturbed at an accufation, than we are alarmed by an enemy whom we are fure to conquer; and whose attack, therefore, will bring us honour without danger. But when a man feels the reprehenfion of a friend feconded by his own heart, he is eafily heated into refentment and revenge, either because he hoped that the fault of which he was confcious had efcaped the notice of others; or that his friend had looked upon it with tenderness and extenuation, and excused it for the fake of his other virtues; or had confidered him as too wife to need advice, or too delicate to be fhocked with reproach: or, because |