comfort to the poor, whose ignorance often inclines them to an ill-grounded envy, that the rich must die as well as themselves. The common people call wit, mirth, and fancy, folly; fanciful and folliful, they use indiscriminately. It seems to flow from hence, that they consider money as of more importance, than the persons who possess it; and that no conduct is wise, beside what has a tendency to enrich us. One should not destroy an insect, one should not quarrel with a dog, without a reason sufficient to vindicate one through all the courts of morality. The trouble occasioned by want of a servant, is so much less than the plague of a bad one, as it is less painful to clean a pair of shoes than undergo an excess of anger. The fund of sen sible discourse is limited; that of jest and badinerie is infinite. In many companies, then, where nothing is to be learnt, it were, perhaps, better to get on the familiar footing: to give and take in the way of raillery. When a wife or mistress lives as in a jail, the person that confines her lives the life of a jailor. There seems some analogy betwixt a person's manner in every action of his life Lady Luxborough's hand-writing was, at the same time, delicate and masculine. Her features, her air, her understanding, her motions, and her sentiments were the same. Mr. W, in the same respects, delicate, but not masculine. Mr. G delicate than masculine. masculine than delicate. three last, extends to their &c. &c. Riches Mr. J rather more rather more And this, in regard to the drawing, versification, &c. deserve the attention of old ones; tho' the prac To consume one's time and young persons rather than tice is otherwise. ...... fortune at once, without pleasure, recompence, or figure, is like pouring forth one's spirits rather in phlebotomy than enjoyment. Parents are generally partial to great vivacity in their children, and are apt to be more or less fond of them in proportion to it. Perhaps, there cannot be a symptom less expressive of future judgment and solidity. It seems thoroughly to preclude not only depth of penetration, but also delicacy of sentiment. Neither does it seem any way consistent with a sensibility of pleasure, notwithstanding all external appearances. It is a mere greyhound puppy in a warren, that runs at all truths, and at all sorts of pleasure; but does not allow itself time to be successful in securing any. It is a busy bee, whose whole time passes away in mere flight from flower to flower; without resting upon any a sufficient time to gather honey. The Queen of Sweden declared, "She did not love men as men; but merely because they were not women." What a spirited piece of satire! In mixed conversation, or amongst persons of no great knowledge, one indulges one's self in discourse that is neither ingenious nor significant. Vapid frivolous chit-chat serves to pass away the time. But corked up again in retirement, we recover our wonted strength, spirit, and flavour. The making presents to a lady one addresses, is like throwing armour into an enemy's camp, with a resolution to recover it. He that lies a-bed all a summer's morning, loses the chief pleasure of the day: he that gives up his youth to indolence, undergoes a loss of the same kind. Spleen is often little else than The regard, men obstructed perspiration. externally profess for their superiors, is oftentimes Me rewarded-in the manner it deserves. thinks, all men should meet with a respect due to as high a character as they can act becomingly. Shining characters are not always the most agreeable ones. The mild radiance of an emerald is by no means less pleasing than the glare of a ruby. Mankind suffer more by the conflict of contrary passions, than that of passion and reason: yet, perhaps, the truest way to quench one passion is to kindle up another. Prudent men should lock up their motives, giving only their intimates a key. The country esquire limits his ambition to a pre-eminence in the knowledge of horses; that is, of an animal that may convey him with ease, credit, and safety, the little journeys he has to go. The philosopher directs his ambition to some well-grounded science, which may, with the same ease, credit, and safety, transport him through every stage of being; so that he may not be overthrown by passion, nor Tom trailed insipidly along by apathy. Tweedle played a good fiddle; but, nothing satisfied with the inconsiderable appellation of a fiddler, dropped the practice, and is now no character. The best time to frame an answer to the letters of a Then the friend, is the moment you receive them, warmth of friendship, and the intelligence received, most forcibly co-operate. The philosophers and ancient sages, who declaimed against the vanity of all external advantages, seem, in an equal degree, to have countenanced and authorized the mental ones, or they would condemn their own example. Superiority in wit is more frequently the cause of vanity than superiority of judgment; as the person that wears an ornamental sword, is ever more vain ས The person than he that wears an useful one. who has a superiority in wit is enabled, by the means of it, to see his superiority: hence a deference is expected, and offence taken on the failure. Add to this, that wit, considered as fancy, renders all the passions more sensible; the love of fame more remarkably so; and you have some sort of reason for the revenge taken by wits on those who neglect them. In the quarrels of our friends, it is incumbent on us to take a part-in the quarrels of mere acquaintance, it is needless, and, perhaps impertinent. When I have purchased aught by way of inere amusement, your reflection on the cost not only intimates the bargain I have made to be a bad one, but tends to make it so. Had I the money those paintings cost,' says Torper, methinks I would have discovered some better method of disposing of it.' 'And in what would you have expended it?' 'I would buy some fine horses.' 'But you have already what answer your purpose!' Yes, but I have a particular fancy for a fine horse.' 'And have not I, who bought these pictures the same argument on my side?' The truth is, he who extols his own amusements, and condemns another person's, unless he do it as they bear relation to virtue or vice, will at all times find himself at a loss for an argument. People of real genius have strong passions; people of strong passions have great partialities; such as Mr. Pope for Lord Bolingbroke, &c. Persons of slow parts have languid passions, and persons of languid passions have little partiality. They neither love, nor hate, nor look, nor move, with the energy of a man of sense. The faults of the former should be balanced with their excellencies: and the blameless ware. ness of the latter should be weighed with their insignificancy. Happiness and virtue are, perhaps, generally dispensed with more equality than we are aExtremely volatile and sprightly tempers seem inconsistent with any great enjoyment. There is too much time wasted in mere transition from one object to another. No room for those deep impressions, which are made alone by the duration of an idea; and are quite requisite to any strong sensation, either of pleasure or of pain. The bee to collect honey, or the spider to gather poison, must abide some time upon the weed or flower. They whose fluids are mere sal volatile, seem rather cheerful than happy men. The temper above described is oftener the lot of wits, than of persons of great abilities. There are no persons more solicitous about the preservation of rank, than those who have no rank at all. Observe the humours of a country christening; and you will find no court in Christendom so ceremonious as the quality of Brentford. Critics will sometimes prefer the faulty state of a composition to the improved one, through mere perverseness: in like manner, some will extol a person's past conduct, to depreciate his present. These are some of the numerous shifts and machinations of envy. Trees afford us the advantage of shade in summer, as well as fuel in winter; as the same virtue allays the fervour of intemperate passions in our youth, and serves to comfort and keep us warm amid the rigours of old age. The term indecision in a man's charac ter implies an idea very nicely different from that of irresolution: yet it has a tendency to produce it; and, like that, has often it's original in excessive deli cacy and refinement. Persons of proud yet |