to whom one would allot good wishes and perform good offices: but they are sometimes those, with whom one would by no means share one's time. 16. I would have all men elevated to as great a height as they can discover a lustre to the naked eye. 17. I am surely more inclined (of the two) to pretend a false disdain, than an unreal esteem.

18.

Yet why repine? I have seen mansions on the verge of Wales that convert my farm-house into a Hampton-court, and where they speak of a glazed window as a great piece of magnificence. All things figure by comparison. 19. I do not so much want to avoid being cheated, as to afford the expense of being so the generality of mankind being seldom in good humour but whilst they are imposing on you in some shape or other. 20. I cannot avoid comparing the ease and freedom I enjoy, to the ease of an old shoe; where a certain degree of shabbiness is joined with the convenience. 21. Not Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Coptic, nor even the Chinese language, seem half so difficult to me as the language of refusal. 22. I actually dreamt that somebody told me I must not print my pieces separate. That certain stars would, if single, be hardly conspicuous, which, united in a narrow compass, form a very splendid constellation. 23. The ways of ballad-singers, and the cries of halfpenny pamphlets, appeared so extremely humourous, from my lodgings in Fleet-street, that it gave me pain to observe them without a companion to partake. For, alas! laughter is by no means a solitary entertainment. 24. Had I a fortune of eight or ten thousand pounds a year, I would, methinks, make myself a neighbourhood. I would first build a vil

lage with a church, and people it with inhabitants of some branch of trade that was suitable to the country round. I would then, at proper distances, erect a number of genteel boxes of about a thousand pounds a piece, and amuse myself with giving them all the advantages they could receive from taste. These would I people with a select number of wellchosen friends, assigning to each annually the sum of two hundred pounds for life. The salary should be irrevocable, in order to give them independency. The house of a more precarious tenure, that, in cases of ingratitude, I might introduce another inhabitant. -How plausible soever this may appear in specu lation, perhaps a very natural and lively novel might be founded on the inconvenient consequences of it, when put in execution. 25. I think I have

observed universally that the quarrels of friends, in the latter part of life, are never truly reconciled. "Malè sarta gratia necquicquam coit, & rescinditur." A wound in the friendship of young persons, as in the bark of young trees, may be so grown over, as to leave no scar. The case is very different in regard to old persons and old timber. The reason of this may be accountable from the decline of the social passions, and the prevalence of spleen, suspicion, and rancour towards the latter part of life.

26. There is nothing, to me, more irksome than to hear weak and servile people repeat with admiration every silly speech that falls from a mere person of rank and fortune. It is "crambe bis cocta."-The nonsense grows more nauseous through the medium of their admiration, and shews the yenality of vulgar tempers, which can consider fortune as the goddess of wit.

27. What pleasure it is to pay one's

debts! I remember to have heard Sir T. Lyttleton make the same observation. It seems to flow from a combination of circumstances, each of which is productive of pleasure. In the first place, it removes =that uneasiness, which a true spirit feels from dependence and obligation. It affords pleasure to the creditor, and therefore gratifies our social affection: it promotes that future confidence, which is so very interesting to an honest mind: it opens a prospect of being readily supplied with what we want on future occasions: it leaves a consciousness of our own virtue: and it is a measure we know to be right, both in point of justice and of sound œconomy. Finally, it is a main support of simple reputation.

And

28. It is a maxim with ine (and I would recommend it to others also, on the score of prudence) whenever I lose a person's friendship, who generally commences enemy, to engage a fresh friend in his place. this may be best effected by bringing over some of one's enemies; by which means one is a gainer, having the same number of friends, at least, if not an enemy the less. Such a method of proceeding should, I think, be as regularly observed, as the distribution of vacant ribbons, on the death of knights of the garter. 29. It has been a maxin with me to admit of an easy reconciliation with a person whose offence proceeded from no depravity of heart: but where I was convinced it did so, to forego, for my own sake, all opportunities of revenge: to forget the persons of my enemies as much as I was able, and to call to remembrance, in their place, the more pleasing idea of my friends. I am convinced that I have derived no small share of happiness from this principle.

30. I have been formerly sa

lage with a church, and people it with inhabit some branch of trade that was suitable to th try round. I would then, at proper distance a number of genteel boxes of about a th pounds a piece, and amuse myself with givin all the advantages they could receive from These would I people with a select number chosen friends, assigning to each annually t of two hundred pounds for life. The salary be irrevocable, in order to give them indepe The house of a more precarious tenure, that, of ingratitude, I might introduce another inh -How plausible soever this may appear in lation, perhaps a very natural and lively nov be founded on the inconvenient consequenc when put in execution. 25. I thin observed universally that the quarrels of fri the latter part of life, are never truly red "Malè sarta gratia necquicquam coit, & resc A wound in the friendship of young perso the bark of young trees, may be so grown o leave no scar. The case is very different to old persons and old timber. The reaso

may be accountable from the decline of t passions, and the prevalence of spleen, s and rancour towards the latter part of life. 26. There is nothing, to me, more irksom hear weak and servile people repeat with ad every silly speech that falls from a mere rank and fortune. It is "crambe bis coct nonsense grows more nauseous through the of their admiration, and shews the yenality tempers, which can consider fortune as the of wit. 27. What pleasure it is to

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