In the mean time this we know, events are in the hands of God, but duty is in ours. When we have done all that we can, we have done all that is required, and our gracious God will expect no more; if our labour be loft to our unhappy flock, it fhall not be loft to us; and tho' we fave not others, we shall fave our own fouls at the great day.

Of WIT and GOOD NATURE.

I

In a LETTER to EUGENIO.

DEAR SIR,

He

Am obliged to you for the opportunity you have given me of contracting a friendship with FLORIO. brought me your letter, but let me advise you for the future to be more frugal of your recommendation. It is at any time fufficient to prejudice me in favour of a person who may have no other claim to notice: and you but throw a perfume on the violet, in giving it fo lavishly to one whose own merit demands fo much refpect and esteem.

My intimacy with FLORIO has confirm'd me in an opinion I have long entertained, that GooD NATURE and WIT are defigned by Providence as Companions, and that it is an offence against her operations when they appear divided from each other. We may fee that dissatisfaction in each of them, when thus difunited, which is in a ftate of abfence and feparation. WIT grows peevifh and morofe, GOOD NATURE becomes languid and Spiritlefs.

Vivacity of Genius without the benevolence of an affable difpofition is often prejudicial to its owner, and as it is naturally fatirical, difguftful to his friends. It fparkles amiably under the veil of GOOD NATURE: that heavenly

quality

quality foftens, and improves by that alleviation, the delicacy of its Rays, and preferves its Vigour, while it adds to its Reputation. We revere it in fuch a fituation as we do the fun, which at once demands our admiration by its brightness and preserves us by its influence. When attended by a morofe difpofition, we may compare it to a comet whose appearance we indeed admire, but dread the effects of a phænomenon fo difguftful to nature.

Malicious WIT is impaired by its own vivacity. It may make us feared in the vigour of our age and underftanding, but all mankind will rejoice at the decline of fo pernicious a faculty.

GOOD NATURE, tho' imperfectly amiable, is more defireable for its own fake than WIT: it wants indeed force and fire, but its useful exceffes will always recom-mend it: especially as its general fault is a profusion of ill-beftowed benefits, not the profecution of an unjust war with inferior abilities. It is at leaft inoffenfive where it is not beneficial, and meddles not with arms which it wants ftrength to manage.

FLORIO is happy in both these qualifications. WIT and AFFABILITY are united in his mind as the one brightens, the other foftens his converfation; his benevolence endeavours to correct, or at leaft alleviate, thofe blemishes which his quick apprehenfion fo readily discovers; and feems to turn that fuperiority his vivacity gives him, to the benefit and improvement of that flow dif pofition and languid faculty which it excels; and the employment his WIT moft delights in is to find out fome latent fpark of merit in every body, to countenance that benevolence which his GOOD NATURE infpires him with.

You will not be apprehenfive of my deviating from the conftant friendship I have had with you, by the engaging character I have given of FLORIO; but remember that the greatest proof I can give of my reliance on your impartiality is thus freely praifing to you the excellence of another,

B 2

another. Befides I fhould think I robbed your generous temper of its due, if I did not communicate to you perfections which afford you fo much pleafure when you obfervé them in others, and yet you are wilfully blind to them in yourself.

*

I am, Yours, &c.

BENEVOLO.

The SPEECH of an old OAK to an extravagant young HEIR as he was going to be cut down,

gemitus lachrymabilis imo

Auditur tumulo, et vox reddita fertur ad aures.

VIRGIL.

RODIGUS was left by his father in poffeffion of á

PRASHE

large estate well conditioned, but by his continued extravagances had greatly impaired it. At one time particularly a confiderable fum was wanted; the only refource left was to fell a fufficient number of trees that grew in a wood near the manfion houfe. Among the reft an old venerable OAK was mark'd out to fall a victim to his owner's neceffities. The youth ftood by with a fecret fatisfaction, while the labourers were preparing to give the fatal ftroke. But lo, a hollow murmuring was heard within the trunk, and the OAK (or, if you will, the HAMADRYAD that inhabited it) fpoke 'diftinctly in the following manner.

My young Mafter,

Your great grandfather planted me when he was much about your age; and tho' he intended me perhaps for the use of his pofterity, yet I cannot help repining at my prefent ufage. I am the ancienteft tree in all the forest, and have largely contributed by my products to the peopling

of

of it: I therefore think fome refpect due to my fervices, if none to my years. Tho' I cannot well remember your great grandfather, I with pleasure recollect with what favour your grandfather ufed to treat me, Your father too was not neglectful of me: many a time has he refted under my hofpitable fhade when fatigued with the fultry heat of the weather, or sheltered himself from an unexpected fhower. You was always his darling; and if the wrinkles of old age have not quite obliterated it, you may trace your name in feveral places cut out on my bark; for this was his conftant amusement whenever with me.

Nobleness of defcent I know fignifies nothing in a tree, or else I could boast of as noble fap in me as any tree in England: for I came from the fame stock with that Oak which is fo famous for the preservation of King CHARLES. I have often with pleafure fupplied your whole houshold with leaves, and with pride I can tell you, that you yourself have worn fome of my broadest and most flourishing, properly gilded, on that occafion,

you to

But I don't mention this as an inducement for fpare me I could fall without regret, if it were to do any real fervice to my mafter. If I were defigned to repair your old manfion houfe by supplying the place of my rotten predeceffors, or to furnish materials for your tenants plows, carts and the like, I could ftill be useful to my owner. But to be trucked away for vile gold, which perhaps is to fatisfy the demands of fome honourable cheat, to be fubfervient to luxury, or to ftop the importunities of fome profligate madam, is more than a tree of any fpirit can bear.

Your ancestors, I fancy, never thought of what havock you would make among their woods, "Twas a pleasure to be a tree while they lived: we old ones were honoured and careffed by them, and young ones were continually springing up around us. But now we must all fall without diftinction, and the rooks in a fhort time will not find a branch to rooft on. Yet why thould we complain? All

your

your old country friends are equally neglected: your farms and your manors have almost all followed you to London already, and we must take the fame journey. Indeed while your father was contented to wear a plain drugget, this was needlefs; but my young fquire's coat must be laced, and 'tis but reafonable we fhould pay the expence. For what is a tree worth while standing? And what fignifies who comes after you? Why fhould an heir pinch himself or grudge any expences, while there's a bit of timber on the eftate?

You know an old tree loves to prate; and therefore you will excufe me, if I have been too free with my tongue. 'Twas not I affure you to preserve my old trunk, which muft otherwise foon decay of itself, that I opened my mouth: I was in hopes that advice from an oak might make more impreffion than any animate being can give. My brothers of Dodona you may remember were often confulted; and why should a British tree be denied the free liberty of fpeech?

By this time I fancy you are heartily tired of my harangue, and with me to return to my dumbness again, I will not detain you any longer than to make one petition. You will I am afraid have too much reason to remember me when I am dead and gone! all I beg of you now is, if I must fall, to fend me with the rest of my brethren to Plymouth, to be thence tranfported to one of his majesty's docks. Whatever fhip I have the honour to be employed in, they may depend on my firmness and integrity: in a word I fhall fall with pleafure, if I fall to serve my country.

The reader I suppose would be glad to know what was the confequence of this fpeech. He will doubtlefs imagine it had fuch an effect on the mind of the young fellow, as induced him not only to fpare the old tree, but to reform his evil courses. Shall I tell him the truth? Why our PRODIGUS heard all that was faid without any concern, and

as