fox-hunters, upon wearing me, would in a fhort time be brought to endure their beds in a morning, and perhaps even quit them with regret at ten: inftead of hurrying away to teaze a poor animal, and run away from their own thoughts, a chair or a chariot would be thought the most defirable means of performing a remove from one place to another. I fhould be a cure for the unnatural defire of John Trot for dancing, and a Specific to leffen the inclination Mrs. Fidget has to motion, and caufe her always to give her approbation to the prefent place the is in. In fine, no Egyptian mummy was ever half fo useful in phyfic, as I fhould be to thefe feverish conftitutions, to reprefs the violent fallies of youth, and give each action it's proper weight and repofe. : I can stifle any violent inclination, and oppole a torrent of anger, or the folicitations of revenge, with fuccefs. But indolence is a stream which flows flowly on, but yet undermines the foundation of every virtue. A vice of a more lively nature were a more defirable tyrant than this ruft of the mind, which gives a tincture of it's nature to every action of one's life. It were as little hazard to be toft in a form, as to lie thus perpetually becalmed and it is to no purpofe to have within one the feeds of a thoufand good qualities, if we want the vigour and refolution neceffary for the exerting them. Death brings all perfons back to an equality; and this image of it, this flumber of the mind, leaves no difference between the greatest genius and the meanest understanding: a faculty of doing things remarkably praiseworthy thus concealed, is of no more ufe to the owner, than a heap of gold to the man who dares not use it. To-morrow is ftill the fatal time when all is to be rectified: to-morrow comes, it goes, and ftill I please myself with the fhadow, whilft I lofe the reality; unmindful that the prefent time alone is ours, the future is yet unborn, and the past is dead, and can only live, as parents in their children, in the actions It has produced. The time we live ought not to be computed by the number of years, but by the ufe that has been made of it; thus it is not the extent of ground, but the yearly rent which gives the value to the estate. Wretched and thoughtless creatures, in the only place where covetoufnefs were a virtue we turn prodigals! Nothing lies upon our hands with fuch uneafinefs, nor has there been fo many devices for any one thing, as to make it flide away imperceptibly and to no purpose. A fhilling fhall be hoarded up with care, whilt that which is above the price of an eftate is flung away with difregard and contempt. There is nothing now-a-days fo much avoided, as a folicitous improvement of every part of time; it is a report muft be thunned as one tenders the name of a wit and a fine genius, and as one fears the dreadful character of a laborious plodder: but notwithstanding this, the greatest wits any age has produced thought far otherwife; for who can think either Socrates or Demofthenes loft any reputation, by their continual pains both in overcoming the defects and improving the gifts of nature? All are acquainted with the labour and affiduity with which Tully acquired his eloquence. Seneca, in his letters tɔ Lucilius, affures him, there was not a day in which he did not either write fomething, or read and epitomize fome good author; and I remember Pliny in one of his letters, where he gives an account of the various methods he used to fill up every vacancy of time, after several employments which he enumerates; 'Some times, fays he, I hunt; but even then I carry with me a pocket-book, that whilst my fervants are bufied in difpofing of the nets and other matters, I may be employed in fomething that may be useful to me in ftudies; and that if I mifs of my game, I may at the leaft bring home fome of my own thoughts with me, and not have the mortification of having caught nothing all day.' Thus, Sir, you fee how many examples I recal to mind, and what arguments I use with myself, to regain my liberty: but as I am afraid it is no ordinary perfuafion that will be of fervice, I fhall expect your thoughts on this fubject, with the greatest impatience, especially fince the good will not be confined to me alone, but will be of univerfal ufe. For there is no hopes of amendment where men are pleased with their ruin, and whiift they think laziness a few of behind them fore his death, afked his friends who flood about him, if they thought he had acted his part well; and upon receiving such an answer as was due to his extraordinary merit- Let me then,' fays he, go off the ftage with your applaufe, ufing the expreffion with which the Roman actors made their exit at the conclufion of a dramatic piece. I could wish that men, while they are in health, would confider well the nature of the part they are engaged in, and what figure it will make in the minds of thofe they leave behind them: whether it was worth coming into the world for; whether it be fuitable to a reafonable being; in fhort, whether it appears graceful in this life, or will turn to an advantage in the next. Let the fycophant, or buffoon, the fatirist, or the good companion, confider with himfelf, when his body fhall be laid in the grave, and his foul pafs into another ftate of existence, how much it would redound to his praife to have it faid of him, that no man in England eat better, that he had an admirable talent at turning his friends into ridicule, that nobody outdid him at an ill-natured jeft, or that he never went to bed before he had dispatched his third bottle. These are, however, very common funeral orations, and eulogiums on deceafed perfons who have acted among mankind with fome figure and reputation. But if we look into the bulk of our fpecies, they are such as are not likely to be remembered a moment after their no traces of their existence, but are forgotten as though they had never been. They are neither wanted by the poor, regretted by the rich, nor celebrated by the learned. They are neither miffed in the commonwealth, nor lamented by private perfons. Their actions are of no fignificancy to mankind, and might have been performed by creatures of much lefs dignity than thofe who are diftinguished by the faculty of reafon. An eminent French author fpeaks fomewhere to the following purpofe: I have often feen from my chamberwindow two noble creatures, both of them of an erect countenance, and endowed with reafon. These two intellectual beings are employed from morning to night, in rubbing two fmooth stones upon one another; that is, as the vulgar phrafe it, in polishing marble.' My friend, Sir Andrew Freeport, as we were fitting in the club last night, gave us an account of a fober citizen, who died a few days fince. This honeft man being of greater confequence in his own thoughts, than in the eye of the world, had for fome years paft kept a journal of his life. Sir Andrew fhewed us one week of it. Since the occurrences fet down in it mark out such a road of action as that I have been speaking of, I fhall present my reader with a faithful copy of it; after having firft informed him, that the deceafed perfon had in his youth been bred to trade, but finding himfelf not fo well turned for for bufinefs, he had for feveral years laft paft lived altogether upon a moderate annuity. I MONDAY, eight of the clock. put on my cloaths, and walked into the parlour. Nine of the clock ditto. Tied my knee-strings, and washed my hands. Hours ten, eleven, and twelve. Smoaked three pipes of Virginia. Read the Supplement and Daily Courant. Things go ill in the north. Mr. Nifby's opinion thereupon. One of the clock in the afternoon. Chid Ralph for mislaying my tobaccobox. Two of the clock. Sat down to dinner. Mem. Too many plumbs, and no fuet. From three to four. ternoon's nap. Took my af. From four to fix. Walked into the fields. Wind, S. S. E. From fix to ten. At the club. Mr. Nifby's opinion about the peace. Ten of the clock. Went to bed, slept found. TUESDAY, being holiday, eight of the clock. Rofe as ufual. Nine of the clock. Washed hands and face, flaved, put on my doublefoaled fhoes. Ten, eleven, twelve. Took a walk to Illington.. One. Took a pot of mother Cob's mild. Between two and three. Returned, dined on a knuckle of veal and bacon. Mem. Sprouts wanting. Three. Nap as ufual. From four to fix. Coffee-house. Read the news. A difh of twist. Grand Two. Dined as usual. Stomach good. Three. Nap broke by the falling of a pewter difh. Mem. Cook-maid in love, and grown careless. From four to fix. At the coffeehouse. Advice from Smyrna, that the grand vifier was first of all strangled, and afterwards beheaded. Six of the clock in the evening. Was half an hour in the club before any body elfe came. Mr. Niby of opinion that the grand vifier was not strangled the fixth inftant. Ten at night. Went to bed. Slept without waking until nine next morning. THURSDAY, nine of the clock. Staid within until two of the clock for Sir Timothy; who did not bring me my annuity according to his promife. Two in the afternoon. Sat down to dinner. Lofs of appetite. Small-beer four. Beef over-corned. well. Dined and slept One in the afternoon. home, and dried myself. Returned Two. Mr. Niby dined with me. First course, marrow-bones; fecond, ox-cheek, with a bottle of Brooks and Hellier. Three of the clock. Overflept myfelf. Six. Went to the club. Like to have fallen into a gutter. Grand vifier = certainly dead, &c. I queftion not but the reader will be furprised to find the above-mentioned journalist taking fo much care of a life that was filled with fuch inconfiderable actions, and received so very small improvements; and yet, if we look into the behaviour of many whom we daily converse with, we fhall find that mott of their hours are taken up in those three important articles of eating, drinking, and fleeping. I do not fuppofe that a man lofes his time, who is not engaged in public affairs, or in an illustrious courfe of action. On the contrary, I believe our hours may very often be more profitably laid out in fuch tranfactions as make no figure in the world, than in fuch as are apt to draw upon them the attention of mankind. One, may become wifer and better by feveral methods of employing one's felf, in fecrecy and filence, and do what is laudable without noife or oftentation. I would, however, recommend to every one of my readers, the keeping a journal of their lives for one week, and fetting down punctually their whole feries of employments during that space of time. This kind of self-examination would give them a true state of themfelves, and incline them to confider feriously what they are about. One day would rectify the omiffions of another, and make a man weigh all those indifferent actions, which, though they are eafily forgotten, must certainly be accounted for. CCCXVIII. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5. NON OMNIA POSSUMUS OMNES. VIRG. ECL. VIII. VER. 63. WITH DIFFERENT TALENTS FORM'D, WE VARIOUSLY EXCEL. MR. SPECTATOR, A Certain vice which you have lately attacked, has not yet been confidered by you as growing fo deep in the heart of man, that the affectation outlives the practice of it. You must have obferved that men who have been bred in arms preferve to the most extreme and feeble old age a certain daring in their afpect: in like manner, they who have paffed their time in gallantry and adventure, keep up, as well as they can, the appearance of it, and carry a petulant inclination to their laft moments. Let this ferve for a preface to a relation I am going to give you of an old beau in town, that has not only been amorous, and a follower of women in general, but alfo, in fpite of the admonition of grey hairs, been from his fixty-third year to his prefent feventieth, in an actual pursuit of a your lady, the wife of his friend, and a man of merit. The gay old Efcalus has wit, good heath, and is perfectly well-bred; but from the fashion and L manners of the court when he was in his bloom, has fuch a natural tendency to amorous adventure, that he thought it would be an endless reproach to him` to make no use of a familiarity he was allowed at a gentleman's houfe, whose good-humour and confidence expofed his wife to the addreffes of any who fhould take it in their head to do him the good office. It is not impoffible that Efcalus might alfo refent that the hufband was particularly negligent of him; and though he gave many intimations of a paflion towards the wife, the hufband either did not fee them, or put him to the contempt of overlooking them. In the mean time Ifabella, for fo we fhall call our heroine, faw his paffion, and rejoiced in it as a foundation for much diverfion, and an opportunity of indulging herself in the dear delight of being admired, addreffed to, and flattered, with no ill confequence to her reputation. This lady is of a free and difengaged behaviour, ever in good-humour, fuch as is the image of innocence innocence with thofe who are innocent, and an encouragement to vice with thofe who are abandoned. From this kind of carriage, and an apparent approbation of his gallantry, Efcalus had frequent opportunities of laying amorous epifties in her way, of fixing his eyes attentively upon her action, of performing a thoutand little offices which are neglected by the unconcerned, but are fo many approaches towards happiness with the enamoured. It was now, as is above hinted, almoft the end of the feve th year of his paffion, when Efcalus from general terms, and the ambiguous refpect which criminal lovers retain in their addreffes, began to bewail that his paflion grew too violent for him to answer any longer for his behaviour towards her; and that he hoped the would have confideration for his long and patient respect, to excufe the motions of a heart now no longer under the direction of the unhappy owner of it. Such for fome months had been the language of Efcalus, both in his talk and his letters to Ifabella; who returned all the profufion of kind things which had been the collection of fifty years with ' I must not hear you; you will make me forget that you are a gentleman; I would not willingly lofe you as a friend; and the like expreffions, which the fkilful interpret to their own advantage, as well knowing that a feeble denial is a modeft affent. I should have told you, that Ifabella, during the whole progrefs of this amour, communicated it to her husband; and that an account of Efcalus's love was their usual entertainment after half a day's abfence: Ifabella, therefore, upon her lover's late more open affaults, with a fmile told her husband the could hold out no longer, but that his fate was now come to a crisis. After she had explained herself a little farther, with her husband's approbation the proceeded in the following manner. The next time that Eicalus was alone with her, and repeated his importunity, the crafty Ifabella looked on her fan with an air of great attention, as confidering of what importance fuch a fecret was to her; and upon the repetition of a warm expreffion, the looked at him with an eye of fondnels, and told him he was paft that time of life, which could make her fear he would boaft of a lady's favour; then turned away her head, with a very well-acted confufion, which favoured the efcape of the aged Efcalus. This adventure was matter of great pleafantry to Ifabella and her fpoule; and they had enjoyed it two days before Efcalus could recollect himfelf enough to form the following letter. MADAM, HAT happened the other day, gives me a lively image of the inconfiftence of human paflions and inclinations. We purfue what we are denied, and place our affections on what is abfent, though we neglected it when prefent. As long as you refufed my love, your refufal did fo ftrongly excite my paffion, that I had not once the leifure to think of recalling my reason to aid me against the defign upon your virtue. But when that virtue began to comply in my favour, my reafon made an effort over my love, and let me fee the bafenefs of my behaviour in attempting a woman of honour. I own to you, it was not without the most violent ftruggle, that I gained this victory over myfelf; nay, I will confefs my fhame, and acknowledge I could not have prevailed but by flight. However, Madam, I beg that you will believe a moment's weakness has not deftroyed the efteem I had for you, which was confirmed by fo many years of obftinate virtue. You have reafon to rejoice that this did not happen within the observation of one of the young fellows, who would have expofed your weakness, and gloried in his own brutish inclinations. I am, Madam, your most devoted hum ble fervant. Ifabella, with the help of her hufband, returned the following answer. I SIR, Cannot but account myself a very happy woman, in having a man for a lover that can write fo well, and give fo good a turn to a difappointment. Another excellence you have above all other pretenders I ever heard of, on occafions where the most reasonable men lofe all their reafon, you have your's moft powerful. We have each of us to thank our genius that the paffion of one abated in proportion as that of the other grew violent. Does it not yet come into your head, to imagine that I knew my compliance was the greatest cruelty 1 |