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fied, their conduct has been ridiculed, and their caule has been defamed.

When Columbus had engaged king Ferdinand in the difcovery of the other hemifphere, the failors, with whom he embarked in the expedition, had fo little confidence in their commander, that after having been long at fea looking for coafts, which they expected never to find, they raifed a general mutiny, and demanded to return. He found means to footh them into a permiffion to continue the fame courfe three days longer, and on the evening. of the third day defcried land. Had the impatience of his crew denied him a few hours of the time requested, what had been his fate but to have come back with the infamy of a vain projector, who had betrayed the king's credulity to useless ex-. pences, and rifked his life in feeking countries that had no exiftence? how would thofe that had rejected his propofals, have triumphed in their acuteneis? and when would his name have been mentioned, but with the makers of potable gold and malleable glass?

The laft royal projectors with whom the world has been troubled, were Charles of Sweden and the Czar of Mufcovy. Charles, if any judgment may be formed of his defigns by his measures and his enquiries, had purpofed firft to dethrone the Czar, then to lead his army through pathlefs defarts into China, thence to make his way by the fword through the whole circuit of Afia, and by the conquest of Turky to unite Sweden with his new dominions: but this mighty project was crufhed at Pultowa; and Charles has fince been confidered as a madman by

those

those powers, who fent their ambaffadors to folicit his friendship, and their generals " to learn under "him the art of war."

The Czar found employment fufficient in his own dominions, and amused himself in digging canals, and building cities; murdering his fubjects with infufferable fatigues, and tranfplanting na-. tions from one corner of his dominions to another,. without regretting the thousands that perifhed on the way but he attained his end, he made his people formidable, and is numbered by fame among the demi-gods.

I am far from intending to vindicate the fanguinary projects of heroes and conquerors, and would with rather to diminish the reputation of their fuccefs, than the infamy of their mifcarriages: for I cannot conceive, why he that has burnt cities, wafted nations, and filled the world with horror and defolation, fhould be more kindly regarded by mankind, than he that died in the rudiments of wicked-. nefs; why he that accomplished mifchief fhould be glorious, and he that only endeavoured it should be criminal. I would wifh Cefar and Catiline, Xerxes and Alexander, Charles and Peter, huddled together in obfcurity or deteftation,.

But there is another fpecies of projectors, to whom I would willingly conciliate mankind; whofe ends are generally laudable, and whofe labours are innocent; who are fearching out new powers of nature, or contriving new works of art; but who are yet perfecuted with inceffant obloquy, and whom the universal contempt with which they are treated, often debars from that fuccefs which their

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induftry would obtain, if it were permitted to act without oppofition.

They who find themselves inclined to cenfure new undertakings, only becaufe they are new, fhould confider, that the folly of projection is very feldom the folly of a fool; it is commonly the ebullition of a capacious mind, crowded with variety of knowledge, and heated with intenfeness of thought; it proceeds often from the confcioufnefs of uncommon powers, from the confidence of thofe, who having already done much, are easily perfuaded that they can do more. When Rowley had completed the orrery, he attempted the perpetual motion; when Boyle had exhaufted the fecrets of vulgar chemistry, he turned his thoughts to the work of tranfmutation.

A projector generally unites thofe qualities which have the faireft claim to veneration, extent of knowledge, and greatnefs of defign: it was faid of Catiline, immoderata, incredibilia, nimis alta femper "cupiebat." Projectors of all kinds agree in their intelleas, though they differ in their morals; they all fail by attempting things beyond their power, by defpifing vulgar attainments, and afpiring to performances, to which, perhaps, nature has not proportioned the force of man: when they fail, therefore, they fail not by idlenefs or timidity, but by rash adventure and fruitlefs diligence.

That the attempts of fuch men will often mifcarry, we may reafonably expect; yet from fuch men, and fuch only, are we to hope for the cultivation of thofe parts of nature which lie yet wafte,

! the invention of thofe arts which are yet

wanting

wanting to the felicity of life. If they are, therefore, universally discouraged, art and discovery can make no advances. Whatever is attempted without previous certainty of fuccefs, may be confidered as a project, and amongst narrow minds may, therefore, expofe its author to cenfure and contempt; and if the liberty of laughing be once indulged, every man will laugh at what he does not understand, every project will be confidered as madness, and every great or new defign will be cenfured as a project. Men, unaccustomed to reafon and researches, think every enterprize impracticable, which is extended beyond common effects, or comprises many intermediate operations. Many that prefume to laugh at projectors, would confider a flight through the air in a winged chariot, and the movement of a mighty engine by the fteam of water, as equally the dreams of mechanick lunacy; and would hear, with equal negligence, of the union of the Thames and Severn by a canal, and the fcheme of Albuquerque, the viceroy of the Indies, who in the rage of hoftility had contrived to make Egypt a barren defart, by turning the Nile into the Red Sea.

Those who have attempted much, have feldom failed to perform more than those who never deviate from the common roads of action: many valuable preparations of chemistry are supposed to have risen from unfuccefsful enquiries after the grand elixir: it is, therefore, juft to encourage those who endeavour to enlarge the power of art, fince they often fucceed beyond expectation; and when they fail, may sometimes benefit the world even by their miscarriages.

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NUMB. 102. SATURDAY, October 27, 1753.

Quid tam dextro pede concipis, ut te

Conatus non pæniteat votique peračti ?

Juv.

What in the conduct of our life appears

So well defign'd, fo luckily begun,

But, when we have our with, we with undone.

SIR,

To the ADVENTURER.

DRYDEN,

HAVE been for many years a trader in London, My beginning was narrow, and my ftock fmall; I was, therefore, a long time brow-beaten and defpifed by thofe, who having more money thought they had more merit than myfelf, I did not, how. ever, fuffer my refentment to inftigate me to any mean arts of fupplantation, nor my eagerness of riches to betray me to any indirect methods of gain; I perfued my business with inceffant affiduity, fupported by the hope of being one day richer than thofe who contemned me; and had, upon every annual review of my books, the fatisfaction of finding my fortune increafed beyond my expectation.

In a few years my industry and probity were fully recompenfed, my wealth was really great, and my reputation for wealth ftill greater. I had large warehoufes crowded with goods, and confiderable fums in the publick funds; I was careffed upon the Exchange

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