His youthful hose well fav'd, a world too wide
For his fhrunk fhank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his found :-Laft scene of all,
That ends this ftrange eventful history,

Is fecond childishness, and mere oblivion ;
Sans teeth, fans eyes, fans tafte, fans every thing.

That the heart, forrowful and dejected by the repulfe of an ardent paffion, is averse from pleasure of every kind, has been often obferved. The mind, in a gay and healthful ftate, receives hope and enjoyment from every object around us. The fame objects, if we languish and despond, are regarded with difguft or indifference. "What path of life would you pursue?" faid Poseidippus, morofe and out of humour with his condition: "In public you 66 are perplexed with business and conten"tion: At home, you are tired with "cares: In the country, you are fatigued "with labour? At fea, you are exposed to "danger: In a foreign land, if rich, you ་ are fearful; if poor, neglected: Have

¢ you

r you a wife? expect forrow: Unmar"ried? your life is irksome: Children "will make you anxious: Childless, your "life is lonely: Youth is foolish: And "grey-hairs feeble. Upon the whole, "the wife man would chufe either not "to have exifted, or to have died the 66 moment of his birth." "Chufe any path "of life," replies the chearful Metrodo"In the forum are profits and wife "debates: At home, relaxation: In the "country, the bounty of nature: The

rus:

fea-faring life is gainful: In a foreign land, if wealthy, you are refpected; "if poor, nobody knows it: Are you "married? your house is chearful? Un"married? you live without care: Chil"dren afford delight: Childlefs, you have

66

no forrow: Youth is vigorous: And "old-age venerable. The wife man,

"therefore, would not chufe but to have. exifted." Morofe and fplenetic moments are tranfient; the foul recovers

from them as from a lethargy, exerts her activity, and pursues enjoyment: But, in the temper of Jaques, morofenefs is become habitual: He abandons the world, he contemns its pleasures, and buries himfelf in a cloifter. The cause of this exceffive feverity requires a particular expla

nation.

Among the various defires and propenfities implanted by nature in the conftitution of every individual, fome one paffion, either by original and fuperior vigour, or by reiterated indulgence, gains an ascendant in the foul, and fubdues every oppofing principle; it unites with defires and appetites that are not of an oppofite tendency, it bends them to its pleasure, and in their gratifications purfues its own. The man whofe governing paffion is pride, may also be social and beneficent, he may love his friends, and rejoice in their good fortune; but, even in their company, the defire of impreffing them with an idea of

5

his

his own importance, forever obtruding itTelf, produces difguft and averfion. The ruling paffion, blended with others, augments their vehemence, and confequently enhances their pleafure: For the pleasure arifing from the gratification of any paffion, is proportioned to its force. Moreover, the fenfations arifing from the indulgence of the governing principle will neceffarily be combined with those arifing from the gratification of other appetites and defires; fo intimately combined, that their union is not eafily difcerned, but by those who are accustomed to reflect on their feelings: Yet, by their union, they affect the mind with a ftronger impulfe than if they were feparately excited. Suppofe the ruling paffion thwarted: It ceases to operate with fuccefs: The force it communicated to other paffions is withdrawn; confequently, their vehemence fuffers abatement; and, confequently, the pleafure they yield is leffened. By the L 2 dif

discomfiture and difappointment of the governing principle, the pleasure arifing from its gratification is no longer united with that arifing from other active but fubordinate principles: And thus, the pleasure resulting from fubordinate principles, by the failure and abfence of the adventitious pleasure with which it was formerly accompanied, is fenfibly diminifhed. It is, therefore, manifeft, that, if focial and beneficent affections, by gaining a fuperiority in the constitution, have heightened every other enjoyment, and if their exercise is fufpended by dif appointment, all the pleasures of sense or of ambition that formerly contributed to our felicity, though in themselves they are ftill the fame; yet, being reft of their better part, of the spirit that enlivened them, they strike the mind fo feebly, as only to awaken its attention to the lofs it hath sustained; and, instead of affording comfort, they aggravate our misfortune.

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