to be happy for the space of threescore and ten, nay, perhaps, of only twenty or ten years, I might say of only a day or an hour, and miserable to all eternity; or, on the contrary, miserable for this short term of years, and happy for a whole eternity; what words are sufficient to express that folly and want of consideration which in such a case makes a wrong choice? I here put the case even at the worst, by supposing (what seldom happens) that a course of virtue makes us miserable in this life; but if we suppose (as it generally happens) that virtue will make us more happy even in this life than a contrary course of vice, how can we sufficiently admire the stupidity or madness of those persons who are capable of making so absurd a choice? Every wise man, therefore, will consider this life only as it may conduce to the happiness of the other, and chearfully sacrifice the pleasures of a few years to those of an eternity. Spectator. If my reader will give me leave to change the allusion so soon upon him, I shall make use of the same instance to illustrate the force of education, which Aristotle has brought to explain his doctrine of substantial forms, when he tells us that a statue lies hid in a block of marble; and that the art of the statuary only clears away the superfluous matter, and removes the rubbish. The figure is in the stone, and the sculptor only finds it. What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a human soul. The philosopher, the saint, or the hero, the wise, the good, or the great man, very often lie hid and concealed in a plebeian, which a proper education might have disinterred and have brought to light. I am therefore much delighted with reading the accounts of savage nations, and with contemplating those virtues which are wild and uncultivated; to see courage exerting itself in fierceness, resolution in obstinacy, wisdom in cunning, patience in sullenness and despair. Men's passions operate variously, and appear in different kinds of action, according as they are The Advantages of a Good Educa- more or less rectified and swayed tion. by reason. When one hears of negroes, who upon the death of their I consider a human soul without masters, or upon changing their education like marble in the quar- service, hang themselves upon the ry, which shows none of its inhe-next trec, as it frequently happens rent beauties, until the skill of the in our American plantations, who polisher fetches out the colours, can forbear admiring their fidelimakes the surface shine, and dis- ty, though it expresses itself in so covers every ornamental cloud, dreadful a manner? What might spot, and vein, that runs through not that savage greatness of soul the body of it. Education, after the which appears in these poor same manner, when it works upon wretches on many occasions, be a noble mind, draws out to view raised to, where it rightly cultivatevery latent virtue and perfection, ed? And what colour of excuse which without such helps are never can there be for the contempt able to make their appearance. with which we treat this part of our species; that we should not put them upon the common foot of humanity, that we should only set an insignificant fine upon the man who murders them; nay, that we should as much as in us lies cut them off from the prospects of happiness in another world, as well as in this, and deny them that which we look upon as the proper means for atLaining it? allows the mind to indulge parental affection with greater intenseness. My birth was celebrated by the tenants with feasts, and dances, and bag pipes; congratulations were sent from every family within ten miles round; and my parents discovered in my first cries such tokens of future virtue and understanding, that they declared themselves determined to devote the remaining part of life to my hap piness and the increase of their estate. The abilities of my father and mother were not perceptibly unequal, and education had given neither much advantage over the other. They had both kept good company, rattled in chariots, glittered in playhouses, and danced at court, and were both expert in the games that were in their times called in as auxilia It is therefore an unspeakable blessing to be born in those parts of the world where wisdom and knowledge flourish; though it must be confessed there are, even in these parts, several poor uninstructed persons, who are but little above the inhabitants of those nations of which I have been here speaking; as those who have had the advantages of a more liberal education, rise above one another by several different degrees of perfection.-ries against the intrusion of thought. For to return to our statue in the When there is such a parity be block of marble, we see it some- tween two persons associated for times only begun to be chipped, life, the dejection which the hussometimes rough-hewn, and but band, if he be not completely stupid, just sketched into a human figure; must always suffer for want of susometimes we see the man appear-periority, sinks him to submissiveing distinctly in all his limbs and ness. My mamma therefore gofeatures, sometimes we find the fi-verned the family without congure wrought up to a great elegancy, but seldom meet with any to which the hand of a Phidias or Praxiteles could not give several nice touches and finishings. Spectator. troul; and except that my father still retained some authority in the stables, and now and then, after a supernumerary bottle, broke a looking-glass or china-dish to prove his sovereignty, the whole course of the year was regulated by her direction, the servants received from her The Disadvantages of a Bad Edu- all their orders, and the tenants were continued or dismissed at her discretion. cation. Sir, I was condemned by some disastrous influence to be an only son, born to the apparent prospect of a large fortune, and allotted to my parents at that time of life when satiety of common diversions She therefore thought herself entitled to the superintendance of her son's education; and when my father, at the instigation of the parson, faintly proposed that I should be sent to school, very positively suffered me not to pass any more time in his apartment than my lesson required. When I was summoned to my task, she enjoined me not to get any of my tutor's ways, who was seldom mentioned before me but for told him, that she would not suffer so fine a child to be ruined; that she never knew any boys at a grammar-school that could come into a room without blushing, or sit at the table without some aukward uneasiness; that they were always put-practices to be avoided. I was eveting themselves into danger by ry moment admonished not to lean boisterous plays, or vitiating their on my chair, cross my legs, or swing behaviour with mean company; and my hands like my tutor; and once that for her part, she would rather my mother very seriously delibefollow me to the grave than see me rated upon his total dismission, betear my clothes, and hang down my cause I began, she said, to learn his head, and sneak about with dirty manner of sticking on my hat, and shoes and blotted fingers, my hair had his bend in my shoulders, and unpowdered, and my hat uncocked. his totter in my gait. My father, who had no other end Such, however, was her care that in his proposal than to appear wise I had escaped all these depravities; and manly, soon acquiesced, since and when I was only twelve years old I was not to live by my learning; had rid myself of every appearance of for, indeed, he had known very few childish diffidence. I was celebrated students that had not some stiffness round the country for the petulance in their manner. They therefore of my remarks, and the quickness of agreed, that a domestic tutor should my replies; and many a scholar five be procured, and hired an honest years older than myself have I dashgentleman of mean conversationed into confusion by the steadiness and narrow sentiments, but who of my countenance, silenced by my having passed the common forms readiness of repartee, and tortured of literary education, they implicit-with envy by the address with which ly concluded qualified to teach all I picked up a fan, presented a snuffthat was to be learned from a scho- box, or received an empty tea-cup. lar. He thought himself sufficiently exalted by being placed at the same table with his pupil, and had no other view than to perpetuate his felicity by the utmost flexibility of submission to all my mother's opinions and caprices. He frequently took away my book, lest I should mope with too much application. charged me never to write without turning up my ruffles, and general ly brushed my coat before he dismissed me into the parlour. He had no occasion to complain of too burthensome an employment; for my mother very judiciously considered, that I was not likely to grow politer in his company, and At fourteen I was completely skilled in all the niceties of dress, and I could not only enumerate all the variety of silks, and distinguish the product of a French loom, but dart my eye through a numerous company, and observe every deviaon from the reigning mode. I was universally skilful in all the changes of expensive finery; but as every one, they say, has something to which he is particularly born, was eminently knowing in Brussels lace. The next year saw me advanced to the trust and power of adjusting the ceremonial of an assembly. All received their partners from my hand, and to me every stranger ap plied for introduction. My heart | One of these witlings elevated his crest, by asking me in a full coffeehouse the price of patches; and another whispered that he wonder now disdained the instructions of a tutor, who was rewarded with a small annuity for life, and left me qualified, in my own opinion, to go-ed Miss Frisk did not keep me that vern myself. afternoon to watch her squirrel. In a short time I came to London, and as my father was well known among the higher classes of life, soon obtained admission to the most splendid assemblies, and most crowded card-tables. Here I found myself universally caressed and applauded the ladies praised the fancy of my clothes, the beauty of my form, and the softness of my voice; endeavoured in every place to force themselves to my notice; and invited by a thousand oblique solicitations, my attendance to the play-house, and my salutations in the park. I was now happy to the utmost extent of my conception; I passed every morning in dress, every afternoon in visits, and every night in some select assemblies, where neither care nor knowledge were suffered to molest us. After a few years, however, these delights became familiar, and I had leisure to look round me with more attention. I then found that my flatterers had very little power to relieve the languor of satiety, or recreate weariness, by varied amusement; and therefore endeavoured to enlarge the sphere of my pleasures, and to try what satisfaction might be found in the society of men. I will not deny the mortification with which I perceived that every man whose name I had heard mentioned with respect, received me with a kind of tenderness nearly bordering on compassion; and that those whose reputation was not well established, thought it necessary to justify their understandings, by treating me with contempt. When I found myself thus hunted from all masculine conversation by those who were themselves barely admitted, I returned to the ladies, and resolved to dedicate my life to their service and their pleasure. But I find that I have now lost my charms. Of those with whom I entered the gay world, some are married, some have retired, and some have so much changed their opinion, that they scarcely pay any regard to my civilities, if there is any other man in the place. The new flight of beauties to whom I have made my addresses, suffer me to pay the treat, and then titter with boys. So that I now find myself welcome only to a few grave ladies, who, unacquainted with all that gives either use or dignity to life, are content to pass their hours between their bed and their cards, without esteem from the old, or reverence from the young. I cannot but think, Mr. Rambler, that I have reason to complain; for surely the females ought to pay some regard to the age of him whose youth has passed in endeavours to please them. They that encourage folly in the boy, have no right to punish it in the man. Yet I find that though they lavish their first fondness upon pertness and gaiety, they soon transfer their regard to other qualities, and ungratefully abandon their adorers to dream out their last years in stupidity and contempt. I am, &c. FLORENTULUS. Rambler. Omniscience and Omnipresence of the Deity, together with the immensity of his Works.; their respective suns; when I still enlarged the idea, and supposed another heaven of suns and worlds rising still above this which we discovered, and these still enlightened by a superior firmament of luminaries, which are planted at so great a distance, that they may appear to the inhabitants of the former as the stars do to us; in short, while I but reflect on that little insignificant figure which I myself bore amidst the immensity of God's works. I was yesterday about sun-set walking in the open fields, till the night insensibly fell upon me. I at first amused myself with all the richness and variety of colours, which appeared in the western parts of heaven; in proportion as they fad-pursued this thought, I could not ed away and went out, several stars and planets appeared one after another, till the whole firmament was in a glow. The blueness of the æther was exceedingly heightened and enlivened by the season of the year, and by the rays of all those luminaries that passed through it. The galaxy appeared in its most beautiful white. To complete the scene, the full moon rose at length in that clouded majesty, which Milton takes notice of, and opened to the eye a new picture of nature, which was more finely shaded and disposed among softer lights, than that which the sun had before discovered to us. As I was surveying the moon walking in her brightness, and taking her progress among the constellations, a thought arose in me which I believe very often perplexes and disturbs men of serious and contemplative natures. David himself fell into it in that reflection, "When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou regardest him!" In the same manner, when I considered that infinite host of stars, or, to speak more philosophically, of suns, which were then shining upon me, with those innumerable sets of planets or worlds, which were moving round Were the sun which enlightens this part of the creation, with all the host of planetary worlds that move about him, utterly extinguished and annihilated, they would not be missed more than a grain of sand upon the sea-shore. The space they possess is so exceedingly little in comparison of the whole, it would scarce make a blank in the creation. The chasm would be imperceptible to an eye, that could take in the whole compass of nature, and pass from one end of the creation to the other: as it is possible there may be such a sense in ourselves hereafter, or in creatures which are at present more exalted than ourselves. We see many stars by the help of glasses, which we do not discover with the naked eyes; and the finer our telescopes are, the more still are our discoveries. Huygenius carries this thought so far, that he does not think it impossible there may be stars whose light is not yet travelled down to us, since their first creation. There is no question but the universe has certain bounds set to it; but when we consider that this is the work of infinite power prompted by infinite goodness, with an infinite space to exert itself in, how can our imagination set any bounds to it? U |