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AFTER having thus furveyed this great Magazine of Mortality, as it were, in the Lump; I examined it more particularly by the Acounts which I found on feveral of the Monuments which are raifed in every Quarter of that ancient Fabrick. Some of them were covered with fuch extravagant Epitaphs, that if it were poffible for the dead Perfon to be acquainted with them, he would blush at the Praifes which his Friends have beftowed upon him. There are others fo exceffively Modeft, that they deliver the Character of the Perfon departed in Greek or Hebrew, and by that means are not understood once in a Twelvemonth. In the Poetical Quarter, I found there were Poets who had no Monuments, and Monuments which had no Poets. I obferved indeed that the prefent War had filled the Church with many of these uninhabited Monuments, which had been erected to the Memory of Perfons whofe Bodies were perhaps buried in the Plains of Blenheim, or in the Bofom of the Ocean.

I could not but be very much delighted with feveral modern Epitaphs, which are written with great Elegance of Expreffion and Juftnefs of Thought, and therefore do Honour to the Living as well as to the Dead. As a Foreigner is very apt to conceive an Idea of the Ignorance or Politenefs of a Nation from the Turn of their publick Monuments and Infcriptions, they fhould be fubmitted to the Perufal of Men of Learning and Genius before they are put in Execution. Sir Cloudefly Shovel's Monument has very often given me great Offence: Inftead of the brave rough English Admiral, which was the diftinguishing Character of that plain gallant Man, he is reprefented on his Tomb by the Figure of a Beau, dreffed in a long Perriwig, and repofing himself upon Velvet Cufhions under a Canopy of State. The Infcription is anfwerable to the Monument; for instead of celebrating the many remarkable Actions he had performed in the Service of his Country, it acquaints us only with the Manner of his Death, in which it was impoffible for him to reap any Honour. The Dutch, whom we are apt to defpife for want of Genius, fhew an infinitely greater tafte of Antiquity and Politenefs in their Buildings and Works of this Nature, than what we meet with in those of our own Country, The Monuments of their Admi

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rals, which have been erected at the publick Expence, reprefent 'em like themselves; and are adorned with roftral Crowns and naval Ornaments, with beautiful Feftoons of Sea-weeds, Shells, and Coral.

BUT to return to our Subject. I have left the Repofitory of our English Kings for the Contemplation of an other Day, when I fhall find my Mind difpofed for so ferious an Amusement. I know that Entertainments of this Nature are apt to raife dark and difmal Thoughts in timorous Minds, and gloomy Imaginations; but for my own part, though I am always ferious, I do not know what it is to be melancholy; and can therefore take a View of Nature in her deep and folemn Scenes, with the fame Pleasure as in her moft gay and delightful ones. By this means I can improve my felf with those Objects, which others confider with Terror. When I look up. on the Tombs of the Great, every Emotion of Envy dies in me; when I read the Epitaphs of the Beautiful, every nordinate Defire goes out; when I meet with the Grief of Parents upon a Tomb-ftone, my Heart melts with Compaffion; when I fee the Tomb of the Parents themfelves, I confider the Vanity of grieving for those whom we muft quickly follow: When I fee Kings lying by thofe who depofed them, When I confider rival Wits placed Side by Side, or the holy Men that divided the World' with their Contests and Difputes, I reflect with Sorrow and Aftonifhment on the little Competitions, Fations and Debates of Mankind. When I read the feve ral Dates of the Tombs, of fome that died Yesterdays. and fome fix.hundred Years ago, I confider that great Day when we shall all of us be Contemporaries, and make our Appearance together.

C

Saturday

S

N 27.

Saturday, March 31.

Ut nox longa quibus Mentitur amica, diefque
Longa videtur opus debentibus, ut piger Annus
Pupillis, quas dura premit Cuftodia matrum;
Sic mihi Tarda fluunt ingrataque Tempora, qua fpem
Confiliumque morantur agendi Gnaviter, id quod
Aquè pauperibus prodeft, Locupletibus aquè,
que neglectum pueris fenibufque nocebit.

T

Hor

HERE is fcarce a thinking Man in the World, who is involved in the Bufinefs of it, but lives under a fecet Impatience of the Hurry and Fatigue he fuffers, and has formed a Refolution to fix himself, one: time or other, in fuch a State as is fuitable to the End of his Being. You hear Men every Day in Converfation profefs that all the Honour, Power and Riches which they propofe to themfelves, cannot give Satisfaction enough to reward them for half the Anxiety they undergo in the Purfuit, or Poffeffion of them. While Men are in this Temper, (which happens very frequently) how inconfiftent are they with themfelves? They are wearied with the Toil they bear, but cannot find in their Hearts to relinquish it; Retirement is what they want, but they cannot betake themfelves to it: While they pant after Shade and Covert, they still affect to appear in the moft glittering Scenes of Life: But fure this is but just. as reasonable as if a Man fhould call for more Lights, when he has a Mind to go to Sleep.

SINCE then it is certain that our own Hearts de ceive us in the Love of the World, and that we canno command our felves enough to refign it, though we every Day wish. our felves difengaged from its Allurements let us not ftand upon a formal taking of Leave, but wean our felyes from them, while we are in the midft of them..

IT is certainly the general Intention of the greater Part of Mankind to accomplish this Work, and live according to their own Approbation, as foon as they poffibly can: But fince the Duration of Life is fo uncertain, and that has been a common Topick of Difcourfe ever fince there was fuch a thing as Life it felf, how is it poffible that we should defer a Moment the beginning to live according to the Rules of Reason?

THE Man of Business has ever fome one Point to carry, and then he tells himself he'll bid adieu to all the Vanity of Ambition: The Man of Pleasure refolves to take his Leave at least, and part civilly with his Mistress: but the Ambitious Man is entangled every Moment in a fresh Purfuit, and the Lover fees new Charms in the Object he fancied he could abandon. It is therefore a fantastical way of thinking, when we promise our felves an Alteration in our Conduct from change of Place, and difference of Circumstances; the fame Paffions will attend us whereever we are 'till they are Conquer'd; and we can never live to our Satisfaction in the deepeft Retirement, unless we are capable of living fo in fome measure amidst the Noife and Business of the World.

I have ever thought Men were better known, by what could be obferved of them from a Perufal of their private Letters, than any other way. My Friend, the Clergyman, the other Day, upon serious Difcourfe with him concerning the Danger of Procraftination, gave me the following Letters from Perfons with whom he lives in great Friendship and Intimacy, according to the good Breeding and good Senfe of his Character. The first is from a Man of Bufinefs, who is his Convert; The fePond from one of whom he conceives good Hopes: The third from one who is in no State at all, but carried one way and another by starts,

SIR,

Know not with what Words to exprefs to you the Senfe I have of the high Obligation you have laid upon me, in the Penance you enjoined me of doing fome Good or other, to a Perfon of Worth, every Day I live. The Station I am in, furnishes me with daily Opportunities of this kind: And the Noble Principle

⚫ with

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with which you have infpired me, of Benevolence to all I have to deal with, quickens my Application in every thing I undertake. When I relieve Merit from Difcountenance, when I affift a friendlefs Perfon, when' I produce concealed Worth, I am difpleafed with my felf, for having defigned to leave the World in order to be virtuous. I am forry you decline the Occafions ⚫ which the Condition I am in might afford me of enlarging your Fortunes; but know I contribute more to your Satisfaction, when I acknowledge I am the bet-. ter Man, from the Influence and Authority you have 6 over,

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SIR,

Your most obliged and

moft Humble Servant,

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I

R. O

Am intirely convinced of the Truth of what you were pleafed to fay to me, when I was laft with you alone. You told me then of the filly way I was in; but you told me fo, as I faw you loved me, otherwife I could not obey your Commands in letting you know my Thoughts fo fincerely as I do at prefent. I know the Creature for whom I refign fo much of my Cha⚫racter, is all that you faid of her; but then the Trifler has fomething in her fo undefigning and harmlefs, that her Guilt in one kind difappears by the Comparison of her Innocence in another. Will you, virtuous Men, allow no alteration of Offences? Muft Dear Chloe be called by the hard Name you pious People give to ⚫ common Women? I keep the folemn Promise I made you, in writing to you the State of my Mind, after your kind Admonition; and will endeavour to get the better of this Fondnefs, which makes me fo much her humble Servant, that I am almost afhamed to Subfcribe

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yours,

T. D.

I R,

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