the most fublime and important precepts require no uncommon opportunities, nor laborious preparations; they are enforced without the aid of eloquence, and understood without skill in analytick science. Every tongue can utter them, and every understanding can conceive them. He that wishes in earnest to obtain juft fentiments concerning his condition, and would be intimately acquainted with the world, may find inftructions on every fide. He that defires to enter behind the fcene, which every art has been employed to decorate, and every paffion labours to illuminate, and wishes to fee life ftripped of thofe ornaments which make it glitter on the stage, and expofed in it's natural meanness, impotence, and nakedness, may find all the delufion laid open in the chamber of difeafe: he will there find vanity diveited of her robes, power deprived of her fceptre, and hypocrify without her mask.

The friend whom I have loft was a man eminent for genius; and, like others of the fame clafs, fufficiently pleafed with acceptance and applaufe. Being careffed by thofe who have perferments and riches in their disposal, he considered himself as in the direct road of advancement, and had caught the flame of ambition by approaches to it's object. But in the midft of his hopes, his projects and his gaieties, he was feized by a lingering difeafe, which, from it's first ftage, he knew to be incurable. Here was an end of all his vifions of greatnefs and happinefs; from the first hour that his health declined, all his former pleafures grew taftelefs. His friends expected to please him by thofe accounts of the growth of his reputation, which were formerly certain of being well received; but they foon found how little he was now affected by compliments, and how vainly they attempted, by fiattery, to exhilarate the languor of weaknefs, and relieve the folicitude of approaching death. Whoever would know how much piety and virtue furpaís all external goods, might here have feen them weighed against each other, where all that gives motion to the active, and elevation to the eminent, all that iparkles in the eye of hope, and pants in the bofom of fufpicion, at once became duft in the balance, without weight and without regard. Riches, authority, and praife, lofe all their influence when they are confidered as riches which to-ing

row fhall be bestowed upon another, authority which fhall this night expire for ever, and praise which, however merited, or however fincere,, fhall, after a few moments, be heard no more.

In thofe hours of seriousness and wif dom, nothing appeared to raise his spirits, or gladden his heart, but the recollection of acts of goodness, nor to excite his attention but fome opportunity for the exercife of the duties of religion. Every thing that terminated on this fide of the grave was received with coldness and indifference, and regarded rather in confequence of the habit of valuing it, than from any opinion that it deferved value; it had little more prevalence over his mind than a bubble that was now broken, a dream from which he was awake. His whole powers were engroffed by the confideration of another ftate, and all converfation was tedious that had not some tendency to difengage him from human affairs, and to open his profpects into futurity.

It is now paft; we have clofed his eyes, and heard him breathe the groan of expiration. At the fight of this last conflict, I felt a fenfation never known to me before; a confufion of paffions, an awful stilnefs of forrow, a gloomy terrour without a name. The thoughts that entered my foul were too ftrong to be diverted, and too piercing to be endured; but fuch violence cannot be lafting, the ftorm fubfided in a fhort time, I wept, retired, and grew calm.

I have from that time frequently revolved in my mind the effects which the obfervation of death produces in those who are not wholly without the power and ufe of reflection; for by far the greater part it is wholly unregarded, their friends and their enemies fink into the grave without raifing any uncommon emotion, or reminding them that they are themselves on the edge of the precipice, and that they must foon plunge into the gulph of eternity.

It feems to me remarkable that death increases our veneration for the good, and extenuates our hatred of the bad. Thofe yirtues which once we envied, as Horace obferves, because they eclipfed our own, can now no longer obftruct our reputation, and we have therefore no intereft to fupprefs their praife. That wickedness which we feared for it's malignity is now become impotent; and the man whofe name filled us with alarm,

and

drage, and indignation, can at last be confidered only with pity or contempt. When a friend is carried to his grave, we at once find excufes for every weaknefs, and palliations of every fault; we collect a thousand endearments, which before glided off our minds without impreffion, a thoufand favours unrepaid, a thousand duties unperformed; and wish, vainly with, for his return, not so much that we may receive, as that we may beHow happiness, and recompenfe thatkindnefs which before we never understood.

There is not, perhaps, to a mind well inftructed, a more painful occurrence, than the death of one whom we have injured without reparation. Our crime feems now irretrievable; it is indelibly recorded, and the stamp of fate is fixed upon it. We confider, with the most afflictive anguish, the pain which we have given, and now cannot alleviate, and the loffes which we have caufed, and now cannot repair.

Of the fame kind are the emotions which the death of an emulator or competitor produces. Whoever had qualities to alarm our jealoufy, had excellence to deferve our fondnefs; and to whatever ardour of opposition intereft may inflame us, no man ever outlived an Demy whom he did not then with to

have made a friend. Those who are verfed in literary hiftory know, that the elder Scaliger was the redoubted antagonift of Cardan and Erafinus; yet at the death of each of his great rivals he relented, and complained that they were fnatched away from him before their reconciliation was completed.

Tu-ne etiam moreris? Ab! quid me
Erafme,

linguis, q

Ante meus quam fit conciliatus amor? Art thou too fall'n? ere anger could fubfide, And love return, has great Erafmus died?

Such are the fentiments with which but which we fometimes delay till we can we finally review the effects of paffion, no longer rectify our errors. Let us therefore make hafte to do what we shall certainly at laft wish to have done; let us return the careffes of our friends, and endeavour by mutual endearments to heighten that tendernefs which is the balm of life. Let us be quick to repent of injuries while repentance may not be a barren anguish, and let us open our eyes to every rival excellence, and pay early and willingly thofe honours which juftice will compel us to pay at laft. ATHANATUS.

Yet fince it is no lefs natural for those who think themselves injured to complain, than for others to neglect their complaints, I fhall venture to lay my cafe before you, in hopes that you will enforce my opinion, if you think it juft, or endeavour to rectify any fentiments, if I am mistaken. I expect at least, that you will divest yourself of partiality, and that whatever your age or folemnity may be, you will not with the dotard's infolence pronounce me ignorant and foolish, perverfe and refractory, only becaufe you perceive that I am young.

My father dying when I was but ten years old, left me, and a brother two years younger than myself, to the care of my mother, a woman of birth and education, whofe prudence or virtue he had no reason to diftruft. She felt, for fome time, all the forrow which nature calls forth, upon the final feparation of perfons dear to one another; and as her grief was exhausted by it's own violence, it fubfided into tenderness for me and my brother, and the year of mourning was fpent in careffes, confolations, and inftruction, in celebration of my father's virtues, in profeffions of perpetual regard to his memory, and hourly inftances of fuch fondnefs as gratitude will not eafily fuffer me to forget.

But when the term of this mournful felicity was expired, and my mother appeared again without the enfigns of forrow, the ladies of her acquaintance began to tell her, upon whatever motives, that it was time to live like the reft of the world; a powerful argument, which is feldom used to a woman without effect. Lady Giddy was inceffantly relating the occurrences of the town; and Mrs. Gravely told her privately, with great tenderness, that it began to be publickly obferved how much the overacted her part, and that most of her acquaintance fufpected her hope of procuring another hulband to be the true ground of all that appearance of tenderness and piety.

All the officiousness of kindness and folly was bufied to change her conduct. She was at one time alarmed with cenfure, and at another fired with praife. She was told of balls, where others fhone only because she was abfent; of new comedies to which all the town was crouding; and of many ingenious ironies, by which domeftick diligence was made contemptible.

It is difficult for virtue to ftand alone

against fear on one fide, and pleafure c the other; especially when no actu crime is propofed, and prudence iti can fuggeft many reafons for relaxatio and indulgence. My mamma was a laft perfuaded to accompany Mifs Gid dy to a play. She was received wit a boundless profufion of compliments and attended home by a very fine gentle man. Next day fhe was with lef's dim culty prevailed on to play at Mrs. Grave ly's, and came home gay and lively; fo the diftinctions that had been paid he awakened her vanity, and good luck ha kept her principles of frugality from giv ing her difturbance. She now made he fecond entrance into the world, and he friends were fufliciently induftrious to prevent any return to her former life. every morning brought meffages of invitation, and every evening was paffed in places of diverfion, from which fe for fome time complained that she had rather be abfent. In a fhort time the began to feel the happiness of acting without controul, of being unaccountable for her hours, her expences, and her company; and learned by degrees to drop an expreffion of contempt or pity at the mention of ladies whofe husbands were fufpected of reftraining their pleasures, or their play, and confessed that the loved to go and come as the pleafed.

I was ftill favoured with fome incidental precepts and tranfient endearments, and was now and then fondly kiffed for fmiling like my papa: but meit part of her morning was spent in comparing the opinion of her maid and milliner, contriving fome variation in her dress, vifiting fhops, and fending compliments; and the reft of the day was too fhort for vifits, cards, plays, and concerts.

She now began to discover that it was impoffible to educate children properly at home. Parents could not have them always in their fight; the fociety of fervants was contagious; company produced boldness and spirit; emulation excite ed industry; and a large school was naturally the first step into the open world. A thoufand other reafons fhe alleged, fome of little force in themfelves, but fo well feconded by pleafure, vanity, and idleness, that they foon overcame all the remaining principles of kindness and piety; and both I and my brother were dispatched to boarding schools.

How my mamina spent her time when

fhe was thus difburthened I am not able to inform you, but I have reafon to believe that trifles and amusements took ftill fafter hold of her heart. At first fhe vifited me at school, and afterwards wrote to me; but in a fhort time, both her vifits and her letters were at an end; and no other notice was taken of me than to remit money for my fupport.

When I came home at the vacation, I found myself coldly received, with an obfervation That this girl will prefently be a woman.' I was, after the ufual ftay, fent to school again, and overheard my mother fay, as I was a going, Well, now I fhall recover.'

In fix months more I came again; and, with the ufual childish alacrity, was running to my mother's embrace, when the ftopt me with exclamations at the fuddennefs and enormity of my growth, having, the faid, never feen any body fhoot up fo much at my age. She was fure no other girls fpread at that rate, and The hated to have children look like women before their time. I was difconcerted, and retired without hearing any thing more than-Nay, if you are angry, Madam Steeple, you may walk off. When once the forms of civility are violated, there remains little hope of return to kindness or decency. My mamma made this appearance of refentment a reafon for continuing her malignity, and poor Mifs Maypole, for that was my appellation, was never mentioned or spoken to but with fome expreffion of anger or dislike.

She had yet the pleasure of dreffing me like a child; and I know not when I should have been thought fit to change my habit, had I not been refcued by a maiden fifter of my father, who could not bear to fee women in hangingfives, and therefore prefented me with brocade for a gown, for which I fhould have thought my felf under great obligations, had the not accompanied her faYour with fome hints that my mamina might now confider her age, and give

me her ear-rings, which fhe had fhewn long enough in publick places.

I now left the school, and came to live with my mamma, who confidered me as an ufurper that had feized the rights of a woman before they were due, and was pufhing her down the precipice of age, that I might reign without a fuperior. While I am thus beheld with jealousy and fufpicion, you will readily believe that it is difficult to pleafe. Every word and look is an offence. I never speak, but I pretend to fome qualities and excellencies, which it is criminal to poffefs, if I am gay, he thinks it early enough to coquette; if I am grave, the hates a prude in bibs; if I venture into company, I am in hafte for a husband; if I retire to my chamber, fuch matron-like ladies are lovers of contemplation. I am on one pretence or other generally excluded from her affemblies, nor amĺever fuffered to visit at the fame place with my mamma. Every one wonders why she does not bring Mifs more into the world; and when the comes home in vapours I am certain that he has heard either of my beauty or my wit, and expect nothing for the enfuing week but taunts and inenaces, contradiction and reproaches.

Thus I live in a state of continual perfecution, only because I was born ten years too foon, and cannot stop the course of nature or of time, but am unhappily a woman before my mother can willingly cease to be a girl. I believe you would contribute to the happiness of many families, if, by any arguments or perfuafions, you could make mothers afhamed of rivalling their children; if you could fhew them, that though they may refuse to grow wife, they must inevitably grow old; and that the proper folaces of age are not mufick and compliments, but wisdom and devotion; that thofe who are fo unwilling to quit the world will foon be driven from it; and that it is therefore their intereft to retire while there yet remains a few hours for nobler employments. I am, &c.

HOR.

OTHING is more unpleafing than to find that offence has been received when none was intended, and that pain has been given to thofe who were not guilty of any provocation. As the great end of fociety is mutual beneficence, a good man is always uneafy when he finds hiinfelf acting in oppofition to the purposes of life; because though his confcience may cafily acquit him of malice prepense, of fettled hatred or contrivances of mifchief, yet he feldom can be certain that he has not failed by negligence or indolence; that he has not been hindered from confulting the common intereft by too much regard to his own eafe, or too much indifference to the happiness of others.

Nor is it neceffary that, to feel this uneafinefs, the mind fhould be extended to any great diffufion of generofity, or melted by uncominon warmth of benevolence; for that prudence which the world teaches, and a quick fenfibility of private intereft, will direct us to fhun needlefs enmities; fince there is no man whofe kindness we may not fome time want, or by whofe malice we may not fome time fuffer.

I have therefore frequently looked with wonder, and now and then with pity, at the thoughtleffnefs with which fome alienate from themselves the affections of all whom chance, bufinefs, or inclination, brings in their way. When we fee a man pursuing fome darling intereft, without much regard to the opinion of the world, we justly confider him as corrupt and dangerous, but are not long in difcovering his motives; we fee him actuated by paffions which are hard to be refifted, and deluded by appearances which have dazzled ftronger eyes. But the greater part of thofe who fet mankind at defiance by hourly irritation, and who live but to infufe malignity, and multiply enemies, have no hopes to folter, no defigns to promote,

FRANCIS.

nor any expectations of attaining power by infolence, or of climbing to greatnefs by trampling on others. They give up all the fweets of kindnefs, for the fake of peevishness, petulance, or gloom; and alienate the world by neglect of the common forms of civility, and breach of the established laws of conversation.

Every one must, in the walks of life, have met with men of whom all speak with cenfure, though they are not chargeable with any crime, and whom none can be perfuaded to love, though a reafon can scarcely be affigned why they fhould be hated; and who, if their good qualities and actions fometimes force a commendation, have their panegyrick always concluded with confeffions of difguft; He is a good man, but I cannot

like him. Surely fuch perfons have fold the esteem of the world at too low a price, fince they have loft one of the rewards of virtue, without gaining the profits of wickedness.

This ill economy of fame is fometimes the effect of ftupidity. Men whofe perceptions are languid and fluggish, who lament nothing but lofs of money, and feel nothing but a blow, are often at a difficulty to guess why they are encompaffed with enemies, though they neglect all thofe arts by which men are endeared to one another. They comfort themfelves that they have lived irreproachably; that none can charge them with having endangered his life, or diminifhed his poffeffions; and therefore conclude that they fuffer by fome invincible fatality, or impute the malice of their neighbours to ignorance or envy. They wrap themfelves up in their innocence, and enjoy the congratulations of their own hearts, without knowing or fufpecting that they are every day defervedly incurring retentments, by withholding from those with whom they converfe, that regard, or appearance of re

gard,