No. I. ESSAY IV. OF AVARICE. IT is easy to obferve, that comic writers exagge rate every character, and draw their fop or coward with ftronger features than are any where to be met with in nature. This moral kind of painting for the flage has been often compared to the painting for cupolas and ceilings, where the colours are overcharged, and every part is drawn exceffively large, and beyond nature. The figures seem monftrous and difproportioned, when feen too nigh; but become natural and regular, when fet at a diftance, and placed in that point of view, in which they are intended to be furveyed. For a like reafon, when characters are exhibited in theatrical reprefentations, the want of reality removes, in a manner, the perfonages; and rendering them more cold and unentertaining, makes it neceffary to compenfate, by the force of colouring, what they want in fubftance. Thus we find in common life, that when a man once allows himfelf to depart from truth in his narrations, he never can keep within bounds of probability; but adds still some new circumftance to render his ftories more marvellous, and to fatisfy his imagination. Two men in buckram fuits became eleven to Sir John Falstaff, before the end of his ftory. There is only one vice, which may be found in life with as ftrong features, and as high a colouring as need be employed by any fatirist or comic poet; and that is Avarice. Every day we meet with men of immenfe fortunes, without heirs, and on the very brink of the grave, who refuse themfelves the most common neceffaries of life, and go on heaping poffeffions on poffeffions under all the real preffures of the fevereft poverty. An old ufurer, fays the ftory, lying in his last agonies was préfented by the priest with the crucifix to worship, He opens his eyes a moment before he expires, confiders the crucifix, and cries, Thefe jewels are not true; I can only lend ten piftoles upon fuch a pledge. This was probably the invention of fome epigrammatift; and yet every one, from his own experience, may be able to recollect almost as ftrong inftances of perfeverance in avarice. It is commonly reported of a famous mifer in this city, that finding himself near death, he fent for fome of the magiftrates, and gave them a bill of an hundred pounds, payable after his decease, which fum he intended fhould be difpofed of in charitable uses; but scarce were they gone, when he orders them to be called back, and offers them ready money if they would abate five pounds of the fum. Another noted mifer in the north, intending to defraud his heirs, and leave his fortune to the building an hofpital, protracted the drawing of his will from day to day; and it is thought, that if those interested in it had not paid for the drawing of it, he would have died inteftate. In fhort, none of the most furious furious exceffes of love and ambition are, in any refpect, to be compared to the extremes of avarice. The best excuse that can be made for avarice is, that it generally prevails in old men, or in men of cold tempers, where all the other affections are extinct; and the mind being incapable of remaining without fome paffion or pursuit, at last finds out this monAtroufly abfurd one, which fuits the coldness and inactivity of its temper. At the same time, it seems very extraordinary, that so frosty, spiritless a paffion fhould be able to carry us farther than all the warmth of youth and pleasure. But if we look more narrowly into the matter, we shall find, that this very circumftance renders the explication of the cafe more eafy. When the temper is warm and full of vigour, it naturally fhoots out more ways than one, and produces inferior paffions to counterbalance, in fome degree, its predominant inclination. It is impoffible for a perfon of that temper, however bent on any pursuit, to be deprived of all sense of fhame, or all regard to the sentiments of mankind. His friends must have fome influence over him; and other confiderations are apt to have their weight. All this ferves to restrain. him within fome bounds. But it is no wonder that the avaritious man, being, from the coldness of his temper, without regard to reputation, to friendship or to pleasure, fhould be carried fo far by his prevailing inclination, and should display his paffion in fach furprizing instances. Accordingly Cc 4 Accordingly we find no vice fo irreclaimable as avarice and though there scarcely has been a moralift or philofopher, from the beginning of the world to this day, who has not levelled a stroke at it, we hardly find a fingle inftance of any perfon's being cured of it. For this reason, I am more apt to approve of thofe, who attack it with wit and humour, than of thofe who treat it in a ferious man. Their being fo little hopes of doing good to the people infected with this vice, I would have the reft of mankind, at least, diverted by our manner of expofing it as indeed there is no kind of diverfion, of which they feem fo willing to partake. ner. Among the fables of Monfieur de la Motte, there is one levelled against avarice, which seems to me more natural and easy than most of the fables of that ingenious author. A miser, fays he, being dead, and fairly interred, came to the banks of the Styx, defiring to be ferried over along with the other ghosts. Charon demands his fare, and is furprised to see the mifer, rather than pay it, throw himself into the river, and fwim over to the other fide, notwithstanding all the clamour and oppofition that could be made to him. All hell was in an uproar; and each of the judges was meditating some punishment, fuitable to a crime of fuch dangerous confequence to the infernal revenues. Shall he be chained to the rock with Prometheus? Or tremble below the precipice in company with the Danaides? Or aflift Sifyphus in rolling his ftone? No, fays Minos, none of these. We must invent some se verer punishment. Let him be fent back to the earth, to fee the ufe his heirs are making of his riches. I hope it will not be interpreted as a defign of fetting myself in oppofition to this celebrated author, if I proceed to deliver a fable of my own, which is intended to expose the fame vice of ava rice. The hint of it was taken from these lines of Mr. Pope: Damn'd to the mines, an equal fate betides The flave that digs it, and the flave that hides. Our old mother Earth once lodged an indictment against Avarice before the courts of heaven, for her wicked and malicious counfel and advice in tempting, inducing, perfuading, and traitorously feducing the children of the plaintiff to commit the detestable crime of parricide upon her, and, mangling her body, ranfack her very bowels for hidden treafure. The indictment was very long and verbose; but we must omit a great part of the repetitions and fynonymous terms, not to tire our readers too much with our tale. Avarice, being called before Jupi ter to answer to this charge, had not much to fay in her own defence. The injury was clearly proved upon her. The fact, indeed, was notorious, and the injury had been frequently repeated. When, therefore, the plaintiff demanded juftice, Jupiter very readily gave fentence in her favour; and his decree was to this purpose-That, fince dame Ava |