relieve the needy, comfort the afflicted, are duties that fall in our way almost every day of our lives. A man has frequent opportunities of mitigating the fierceness of a party; of doing juftice to the character of a deferving man; of foftening the envious, quieting the angry, and rectifying the prejudiced; which are all of them employ. ments fuitable to a reasonable nature, and bring great fatisfaction to the perfon who can bufy himself in them with difcretion. There is another kind of virtue that may find employment for thofe retired hours in which we are altogether left to ourselves, and deftitute of company and conversation; I mean that intercourfe and communication which every reasonable creature ought to maintain with the great Author of his being. The man who lives under an habitual fenfe of the divine prefence, keeps up a perpetual chearfulness of temper, and enjoys every moment the fatisfaction of thinking himself in company with his dearest and beft of friends. The time never lies heavy upon him: it is impoffible for him to be alone. His thoughts and paffions are the most bufied at fuch hours when those of other men are the most unactive. He no fooner fteps out of the world but his heart burns with devotion, fwells with hope, and triumphs in the confcioufnefs of that prefence which every where furrounds him; or, on the contrary, pours out its fears, its forrows, its apprehenfions, to the great Supporter of its ex

iftence.

I have here only confidered the neceffity of a man's being virtuous, that he may have fomething to do; but if we confider further, that the exercise of virtue is not only an amufement for the time it lafts, but that its influence extends to thofe parts of our exiftence which lie beyond the grave, and that our whole eternity is to take its colour from thofe hours which we here employ in virtue or in vice, the argument redoubles upon us, for putting in practice this method of paffing away our time.

propofe to fill up our time, fhould be ufeful and innocent diverfions. I must confefs I think it is below reasonable creatures to be altogether converfant in fuch diverfions as are merely innocent, and have nothing else to recommend them, but that there is no hurt in them. Whether any kind of gaming has even thus much to fay for itself, I thall not determine; but I think it is very wonderful to fee perfons of the beft fenfe paffing away a dozen hours toge ther in fhuffling and dividing a pack of cards, with no other converfation but what is made up of a few game phrafes, and no other ideas but thofe of black or red spots ranged together in different figures. Would not a man laugh to hear any one of this fpecies complaining that life is short?

The ftage might be made a perpetual fource of the most noble and useful entertainments, were it under proper regulations.

But the mind never unbends itself fo agreeably as in the conversation of a wellchofen friend. There is indeed no bleffing of life that is any way comparable to the enjoyment of a difcreet and virtuous friend. It eafes and unloads the mind, clears and improves the understanding, engenders thought and knowledge, animates virtue and good refolution, foothes and allays the paffions, and finds employment for moft of the vacant hours of life.

Next to fuch an intimacy with a particular perfon, one would endeavour after a more general converfation with fuch as are capable of edifying and entertaining those with whom they converfe, which are qualities that feldom go afunder.

There are many other ufeful amufements of life, which one would endeavour to multiply, that one might, on all occafions, have recourfe to fomething rather than fuffer the mind to lie idle, or run adrift with any passion that chances to rise in it.

Spectator.

of man with that of other creatures; in which I could not but obferve, that notwithstanding we are obliged by duty to keep ourselves in conftant employ, after the fame manner as inferior animals are prompted to it by inftinct, we fall very fort of them in this particular. We are here the more inexcufable, becaufe there is a greater variety of bufinefs to which we may apply ourselves. Reafon opens to us a large field of affairs, which other creatures are not capable of. Beafts of prey, and I believe of all other kinds, in their natural state of being, divide their time between action and reft. They are always at work or afleep. In fhort, their waking hours are wholly taken up in feeking after their food, or in confuming it. The human fpecies only, to the great reproach of our mature, are filled with complaints, that The day hangs heavy on them," that "They do not know what to do with themselves," that "They are at a lofs how to pass away their time," with many of the like fhameful murmurs, which we often find in the mouths of thofe who are filled reasonable beings. How monstrous are fach expreffions among creatures who have the labours of the mind, as well as thofe of the body, to furnish them with proper employments; who, befides the bufis of their proper callings and profeffions, can apply themfeives to the duties of religion, to meditation, to the reading of uffel books, to difcourfe; in a word, who may exercife themfelves in the unbounded purfuits of knowledge and virtue, and every hour of their lives make themfelves witer, or better than they were before!

After having been taken up for fome time in this courfe of thought, I diverted rayself with a book, according to my ufual cultom, in order to unbend my mind before I went to fleep. The book I made ufe of on this occafion was Lucian, where ! amufed my thoughts for about an hour among the dialogues of the dead, which in all probability produced the following dream.

I was conveyed, methought, into the entrance of the infernal regions, where I faw Rhadamanthus, one of the judges of the dead, feated on his tribunal. On his left hand flood the keeper of Erebas, on his right the keeper of Elyfium. I was told he fat upon women that day, there being feveral of the fex lately arrived, who had not vet their manfions aligned them. I was prited to hear him afk every one of them the fame qusition, namely, "What they

had been doing?" Upon this question being propofed to the whole affemby, they flared one upon another, as not knowing what to answer. He then interrogated each of them feparately. Madam, fays he to the first of them, you have been upon the earth about fifty years; what have you been doing there all this while? Doing! fays the, really I do not know what I have been doing: Í defire I may have time given me to recollect. After about half an hour's paufe, fhe told him that she had been playing at crimp; upon which Rhadamanthus beckoned to the keeper on his left hand, to take her into cuftody. And you, madam, fays the judge, that look with fuch a foft and languishing air; I think you fet out for this place in your nine-and-twentieth year, what have you been doing all this while? I had a great deal of bufinefs on my hands, fays fhe, being taken up the first twelve years of my life in dreifing a jointed baby, and all the remaining part of it in reading plays and romances. Very well, fays he, you have employed your time to good purpose. Away with her. The next was a plain country-woman; Well, mistress, fays Rhadamanthus, and what have you been doing? An't please your worship, fays fhe, I did not live quite forty years; and in that time brought my husband feven daughters, made him nine thousand cheeses, and left my eldeft girl with him, to look after his house in my abfence, and who, I may venture to fay, is as pretty a housewife as any in the country. Rhadamanthus fmiled at the fimplicity of the good woman, and ordered the keeper of Elyfium to take her into his care. And you, fair lady, fays he, what have you been doing thefe five-and-thirty years? I have been doing no hurt, I affure you, fir, faid fhe. That is well, faid he, but what good have you been doing? The lady was in great confufion at this question, and not knowing what to answer, the two keepers leaped out to feize her at the fame time; the one took her by the hand to con vey her to Ely fium, the other caught hold of her to carry her away to Erebus. But Rhadamanthus obferving an ingenuous modesty in her countenance and behaviour, bid them both let her loose, and fet her aside for a reexamination when he was more at leifure, An old woman, of a proud and four look, prefented herfelf next at the bar, and being afked what she had been doing? Truly, faid the, I lived threefcore-and-ten years in a very wicked world, and was fo angry at the behaviour of a parcel of young firts,

C 4

that

that I paffed most of my last years in condemning the follies of the times; I was every day blaming the filly conduct of people about me, in order to deter thofe I converfed with from falling into the like errors and mifcarriages. Very well, fays Rhadamanthus; but did you keep the fame watchful eye over your own actions? Why truly, fays fhe, I was fo taken up with publishing the faults of others, that I had no time to confider my own. Madam, fays Rhadamanthus, be pleafed to file off to the left, and make room for the venerable matron that stands behind you. Old gentlewoman, fays he, I think you are fourscore: you have heard the question, what have you been doing fo long in the world? Ah, Sir! fays fhe, I have been doing what I fhould not have done, but I had made a firm refolution to have changed my life, if I had not been fnatched off by an untimely end. Madam, fays he, you will pleafe to follow your leader: and spying another of the fame age, interrogated her in the fame form. To which the matron replied, I have been the wife of a hufband who was as dear to me in his old age as in his youth. I have been a mother, and very happy in my children, whom I endeavoured to bring up in every thing that is good. My eldeft fon is bleft by the poor, and beloved by every one that knows him, I lived within my own family, and left it much more wealthy than I found it. Rhadamanthus, who knew the value of the old lady, fmiled upon her in fuch a manner, that the keeper of Elyfium, who knew his office, reached out his hand to her. He no fooner touched her, but her wrinkles vanished, her eyes sparkled, her cheeks glowed with blushes, and the appeared in full bloom and beauty. A young woman obferving that this officer, who conducted the happy to Elyfium, was fo great a beautifier, longed to be in his hands; fo that preffing through the crowd, fhe was the next that appeared at the bar. And being asked what she had been doing the five-and-twenty years that she had paffed in the world? I have endeavoured, fays fhe, ever fince I came to years of difcretion, to make myself lovely, and gain admirers. In order to it, I paffed my time in bottling up May-dew, inventing white washes, mixing colours, cutting out patches, confulting my glafs, fuiting my complexion, tearing off my tucker, finking my ftays.-Rhadamanthus, without hearing her out, gave the fign to take her

off.

Upon the approach of the keeper of Erebus, her colour faded, her face was puckered up with wrinkles, and her whole perfon loft in deformity.

I was then surprised with a diftant found of a whole troop of females, that came forward laughing, finging, and dancing. I was very defirous to know the reception they would meet with, and withal was very apprehenfive, that Rhadamanthus would fpoil their mirth: But at their nearer approach the noise grew so very great that it awakened me,

I lay fome time, reflecting in myself on the oddness of this dream, and could not forbear afking my own heart, what I was doing? I answered myself that I was writing Guardians. If my readers make as good a ufe of this work as I defign they hould, I hope it will never be imputed to me as a work that is vain and unprofit able.

I fhall conclude this paper with recommending to them the fame short self-examination, If every one of them frequently lays his hand upon his heart, and confiders what he is doing, it will check him in all the idle, or, what is worfe, the vicious moments of life, lift up his mind when it is running on in a series of indifferent actions, and encourage him when he is engaged in those which are virtuous and laudable. In a word, it will very much alleviate that guilt which the best of men have reafon to acknowledge in their daily confeffions, of leaving undone those things which they ought to have done, and of doing thofe things which they ought not to have done.' Guardian.

16. A Knowledge of the Ufe and Value of

Time very important to Youth. There is nothing which I more with that you should know, and which fewer people do know, than the true ufe and value of time. It is in every body's mouth; but in few people's practice. Every fool who flatterns away his whole time in nothings, utters, however, fome trite common-place fentence, of which there are millions, ta prove, at once, the value and the fleetnefs of time. The fun-dials, likewife, all over Europe, have fome ingenious infcription to that effect; fo that nobody fquanders away their time, without hearing and feeing, daily, how neceffary it is to employ it well, and how irrecoverable it is if loft. But all these admonitions are useless, where there is not a fund of good fenfe and rea

fon

fon to fuggeft them, rather than receive them. By the manner in which you now tell me that you employ your time, I flatter myf.lf, that you have that fund: that is the fund which will make you rich indeed. I do not, therefore, mean to give you a critical effay upon the use and abuse of time; I will only give you fome hints, with regard to the ufe of one particular period of that long time which, I hope, you have before you; I mean the next two years. Remember then, that whatever knowledge you do not folidly lay the foundation of before you are eighteen, you will never be master of while you breathe. Knowledge is a comfortable and neceffary retreat and shelter for us in an advanced age; and if we do not plant it while young, it will give us no fhade when we grow old. I neither require nor expect from you great application to books, after you are occe thrown out into the great world. I know it is impoffible; and it may even, in fome cafes, be improper; this, therefore, is your time, and your only time, for unwearied and uninterrupted application. If you fhould fometimes think it a little laborious, confider, that labour is the unavoidable fatigue of a necessary journey. The more hours a day you travel, the fooner you will be at your journey's end. The fooner you are qualified for your liberty, the fooner you fhall have it; and your manumiffion will entirely depend upon the manner in which you employ the intermediate time. I think I offer you a very good bargain, when I promise you, upon my word, that, if you will do every thing that I would have you do, till you are eighteen, I will do every thing that you would have me do, ever afterwards.

Lord Chesterfield.

17. On a lazy and trifling Difpofition. There are two forts of understandings; cne of which hinders a man from ever being confiderable, and the other commonly Lakes him ridiculous; I mean the lazy mind, and the trifling frivolous mind. Yours, I hope, is neither. The lazy mind will not take the trouble of going to the bottom of any thing; but, difcouraged by the first difficulties (and every thing worth knowing or having is attended with fome) Enps fhort, contents itself with eafy, and, confequently, fuperficial knowledge, and prefers a great degree of ignorance, to a all degree of trouble. Thefe people either think, or reprefent, most things as

impoffible; whereas few things are fo to industry and activity. But difficulties feem to them impoffibilities, or at least they pretend to think them fo, by way of excufe for their laziness. An hour's attention to the fame object is too laborious for them; they take every thing in the light in which it at firft prefents itself, never confider it in all its different views; and, in short, never think it thorough. The confequence of this is, that when they come to speak upon thefe fubjects before people who have confidered them with attention, they only difcover their own ignorance and laziness, and lay themselves open to answers that put them in confufion.

Do not then be discouraged by the first difficulties, but contra audentior ito: and refolve to go to the bottom of all those things, which every gentleman ought to know well. Those arts or fciences, which are peculiar to certain profeffions, need not be deeply known by those who are not intended for those profeffions. As, for inftance, fortification and navigation; of both which, a fuperficial and general knowledge, fuch as the common courfe of converfation, with a very little enquiry on your part, will give you, is fufficient. Though, by the way, a little more knowledge of fortification may be of fome ufe to you; as the event of war, in fieges, make many of the terms of that science occur frequently in common converfations; and one would be forry to fay, like the Marquis de Mafcarille, in Moliere's Précieufes Ridicules, when he hears of une demie Lune: Ma foi c'étoit bien une Lune toute entiere. But those things which every gentleman, independently of profeffion, fhould know, he ought to know well, and dive into all the depths of them. Such are languages, history, and geography, ancient and modern: philofophy, rational logic, rhetoric; and for you particularly, the conftitutions, and the civil and military state of every country in Europe. This, I confefs, is a pretty large circle of knowledge, attended with fome difficulties, and requiring fome trouble, which, however, an active and industrious mind will overcome, and be amply repaid.

The trifling and frivolous mind is always bufied, but to little purpose; it takes little objects for great ones, and throws away upon trifles that time and attention which only important things deferve. Knickknacks, butterflies, fhells, infects, &c. are the objects of their most serious researches.

They