I left him, and attempted another, whose softness of mien, and eafy movement, gave me reafon to hope for a more agreeable reception: but he told me, with a low bow, that nothing would make him more happy than an opportunity of ferving me, which he could not now want, for a place which he had been twenty years foliciting would be foon vacant. From him I had recourse to the next, who was departing in hafte to take poffeffion of the eftate of an uncle, who by the courfe of nature could not live long. He that followed was preparing to dive for treasure in a new-invented bell; and another was on the point of discovering the longitude. Being thus rejected wherefoever I applied myself for information, I began to imagine it beft to defist from enquiry, and try what my own obfervation would difcover: but feeing a young man, gay and thoughtless, I refolved upon one more experiment, and was informed that I was in the garden of HOPE, the daughter of DESIRE, and that all thofe whom I faw thus tumultuously bustling round me, were incited by the promises of HOPE, and hastening to seize the gifts which fhe held in her hand. I turned my fight upward, and faw a goddefs in the bloom of youth, fitting on a throne: around her Jay all the gifts of fortune, and all the bleffings of life were spread abroad to view; she had a perpetual gaiety of afpect, and every one imagined that her fmile, which was impartial and general, was directed to himself, and triumphed in his own fuperiority to others, who had conceived the fame confidence from the fame mistake. I then mounted an eminence, from which I had a more extensive view of the whole place, and could with lefs perplexity confider the different conduct of the crowds that filled it. From this ftation I observed, that the entrance into the garden of HOPE was by two gates, one of which was kept by REASON, and the other by FANCY. REASON was furly and fcrupulous, and seldom turned the key without many interrogatories, and long hesitation; but FANCY was a kind and gentle portrefs, fhe held her gate wide open, and welcomed all equally to the diftrict under her fuperintendency; fo that the paffage was crowded by all those who either feared the examination of REASON, or had been rejected by her. From the gate of REASON there was a way to the throne of HOPE, by a craggy, flippery, and winding path, called the Streight of Difficulty, which those who entered with the permillion of the guard endeavoured to climb. But though they furveyed the way very cheerfully before they began to rife, and marked out the several stages of their progrefs, they commonly found unexpected obftacles, and were obliged frequently to ftop on the fudden, where they imagined the way plain and even. A thousand intricacies embarraffed them, a thousand flips threw them back, and a thousand pitfals impeded their advance. So formidable were the dangers, and fo frequent the miscarriages, that many returned from the first attempt, and many fainted in the midst of the way, and only a very small number were led up to the fummit of HOPE, by the hand of FORTITUDE. Of these few the greater part, when they had obtained the gift which HOPE had promifed them, re gretted gretted the labour which it coft, and felt in their fuccefs the regret of difappointment; the rest retired with their prize, and were led by WISDOM to the bowers of CONTENT. Turning then towards the gate of FANCY, I could find no way to the feat of HOPE; but though fhe fat full in view, and held out her gifts with an air of invitation, which filled every heart with rapture, the mountain was, on that fide, inacceffibly steep, but fo channelled and fhaded, that none perceived the impoffibility of afcending it, but each imagined himfelf to have difcovered a way to which the rest were ftrangers. Many expedients were indeed tried by this induftrious tribe, of whom fome were making themselves wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion. But with all their labour, and all their artifices, they never rofe above the ground, or quickly fell back, nor ever approached the throne of HOPE, but continued ftill to gaze at a distance, and laughed at the flow progress of thofe whom they faw toiling in the Streight of Difficulty. Part of the favourites of FANCY, when they had entered the garden, without making, like the rest, an attempt to climb the mountain, turned immediately to the vale of IDLENESS, a calm and undifturbed retirement,, from whence they could always have HOPE in profpect, and to which they pleased themselves with believing that the intended speedily to defcend. These were indeed fcorned by all the reft; but they feemed very little affected by contempt, advice, or reproof, but were refolved to expect at eafe the favour of the goddess. Among Among this gay race I was wandering, and found them ready to answer all my queftions, and willing to communicate their mirth: but turning round, I faw two dreadful monfters entering the vale, one of whom I knew to be AGE, and the other WANT. Sport and revelling were now at an end, and an universal shriek of affright and distress burst out and awaked me. NUMB. 68. SATURDAY, November 10, 1755. Vivendum rectè, cum propter plurima, tunc his Præcipue caufis, ut linguas mancipiorum Contemnas; nam lingua mali pars peffima fervi. Juv. Let us live well: were it alone for this HERVEY. HE younger Pliny has very justly observed, TH that of actions that deferve our attention, the moft fplendid are not always the greateft. Fame, and wonder, and applause, are not excited but by external and adventitious circumstances, often diftinct and separate from virtue and heroifm. Eminence of station, greatness of effect, and all the favours of fortune, must concur to place excellence in publick view; but fortitude, diligence, and patience, divested of their fhow, glide unobferved through the crowd of life, and fuffer and act, though with the fame fame vigour and conftancy, yet without pity and without praise. This remark may be extended to all parts of life. Nothing is to be estimated by its effect upon common eyes and common ears. A thousand miferies make filent and invifible inroads on mankind, and the heart feels innumerable throbs, which never break into complaint. Perhaps, likewife, our pleafures are for the most part equally fecret, and most are borne up by fome private fatisfaction, fome internal consciousness, some latent hope, fome peculiar profpect, which they never communicate, but referve for folitary hours, and clandeftine meditation. The main of life is, indeed, compofed of finall incidents, and petty occurrences; of wishes for objects not remote, and grief for disappointments of no fatal confequence; of infect vexations which fting us and fly away, impertinencies which buzz a while about us, and are heard no more; of meteorous pleafures which dance before us and are diffipated; of compliments which glide off the foul like other mufick, and are forgotten by him that gave and him that received them. Such is the general heap out of which every man is to cull his own condition: for, as the chemists tell us, that all bodies are refolvable into the fame elements, and that the boundless variety of things arifes from the different proportions of very few ingredients; fo a few pains and a few pleasures are all the materials of human life, and of these the proportions are partly allotted by providence and partly left to the arrangement of reafon and of choice. |