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is only capable of adoring it, none but himself can comprehend it.

The advice of the son of Sirach is very just and fublime in this light. "By his word, all things "confift. We may speak much, and yet come "short: wherefore in fum, he is all. How shall "we be able to magnify him? For he is great " above all his works. The Lord is terrible and "very great; and marvellous in his power. When

you glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as you "can: for even yet will he far exceed, And "when you exalt him put forth all your strength, " and be not weary; for you can never go far

" enough. Who hath feen him, that he might " tell us? and who can magnify him as he is? "there are yet hid greater things than these be, "for we have feen but a few of his works."

I have here only confidered the Supreme Being by the light of reason and philosophy. If we would fee him in all the wonders of his mercy we must have recourse to revelation, which reprefents him to us, not only as infinitely great and glorious, but as infinitely good and just in his difpenfations towards man. But as this is a theory which falls under every one's confideration, though indeed it can never be sufficiently confidered, I shall here only take notice of that habitual worship, and veneration which we ought to pay to this Almighty Being. We should often refresh our minds with the thought of him, and annihilate ourselves before him, in the contemplation of our own worthlessness, and of his tranfcendent excellency and perfection. This would imprint in our minds such a constant and uninterrupted awe and veneration as that which I am here recommending, and which is in reality a kind of incessant prayer, and reasonable humiliation of the foul before him who made it.

This would effectually kill in us all the little feeds of pride, vanity, and felf-conceit, which are apt to thoot up in the minds of fuch whose thoughts run more on those comparative advantages which they enjoy over some of their fellow-creatures, than on that infinite distance which is placed between them and the fupreme model of all perfection. It would likewife quicken our defires and endeavours of uniting ourselves to him by all the acts of religion and virtue.

Such an habitual homage to the Supreme Being would, in a particular manner, banith from among us that prevailing impiety of ufing his name on the most trivial occafions.

I find the following passage in an excellent fermon, preached at the funeral of a gentleman who was an honour to his country, and a more diligent as well as fuccefsful inquirer into the works of nature, than any other our nation has ever produced: "He had the profoundest vene"ration for the great God of heaven and earth " that I have ever observed in any perfon. The very name of God was never mentioned by him " without a pause and a visible stop in his dif. "course: in which one that knew him most par"ticularly above twenty years, has told me that " he was so exact, that he does not remember to "have observed him once to fail in it."

"

Every one knows the veneration which was paid by the Jews to a name so great, wonderful and holy. They would not let it enter even into their religious discourses. What can we then think of those who make use of fo tremendous a name in the ordinary expreffions of their anger, muth, and most impertinent paffions? Of those who admit it into the most familiar questions and

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Tis a very honeft action to be studious to I produce other mens merit; and I make no fcruple of saying I have as much of this temper as any man in the world. It would not be a thing to be bragged of, but that it is what any man may be master of who will take pains enough for it. Much observation of the unworthiness in being pained at the excellence of another, will bring you to a scorn of yourself for that unwillingness: and when you have gone fo far, you will find it a greater pleasure than you ever before knew, to be zealous in promoting the fame and welfare of the praise-worthy. I do not speak this as pretending to be a mortified felf-denying man, but as one who has turned his ambition into a right channel. I claim to myself the merit of having extorted excellent productions from a person of the greatest abilities, who would not have let them appeared by any other means; to have animated a few young gentlemen into worthy pursuits, who will be a glory to our age, and at all times, and by all possible means in my power, undermined the interests of ignorance, vice, and folly, and attempted to substitute in their stead, learning, piety, and good fenfe. It is from this honest heart that I find myself honoured as a gentleman-uther to the arts and sciences. Mr. Tickell and Mr. Pope have, it seems, this idea of me. The former has writ me an excellent paper of verfes in praise, forsooth, of myself; and the other inclosed for my perusal an admirable poem, which, I hope, will shortly fee the light. In the mean time I cannot fupprefs any thought of his, but infert this fentiment about the dying words of Adrian. I will not determine in the cafe he mentions; but have thus much to say in favour of his argument, that many of his own works which I have feen, convince me, that very pretty and very fublime sentiments may be lodged in the fame bosom without diminution to its greatness.

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• Mr. Spečiator,

I

Was the other day in company with five or fix men of fome learning; where chancing ' to mention the famous verfes which the Emperor Adrian spoke on his death-bed, they were all agreed, that it was a piece of gaicty unworthy that Prince in those circumstances. I could not but diffent from this opinion methinks it was by no means a gay, but a very ferious foliloquy to his foul at the point of his departure: in which fenfe I naturally took the verfes

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at my first reading them, when I was very young, and before I knew what interpretation * the world generally put upon them;

Animula vagula, blandula,
• Hofpes comesque corporis,
• Quæ nunc abibis in loca?
'Pallidula, rigida, nudula,
'Nec (ut foles) dabis jocos!

"Alas, my foul! thou pleasing companion of " this body, thou fleeting thing that art now de"serting it! whither art thou flying? To what "unknown region? Thou art all trembling, " fearful, and penfive. Now what is become of "thy former wit and humour? Thou shalt jest " and be gay no more." I confefss I cannot apprehend where lies the trifling in all this; it is the most natural and obvious reflection imagin' able to a dying man: and if we confider the 'Emperor was a heathen, that doubt concerning

the future state of his foul will feem fo far 'from being the effect of want of thought, that

it was scarce reasonable he should think other'wife; not to mention that here is a plain confeffion included of his belief in its immortality. The diminutive epithet of vagula, blandula, and the rest, appear not to me as expreffions of levity, but rather of endearment and concern: such as we find in Catullus, and the authors of Hendeca-fyllabi after him, where they are used to express the utmost love and tenderness for ⚫ their mistresses. If you think me right in my notion of the last words of Adrian, be pleased to infert this in the Spectator; if not, to fupprefs

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it.

I

• I am, &c.

To the fuppofed author of the Spectator. N courts licentious, and a shameless stage, How long the war thall wit with virtue wage? Inchanted by this prostituted fair, Our youth run headlong in the fatal snare; In height of rapture clasp unheeded pains, • And fuck pollution through the tingling veins.

Thy spotless thoughts unshock'd the priests
may hear,

And the pure vestal in her bosom wear.
To confcious blushes and diminish'd pride,
Thy glass betrays what treach rous love would
hide;

Nor harsh thy precepts, but infus'd by stealth,
Please while they cure, and cheat us into health.
Thy works in Chloe's toilet gain a part,

• And with his tailor share the fopling's heart: • Lafh'd in thy fatire, the penurious cit

Laughs at himself, and finds no harm in wit: From felon gamesters the raw 'squire is free, And Britain owes her rescu'd oaks to thee. His mifs the frolic vifcount dreads to toaft, Or his third cure the shallow templar boaft; And the rash fool who scorn'd the beaten road, • Dares quake at thunder, and confefs his God.

The brainless stripling, who, expell'd the town, Damn'd the stiff college and pedantic gown, Aw'd by thy name, is dumb, and thrice a week Spells uncouth Latin, and pretends to Greek. A fantring tribe! fuch born to wide estates, With yea and no in senates hold debates : At length defpis'd, each to his fields retires,

First with the dogs, and king amidst the 'squires;

* From pert to stupid finks fupinely down, In youth a coxcomb, and in age a clown.

• Such readers scorn'd, thou wing'st thy daring

flight

• Above the stars, and tread'st the fields of light; Fame, heav'n and hell, are thy exalted theme, And visions such as Jove himself might dream; • Man funk to flav'ry, though to glory born, ' Heav'n's pride when upright, and deprav'd his fcorn.

Such hints alone could British Virgil lend, And thou alone deserve from fuch a friend: A debt so borrow'd, is illustrious shame, And fame when shar'd with him is double fame. • So flush'd with sweets, by beauty's queen bestow'd, With more than mortal charms Æneas glow'd. Such gen'rous strifes Eugene and Marlbro' try, And as in glory, so in friendship vie.

< Permit these lines by thee to live-nor blame A mufe that pants and languishes for fame; That fears tosink when humbler themes the sings, Lost in the mass of mean forgotten things. Receiv'd by thee, I prophesy, 'my rhimes The praise of virgins in succeeding times : 'Mix'd with thy works, their life no bounds shall fee, But stand protected, as inspir'd, by thee.

• So fome weak shoot, which else would poorly rife,

Jove's tree adopts, and lifts him to the skies; Through the new pupil fost'ring juices flow, Thrust forth the gems, and give the flow'rs to blow Aloft; immortal reigns the plant unknown, • With borrow'd life, and vigour not his own.

To the SPECTATOR-GENERAL.

• Mr. John Sly humbly sheweth,

T

H'AT upon reading the deputation given to the faid Mr. John Sly, all persons paffing by his obfervatory behaved themselves with ⚫ the fame decorum, as if your honour yourself had been present.

That your faid officer is preparing, according to your honour's fecret inftructions, hats for • the feveral kind of heads that make figures ' in the realms of Great-Britain, with cocks fignificant of their powers and faculties.

:

That your faid officer has taken due notice of your instructions and admonitions concerning the internals of the head from the outward form of the fame. His hats for men of the faculties of law and phyfic do but just turn up, ⚫ to give a little life to their sagacity; his mi-> litary hats glare full in the face; and he has • prepared a family easy cock for all good companions between the above mentioned extremes.> For this end he has confulted the most learned of his acquaintance for the true forms and dimenfions of the Lepidum Caput, and made a hat

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No 533. TUESDAY, Nov. 11. Immò duas dabo, inquit ille, una fi parum eft : Et fi duarum pænitebit, addentur duæ. PLAUT. Nay, fays he, if one is too little, I will give you two; and if two will not fatisfy you, I will add two more.

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SIR,

Y

To the SPECTATOR.

OU have often given us very excellent discourses against that unnatural custom of parents, in forcing their children to marry contrary to their inclinations. My own cafe, without further preface, I will day before you, and leave you to judge of it. My father and mother both being in declining years, would fain see me, their eldest son, as they call it, fettled. I am as much for that as they can be; but I must be settled, it seems, not according to my own, but their liking. Upon this account, I am teized every day, because I have not yet fallen in love, in fpite of nature, with one of a neighbouring gentleman's daughters; for out of their abundant generofity, they give me the choice of four. Jack, ⚫ begins my father, Mrs. Catharine is a fine woman-Yes, Sir, but she is rather too old

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randa's fortune is equal to those I have menticned; but her relations are not intimates with mine. Ah! there's the rub. Miranda's perfon, wit, and humour, are what the nicest fancy could imagine; and though we know you to be so elegant a judge of beauty, yet there is none among all your various characters of fine women preferable to Miranda. In a word, she is never guilty of doing any thing but one amiss, (if she can be thought to do amiss by me) in being as blind to my faults, as she is to her own perfections.

‹ I am, SIR,

Your very humble obedient servant,
Duftereraftus.

Mr. Spectator,

W

HEN you spent so much time as you did lately in censuring the ambitious young gentlemen who ride in triumph through ' town and country in coach-boxes, I wished you had employed those moments in confidera'tion of what passes sometimes within fide of those vehicles. I am fure I fuffered sufficiently by the infolence and ill breeding of fome persons who travelled lately with me in a stage coach out of Effex to London. I am fure,

when you have heard what I have to say, you * will think there are persons under the character ' of gentlemen that are fit to be no where elfe 'but in the coach-box. Sir, I am a young woman ' of a sober and religious education, and have ' preferved that character; but on Monday was 'fortnight it was my misfortune to come to 'London. I was no fooner clapt in the coach, 'but to my great surprise, two persons in the 'habit of gentlemen attacked me with fuch in' decent difcourse as I cannot repeat to you, fo you may conclude not fit for me to hear. I had no relief but the hopes of a speedy end of my short journey. Sir, form to yourself what a perfe'cution this must needs be to a virtuous and chafte mind; and in order to your proper handling such a subject, fancy your wife or ' daughter, if you had any, in such circum'stances, and what treatment you would think then due to fuch dragoons. One of them was 'called a captain, and entertained us with nothing but filthy stupid questions, or lewd

She will make the more difcreet manager, boy. Then my mother plays her part. Is not Mrs. • Betty exceeding fair? Yes, madam, but she is of no conversation; the has no fire, no agreeable vivacity; she neither speaks nor looks with fpirit. True, son but for those very reafons, the will be an easy, foft, obliging, tractable creature. After all, cries an old aunt, (who belongs to the class of those who read plays with spectacles on) what think you, nephew, • of proper Mrs. Dorothy? What do I think? why, I think she cannot be above fix feet two inches high. Well, well, you may banter as long as you please, but height of stature is commanding and majestic. Come, come, fays a coufin of mine in the family, I will fit him; Fidelia is yet behind - Pretty Mifs Fiddy • must please you Oh! your very humble • servant, dear coz, the is as much too young as her eldest fifter is too old. Is it so indeed, quoth the, good Mr. Pert? You who are but ⚫ barely turned of twenty-two, and Miss Fiddy in half a year's time will be in her teens, and and the is capable of learning any thing. Then the will be fo obfervant; she will cry perhaps now and then, but never be angry. Thus they will think for me in this matter, wherein I am more particularly concerned than any body else. If I name any woman in the world, one. of these daughters have certainly the fame qualities. 'You fee by these few hints, Mr.. Spectator, what a comfortable life I lead. To • be still more open and free with you, I have been paffionately fond of a young lady (whom give me leave to call Miranda) now for these three years. I have often urged the matter home to my parents with all the fubmiffion of a fon, but the impatience of a lover. Pray, Sir, think, of three years; what inexpressible scenes of inquietude, what variety of mifery must I have gone through in three long whole years? Mi

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fongs, all the way. Ready to burst with shame ' and indignation, I repined that nature had not 'allowed us as easily to shut our ears as our eyes. But was not this a kind of rape? Why 'should there be acceffaries in ravishment any ' more than murder? Why should not every con'tributor to the abuse of chastity fuffer death ?

I am fure these shameless hell-hounds deferved it highly. Can you exert yourself better than on fuch an occafion? If you do not do it ef'fectuaily, I will read no more of your papers. Has every impertinent fellow a privilege to torment me, who pay my coach-hire as well as he? Sir, pray confider us in this respect as the weakest fex, and have nothing to defend ourselves; and I think it is as gentleman-like to challenge a woman to fight, as to talk obscenely in her company, especially when the has not power to stir., Pray let me tell you a story which you can make fit for public view. ' I knew a gentleman, who having a very good opinion of the gentlemen of the army, invited

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ten or twelve of them to sup with him; and at the fame time invited two or three friends, 'who were very severe against the manners and morals of gentlemen of that profession. It happened one of them brought two captains of his regiment newly come into the army, who at first onset engaged the company with very. lewd healths and suitable discourse. You may easily imagine the confufion of the entertainer, who finding fome of his friends very uneasy, defired to tell them the story of a great man, one Mr. Locke (whom I find you frequently mention) that being invited to dine with the then Lords Halifax, Anglesey, and Shaftfbury; immediately after dinner, instead of conversation, the cards were called for, where 'the bad or good success produced the usual passions of gaming. Mr. Locke retiring to a 'window, and writing, my Lord Anglesey de'fired to know what he was writing: "why, "My Lord," answered he," I could not flеер "last night for the pleasure and improvement I "expected from the conversation of the greatest " men of the age." This so sensibly stung them that they gladly compounded to throw their cards in the fire if he would his paper, and fo a conversation ensued fit for such perfons. This • story prest so hard upon the young captains, together with the concurrence of their fuperior officers, that the young fellows left the company in confufion. Sir, I know you hate long things; but if you like it you may contract it, or how you will; but I think it has a moral

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But, Sir, I am told you are a famous mechanic as well as a looker-on, and therefore humbly propose you would invent some padlock, with full power under your hand and feal, for all modeft persons, either men or women, to clap upon the mouths of all such inpertinent impudent fellows: and I wish you ' would publish a proclamation, that no modeft ' person that has a value for her countenance, "and confequently would not be put out of it, ' presume to travel after such a day without one of them in their pockets. I fancy a smart Spectator upon this fubject would ferve for fuch a padlock; and that public notice may be given in your paper where they may be had with directions, price 2d. and that part of the 'directions may be, when any perfon prefumes ' to be guilty of the above-mentioned crime, the party aggrieved may produce it to his face, with a request to read it to the company. He must be very much hardened that could outface that rebuke; and his further punishment I leave you to prescribe.

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Your humble fervant,
Penance Cruel.'

' which did me no great service in my educa'tion. I have perhaps an uncommon defire for 'knowledge of what is suitable to my sex and

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quality; but as far as I can remember, the ' whole dispute about me has been, whether 'such a thing was proper for the child to do, or 'not? Or whether fuch or fuch a food was the ' more wholesome for the young lady to eat; This was ill for my shape, that for my complexion, and the other for my eyes. extravagant when I tell you, I do not know ' that I have trod upon the very earth ever fince 'I was ten years old a coach or chair I am 'obliged to for all my motions from one place

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I am not

to another ever fince I can remember. All ' who had to do to instruct me, have ever been bringing stories of the notable things I have faid, and the womanly manner of my behaving 'myself upon fuch and fuch an occafion. This has been my state, until I came towards years ' of womanhood; and ever since I grew towards the age of fifteen, I have been abused after another manner. Now, forsooth, I am so, killing, no one can fafely speak to me. Our 'house is frequented by men of sense, and I love to ask questions when I fall into fuch converfation; but I am cut short with fomething or other about my bright eyes. There is, Sir, a language particular for talking to women in; ' and none but those of the very first goodbreeding (who are very few, and who feldom come ' into my way) can speak to us without regard ' to our sex. Among the generality of those ' they call gentlemen, it is impossible for me to speak upon any subject whatsoever without provoking fomebody to say, "oh! to be fure " fine Mrs. fuch-a-one must be very particu"larly acquainted with all that; all the world "would contribute to her entertainment and in"formation." Thus, Sir, I am fo handsome, ' that I murder all who approach me; fo wife, ' that I want no new notice; and fo well bred,

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that I am treated by all that know me like a 'fool, for no one will answer as if I were their 'friend or companion. Pray, Sir, be pleased to 'take the part of us beauties and fortunes into 'your confideration, and do not let us be thus 'flattered out of our senses. I have got an huffy ' of a maid, who is most craftily given to this

ill quality. I was at first diverted with a ' certain abfurdity the creature was guilty of in every thing she said; she is a country girl, and

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in the dialect of the shire she was born in, ' would tell me that every body reckoned her lady had the purest red and white in the ' world: then she would tell me, I was the most ' like one Sifly Dobfon in their town, who made ' the miller make away with himself, and walk afterwards in the corn-field were they used to meet. With all this, this cunning huffy can ⚫ lay letters in my way, and put a billet in my glove and then stand in it the knows nothing of it. I do not know, from my birth to this day, that I have been ever treated by any one 'as I ought; and if it were not for a few books ' which 1 delight in, I should be at this hour a novice to all common fenfe. Would it not be worth your while to lay down rules for behaSTEPNEY.viour in this case, and tell people, that we fair ones expect honest plain answers as well as < other people? Why must I, good Sir, because I have a good air, a fine complexion, and am in the bloom of my years, be misled in all my ' actions;

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'actions; and have the notions of good and ill 'confounded in my mind, for no other offence, * but because I have the advantages of beauty ' and fortune? Indeed, Sir, what with the filly homage which is paid to us by the fort of

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people I have above spoken of, and the utter ' negligence which others have for us, the con• versation of us young women of condition is ⚫ no other than what muft expose us to ignorance and vanity, if not vice. All this is humbly fubmitted to your spectatorial wisdom, < by,

• Mr. Spetator,

Sir, your humble servant,
• Sharlot Wealthy.'
Will's Coffee-House,

RAY, Sir, it will serve to fill up a paper,

P if you put in this; which is only to afk, • whether that copy of verses, which is a paraphrase of Ifaiah, in one of your speculations, ' is not written by Mr. Pope? Then you get on another line, by putting in, with proper diftances, as at the end of a letter,

I

i

' I am, Sir,

*** Your humble servant,

Mr. Dapperwit,

Abrabam Dapperwit.

AM glad to get another line forward, by faying that excellent piece is Mr. Pope's; and fo with proper distances, I am, Sir,

Your humble servant,

Mr. Spectator,

The Spectator.

I WAS a wealthy grocer in the city, and as fortunate as diligent; but I was a fingle

One

'man, and you know there are women. ⚫ in particular came to my shop, who I wished might, but was afraid never would make a grocer's wife. I thought, however, to take an ' effectual way of courting, and fold her at less price than. I bought, that I might buy at less ' price than I fold. She, you may be sure, often came and helped me to many customers at the fame rate, fancying I was obliged to her. You ' must needs think this was a good living trade, and my riches must be vastly improved. In ' fine, I was nigh being declared bankrupt, when I declared myself her lover, and she herself ' married. I was just in a condition to fupport ' myself, and am now in hopes of growing rich by lofing my customers.

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AM in the condition of the idol you was once pleased to mention, and bar-keeper of a coffee-house. I believe it is needless to ' tell you the opportunities I must give, and the importunities I fuffer. But there is one gentleman who befieges me as close as the French did Bouchain. His gravity makes him work 'cautious, and his regular approaches denote a good engineer. You need not doubt of his oratory, as he is a lawyer: and especially fince he has had fo little use of itat Westminster, he may spare the more for me.

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' mean time, whilst we parley, our several interefts are neglected. As his fiege grows 'stronger, my tea grows weaker; and while he pleads at my bar, none come to him for 'counsel but in forma pauperis. Dear Mr. Spectator, advise him not to insist upon hard articles, nor by his irregular defires contradict the well meaning lines of his countenance. If ' we were agreed, we might settle to fomething, as foon as we could determine where we "should get most by the law, at the coffeehouse, or at Westminster.

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A Minute from Mr. John Sly.

HE world is pretty regular for about fervatory of the faid Mr. Sly; but he is creforty rods east, and ten west of the obdibly informed, that when they are got be'yond the pass into the Strand, or those who move city-ward are got within Temple-Bar, they are just as they were before. It is therefore humbly proposed, that moving fentries ' may be appointed all the bufy hours of the day between the Exchange and Westminster, and report what passes to your honour, or your fubordinate officers, from time to time.'

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Y four hundred and feventy-first speculation turned upon the subject of hope in general. I design this paper as a speculation upon that vain and foolish hope, which is mifemployed on temporal objects, and produces many forrows and calamities in human life.

It is a precept several times inculcated by. Horace, that we should not entertain a hope of any thing in life, which lies at a great diftance from us. The shortness and uncertainty of our time here, makes such a kind of hope unreasonable and abfurd. The grave lies unseen between us, and the object which we reach after: where one man lives to enjoy the good he has in view, ten thousand are cut off in the pursuit of it.

It happens likewife unluckily, that one hope no fooner dies in us, but another rises up in its ftead. We are apt to fancy that we shall be happy and fatisfied if we possess ourselves of fuch and fuch particular enjoyments; but either by reason of their emptiness, or the natural inquietude of the mind, we have no fooner gained one point, but we extend our hopes to another. We still find new inviting fcenes and landskips lying behind those which at a distance terminated our view.

The natural consequences of such reflexions are thefe; that we should take care not to let our hopes run out into too great a length; that we should fufficiently weigh the objects of our hope

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