The pride of wit fluttered in my heart, and when I prepared to leave the college, nothing entered my imagination but honours, careffes, and rewards, riches without labour, and luxury without expence.

I however delayed my departure for a time, to finish the performance by which I was to draw the firft notice of mankind upon me. When it was completed I hurried to London, and confidered every moment that passed before its publication, as lost in a kind of neutral existence, and cut off from the golden hours of happiness and fame. The piece was at last printed and diffeminated by a rapid fale; I wandered from one place of concourse to another, feafted from morning to night on the repetition of my own praises, and enjoyed the various conjectures of criticks, the mistaken candour of my friends, and the impotent malice of my enemies. enemies. Some had read the manuscript, and rectified its inaccuracies; others had seen it in a state so imperfect, that they could not forbear to wonder at its prefent excellence; fome had converfed with the author at the coffee-houfe; and others gave hints that they had lent him money,

I knew that no performance is so favourably read as that of a writer who fuppreffes his name, and therefore refolved to remain concealed, till thofe by whom literary reputation is established had given their fuffrages too publickly to retract them. At length my bookfeller informed me that Aurantius, the standing patron of merit, had fent enquiries after me, and invited me to his acquaintance.

The time which I had long expected was now ar rived. I went to Aurantius with a beating heart, for I looked upon our interview as the critical moment of

my

my destiny. I was received with civilities, which my academick rudenefs made me unable to repay; but when I had recovered from my confufion, I profecuted the converfation with fuch liveliness and propriety, that I confirmed my new friend in his esteem of my abilities, and was difimiffed with the utmost ardour of profeffion, and raptures of fondness.

I was foon fummoned to dine with Aurantius, who had affembled the moft judicious of his friends to partake of the entertainment. Again I exerted my powers of fentiment and expreffion, and again found every eye sparkling with delight, and every tongue filent with attention. I now became familiar at the table of Aurantius, but could never, in his moft private or jocund hours, obtain more from him than general declarations of esteem, or endearments of tenderness, which included no particular promise, and therefore conferred no claim. This frigid reserve somewhat difgufted me, and when he com→ plained of three days absence, I took care to inform him with how much importunity of kindness I had been detained by his rival Pollio.

Aurantius now confidered his honour as endangered by the desertion of a wit, and left I should have an inclination to wander, told me that I could never find a friend more conftant and zealous than himfelf; that indeed he had made no promises, because he hoped to surprise me with advancement, but had been filently promoting my intereft, and should continue his good offices, unless he found the kindness of others more defired,

If you, Mr. Rambler, have ever ventured your philosophy within the attraction of greatness, you know

the

the force of fuch language introduced with a fimile of gracious tenderness, and impreffed at the conclufion with an air of folemn fincerity. From that inftant I gave myself up wholly to Aurantius, and as he immediately refumed his former gaiety, expected every morning a fummons to fome employment of dignity and profit. One month fucceeded another, and in defiance of appearances I ftill fancied myself nearer to my wishes, and continued to dream. of fuccefs, and wake to disappointment. At last the failure of my little fortune compelled me to abate the finery which I hitherto thought neceffary to the company with whom I affociated, and the rank to which I should be raised. Aurantius, from the moment in which he difcovered my poverty, confidered me as fully in his power, and afterwards rather permitted my attendance than invited it; thought himself at liberty to refuse my vifits, whenever he had other amusements within reach, and often fuffered me to wait, without pretending any neceffary bufinefs. When I was admitted to his table, if any man of rank equal to his own was prefent, he took occafion to mention my writings, and commend my ingenuity, by which he intended to apologize for the confufion of diftinctions, and the improper affortment of his company; and often called upon me to entertain his friends with my productions, as a sportsman delights the fquires of his neighbourhood with the curvets of his horfe, or the obedience of his fpaniels.

To complete my mortification, it was his practice to impofe tasks upon me, by requiring me to write upon fuch fubjects as he thought fufceptible of ornament and illustration. With these extorted perform

ances

ances he was little fatisfied, because he rarely found in them the ideas which his own imagination had fuggested, and which he therefore thought more natural than mine.

When the pale of ceremony is broken, rudeness and infult foon enter the breach. He now found that he might fafely harass me with vexation, that he had fixed the fhackles of patronage upon me, and that I could neither refift him nor efcape. At last, in the eighth year of my fervitude, when the clamour of creditors was vehement, and my neceffity known to be extreme, he offered me a fmall office, but hinted his expectation that I fhould marry a young woman with whom he had been acquainted.

I was not fo far depreffed by my calamities as to comply with his propofal; but knowing that complaints and expoftulations would but gratify his infolence, I turned away with that contempt with which I fhall never want fpirit to treat the wretch who can outgo the guilt of a robber without the temptation of his profit, and who lures the credulous and thoughtlefs to maintain the fhow of his levee, and the mirth of his table, at the expence of honour, happiness, and life.

I am, SIR, &c.

LIBERALIS.

NUMB. 164.

SATURDAY, October 12, 1751.

MART.

Vitium, Gazre, Catonis habes.

Gaurus pretends to Cato's fame;

And proves by Cato's vice, his claim.

DIST

ISTINCTION is fo pleafing to the pride of man, that a great part of the pain and pleasure of life arifes from the gratification or difappointment of an inceffant wifh for fuperiority, from the fuccefs or mifcarriage of fecret competitions, from victories and defeats, of which, though 'they appear to us of great importance, in reality none are confcious except ourselves.

Proportionate to the prevalence of this love of praise is the variety of means by which its attainment is attempted. Every man, however hopeless his pretenfions may appear to all but himself, has fome project by which he hopes to rife to reputation; fome art by which he imagines that the notice of the world will be attracted; fome quality, good or bad, which difcriminates him from the common herd of mortals, and by which others may be perfuaded to love, or compelled to fear him. The afcents of honour, however steep, never appear inacceffible; he that defpairs to scale the precipices by which valour and learning have conducted their favourites, discovers fome by-path, or easier acclivity, which, though it cannot bring him to the fummit, will yet enable him to overlook thofe with whom