where a man may wish for the highest cast, but, if his chance be otherwise, he is e'en to play it as well as he can, and to make the best of it. I am, LETTER III. TO MR. STEELE. Your, etc. July 15, 1712. You formerly obferved to me that nothing made a more ridiculous figure in a man's life than the disparity we often find in him fick and well; thus one of an unfortunate conftitution is perpetually exhibiting a miserable example of the weakness of his mind, and of his body, in their turns. I have had frequent opportunities of late to confider myself in thefe different views, and, I hope, have received fome advantage by it, if what Waller fays be true, that The foul's dark cottage, batter'd and decay'd, Lets in new Light thro' chinks that time has made. Then furely fickness, contributing no less than old age to the shaking down this scaffolding of the body, discover the inward ftructure more plainly. may Sickness is a fort of early old age; it teaches us a diffidence in our earthly ftate, and infpires us with the thoughts of a future, better than a thousand volumes 1 volumes of philofophers and divinės. It gives fo warning a concuffion to thofe props of our vanity, our strength and youth, that we think of fortifying ourfelves within, when there is fo little dependance upon our out-works. Youth at the very best is but a betrayer of human life in a gentler and fmoother manner than age: 'tis like a ftream that nourishes a plant upon a bank, and caufes it to flourish and bloffom to the fight, but at the fame time is undermining it at the root in fecret. My youth has dealt more fairly and openly with me, it has afforded feveral profpects of my danger, and given me an advantage not very common to young men, that the attractions of the world have not dazzled me very much; and I begin, where moft people end, with a full conviction of the emptiness of all forts of ambition, and the unfatisfactory nature of all human pleasures. When a fmart fit of fickness tells me this fcurvy tenement of my body will fall in a little time, I am e'en as unconcerned as was that honeft Hibernian, who being in bed in the great storm fome years ago, and told the house would tumble over his head, made answer, What care I for the house? I am only a lodger. I fancy it is the best time to die when one is in the best humour; and fo exceffively weak as I now am, I may say with conscience, that I am not at all uneafy at the thought, that many men, whom I never had any esteem for, are likely to enjoy this world after me. When I reflect whan an inconfiderable little atom every every single man is, with respect to the whole creation, methinks, 'tis a fhame to be concerned at the removal of fuch a trivial animal as I am. The morning after my exit, the fun will rife as bright as ever, the flowers fmell as fweet, the plants fpring as green, the world will proceed in its old course, people will laugh as heartily, and marry as faft, as they were used to do. The memory of man (as it is elegantly expreffed in the Book of Wisdom) paffeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarrieth but one day. There are reafons enough, in the fourth chapter of the fame book, to make any young man contented with the prospect of death. "For honourable age is not that which "ftandeth in length of time, or is measured by num"ber of years. But wisdom is the grey hair to man, "and an unspotted life is old age. He was taken "away speedily, left wickednefs fhould alter his "understanding, or deceit beguile his foul," etc. I am, Your, etc. VOL. VII. ર I LETTER IV. TO MR. STEELE. November 7, 1712. 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 gaiety unworthy of that prince in those circumstances. I could not but differ from this opinion: methinks it was by no means a gay, but a very ferious foliloquy to his foul at the point of its departure; in which sense I naturally took the verses 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, "Alas, my foul! thou pleafing companion of this "body, thou fleeting thing that art now deferting it! "whither art thou flying? to what unknown scene? "all trembling, fearful, and penfive? what now is "become of thy former wit and humour? thou fhalt jeft and be gay no more." I con. I confess I cannot apprehend where lies the trifling in all this it is the most natural and obvious reflection imaginable 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 fcarce reafonable he should think otherwise; not to mention that here is a plain confeffion included of his belief in its immortality. The diminutive epithets of vagula, blandula, and the rest, appear not to me as expreffions of levity, but rather of endearment and concern; fuch as we find in Catullus, and the authors of Hendeca-fyllabi after him, where they are used to exprefs the utmost love and tenderness for their mistreffes-If you think me right in my notion of the * laft * These sort of epithets are carried to a great degree of affectation by the modern Latin Poets of Italy, in their many Imita. tions of the Hendeca-Syllaba of Catullus; even by fuch charming writers as Naugerius, Cotta, and Flaminius, and many others. Nothing can be more unlike Catullus than thefe luscious, florid, and meretricious ornaments; whose style is remarkable for purity, fimplicity, and a certain aufterity that is peculiarly charming. Mr. Wilkes has done honour to the English prefs, and to his own exquisite taste and judgment in polite literature, in giving us, a few years ago, the best and most elegant edition of Catullus extant. London, quarto, 17 He has fince given us as elegant an edition of Theophraftus, which, from his wit and humour, and knowledge of life and characters, it were to be wifhed he had enriched with notes and illuftrations. To the taste and erudition of Mr. Wilkes I am indebted for many remarks in this edition of his favourite writer. |