It is, indeed, frequently difcovered by us, that we complained too hastily of peculiar hardships, and imagined ourfelves diftinguished by embarraffments, in which other claffes of men are equally entangled. We often change a lighter for a greater evil, and with ourselves reftored again to the ftate from which we thought it defirable to be delivered. But this knowledge, though it is easily gained by the trial, is not always attainable any other way; and that error cannot justly be reproached, which reafon could not obviate, nor prudence avoid.

To take a view at once diftinct and comprehenfive of human life, with all it's intricacies of combination, and varieties of connexion, is beyond the power of mortal intelligences. Of the state with which practice has not acquainted us, we fnatch a glimpfe, we difcern a point, and regulate the reft by paffion, and by fancy. In this enquiry every favourite prejudice, every innate defire, is bufy to deceive us. We are unhappy, at leaft lefs happy than our nature feems to admit; we neceffarily defire the melioration of our lot; what we defire, we very reafonably feek, and what we feek we are naturally eager to believe that we have found. Our confidence is often difappointed, but our reafon is not convinced; and there is no man who does not hope for fomething which he has not, though perhaps his wifhes lie unactive, because he forefees the difficulty of attainment. As among the numerous students of Henetick philofophy, not one appears to have defifted from the task of tranfmutation from conviction of it's impoffibility, but from wearinefs of toil, or impatience of delay, a broken body, or exhausted fortune.

Irrefolution and mutability are often the faults of men whofe views are wide, and whofe imagination is vigorous and excurfive, because they cannot confine their thoughts within their own boundaries of action, but are continually ranging over all the fcenes of human exift ence, and confequently are often apt to conceive that they fall upon new regions of pleasure, and start new poffibilities of happiness. Thus they are bufied with a perpetual fucceffion of fchemes, and pas their lives in alternate elation and forrow, for want of that calm and immoveable acquiefcence in their condition by which men of flower underfrandings are fixed for ever to a certain

point, or led on in the plain beaten track which their fathers and grandfires have trod before them.

Of two conditions of life equally inviting to the profpect, that will always have the difadvantage which we have already tried; because the evils which we have felt we cannot extenuate; and though we have, perhaps from nature, the power as well of aggravating the calamity which we fear, as of heightening the bleffing we expect, yet in those meditations which we indulge by choice, and which are not forced upon the mind hy neceffity, we have always the art of fixing our regard upon the more pleafing images, and fuffer hope to difpofe the lights by which we look upon futurity.

The good and ill of different modes of life are fometimes fo equally oppofed, that perhaps no man ever yet inade his choice between them upon a full conviction and adequate knowledge; and therefore fluctuation of will is not more wonderful, when they are propofed to the election, than ofcillations of a beam charged with equal weights. The mind no fooner imagines itfelf determined by fome prevalent advantage, than fome convenience of equal weight is discovered on the other fide, and the refolutions, which are fuggefted by the niceft examination are often repented as foon as they are taken,

Eumenes, a young man of great abilities, inherited a large eftate from a father long eminent in confpicuous employments. His father, haraffed with competitions, and perplexed with multiplicity of bufinefs, recommended the quiet of a private ftation with fo much force, that Eumenes for fome years refifted every motion of ambitious wishes; but being once provoked by the fight of oppreffion, which he could not redress, he began to think it the duty of an honeft man to enable himself to protect others, and gradually felt a defire of greatness, excited by a thousand projects of advantage to his country. His fortune placed him in the fenate, his knowledge and eloquence advanced him at court, and he poffeffed that authority and influence which he had refolved to exert for the happinefs of mankind.

He now became acquainted with greatnefs, and was in a fhort time convinced, that in proportion as the power of doing. well is enlarged, the temptations to do ill are multiplied and enforced. He felt

himself

himfelf every moment in danger of being either feduced or driven from his honeft purpofes. Sometimes a friend was to be gratified, and fometimes a rival to be crushed, by means which his confcience could not approve. Sometimes he was forced to comply with the prejudices of the publick, and fometimes with the fchemes of the miniftry. He was by degrees wearied with perpetual ftruggles to unite policy and virtue, and went back to retirement as the fhelter of innocence, perfuaded that he could only hope to benefit mankind by a blameless example of private virtue. Here he spent fome years in tranquillity and beneficence; but finding that corruption increafed, and falle opinions in government prevailed, he thought himself again fummoned to pofts of publick truft,

from which new evidence of his own weakness again determined him to re

tire.

Thus men may be made inconftant by virtue and by vice, by too much or too little thought; yet incomitancy, however dignified by it's motives, is always to be avoided, becaufe life allows us but a fmall time for enquiry and experiment; and he that fteadily endeavours at excellence, in whatever employment, will more benefit mankind than he that hefitates in chufing his part till he is called to the performance. The traveller that refolutely follows a rough and winding path will fooner reach the end of his journey than he that is always changing his direction, and waftes the hours of day-light in looking for fmoother ground, and fhorter paffages.

SALLUST.

HEN Socrates was building

a

ing asked by one that obferved the littlenefs of the defign, why a man fo eminent would not have an abode more fuitable to his dignity? he replied, that he fhould think himfelf fufficiently accommodated, if he could fee that narrow habitation filled with real friends. Such was the opinion of this great mafter of human life concerning the infrequency of fuch an union of minds as might deferve the name of Friendship, that, among the multitudes whom vanity or curiotity, civility or vencration, crouded about him, he did not expect that very fpacious apartments would be neceffary to contain all that fhould regard him with fincere kindness, or adhere to him with steady fidelity.

So many qualities are indeed requifite to the poffibility of friendfhip, and fo many accidents must concur to it's rife and it's continuance, that the greatest part of mankind content themfelves without it, and fupply it's place as they can, with intereft and dependance.

Multitudes are unqualified for a conftant and warm reciprocation of bonevolence, as they are incapacitated for any other elevated excellence by perpetual attention to their intereft, and unrefifting fubjection to their pallions. Long habits

the importunities of any immediate gratification, and an inveterate felfishnets will imagine all advantages diminished in proportion as they are communicated.

But not only this hateful and confirmed corruption, but many varieties of difpofition, not inconfiftent with common degrees of virtue, may exclude friendship from the heart. Some ardent enough in their benevolence, and defective neither in officioufiefs nor liberality, are mutable and uncertain, foon attracted by new objects, difgufted without offence, and alienated without enmity. Others are foft and flexible, eally influenced by reports or whispers, icady to catch alarms from every dubious circumftance, and to listen to every fulpicion which envy and flattery fhall fuggeft; to follow the opinion of every confident advifer, and move by the impulfe of the laft breath. Some are inpatient of contradiction, more willing to go wrong, by their own judgment, than to be indebted for a better or afer way to the fagacity of another; inclined to confider countel as infult, and erqui, y as want of confidence; and to confer ther regard on no other terms than tar ferved fubmiffion, and implicit compliance. Some are dark and involved, equally T 2 carumi