out of his mouth that night but the wine. Let it, however, be remembered by thofe who bring fuch inftances in their own juftification, that the caufe of Addison's taciturnity was, a natural diffidence in the company of ftrangers, to difmifs which he took his glafs more freely than he might otherwife have done; and that, among a chofen few, his converfation was at once improving and delightful. In fome circles it is poffible to be a very excellent companion without uttering a fingle fentiment, or a fingle word more than is neceffary to repeat the toaft. In these indeed, the wit of a Swift, the humour of a Quin, and the fine philofophical spirit of an Addison, would not be deemed half fo agreeable as the good-natured eafe of him who counts no hours, but filently fits and inhales and exhales, through a tube of clay, the fmoke of tobacco. If fuch perfons are philofophers, one might guefs from their taciturnity, that they are the difciples of Pythagoras. In the lower ranks of mankind we must not expect refinement. Liberal and ingenious ideas muft have been collected by reading, before converfation can be advanced to the perfection of which it is capable. We readily therefore pardon those defects which could not eafily have been fupplied. We are not furprifed at ribaldry, noife, and nonfenfe, in the fociety of the vulgar, and of thofe who feek relief from bodily labour, in coarse mirth, and unfelected fociety. But that perfons who have improved their reafon, and who have leifure for all the refinements of intellectual pleasure, fhould neglect the means of fo much advantage and fatisfaction as might be derived from converfation properly conducted, is an additional inftance of our folly, in difregarding the moft obvious means of improving our happiness and our condition. I know it may be faid, that, as relaxation is often the principal object of our mutual intercourse, to render converfation a ftudy, and the effect of care and meditation, is to defeat its purpose. But let it be remembered, that the improvements in converfation which I recommend, contribute no lefs to encrease the pleasure than the advantage of it. I recommend no ftiffness, no no improper folemnity, or difagreeable formality; but eafe, elegance, politenefs, united with fenfe, tafte, learning, and with a communicative difpofition. Cards are not difapproved in general; nothing, however light, while it is innocent, is totally prohibited; and all that I contend for is, that, where circumstances admit, and in a proper alternation, literature, the fine arts, natural and moral philofophy, hiftory, and whatever exercifes the better powers of the understanding, should contribute to fill up the many hours which we ufually fpend in company. These things would often preclude infipidity, fcandal, gaming, and intemperance. Such would be their valuable effects confidered only negatively. But they would do more, they would exalt and refine the human mind, and would prove what man fo often boafts without exhibiting fufficient proofs of it, that he is an animal not only focial, but rational. No. CIII. ON GOODNESS OF HEART. W HOEVER has made accurate obfervations on men and manners, will eafily perceive that the praise of goodness of heart is ufually accompanied with an oblique infinuation of intellectual imbecility. I believe him to be a well-meaning man, fays the malignant panegyrift, and if there is any fault in him, it will be found rather in his head than in his heart. Nothing could be better contrived by a crafty and envious world, to render this amiable quality contemptible, than to reprefent it as the effect, or as the companion of folly. It is, indeed true, that innocence and integrity are ufually accompanied with fimplicity; not, however, with that fort of fimplicity which is fometimes fynonimous with folly; but with an amiable openness of manners, which had rather lofe its objects, than obtain them by deceit ; which leads the tongue boldly to speak, what the heart honeftly conceives. If we weigh the fatisfactions of an open and upright conduct, of a clear confcience, confcience, and of that liberty which we enjoy by thinking, fpeaking, and acting, without mean and fervile reftraints, it will, I believe, be found, that this fimplicity is true wisdom, and that the cunning of the worldly wife is real and egregious imprudence. Goodnefs of heart, whether it be a natural or acquired goodness, is, indeed, in every refpect, the higheft wifdom. It is the only quality which can refcue human nature from the difgrace and mifery of its wretched weaknesses, and its powerful tendencies to evil. It raises the poor worm, that otherwife crawls on a dunghill, and ftings and bites his wretched companions, to an exalted place in the scale of being, and causes him to affimilate with the divine nature. I fhall exhibit to my youthful readers, whofe hearts are yet fufceptible of whatever bias they chufe to give them, two characters; in one of which appeared goodnefs of heart, and in the other, worldly wisdom or cunning, or the art of pleafing for the fake of profit. If any one fhould hefitate in chufing whether of the two fhall be his model, he need not hefitate at beginning a reformation of himself, for he may depend upon it, than his own heart ftands greatly in need of amend ment. Serpens (for fuch let us fuppofe to be his name) has perfuaded himself that he fees farther into things than the rest of his fpecies. He confiders religion as prieftcraft, morality as the invention of politicians, and tafte and literature as the amufements of fools. His philofophy, and his purfuits in general, are all circumfcribed within limits extremely narrow. Pleasure and intereft are his chief good, his only objects of ferious purfuit, and in the attainment of thefe he is not fcrupulously delicate. There is, indeed, no virtue or good quality, the appearance of which he does not affuine; because, while mankind are weak enough to judge and esteem men according to moral and religious prejudices, a plaufible appearance is effentially neceffary to fuccefs in life. External decency is his highest aim. Sincerity or found principles would but retard his purpofes. Compaffion he never felt, and is equally a stranger to love and friendship, though he is always profefling them to perfons perfons of fortune and diftinction, whom he idolizes with religious adoration; and this is the only fentiment which he feels, bordering upon religion. By a life spent in abject fervility, in courting a capricious world, in deceiving the credulous, in contriving schemes of advantage or pleasure, and in hardening his confcience, he has at laft, in his fiftieth year, obtained fome promotion, and accumulated a handfome fum of money. But he cannot enjoy it now he is poffeffed of it. The fame greedy felfishness which taught him to debafe his foul in pursuing intereft and private gratification, ftill operates on his conduct, and renders hin a complete mifer. Though he has long enjoyed a competency, he never had fpirit enough to marry. He was afraid of the expence. He hates his relations, because he thinks they expect his fortune at his decease. He has made no real friends, though he has deceived thousands by profeffing friendship for the eafier accomplishment of his dirty defigns. All the neighbours deteft him; and he envies every one of them who appears to be happier than himself, which indeed they all do; for his heart is torn with malignity, with fears, anxieties, and covetoufnefs. He bears, however, the character of a fhrewd and fenfible man, one who knows the world, and learned, at an early age, to make it his bubble. His advice is confidered as an oracle in all pecuniary bufinefs, and no attorney would be half fo much confulted, if he did not render himself almoft inacceffible by the morofenefs of his temper. As in his youth, he was all fubmiflion and gentlenefs, and perfectly fkilled in the celebrated art of pleafing; fo now, when the mafque is no longer neceffary, his natural difpofition breaks out in all its horrid deformity. But the mifery which he occafions to all around him, falls upon himself, by the juft retribution of Providence. The heart, which has been the receptacle of every vice and every meannefs, is always the feat of uneafy fenfation. The ftupid infenfibility with refpect to the finer feelings, which ufually characterizes that fort of fhrewd men, who are celebrated in the world as men who know things fo well, may, indeed, guard them them from pungent affliction, but it is itself a curfe most devoutly to be deprecated. Simplicius was the son of parents remarkable for the piety and regularity of their lives. He received a liberal education in its moft comprehenfive form, and found every moral inftruction which he derived from books, and from his preceptor, confirmed by example at home. All his delicate fenfibilities were gradually nurfed to a ftate of perfection by the innocence and temperance of his life; by the piety and virtue of his family, in which fuch refpect was paid to him while a boy, that not a word that could convey a loofe or improper idea was ever uttered in his prefence. He married early, and obeyed the dictates of his heart in felecting a moft amiable woman of beauty, fenfe, and temper, but of little or no fortune. The fhrewd and wife men of the world laughed and pitied. Simplicius, however, had never any reason to repent. His children are his chief delight; but he loves his friends with fincere and unalterable affection; and there is no fpecies of diftrefs which he does not pity and relieve to the beft of his power. The amiableness of his manners, and the regularity of his conduct, gave him the advantage of character, the want of which can feldom be fupplied by any worldly policy. With this powerful recommendation he has made his way to eminence, and enjoys his fuccefs with the trueft relish. It is, indeed, unembittered by any reflection on finifter modes of fecuring it. He always proceeded in the ftrait road of common fenfe and common honefty. He knew of no obliquities; for, indeed, he found the art of life very plain and easy, and by no means fuch as requires the precepts of a Machiavel. His heart and his understanding are both excellent; and Co-operating with each other, have conducted him to happiness through the flowery paths of innocence. His heart has been a perpetual fpring of agreeable fenfations to himfelf, and to all who were fo fortunate as to be allied to him by kindred, by affinity, by acquaintance, or in the courfe of his negociations. A good confcience will caufe the evening of life to clofe in the fweetest serenity, as the day has been diftinguished by unclouded funfhine. Whatever |