my imagination a very odd kind of vifion. I was, methought, replaced in my ftudy, and feated in my elbowchair, where I had indulged the foregoing fpeculations, with my lamp burning by me as ufual. Whilft I was here meditating on feveral fubjects of morality, and confidering the nature of many virtues and vices, as materials for thofe difcourfes with which I daily entertain the public; I faw, methought, a pair of golden fcales hanging by a chain of the fame metal over the table that itood before me; when on a fudden," there were great heaps of weights thrown down on each fide of them. I found upon examining these weights, they fhewed the value of every thing that is in esteem among men. I made an effay of them, by putting the weight of wisdom in one fcale, and that of riches in another, upon which the latter, to fhew its comparative lightnefs, immediately flew up and kicked the beam.' But, before I proceed, I must inform my reader, that these weights did not exert their natural gravity, until they were laid in the golden balance, infomuch that I could not guefs which was light or heavy, whilst I held them in my hand. This I found by feveral inftances; for upon my laying a weight in one of the fcales, which was infcribed by the word Eternity; though I threw in that of time, profperity, affliction, wealth, poverty, intereft, fuccefs, with many other weights, which in my hand feemed very ponderous, they were not able to ftir the oppofite balance, nor could they have prevailed, though aflifted with the weight of the fun, the ftars, and the earth. Upon emptying the fcales, I laid feveral titles and honours, with pomps, triumphs, and many weights of the like nature, in one of them, and feeing a little glittering weight lie by me, I threw it accidentally into the other fcale, when to my great furprife it prov d fo exact a counterpoife, that it kept the balance in an' equilibrium. This little glittering weight was infcribed upon the edges of it with the word Vani y. I found there were feveral other weights which were equally heavy, and exact counterpoifes to one another; a few of them I tried, as avarice and poverty, riches and content, with fome others. There were likwife feveral weights that were of the fame figure, and seemed to correspond with each other, but were entirely different when thrown into the fcales; as religion and hypocrify, pedantry and learning, wit and vivacity, fuperftition and devotion, gravity and wifdom, with many others. I obferved one particular weight lettered on both fides, and upon applying myfelf to the reading of it, I found on one fide written, * In the dialect of men,' ard underneath it, CALAMITIES. On the other fide was written, In the language of the gods,' and underneath, BLESSINGS.' I found the intrinfic value of this weight to be much greater than I imagined, for it overpowered health, wealth, good-fortune, and many other weights, which were much more ponderous in my hand than the other. · There is a faying among the Scotch, that an ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of clergy; I was fensible of the truth of this faying, when I faw the difference be tween the weight of natural parts, and that of learning. The obfervation which I made upon thefe two weights opened to me a new field of difcoveries; for notwithftanding the weight of natural parts was much heavier than that of learning, I obferved that it weighed an hundred times heavier than it did before, when I put learning into the fame fcale with it. I made the fame obfervation upon faith and morality; for notwithstanding the latter out-weighed the former feparately, it received a thousand times more additional weight from its conjunction with the former, than what it had by itself. This odd phenomenon fhewed itself in other particulars, as in wit and judgment, philofophy, and religion, juftice and humanity, zeal and charity, depth of fenfe, and perfpicuity of style, with innumerable other particulars too long to be mentioned in this paper. As a dream feldom fails of dashing feriousness with impertinence, mirth with gravity, methought I made feveral other experiments of a more ludicrous nature, by one of which I found that an English octavo was very very often heavier than a French folio; and by another, that an old Greek or Latin author weighed down a whole library of moderns. Seeing one of my Spectators lying by me, I laid it into one of the fcales, and flung a two-penny piece into the other. The reader will not inquire into the event, if he remembers the first trial which I have recorded in this paper. I afterwards threw both the fexes into the balance, but as it is not for my interest to disoblige either of them, I fhall defire to be excused from telling the refult of this experiment. Having an opportunity of tl is nature in my hands, I could not forbear throwing into one fcale the principles of a Tory, and into the other thofe of a Whig; but as I have all along declared this to be a neutral paper, I fhall likewife, defire to be filent under this head alfo, though upon examining one of the weights, I faw the word TEKEL engraven on it in capital letters. I made many other experiments, and though I have not room for them all in this day's fpeculation, I may perhaps referve them for another. I fhall only add, that upon my awaking I was forry to find my golden fcales vanifhed, but refolved for the future to learn this leffon from them, not to despise or value any things for their appearances, but to regulate my efteem and paffions towards them according to their real and intrinfic value. C. I The golden mean, as fhe's too nice to dwell NORRIS. A M wonderfully pleafed when I meet with any paffage in an old Greek or Latin author, that is not blown upon, and which I have never met with in a quotation. Of this kind is a beautiful faying in Theognis; ‘Vice is covered by wealth, and virtue by poverty,' or to give it in the verbal tranflation, Among men there are ⚫fome who have their vices concealed by wealth, and • others who have their virtues concealed by poverty.' Every man's obfervation will fupply him with inftances of fich men, who have feveral faults and defects that are overlooked, if not entirely hidden, by means of their riches; and, I think, we cannot find a more natural defcription of a poor man, whofe merits are loft in his poverty, than that in the words of the wife man. There was a little city, and few men within it: and there came a great king against it: and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: : now there was found in it a poor wife man, and he, by his wisdom, delivered the city; yet no man remembered that fame Then, faid I, wifdom is better than poor man. ftrength; nevertheless, the poor man's wifdom is defpifed and his words are not heard.' The middle condition feems to be the most advantageously fituated for the gaining of wifdom. Poverty turns our thoughts too much upon the fupplying of cur wants, and riches upon enjoying our fuperfluities; ard as Cowley has faid in another cafe, It is hard for a man to keep a fteady eye upon truth, who is always in a battle or triomph. If we regard poverty and wealth, as they are apt to produce virtues or vices in the mind of man, one may obferve that there is a fet of each of thefe growing out of poverty, quite different from that which rifes out of wealth. Humility and patience, industry and temperance, are very often the good qualities of a poor man. Humanity and good-nature, magnanimity and a fenfe of honour, are as often the qualifications of the rich. On the contrary, poverty is apt to betray a man into envy, riches into arrogancy; poverty is too often attended with fraud, vicious compliance, repining, murmur and difcontent. Riches expofe a man to pride and luxury, a foolish elation of heart, and too great a fordnefs for the prefent world. In fhort the middle condition is most eligible to the nan who would improve himfelf in virtue, as I have before fhewn, it is the most advantageous for the gaining of knowledge. It was upon this confideration that Agur founded his prayer, which for the wisdom of it is recorded in Holy Writ. Two things have I required of thee, deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty, nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: left I be full and deny thee, and say who is the Lord ? or left I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.' I fhall fill the remaining part of my paper with a very pretty allegory, which is wrought into a play by Ariftophanes the Greek comedian. It feems originally defigned as a fatire upon the rich, though in fome parts of it, it is like the foregoing difcourfe, a kind of comparifon between wealth and poverty. Chremylus, who was an old and a good man, and withal exceeding poor, being defirous to leave fome riches to his fon, confults the oracle of Apollo upon the fubject. The oracle bids him follow the first man he fhould fee upon his going out of the temple. The perfon he chanced to fee was to appearance an old fordid blied man; but upon his following him from place to place, he at last found by his own confeffion, that he |