Advice, as it always gives a temporary appearance of fuperiority, can never be very grateful, even when it is most neceffary or moft judicious. But for the fame reafon every one is eager to instruct his neighbours. To be wife or to be virtuous, is to buy dignity and importance at a high price; but when nothing is necessary to elevation but detection of the follies or the faults of others, no man is fo infenfible to the voice of fame as to linger on the ground. -Tentanda via eft, qua me quoque poffim New ways I must attempt, my groveling name VIRG. DRYDEN. Vanity is fo frequently the apparent motive of advice,, that we, for the most part, fummon our powers to oppofe it without any very accurate enquiry whether it is right. It is fufficient that another is growing great in his own eyes at our expence, and affumes authority over us without our permiffion; for many would contentedly fuffer the confequences of their own mistakes, rather than the infolence of him who triumphs as their deliverer. It is, indeed, feldom found that any advantages are enjoyed with that moderation which the uncertainty of all human good fo powerfully enforces; and therefore the adviser may juftly fufpect, that he has inflamed the oppofition which he laments by arrogance and fupercilioufnefs. He may fufpect, but needs not hastily to condemn himself, for he can rarely be certain that the fofteft language or moft humble H 2 humble diffidence would have escaped refentment; fince scarcely any degree of circumfpection can prevent or obviate the rage with which the flothful, the impotent, and the unsuccessful, vent their difcontent upon those that excel them. Modesty itself, if it is praised, will be envied; and there are minds fo impatient of inferiority, that their gratitude is a fpecies of revenge, and they return benefits, not because recompence is a pleasure, but because obligation is a pain. The number of those whom the love of themfelves has thus far corrupted, is perhaps not great; but there are few fo free from vanity, as not to dictate to those who will hear their inftructions with a vifible fense of their own beneficence; and few to whom it is not unpleafing to receive documents, however tenderly and cautiously delivered, or who are not willing to raise themselves from pupilage, by dif puting the propofitions of their teacher. It was the maxim, I think, of Alphonfus of Arragon, that dead counsellors are fafeft. The grave puts an ends to flattery and artifice, and the information that we receive from books is pure from intereft, fear, or ambition. Dead counsellors are likewise most inftructive; because they are heard with patience and with reverence. We are not unwilling to believe that man wifer than ourselves, from whose abilities we may receive advantage, without any danger of rivalry or oppofition, and who affords us the light of his experience, without hurting our eyes, by flashes of infolence. By the confultation of books, whether of dead or living authors, many temptations to petulance and oppofition, oppofition, which occur in oral conferences, are avoided. An author cannot obtrude his fervice unafked, nor can be often fufpected of any malignant intention to infult his readers with his knowledge or his wit. Yet fo prevalent is the habit of comparing ourselves with others, while they remain within the reach of our paffions, that books are feldom read with complete impartiality, but by thofe from whom the writer is placed at fuch a distance that his life or death is indifferent. We see that volumes may be perused, and perused with attention, to little effect; and that maxims of prudence, or principles of virtue, may be treasured in the memory without influencing the conduct. Of the numbers that pass their lives among books, very few read to be made wifer or better, apply any general reproof of vice to themselves, or try their own manners by axioms of justice. They purpose either to confume thofe hours for which they can find no other amusement, to gain or preserve that respect which learning has always obtained; or to gratify their curiofity with knowledge, which, like treasures buried and forgotten, is of no use to others or themfelves. "The preacher (fays a French author) may spend an hour in explaining and enforcing a precept of 66 religion, without feeling any impreffion from his own performance, because he may have no further "defign than to fill up his hour." A ftudent may eafily exhaust his life in comparing divines and moralifts, without any practical regard to morality or religion; he may be learning not to live, but to reafon; he may regard only the elegance of ftyle, just H 3 nefs ness of argument, and accuracy of method; and may enable himself to criticife with judgment, and difpute with fubtilty, while the chief ufe of his volumes is unthought of, his mind is unaffected, and his life is unreformed. But though truth and virtue are thus frequently defeated by pride, obftinacy, or folly, we are not allowed to defert them; for whoever can furnish arms which they hitherto have not employed, may enable them to gain fome hearts which would have refifted any other method of attack. Every man of genius has fome arts of fixing the attention peculiar to himfelf, by which, honestly exerted, he may benefit mankind; for the arguments for purity of life fail of their due influence, not because they have been confidered and confuted, but because they have been paffed over without confideration. To the pofition of Tully, that if Virtue could be feen, fhe muft be loved, may be added, that if Truth could be heard, she must be obeyed. NUMB. 88. SATURDAY, January 19, 1751. Cum tabulis animum cenforis fumet honefti : But he that hath a curious piece defign'd, HOR. } CREECH. THERE is no reputation for genius," fays Quintilian, "to be gained by writing on "things, which, however neceffary, have little fplen"dor or fhew. The height of a building attracts "the eye, but the foundations lie without regard. "Yet fince there is not any way to the top of fci ence, but from the lowest parts, I shall think no"thing unconnected with the art of oratory, which "he that wants cannot be an orator." Confirmed and animated by this illuftrious precedent, I fhall continue my enquiries into Milton's art of verfification. Since, however minute the employment may appear, of analysing lines into fyllables, and whatever ridicule may be incurred by a folemn deliberation upon accents and pauses, it is certain H 4 |