Verfes of this kind occur almost in every page; but, though they are not unpleafing or diffonant, they ought not to be admitted into heroick poetry, fince the narrow limits of our language allow us no other diftinction of epick and tragick measures, than is afforded by the liberty of changing at will the terminations of the dramatick lines, and bringing them by that relaxation of metrical rigour nearer to profe.

NUMB. 89.

TUESDAY, January 22, 1751.

Dulce eft defipere in loco.

Wisdom at proper times is well forgot.

HOR.

LOCKE, whom there is no reason to suspect of being a favourer of idlenefs or libertinifm, has advanced, that whoever hopes to employ any part of his time with efficacy and vigour, muft allow some of it to pafs in trifles. It is beyond the powers of humanity to spend a whole life in profound ftudy and intense meditation, and the most rigorous exacters of industry and ferioufnefs have appointed hours for relaxation and amusement.

It is certain, that, with or without our confent, many of the few moments allotted us will flide imperceptibly away, and that the mind will break, from confinement to its stated task, into fudden excursions. Severe and connected attention is preserved but for a fhort time, and when a man fhuts himself up in his clofet, and bends his thoughts to the difcuffion of any abstrusfe

abstruse question, he will find his faculties continually ftealing away to more pleafing entertainments. He often perceives himself transported, he knows not how, to distant tracts of thought, and returns to his firft object as from a dream, without knowing when he forfook it, or how long he has been abstracted from it.

It has been obferved that the moft ftudious are not always the most learned. There is, indeed, no great difficulty in difcovering that this difference of proficiency may arise from the difference of intellectual powers, of the choice of books, or the convenience of information. But I believe it likewife frequently happens that the most reclufe are not the most vigorous profecutors of ftudy. Many impofe upon the world, and many upon themfelves, by an appearance of fevere and exemplary diligence, when they, in reality, give themselves up to the luxury of fancy, please their minds with regulating the paft, or planning out the future; place themselves at will in varied fituations of happiness, and flumber away their days in voluntary vifions. In the journey of life fome are left behind, because they are naturally feeble and flow; fome because they miss the way, and many because they leave it by choice, and, instead of preffing onward with a steady pace, delight themselves with momentary deviations, turn afide to pluck every flower, and repofe in every fhade.

There is nothing more fatal to a man whose bufiness is to think, than to have learned the art of regaling his mind with those airy gratifications. Other vices or follies are restrained by fear, reformed by admonition, or rejected by the conviction which the

compa

comparison of our conduct with that of others may in time produce. But this invifible riot of the mind, this fecret prodigality of being, is fecure from detection, and fearless of reproach. The dreamer retires to his apartments, fhuts out the cares and interruptions of mankind, and abandons himself to his own fancy; new worlds rife up before him, one image is followed by another, and a long fucceffion of delights dances round him. He is at laft called back to life by nature, or by custom, and enters peevish into fociety, because he cannot model it to his own will. He returns from his idle excurfions with the afperity, though not with the knowledge of a student, and hastens again to the fame felicity with the eagerness of a man bent upon the advancement of fome favourite fcience. The infatuation ftrengthens by degrees, and, like the poison of opiates, weakens powers, without any external fymptom of malig

his

nity.

It happens, indeed, that thefe hypocrites of learning are in time detected, and convinced by difgrace and disappointment of the difference between the labour of thought, and the fport of mufing. But this discovery is often not made till it is too late to recover the time that has been fooled away. A thousand accidents may, indeed, awaken drones to a more early sense of their danger and their fhame. But they who are convinced of the neceffity of breaking from this habitual drowsiness, too often relapse in spite of their refolution; for these ideal feducers are always near, and neither any particularity of time nor place is neceffary to their influence; they invade the foul without warning, and have often charmed down refift.

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refistance before their approach is perceived or suspected.

This captivity, however, it is neceffary for every man to break, who has any defire to be wife or useful, to pass his life with the esteem of others, or to look back with fatisfaction from his old age upon his earlier years. In order to regain liberty, he must find the means of flying from himself; he muft, in oppofition to the Stoick precept, teach his defires to fix upon external things; he must adopt the joys and the pains of others, and excite in his mind the want of focial pleasures and amicable communication.

It is, perhaps, not impoffible to promote the cure of this mental malady, by close application to fome new study, which may pour in fresh ideas, and keep curiofity in perpetual motion. But study requires folitude, and folitude is a state dangerous to those who are too much accustomed to fink into themselves. Active employment or publick pleasure is generally a neceffary part of this intellectual regimen, without which, though fome remiffion may be obtained, a complete cure will scarcely be effected.

This is a formidable and obftinate disease of the intellect, of which, when it has once become radicated by time, the remedy is one of the hardest tasks of reafon and of virtue. Its flightest attacks, therefore, fhould be watchfully opposed; and he that finds the frigid and narcotick infection beginning to seize him, fhould turn his whole attention against it, and check it at the firft difcovery by proper counteraction.

The great refolution to be formed, when happinefs and virtue are thus formidably invaded, is, that

no part of life be spent in a state of neutrality or indifference; but that fome pleasure be found for every moment that is not devoted to labour; and that, whenever the neceffary bufinefs of life grows irksome or disgusting, an immediate tranfition be made to diverfion and gaiety.

After the exercises which the health of the body requires, and which have themselves a natural tendency to actuate and invigorate the mind, the most eligible amusement of a rational being feems to be that interchange of thoughts which is practifed in free and easy converfation; where fufpicion is banished by experience, and emulation by benevolence; where every man fpeaks with no other reftraint than unwillingness to offend, and hears with no other dif pofition than defire to be pleased.

There must be a time in which every man trifles and the only choice that nature offers us, is, to trifle in company or alone. To join profit with pleasure, has been an old precept among men who have had very different conceptions of profit. All have agreed that our amusements fhould not terminate wholly in the prefent moment, but contribute more or lefs to future advantage. He that amufes himself among well chofen companions, can fcarcely fail to receive, from the most carelefs and obftreperous merriment which virtue can allow, fome ufeful hints; nor can converse on the most familiar topicks, without fome casual information. The loofe fparkles of thoughtless wit may give new light to the mind, and the gay contention for paradoxical positions rectify the opinions.

VOL. V.

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