come, be able to eclipfe all their fplendour, and furpafs all their magnificence.

Upon plans of elegance, and schemes of pleasure, the day rofe and fet, and the year went round unregarded, while we were bufied in laying out plantations on ground not yet our own, and deliberating whether the manor-houfe fhould be rebuilt or repaired. This was the amufement of our leifure, and the folace of our exigencies; we met together only to contrive how our approaching fortune fhould be enjoyed; for in this our converfation always ended, on whatever fubject it began. We had none of the collateral interefts, which diverfify the life of others with joys and hopes, but had turned our whole attention on one event, which we could neither haften nor retard, and had no other object of curiofity than the health or fickness of my aunts, of which we were careful to procure very exact and early intelligence.

This vifionary opulence for a while foothed our imagination, but afterwards fired our wifhes, and exafperated our neceffities, and my father could not always restrain himself from exclaiming, that no creature had fo many lives as a cat and an old maid. At last, upon the recovery of his fifter from an ague, which fhe was fuppofed to have caught by fparing fire, he began to lofe his ftomach, and four months afterwards funk into the grave.

My mother, who loved her husband, furvived him but a little while, and left me the fole heir of their lands, their schemes, and their wishes. As I had not enlarged my conceptions either by books or converfation, I differed only from my father by the fresh

nefs

nefs of my cheeks, and the vigour of my ftep; and, like him, gave way to no thoughts but of enjoying the wealth which my aunts were hoarding.

At length the eldest fell ill. I paid the civilities and compliments which ficknefs requires with the utmoft punctuality. I dreamed every night of efcutcheons and white gloves, and enquired every morning at an early hour, whether there were any news of my dear aunt. At laft a meffenger was fent to inform me that I muft come to her without the delay of a moment. 1 went and heard her last advice, but opening her will, found that fhe had left her fortune to her fecond fifter.

I hung my head; the youngest fifter threatened to be married, and every thing was disappointment and discontent. I was in danger of lofing irreparably one-third of my hopes, and was condemned ftill to wait for the reft. Of part of my terror I was soon eased; for the youth, whom his relations would have compelled to marry the old lady, after innumerable ftipulations, articles, and fettlements, ran away with the daughter of his father's groom; and my aunt, upon this conviction of the perfidy of man, refolved never to liften more to amorous addreffes.

Ten years longer I dragged the fhackles of expectation, without ever fuffering a day to pass, in which I did not compute how much my chance was improved of being rich to morrow. At laft the fecond lady died, after a fhort illness, which yet was long enough to afford her time for the disposal of her eftate, which she gave to me after the death of her fifter.

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a

I was now relieved from part of my misery; larger fortune, though not in my power, was certain and unalienable; nor was there now any danger, that I might at laft be fruftrated of my hopes by a fret of dotage, the flatteries of a chamber-maid, the whispers of a tale-bearer, or the officioufnefs of a nurfe. But my wealth was yet in reverfion, my aunt was to be buried before I could emerge to grandeur and pleafure; and there were yet, according to my father's obfervation, nine lives between me and happiness.

I however lived on, without any clamours of dif content, and comforted myself with confidering, that all are mortal, and they who are continually decaying muft at last be destroyed.

But let no man from this time fuffer his felicity to depend on the death of his aunt. The good gentlewoman was very regular in her hours, and fimple in her diet; and in walking or fitting ftill, waking or fleeping, had always in view the preservation of her health. She was fubject to no diforder but hypochondriac dejection; by which, without intention, the increafed my miferies, for whenever the weather was cloudy, fhe would take her bed and fend me notice that her time was come. I went with all the hafte of eagernefs, and fometimes received paffionate injunctions to be kind to her maid, and directions how the laft offices fhould be performed; but if before my arrival the fun happened to break out, or the wind to change, I met her at the door, or found her in the garden, bustling and vigilant, with all the tokens of long life.

Some

Sometimes, however, fhe fell into diftempers, and was thrice given over by the doctor, yet fhe found means of flipping through the gripe of death, and after having tortured me three months at each time with violent alternations of hope and fear, came out of her chamber without any other hurt than the lofs of flesh, which in a few weeks fhe recovered by broths and jellies.

As most have fagacity fufficient to guefs at the defires of an heir, it was the conftant practice of those who were hoping at fecond hand, and endeavoured to secure my favour against the time when I fhould be rich, to pay their court, by informing me that my aunt began to droop, that she had lately a bad night, that the coughed feebly, and that she could never climb May hill; or, at least, that the autumn would carry her off. Thus was I flattered in the winter with the piercing winds of March, and in fummer, with the fogs of September. But the lived through fpring and fall, and fet heat and cold at defiance, till, after near half a century, I buried her on the fourteenth of last June, aged ninety-three years, five months, and fix days.

For two months after her death I was rich, and was pleased with that obfequioufnefs and reverence which wealth instantaneously procures. But this joy is now paft, and I have returned again to my old habit of wifhing. Being accustomed to give the future full power over my mind, and to ftart away from the scene before me to fome expected enjoy. ment, I deliver up myself to the tyranny of every defire which fancy fuggefts, and long for a thoufand things which I am unable to procure. Money VOL. V.

C

has

has much less power than is afcribed to it by thofe that want it. I had formed fchemes which I cannot execute, I had fuppofed events which do not come to pafs, and the rest of my life must pass in craving folicitude, unless you can find fome remedy for a mind, corrupted with an inveterate disease of wifhing, and unable to think on any thing but wants, which reafon tells me will never be fupplied.

I am, &c.

CUPIDUS.

NUMB. 74. SATURDAY, December 1, 1750.

Rixatur de lana fæpe caprina.

HOR.

ΜΙ

For nought tormented, fhe for nought torments.

ELPHINSTON.

EN feldom give pleafure, where they are not pleased themselves; it is neceffary, therefore, to cultivate an habitual alacrity and cheerfulness, that in whatever ftate we may be placed by Providence, whether we are appointed to confer or receive benefits, to implore or to afford protection, we may fecure the love of thofe with whom we tranf ́act. For though it is generally imagined, that he who grants favours, may fpare any attention to his behaviour, and that usefulness will always procure friends; yet it has been found, that there is an art of granting requests, an art very difficult of attainment; that officioufnefs and liberality may be fo

adul