equal guilt. Every man of high rank is furrounded with numbers, who have no other rule of thought or action, than his maxims, and his conduct; whom the honour of being numbered among his acquaintance reconciles to all his vices, and all his abfurdities; and who eafily perfuade themselves to esteem him, by whofe regard they confider themselves as diftinguished and exalted.

It is dangerous for mean minds to venture themfelves within the fphere of greatnefs. Stupidity is foon blinded by the splendour of wealth, and cowardice is eafily fettered in the fhackles of dependance. To folicit patronage, is, at leaft, in the event, to fet virtue to fale. None can be pleafed without praise, and few can be praised without falfehood; few can be affiduous without fervility, and none can be fervile without corruption.

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NUMB. 105. TUESDAY, March 19, 1751.

Animorum

Impulfu, et cæcá magnâque cupidine duci.

Vain man runs headlong, to caprice refign'd;
Impell'd by paffion, and with folly blind.

Juv.

WAS lately confidering, among other objects of fpeculation, the new attempt of an univerfal register, an office, in which every man may lodge an account of his fuperfluities and wants, of whatever he defires to purchase or to fell. My imagination foon presented to me the latitude to which this defign may be extended by integrity and industry, and the advantages which may be juftly hoped from a general mart of intelligence, when once its reputation fhall be so established, that neither reproach nor fraud fhall be feared from it; when an application to it fhall not be cenfured as the laft refource of defperation, nor its informations fufpected as the fortuitous fuggeftions of men obliged not to appear ignorant. A place where every exuberance may be difcharged, and every deficiency supplied; where every lawful paffion may find its gratifications, and every honest curiosity receive fatisfaction; where the stock of a nation, pecuniary and intellectual, may be brought together, and where all conditions of humanity may hope to find relief, pleasure, and accommodation; must equally deserve the attention of the merchant and philofopher, of him who mingles in the tumult of business, and him who only lives to amufe himself with the various

employments and purfuits of others.

Nor will it be

an uninftructing school to the greatest masters of method and dispatch, if fuch multiplicity can be preserved from embarraffment, and fuch tumult from inaccuracy.

While I was concerting this fplendid project, and filling my thoughts with its regulation, its conveniencies, its variety, and its confequences, I funk gradually into flumber; but the fame images, though less distinct, still continued to float upon my fancy. I perceived myself at the gate of an immense edifice, where innumerable multitudes were paffing without confufion; every face on which I fixed my eyes, feemed fettled in the contemplation of fome important purpose, and every foot was haftened by eagernefs and expectation. I followed the crowd without knowing whither I fhould be drawn, and remained a while in the unpleafing state of an idler, where all other beings were bufy, giving place every moment to those who had more importance in their looks. Afhamed to ftand ignorant, and afraid to ask questions, at laft I faw a lady fweeping by me, whom, by the quicknefs of her eyes, the agility of her fteps, and a mixture of levity and impatience, I knew to be my long-loved protectrefs, CURIOSITY. "Great "goddefs," faid I, may thy votary be permitted "to implore thy favour; if thou haft been my di"rectress from the first dawn of reason; if I have "followed thee through the maze of life with inva"riable fidelity; if I have turned to every new call, "and quitted at thy nod one purfuit for another; "if I have never stopped at the invitations of for

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tune, nor forgot thy authority in the bowers of

I

“pleasure,

"pleasure ; inform me now whither chance has con"ducted me."

"Thou art now," replied the fmiling power, "in the presence of JUSTICE, and of TRUTH, whom "the father of gods and men has fent down to regis

ter the demands and pretenfions of mankind, that "the world may at last be reduced to order, and that "none may complain hereafter of being doomed to "tasks for which they are unqualified, of poffeffing "faculties for which they cannot find employment, "or virtues that languifh unobferved for want of op"portunities to exert them, of being encumbered with fuperfluities which they would willingly refign, or of wafting away in defires which ought "to be fatisfied. JUSTICE is now to examine every "man's wishes, and TRUTH is to record them; let "us approach, and obferve the progrefs of this great "tranfaction."

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'

She then moved forward, and TRUTH, who knew her among the most faithful of her followers, beckoned her to advance, till we were placed near the feat of JUSTICE. The first who required the affiftance of the office, came forward with a flow pace, and tumour of dignity, and fhaking a weighty purfe in his hand, demanded to be registered by TRUTH, as the MECENAS of the prefent age, the chief encourager of literary merit, to whom men of learning and wit might apply in any exigence or diftrefs with certainty of fuccour. JUSTICE very mildly inquired, whether he had calculated the expence of fuch a declaration? whether he had been informed what number of petitioners would fwarm about him? whether he could diftinguish idlenefs and negligence from calamity,

often

oftentation from knowledge, or vivacity from wit? To these questions he feemed not well provided with a reply, but repeated his defire to be recorded as a patron. JUSTICE then offered to regifter his propofal on these conditions, that he should never fuffer himfelf to be flattered; that he fhould never delay an audience when he had nothing to do; and that he fhould never encourage followers without intending to reward them. These terms were too hard to be

accepted; for what, faid he, is the end of patronage, but the pleasure of reading dedications, holding multitudes in fufpenfe, and enjoying their hopes, their fears, and their anxiety, flattering them to affiduity, and, at last, dismiffing them for impatience? JUSTICE heard his confeffion, and ordered his name to be posted upon the gate among cheats and robbers, and publick nuifances, which all were by that notice warned to avoid.

Another required to be made known as the difcoverer of a new art of education, by which languages and sciences might be taught to all capacities, and all inclinations, without fear of punishment, pain of confinement, lofs of any part of the gay mien of ignorance, or any obstruction of the neceffary progress in drefs, dancing, or cards.

JUSTICE and TRUTH did not trouble this great adept with many inquiries; but finding his address awkward and his fpeech barbarous, ordered him to be registered as a tall fellow who wanted employ. ment, and might ferve in any poft where the knowledge of reading and writing was not required.

A man of a very grave and philofophick afpect, required notice to be given of his intention to fet out,

a certain