we display the faults or virtues of him whose public conduct has made almost every man his enemy or his friend. To the quick circulation of fuch productions all the motives of intereft and vanity concur; the disputant enlarges his knowledge, the zealot animates his paffion, and every man is defirous to inform himself concerning affairs fo vehemently agitated and variously reprefented. It is fcarcely to be imagined, through how many fubordinations of interest the ardour of party is diffused; and what multitudes fancy themselves affected by every fatire or panegyrick on a man of eminence. Whoever has, at any time, taken occafion to mention him with praife or blame, whoever happens to love or hate any of his adherents, as he wishes to confirm his opinion, and to ftrengthen his party, will diligently perufe every paper from which he can hope for fentiments like his own. An object, however small in itself, if placed near to the eye, will engross all the rays of light; and a tranfaction, however trivial, fwells into importance when it preffes immediately on our attention. He that fhall peruse the political pamphlets of any paft reign, will wonder why they were fo eagerly read, or fo loudly praifed. Many of the performances which had power to inflame factions, and fill a kingdom with confusion, have now very little effect upon a frigid critick; and the time is coming, when the compofitions of later hirelings fhall lie equally defpifed. In proportion as those who write on temporary fubjects are exalted above their merit at first, they are afterwards depreffed below it; nor can the brightest elegance of diction, or most artful fubtilty of reasoning, hope for for fo much esteem from those whofe regard is no longer quickened by curiofity or pride. It is, indeed, the fate of controvertists, even when they contend for philofophical or theological truth, to be foon laid afide and flighted. Either the question is decided, and there is no more place for doubt and oppofition, or mankind despair of understanding it; and grow weary of disturbance, content themselves with quiet ignorance, and refuse to be haraffed with labours which they have no hopes of recompenfing with knowledge. The authors of new discoveries may furely expect to be reckoned among thofe whofe writings are fecure of veneration: yet it often happens that the general reception of a doctrine obfcures the books in which it was delivered. When any tenet is generally received and adopted as an incontrovertible principle, we seldom look back to the arguments upon which it was firft established, or can bear that tediousness of deduction, and multiplicity of evi dence, by which its author was forced to reconcile it to prejudice, and fortify it in the weakness of novelty against obftinacy and envy. It is well known how much of our philofophy is derived from Boyle's discovery of the qualities of the air; yet of those who now adopt or enlarge his theory, very few have read the detail of his experiments. His name is, indeed, reverenced; but his works are neglected we are contented to know, that he conquered his opponents, without inquiring what cavils were produced against him, or by what proofs they were confuted. VOL. V. 4 Some Some writers apply themfelves to ftudies boundless and inexhaustible, as experiments in natural philo fophy. These are always loft in fucceffive compilations, as new advances are made, and former ob fervations become more familiar. Others spend their lives in remarks on language, or explanations of antiquities, and only afford materials for lexicographers and commentators, who are themselves overwhelmed by fubfequent collectors, that equally destroy the memory of their predeceffors by amplification, tranfpofition, or contraction. Every new fyftem of nature gives birth to a swarm of expofitors, whose business is to explain and illuftrate it, and who can hope to exift no longer than the founder of their fect preferves his reputation. There are, indeed, few kinds of compofition from which an author, however learned or ingenious, can hope a long continuance of fame. He who has carefully ftudied human nature, and can well defcribe it, may with most reafon flatter his ambition. Bacon, among all his pretenfions to the regard of pofterity, feems to have pleafed himself chiefly with his Effays, which come home to men's bufinefs and bofoms, and of which, therefore, he declares his expectation, that they will live as long as books last. It may, however, fatisfy an honeft and benevolent mind to have been ufeful, though lefs confpicuous; nor will he that extends his hope to higher rewards, be fo much anxious to obtain praife, as to discharge the duty which Providence affigns him. NUMB. 107. TUESDAY, March 26, 1751. Alternis igitur contendere verfibus ambo On themes alternate now the fwains recite ;. VIRG ELPHINSTON. AMONG the various cenfures, which the unavoidable comparison of my performances with those of my predeceffors has produced, there is none more general than that of uniformity. Many of my readers remark the want of thofe changes of colours, which formerly fed the attention with unexhaufted novelty, and of that intermixture of fubjects, or alternation of manner, by which other writers relieved wearinefs, and awakened expectation. I have, indeed, hitherto avoided the practice of uniting gay and folemn fubjects in the fame paper, because it seems abfurd for an author to counteract himself, to prefs at once with equal force upon both parts of the intellectual balance, or give medicines, which, like the double poifon of Dryden, deftroy the force of one another. I have endeavoured fometimes to divert, and fometimes to elevate; but have imagined it an useless attempt to difturb merriment by folemnity, or interrupt feriousness by drollery. Yet I fhall this day publish two letters of very different tendency, which I hope, like tragi-comedy, may chance to please even when they are not critically approved. To To the RAMBLER. DEAR SIR, THO HOUGH, às my mamma tells me, I am too young to talk at the table, I have great pleafure in listening to the converfation of learned men, especially when they discourse of things which I do not understand; and have, therefore, been of late particularly delighted with many disputes about the alteration of the ftile, which, they fay, is to be made by act of parliament. One day when my mamma was gone out of the room, I asked a very great scholar what the ftile was? He told me, he was afraid I should hardly underftand him when he informed me, that it was the ftated and established method of computing time. It was not, indeed, likely that I fhould understand him; for I never yet knew time computed in my life, nor can imagine why we fhould be at fo much trouble to count what we cannot keep. He did not tell me whether we are to count the time past, or the time to come; but I have confidered them both by myself, and think it as foolish to count time that is gone, as money that is spent ; and as for the time which is to come, it only feems farther off by counting; and, therefore, when any pleasure is promised me, always think of the time as little as I can. I have fince listened very attentively to every one that talked upon this fubject, of whom the greater part feem not to understand it better than myfelf; for though they often hint how much the nation has been mistaken, and rejoice that we are at laft growing wiser than our ancestors, I have never been able |