invited, by a thoufand oblique folicitations, my at tendance to the playhoufe, and my falutations in the park. I was now happy to the utmost extent of my conception; I paffed every morning in drefs, every afternoon in vifits, and every night in fome felect affemblies, where neither care nor knowledge were fuffered to moleft us.

After a few years, however, thefe delights became familiar, and I had leifure to look round me with 'more attention. I then found that my flatterers had very little power to relieve the languor of fatiety, or recreate wearinefs, by varied amusement; and therefore endeavoured to enlarge the fphere of my pleafures, and to try what fatisfaction might be found in the fociety of men. I will not deny the mortification with which I perceived, that every man whose name I had heard mentioned with refpect, received me with a kind of tendernefs, nearly bordering on compaffion; and that those whofe reputation was not well established, thought it neceffary to justify their understandings, by treating me with contempt. One of thefe witlings elevated his creft, by asking me in a full coffee-house the price of patches; and another whispered that he wondered why mifs Frifk did not keep me that afternoon to watch her squirrel.

When I found myself thus hunted from all mafculine converfation by those who were themfelves barely admitted, I returned to the ladies, and refolved to dedicate my life to their fervice and their pleasure. But I find that I have now loft my charms. Of those with whom I entered the gay world, fome are married, fome have retired, and fome have fo much changed their opinion, that they fcarcely pay any

regard

regard to my civilities, if there is any other man in the place. The new flight of beauties to whom I have made my addreffes, fuffer me to pay the treat, and then titter with boys. So that I now find myfelf welcome only to a few grave ladies, who, unacquainted with all that gives either use or dignity to life, are content to pass their hours between their bed and their cards, without efteem from the old, or reverence from the young.

I cannot but think, Mr. RAMBLER, that I have reason to complain; for furely the females ought to pay fome regard to the age of him whofe youth was paffed in endeavours to please them. They that encourage folly in the boy, have no right to punish it in the man. Yet I find that, though they lavish their first fondness upon pertnefs and gaiety, they foon transfer their regard to other qualities, and ungratefully abandon their adorers to dream out their laft years in ftupidity and contempt.

I am, &c.

FLORENTULUS.

NUMB. 110. SATURDAY, April 6, 1751.

At nobis vita dominum quærentibus unum
Lux iter eft, et clara dies, et gratia fimplex.
Spem fequimur, gradimurque fide, fruimurque futuris,
Ad quæ non veniunt præfentis gaudia vita,

Nec currunt pariter capta, et capienda voluptas.

We thro' this maze of life one Lord obey;
Whofe light and grace unerring, lead the way.
By hope and faith fecure of future blifs,
Gladly the joys of prefent life we mifs:
For baffled mortals ftill attempt in vain,
Prefent and future blifs at once to gain.

PRUDENTIUS.

F. LEWIS.

THAT IAT to please the Lord and Father of the univerfe, is the fupreme intereft of created and dependent beings, as it is easily proved, has been univerfally confeffed; and, fince all rational agents are confcious of having neglected or vio lated the duties prefcribed to them, the fear of being rejected, or punished by God, has always bur dened the human mind. The expiation of crimes, and renovation of the forfeited hopes of divine favour, therefore conftitute a large part of every religion.

The various methods of propitiation and atone. ment which fear and folly have dictated, or artifice and intereft tolerated in the different parts of the world, however they may fometimes reproach or degrade humanity, at least fhew the general confent of all ages and nations in their opinion of the placability

of

of the divine nature. That God will forgive, may, indeed, be established as the firft and fundamental truth of religion; for, though the knowledge of his existence is the origin of philofophy, yet, without the belief of his mercy, it would have little influence upon our moral conduct. There could be no profpect of enjoying the protection or regard of him, whom the leaft deviation from rectitude made inexorable for ever; and every man would naturally withdraw his thoughts from the contemplation of a Creator, whom he muft confider as a governor too pure to be pleafed, and too fevere to be pacified; as an enemy infinitely wife, and infinitely powerful, whom he could neither deceive, efcape, nor resist.

Where there is no hope, there can be no endeavour. A conftant and unfailing obedience is above the reach of terreftrial diligence; and therefore the progrefs of life could only have been the natural descent of negligent defpair from crime to crime, had not the univerfal perfuafion of forgiveness, to be obtained by proper means of reconciliation, recalled those to the paths of virtue whom their paffions had folicited afide; and animated to new attempts, and firmer perfeverance, those whom difficulty had difcouraged, or negligence furprised.

In times and regions fo disjoined from each other, that there can scarcely be imagined any communication of fentiments either by commerce or tradition, has prevailed a general and uniform expect. ation of propitiating God by corporal aufterities, of anticipating his vengeance by voluntary inflicR 4 tions,

tions, and appeafing his juftice by a fpeedy and cheerful fubmiffion to a lefs penalty, when a greater

is incurred.

Incorporated minds will always feel fome incli nation towards exterior acts and ritual obfervances. Ideas not represented by fenfible objects are fleeting, variable, and evanefcent. We are not able to judge of the degree of conviction which operated at any particular time upon our Own thoughts, but as it is recorded by fome certain and definite effect. He that reviews his life in order to determine the probability of his acceptance with God, if he could once establish the necessary proportion between crimes and fufferings, might fecurely rest upon his performance of the expiation; but, while fafety remains the reward only of mental purity, he is always afraid left he fhould decide too foon in his own favour, left he fhould not have felt the pangs of true contrition; left he fhould mistake fatiety for deteftation, or imagine that his paffions are fubdued when they are only fleeping.

From this natural and reasonable diffidence arose, in humble and timorous piety, a difpofition to con found penance with repentance, to repofe on human determinations, and to receive from fome judicial fentence the stated and regular affignment of reconciliatory pain. We are never willing to be without refource: we feek in the knowledge of others à fuccour for our own ignorance, and are ready to trust any that will undertake to direct us when we have no confidence in ourselves.