that obftruction and impediment will give way be fore us. The first repulfes rather inflame vehemence than teach prudence; a brave and generous mind is long before it fufpects its own weakness, or submits to fap the difficulties' which it expected to fubdue by storm. Before difappointments have enforced the dictates of philofophy, we believe it in our power to fhorten the interval between the first cause and the last effect; we laugh at the timorous delays of plodding industry, and fancy that, by increafing the fire, we can at pleasure accelerate the projection. At our entrance into the world, when health and vigour give us fair promises of time fufficient for the regular maturation of our schemes, and a long enjoyment of our acquifitions, we are eager to feize the prefent moment; we pluck every gratification within our reach, without fuffering it to ripen into perfection, and crowd all the varieties of delight into a narrow compafs; but age feldom fails to change our conduct; we grow negligent of time in proportion as we have lefs remaining, and fuffer the laft part of life to fteal from us in languid preparations for future undertakings, or flow approaches to remote advantages, in weak hopes of fome fortuitous occurrence, or drowfy equilibrations of undetermined counsel whether it be that the aged, having tasted the pleasures of man's condition, and found them delufive, become less anxious for their attainment; or that frequent mifcarriages have depreffed them to defpair, and frozen them to inactivity; or that death fhocks them more as it advances upon them, and they are afraid to remind themselves of their decay, or to discover discover to their own hearts, that the time of trifling is past. A perpetual conflict with natural defires feems to be the lot of our present ftate. In youth we require fomething of the tardinefs and frigidity of age; and in age we must labour to recal the fire and impetuofity of youth; in youth we must learn to expect, and age to enjoy. in The torment of expectation is, indeed, not eafily to be borne at a time when every idea of gratification fires the blood, and flathes on the fancy; when the heart is vacant to every fresh form of delight, and has no rival engagements to withdraw it from the importunities of a new defire. Yet, fince the fear of miffing what we seek, must always be proportionable to the happiness expected from poffeffing it, the paffions, even in this tempeftuous ftate, might be fomewhat moderated by frequent inculcation of the mifchief of temerity, and the hazard of lofing that which we endeavour to seize before our time. He that too early afpires to honours, muft refolve to encounter not only the oppofition of interest, but the malignity of envy. He that is too eager to be rich, generally endangers his fortune in wild adventures, and uncertain projects; and he that haftens too speedily to reputation, often raifes his character by artifices and fallacies, decks himself in colours which quickly fade, or in plumes which accident may shake off, or competition pluck away. The danger of early eminence has been extended by fome, even to the gifts of nature; and an opinion has been long conceived, that quickness of invention, accuracy of judgment, or extent of knowledge, appearing appearing before the ufual time, prefage a fhort life. Even those who are lefs inclined to form general conclufions, from inftances which by their own nature must be rare, have yet been inclined to prognofticate no fuitable progrefs from the firft fallies of rapid wits; but have obferved, that after a fhort effort they either loiter or faint, and fuffer themselves to be furpaffed by the even and regular perfeverance of flower understandings. He It frequently happens, that applaufe abates diligence. Whoever finds himfelf to have performed more than was demanded, will be contented to spare the labour of unneceffary performances, and fit down to enjoy at eafe his fuperfluities of honour. whom fuccefs has made confident of his abilities, quickly claims the privilege of negligence, and looks contemptuously on the gradual advances of a rival, whom he imagines himself able to leave behind whenever he fhall again fummon his force to the conteft. But long intervals of pleasure diffipate attention, and weaken conftancy; nor is it eafy for him that has funk from diligence into floth, to rouse out of his lethargy, to recollect his notions, rekindle his curiofity, and engage with his former ardour in the toils of study. Even that friendship which intends the reward of genius, too often tends to obftruct it. The pleasure of being careffed, distinguished, and admired, eafily feduces the ftudent from literary folitude. He is ready to follow the call which fummons him to hear his own praise, and which, perhaps, at once flatters his appetite with certainty of pleasures; and his ambition with hopes of patronage; pleasures which he conceives 2 conceives inexhauftible, and hopes which he has not yet learned to distrust. These evils, indeed, are by no means to be imputed to nature, or confidered as infeparable from an early display of uncommon abilities. They may be certainly escaped by prudence and refolution, and must therefore be recounted rather as confolations to those who are less liberally endowed, than as discouragements to fuch as are born with uncommon qualities. Beauty is well known to draw after it the perfecutions of impertinence, to incite the artifices of envy, and to raise the flames of unlawful love; yet, among the ladies whom prudence or modesty have made most eminent, who has ever complained of the inconveniencies of an amiable form? or would have purchased safety by the lofs of charms? Neither grace of perfon, nor vigour of understanding, are to be regarded otherwife than as bleffings, as means of happiness indulged by the Supreme Benefactor; but the advantages of either may be loft by too much eagerness to obtain them. A thousand beauties in their firft bloffom, by an imprudent expofure to the open world, have fuddenly withered at the blast of infamy; and men who might have subjected new regions to the empire of learning, have been lured by the praise of their firft productions from academical retirement, and wafted their days. in vice and dependence. The virgin who too foon afpires to celebrity and conqueft, perifhes by childish vanity, ignorant credulity, or guiltlefs indifcretion. The genius who catches at laurels and preferment before his time, mocks the hopes that he had excited, and loses those years which might have been most VOL. V. ufefully S ufefully employed, the years of youth, of fpirit, and vivacity. It is one of the innumerable abfurdities of pride, that we are never more impatient of direction, than in that part of life when we need it moft; we are in hafte to meet enemies whom we have not strength to overcome, and to undertake tasks which we cannot perform and as he that once miscarries does not easily perfuade mankind to favour another attempt, an ineffectual struggle for fame is often followed by perpetual obfcurity. NUMB. 112. SATURDAY, April 13, 1751. In mea vefanas habui difpendia vires, Et valui panas fortis in ipfa meas. Of ftrength pernicious to myfelf I boast; WE OVID. F. LEWIS. E are taught by Celfus, that health is best preferved by avoiding fettled habits of life, and deviating fometimes into flight aberrations from the laws of medicine; by varying the proportions of food and exercise, interrupting the fucceffions of rest and labour, and mingling hardships with indulgence. The body, long accustomed to ftated quantities and uniform periods, is disordered by the fmalleft irregularity; and fince we cannot adjust every day by the balance or barometer, it is fit fometimes to depart from rigid accuracy, that we may be able to comply |