135 The folly of annual retreats into the country 136 The meanness and mischief of indiscriminate dedi- THE RAMB L E R. NUMB. 71. TUESDAY, November 20, 1750. M Vivere quod propero pauper, nec inutilis annis True, fir, to live I hafte, your pardon give, MART. For tell me, who makes hafte enough to live? F. LEWIS. ANY words and fentences are fo frequently heard in the mouths of men, that a fuperficial obferver is inclined to believe, that they must contain fome primary principle, fome great rule of action, which it is proper always to have present to the attention, and by which the ufe of every hour is to be adjusted. Yet, if we confider the conduct of thofe fententious philofophers, it will often be found that they repeat these aphorifms, merely because they have fomewhere heard them, because they have nothing else to fay, or because they think veneration gained by fuch appearances of wisdom, but that no ideas are annexed to the words, VOL. V. B and and that, according to the old blunder of the fol lowers of Ariftotle, their fouls are mere pipes or organs, which tranfmit founds, but do not understand them. Of this kind is the well-known and well-attested pofition, that life is fhort, which may be heard among mankind by an attentive auditor, many times a day, but which never yet within my reach of obfervation left any impreffion upon the mind; and perhaps, if my readers will turn their thoughts back upon their old friends, they will find it difficult to call a fingle man to remembrance, who appeared to know that life was fhort till he was about to lose it. It is obfervable that Horace, in his account of the characters of men, as they are diverfified by the various influence of time, remarks, that the old man is dilator, fpe longus, given to procrastination, and inclined to extend his hopes to a great diftance. So far are we generally from thinking what we often fay of the shortness of life, that at the time when it is neceffarily fhorteft, we form projects which we delay to execute, indulge fuch expectations as nothing but a long train of events can gratify, and fuffer thofe paffions to gain upon us, which are only excufable in the prime of life. These reflections were lately excited in my mind, by an evening's converfation with my friend Profpero, who, at the age of fifty-five, has bought an eftate, and is now contriving to difpofe and cultivate it with uncommon elegance. His great pleasure is to walk among stately trees, and lie mufing in the heat of noon under their fhade; he is therefore maturely confidering how he fhall dispose his walks and and his groves, and has at last determined to fend for the best plans from Italy, and forbear planting till the next season. Thus is life trifled away in preparations to do what never can be done, if it be left unattempted till all the requifites which imagination can fuggeft are gathered together. Where our design terminates only in our own fatisfaction, the mistake is of no great importance; for the pleasure of expecting enjoyment is often greater than that of obtaining it, and the completion of almost every wish is found a difappointment; but when many others are interested in an undertaking, when any defign is formed, in which the improvement or fecurity of mankind is involved, nothing is more unworthy either of wisdom or benevolence, than to delay it from time to time, or to forget how much every day that paffes over us takes away from our power, and how foon an idle purpose to do an action, finks into a mournful wish that it had once been done. We are frequently importuned, by the bacchanalian writers, to lay hold on the prefent hour, to catch the pleasures within our reach, and remember that futurity is not at our command. Τὸ ῥόδον ἀκμάζει βαιὸν χρόνον. ἦν δὲ παρέλθης, Ζητῶν ἑυρήσεις & ῥόδον, ἀλλὰ βάτον. Soon fades the rofe; once paft the fragrant hour, But furely these exhortations may, with equal propriety, be applied to better purposes; it may be at least inculcated that pleasures are more fafely |