the man beyond expression stupid or prejudiced, who from the vanity of life cannot gather, he is defigned for immortality. Tantum inter denfus umbrofa cacumina fagos VIRG. Ecl. ii. ver. 3. moan. DRYDEN. THE following account, which came to my hand fome time age, may be no difagreeable entertainment to fuch of my readers as have tender hearts, and nothing to do. Mr. SPECTATOR, A Friend of mine died of a fever laft week, which he caught by walking too late in a dewy evening amongft his reapers. I muft inform you that his greateft pleature was in hufbandry and gardening. He had fome humours which feemed inconfiftent with that good fenfe he was otherwife mafter of. His uneasiness in the company of women was very remarkable in a man of fuch perfect good-breeding, and his avoiding one particular walk in his garden, where he had used to pafs the greatest part of his time, • raised abundance of idle conjectures in the village • where he lived. Upon looking over his papers we found out the reafon, which he never intimated to his nearest friends. He was, it feems, a paffionate lover in his youth, of which a large parcel of letters he left behind him are a witness. Ifend you a copy of the laft he ever wrote upon that fubject, by which you will find that he conVOL. VIII. B b cealed 6 cealed the true name of his miftrefs under that • of Zelinda. A Long month's abfence would be infupportable to me, if the bufinefs I am employed in were not for the service of my Zelinda, and of fuch a nature as to place her every moment "in my mind. I have furnished the house exactly "according to your fancy, or, if you pleafe, my 66 own; for I have long fince learned to like nothing but what you do. The apartment design"ed for your ufe is fo exact a copy of that which you live in, that I often think myfelf in your houfe when I ftep into it, but figh when I find it without its proper inhabitant. You will have "the most delicious profpect from your clofet window that England affords: I am fure I fhould think it is fo, if the landskape that fhews fuch variety did not at the fame time fuggeft to me the greatness of the space that lies between "The gardens are laid out very beautifully; I "have dreffed up every hedge in woodbines, fprinkled bowers and arbours in every corner, " and made a little Paradise round me; yet I am still "like the firft man in his folitude, but half bleft without a partner in my happiness. I have direct"ed one walk to be made for two perfons, where I promife a thousand fatisfactions to myself in your "converfation. I already take my evening's turn in 66 it, and have worn a path upon the edge of "this little alley, while I foothed myself with the "thought of your walking by my fide. I have held many imaginary difcourfes with you in this re"tirement; and when I have been weary, have fat down with you in the midst of a row of Jef** famines. The many expreffions of joy and rap* ture I use in thefe filent converfations have made me, for fome time, the talk of the parifh; but "a neghbouring a neighbouring young fellow, who makes love "to the farmer's daughter, hath found me out, and "made my cafe known to the whole neighbour"hood. "In planting of the fruit-trees I have not forgot "the peach you are fo fond of. I have made a walk "of elms along the river-fide, and intend to fow "all the place about with cowflips, which I hope ·66. you will like as well as that I have heard you. "talk of by your father's houfe in the country. "Oh! Zelinda, what a fcheme of delight have "I drawn up in my imagination! What day "dreams to I indulge myself in ! When will the "fix weeks be at an end, that lie between me and 66 my promised happiness? "How could you break off fo abruptly in your "laft, and tell me you must go and drefs for the "play? If you loved as I do, you would find no more company in a crowd, than I have in my "folitude.. "I am, &c." On the back of this letter is written, in the hand of the deceased, the following piece of history. "Mem. Having waited a whole week for an "anfwer to this letter, I hurried to town, where "I found the perifidious creature married to my rival. I will bear it as becomes a man, and en: "deavour to find out happiness for myself in that "retirement, which I had prepared in vain for a "falfe ungrateful woman. 66 "I am, &c." No628. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3. Labitur, et labetur in omne volubilis avum. It rolls, and rolls, and will for ever roll. Mr. SPECTATOR, HERE are none of your fpeculations which please me more than thofe upon infinitude and eternity. You have already confidered that part of eternity which is paft, and I wish you ⚫ would give us your thoughts upon that which is Your readers will perhaps receive greater pleafure from this view of eternity than the former, ⚫ fince we have every one of us a concern in that which is to come: Whereas a fpeculation on that which is paft is rather curious than useful. Befides, we can eafily conceive it poffible for fucceffive duration never to have an end; though, as you have juftly obferved, that eternity which never had a beginning is altogether incomprehenfible: That is, we can conceive an eternal duration which may be, though we cannot an eternal du⚫ration which hath been; or, if I may use the philofophical terms, we may apprehend a potential though not an actual eternity. This notion of a future eternity, which is na • tural to the mind of man, is an unanswerable ar◄ gument that he is a Being defigned for it; efpecially if we confider that he is capable of being virtuous or vicious here; that he hath faculties improveable to all eternity; and by a proper or • wrong employment of them, may be happy or miferable throughout that infinite duration. Our • idea indeed of this eternity is not of an adequate or fixed nature, but is perpetually growing and ⚫ enlarging enlarging itself toward the object, which is too big for human comprehenfion. As we are now in the beginnings of existence, fo fhall we always appear to ourselves as if we were for ever entering upon it. After a million or two of centuries, "fome confiderable things, already paft, may flip ⚫ out of our memory; which, if it be not ftrength⚫ened in a wonderful manner, may poffibly forget • that ever there was a fun or planets, and yet, notwithstanding the long race that we fhall then have run, we fhall ftill imagine ourfelves just ftarting from the gaol, and find no proportion • between that space which we know had a beginning, and what we are fure will never have an • end. But I fhall leave this fubject to your manage'ment, and queftion not but you will throw it into fuch lights as fhall at once improve and enter tain your reader. I have inclofed fent you a tranflation of the • fpeech of Cato on this occafion, which hath accidentally fallen into my hands, and which for concifenefs, purity, and elegance of phrafe, cannet= be fufficiently admired. ACTUS |