birth to the most trifling occurrences of life. His usual method was, to write down any sudden start of thought which arofe in his mind upon the fight of an odd gefticulation in a man, any whimsical mimicry of reason in a beast, or whatever appeared remarkable in any object of the visible creation. He was able to moralize upon a fnuffbox, would flourish eloquently upon a tucker or a pair of ruffles, and draw practical inferences from a full-bottomed periwig This I thought fit to mention, by way of excufe, for my ingenious correfpondent, who hath introduced the following letter by an image, which, I will beg leave to tell him, is too ridiculous in fo ferious and noble a fpeculation. Mr SPECTATOR, WH 7HEN I have feen young pufs playing her wanton gambols, and, with a thousand antic shapes, exprefs her own gaiety, at the fame time that she moved 'mine, while the old grannum hath fat by with a most exemplary gravity, unmoved at all that paffed; it hath 'made me reflect what should be the occafion of humours 'fo oppofite in two creatures, between whom there was no visible difference but that of age; and I have been able to resolve it into nothing else but the force of no⚫velty. IN every fpecies of creatures, thofe who have been least time in the world, appear best pleased with their ⚫ condition: for, befides that to a new-comer the world hath a freshness on it that strikes the sense after a moft agreeable manner, being itself, unattended with any great variety of enjoyments, excites a fenfation of pleafure. But as age advances, every thing feems to wither, the fenfes are difgufted with their old entertainments, ' and existence turns flat and infipid. We may fee this exemplified in mankind: the child, let him be free from 6 pain, and gratified in his change of toys, is diverted with the smallest trifle. Nothing disturbs the mirth of the boy, but a little punishment or confinement. The youth must have more violent pleafures to employ his time; the man loves the hurry of an active life, devoted to the purfuits of wealth or ambition, and lastly, old age, having loft its capacity for these avocations, • becomes < No 626. becomes its own infupportable burden. This variety may in part be accounted for by the vivacity and decay of the faculties; but I believe is chiefly owing to this, that the longer we have been in poffeffion of being, the lefs fenfible is the gust we have of it; and the more it requires of adventitious amufements to relieve us from the fatiety and wearinefs it brings along with • it. AND as novelty is of a very powerful, fo of a most ' extenfive influence. Moralifts have long fince observed it to be the fource of admiration, which leffens in proportion to our familiarity with objects, and upon a tho'rough acquaintance is utterly extinguifhed. But I think it hath not been fo commonly remarked, that all the other paffions depend confiderably on the fame circum• ftances. What is it but novelty that awakens defire, enhances delight, kindles anger, provokes envy, inspires • horror? To this caufe we muft afcribe it, that love languishes with fruition, and friendship itself is recommended by intervals of abfence: hence monsters, by ufe, are beheld without loathing, and the most enchanting beauty without rapture. That emotion of the fpirits in which paffion confifts, is ufually the effect of surprise, and as long as it continues, heightens the agreeable or difagreeable qualities of its object; but as this emotion ceafes (and it ceafes with the novelty) things appear in another light, and affect us even lefs than might be expected from their proper energy, for having moved us too much before. Ir may not be an ufelefs inquiry how far the love of novelty is the unavoidable growth of nature, and in what refpect it is peculiarly adapted to the prefent ftate. To me it feems impoffible, that a reafonable creature fhould reft abfolutely fatisfied in any acquifitions what' ever, without endeavouring farther; for after its higheft improvements, the mind hath an idea of an infinity of things ftill behind worth knowing, to the knowledge of which therefore it cannot be indifferent; as by climbing up a hill in the midst of a wide plain, a man hath his profpect enlarged, and, together with that, the bounds of his defires. Upon this account, I cannot think he detracts from the fate of the bleffed, ' who who conceives them to be perpetually employed in fresh fearches into nature, and to eternity advancing into the fathomlefs depths of the divine perfections. In this thought there is nothing but what doth honour to these 'glorified fpirits; provided ftill it be remembered, that their defire of more proceeds not from their difrelishing what they poffefs; and the pleasure of a new enjoyment is not with them measured by its novelty, (which is a thing merely foreign and accidental), but by its real intrinfic value. After an acquaintance of many thoufand years with the works of God, the beauty and magnifi'cence of the creation fills them with the same pleafing wonder and profound awe, which Adam felt himself feized with as he first opened his eyes upon this glorious 'fcene. Truth captivates with unborrowed charms, and 'whatever hath once given fatisfaction will always do it: in all which they have manifeftly the advantage of us, 'who are so much governed by fickly and changeable appetites, that we can with the greatest coldness behold the ftupendous difplays of omnipotence, and be in tranf'ports at the puny effays of human fkill; throw afide fpeculations of the fublimeft nature and vastest import· ance into fome obfcure corner of the mind, to make room for new notions of no confequence at all; are even tired of health, because not enlivened with alternate pain; and prefer the first reading of an indifferent author, to the fecond or third perusal of one whose merit and reputation are established. OUR being thus formed ferves many useful purposes in the prefent state. It contributes not a little to the < advancement of learning; for, as Cicero takes notice, that which makes men willing to undergo the fatigues ⚫ of philofophical difquifitions, is not fo much the greatnefs of objects as their novelty. It is not enough that there is field and game for the chace, and that the understanding is prompted with a restless thirst of knowledge, effectually to roufe the foul, funk into a state of floth and indolence; it is alfo neceffary that there be an uncommon pleasure annexed to the first appearC ance of truth in the mind. This pleasure being exquifite for the time it lafts, but tranfient, it hereby comes to pass that the mind grows into an indifference to its VOL. VIII. • former X former notions, and paffes on after new difcoveries, in hope of repeating the delight. It is with knowledge as with wealth, the pleasure of which lies more in making ' endless additions, than in taking a review of our old • ftore. There are fome inconveniencies that follow this temper, if not guarded againft, particularly this, that through a too great eagerness of fomething new we are many times impatient of ftaying long enough upon a queftion that requires fome time to refolve it; or, which is worse, perfuade ourselves that we are mafters of the fubject before we are fo, only to be at the liberty of going upon a fresh fcent; in Mr Lock's words, We fee a little, prefume a great deal, and fo jump to the conclufion. 6 6 6 A FARTHER advantage of our inclination for novelty, as at prefent circumstantiated, is, that it annihilates all the boafted distinctions among mankind. Look not up with envy to those above thee. Sounding titles, ftately buildings, fine gardens, gilded chariots, rich equipages, what are they? They dazzle every one but the poffeffor: to him that is accustomed to them they are cheap and regardless things: they fupply him not with brighter images, or more fublime fatisfactions than the plain man may have, whose small eftate may just enable ⚫ him to fupport the charge of a fimple unencumbered life. He enters heedlefs into his rooms of ftate, as you or I do under our poor fheds. The noble paintings and coftly furniture are loft on him; he fees them not: as how can it be otherwife, when by cuftom, a fabric infinitely more grand and finished, that of the univerfe, ftands unobferved by the inhabitants, and the everlafting lamps of heaven are lighted up in vain, for any notice that mortals take of them? Thanks to indulgent nature, which not only placed her children originally upon a level, but ftill, by the strength of this principle, in a great measure preferves it, in fpite of all the care of man to introduce artificial diftinctions. To add no more, Is not this fondnefs for novelty, which makes us out of conceit with all we already have, a convincing proof of a future state? Either man was made in vain, or this is not the only world he was made for: for there cannot be a greater inftance of vanity, • than than that to which man is liable, to be deluded from the cradle to the grave with fleeting fhadows of happiness. His pleafures, and those not confiderable neither, die in the poffeffion, and fresh enjoyments do not rife fast enough to fill up half his life with fatisfaction. When I fee perfons fick of themselves any longer than. they are called away by fomething that is of force to chain down the prefent thought; when I fee them hurry from country to town, and then from the town back again into the country; continually fhifting poftures, and placing life in all the different lights they can think of; Surely,' fay I to myself, life is vain, and the man beyond ex"preffion ftupid or prejudiced, who from the vanity of "life cannot gather, he is defigned for immortality." N° 627. Wednesday, December 1. Tantum inter denfas umbrofa cacumina fagos Virg. Ecl. 2. v. 3. He, underneath the beechen fhade alone, Dryden. HE following account, which came to my hands Home tow ago, muy 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 amongst his reapers. I must inform you, that his greatest pleafure was in husbandry and gardening. He had fome humours which feemed inconfiftent with that good fenfe he was otherwise master of. His uneafinefs in the company of women was very remarkable |