MADAM,

I

Will come down to-morrow and pay the Money on my Knees. Pray write fo no more. I will take care you never fhall, for I will be for ever •hereafter

T

Your moft Dutiful Son,

E. T.

"I will bring down new Heads for my Sifters. Pray let all be forgotten.

N° 264. Wednesday, January 2.

Secretum iter & fallentis Semita vita.

I

Hor.

T has been from Age to Age an Affectation to love the Pleasure of Solitude, among those who cannot poffibly be fuppofed qualified for paffing Life in that manner. This People have taken up from reading the many agreeable things which have been

writ on that Subject, for which we are beholden to excellent Perfons who delighted in being retired and abstracteds from the Pleafures that enchant the generality of the World. This way of Life is recommended indeed with great. Beauty, and in fuch a manner as difpo-> fes the Reader for the time to a pleafing Forgetfulness, or Negligence of the particular Hurry of Life in which he is engaged, together with a longing for that State which he is charmed with in Defcription. But when we confider. the World it felf, and how few there are capable of a religious, learned, or philofophick Solitude, we fhall be apt to change a Regard to that fort of Solitude, for being a little fingular in enjoying Time after the way a Man himfelf likes beft in the World, with out going fo far as wholly to withdraw from it. I have often obferved, there is not a Man breathing who does not differ from all other Men, as much in the Sentiments of his Mind, as the Features of his Face. The Felicity is, when any one is fo happy as to find out and follow what is the proper Bent of his Genius, and turn all his Endeavours to exert himself according as that prompts

Prompts him, Instead of this, which is an innocent Method of enjoying a Man's felf, and turning out of the ge neral Tracts wherein you have Crouds of Rivals, there are those who pursue their own way out of Sournefs and Spirit of Contradiction: These Men do every thing which they are able to fup port, as if Guilt and Impunity could not go together. They chufe a thing only because another diflikes it; and af fect forfooth an inviolable Conftancy in Matters of no manner of moment. Thus fometimes an old Fellow fhall wear this or that fort of Cut in his Cloaths with great Integrity, while all the rest of the World are degenerated into Buttons, Pockets and Loops unknown to their Ancestors. As infignificant as even this is, if it were fearched to the bottom, you perhaps would find it not fincere, but that he is in the Fafhion in his Heart, and holds out from meer Obftinacy. But I and running from my intended Purpose, which was to celebrate a certain partis cular manner of paffing away Life, and is a Contradictions to no Man, but a Refolution to contract none of the exe orbitant Defires by which others are

enflaved.

enflaved. The best way of feparating a Man's felf from the World, is to give up the Defire of being known to it. After a Man has preferved his Innocence, and performed all Duties incumbent upon him, his Time spent his own way is what makes his Life differ from that of a Slave. If they who affect Show and Pomp knew how many of their Spectators derided their trivial Tafte, they would be very much lefs elated, and have an Inclination to examine the Merit of all they have to do with They would foon find out that there are many who make a Figure below what their Fortune or Merit entitles them to, out of mere Choice, and an: elegant Defire of Eafe and Difincumbrance. It would look like Romance to tell you in this Age of an old Man who is contented to pass for an Humourift, and one who does not understand the Figure he ought to make in the World, while he lives in a Lodging of ten Shillings a Week with only one: Servant; while he dreffes himself according to the Seafon in Cloth or in Stuff, and has no one neceffary Attention to any thing but the Bell which calls to Prayers twice a-day: Ifay, it would

look

look like a Fable to report that this Gentleman gives away all which is the Oyerplus of a great Fortune, by fecret Methods, to other Men. If he has not the Pomp of a numerous Train, and of Profeffors of Service to him, he has every Day he lives the Confcience that the Widow, the Fatherless. the Mourner, and the Stranger blefs his unfeen Hand in their Prayers. This Humourift gives up all the Compliments which People of his own Condition could make to him, for the Pleasures of helping the afflicted, fupplying the needy, and befriending the neglected. This Humourist keeps to himself much more than he wants, and gives a vaft Refuse of his Superfluities to purchase Heaven, and by freeing others from the Temptation of worldly Want, to carry a Retinue with him thither.

OF all Men who affect living in a particular way, next to this admirable Character, I am the most enamoured of Irus, whofe Condition will not admit of fuch Largeffes, and perhaps would not be capable of making them, if it were. Irus, tho' he is now turn'd of fifty, has not appeared in the World, in his real Character, fince five and twenty, at