Such Natures one may call Stores of Providence, which are actuated by a secret celeftial Influence to undervalue the ordinary Gratifications of Wealth, to give comfort to an Heart loaded with Affliction, to fave a falling Family, to preferve a Branch of Trade in their Neighbourhood, and give Work to the Induftrious, preferve the Portion of the helpless Infant, and raise the Head of the mourning Father. People whofe Hearts are wholly bent towards Pleasure, or intent upon Gain, never hear of the noble Occurrences among Men of Industry and Humanity. It would look like a City Romance, to tell them of the generous Merchant who the other day fent this Billet to an eminent Trader under Difficulties to fupport himself, in whofe Fall many hundreds befides himfelf had perished; but because I think there is more Spirit and true Gallantry in it than in any Letter I have ever read from Strephon to Phillis, I fhall infert it even in the mercantile honeft Stile in which it was fent.

SIR,

I

Have heard of the Cafualties which have involved you in extreme Di

• ftrefs

ftrefs at this Time; and knowing you to be a Man of great Good-nature, Induftry and Probity, have refolved to ftand by you.. Be of good cheer, the Bearer brings with him five thoufand Pounds, and ha smy Order to anfwer your drawing as much more on my Account. I did this in hafte, for fear I fhould come too late for your Relief; but you may value your self with me to the Sum of fifty thousand Pounds; for I can very chearfully run 'the Hazard of being fo much lefs rich than I am now, to fave an honeft Man "whom I love.

Your Friend and Servant, W. S.

I think there is fomewhere in Montaigne mention made of a Family-Book, wherein all the Occurrences that happened from one Generation of that House to another were recorded. Were there fuch a Method in the Families which are concerned in this Generofity, it would be an hard Task for the greatest in Europe, to give, in their own, an Inftance of a Benefit better placed, or conferred with a more graceful Air. It has been heretofore urged, how barbarous and inhumane is any unjuft Step made to the

Dif

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!

Difadvantage of a Trader; and by how much fuch an Act towards him is deteftable, by fo much an Act of Kindness towards him is laudable. I remember to have heard a Bencher of the Temple tell a Story of a Tradition in their House, where they had formerly a Custom of chufing Kings for fuch a Season, and allowing him his Expences at the Charge of the Society: One of our Kings, faid my Friend, carried his Royal Inclination a little too far, and there was a Committee ordered to look into the Management of his Treasury. Among other things it appeared, that his Majesty walking incog. in the Cloyfter, had overheard a poor Man fay to another, Such a fmall Sum would make me the happiest Man in the World. The King out of his Royal Compaffion privately enquired into his Character, and finding him a proper Object of Charity, fent him the Money.. When the Committee read their Report, the House paffed his Accompts with a Plaudite without further Examination, upon Recital of this Article in them,

T

For making a Man happy

1. s. d.

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Saturday,

W

HEN I make Choice of a Subject that has not been treated on by others, I throw together my Refle

Єtions on it without any Order or Method, fo that they may appear rather in the Loofenefs and Freedom of an Effay, than in the Regularity of a fet Difcourfe. It is after this manner that I fhall confider Laughter and Ridicule in my prefent Paper.

MAN is the merrieft Species of the Creation, all above and below him are ferious. He fees Things in a different Light from other Beings, and finds his Mirth arifing from Objects that perhaps cause something like Pity or Displeasure in higher Natures. Laughter is indeed a very good Counterpoife to the Spleen; and it seems but reasonable that we should be capable of receiving Joy from VOL. VII.

E

what

what is no real Good to us, fince we can receive Grief from what is no real Evil.

I have in my forty feventh Paper raifed a Speculation on the Notion of a Modern Philofopher, who defcribes the first Motive of Laughter to be a fecret Comparison which we make between our felves and the Perfons we laugh at; or, in other Words, that Satisfaction which we receive from the Opinion of fome Pre-eminence in our felves, when we see the Abfurdities of another, or when we reflect on any paft Abfurdities of our own. This feems to hold in most Cafes, and we may obferve, that the vainest Part of Mankind are the moft addicted to this Paffion.

I have read a Sermon of a Conventual in the Church of Rome, on those Words of the Wife Man, I faid of Laughter, it is mad; and of Mirth, what does it? Upon which he laid it down as a Point of Doctrine, that Laughter was the Effect of Original Sin, and that Adam could not laugh before the Fall.

LAUGHTER, while it lafts, flackens and unbraces the Mind, weakens

the