of fame and glory? The queftion does honour to thofe who put it, but the anfwer is eafy and obvious. Make all governments juft, and all men truly great, and then, perhaps, glory will be useless. I am far from calumniating humanity; there have been perfons, undoubtedly, who, in acting a virtuous part, have been influenced by a regard to duty, and by that alone, and who have performed great actions in filence; unknown in life, and forgotten after death, the fs folicitous they have been about fame, the more they have deferved it. But let us not flatter ourfelves; the number of those who tread the paths of virtue with firm and fteady Reps, without any other guide but reaon, without any other motive than the divine approbation, is very fmall: men in general, are naturally weak; their natural weakness is increafed by example, and the temporary advantages which too frequently arife from meanness and vice. Sometimes they tread the paths of virtue, and fometimes thofe of vice, but have not courage or refolution to be uniformly good, or uniformly bad. In fuch a fituation, they ftand in need of fome fupport; and when a paflion for fame is joined to a fenfe of duty, it chains them down to virtue. the regular return of the feafons is more clearly and diftinctly marked: there, while it views the vast expanfe around it, is more struck with the immensity of the univerfe, and with that invisible power which formed and governs it. It is not at all furprising, therefore, that the beauties of nature were more fenfibly felt, and the fongs of praise and adoration addreffed to the invifible powers, were, in the early ages of the world, when almost all men were fhepherd's, especially in the fine climates of the Eaft, marked with a character which is now no where to be found. In the Weft, particularly in a great part of modern Europe, we were, at first, almost all of us, a kind of favages, without imagination, fhut up in fo refts, and under a cloudy sky. Afterwards a conjuncture of extraordinary circumftances, and the mixture of various nations, rendered us both corrupt and barbarous: at last we are become both corrupt and polite. Moral Reflections on the Character of Ham let. [From " A Philofophical Analyfis and Illuftration of fome of Shakespeare's remarkable Characters."] To whatever caufe it is owing, whe- A Senfe of virtue, if I may use the ther to juftice, vanity, or intereft, hoHours ever were beftowed upon great men; ftatues, infcriptions, triumphal arches, and, efpecially, panegyrics which have been univerfal. Panegyrics derive their origin from the first hymns that were addreffed to the gods. The more a people is civilized, the lefa enthusiasm there is in their hymns. In the first ftages of fociety men are most struck with the view of nature, and, confequently, with the idea of a creating power; and this impreffion is ftronger among thofe who live in the country, than among thofe who are fhut up in cities. The reafo of it is obvious; in cities, men may be faid to fee nothing, to converfe with nothing but men. The objects which fur round him, and fix his attention, are the magnificent buildings he has raifed, the metals he has drawn from the bofom of the earth, the riches he has drawn from diftant countries, the different parts of the world united by navigation; in a word, every thing that is fplendid in the paure of fociety, of laws, and of arts; but in the country, man difappears, and the fupreme power alone difplays itfelf. There the heavens are seen on every fide; there the day makes a more majestic, and the night a more awful appearance. There language of an eminent philofopher, without profefling myfelf of his feet, feems to be the ruling principle. In other men it may appear with the enfigns of his authority; in Hamlet it poffeffes abfolute power. United with amiable affections, with every graceful accomplishment, and every agreeable quality, it embellishes and exalts them. It rivets his attachment to his friends, when he finds them deserving ; it is a fource of forrow, if they appear corrupted: it even sharpens his penetration; and, if unexpectedly he difcerns turpitude, or impropriety in any character, it inclines him to think more deeply of their tranfgreffion than if his fentiments were lefs refined. It thus induces him to fcrutinize their condu&, and may lead him to the difcovery of more enormous guilt. As it excites uncommon pain and abhorrence on the appearance of perfi dious and inhuman actions, it provokes and ftimulates his nefentment; yet, attentive to justice, and concerned in the interefts of human nature, it governs the impetuofity of that unruly paffion. It difpofes him to be cautious in admitting evidence to the prejudice of another; it renders him diftruftful of his own judg ment, during the ardor and the reign of paffion, and directs him in the choice of affociates, on whofe fidelity and judg ment 136 Origin of Despair.-Geographical Defcription of the Ifle of Matrimony. March, ment he may depend. If foftened by a beneficent and gentle temper, he hesitates in the execution of any unlawful enterprize, it reproves him; and if there is any hope of restoring those that are fallen, and of renewing in them the habits of virtue, and of felf-command, it renders him affiduous in his endeavours to ferve them. Men of other difpofitions would think of gratifying their friends by contributing to their affluence, to their amufe ment, or external honour; but the acquifitions that Hamlet values, and the happinefs he would confer, are a confcience void of offence, the peace and the honour of virtue; yet with all this purity of moral fentiments, with eminent abilities, exceedingly cultivated and improved, with manners the most elegant and becoming, with the utmost rectitude of intention, and the most active zeal in the exercise of ewery duty, he is hated, perfecuted, and deftroyed. The Origin of Despair. treme fenfibility. Alive to every impref Geographical Defeription of the fle Le pays du Mariage a cela de particulie Htification of our defires and pathons. APPINESS depends upon the graThe happiness of Titus arofe from the Indulgence of a beneficent temper: Epiminondas reaped enjoyment from the love of his country. The love of fame was the fource of Cæfar's felicity; and the gratification of grovelling appetites gave delight to Vitellius. It has alfo been obferved, that fome one paffion generally affumes a pre-eminence in the mind, and not only predominates over other appetites and defires, but contends with reafon, and is often victorious. In proportion` as one paffion gains ftrength, the reft languifh and are enfeebled. They are fel-Thee of Matrimony is fituated o dom exercised; their gratifications yield tranfient pleasure, become of flight importance, are difpirited, and decay: thus our happiness is attached to one ruling and ardent paffion; but our reafonings concerning future events, are weak and fhort-fighted. We form fchemes of felicity that can never be realized, and cherish affection that can never be gratified. If, therefore, the difappointed paffion has been long encouraged, if the gay vifions of hope and imagination have long administered to its violence, if it is confirmed by habit, in the temper and conftitntion; if it has superfeded the operation of other active principles, and fo enervated their strength, its difappointment will be embittered; and forrow, prevented by no other paffion, will prey, unabating, on the defolate, abandoned fpirits. We may alfo obferve, that none are more liable to afflictions of this fort, than those to whom nature has given ex extremities of the torrid and frozen zones, and confequently the tem perature of the air must be very various and unfettled, as the bitterest cold morning has been frequently known to fuc. ceed the warmeft evening. During the spring, this island experiences the most fultry heats, and this to fo great an excefs, that the heads of its inhabitants are frequently turned, and there is perhaps no ifland rifing above the furface of the ocean, in which are found f many lunatics. The fummers, however are more temperate and refreshing, and the gentle breezes that are wafted from the continent of Prudence fometimes remove the evils occafioned by the violence of the fpring. The autumn, is a bufy and difagreeable feafon; for then the mind of every thoughtful inhabitant is perpetually employed in the care of their tender vines, in bringing their fruit to perfection, and in finding a proper market for them; but many of their vines are frequently deBruye ftroyed in their bloom by too tender a treatment, and ftill more are ruined by the peftiferous blights from the eastern regions of luxury. The winters in, this light, as the garden of pleasure, as the center of all human happiness, is, in fact, the abode of vexation, the den of difcontent, and in the fame company, unless their behaviour announces them utter ftrangers to each other. People in general, on their first settlement in this ifland, are, as it were, enchanted with the beautiful ap pearance of what is here called the Honeynoon; but many of them, before they have a month inhabited the island, find, that what appeared to them at first as a moft refplendent luminary, is nothing but a phantom, a mere vapour of the imagination. In fhort, this ifland, which fo many reprefent as the region of deHib. Mag. March, 1781. neis of all forts of ambition, and the unfatisfactory nature of all human pleafure. When a fmart fit of fickness tells me this fcurvy tenement of my body will fall in a little time, I'm e'en as unconcerned as was the honeft Hibernian, who, being in bed in the great form fome years ago, and told the houfe would tumble over his head, made anfwer, "What care L for the houfe, I am only a lodger." When I reflect what an inconfiderable little atom every single man is, with refpect to the whole creation, methinks it is 136 Origin of Despair.—Geographical Description of the Isle of Matrimony. March, bility. Alive to every impref. are licity that ca rish affection If, therefore, the difappointed paffion has been long encouraged, if the gay vifions of hope and imagination have long adminiftered to its violence, if it is confirmed by habit, in the temper and conftitntion; if it has fuperfeded the operation of other active principles, and fo enervated their ftrength, its difappointment will be embittered; and forrow, prevented by no other paffion, will prey, unabating, on the defolate, abandoned fpirits. We may alfo obferve, that none are more liable to afflictions of this fort, than those to whom nature has given ex no fland rifing above the furface of the ocean, in which are found f many lunatics. The fummers, however are more temperate and refreshing, and the gentle breezes that are wafted from the continent of Prudence fometimes remove the evils occafioned by the violence of the fpring. The autumn, is a bufy and difagreeable season; for then the mind of every thoughtful inhabitant is perpetually employed in the care of their tender vines, in bringing their fruit to perfection, and in finding a proper market for them; but many of their vines are frequently de Brayed ftroyed in their bloom by too tender a treatment, and ftill more are ruined by the peftiferous blights from the eastern regions of luxury. The winters in, this ille are horrible indeed; for howling and freezing winds from the dreary regions of the north confine the inhabitants to their houfes, and fometimes to their beds. At light, as the garden of pleasure, as the A Letter from Mr. Pope to Mr. Steele, on this feafon, the men grow fretful and fur-YOU formerly obferved to me, that ly, and the women loquacious, and fcold immoderately. "There is one thing peculiar to this island, (if we may believe what Voltaire fays in my motto) that ftrangers are de firous of fettling there, while its natural inhabitants would be gladly banished from it." Whoever takes up his abode on this island muft, by the laws of it, connect himself with a partner, and fuch partnership nothing can diffolve but the death of one of them; in which cafe it has. frequently been obferved, that the furviving party has inftantly quitted the island, and returned to it no more. When ftrangers first come here, they are highly delighted with the external appearance of harmony between each perfon and their partner; but they no fooner make a fettlement here themselves, than they find, that the noc. turnal difeafe, called by the inhabitants, a Curtain Lecture, deftroys all their felicity. Among the politer part of the inhabitants of this island, it is, very unfafbi-; onable for two partners to be feen in the faine company, and nothing is more common than for one to connive at the other's dealing in contraband goods, though the laws are very fevere against it; indeed, in. this refpect, they are fuch notorious fmugglers, that no man with certainty can fay, that his most delicate ware is not rifled by others. The arms of this island, by which it is diftinguished from all o. thers, are, a plain ring, or, on a field, fable; the fupporters, Bacchus and Mor pheus; the motto, mifericordia miki! and the creit, a death's head on an hour glafs. The ufual diverfion of these people is cards, with which both parties frequently try who shall first ruin the other; but matrimonial partners are never fuffered to play in the fame company, unless their behaviour announces them utter ftrangers to each other. People in general, on their first fettlement in this inland, are, as it were, enchanted with the beautiful appearance of what is here called the Honeymoon; but many of them, before they have a month inhabited the island, find, that what appeared to them at firit as a oft refplendent laminary, is nothing bat a phantom, a mere vapour of the imagination. In fhort, this ifland, which So many reprefent as the region of deHib. Mag. March, 1781. nothing made a more ridiculous figure in a man's life than the disparity we often find in him, fick and well: thus one of an unfortunate conftitution is perpetu ally exhibiting a miferable example of the weaknefs of his mind, and of his body, in their turns. I have had frequent opportunities of late to confider myself in thefe different views, and I hope have received fome advantage by it, if what Waller fays be true, that The foul's dark cottage, batter'd and decay'd, Lets in new fight, thro' chinks that time has made. Then furely sickness, contributing no less than old age to the fhaking down this fcaffolding of the body, may discover the inward ftructure more plainly. Sicknefs is a fort of early old age: it teaches us a diffidence in our earthly ftate, and infpires us with the thoughts of a future, better than a thoufand volumes of philofophers and divines. It gives fo warning a concuffion to those props of our vanity, our ftrength and youth, that we then think of fortifying ourselves within, when there is fo little dependence on our outworks. Youth, at the very beft, is but a betrayer of human life in a gentler and smoother manner than age: It is like a ftream that nourishes a plant upon a bank, and causes it to flourish and bloffom to the fight, but, at the fame time, is undermining it at the root in fecret. My youth has dealt more fairly and openly with me; it has afforded feveral profpects of my danger, and given me an advantage not very common to young men, that the tranfactions of the world have not dazzled me very much; and I begin where moft people end, with a full conviction of the emptinefs of all forts of ambition, and the unfatisfactory nature of all human pleafure. When a fmart fit of fickness tells me this fcurvy tenement of my body will fall in a little time, I'm e'en as unconcerned as was the honeft Hibernian, who, being in bed in the great ftorm fome years ago, and told the houfe would tumble over his head, made anfwer, "What care I for the houfe, I am only a lodger." When I reflect what an inconfiderable little atom every fingle man is, with refpect to the whole creation, methinks it S is |