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tedious drudgeries in needle-work as were fit only for the Hilpas and the Nilpas that lived before the flood. Here is a ftir indeed with your hiftories in embroidery, your groves with 'fhades of filk and ftreams of mohair! I would have you to know, that I hope to kill a hundred lovers, before the best housewife in England can ftitch out a battle, and do not fear but to provide boys and girls much fafter than your difciples can embroider them. I love birds and beafts as well as you, but am content to fancy them when they are really made.. What do you think of guilt leather for furniture? There is your pretty hangings for a chamber; and what is more, our own country, is the only place in Europe, where work of that kind is tolerably done. Without minding your mufty leffons, I am this minute going to. Paul's churchyard to bespeak a fkreen and a set of hangings; and am refolved to encourage the manufacture of my country.

Yours,

CLEORA.

FRIDAY,

********

No 610. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22.

I

Sic, cum tranfuerint mei
Nullo cum ftrepitu dies,
Plebeius moriar fenex.
Illi mors gravis incubat,
Qui, notis nimis omnibus,
Ignotus moritur fibi.

SENECA.

Thus, when my fleeting days at last,
Unheeded, filently are paft,
Calmly I fhall refign my breath,
In life unknown, forgot in death;
While he, o'ertaken unprepar'd,
Finds death an evil to be fear'd,
Who dies, to others too much known,
A ftranger to himfelf alone..

HAVE often wondered that the Jews fhould contrive fuch a worthlefs greatness for the deliverer whom they expected, as to drefs him up in external pomp and pageantry, and reprefent him to their imagination, as making havock amongst his creatures, and acted with the poor ambition of a Cæfar or an Alexander. How much more illuftrious doth he appear in his real character, when confidered as the author of universal benevolence among men, as refining our paffions, exalting our nature, giving us vaft ideas of immortality, and teaching us a contempt of that little fhowy grandeur, wherein the Jews made the glory of their Meffiab to confift!

Nothing (fays Longinus) can be great, the contempt of which is great. The poffeffion of wealth and riches cannot give a man a title to greatnefs, becaufe it is looked upon as a greatness of mind, to contemn these gifts of fortune, and to be above the

defire of them.

I have therefore been inclined to think, that there are greater men who lie concealed among the fpecies, than those who come out, and draw upon themselves the eyes and admiration of mankind. Virgil would never have been heard of, had not his domeftick misfortunes driven him out of his obfcurity, and brought him to Rome.

If we fuppofe that there are fpirits or angels, who look into the ways of men, as it is highly probable there are, both from reafon and revelation; how different are the notions which they entertain of us, from thofe which we are apt to form of one another? Were they to give us in their catalogue of fuch worthies as are now living, how different would it be from that which any of our own fpecies would draw up?

We are dazzled with the fplendor of titles, the oftentation of learning, the noife of victories : They, on the contrary, fee the philofopher in the cottage, who poffeffes his foul in patience and thankfulness, under the preffures of what little minds call poverty and diftrefs. They do not look for great men at the head of armies, or among the pomps of a court, but often find them out in fhades and folitudes, in the private walks and bypaths of life. The evening's walk of a wife man is more illuftrious in their fight, than the march of a general at the head of an hundred thousand A contemplation of God's works; a voluntary act of justice to our detriment; a generous concern for the good of mankind; tears that are fhed in filence for the mifery of others; a private defire of refentment broken and fubdued:;. in fhort, an unfeigned exercise of humility, or any other virtue, are fuch actions as are glorious in their fight, and denominate men great and reputable. The most famous among us are often looked upon with pity, with contempt, or with indignation;

men.

while those who are most obfcure among their own fpecies, are regarded with love, with approbation,

and efteem.

The moral of the prefent fpeculation amounts to this, that we fhould not be led away by the cenfures and applaufes of men, but confider the figure that every perfon will make, at that time when wisdom fhall be juftified of her children, and nothing pafs for great or illuftrious which is not an ornament and perfection to human

nature.

The ftory of Gyges, the rich Lydian monarch, is a memorable inftance to our prefent purpofe. The. oracle being asked by Gyges, who was the happiest man, replied, Aglaus. Gyges, who expected to have heard himfelf named on this occafion, was much furprised, and very curious to know who this Aglais fhould be. After much enquiry he was found to be an obfcure country-man, who em ployed all his time in cultivating a garden, and a few acres of land about his houfe.

Cowley's agreeable relation of this story fhall clofe this day's fpeculation.

Thus Aglais (a man unknown to men,
But the gods knew, and therefore lov'd him then)
Thus liv'd obfcurely then without a name,
Aglaüs, now confign'd t'eternal fame.
For Gyges, the rich king, wicked and great,
Prefum'd at wife Apollo's Delphic feat,
Prefum'd to afk, Oh thou the whole world's eye,
See'st thou a man that happier is than I?
The god, who fcorn'd to flatter man, reply'd,
·Aglaüs happier is. But Gyges cry'd,
In a proud rage, who can that Aglais be?
We've heard as yet of no fuch king as he.
And true it was, through the whole earth around
No king of fuch a name was to be found.
Is fome old hero of that name alive

Who

Who his high race does from the gods derive?
Is it fome mighty gen'ral that has done
Wonders in fight, and god-like honours won?
Is it fome man of endless wealth? faid he :
None, none of thefe; who can this Aglaüs be?
After long fearch, and vain enquiries paft,
In an obfcure Arcadian vale at last,
(Th Arcadian life has always fhady been)
Near Sopho's town, (which he but once had feen)
This Aglaüs, who monarchs envy drew,
Whofe happiness the gods flood witness to,
This mighty Aglaus was lab'ring found,
With his own hands, in his own little ground.
So, gracious gad, (if it may lawful be,
Among thofe foolish gods to mention thee)
So let me at, on fuch a private ftage,
The laft dull fcenes of my declining age;
After long toils and voyages in vain,
This quiet port let my tofs'd veffel gain;
Of heav'nly reft this earnest to me lend,
Let my life fleep, and learn to love her end.

No 611. MONDAY, OCTOBER 25.

I

Perfide! fed duris genuit te cautibus horrens
Caucafus, Hircanaque admôrunt uhera tigres.
VIRG. Æn. iv. ver. 366.

Perfidious man! thy parent was a rock,
And fierce Hyrcanian tigers gave thee fuck.

AM willing to poftpone every thing, to do any the leaft fervice for the deferving and unfortu nate. Accordingly I have caufed the following letter to be inferted in my paper, the moment that it came to my hands, without altering one tittle in an account which the lady relates fo handfomely herself.

Mr.

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