were of the same age with myself; and, finding | a man whose abilities were so generally allowed. that my academical gravity contributed very little The report presently spread through half the to my reputation, applied my faculties to jocula-country that Demochares was arrived, and had rity and burlesque. Thus, in a short time, I had brought with him the celebrated Hilarius, by heated my imagination to such a state of activity whom such merriment would be excited, as had and ebullition, that upon every occasion it fumed never been enjoyed or conceived before. I knew, away in bursts of wit, and evaporations of gaye- indeed, the purpose for which I was invited, ty. I became on a sudden the idol of the coffee- and, as men do not look diligently out for poshouse, was in one winter solicited to accept the sible miscarriages, was pleased to find myself presidentship of five clubs, was dragged by vio- courted upon principles of interest, and consifence to every new play, and quoted in every dered as capable of reconciling factions, comcontroversy upon theatrical merit; was in every posing feuds, and uniting a whole province in public place surrounded by a multitude of hum-social happiness. ble auditors, who retailed in other places of resort my maxims and my jests, and was boasted as their intimate and companion by many, who had no other pretensions to my acquaintance, than that they had drank chocolate in the same

room.

After a few days spent in adjusting his domestic regulations, Demochares invited all the gentlemen of his neighbourhood to dinner, and did not forget to hint how much my presence was expected to heighten the pleasure of the feast. He informed me what prejudices my reputation had raised in my favour, and represented the satisfaction with which he should see me kindle up the blaze of merriment, and should remark the various effects that my fire would have upon such

This declaration, by which he intended to quicken my vivacity, filled me with solicitude. I felt an ambition of shining which I never knew before; and was therefore embarrassed with an unusual fear of disgrace. I passed the night in

You will not wonder, Mr. Rambler, that I mention my success with some appearance of triumph and elevation. Perhaps no kind of superiority is more flattering or alluring than that which is conferred by the powers of conversa-diversity of matter. tion, by extemporaneous sprightliness of fancy, copiousness of language, and fertility of sentiment. In other exertions of genius, the greater part of the praise is unknown and unenjoyed; the writer, indeed, spreads his reputation to a wider extent, but receives little pleasure or ad-planning out to myself the conversation of the vantage from the diffusion of his name, and only obtains a kind of nominal sovereignty over regions which pay no tribute. The colloquial wit has always his own radiance reflected on himself, and enjoys all the pleasure which he bestows; he finds his power confessed by every one that approaches him, sees friendship kindling with rapture, and attention swelling into praise.

coming day; recollected all my topics of raillery, proposed proper subjects of ridicule, prepared smart replies to a thousand questions, accommodated answers to imaginary repartees, and formed a magazine of remarks, apophthegms, tales, and illustrations.

The morning broke at last in the midst of these busy meditations. I rose with the palpitations of a champion on the day of combat; and, notwithstanding all my efforts, found my spirits sunk under the weight of expectation. The company soon after began to drop in, and every one, at his entrance, was introduced to Hilarius. What conception the inhabitants of this region had formed of a wit, I cannot yet discover; but observed that they all seemed, after the regular exchange of compliments, to turn away disap

The desire which every man feels of importance and esteem, is so much gratified by finding an assembly, at his entrance, brightened with gladness and hushed with expectation, that the recollection of such distinctions can scarcely fail to be pleasing whensoever it is innocent. And my conscience does not reproach me with any mean or criminal effects of vanity; since I always employed my influence on the side of vir-pointed; and that while we waited for dinner, tue, and never sacrificed my understanding or my religion to the pleasure of applause.

they cast their eyes first upon me and then upon each other, like a theatrical assembly waiting for a show.

There were many whom either the desire of enjoying my pleasantry, or the pride of being From the uneasiness of this situation, I was thought to enjoy it, brought often into my com- relieved by the dinner; and as every attention pany but I was caressed in a particular manner was taken up by the business of the hour, I by Demochares, a gentleman of large estate, and sunk quietly to a level with the rest of the coma liberal disposition. My fortune being by no pany. But no sooner were the dishes removed, means exuberant, inclined me to be pleased with than, instead of cheerful confidence and familiar a friend who was willing to be entertained at his prattle, a universal silence again showed their own charge. I became by daily invitations ha-expectation of some unusual performance. My bituated to his table, and, as he believed my ac-friend endeavoured to rouse them by healths and quaintance necessary to the character of ele- questions, but they answered him with great gance, which he was desirous of establishing, I brevity, and immediately relapsed into their forlived in all the luxury of affluence, without ex- mer taciturnity. pense, or dependence, and passed my life in a I had waited in hope of some opportunity to perpetual reciprocation of pleasure, with men divert them, but could find no pass opened for a brought together by similitude of accomplish-single sally; and who can be merry without an ments, or desire of improvement. object of mirth? After a few faint efforts, which But all power has its sphere of activity, be- produced neither applause nor opposition, I was yond which it produces no effect. Demochares content to mingle with the mass, to put round the being called by his affairs into the country, ima-glass in silence, and solace myself with my own gined that he should increase his popularity by contemplations.

coming among his neighbours accompanied by My friend looked round him: the guests

stared at one another; and if now and then a few syllables were uttered with timidity and hesitation, there was none ready to make any reply. All our faculties were frozen, and every minute took away from our capacity of pleasing, and disposition to be pleased. Thus passed the hours to which so much happiness was decreed; the hours which had, by a kind of open proclamation, been devoted to wit, to mirth, and to Hilarius.

At last the night came on, and the necessity of parting freed us from the persecutions of each other. I heard them as they walked along the court, murmuring at the loss of the day, and inquiring whether any man would pay a second visit to a house haunted by a wit?

scenes: we first leave childhood behind us, then youth, then the years of ripened manhood, then the better and more pleasing part of old age." The perusal of this passage having excited in me a train of reflections on the state of man, the incessant fluctuation of his wishes, the gradual change of his disposition to all external objects, and the thoughtlessness with which he floats along the stream of time, I sunk into a slumber amidst my meditations, and, on a sudden, found my ears filled with the tumult of labour, the shouts of alacrity, the shrieks of alarm, the whistle of winds, and the dash of waters.

My astonishment for a time repressed my curiosity; but soon recovering myself so far as to Demochares, whose benevolence is greater inquire whither we were going, and what was than his penetration, having flattered his hopes the cause of such clamour and confusion, I was with the secondary honour which he was to gain told that we were launching out into the ocean by my sprightliness and elegance, and the affec- of life; that we had already passed the streights tion with which he should be followed for a per- of infancy, in which multitudes had perished, petual banquet of gayety, was not able to con- some by the weakness and fragility of their vesceal his vexation and resentment, nor would ea- sels, and more by the folly, perverseness, or nesily be convinced, that I had not sacrificed his in- gligence, of those who undertook to steer them; terest to sullenness and caprice, and studiously and that we were now on the main sea, abanendeavoured to disgust his guests, and suppress-doned to the winds and billows, without any ed my powers of delighting, in obstinate and premeditated silence. I am informed that the reproach of their ill reception is divided by the gentlemen of the country between us; some being of opinion that my friend is deluded by an impostor, who, though he has found some art of gaining his favour, is afraid to speak before men of more penetration; and others concluding, that I think only London the proper theatre of my abilities, and disdain to exert my genius for the praise of rustics.

I believe, Mr. Rambler, that it has sometimes happened to others, who have the good or ill fortune to be celebrated for wits, to fall under the same censures upon the like occasions. I hope, therefore, that you will prevent any misrepresentations of such failures, by remarking, that invention is not wholly at the command of its possessor; that the power of pleasing is very often obstructed by the desire; that all expectation lessens surprise, yet some surprise is necessary to gayety; and that those who desire to partake of the pleasure of wit must contribute to its production, since the mind stagnates without external ventilation, and that effervescence of the fancy, which flashes into transport, can be raised only by the infusion of dissimilar ideas.

other means of security than the care of the pilot, whom it was always in our power to choose among great numbers that offered their direction and assistance.

I then looked round with anxious eagerness; and first turning my eyes behind me, saw a stream flowing through flowery islands, which every one that sailed along seemed to behold with pleasure: but no sooner touched, than the current, which, though not noisy or turbulent, was yet irresistible, bore him away. Beyond these islands all was darkness, nor could any of the passengers describe the shore at which he first embarked.

Before me, and on each side, was an expanse of waters violently agitated, and covered with so thick a mist, that the most perspicacious eye could see but a little way. It appeared to be full of rocks and whirlpools, for many sunk unexpectedly while they were courting the gale with full sails, and insulting those whom they had left behind. So numerous, indeed, were the dangers, and so thick the darkness, that no caution could confer security. Yet there were many, who, by false intelligence, betrayed their followers into whirlpools, or by violence pushed those whom they found in their way against the rocks.

The current was invariable and insurmountable; but though it was impossible to sail against it, or to return to the place that was once passed, yet it was not so violent as to allow no opportunities for dexterity or courage, since, though none could retreat back from danger, yet they might often avoid it by oblique direction.

It was, however, not very common to steer with much care or prudence; for by some universal infatuation, every man appeared to think himself safe, though he saw his consorts every moment sinking round him; and no sooner had the waves closed over them, than their fate and their misconduct were forgotten; the voyage was pursued with the same jocund confidence; every man congratulated himself upon the soundness of his vessel, and believed himself able to stem the whirlpool in which his friend was swal

lowed, or glide over the rocks on which he was dashed; nor was it often observed that the sight of a wreck made any man change his course; if he turned aside for a moment, he soon forgot the rudder, and left himself again to the disposal of chance.

This negligence did not proceed from indifference or from weariness of their present condition; for not one of those who thus rushed upon destruction, failed, when he was sinking, to call loudly upon his associates for that help which could not now be given him; and many spent their last moments in cautioning others against the folly by which they were intercepted in the midst of their course. Their benevolence was sometimes praised, but their admonitions were unregarded.

The vessels in which we had embarked being confessedly unequal to the turbulence of the stream of life, were visibly impaired in the course of the voyage; so that every passenger was certain, that how long soever he might, by favourable accidents, or by incessant vigilance, be preserved, he must sink at last.

Reason was too often prevailed upon so far by these promises, as to venture her charge within the eddy of the gulf of Intemperance, where indeed, the circumvolution was weak, but yet interrupted the course of the vessel, and drew it, by insensible rotations, towards the centre. She then repented her temerity, and with all her force endeavoured to retreat; but the draught of the gulf was generally too strong to be overcome; and the passenger, having danced in circles with a pleasing and giddy velocity, was at last overwhelmed and lost. Those few whom Reason was able to extricate, generally suffered so many shocks upon the points which shot out from the rocks of Pleasure, that they were unable to continue their course with the same strength and facility as before, but floated along timorously and feebly, endangered by every breeze, and shattered by every ruffle of the water, till they sunk, by slow degrees, after long struggles, and innumerable expedients, always repining at their own folly, and warning others against the first approach of the gulf of Intemperance.

There were artists who professed to repair the breaches and stop the leaks of the vessels which had been shattered on the rocks of Pleasure. Many appeared to have great confidence in their skill, and some, indeed, were preserved by it from sinking, who had received only a single blow; but I remarked that few vessels lasted long which had been much repaired, nor was it found that the artists themselves continued afloat longer than those who had least of their assistance.

This necessity of perishing might have been expected to sadden the gay, and intimidate the daring, at least to keep the melancholy and timorous in perpetual torments, and hinder them from any enjoyment of the varieties and gratifications which nature offered them as the solace of their labours; yet in effect, none seemed less to expect destruction than those to whom it was most dreadful; they all had the art of concealing their danger from themselves; and those who knew their inability to bear the sight of the terrors that embarrassed their way, took care The only advantage which in the voyage of never to look forward, but found some amuse-life, the cautious had above the negligent, was, ment for the present moment, and generally entertained themselves by playing with Hope, who was the constant associate of the voyage of life.

Yet all that Hope ventured to promise, even to those whom she favoured most, was, not that they should escape, but that they should sink last; and with this promise every one was satisfied, though he laughed at the rest for seeming to believe it. Hope, indeed, apparently mocked the credulity of her companions; for, in proportion as their vessels grew leaky, she redoubled her assurances of safety; and none were more busy in making provisions for a long voyage, than they whom all but themselves saw likely to perish soon by irreparable decay.

In the midst of the current of life was the gulf of Intemperance, a dreadful whirlpool, interspersed with rocks, of which the pointed crags were concealed under water, and the tops covered with herbage, on which Ease spread couches of repose, and with shades, where Pleasure warbled the song of invitation. Within sight of these rocks all who sailed on the ocean of life must

that they sunk later, and more suddenly! for they passed forward till they had sometimes seen all those in whose company they had issued from the streights of infancy, perish in the way, and at last were overset by a cross breeze, without the toil of resistance, or the anguish of expectation. But such as had often fallen against the rocks of Pleasure, commonly subsided by sensible degrees, contended long with the encroaching waters, and harassed themselves by labours that scarce Hope herself could flatter with success.

As I was looking upon the various fate of the multitude about me, I was suddenly alarmed with an admonition from some unknown Power: "Gaze not idly upon others, when thou thyself art sinking. Whence is this thoughtless tranquillity, when thou and they are equally endangered?" I looked, and seeing the gulf of Intemperance before me, started and awaked.

Scire volunt secreta domus, atque inde timeri. JUV.
They search the secrets of the house, and so
Are worshipped there, and fear'd for what they know.

necessarily pass. Reason, indeed, was always No. 103.] TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1751.
at hand to steer the passengers through a nar-
row outlet by which they might escape; but
very few could, by her entreaties or remon-
strances, be induced to put the rudder into her
hand, without stipulating that she should ap-
proach so near unto the rocks of Pleasure, that
they might solace themselves with a short enjoy-
ment of that delicious region, after which they
always determined to pursue their course with-
out any other deviation.

DRYDEN.

CURIOSITY is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect. Every advance into knowledge opens new prospects, and produces new incitements to further progress. All the attainments possible in our present state

are evidently inadequate to our capacities of enjoyment; conquest serves no purpose but that of kindling ambition, discovery has no effect but of raising expectation; the gratification of one desire encourages another; and, after all our labours, studies, and inquiries, we are continually at the same distance from the completion of our schemes, have still some wish importunate to be satisfied, and some faculty restless and turbulent for want of its enjoyment.

Imerce, or the mensuration of time? They were delighted with the splendour of the nocturnal skies, they found that the lights changed their places; what they admired they were anxious to understand, and in time traced their revolutions.

There are indeed, beings in the form of men, who appear satisfied with their intellectual possessions, and seem to live without desire of enlarging their conceptions; before whom the world passes without notice, and who are equally unmoved by nature or art.

The desire of knowledge, though often animated by extrinsic and adventitious motives, This negligence is sometimes only the temposeems on many occasions to operate without rary effect of a predominant passion; a lover subordination to any other principle; we are finds no inclination to travel any path, but that eager to see and hear, without intention of re- which leads to the habitation of his mistress; a ferring our observations to a further end; we trader can pay little attention to common occurclimb a mountain for a prospect of the plain; rences, when his fortune is endangered by a we run to the strand in a storm, that we may storm. It is frequently the consequence of a contemplate the agitation of the water; we total immersion in sensuality; corporeal plearange from city to city, though we profess nei-sures may be indulged till the memory of every ther architecture nor fortification; we cross seas other kind of happiness is obliterated; the mind, only to view nature in nakedness, or magnifi-long habituated to a lethargic and quiescent state, cence in ruins; we are equally allured by novelty of every kind, by a desert or a palace, a cataract or a cavern, by every thing rude and every thing polished, every thing great and every thing little; we do not see a thicket but with some temptation to enter it, nor remark an insect flying before us but with an inclination to pursue it.

is unwilling to wake to the toil of thinking; and though she may sometimes be disturbed by the obtrusion of new ideas, shrinks back again to ignorance and rest.

But, indeed, if we except them to whom the continual task of procuring the supports of life denies all opportunities of deviation from their own narrow track, the number of such as live without the ardour of inquiry is very small, though many content themselves with cheap amusements, and waste their lives in researches of no importance.

This passion is, perhaps, regularly heightened in proportion as the powers of the mind are elevated and enlarged. Lucan therefore introduces Cæsar speaking with dignity suitable to the grandeur of his designs and the extent of his There is no snare more dangerous to busy and capacity, when he declares to the high-priest of excursive minds, than the cobwebs of petty inEgypt, that he has no desire equally powerful quisitiveness, which entangle them in trivial with that of finding the origin of the Nile, and employments and minute studies, and detain that he would quit all the projects of the civil them in a middle state, between the tediousness war for a sight of those fountains which had of total inactivity, and the fatigue of laborious been so long concealed. And Homer, when he efforts, enchant them at once with ease and nowould furnish the Sirens with a temptation, to velty, and vitiate them with the luxury of learnwhich his hero, renowned for wisdom, mighting The necessity of doing something, and the yield without disgrace, makes them declare, that none ever departed from them but with increase of knowledge.

fear of undertaking much, sinks the historian to a genealogist, the philosopher to a journalist of the weather, and the mathematician to a constructor of dials.

It is happy when those who cannot content themselves to be idle, nor resolve to be industrious, are at least employed without injury to others; but it seldom happens that we can contain ourselves long in a neutral state, or forbear to sink into vice, when we are no longer soaring towards virtue.

There is, indeed, scarce any kind of ideal acquirement which may not be applied to some use, or which may not at least gratify pride with occasional superiority; but whoever attends the motions of his own mind will find, that upon the first appearance of an object, or the first start of a question, his inclination to a nearer view, or more accurate discussion, precedes all thoughts of profit, or of competition; and that his desires Nugaculus was distinguished in his earlier take wing by instantaneous impulse, though their years by an uncommon liveliness of imagination, flight may be invigorated, or their efforts renew-quickness of sagacity, and extent of knowledge ed, by subsequent considerations. The gratifi- When he entered into life, he applied himsel. cation of curiosity rather frees us from uneasi- with particular inquisitiveness to examine the ness than confers pleasure; we are more pained various motives of human actions, the compliby ignorance than delighted by instruction. Cu-cated influence of mingled affections, the differriosity is the thirst of the soul; it inflames and torments us, and makes us taste every thing with joy, however, otherwise insipid, by which it may be quenched.

It is evident that the earliest searchers after knowledge must have proposed knowledge only as their reward; and that science, though perhaps the nursling of interest, was the daughter of curiosity: for who can believe that they who first watched the course of the stars, foresaw the use of their discoveries to the facilitation of com

ent modifications of interest and ambition, and the various causes of miscarriage and success both in public and private affairs.

Though his friends did not discover to what purpose all these observations were collected, or how Nugaculus would much improve his virtue or his fortune by an incessant attention to changes of countenance, bursts of inconsideration, sallies of passion, and all the other casualities by which he used to trace a character, yet they could not deny the study of human nature to be worthy of

a wise man; they therefore flattered his vanity, | from one another assistance and support. The applauded his discoveries, and listened with sub- necessity of joint efforts for the execution of any missive modesty to his lectures on the uncertain- great or extensive design, the variety of powers ty of inclination, the weakness of resolves, and the disseminated in the species, and the proportion instability of temper, to his account of the various between the defects and excellences of different motives which agitate the mind, and his ridicule persons, demand an interchange of help, and of the modern dream of a ruling passion. communication of intelligence, and by frequent reciprocations of beneficence unite mankind in society and friendship.

Thus has an intention, innocent at first, if not It is discovered by a very few experiments, laudable, the intention of regulating his own be- that no man is much pleased with a companion, haviour by the experience of others, by an acci- who does not increase, in some respect, his fonddental declension to minuteness, betrayed Nuga-ness of himself; and therefore, he that wishes culus, not only to a foolish, but vicious waste of a life which might have been honourably passed in public services, or domestic virtues. He has lost his original intention, and given up his mind to employments that engross, but do not improve it.