nature, or those conveniencies by which eafe, fecurity, and elegance are conferred? This is one of the innumerable theories which the first attempt to reduce them into practice certainly deftroys. If we estimate dignity by immediate usefulness, agriculture is undoubtedly the first and noblest science; yet we fee the plow driven, the clod broken, the manure spread, the feeds scattered, and the harvest reaped, by men whom those that feed upon their industry will never be perfuaded to admit into the fame rank with heroes, or with fages; and who, after all the confeffions which truth may extort in fa vour of their occupation, must be content to fill up the lowest class of the commonwealth, to form the base of the pyramid of fubordination, and lie buried in obfcurity themselves, while they fupport all that is fplendid, confpicuous, or exalted. It will be found upon a closer inspection, that this part of the conduct of mankind is by no means contrary to reafon or equity. Remuneratory honours are proportioned at once to the usefulness and difficulty of performances, and are properly adjusted by comparison of the mental and corporeal abilities, which they appear to employ. That work, however neceffary, which is carried on only by muscular ftrength and manual dexterity, is not of equal esteem, in the confideration of rational beings, with the tasks that exercise the intellectual powers, and require the active vigour of imagination, or the gradual and laborious investigations of reafon. The merit of all manual occupations feems to terminate in the inventor; and furely the firft ages cannot be charged with ingratitude; fince those who civilized civilized barbarians, and taught them how to fecure themselves from cold and hunger, were numbered amongst their deities. But thefe arts once difcovered by philosophy, and facilitated by experience, are afterwards practised with very little affiftance from the faculties of the foul; nor is any thing neceffary to the regular difcharge of thefe inferior duties, beyond that rude obfervation which the most fluggish intellect may practise, and that induftry which the stimulations of neceffity naturally enforce. Yet though the refufal of statues and panegyrick to those who employ only their hands and feet in the service of mankind may be easily justified, I am far from intending to incite the petulance of pride, to justify the fupercilioufnefs of grandeur, or to intercept any part of that tenderness and benevolence which by the privilege of their common nature one man may claim from another. That it would be neither wife nor equitable to difcourage the husbandman, the labourer, the miner, or the fmith, is generally granted; but there is another race of beings equally obfcure and equally indigent, who, because their usefulness is lefs obvious to vulgar apprehenfions, live unrewarded and die unpitied, and who have been long exposed to infult without a defender, and to cenfure without an apologist. The authors of London were formerly computed by Swift at feveral thousands, and there is not any reafon for fufpecting that their number has decreased. Of these only a very few can be faid to produce, or endeavour to produce new ideas, to extend any principle of science, or gratify the imagination with any uncommon train of images or contexture of events; the the reft, however laborious, however arrogant, can only be confidered as the drudges of the pen, the manufacturers of literature, who have set up for authors, either with or without a regular initiation, and, like other artificers, have no other care than to deliver their tale of wares at the ftated time. It has been formerly imagined, that he who intends the entertainment or inftruction of others, muft feel in himself fome peculiar impulfe of genius; that he must watch the happy minute in which his natural fire is excited, in which his mind. is elevated with nobler fentiments, enlightened with clearer views, and invigorated with ftronger comprehenfion; that he must carefully felect his thoughts and polifh his expreffions; and animate his efforts with the hope of raifing a monument of learning, which neither time nor envy fhall be able to destroy. But the authors whom I am now endeavouring to recommend have been too long hackneyed in the ways of men to indulge the chimerical ambition of immortality; they have feldom any claim to the trade of writing, but that they have tried fome other without fuccefs; they perceive no particular fummons to compofition, except the found of the clock; they have no other rule than the law or the fashion for admitting their thoughts or rejecting them; and about the opinion of pofterity they have little folicitude, for their productions are seldom intended to remain in the world longer than a week. That fuch authors are not to be rewarded with praise is evident, fince nothing can be admired when it ceafes to exift; but furely though they cannot afpire to honour, they may be exempted from igno-. miny, and adopted in that order of men which deferves our kindnefs, though not our reverence. Thefe papers of the day, the Ephemera of learning, have uses more adequate to the purposes of common life than more pompous and durable volumes. If it is neceffary for every man to be more acquainted with his contemporaries than with past generations, and to rather know the events which may immediately affect his fortune or quiet, than the revolutions of ancient kingdoms, in which he has neither poffeffions nor expectations; if it be pleasing to hear of the preferment and difmiffion of ftatefmen, the birth of heirs, and the marriage of beauties, the humble author of journals and gazettes must be confidered as a liberal difpenfer of benefificial knowledge. Even the abridger, compiler, and tranflator, though. their labours cannot be ranked with those of the diurnal hiftoriographer, yet must not be rafhly doomed to annihilation. Every fize of readers requires a genius of correfpondent capacity; fome delight in abftracts, and epitomes, because they want room in their memory for long details, and content themfelves with effects, without enquiry after causes; fome minds are overpowered by fplendor of fentiment, as fome eyes are offended by a glaring light; fuch will gladly contemplate an author in an humble imitation, as we look without pain upon the fun in the water. As every writer has his ufe, every writer ought to have his patrons; and fince no man, however high he may now ftand, can be certain that he fhall not be foon thrown down from his elevation by criticism 1 ог or caprice, the common intereft of learning requires that her fons fhould ceafe from inteftine hoftilities, and inftead of facrificing each other to malice and contempt, endeavour to avert perfecution from the meaneft of their fraternity. NUMB. 146. SATURDAY, August 10, 1751. N Sunt illic duo, trefve, qui revolvant 'Tis poffible that one or two MART. F. LEWIS. ONE of the projects or defigns which exercife the mind of man are equally subject to obftructions and difappointments with the purfuit of fame. Riches cannot easily be denied to them who have fomething of greater value to offer in exchange; he whose fortune is endangered by litigation, will not refuse to augment the wealth of the lawyer; he whofe days are darkened by languor, or whofe nerves are excruciated by pain, is compelled to pay tribute to the science of healing. But praise may be always omitted without inconvenience. When once a man has made celebrity neceffary to his happiness, he has put it in the power of the weakeft and most timorous malignity, if not to take away his fatisfacVOL. VI. D tion, |