bility over the mind. When we destroy the nerves, we extinguish the sense of pleasure, together with that of pain. Ir will be eafy, by one glance of the eye, to find one or other of these defects in most of those philofophical reflections, fo much celebrated both in ancient and modern times. Let not the injuries or violence of men, fay the philofophers*, ever difcompofe you by anger or hatred. Would you be angry at the ape for its malice, or the tyger for its ferocity? This reflection leads us into a bad opinion of human nature, and must extinguish the social affections. It tends alfo to remove all remorse for a man's own crimes, when he confiders, that vice is as natural to mankind, as the particular inftinct to brute-creatures. ALL ills arife from the order of the universe, which is abfolutely perfect. Would you wish to disturb fo divine an order for the fake of your own particular intereft? What if the ills fuffer arife from malice or oppreffion? But the vices and imperfections of men are also comprehended in the order of the universe. If plagues and earthquakes break not heav'n's defign, Let this be allowed; and my own vices will also be a part of the fame order. To one who faid, that none was happy, who was not above opinion, a SPARTAN replied, then none are happy but knaves and robbers +. MAN is born to be miferable; and is he furprized at any particular misfortune? And can be give way to forrow and lamentation upon account of any difafter? Yes He very reasonably laments, that he fhould be born to be miferable. Your confolation prefents a hundred ills for one, that you pretend to ease him of. You should always have before your eyes death, difeafe, poverty, blindness, exile, calumny, and infamy, as ills which are incident to human nature. When any one of these ills falls to your lot, you will bear it the better that you have laid your account with it. I answer, If we confine ourselves to a general and diftant reflection on the ills of human life, that can have no effect to prepare us for them. by close and intense meditation we render them prefent and intimate to us, that is the true fecret to poifon all our pleasures, and render us perpetually miferable. If YOUR forrow is fruitless, and will not change the course of destiny. Very true: And for that very reafon I am forry. CICERO's confolation for deafnefs is fomewhat curious. How many languages are there, fays he, which you do not understand? The PUNIC, SPANISH, GALLIC, EGYPTIAN, &c. With regard to all thefe, you are as if you were deaf, and yet you are indifferent about the matter. Is it then fo great a misfortune to be deaf to one language more ‡? I LIKE better the repartee of ANTIPATER the CYRENIAC, when fome women were condoling with him for his blindness? What! fays he, Do you think there are no pleafures in the dark? NOTHING can be more destructive, fays FONTENELLE, to ambition, and the paffion for conquefts, than the true fyftem of aftronomy. What a poor thing is even the whole globe in comparison of the infinite extent of nature? This confidera PLUT. de ira cohibenda. + PLUT. Lacon. Apophtheg. 1 Tusc. Quæft. Lib. V. tion is evidently too diftant ever to have any effect. And if it had any, would it not destroy patriotifm as well as ambition? The fame gallant author adds with fome reason, that the bright eyes of the ladies are the only objects, which lofe nothing of their luftre or value from the most extensive views of aftronomy and philofophy, but stand proof against every system. Would philofophers advife us to limit our affection to them? To EXILE, fays PLUTARCH to a friend in banishment, is no evil: Mathematicians tell us, that the whole earth is but as a point, compared to the heavens. change one's country, then, is little more than to remove from one street to another. Man is not a plant, rooted to a certain spot of earth: All foils and all climates are alike fuited to him *. These topics are admirable, could they fall only into the hands of banished perfons. But what if they come alfo to the knowlege of those employed in public affairs, and destroy all their attachment to their native country? Or will they operate like the quack's medicine, which is equally good for a diabetes and a dropsy? Tis certain, were a fuperior being thruft into a human body, that the whole of life would to him appear fo mean, contemptible and puerile, that he never could be induced to take party in any thing, and would scarcely give attention to what paffes around him. To engage him to fuch condefcenfion as to play even the part of a PHILIP with zeal and alacrity, would be much more difficult than to constrain the fame PHILIP, after having been a king and conqueror during fifty years, to mend old fhoes with proper care and attention; the occupation which LUCIAN affigns him in the infernal regions. Now all the fame topics of difdain towards human affairs, which could operate on this fuppofed being, occur alfo to a philofopher; but being, in fome measure, difproportioned to human capacity, and not being fortified with the experience of any thing better, they make not a full impreffion on him. He fees, but he feels not fufficiently their truth; and is always a fublime philofopher, when he needs not; that is, as long as nothing difturbs him, or rouzes his affections. While others play, he wonders at their keenness and ardor; but he no fooner puts in his own ftake, than he is commonly transported with the fame paffions, which he had fo much condemned while he remained a fimple spectator. THERE are chiefly two confiderations to be met with in books of philofophy, from which any confiderable effect is to be expected, and that because thefe two confiderations are drawn from common life, and occur upon the most fuperficial view of human affairs. When we reflect on the shortness and uncertainty of life, how despicable seem all our pursuits of happiness? And even, if we would extend our concern beyond our own life, how frivolous appear our moft enlarged and most generous projects; when we confider the inceffant changes and revolutions of human affairs, by which laws and learning, books and governments are hurried away by time, as by a rapid ftream, and are loft in the immenfe ocean of matter? Such a reflection certainly tends to mortify all our paffions: But does it not thereby counterwork the artifice of nature, who has happily deceived us into an opinion, that human life is of fome importance? And may not such a reflection be employed with fuccefs by voluptuous reafoners, in order to lead us from the paths of action and virtue, into the flowery fields of indolence and pleasure? We are informed by THUCYDIDES, that, during the famous plague of ATHENS, when death feemed present to every one, a diffolute mirth and gaiety prevailed among the people, who exhorted one another to make the most of life as long as it endured. The fame obfervation is made by BOCCACE with regard to the plague of FLORENCE. A like principle makes foldiers, during war, to be more addicted to riot and expence, than any other race of men. Prefent pleasure is always of importance; and whatever diminishes the importance of all other ob jects must bestow on it an additional influence and value. THE fecond philofophical confideration, which may often have an influence on the affections, is derived from a comparison of our own condition with the condition of others. This comparison we are continually making, even in common life; but the misfortune is, that we are apt rather to compare our situation with that of our fuperiors, than with that of our inferiors. A philofopher corrects this natural infirmity, by turning his view to the other fide, in order to render himself eafy in the fituation in which fortune has placed him. There are few people, who are not fufceptible of fome confolation from this reflection, tho' to a very good natured man, the view of human miferies fhould rather produce forrow than comfort, and add to his lamentations for his own misfortunes a deep compassion for thofe of others. Such is the imperfection, even of the best of thefe philofophical topics of confolation *. The fceptic, perhaps, carries the matter too far, when he limits all philofophical topics and reflections to thefe two. There feem to be others, whose truth is undeniable, and whofe natural tendency is to tranquilize and foften all the paffions. Philofophy greedily feizes thefe, ftudies them, weighs them, commits them to the memory, and familiarizes then to the mind: and their influence on tempers, which are thoughtful, gentle, and moderate, may be confiderable. But what is their influence, you will fay, if the temper be antecedently difpofed after the fame manner which they pretend to form it? They may, at leaft, fortify that temper, and furnish it with views, by which it may entertain and nourish itfelf. Here are a few examples of fuch philofophical reflections. I. Is it not certain, that every condition has concealed ills? Then why envy any body? 2. Every one has known ills; and there is a compenfation throughout. Why not be contented with the present? 3. Cuftom deadens the fenfe both of the good and the ill, and levels every thing. 4. Health and humor all. The reft of little confequence, except these be affected. 5. How many other goods have 1? Then why be vexed for one ill? 6. How many are happy in the condition of which I complain? How many envy me ? I SHALL 7. Every good must be paid for: Fortune by labor, favor by flattery. Would I keep the price, yet have the commodity? 8. Expect not too great happiness in life. Human nature admits it not. 9. Propose not a happiness too complicated. But does that depend on me? Yes: The first choice does. Life is like a game: One may choofe the game: And paffion, by degrees, feizes the proper object. 10. Anticipate by your hopes and fancy future confolation, which time infallibly brings to every affliction. 11. I defire to be rich? Why? That I may poffefs many fine objects; houfes, gardens, equípage, &. How many fine objects does nature offer to every one without expence? If enjoyed, fufficient. If not: See the effect of custom or of temper, which would foon take off the relish of the riches. 12. I defire fame. Let this occur: If I act well, I fhall have the esteem of all my acquaintance. And what is all the reft to me? Thefe reflections are fo obvious, that 'tis a wonder they occur not to every man: So convincing, that 'tis a wonder they perfuade not every man. But perhaps they do occur to and perfuade most men; when they confider human life, by a general and calm furvey: But where any real, affecting incident I SHALL conclude this fubject with obferving, That tho' virtue be undoubtedly the best choice, when it is attainable; yet fuch is the diforder and confufion of human affairs, that no perfect oeconomy or regular diftribution of happiness and mifery is ever, in this life, to be expected. Not only the goods of fortune, and the endowments of the body (both which are of great importance) not only thefe advantages, I fay, are unequally divided betwixt the virtuous and vicious, but even the mind itself partakes, in fome degree, of this diforder, and the most worthy character, by the very oeconomy of the paffions, enjoys not always the highest felicity. 'Tis obfervable, that tho' every bodily disease or pain proceeds from fome diforder in the parts, yet the pain is not always proportioned to the disorder; but is greater or lefs, according to the greater or lefs fenfibility of the part, upon which the noxious humors exert their influence. A tooth-ach produces more violent convulfions of pain than a phthifis or a dropfy. In like manner, with regard to the conftitution of the mind, we may obferve, that all vice is indeed pernicious; but yet the disturbance or pain is not measured out by nature with exact proportion to the degrees of vice, nor is the man of higheft virtue, even abftracting from external accidents, always the moft happy. A gloomy and melancholy difpofition is certainly, to our fentiments, a vice or imperfection; but as it may be accompanied with great fenfe of honor and great integrity, it may be found in very worthy characters; tho' 'tis fufficient alone to imbitter life, and render the perfon affected with it compleatly miferable. On the other hand, a selfish villain may poffefs a spring and alacrity of temper, a certain gaiety of heart, which is indeed a good quality, but which is rewarded much beyond its merit, and when attended with good fortune, will compenfate the uneafinefs and remorfe arifing from all the other vices. I SHALL add, as an obfervation to the fame purpofe, that if a man be liable to a vice or imperfection, it may often happen, that a good quality, which he poffeffes with it, will render him more miferable, than if he were compleatly vicious. A perfon of fuch imbecillity of temper, as to be easily broke by affliction, is more unhappy for being endowed with a generous and friendly difpofition, which gives him a lively concern for others, and exposes him the more to fortune and accidents. A fenfe of fhame, in an imperfect character, is certainly a virtue, but produces great uneafinefs and remorfe, from which the abandoned villain is entirely free. A very amorous complexion, with a heart incapable of friendship, is happier than the fame excefs in love, with a generofity of temper, incident happens; when paffion is awakened, fancy agitated, example draws, and counfel urges; the philofopher is loft in the man, and he fearches in vain for that perfuafion, which before feemed fo firm and unfhaken. What remedy for this inconvenience? Aflift yourself by a frequent perufal of the entertaining moralifts: Have recourfe to the learning of PLUTARCH, the imagination of LUCIAN, the eloquence of CICERO, the wit of SENECA, the gaiety of MONTAIGNE, the fublimity of SHAFTSBURY. Moral precepts, so couch which transports a man beyond himself, and renders him a total flave to the object of his paffion. In a word, human life is more governed by fortune than by reafon; is to be regarded more as a dull paftime than as a ferious occupation; and is more influenced by particular humor than by general principles. Shall we engage ourselves in it with paffion and anxiety? It is not worthy of fo much concern. Shall we be indifferent about what happens? We lofe all the pleasure of the game by our phlegm and careleffnefs. While we are reafoning concerning life, life is gone; and death, tho' perhaps they receive him differently, yet treats alike the fool and the philofopher. To reduce life to exact rule and method, is commonly a painful, oft a fruitless occupation: And is it not alfo a proof, that we overvalue the prize for which we contend? Even to reafon fo carefully concerning it, and to fix with accuracy its juft idea, would be over-valuing it, were it not that, to fome tempers, this occupation is one of the moft amufing, in which life could poffibly be employed. A ESSAY XXII. OF POLYGAMY AND DIVORCES. S marriage is an engagement entered into by mutual confent, and has for its end the propagation of the fpecies, 'tis evident, that it must be fufceptible of all the variety of conditions, which confent establishes, provided they be not contrary to this end. A MAN, in conjoining himself to a woman, is bound to her according to the terms of his engagement: In begetting children, he is bound, by all the ties of nature and humanity, to provide for their fubfiftence and education. When he has performed these two parts of duty, no being can reproach him with injuftice or injury. And as the terms of his engagement, as well as the methods of fubfifting his offspring, may be very various; 'tis mere fuperftition to imagine, that marriage can be entirely uniform, and will admit only of one mode or form. Did not human laws reftrain the natural liberty of men, every particular marriage would be as different, as contracts or bargains of any other kind or fpecies. As circumstances vary, and the laws propofe different advantages, we find, that, in different times and places, they impofe different conditions on this important contract. In TONQUIN 'tis ufual for the failors, when the ships come into the harbor, to marry for the season; and, notwithstanding this precarious engagement, they are affured, 'tis faid, of the ftricteft fidelity to their bed, as well as in the whole management of their affairs, from thofe temporary spouses. I CANNOT, at prefent, recollect my authorities; but I have fomewhere read, That the republic of ATHENS having loft many of its citizens by war and pestilence, allowed every man to marry two wives, in order the fooner to repair the waste which had been made by thefe calamities. The poet EURIPIDES happened to be coupled to two noify Vixons, who fo plagued him with their jealoufies and quar |