requifite on any occafion, nature, by implanting inftincts, ftill fupplies them with the art, and guides them to their good, by her unerring precepts. But man, exposed naked and indigent to the rude elements, rifes flowly from that helpless ftate, by the care and vigilance of his parents; and having attained his utmost growth and perfection, reaches only a capacity of fubfifting, by his own care and vigilance. Every thing is fold to skill and labour; and where nature furnishes the materials, they are ftill rude and unfinished, till induftry, ever active and intelligent, refines them from their brute ftate, and fits them for human use and convenience.

ACKNOWLEGE, therefore, O man, the beneficence of nature: For fhe has given thee that intelligence which fupplies all thy neceffities. But let not indolence, under the falfe appearance of gratitude, perfuade thee to reft contented with her prefents. Would't thou return to the raw herbage for thy food, to the open sky for thy covering, and to stones and clubs for thy defence against the ravenous animals of the defert? Then return alfo to thy favage manners, to thy timorous fuperftition, to thy brutal ignorance; and fink thyfelf below thofe animals, whofe condition thou admireft, and wouldeft fo fondly imitate.

THY kind parent, nature, having given thee art and intelligence, has filled the whole globe with materials for thefe talents to work upon: hearken to her voice, which fo plainly tells thee, that thou thyfelf fhouldeft alfo be the object of thy industry, and that by art and attention thou canft alone acquire that ability, which will raise thee to thy proper ftation in the universe. Behold this artizan, who converts a rude and shapeless stone into a noble metal; and molding that metal by his cunning hands, creates, as it were by magic, every weapon for his defence, and every utenfil for his convenience. He has not this fkill from nature: Ufe and practice have taught it him: And if thou wouldest emulate his fuccess, thou muft follow his laborious footsteps.

BUT while thou ambitiously afpireft to the perfecting thy bodily powers and faculties, wouldeft thou meanly neglect thy mind, and from a prepofterous floth, leave it ftill rude and uncultivated, as it came from the hands of nature? Far be fuch folly and negligence from every rational being. If nature has been frugal in her gifts and endowments, there is the more need of art to fupply her defects. If he has been generous and liberal, know that she still expects industry and application on our part, and revenges herself in proportion to our negligent ingratitude. The richeft genius, like the most fertile foil, when uncultivated, shoots up into the rankeft weeds; and inftead of vines and olives for the pleasure and ufe of man, produces to its flothful owner, the most abundant crop of poifons.

THE great end of all human induftry, is the attainment of happiness. For this were arts invented, fciences cultivated, laws ordained, and focieties modelled, by the profoundeft wifdom of patriots and legislators. Even the lonely favage, who lies expofed to the inclemency of the elements, and the fury of wild beafts, forgets not, for a moment, this grand object of his.being. Ignorant as he is of every art of life, he keeps ftill in, view the end of all thofe arts, and eagerly feeks. for felicity amidst that darkness with which he is environed. But as much as the wildeft favage is inferior to the polished citizen, who under the protection of laws, enjoys every convenience which induftry has invented; fo much is this citizen himfelf inferior to the man of virtue, and the true philofopher, who governs his appetites,

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appetites, fubdues his paffions, and has learned, from reason, to fet a just value on every purfuit and enjoyment. For is there an art and apprenticeship requifite for every other attainment? And is there no art of life, no rule, no precepts to direct us in this principal concern? Can no particular pleasure be attained without fkill; and can the whole be regulated without reflection or intelligence, by the blind guidance of appetite and inftinct? Surely then no mistakes are ever committed in this a air; but every man, however diffolute and negligent, proceeds In the pursuit of happiness, with as unerring a motion, as that which the celeftial bodies observe, when, conducted by the hand of the Almighty, they roll along the etherial plains. But if mistakes be often, be inevitably committed, let us regifter these mistakes; let us confider their causes; let us weigh their importance; let us enquire for their remedies. When from this we have fixed all the rules of conduct, we are philofophers: When we have reduced thefe rules to practice, we are fages.

LIKE many fubordinate artists, employed to form the feveral wheels and fprings of a machine: Such are those who excel in all the particular arts of life. He is the mafter workman who puts those several parts together, moves them according to just harmony and proportion, and produces true felicity as the result of their confpiring order.

WHILE thou haft fuch an alluring object in view, fhall that labor and attention, which is requifite to the attaining thy end, ever feem burdenfome and intolerable? Know, that this labor itself is the chief ingredient of the felicity to which thou afpirest, and that every enjoyment foon becomes infipid and distasteful, when not acquired by fatigue and industry. See the hardy hunters rife from their downy couches, shake off the flumbers which ftill weigh down their heavy eye-lids, and, e're Aurora has yet covered the heavens with her flaming mantle, haften to the foreft. They leave behind, in their own houses, and in the neighboring plains, animals of every kind, whose flesh furnishes the most delicious fare, and which offer themselves to the fatal ftroke. Laborious man difdains so easy a purchase. He feeks for a prey, which hides itself from his fearch, or flies from his purfuit, or defends itself from his violence. Having exerted in the chace every paffion of the mind, and every member of the body, he then finds the charms of repose, and with joy compares its pleasures to thofe of his engaging labors.

AND can vigorous industry give pleasure to the pursuit even of the most worthlefs prey, which frequently efcapes our toils? And cannot the fame industry render the cultivating our mind, the moderating our paffions, the enlightening our reafon, an agreeable occupation; while we are every day fenfible of our progrefs, and behold our inward features and countenance brightening inceffantly with new charms? Begin by curing yourself of this lethargic indolence; the task is not difficult: You need but tafte the fweets of honeft labor. Proceed to learn the juft value of every purfuit; long ftudy is not requifite: Compare, tho' but for once, the mind to the body, virtue to fortune, and glory to pleasure. You will then perceive the advantages of industry: You will then be sensible what are the proper objects of your industry.

IN vain do you feek repofe from beds of rofes: In vain do you hope for enjoyment from the moft delicious wines and fruits. Your indolence itself becomes. a fatigue:

a fatigue: Your pleasure itfelf creates difguft. The mind, unexercifed, finds. every delight infipid and loathfome, and e're yet the body, full of noxious humors, feels the torment of its multiplied difeafes, your nobler part is fenfible of the invading poison, and feeks in vain to relieve its anxiety by new pleasures, which ftill augment the fatal malady.

I NEED not tell you, that by this eager purfuit of pleasure, you more and more expose yourself to fortune and accidents, and rivet your affections on external o' → jects, which chance may, in a moment, ravish from you. I fhall fuppofe, that your indulgent stars favor you still with the enjoyment of your riches and poffeffions. I prove to you, that even in the midst of your luxurious pleasures, you are unhappy; and that, by too much indulgence, you are incapable of enjoying what profperous fortune ftill allows you to poffefs.

BUT furely the inftability of fortune is a confideration not to be over-looked or neglected. Happiness cannot poffibly exift, where there is no fecurity; and fecu rity can have no place, where fortune has any dominion. Tho' that unstable deity fhould not exert her rage against you, the dread of it would ftill torment you would disturb your flumbers, haunt your dreams, and throw a damp on the jollity of your most delicious banquets.

THE temple of wifdom is feated on a rock, above the rage of the fighting elements, and inacceffible to all the malice of man. The rolling thunder breaks below; and those more terrible inftruments of human fury reach not to fo fublime a height. The fige, while he breathes that ferene air, looks down with pleasure, mixed with compaffion, on the errors of mistaken mortals, who blindly feek for the true path of life, and purfue riches, nobility, honor, or power for genuine felicity. The greatest part he beholds difappointed of their fond wishes: Some lament, that having once poffeffed the object of their defires, it is ravished from them by envious fortune and all complain, that even their own vows, tho" granted, cannot give them happiness, or relieve the anxiety of their distracted minds.

BUT does the fage preferve himself always in this philofophic indifference, and reft contented with lamenting the miseries of mankind, without ever employing himself for their relief? Does he constantly indulge this fevere wisdom, which,, by pretending to elevate him above human accidents, does in reality harden his heart, and render him careless of the interefts of mankind, and of fociety? No: he knows that in this fullen Apathy, neither true wifdom nor true happiness are to be found. He feels too ftrongly the charm of the focial affections ever to counteract fo fweet, fo natural, fo virtuous a propenfity. Even when, bathed in tears, he laments the miseries of human race, of his country, of his friends, and unable to give fuccor, can only relieve them by compaffion; he yet rejoices in the generous difpofition, and feels a fatisfaction fuperior to that of the most indulged fenfe. So engaging are the fentiments of humanity, that they brighten up the very face of forrow, and operate like the fun, which, fhining on a dusky cloud or falling rain, paints on them the moft glorious colors which are to be found in the whole circle of nature.

BUT 'tis not here alone, that the focial virtues difplay their energy. With whatever ingredient you mix them, they are ftill predominant. As forrow cannot overcome them, so neither can fenfual pleasure obfcure then. The joys of love,

how

however tumultuous, banifh not the tender fentiments of fympathy and affection They even derive their chief influence from that generous paffion; and when prefented alone, afford nothing to the unhappy mind but laffitude and difguft. Behold this sprightly debauchee, who profeffes a contempt of all other pleasures but thofe of wine and jollity: Separate him from his companions, like a spark from a fire, where before it contributed to the general blaze: His alacrity fuddenly extinguishes; and tho' furrounded with every other means of delight, he lothes the fumptuous banquet, and prefers even the most abftracted study and speculation, as more agreeable and entertaining.

BUT the focial paffions never afford fuch tranfporting pleasures, or make fo glorious an appearance in the eyes both of GOD and man, as when, fhaking off every earthly mixture, they affociate themselves with the fentiments of virtue, and prompt us to laudable and worthy actions. As harmonious colours mutually give and receive a luftre by their friendly union; fo do these ennobling fentiments of the human mind. See the triumph of nature in parental affection! What felfish paffion; what fenfual delight is a match for it! Whether a man exults in the profperity and virtue of his offspring, or flies to their fuccor, thro' the most threatening and tremendous dangers?

PROCEED ftill in purifying the generous paffion, you will ftill the more admire its fhining glories. What charms are there in the harmony of minds, and in a friendfhip founded on mutual esteem and gratitude! What fatisfaction in relieving the diftreffed, in comforting the afflicted, in raifing the fallen, and in ftopping the career of cruel fortune, or of more cruel man, in their infults over the good and virtuous! But what fupreme joy in the victories over vice as well as misery, when, by virtuous example or wife exhortation, our fellow-creatures are taught to govern their paffions, reform their vices, and subdue their worst enemies, which inhabit within their own bofoms?

BUT thefe objects are ftill too limited for the human mind, which, being of celeftial origin, fwells with the divineft and most enlarged affections, and carrying its attention beyond kindred and acquaintance, extends its benevolent wishes to the most diftant pofterity. It views liberty and laws as the fource of human happiness, and devotes itself with the utmost alacrity, to their guardianship and protection. Toils, dangers, death itself carry their charms, when we brave them for the public good, and ennoble that being, which we generously facrifice for the interests of our country. Happy the man, whom indulgent fortune allows to pay to virtue what he owes to nature, and to make a generous gift of what muft otherwife be ravifhed from him by cruel neceffity!

In the true fage and patriot are united whatever can distinguish human nature, or elevate mortal man to a refemblance with the divinity. The fofteft benevoHence, the moft undaunted refolution, the tendereft fentiments, the moft fublime love of virtue, all these animate fucceffively his tranfported bofom. What fatisfaction, when he looks within, to find the moft turbulent paffions tuned to juft harmony and concord, and every jarring found banished from this enchanting mu fic! If the contemplation, even of inanimate beauty, be fo delightful; if it ravishes the fenfes, even when the fair form is foreign to us: What must be the effects of moral beauty? And what influence muft it have, when it embellishes our own mind, and is the refult of our own reflection and industry?

BUT where is the reward of virtue? And what recompence has nature provided for fuch important facrifices, as thofe of life and fortune, which we must often make to it? Oh, fons of earth! Are you ignorant of the value of this celeftial mistress? And do you meanly enquire for her portion, when you obferve her genuine charms? But know, that nature has been indulgent to human weakness, and has not left this favorite child naked and unendowed. She has provided virtue of the richest dowry; but being careful, left the allurements of intereft fhould engage fuch fuitors, as were infenfible of the native worth of fo divine a beauty, the has wifely provided, that this dowry can have no charms but in the eyes of thofe who are already tranfported with the love of virtue. GLORY is the portion of virtue, the fweet reward of honorable toils, the triumphant crown, which covers the thoughtful head of the difinterested patriot, or the dufty brow of the victorious warrior. Elevated by fo fublime a prize, the man of virtue looks down with contempt on all the allurements of pleafure, and all the menaces of danger. Death itfelf lofes its terrors, when he confiders, that its dominion extends only over a part of him, and that, in fpite of death and time, the rage of the elements, and the endlefs viciffitude of human affairs, he is affured of an immortal fame among all the fons of men.

THERE furely is a being who prefides over the univerfe; and, who, with infinite wisdom and power, has reduced the jarring elements into just order and proportion. Let fpeculative reafoners difpute, how far this beneficent being extends his care, and whether he prolongs our existence beyond the grave, in order to bestow on virtue its juft reward, and render it fully triumphant. The man of morals, without deciding any thing on fo dubious a fubject, is fatisfied with that portion which is marked out to him by the fupreme difpofer of all things. Gratefully he accepts of that farther reward prepared for him; but if disappointed, he thinks not virtue an empty name; but juftly esteeming it it's own reward, he gratefully acknowleges the bounty of his creator, who by calling him forth into existence, has thereby afforded him an opportunity of once acquiring fo invaluable a poffeffion.

T

ESSAY XX.

THE PLATONIST *.

O fome philofophers it appears matter of furprize, that all mankind, poffeffing the fame nature, and being endowed with the fame faculties, fhould yet differ fo widely in their purfuits and inclinations, and that one fhould utterly condemn what is fondly fought after by another. To fome it appears matter of ftill more furprize, that a man fhould differ fo widely from himfelf at different times; and, after poffeffion, reject with difdain what, before, was the object of all his vows and wishes. To me this feverish uncertainty and irrefolution, in hu

* Or, the man of contemplation and philofophical devotion.

man