firmness is by the continual contemplation of mifery hourly impaired; every fubmiffion to our fear enlarges its dominion; we not only wafte that time in which the evil we dread might have been suffered and furmounted, but even where procraftination produces no abfolute increase of our difficulties, make them lefs fuperable to ourselves by habitual terrors. When evils cannot be avoided, it is wife to contract the interval of expectation; to meet the mifchiefs which will overtake us if we fly; and fuffer only their real malignity without the conflicts of doubt and anguish of anticipation.

The cafe

To act is far easier than to fuffer; yet we every day fee the progrefs of life retarded by the vis inertia, the mere repugnance to motion, and find multitudes repining at the want of that which nothing but idleness hinders them from enjoying. of Tantalus, in the region of poetick punifhment, was fomewhat to be pitied, because the fruits that hung about him retired from his hand; but what tenderness can be claimed by thofe who, though perhaps they fuffer the pains of Tantalus, will never lift their hands for their own relief?

There is nothing more common among this torpid generation than murmurs and complaints; murmurs at uneafinefs which only vacancy and fufpicion expofe them to feel, and complaints of diftreffes which it is in their own power to remove. Lazinefs is commonly affociated with timidity. Either fear originally prohibits endeavours by infufing defpair of fuccefs; or the frequent failure of irrefolute ftruggles, and the conftant defire of avoiding labour, imprefs

403 by degrees falfe terrors on the mind. But fear, whether natural or acquired, when once it has full poffeffion of the fancy, never fails to employ it upon vifions of calamity, fuch as, if they are not diffipated by ufeful employment, will foon overcaft it with horrors, and imbitter life not only with those miseries by which all earthly beings are really more or less tormented, but with those which do not yet exist, and which can only be difcerned by the perfpicacity of cowardice.

Among all who facrifice future advantage to prefent inclination, fcarcely any gain fo little as those that fuffer themselves to freeze in idleness. Others are corrupted by fome enjoyment of more or lefs power to gratify the paffions; bu: to neglect our duties, merely to avoid the labour of performing them, a labour which is always punctually rewarded, is furely to fink under weak, temptations. Idleness never can secure tranquillity; the call of reafon and of confcience will pierce the closest pavilion of the fluggard, and, though it may not have force to drive him from his down, will be loud enough to hinder him from fleep. Thofe moments which he cannot refolve to make useful by devoting them to the great bufinefs of his being, will still be ufurped by powers that will not leave them to his disposal, remorfe and vexation will feize upon them, and forbid him to enjoy what he is fo defirous to appropriate.

There are other caufes of inactivity incident to more active faculties and more acute difcernment. He to whom many objects of pursuit arise at the fame time, will frequently hefitate between different Dd 2 defires,

defires, till a rival has precluded him, or change his course as new attractions prevail, and harafs hinfelf without advancing. He who fees different ways to the fame end, will, unless he watches carefully over his own conduct, lay out too much of his attention upon the comparison of probabilities, and the adjustment of expedients, and paufe in the choice of his road, till fome accident intercepts his journey. He whofe penetration extends to remote confequences, and who, whenever he applies his attention to any defign, difcovers new profpects of advantage, and poffibilities of improvement, will not eafily be perfuaded that his project is ripe for execution; but will fuperadd one contrivance to another, endeavour to unite various purposes in one operation, multiply complications, and refine niceties, till he is entangled in his own scheme, and bewildered in the perplexity of various intentions. He that refolves to unite all the beauties of fituation in a new purchase, must wafte his life in roving to no purpose from province to province. He that hopes in the fame houfe to obtain every convenience, may draw plans and ftudy Palladio, but will never lay a ftone. He will attempt a treatife on fome important fubject, and amafs materials, confult authors, and study all the dependent and collateral parts of learning, but never conclude himfelf qualified to write. He that has abilities to conceive perfection, will not easily be content without it; and fince perfection cannot be reached, will lofe the opportunity of doing well in the vain hope of unattainable excellence.

The

The certainty that life cannot be long, and the probability that it will be much fshorter than nature allows, ought to awaken every man to the active profecution of whatever he is defirous to perform. It is true, that no diligence can afcertain fuccefs; death may intercept the fwifteft career; but he who is cut off in the execution of an honeft undertaking, has at leaft the honour of falling in his rank, and has fought the battle, though he missed the victory.

NUMB. 135. TUESDAY, July 2, 1751.

Calum, non animum mutant.

Place may be chang'd; but who can change his mind?

HOR.

Tis impoffible to take a view on any fide, or obferve any of the various claffes that form the great community of the world, without difcovering the inAluence of example; and admitting with new conviction the observation of Ariftotle, that man is an imitative being. The greater, far the greater number follow the track which others have beaten, without any curiofity after new difcoveries, or ambition of trusting themselves to their own conduct. And, of those who break the ranks and diforder the uniformity of the march, most return in a fhort time from their deviation, and prefer the equal and steady fatisfaction of fecurity before the frolicks of caprice and the honours of adventure.

In questions difficult or dangerous it is indeed natural to repose upon authority, and, when fear hap

pens to predominate, upon the authority of thofe whom we do not in general think wifer than ourfelves. Very few have abilities requifite for the difcovery of abftrufe truth; and of thofe few fome want leifure, and some resolution. But it is not fo easy to find the reafon of the univerfal fubmiffion to precedent where every man might fafely judge for himself, where no irreparable loss can be hazarded, nor any mifchief of long continuance incurred. Vanity might be expected to operate where the more powerful paffions are not awakened; the mere pleafure of acknowledging no fuperior might produce flight fingularities, or the hope of gaining fome new degree of happinefs awaken the mind to invention or experiment.

If in any cafe the fhackles of prescription could be wholly fhaken off, and the imagination left to act without contro... on what occafion fhould it be expected, but in the felection of lawful pleafure? Pleasure, of which the effence is choice; which compulfion diffociates from every thing to which nature has united it; and which owes not only its vigour but its being to the fmiles of liberty. Yet we see that the fenfes, as well as the reafon, are regulated by credulity; and that most will feel, or fay that they feel, the gratifications which others have taught them to expect.

At this time of univerfal migration, when almost every one, confiderable enough to attract regard, has retired, or is preparing with all the earneftness of diftrefs to retire, into the country; when nothing is to be heard but the hopes of fpeedy departure, or the complaints of involuntary delay; I have often been tempted