but, in the ambitious, it refines itself into a noble emulation, and forces those who are actuated by it, to do what may exalt them to an equal degree of honour with others; this, requires liberality and clemency, but the envy of the avaricious man makes him bribe, cheat, and opprefs, in order to gain his ends. And, when it arifes from ambition, it does not keep a mau upon the rack. In fhort, avarice is the most difquiet. ing of all paffions, fince every thing that it fees or hears, both kindles and feeds its flames. the more he loves them; and the more fad and grievious is that awful period, wherein he muft part from all. Men, when they come to this, will look back with difdain upon all their anxieties after fuch fleeting gew-gaws, and utterly defpife all their most covetted acquifitions, becaufe they then find them fo unprofitable; or, more properly fpeaking, because they find they must part with them all. Others then must take poffeffion of. their wealth, and mut enjoy their titles and offices. Let the tyrant Death affail a proud and haughty monarch with a mortal difeafe; and, though a kingdom was fcarcely fufficient or extenfive enough for him before, he is then confined to a chamber, and, after lingering a few days in anguish and mitery, is removed to a ftill narrower space-a grave. Thofe that loved and flattered this great man, now defpife and fly from him-thofe that cringed to him, hate him.-In fhort, all grow weary, and long to get rid of him. What will rich robes fignify to one who must now be confined to folitude and darkne's. Would to heaven I had power or -What will dainty provifions avail eloquence fufficient to convince the him who now can no more beho'd world, or more especially my fair the fight of what was before his de- friends, of the truth of the foregoing light and pride; his choiceft wines obfervation, and teach them to make he cannot relish ;—his Arabian per- a right eftimation on all things, not fumes he needs much ftiil, and more to adore wealth, nor fear poverty, than ever; but they cannot preferve neither to confider the one as a real him from putrefaction and rotten-good, nor the other as a real evilnefs. Alas, my friends! how empty to prize the goods of this life accordare all worldly accommodations ating to their real value-to efteem this fad hour. Qh fad and miserable end of human pomp and grandeur! Since riches therefore are only productive of unhappiness, let us remember, that felicity entirely confifts in the inward peace and fatisfaction of the mind, which alone are productive of thofe heart-felt pleafures which arife from a cultivated underftanding, a found judgment, a rectitude of conduct, and, an unpolluted confcience; and, which are not to be obtained by any thing external, which we can neither befrow on ourselves, nor keep when it is our own. the riches of the mind the only defirable acquifition. Virtue and pru That an avaritious man can never dence to be more esteemable treasures enjoy contentment, is an uncontro- than the richest gems; and the right vertible truth, and he may be jufly government of the paffions as infiniteobferved to be at enmity with allly preferable to the most extenfive mankind. For in my opinion, ava-empire; they would not then conrice only proceeds from comparing cern themfelves about fuch trivial ourfelves to others. From hence, matters as dress - making a fashionenvy a ifs, and it is that alone thatable appearance, and sailing the eninclines men to toil, till they are as vy of each other: Neither would rich as those whom they fo much they be under the neceflity of felling envy. Ambition alio legets envy; their liberty, (if I may be permitted the Letter from a deferted Wife to a faithless Hufband. the expreffion); they would in their marriages prefer virtue to a titlegood-fenfe before an eftate,-and prefer a man of honour in rags, to a vicious prince though he was mafter of the whole world. 407 become curfes inftead of bleflings.Indeed, it is but an obligation due to our maker, by whofe infinite goodness we receive all the benefits we enjoy; and, by whofe Omnipotent power we exift; to render all If all would imbibe these laudable the good we can to our fellowprinciples;-what happiness,-what creatures; fince we are but stewards real pleasures would human nature of his bounty. Therefore it is the then enjoy.-Mankind would all be indifpenfable duty of those who are guided by the nobleft and moft poffeffed of houours, wealth, and praife worthy mo:ives; by the grandeur, and by the Almighty unerring precepts of truth, and Will, made more powerful than their fraternal lincerity.-Parents would fellow-mortals, to protect the innonot then facrifice their children to cent, right the injured, encourage worldly intereft, as being more foli-the virtuous, punish the wicked; citous for their being rich, than happy; but rather see them in humble contentment; than miferable in the Happy would it be for mankind, highest station or fituation in life.We fhould no more behold unfuit- were this the conduct of those who abe matches-no constraint on inclimove in the higher fpheres of life; nation.-Viftue would not be united to vice-the meek would not be conftrained to figh out their hours with the paffionate the humble fubjected to the infupportable caprices of the proud,-nor, the liberal chained to the avaricious. The world would then enjoy happiness; indeed, all would participate the comforts the Almighty intended for our felicity, "Devoid of fear, and uncontrouied by pain." We fhould then lead a life, which at prefent, the world's general depravity renders us incapable of having the least knowledge of: we might then imagine ourselves thofe happy mortals, who lived, "In primæval ages uncorrupt, When angels dwelt, and God himself, with man." and, by their authority, daunt the vicious from their execrable practices. then juftice would not be biaffed by intereft, neither would the innocent groan beneath the hand of oppreffion, nor would the vicious triumph over the virtuous; and, instead of their manners and prefent practices being held forth as truly meriting the feverest lafh of fatire, and deferving utter deteftation, they would become the honour of their country, the emblem of their conftitution and would juftly demand the reverence and esteem of mankind. our I fhall now conclude this effay I. with obferving, that the only use riches are of, is, that they enable us to affift the needy, and afford help to the indigent. In performing of which charitable acts, we fhill do our duty, and enjoy content, a treafure, without which, all other would Ι. Who had expected your return from America with painful anxiety, who had counted the flow hours which parted you from methink how I was fhocked at learning you would return no more, and that you had fettled with a mistress in a diftant flate. It was for your fake that I do affure you, I never open my Tips to them on the caufe of your abfence. But I cannot prevail upon my felf to bid them ceafe to ak when you will return, though the queftion frequently extorts a tear, (which I hide in a fmile), and wrings my foul, while I fuffer in filence. that I lamented. You went against | cane, and take particular delight in my earnest entreaties; but it was it because it is papa's. with a defire which I thought fincere, to provide a genteel maintenance for our little ones, whom you faid you could not bear to fee brought up in the evils of poverty. I might now lament the diffappointment in not fharing the riches which I hear you have amaffed; but I fcorn it. What are riches compared to the delight of fincere affection? I deplore the lofs of your love. I deplore the frailty which has involved you in error, and will, I am fure, as fuch mistaken conduct must, terminate in mifery. "But I mean not to remonitrate. It is, alas too late. I only write to acquaint you with the health, and fome other circumstances of myfelf and thofe little ones, whom you once loved. "The house you left me in, could not be fupported without an expence, which the little fum you left behind, could not well fupply. I have relinquithed it, and have retired to a neat little cottage, thirty miles from town. We make no pretenfions to elegance, but we live in great neatnefs, and, by strict ceconomy, fup. ply our moderate wants, with as much comfort as our defolate fitua tion will allow. Your prefence, my love, would make the little cottage a palace. "I have taught them to mention you in their morning and evening prayers with the greateft ardour of affection; and, they always add of themfelves, a petition for your specdy return. "I spend my time in giving them the little inftruction I am able. I cannot afford to place them at any eminent fchool, and do not choofe they fhould acquire meannefs and vulgarity at a low one. As to English -they read alternately, three hours every morning, the most celebrated poets and profe writers; and they can write, though not an elegant, yet a very plain and legible hand. "Do not, my dear, imagine that the employment is irkfome. It af fords me a fweet confolation in your abfence. Indeed, if it were not for the little ones, I am afraid I fhould not fupport it. "I think it will be a fatisfaction to you to hear, that by retrenching our wants and expences, we are enabled to pay for every thing we buy, and though poor, we are not unhappy from the want of any neceffary. Poor Emily, who has grown a fine girl, has been working a pair of ruffles for you; and as the fits by my "Pardon my interrupting you. I fide, often repeats with a figh, mean to give you fatisfaction. "when will my dear papa return?" Though I am deeply injured by The others are conftantly afking me your error, I am not refentful. I the fame queftion; and little Henry, wifh you all the happiness you are as foon as he began to talk, learned capable of, and am, to lifp, in the firil fyllables he uttered, when will papa come home?" Sweet fellow he is now fitting on his tool by my fide, and, as he fees me drop a tear, afks me why I weep, for papa will come home foon. He and his two brothers are fre. L Your once loved, and still affectionate ANECDOTE of LULLY. ULLY was by birth a Florentine. By his fiddle, and his quently riding on your walking-effrontery, he raised himself from Life of Dr. Franklin. the queen of France's kitchen, to be chief of the band of mufic, and carried the art to a degree of perfection hitherto unknown in that kingdom. Louis XIV. gave him letters of nobility, and on his account enacted, that the profeffion of mufic fhould confift with the quality of a gentleman. He died by exceffive drinking, and left a moft enormous fortune. The nobleman who had entertained him when he drank what proved his quietus, paying him a vifit," Ah! my lord," faid his wife," you are the last who made my husband drunk." Lully, who was dying, heard the remark, and had juft voice enough left to add, "He fhall be the first who makes me fo again when I get upon my legs," LIFE OF DOCTOR BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. (Written by Himself.) (Continued from p. 146.) THE HE violation of the trust repofed in me by Vernon, was one of the first great errors of my life and it proves that my father was not mistaken when he fuppofed me too young to be entrusted with the management of important affairs. But fir William, upon reading his letter, thought him too prudent. There was a difference, he faid, between individuals: years of maturity were not always accompanied with difcretion, neither was youth, in every instance, devoid of it. Since your father, added he, will not fet you up in bufinefs, I will do it my felf. Make out a list of what will be wanted from England, and I will fend for the articles. You fhall reVOL. XXIV. 409 pay me when you can. I am deter. mined to have a good printer here, and I am fure you will fucceed. This was faid with fo much feeming cordiality, that I fufpected not for an instant the fincerity of the offer. I had hitherto kept the project, with which fir William had infpired me, of fettling in bufinefs, a fecret at Philadelphia, and I ftill continued to do fo. Had my reliance on the governor been known, fome friend, better acquainted with his character than myself, would doubtless have advised me not to trust him; for I afterwards learned that he was univerfally known to be liberal of his promifes, which he had no intention to perform. But having never folicited him, how could I fuppofe his offers to be deceitful? On the contrary, I believed him to be the best man in the world. I gave him an inventory of a fmall printing-office; the expence of which I had calculated at about a hundred pounds fterling. He expreffed his approbation; but afked, if my prefence in England, (that I might choose the characters myself, and fee that every article was good in its kind,) would not be an advan→ tage? You will also be able, faid he, to form fome acquaintance there, and establish a correfpondence with ftationers and bookfellers. This I acknowledged was defirable. That being the cafe, added he, hold yourfelf in readiness to go with the Annis. This was the annual veffel, and the only one, at that time, which made regular voyages between the ports of London and Philadelphia. But the Annis was not to fail for fome months. I therefore continued to work with Keimer, unhappy respecting the fum which Collins had drawn from me, and almoft in continual agony at the thoughts of Vernon, who fortunately made no demand of his money till feveral years after. In the account of my 3 G first voyage from able to extricate himself, that he and would fcarcely answer the most became at last ridiculously cautious, p'ain and familiar question without previoufly afking me-What would you' infer from that? Hence he formed fo high an opinion of my talents for refutation, that he fe riously propofed to me to become his colleague in the establishment of a new religious fect. He was to propagate the doctrine by preaching, and I to refute every opponent. from Boston to Philadelphia, Itradictions from which he was unomitted, I believe, a triflng circumflance, which will not perhaps be out of place here. During a calm which stopped us above Block-ifland, the crew employed themfelves in fishing for co, of which they caught a great number. I had hitherto adhered to my refolution of not eat ng any thing that had poffefied life; and I confidered on this occafion, agreeably to the maxims of my mafter Tryon, the capture of every fill as a fort of murder, committed without provocation, fince thefe animals had neither done, nor were capable of doing the nets, I found many abfurcities When he explained to me his tefm llet injury to any one that fhould which I refused to adinit, unless he justify the measure. This mode of would agree in turn to adopt some of reafoning I conceived to be unanfwerable. Meanwhile I had former- beard long, becaufe Mofes had my opinions. Keimer wore his ly been extremely fond of fith: and fomewhere faid, Thou shalt not mar when one of thefe cod was taken the corners of thy beard. He likewife out of the frying pan, I thought its obferved the Sabbath flavour delicious. I hefitated fome were with him two very effential ; and thefe time between principle and inclina- points. I difliked them both; but tion, till at last recollecting, that I confented to adopt them, provided when the cod nad been opened, fome he would agree to abstain from anifmall fish were found in its belly, I mal food. I doubt, faid he, whe. faid to myfelt, if you cat one another, ther my conftitution will be able to I fee no reason why we may not eat fupport it. I aflured him, on the you. I accordingly dined on the contrary, that he would find himself cod with no fmall degree of pleasure, the better for it. He was naturally and have fince continued to eat like the rest of mankind, returning only myfelf by ftarving him. He contenta glutton, and I wished to amufe occafionally to my vegetable plan.ed to make trial of this regimen, if I How convenient does it prove to be a rat al animal, that knows how to find or invent a plausible pretext for whatever it has an inclination to do! | I continued to live on good terms with Keimer, who had not the fmalleft fufpicion of my projected eftablishment. He fill retained a portion of his former enthusiasm; and being fond of argument, we frequently difputed together. I was fo much in the habit of uling my Socratic method, and had fo fie quently puzzled him by my queftions, which appeared at firft very diftant from the point in debate, yet, nevertheless led in it by degrees, involving him in difficulties and con would bear him company; and in feveral Lents with the grea eft ftrið- as |