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years laft paft. A facetious friend of nine who loves a pun, calls this present mortality among authors The fall of 'the leaf.'

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I remember, upon Mr. Baxter's death, there was published a fheet of very good fayings, infcribed, The laft words of Mr. Baxter.' The title fuld fo great a number of these papers, that about a week after there came out a fecond fheet, infcribed, More laft words of Mr. 'Baxter. In the fame manner I have reafon to think, that several ingenious writers, who have taken their leave of the public, in farewel papers, will not give over fo, but intend to appear again, though perhaps under another form, and with a different title. Be that as it will, it is my business, in this place, to give an account of my own intentions, and to acquaint my reader with the motives by which I act, in this great crifis of the republic of letters.

I have been long debating in my own heart, whether I fhould throw up my pen, as an author that is cafhiered by the act of parliament, which is to operate within these four and twenty hours, or whether I fhould ftill perfift in laying my fpeculations, from day to day, before the public. The argument which prevails with me moft on the firft fide of the queftion is, that I am informed by my book feller he must raise the price of every single paper to two-pence, or that he thall not be able to pay the duty of it. Now as I am very defirous my readers fhould have their learning as cheap as poffible, it is with great difficulty that I comply with him in this particular.

However, upon laying my reafons together in the balance, I find that thofe who plead for the continuance of this work, have much the greater weight. For, in the first place, in recompence for the expence to which this will put my readers, it is to be hoped they may receive from every paper fo much inftruction as will be a very good equivalent. And in order to this, I would not advise any one to take it in, who, after the perufal of it, does not find himself two-pence the wifer or the bet ter man for it; or who, upon examination, does not believe that he has had two-penny-worth of mirth or inftruction for his money.

But I must confefs there is another motive, which prevails with me more

than the former. I confider that the tax on paper was given for the support of the government; and as I have enemies, who are apt to pervert every thing I do or fay, I fear they would afcribe the laying down my paper, on such an occafion, to a fpirit of malecontentednefs, which I am refolved none fhall ever juftly upbraid me with. No, I fhall glory in contributing my utmost to the public weal; and if my country receives five or fix pounds a day by my labours, I fhall be very well pleafed to find myself fo useful a member, It is a received maxim, that no honeft man fhould enrich himself by methods that are prejudicial to the community in which he lives; and by the fame rule I think we may pronounce the perfon to deferve very well of his countrymen, whofe labours bring more into the public coffers, than into his own pocket.

Since I have mentioned the word enemies, I mutt explain myself so far as to acquaint my reader, that I mean only the infignificant party zealots on both fides: men of fuch poor narrow fouls, that they are not capable of thinking on any thing but with an eye to Whig or Tory. During the courte of this paper, I have been accufed by thefe defpicable wretches of trimming, time-ferving, perfonal reflection, fecret fatire, and the like. Now though in these my compo fitions, it is visible to any reader of common fenfe, that I contider nothing but my subject, which is always of an indifferent nature; how is it poffible for me to write fo clear of party, as not to lie open to the cenfures of those who will be applying every fentence, and finding out perfons and things in it which it has no regard to?

Severai paltry fcribblers and declaimers have done me the honour to be dull upon me in reflections of this nature; but notwithstanding my name has been fometimes traduced by this contemptible tribe of men, I have hitherto avoided all animadverfions upon them. The truth of it is, I am afraid of making them appear confiderable by taking notice of them, for they are like thofe imperceptible infects which are discovered by the microfcope, and cannot be made the fubject of obfervation without being magnified.

Having mentioned thofe few who have fhewn themselves the enemies of this paper, I should be very ungrateful

to

to the public, did I not at the fame time testify my gratitude to those who are it's friends, in which number I may reckon many of the most diftinguished perfons of all conditions, parties, and profeffions, in the ile of Great Britain. I am not fo vain as to think this approbation is fo much due to the perform ance as to the defign. There is, and ever will be, justice enough in the world, to afford patronage and protection for those who endeavour to advance truth and virtue, without regard to the paffions and prejudices of any particular caufe or faction. If I have any other merit in me, it is that I have new-pointed

all the batteries of ridicule. They have been generally planted against perfons who have appeared ferious rather than abfurd; or at belt, have aimed rather at what is unfashionable than what is vicious. For my own part, I have endeavoured to make nothing ridiculous that is not in fome measure criminal. I have fet up the immoral man as the object of derition: in fhort, if I have not formed a new weapon against vice and irreligion, I have at least fhewn how that weapon may be put to a right use which has fo often fought the battles of impiety and profaneness.

N° CCCCXLVI. FRIDAY, AUGUST 1.

QUID DECEAT, QUID NON; QUO VIRTUS, QUO FERAT ERROR.
HOR. ARS POET. v. 308.

WHAT FIT, WHAT NOT; WHAT EXCELLENT, OR ILL.

SINCE

INCE two or three writers of comedy, who are now living, have taken their farewel of the ftage, thofe who fucceed them finding themselves incapable of rifing up to their wit, humour, and good fenfe, have only imitated them in fome of those loofe unguarded ftrokes, in which they complied with the corrupt tafte of the more vicious part of their audience. When perfons of a low genius attempt this kind of writing, they know no difference between being merry and being lewd. It is with an eye to fome of thefe degenerate compofitions that I have written the following difcourfe.

Were our English ftage but half fo virtuous as that of the Greeks or Romans, we fhould quickly fee the inAuence of it in the behaviour of all the politer part of mankind. It would not be fashionable to ridicule religion, or it's profeffors; the man of pleafure would not be the compleat gentleman; vanity would be out of countenance; and every quality which is ornamental to human nature, would meet with that éfleem which is due to it.

If the English ftage were under the fame regulations the Athenian was formerly, it would have the fame effect that had, in recommending the religion, the government, and public worship of it's country. Were our plays fubject to proper inspections and limitations, we

ROSCOMMON.

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might not only pafs away feveral of our vacant hours in the highest entertainment, but fhould always rife from them wifer and better than we fat down to them.

It is one of the most unaccountable things in our age, that the lewdness of our theatre fhould be fo much complained of, fo well expofed, and fo little redreffed. It is to be hoped, that fome time or other we may be at leifure to reftrain the licentiousness of the theatre, and make it contribute it's affiftance to the advancement of morality, and to the reformation of the age. As matters ftand at prefent, multitudes are fhut out from this noble diverfion, by reafon of thofe abufes and corruptions that acCompany it. A father is often afraid that his daughter fhould be ruined by thofe entertainments, which were invented for the accomplishment and refining of human nature. The Athenian and Roman plays were written with fuch a regard to morality, that Socrates ufed to frequent the one, and Cicero the other.

It happened once indeed that Cato dropped into the Roman theatre, when the Floralia were to be reprefented: and as in that performance, which was a kind of religious ceremony, there were feveral indecent parts to be acted, the people refufed to fee them whilft Cato was prefent. Martial on this hint made

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An accident of this nature might happen once in an age among the Greeks and Romans; but they were too wife and good to let the conftant nightly entertainment be of fuch a nature, that people of the most sense and virtue could not be at it. Whatever vices are reprefented upon the ftage, they ought to be fo marked and branded by the poet, as not to appear either laudable or amiable in the perfon who is tainted with them. But if we look into the English comedies above-mentioned, we should think they were formed upon a quite contrary maxim, and that this rule, though it held good upon the heathen ftage, was not to be regarded in chriftian theatres. There is another rule likewife, which was ob ferved by authors of antiquity, and which thefe modern geniuses have no regard to, and that was never to chufe an improper fubject for ridicule. Now a fubject is improper for ridicule, if it is apt to ftir up horror and commiferation rather than laughter. For this reason, we do not find any comedy, in fo polite an author as Terence, raised upon the violations of the marriage bed. The falfhood of the wife or hufband has given occafion to noble tragedies, but a Scipio and Lelius would have looked upon incest or murder to have been as proper fubjects for comedy. On the contrary, cuckoldom is the basis of most of our modern plays. If an alderman appears upon the ftage, you may be fure it is in order to be cuckolded. An huf

band that is a little grave or elderly, generally meets with the fame fate. Knights and baronets, country squires, and juftices of the quorum, come up to town for no other purpose. I have seen poor Dogget cuckolded in all these capacities. In fhort, our English writers are as frequently fevere upon this innocent unhappy creature, commonly known by the name of a Cuckold, as the ancient comic writers were upon an eating parafite, or a vain-glorious foldier.

At the fame time the poet fo contrives matters that the two criminals are the favourites of the audience. We fit still, and wish well to them through the whole play, are pleased when they meet with proper opportunities, and out of humour when they are difappointed. The truth of it is, the accomplished gentleman upon the English ftage, is the perfon that is familiar with other men's wives, and indifferent to his own; us the fine woman is generally a compofition of sprightlinels and falfhood." I do not know whether it proceeds from barrenness of invention, depravation of manners, or ignorance of niankind, but ́ I have often wondered that our ordinary poets cannot frame to themselves the idea of a fine man who is not a whoremaster, or of a fine woman that iş not a jilt.

I have fometimes thought of compiling a fyftem of ethics out of the writings of thole corrupt poets, under the title of Stage Morality. But I have been di verted from this thought by a project which has been executed by an ingenious gentleman of my acquaintance. He has compofed, it feems, the hiftory of a young fellow, who has taken all his notions of the world from the ftage, and who has directed himself in every circumftance of his life and converfation, by the maxims and examples of the fine gentlemen in English comedies. If I can prevail upon him to give me a copy of this new fashioned novel, I will bestow on it a place in my works, and question not but it may have as good an effect upon the drama, as Don Quixote had upon romance.

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N° CCCCXLVII

TH

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2

Φημὶ πολυχρονίην μελέτην ἔμεναι, φίλε· ε δ

Ταύτην ἀνθρώποισι τελευτῶσαν φύσιν εἶναι.

LONG EXERCISE, MY FRIEND, INURES THE MIND;
AND WHAT WE ONCE DISLIK'D WE LEASING FIND.

HERE is not a common faying which has a better turn of fenfe in it, than what we often hear in the mouths of the vulgar, that cuftom is a fecond nature. It is indeed able to form the man anew, and to give him inclinations and capacities altogether different from thofe he was born with. Dr. Plot, in his hiftory of Staffordshire, tells us of an ideot that chancing to live within the found of a clock, and always amusing himself with counting the hour of the day whenever the clock ftruck, the clock being spoiled by fome accident, the ideot continued to ftrike and count the hour without the help of it, in the fame manner as he had done when it was intire. Though I dare not vouch for the truth of this ftory, it is very certain that custom has a mechanical ef fect upon the body, at the fame time that it has a very extraordinary influence upon the mind.

I fhall in this paper confider one very remarkable effect which custom has upon human nature, and which, if rightly obferved, may lead us into very useful rules of life. What I fhall here take notice of in custom, is it's wonderful efficacy in making every thing pleasant to us. A person who is addicted to play or gaming, though he took but little delight in it at firft, by degrees contracts fo ftrong an inclination towards it, and gives himself up fo intire ly to it, that it feems the only end of his being. The love of a retired or bufy life will grow upon a man infenfibly, as he is converfant in the one or the other, till he is utterly unqualified for relishing that to which he has been for fome time difufed. Nay, a man may fmoke, or drink, or take fuff, till he is unable to pass away his time without it; not to mention how our delight in any particular ftudy, art, or fcience, rifes and improves in proportion to the application which we bestow upon it. Thus what was at first an exercife, becomes at length an entertainment. Our em

ployments are changed into our diver fions. The mind grows fond of those actions fhe is accustomed to, and is drawn with reluctancy from those paths in which fhe has used to walk.

Not only fuch actions as were at firft indifferent to us, but even fuch as were painful, will, by custom and practice, become pleafant. Sir Francis Bacon obferves in his natural philosophy, that our tafte is never pleafed better than with thofe things which at first created a difguft in it. He gives particular inftances of claret, coffee, and other li quors, which the palate feldom approves upon the first tafte; but when it has once got a relish of them, generally retains it for life. The mind is conftituted after the fame manner, and after having habituated herself to any parti cular exercife or employment, not only lofes her firft averfion towards it, but conceives a certain fondness and affec tion for it. I have heard one of the greatest geniufes this age has produced, who had been trained up in all the polite ftudies of antiquity, affure me, upon his being obliged to search into several rolls and records, that notwithstanding such an employment was at first very dry and irkfome to him, he at laft took an incre dible pleasure in it, and preferred it even to the reading of Virgil or Cicero. The reader will observe, that I have not here confidered cuftom as it makes things eafy, but as it renders them delightful; and though others have often made the fame reflections, it is poffible they may not have drawn thofe ufes from it, with which I intend to fill the remaining part of this paper.

If we confider attentively this property of human nature, it may inftruct us in very fine moralities. In the firft place, I would have no man difcouraged with that kind of life or series of action, in which the choice of others, or his own neceffities, may have engaged him. It may perhaps be very difagreeable to him at firft: but ufe and application will

certainly

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certainly render it not only lefs painful, but pleafing and fatisfactory.

In the fecond place, I would recommend to every one that admirable precept which Pythagoras is faid to have given to his difciples, and which that philofopher must have drawn from the obfervation I have enlarged upon, Op. timum vitæ genus eligito,nam confuetudo faciet jucundiffimumPitch upon that courfe of life which is the moft 'excellent, and custom will render it 'the most delightful.' Men whofe circumitances will permit them to choose their own way of life, are inexcufable, if they do not purfue that which their judgment tells them is the moft laudable. The voice of reafon is more to be regarded than the bent of any prefent inclination, fince by the rule abovementioned, inclination will at length come over to reason, though we can never force reafon to comply with inclina

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In the third place, this obfervation may teach the moft fenfual and irreligious man, to overlook those hardships and difficulties, which are apt to difcourage him from the profecution of a virtuous life. The gods,' faid Hefiod, have placed labour before virtue; the way to her is at first rough and difficult, but grows more fmooth and eafy the further you advance in it.' The man who proceeds in it, with steadinefs and refolution, will in a little time find that her ways are ways of plea'fantnefs, and that all her paths are 'peace.'

To enforce this confideration, we may further obferve, that the practice of religion will not only be attended with that pleasure, which naturally accompanies thofe actions to which we are habituated, but with thofe fupernumerary joys of heart, that rife from the confcioufnels of fuch a pleasure, from the fatisfaction of acting up to the dictates of reason, and from the profpect of an happy immortality.

In the fourth place, we may learn from this obfervation which we have made on the mind of man, to take particular care when we are once fettled in a regular courfe of life, how we too frequently indulge ourfelves in any the molt innocent diverfions and entertain ments, fince the mind may infenfibly fall off from the relifh of virtuous, actions, and, by degrees, exchange that

pleafure which it takes in the performance of it's duty, for delights of a much more inferior and unprofitable

nature.

The laft ufe which I fhall make of this remarkable property in human nature, of being delighted with those actions to which it is accustomed, is to fhew how abfolutely neceflary it is for us to gain habits of virtue in this life, if we would enjoy the pleafures of the next. The ftate of blifs we call Heaven will not be capable of affecting thofe minds, which are not thus qualified for it; we mult, in this world, gain a relifh of truth and virtue, if we would be able to tafte that knowledge and perfection, which are to make us happy in the next. The feeds of thofe fpiritual joys and raptures, which are to rise up and flourish in the foul to all eternity, muft be planted in her during this her present ftate of probation. In fhort, heaven is not to be looked upon only as the reward, but as the natural effect of a religious life.

On the other hand, thofe evil fpirits, who, by long custom, have contracted in the body habits of luft and fenfuality, malice and revenge, an averfion to every thing that is good, juft, or laudable, are naturally feasoned and prepared for pain and mifery. Their torments have already taken root in them; they cannot be happy when divetted of the body, unless we may fuppofe, that Providence will, in a manner, create them anew, and work a miracle in the rectification of their faculties. They may, indeed, taste a kind of malignant pleature in thofe actions to which they are accuftomed, whilst in this life; but when they are removed from all thote objects which are here apt to gratify them, they will naturally become their own tormentors, and cherish in themselves thofe painful habits of mind which are called in Scripture phrafe The worm which never

dies. This notion of heaven and hell is fo very conformable to the light of nature, that it was difcovered by feveral of the most exaited heathens. It has been finely improved by many eminent divines of the last age, as in parti. cular by Archbishop Filotfon and Dr. Sherlock: but there is none who has railed fuch noble fpeculations upon it as Dr. Scott, in the first book of his Chriftian Life, which is one of the fielt and moft rational ichemes of divinity, that

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