ΤΗ REFLECTIONS on the FOLLY of WISHING. HE folly of human wifhes and purfuits has always been a flanding fubject of mirth and declamation, and has been ridiculed and lamented from age to age; till perhaps the fruitless reception of complaints and cenfures may be juftly numbered among the fubjects of cenfure and complaint. Some of thefe inftru&tors of mankind have not contented themfelves with checking the overflows of paffion, and lopping the exuberance of defire, but have attempted to detroy the root as well as the branches; and not only to confine the mind within bounds, but to foeth it for ever by a dead calm. They have employed their reafon and their eloquence to perfwade us, that nothing is worth the with of a wife man, have reprefented all earthly good and evil as indifferent, and counted among vulgar errors the dread of pain and the love of life. The philofophers having found an eafy conqueft over thofe defires which we produce in ourfelves, and which terminate in fome imaginary state of happiness unknown and unattainable, proceeded to make further inroads upon the heart, and to attack our fenfes and our inftin&s. They continued to war upon nature with arms, by which only folly could be conquered; they therefore loft the trophies of their former victories, and were confidered no longer with reverence or regard. Yet it cannot be with juftice'denied, that these men have been very useful monitors, and have left many proofs of strong reafon, deep penetration, and accurate attention to the affairs of life, which it is now our bufinefs to feparate from the foar of a boiling imagination, and to aje ply to our own ufe. They have fhewn that most of the conditions of life, which raife the envy of the timorous, and roufe the anbition of the daring, are empty fhows of telicity, which, when they become familiar, lofe their power of delighting; and that the most profperous and exalted have very few advantages over a meaner and more obfcure fortune, when their dangers and folicitudes are balanced against their equipage, their banquets, and their palaces. It is natural for every man, unin. ftructed and unenlightned, to mormur at his condition, becaufe in the general infelicity of life, he feels his own miferies, without knowing thar they are common to all the rest of the fpecies; and therefore the he will not be lefs fentible of pain by being told that others are equally tormented, he will at least be need from the temptation of fecking by perpetual changes that eafe which is no where to be found, and tho this difcafe ftill continues, he efcapes the hazard of exafperating it by remedies. The gratifications which affluence of wealth, extent of power, and eminence of reputation confer, mult always, by their own nature, be confined to a very small number; and the life of the greater part of mankind must be loft in empty withes and painful comparifons, were not the balm of philofophy shed upon us, and our difcontent at the appearances of unequal diftribution foothed and appealed. It was, perhaps, below the dig nity of the great mafters of moral learning, to defcend to familiar life, and caution mankind against that petty ambition, which is known among us by the name of Vanity. For tho' the paffions of little minds, acting in low ftations, do not fill the world with bloodshed and devaftation, or mark, by great events, the periods of time, yet they torture the breaft which they happen to feize, infect thofe that are placed within the reach of their influence, deftroy their private quiet and private virtue, and undermine, infenfibly, the happiness of the world. The defire of excellence is laudable, but it is very frequently ill directed. We fall, by chance, into fome clafs of mankind, and with out confulting nature or wifdom, refolve to gain their regard by thofe qualities, which they happen to efteem. When it happens that the defire, however abfurd, or fruitlefs, tends only to objects, which produce no competition, it may be overlooked with fome indulgence; because it cannot have ill effects upon the morals. But most of our enjoyments owe their value to the peculiarity of poffeffion, and when they are rated at too high a value, give occafions to ftratagems of malignity, and incite oppofition, hatred, and defamation. The conteft of the rural beauties for preference and diftin&tion, is often fufficiently keen and rancorous to fill their breafts with all those paffions, which are thought the curfe only of fenates, of armies, and of courts. It is common to confider those whom we find infected with an unreasonable regard for trifling accomplishments, as juftly chargeable with all the confequences of their folly, and as the authors of their own unhappinefs; but, perhaps, all thofe whom we fcorn and deteft, have more claim of tenderness than has been yet allowed them. Before we per mit our feverity to break loose upon any fault or error, we ought furely to confider how much we have countenanced or promoted it. We fee multitudes bufy in the pursuit of riches, at the expence of wisdom and virtue; but we fee the rest of mankind approving their conduct and inciting their eagernefs, by paying that regard and deference to wealth, which wifdom and virtue only can deferve. We fee women univerfally jealous of the reputation of their beauty, and frequently look with contempt on the care with which they ftudy their complexions, endeavour to preferve or fupply the bloom of youth, with which they regulate every ornament, and fhade their faces from the weather. We often recommend to them the care of their nobler part, and tell them how little addition is made by all their arts to the graces of the mind, But when it is known that female virtue or knowledge was able to at tract that officioufnefs, or inspire that ardour which beauty produces whenever it appears? and with what hope can we endeavour to perfwade the ladies, that the time spent at the toilet is loft in vanity, when they have every moment fome new cond viction, that their intereft is more effectually promoted by a ribband well difpos'd, than by the higheft act of heroic virtue ? In every inftance of vanity it will be found, that the blame ought to be shared among more than it generally reaches; all who exalt trifles by immoderate praise, or inftigate needless emulation by invidious incitements, ar Mag. Remarks on the Beauty of Simplicity in Writing. 555 lead unwary minds, by appearing to fet too high a value upon things, by which no real excellence is conferred. To the Authors of the BRITISH MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, F.we examine the writers whofe compofitions have ftood the test of ages, and obtained that higheft honour," the concurrent approbation of diftant times and nations," we fhall find that the character of fimplicity is the unvarying circumftance, which alone hath been able to gain this univerfal homage from mankind. Among the Greeks, whofe writers in general are of the fimple kind, the divineft poet, the most commanding orator, the finest hif torian, and deepest philofopher, are, above the reft, confpicuoutly eminent in this great quality. The Roman writers rife towards perfection according, to that measure of fimplicity which they mingle in their works: indeed, they are all inferior to the Greek models. But who will deny, that Lucretius, Horace, Virgil, Livy, Terence, Tully, are at once the fimpleft and beft of Roman writers? unless we add the noble Annalift, who appeared in after times; who, notwithstanding the political turn of his genius, which fometimes interferes, is admirable in this great quality; and by it, far fuperior to his contemporaries. 'Tis this one circumftance that hath raised the venerable Dante, the father of modern poetry, above the fucceeding poets of his country, who could never long maintain the local and temporary honours beftowed upon them; November, 1764. " but have fallen under that juft ne, glect, which time will ever decree to those who defert a juft fimplicity for the florid colourings of tyle, contrafted phrafes, affected conceits, the mere trappings of compofition and Gothic minutia. 'Tis this hath given to Boileau the most lafting wreath in France, and to Shakefpear and Milton in England; ef pecially to the laft, whofe writings. are more unmixed in this refpect, and who had formed himself entirely on the fimple model of the best Greek writers and the ficred Scriptures. As it appears from these inftances, that fimplicity is the only univerfal characteristic of juft writing; fo the fuperior eminence of the facred Scriptures in this prime quality hath been generally acknowleged. One of the greatest critics in antiquity, himself confpicuous in the fublime and fimple manner, bath borne this teftimony to the writings of Mofes and St. Paul; and by parity of reafon we must conclude, that had he been converfant with the other facred writers, his tafte and candour would have allowed them the fame encomium. It hath been often obferved, even by writers of no mean rank, that the Scriptures fuffer in their credit by "the difadvantage of a literal ver"fion, while other ancient writings enjoy the advantage of a free 4 D and fplendor, without either lofs or alloy; while bafer metals are corrupted by earth, air, water, fire, and affimilated to the various elements thro' which they pass. 66 ing only a due regard to the "idioms of different languages, the facred writings when literally tran"flated, are then in their full per "fection." Now this is an internal proof, that in all other writings there is a mixture of local, relative, exterior ornament, which is often loft in the transfufion from one language to another. But the internal beauties, which depend not on the particular conftruction of tongues, no change of tongue can deftroy. Hence the Bible compofition preferves its native beauty and frength alike in every Janguage, by the fole energy of unadorned phrase, natural images, weight of fentiment, and great fimplicity. It is in this refpe&t like a rich vein of gold, which, under the fevereft trials of heat, cold, and moifture, retains its original weight and This circumftance then may be juftly regarded as fufficient to vindicate the compofition of the facred Scriptures, as it is at once their chief excellence, and greateft fecurity. It is their excellence, as it renders them intelligible and useful to all; it is their fecurity, as it prevents their being difguifed by the falfe and capricious ornaments of vain or weak tranflators. We may fafely appeal to experience and fa& for the confirmation of these remarks on the fuperior finplicity, utility, and excellence of the file of the holy Scripture. Is there any book in the world fo perfectly adapted to all capacities that contains fuch fublime and exalting precepts, conveyed in fuch an artless and intelligible ftrain, that can be read with fuch pleafure and advantage by the lettered fage and the uniettered peafant ? I am, &c. T. W. The NECESSITY of CONTENTMENT in our STATION. A VISION. THE fun, fays an eaftern fage, was finking behind the weftern hills, and with departed rays gilded the fpires and turrets of Golconda, when the captive Selima from the window of the fon of Nouradin's feraglio, cafting a mournful look at the country which the faw at a diftance beyond the boundary of her confinement, fixed her eyes on fome cottages which fhe could diftinguish by the thin fmoke afcending from them, and feemed to envy the hum 1 ble condition of the lovely inhabitants; the longed to exchange ber own fituation for that of innocent poverty and chearful tranquility. Little by little the envied profpe& faded on her fight, and the liftened with horror to the crashing of iron bars, and the clofing grates that furrounded her; till at length, all was hufhed, all became quiet as the hours of night, and ftillness advanced; the then burft forth into the following foliloquy: " And And was I formed a reasonable to whofe care we are refigned, are being (he cried) for this, to be ex- faft locked up in fleep. When, O! cluded for ever from fociety, and when thall I enjoy that sweet oblidoomed to add one more to the vion? Difcontent and perpetual unflaves of the monarch of the ealt? cainels of mind banish from my Have I deferved this at the hand of eyes all propensity to reft; the night Providence, or exacted this unequal only affords me an opportunity to lot from the genius of diftribution? vent my complaints, and my greatDid lever turn mine ears from the eft happiness is this hour of univer. cries of the needy, or fhut the open fal repofe, when I can undisturbed band of mercy from the poor? Why and unmolested give utterance to the then am I punished in this manner? forrow of my heart." why for ever denied the bleffings of. As fhe was fpeaking these last mutual love, and fated to weep in vain to the walls of a prion house? While I was a child, the angel of death closed the eyes of my parents, when as yet I knew, not their lofs; and a few moons ago the fame mi. nister of terror bore from my arms a fifter whom I loved, to the land of filence and fliadows; the rest of those that were dear to me groan under the bands of fervitude in the mines of Agar, or traverse the great waters in the fhips of India; some happier few, who have found grace in the eyes of the Sultan, live only to fhew me the difference between what I was, and what I am. Yet the remembrance of those I loft, I bore with refignation; I wept, indeed, and retired, but as yet repined not; but to know no end of mifery, to be kept as a witness to the luxury of those who were once our equals, is furely the worst that can be inflicted. I have faid to the faves, Why will not my lord the fultan difmifs the maid whom he thinks unworthy his embraces, and whofe, prefence will rather cast a cloud over his pomp than encreafe it? But they treat my tears and my remonftrances with fcorn, nor are their hearts melted in them with pity night and filence are over all the feraglio; even the horrid guards words, the shade of darkness was and grave ber |