fpeak with too much partiality to my own. I am one, who, being harraffed with bufinefs, anxiety, and disappointment, would think a bare ceffation from the cares of life, felicity fufficient. Yet fuch quietism will appear only a negative bliss, at beft, to a man who cannot relifh exiftence without quick fenfations and forcible pleasures; nay, it is more than probable that he would not allow what I am fupplicating for to be any blifs at all; but a smart fit of the gout or ftone would speedily rectify his error, and teach him better philofophy. For, let him be ftretched upon a bed of torture during a few days, and, upon the termination of his fufferings, he will readily acknowledge, that a mere ceflation of pain is pofitive pleasure. By and by he himself will find the human fyftem fo conftructed, that it cannot comport with a perpetuity of tumultuous joys. The active and vigorous exercifes of youth have no charms for us in our advanced years, because the powers of exertion have failed us, and our tafte for fuch entertainments hath departed with our ftrength. In old age, we covet very moderate fatisfactions indeed. Like hirelings, worn down with the preceding labours of the day, we folicit the approach of evening. Not as formerly, perhaps, for the protracted pleasures of the bottle, but for the filent comfort of ftretching ourselves upon upon our couches, and finking into reft. This is the happiest period, to the aged man, of the whole four and twenty hours. It is to him what affignations and plays are to the young man. It is the point he keeps in view from the time he arifes in the morning, till he returns to his bed again; and, being incapable of ftronger delights, he rejoiceth in this quiefcent ftate. This is certainly the nature and disposition of our system through its progreffive ftages, notwithstanding the antiquated beaux and belles of the present century may appear as objections to my doctrine. In my opinion, they are the most contemptible of the fpecies, as counteracting the laws of our corporeal and mental conftitution. They refemble eunuchs, who, confcious of their deficiency, are irritated at their inability, ape a tafte for pleafures which they can never enjoy, and thereby become the dupes of impotence and affectation. with me in fending you the compliments of the enfuing festival. We moft heartily wish you that chearful difpofition of mind which gives the relish to all our enjoyments; which alleviates the cares cares of life, and doubles the comforts of it; which, like the philofopher's ftone, transmutes copper into gold, and is a never-failing fource of true riches; which is the beft opiate under bodily pains, and the best prophylactic in mental diforders. It is an elixir of fovereign efficacy when it is genuine. But, generally speaking, it is a compofition which requires time, labour, and pains in the preparation; hence few there are who will be at the trouble and coft of making it. They fubftitute a counterfeit in its place, which, however it may wear the external appearance of the original tincture, is nevertheless a most vapid medicine. The ancient heathens were fo fenfible of the value of fuch a medicament, that multitudes of them turned chymifts upon this occafion. But, notwithstanding all their boafted recipes, they were found, upon trial, to be nothing worth. The only true prefcription is to be met with in a volume of an author, who was born about this period of the feafon, feventeen hundred and fixty years ago. It is truth, that the book is commonly exploded, or, at the best, but very lightly esteemed. And I am inclined to think, that its present disreputation is greatly owing to the multitude of copies which are spread every where up and down the kingdom. Could you fuppofe a defpotic prince to call in all the impref fions extant, or prohibit, upon fevere penalties, all families from reading this book, I verily believe its value would be greatly enhanced by its fcarcity or perils; and that this bleffing, like health, would appear to the greatest advantage when once taken from us. What poor fickly appetites are ours! that lose their tafte for an entertainment of the most refined and delicate nature, because the table is daily spread, and the doors of the banqueting chamber are open to every gucft.—But I will not fatigue you with my allegories. If you approve them, you can carry them on yourself; and if you do not relish this manner of writing, I have faid too much already. Dear Sir, I HAVE thought much upon the fubject of your late converfation. But I ftill perfift in my fentiments, that the frequent confideration of death is the only expedient which can reconcile us to dying. It is very true, that dying-work is, generally speaking, difficult work, and a dying-hour a most formidable hour! But will the difficulty or terror of that period be leffened by inattention, or procraftination of thinking? No, furely :Thofe parting ftruggles of foul and body, and the -- horrors ed this life for a better.-Three or four days before he died, he discovered an univerfal languor, which portended a speedy diffolution. Upon the whole, her transition was eafy, and much to he defired. For, although a good man hath nothing to fear after death, yet he may reasonably be afraid of the pangs and agonies which often accompany diffolving nature. St. Paul himself, with his apoftolical attainments, could not reprefs his fears and anxieties upon this fubject. Fain would he have declined this combat with the king of ter rors; for, although he was fure of coming off VOL. II. O |