we shall outgrow the Relifh of childish SER. VIII. Amusements. And, if we are not provided with a Tafte for manly Satisfactions to fucceed in their Room, we must of courfe become miferable at an Age more difficult to be pleased. While Men, however unthinking and unemployed, enjoy an inexhaustible Flow of vigorous Spirits; a conftant Succeffion of gay Ideas, which Autter and sport in the Brain, makes them pleased with themselves, and with every Frolick as trifling as themselves. But, when the Ferment of their Blood abates, and the Freshness of their Youth, like the Morning Dew, paffes away; their Spirits flag for want of Entertainments more fatiffactory in themselves, and more fuited to a manly Age: And the Soul, from a Sprightly Impertinence, from quick Senfations, and florid Defires, fubfides into a dead Calm, and finks into a flat Stupidity. The Fire of a glowing Imagination (the Property of Youth) may make Folly look pleafing, and lend a Beauty to Objects, which have none inherent in them: Juft as the Sun Beams may paint a Cloud, and diverfify it with beautiful Stains of Light, however dark, unsubstantial and empty in

VOL. I.

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itself.

SER.VIII itfelf.

But nothing can fhine with undiminished Luftre, but Religion and Knowledge, which are effentially and intrinfically bright. Take it therefore for granted, which you will find by Experience, that nothing can be long ENTERTAINING, but what is in fome Measure beneficial: Because nothing else will bear a calm and fedate Review.

You may be fancied for a while, upon the Account of good Nature, the infeparable Attendant upon a Flush of fanguine Health, and a Fulness of youthful Spirits : But you will find, in Procefs of Time, that among the wife and good, ufeless good Nature is the Object of Pity, ill Nature of Hatred; but Nature beautified and improved by an Affemblage of moral and intellectual Endowments, is the only Object of a folid and lafting Efteem.

There is not a greater Inlet to Mifery and Vices of all Kinds, than the not knowing how to pafs our vacant Hours. For what remains to be done, when the first Part of their Lives, who are not brought up to any manual Employment, is flipt away without an acquired Relish for Reading, or Tafte for other rational Satif

factions?

of Life.

factions? That they should pursue their SER. VIII. Pleasures? But, Religion apart, common Prudence will warn them to tye up the Wheel, as they begin to go down the HILL Shall they then apply themselves to their Studies? Alas! the Seed-Time of Life is already paft: The enterprizing and fpirited Ardour of Youth being over, without having been applied to thofe valuable Purposes for which it was given; all Ambition of excelling upon generous and laudable Schemes quite ftagnates. If they have not fome poor Expedient to deceive the Time, or, to speak more properly, to deceive themselves; the Length of a Day will seem tedious to them, who perhaps have the Unreasonablenefs to complain of the Shortnefs of Life in general. When the former Part of our Life has been nothing but Vanity, the latter End of it can be nothing but Vexation. In fhort we must be miferable, without fome Employment to fix, or fome Amusement to diffipate our Thoughts: The latter we cannot command in all Places, nor relifh at all Times; and therefore there is an abfolute Neceffity for the former. We may purfue this or that new Pleafure; we may be P 2 fond

SER. VIII. fond for a while of a new Acquifition:

But when the Graces of Novelty are worn
off, and the Brifknefs of our first Defire
is over,
the Transition is very quick and
fudden, from an eager Fondness to a cool
Indifference. Hence there is a restless Agi-
tation in our Minds, ftill craving fome-
thing new, ftill unfatisfied with it, when
poffeffed; till Melancholy encreafes, as we
advance in Years, like Shadows lengthen-
ing towards the Clofe of Day.

Hence it is, that Men of this Stamp are continually complaining, that the Times are altered for the worfe: Because the Sprightliness of their Youth represented every Thing in the most engaging Light; and when Men are in high good Humour with themselves, they are apt to be so with all around: The Face of Nature brightens up, and the Sun fhines with a more agreeable Luftre. But when old Age has cut them off from the Enjoyment of false Pleasures, and habitual Vice has given them a Distaste for the only true and lasting Delights; when a Retrofpect of their past Lives prefents nothing to View but one wide Tract of uncultivated Ground; a Soul diftempered with Spleen, Remorse,

and

and an Infenfibility of each rational Satif-SER. VIII. faction, darkens and difcolours every Ob

ject; and the Change is not in the Times,

but in them, who have been forfaken by those Gratifications, which they would not forfake.

How much otherwife is it with those, who have laid up an inexhaustible Fund of Knowledge! When a Man has been laying out that Time in the Pursuit of fome great and important Truth, which others waste in a Circle of gay Follies; he is conscious of having acted up to the Dignity of his Nature; and from that Consciousness there refults that ferene Complacency, which, though not fo violent, is much preferable to the Pleasures of the animal Life. He can travel on from Strength to Strength: For, in Literature as in War, each new Conqueft, which he gains, impowers him to push his Conquests still farther, and to enlarge the Empire of Reason. Thus he is ever in a progreffive State, ftill making new Acquirements, ftill animated with Hopes of future Discoveries.

Some may alledge, in Bar to what I have faid, and as an Excufe for their Indolence,

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