No 626. fectually to roufe the Soul, funk into a State of Sloth and Indolence; it is alfo neceffary that there be an uncommon Pleasure annex'd to the first Appearance of Truth in the Mind. This Pleasure being exquifite for the Time it lafts, but tranfient it hereby comes to pass that the Mind grows into an Indifference to its former Notions, and paffes on after new Discoveries, in hope of repeating the Delight. It is with Knowledge as with Wealth, the Pleasure of which lies more in making endless Additions, than in taking a Review of our old Store. There are fome Inconveniencies that follow this Temper, if not guarded against, particularly this, that through a too great Eagernefs of fomething new we are many times impatient of staying long enough upon a Question that requires fome time to ⚫ refolve it, or, which is worfe, perfwade our felves that we are Mafters of the Subject before we are so, only to be at the Liberty of going upon a fresh Scent; in Mr. Lock's Words, We fee a little, prefume a great deal, and fo jump to the Conclufion. A farther Advantage of our Inclination for Novelty, as at prefent circumftantiated,. is, that it annihilates all the boasted Distinctions among Man• kind. Look not up with Envy to those above thee, Sounding Titles, ftately Buildings, fine Gardens, gilded Chariots, rich Equipages, what are they? They dazzle every one but the Poffeffor: To him that is accustomed to them they are cheap and regardlefs Things: They fupply him not with brighter Images, or more fublime Satisfactions than the plain Man may have, whofe fmall Eftate will juft enable him to fupport the Charge of a fimple unencumber'd Life. He enters heedlefs into his Rooms of State, as you or I do under our poor Sheds. The ⚫ noble Paintings and coftly Furniture are loft on him; he fees them not: As how can it be otherwife, when, by Cuftom, a Fabrick infinitely more grand and finifted, that of the Univcrfe, ftards unobferved by the Inhabitants, and the everlafting Lamps of Hea ⚫ ven 259 ven are lighted up in vain, for any Notice that Mortals take of them? Thanks to indulgent Nature, which not only placed her Children originally upon a Level, but ftill, by the Strength of this Principle, in a great measure preferves it, in fpite of all the • Care of Man, to introduce artificial Distinctions. 6 TO add no more, Is not this Fondnefs of Novelty, which makes us out of Conceit with all we already have, a convincing Proof for a future State? Either Man was made in vain, or this is not the only World he was made for: For there cannot be a greater Inftance of Vanity, than that to which Man is liable, to be deluded from the Cradle to the Grave with fleeting Shadows of Happiness. His Pleafures, ' and those not confiderable neither, die in the Poffeffion, and fresh Enjoyments do not rife faft enough to fill up half his Life with Satisfaction. When I fee Perfons fick of themfelves any longer than they are called away by fomething that is of Force to chain down the prefent Thought; when I fee them hurry from Country to Town, and then from the Town back again into the Country, continually fhiftting Poftures, and placing Life in all the different Lights they can think of; Surely, fay I to my self, Life is vain, and the Man beyond Expreffion ftupid or prejudic'd, who from the Vanity of Life cannot gather, He is defigned for Immortality. Wednesday, N° 627. Wednesday, December 1. Tantum inter denfas umbrofa cacumina fagos T Virg. HE following Account, which came to my Hands fome time ago, may be no difagreeable Entertainment to fuch of my Readers, as have tender Hearts and nothing to do. ४ Mr. SPECTATOR, "A Friend of mine died of a Fever laft Week, which he caught by walking too late in a dewy Evening among his Reapers. I muft inform you that his greatest Pleafure was in Husbandry and Gardening. He had fome Humours which feemed inconfiftent with that good Senfe he was other• wife Master of. His Uneafinefs in the Company of • Women was very remarkable in a Man of fuch per•fect Good-breeding; and his avoiding one particular • Walk in his Garden, where he had ufed to pafs the greatest Part of his Time, raised abundance of idle Conjectures in the Village where he lived. Upon looking over his Papers we found out the Reafon, which he never intimated to his nearest Friends. He was, it seems, a paffionate Lover in his Youth, of which a large Parcel of Letters he left behind ⚫ him are a Witnefs. I fend you a Copy of the last ⚫ he ever wrote upon that Subject, by which you will ⚫ find that he concealed the true Name of his Mistress under that of Zelinda. A Long Month's Abfence would be insupportable to me, if the Business I am employed in were not for the Service of my Zelinda, and of fuck a Nature as to place ber 261 her every Moment in my Mind. I have furnished the House exactly according to your Fancy, or, if you please, my own; for I have long fince learned to like nothing but what you do. The Apartment defigned for your Ufe is fo exact a Copy of that which you live in, that I often think my felf in your House when I ftep into it, but figh when I find it without its proper Inhabitant. You will have the most delicious Profpect from your Clofet-Window that England affords: I am fure I should think it fo, if the Landskip that shows fuch Variety did not at the fame time fuggeft to me the Greatness of the Space that lyes be tween us. THE Gardens are laid out very beautifully; I have dressed up every Hedge in Woodbines, fprinkled Bowers and Arbours in every Corner, and made a little Paradife round me; yet I am ftill like the first Man in his Solitude, but half bleft without a Partner in my Happiness. I have directed one Walk to be made for two Perfons, where I promife ten thousand Satisfactions to my felf in your Converfation. I already take my Evening's Turn in it, and have worn a Path upon the Edge of this little Alley, while I foothed my felf with the Thought of your walking by my Side. I have held many imaginary Difcourfes with you in this Retirement; and when I have been weary have fat down with you in the midst of a Row of Jeffamines. The many Expreffions of Joy and Rapture I use in these filent Converfations have made me for fome Time the Talk of the Parish; but a neighbouring young Fellow, who makes Love to the Farmer's Daughter, hath found me out, and made my Cafe known to the whole Neighbourhood. IN planting of the Fruit-Trees I have not forgot the Peach you are fo fond of. I have made a Walk of Elms along the River Side, and intend to for all the Place about it with Cowflips, which I hope you will like as well as that I have heard you talk of by your Father's Houfe in the Country. OH! Zelinda, What a Scheme of Delight have I drawn up in my Imagination! What Day-dreams do I indulge my felf in! When will the Six Weeks be at an End, that lye between me and my promised Happiness? HOW N° 628. HOW could you break off fo abruptly in your last, and tell me you must go and dress for the Play? If you loved as I do, you would find no more Company in a Crowd, than I have in my Solitude. I am, &c. ON the Back of this Letter is written, in the • Hand of the Deceafed, the following Piece of Hi• ftory. Mem. HAVING waited a whole Week for an Anfwer to this Letter, I hurried to Town, where I found the perfidious Creature married to my Rival. I will bear it as becomes a Man, and endeavour to find out Happiness for my felf in that Retirement, which I had prepared in vain for a falfe ungrateful Woman. I am, &c. No 628. Friday, December Labitur et labetur in omne volubilis avum. Mr. SPECTATOR, "TH 3. Hor. HERE are none of your Speculations which please me more than thofe upon Infinitude and Eternity. You have already confider'd that Part of Eternity which is paft, and I wish you • would give us your Thoughs upon that which is to 'come. YOUR Readers will perhaps receive greater Pleasure from this View of Eternity than the former, fince we have every one of us a Concern in that which is to come: Whereas a Speculation on that which is paft is rather curious than useful. BESIDES, we can easily conceive it poffible for fucceffive Duration never to have an End; tho' ⚫ as |