Blind without a Guide. Youth, without question, is fubject to great Rafhness and Precipitancy This Age is govern'd more by Appetite than Reason, confults the Heart rather than the Head, and moves ftrongly by Mechanism and Machine. However, Freshness of Conftitution, and Plenty of Spirits, makes fome People very promifing in their Youth: Their Progrefs in Knowledge is wonderful, and their Genius furprizing at first: But the Fire goes out in a little time; they flag upon the Courfe, and fall fhort of Expectation. Thus Hermogenes the Rhetorician, foon after he had made himself an ingenious Author, grew perfectly flat and infipid. His Understanding was quickly drawn off in the Laboratory. He loft his Senfe in his Study, where other People get it, and feems to have mifcarried under the Means of Improvement. But fometimes the Fund is not deep and when the Oar lies only next the Surface, the Mine muft fail after a little Digging. To give another Inftance, the famous Orator Hortenfius, lived to fee his Reputation tarnifh; the Reason was, because he mifs'd the Point of Decency, and did not fuit his Style to his Age; He was Gaudy when he should have been Grave, and drefs'd at Fifty like Fifteen. Fifteen. That Floridnefs which look'd fprightly and agreeable in his Youth, was difrelifh'd as over-fanciful, and affected when he grew old. Idem manebat, fays Tully, non idem decebat. To wind up all: Thofe that have their Youth before them, fhould be careful to make the most on't. This is the Season to take the Field for Action, and to pull as far as Strength and Opportunity will carry it. To throw away our Time upon Trifles, to doze over an Estate, and live only for Sleeping and Digestion, is to make our felves mean, and come into the World to little Purpose. And if an idle Life is fo uncreditable, what must we think of an ill one? What must it be to spend our beft Days in Infamy, to make Vice our Bufinefs, and exert our felves for the Devil? Is not this to turn the greatest Bleffing to the worst Use, to riot in the Bounty of Providence, and prove falfe to the End of our Being? When the Functions of Life are easy and undisturb'd, when our Senfes are so fresh, and Nature fo flourishing and agreeable; when Things are in this comfortable Condition, one would think we could not forget our Benefactor: But that Favour and Return would hold fome Proportion; and that when Satisfactions run highest, Gratitude Gratitude fhould do fo too. To defer Sobriety to old Age, not to mention the Danger of it, is a scandalous Refolve. 'Tis a fign that Virtue is our Aversion; and is fomewhat like the Temper of a Rebel, that stands out to the length of his Power, and turns Loyal only at the Fright of an Execution: Not that Reformation is to be difcourag'd at any Age. But for all that, 'tis an unfortunate Thing not to understand the Value of a Treafure till we are just going to lofe it. To begin our Frugality when we are ready to break, is very ill Management: The Retrospection of fuch Folly, is by no means entertaining. Let us therefore do that at Firft which will pleafe us at Laft; for Innocence is much better than Repentance. OF Philal. P Hilotimus, I am glad to meet you in your old Walk in the Fields; I was yesterday at your House, but had not the good Fortune to find you at home. Philot. Sir, I thank you for that Favour, and am forry I was out of the way I have been in the Country about a Week, to divert my felf with an old Friend. : Philal. I fuppofe then you have given a Vifit to your Friend Neoplutus. Philot. You guefs right, and have been entertain'd, I affure you, to great Satisfaction: He has a Seat fit for a Noble-Man. The Situation and Avenues, the Structures, Walks and Gardens, are extraordinary: And to make the Figure uniformly great, the Furniture, Equipage, and Eating, are all fuitable and corre fpondent. fpondent. Well! 'tis a brave thing to be Rich. Philal. There is fomewhat in't, I grant; but for my Life, I can't come up to your Tranfport: Pray, what is it in the Idea that affects you to that Degree? Philot. What is it not? Wealth is every Thing: It affords Convenience, covers Defects, and commands Obfervance: It gives Interest and Power and Credit and Satisfactions always attend it. He that's rich, has Art and Nature at his Service; may be best furnifh'd to improve his Reafon, to entertain his Fancy, and regale his Senfes. He has Company or Solitude at pleasure, and is Mafter of Time and Place. has the Choice of all Countries, may travel after the Sun, and live always in the Spring, if he has a mind to't. He Philal. To out-ride the Rigour of the Seasons, and leave Heat and Cold behind us, is a notable Advantage: But to be always rolling, and fhifting the Climate at this rate, a Man must have a good Health, as well as a Pocket. Philot. Let that be as it will. I tell you, he that is Rich needs not let his Fancy wait; his Wishes are foon had, the Game rises immediately, and the Ob ject |