vehemence of defire which preffes through right and wrong to its gratification, or that anxious inquietude which is justly chargeable with diftruft of heaven, fubjects too folemn for my present purpose; it frequently happens that, by indulging early the raptures of fuccefs, we forget the measures neceffary to fecure it, and fuffer the imagination to riot in the fruition of fome poffible good, till the time of obtaining it has flipped away. There would however be few enterprizes of great labour or hazard undertaken, if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages which we perfuade ourselves to expect from them. When the knight of La Mancha gravely recounts to his companion the adventures by which he is to fignalize himself in fuch a manner that he shall be fummoned to the fupport of empires, folicited to accept the heiress of the crown which he has preserved, have honours and riches to scatter about him, and an island to bestow on his worthy fquire, very few readers amidst their mirth or pity can deny that they have admitted vifions of the fame kind; though they have not, perhaps, expected events equally ftrange, or by means equally inadequate. When we pity him, we reflect on our own disappointments; and when we laugh, our hearts inform us, that he is not more ridiculous than ourselves, except that he tells what we have only thought. The understanding of a man naturally fanguine, may, indeed, be eafily vitiated by the luxurious indulgence of hope, however neceffary to the production of every thing great or excellent, as fome plants are deftroyed destroyed by too open exposure to that fun which gives life and beauty to the vegetable world. Perhaps no class of the human fpecies requires more to be cautioned against this anticipation of happiness, than those that aspire to the name of authors. A man of lively fancy no fooner finds a hint moving in his mind, than he makes momentaneous excurfions to the prefs, and to the world, and, with a little encouragement from flattery, pufhes forward into future ages, and prognofticates the honours to be paid him, when envy is extinct, and faction forgotten, and those, whom partiality now fuffers to obscure him, shall have given way to the triflers of as short duration as themselves. Those who have proceeded fo far as to appeal to the tribunal of fucceeding times, are not likely to be cured of their infatuation; but all endeavours ought to be used for the prevention of a difeafe, for which, when it has attained its height, perhaps no remedy will be found in the gardens of philofophy, however she may boast her phyfick of the mind, her catharticks of vice, or lenitives of paffion. I shall, therefore, while I am yet but lightly touched with the fymptoms of the writer's malady, endeavour to fortify myself against the infection, not without fome weak hope that my perfervatives may extend their virtue to others, whofe employment expofes them to the fame danger. Laudis amore tumes? Sunt certa piacula, quæ te Is fame your paffion? Wifdom's powerful charm, If thrice read over, fhall its force difarm. FRANCIS. It is the fage advice of Epictetus, that a man fhould accuftcm himself often to think of what is most shock be ing and terrible, that by fuch reflections he may preferved from too ardent wifhes for fceming good, and from too much dejection in real evil. There is nothing more dreadful to an author than neglect, compared with which reproach, hatred, and oppofition, are names of happiness; yet this worst, this meaneft fate, every one who dares to write has reafon to fear. I nunc, et verfus tecum meditare canoros. Go now, and meditate thy tuneful lays. ELPHINSTON. It may not be unfit for him who makes a new entrance into the lettered world, fo far to fufpect his own powers, as to believe that he poffibly may deferve neglect; that nature may not have qualified him much to enlarge or embellifh knowledge, nor fent him forth intitled by indifputable fuperiority to regulate the conduct of the rest of mankind; that, though the world must be granted to be yet in ignorance, he is not deftined to difpel the cloud, nor to fhine out as one of the luminaries of life. For this fufpicion, every catalogue of a library will furnish sufficient reafon; as he will find it crowded with names of men, who, though now forgotten, were once no lefs enterprifing or confident than himself, equally pleased with their own productions, equally careffed by their patrons, and flattered by their friends. But though it should happen that an author is capable of excelling, yet his merit may pafs without notice, huddled in the variety of things, and thrown into the general mifcellany of life. He that endea vours vours after fame by writing, folicits the regard of a multitude fluctuating in meafures or immerfed in bufinefs, without time for intellectual amufements; he appeals to judges prepoffeffed by paffions, or corrupted by prejudices, which preclude their approbation of any new performance. Some are too indolent to read any thing, till its reputation is eftablished; others too envious to promote that fame which gives them pain by its increase. What is new is opposed, because most are unwilling to be taught; and what is known is rejected, because it is not fufficiently confidered, that men more frequently require to be reminded than informed. The learned are afraid to declare their opinion early, left they should put their reputation in hazard; the ignorant always imagine themselves giving fome proof of delicacy, when they refufe to be pleased: and he that finds his way to reputation through all thefe obftructions, muft acknowledge that he is indebted to other caufes befides his induftry, his learning, or his wit. NUMB. 3. TUESDAY, March 27, 1750. T Nor takes up pow'r, nor lays it down, As giddy rabbles fmile or frown. ELPHINSTON. HE task of an author is, either to teach what is not known, or to recommend known truths by his manner of adorning them; either to let new light in upon the mind, and open new scenes to the profpect, or to vary the dress and fituation of common objects, fo as to give them fresh grace and more powerful attractions, to fpread fuch flowers over the regions through which the intellect has already made its progress, as may tempt it to return, and take a fecond view of things haftily paffed over or negligently regarded. Either of these labours is very difficult, because that they may not be fruitless, men must not only be perfuaded of their errours, but reconciled to their guide; they must not only confefs their ignorance, but, what is ftill lefs pleafing, muft allow that he from whom they are to learn is more knowing than themfelves. It |