their correfpondent faults, and therefore that to exhibit either apart is to deviate from probability. Thus men are observed by Swift to be "grateful in the same degree as they are refentful." This principle, with others of the fame kind, fuppofes man to act from a brute impulfe, and pursue a certain degree of inclination, without any choice of the object; for, otherwise, though it should be allowed that gratitude and refentment arise from the fame conftitution of the paffions, it follows not that they will be equally indulged when reafon is confulted; yet, unless that confequence be admitted, this fagacious maxim becomes an empty found, without any relation to practice or to life. Nor is it evident, that even the first motions to these effects are always in the fame proportion. For pride, which produces quickness of refentment, will obftruct gratitude, by unwillingness to admit that inferiority which obligation implies; and it is very unlikely that he who cannot think he receives a favour, will acknowledge or repay it, It is of the utmost importance to mankind, that pofitions of this tendency fhould be laid open and confuted; for while men confider good and evil as fpringing from the fame root, they will fpare the one for the fake of the other, and in judging, if not of others at least of themselves, will be apt to eftimate their virtues by their vices. To this fatal errour all those will contribute, who confound the colours of right and wrong, and, inftead of helping to fettle their boundaries, mix them with fo much art, that no common mind is able to difunite them. In narratives where hiftorical veracity has no place, I cannot discover why there fhould not be exhibited the moft moft perfect idea of virtue; of virtue not angelical, nor above probability, for what we cannot credit, we shall never imitate, but the highest and pureft that humanity can reach, which, exercised in such trials as the various revolutions of things fhall bring upon it, may, by conquering fome calamities, and enduring others, teach us what we may hope, and what we can perform. Vice, for vice is neceffary to be fhewn, fhould always difguft; nor fhould the graces of gaiety, or the dignity of courage, be fo united with it, as to reconcile it to the mind. Wherever it appears, it should raise hatred by the malignity of its practices, and contempt by the meannefs of its ftratagems: for while it is fupported by either parts or spirit, it will be feldom heartily abhorred. The Roman tyrant was content to be hated, if he was but feared; and there are thousands of the readers of romances willing to be thought wicked, if they may be allowed to be wits. It is therefore to be fteadily inculcated, that virtue is the highest proof of understanding, and the only folid basis of greatnefs; and that vice is the natural confequence of narrow thoughts; that it begins in mistake, and ends in ignominy. NUMB. 5. TUESDAY, April 3, 1750. Et nunc omnis ager, nunc omnis parturit arbos, Now ev'ry field, now ev'ry tree is green; VIRG. E ELPHINSTON, VERY man is fufficiently difcontented with fome, circumftances of his prefent ftate, to fuffer his imagination to range more or lefs in queft of future happiness, and to fix upon fome point of time, in which, by the removal of the inconvenience which now perplexes him, or acquifition of the advantage which he at present wants, he fhall find the condition of his life very much improved. When this time, which is too often expected with great impatience, at laft arrives, it generally comes without the bleffing for which it was defired; but we folace ourselves with fome new profpect, and prefs forward again with equal eagerness. It is lucky for a man, in whom this temper prevails, when he turns his hopes upon things wholly out of his own power; fince he forbears then to precipitate his affairs, for the fake of the great event that is to complete his felicity, and waits for the blissful hour with lefs neglect of the measures neceffary to be taken in the mean time. I have long known a perfon of this temper, who indulged his dream of happiness with lefs hurt to him felf felf than fuch chimerical wishes commonly produce, and adjusted his fcheme with fuch addrefs, that his hopes were in full bloom three parts of the year, and in the other part never wholly blafted. Many, perhaps, would be defirous of learning by what means he procured to himself fuch a cheap and lafting fatisfaction. It was gained by a conftant practice of referring the removal of all his uneafinefs to the coming of the next fpring; if his health was impaired, the fpring would restore it; if what he wanted was at a high price, it would fall its value in the fpring. The fpring indeed did often come without any of thefe effects, but he was always certain that the next would be more propitious; nor was ever convinced, that the present spring would fail him before the middle of fummer; for he always talked of the fpring as coming till it was paft, and when it was once paft, every one agreed with him that it was coming. By long converse with this man, I am, perhaps, brought to feel immoderate pleasure in the contemplation of this delightful feafon; but I have the fatisfaction of finding many, whom it can be no fhame to refemble, infected with the fame enthusiasm; for there is, I believe, fcarce any poet of eminence, who has not left fome teftimony of his fondness for the flowers, the zephyrs, and the warblers of the fpring. Nor has the most luxuriant imagination been able to defcribe the ferenity and happiness of the golden age, otherwife than by giving a perpetual spring, as the highest reward of uncorrupted innocence. There is, indeed, fomething inexpreffibly pleafing in the annual renovation of the world, and the new display display of the treasures of nature. The cold and darknefs of winter, with the naked deformity of every object on which we turn our eyes, make us rejoice at the fucceeding feason, as well for what we have escaped as for what we may enjoy; and every budding flower, which a warm fituation brings early to our view, is considered by us as a meffenger to notify the approach of more joyous days. The SPRING affords to a mind, fo free from the disturbance of cares or paffions as to be vacant to calm amufements, almost every thing that our prefent ftate makes us capable of enjoying. The variegated verdure of the fields and woods, the fucceffion of grateful odours, the voice of pleasure pouring out its notes on every fide, with the gladnefs apparently conceived by every animal, from the growth of his food, and the clemency of the weather, throw over the whole earth an air of gaiety, fignificantly expreffed by the smile of nature. Yet there are men to whom thefe fcenes are able to give no delight, and who hurry away from all the varieties of rural beauty, to lose their hours and divert their thoughts by cards or affemblies, a trvern dinner, or the prattle of the day. It may be laid down as a pofition which will feldom deceive, that when a man cannot bear his own company, there is fomething wrong. He muft fly from himself, either because he feels a tedioufnefs in life from the equipoife of an empty mind, which, having no tendency to one motion more than another but as it is impelled by fome external power, must always have recourse to foreign objects; or he must be afraid of the intrufion of fome unpleafing ideas, and, perhaps is |