Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

gratitude towards that Being who has allotted him his part to act in this world. It destroys all inordinate ambition, and every tendency to corruption, with regard to the community wherein he is placed. It gives fweetness to his converfation, and a perpetual ferenity to all his thoughts.

Among the many methods which might be made use of for the acquiring of this virtue, I fhall only mention the two following First of all, a man should always confider how much he has more than he wants; and fecondly, how much more unhappy he might be than he really is.

First of all, a man fhould always confider how much he has more than he wants. I am wonderfully pleafed with the reply which Ariftippus made to one who condoled him upon the lofs of a farm: "Why," said he, "I have three farms ftill, and you have but one; fo that I ought rather to be afflicted for you than you for me.” On the contrary, foolish men are more apt to confider what they have loft than what they poffefs; and to fix their eyes upon those who are richer than themselves, rather than on those who are under greater difficulties. All the real pleatures and conveniencies of life lie in a narrow compafs; but it is the humour of mankind to be always looking forward, and ftraining after one who has got the ftart of them in wealth and honour. For this reafon, as there are none can be properly called rich, who have not more than they want; there are few rich men in any of the politer nations but among the middle fort of people, who keep their wishes within their fortunes, and have more wealth than they know how to enjoy. Perfons of a higher rank live in a kind of splendid poverty; and are perpetually wanting, becaufe, instead of acquiefcing in the folid pleafures of life, they endeavour to ourvie one another in fhadows and appearances. Men of fenfe have at all times beheld with a great deal of mirth this filly game that is playing over their heads; and, by contracting their defires, enjoy all that fecret fatisfaction which others are always in queft of. The truth is, this ridicu lous chafe after imaginary pleafures cannot be fufficient ly expofed, as it is the great fource of thofe evils which generally undo a nation.. Let a man's estate be what it

will, he is a poor man if he does not live within it, and naturally fets himself to fale to any one that can give him his price. When Pittacus, after the death of his brother, who had left him a good eftate, was offered a great fum of money by the king of Lydia, he thanked him for his kindness, but told him he had already more by half than he knew what to do with. In fhort, content is equivalent to wealth, and luxury to poverty; or, to give the thought a more agreeable turn, Content is natural wealth," fays Socrates; to which I fhall add, Luxury is artificial poverty. I fhall therefore recommend to the confideration of those who are always aiming after fuperfluous and imaginary enjoyments, and will not be at the trouble of contracting their defires an excellent faying of Bion the philosopher, namely, "That no man has fo much care, as he who endeavours after the most happiness."

In the fecond place, every one ought to reflect how much more unhappy he might be than he really is. The former confideration took in all those who are fufficiently provided with the means to make themfelves eafy; this regards fuch as actually lie under fome preffure or misfortune. Thefe may receive great alleviation from fuch a comparison as the unhappy perfon may make between himself and others, or between the misfortune which he fuffers, and greater misfortunes which might have be-

fallen him.«

I like the ftory of the honeft Dutchman, who, upon breaking his leg by a fall from the main-maft, told the ftanders by, it was a great mercy that it was not his neck. To which, fince I am got into quotations, give me leave to add the faying of an old philofopher, who, after having invited fome of his friends to dine with him, was ruffled by his wife that came into the room in a paf fion, and threw down the table that stood before them: "Every one," fays he, has his calamity, and he is a happy man that has no greater than this." We find an inftance to the fame purpose in the life of Doctor Ham- mond, written by Bifhop Fell. As this good man was troubled with a complication of diftempers, when he had the gout upon him, he ufed to thank God that it was

E-3

[ocr errors]

3

not the ftone; and when he had the stone, that he had not both these diftempers on him at the fame time.

I cannot conclude this effay without obferving, that there was never any lyftem befides that of Christianity, which could effectually produce in the mind of man the virtue I have been hitherto speaking of. In order to make us contented with or condition, many of the prefent philofophers tell us, that our difcontent only hurts ourselves, without being able to make any altera tion in our circumstances; others, that whatever evil be-fals us is derived to us by a fatal neceffity, to which the gods themselves are fubject; while others very gravely tell the man who is miferable, that it is neceffary he fhould be fo to keep up the harmony of the univerfe, and that the scheme of Providence would be troubled and perverted were he otherwise. These and the like confidera tions rather filence than fatisfy a man. They may show him that his difcontent is unreasonable, but are by no means fufficient to relieve it. They rather give despair than confolation. In a word, a man might reply to one of these comforters, as Auguftus did to his friend who advised him not to grieve for the death of a perfon: whom he loved, because his grief could not fetch him again: "It is for that very reafon," faid the emperor, that I grieve."

On the contrary, religion, bears a more tender regard to human nature. It prefcribes to every miferable man the means of bettering his condition: nay, it fhows him, that the bearing of his afflictions as he ought to do, will naturally end in the removal of them. It makes him easy here, because it can make him happy hereafter.

XI. Needle-work recommended to the Ladies.

HAVE a couple of nieces under my direction who fo often run gadding abroad, that I do not know where to have them. Their drefs, their tea, and their vifits take up all their time, and they go to bed as tired with doing nothing, as I am after quilting a whole under-petticoat. The whole time they are not idle, is while they read your Spectators; which being dedicated to the interefts of virtue, I defire you to recommend the long-neglected art of needle-work. Thofe hours

12

which in this age are thrown away in dress, play, vifits, and the like, were employed, in my time, in writing out receipts, or working beds, chairs, and hangings for the family. For my part, I have plied my needle thefe fifty years, and by my good will would never have it out of my y hand. It grieves my heart to fee a couple of proud idle flirts fipping their tea, for a whole afternoon, in a great room hung round with the industry of their great grandmother. Pray, Sir, take the laudable. myftery of embroidery into your ferious confideration, and as you have a great deal of the virtue of the lafti age in you, continue your endeavours to reform the prefent."

Liam, &c.

In obedience to the commands of my venerable cor refpondent, I have duły weighed this important fubject, and promife myself, from the arguments here laid down, that all the fine ladies of England will be ready, as foon as their mourning is over, to appear covered, with the work of their own hands..

[ocr errors]

What a delightful entertainment muft it be to the fair fex, whom their native modesty and the tenderness of men towards them, exempts from public business, to pass their hours in imitating fruits and flowers, and transplanting all the beauties of nature into their own drefs, or railing a new creation in their clofets and apartments. How pleafing is the amufement of walking among the fhades and groves planted by themselves, in furveying heroes flain by their needle, or little Cupids which they have brought into the world without pain!

This is, methinks, the moft proper way wherein a lady can fhow a fine genius, and I cannnot forbear wishing, that feveral writers of that fex had chosen to apply themselves rather to tapestry than rhime. Your paftoral poeteffes may vent their fancy in rural landskips, and place defpairing fhepherds under filken willows, or drown them in a ftream of mohair. The heroic writers may work up battles as fuccefsfully, and inflame them with gold or ftain them with crimfon. Even those who have only a turn to a fong or an epigram, may put many va luable ftitches into a purfe, and crowd a thousand graces into a pair of garters.

If

H

If I may, without breach of good manners, imagine that any pretty creature is void of genius, and would perform her part herein but very awkwardly, I must nevertheless infift upon her working, if it be only to keep her out of harm's way.

Another argument for bufying good women in works of fancy, is, because it takes them off from scans dal, the usual attendant of tea-tables and all other inactive scenes of life. While they are forming their birds and beafts, their neighbours will be allowed to be the fathers of their own children; and Whig and Tory will be but feldom mentioned, where the great dif pute is, whether blue or red is the more proper colour. How much greater glory would Sophronia do the general, if the would choofe rather to work the battle of Blenheim, in tapestry, than fignalize herfelf with fo much vehemence against those who are Frenchmen in their hearts.

A third reason that I fhall mention, is the profit that is brought to the family where these pretty arts are en couraged. It is manifeft that this way of life not only keeps fair ladies from running out into expences, but is at the fame time an actual improvement. How memo

rable would that matron be, who fhall have it infcribed upon her monument, "That fhe wrote out the whole bible-in tapestry, and died in a good old age, after ha ving covered three hundred yards of wall in the man fion-houfe.

Thefe premifes being confidered, I humbly fubmit the following proposals to all mothers in Great-Britain.

I. That no young virgin whatsoever be allowed to receive the addreffes of her firft lover, but in a fuit of her own embroidering.

II. That before every fresh servant fhe be obliged to appear with a new ftomacher at the leaft.

III. That no one be actually married until fhe hath the child-bed pillows, &c. ready ftitched, as likewife the mantle for the boy quite finished.

These laws, if I mistake not, would effectually restore the decayed art of needle-work, and make the virgins of Great-Britain exceedingly nimble-fingered in their bufinefs.

XII. On

« AnteriorContinuar »