sure in giving advice as a physician, that I felt in offering my counsel in any other case of doubt or of difficulty. It might perhaps be owing to this that I was little consulted; and in some houses into which I got access as a doctor, it was alleged that I raised such a ferment by my non-medical advice, as all my sedatives were unable to allay. On my skill as a physician I bore attacks without much emotion: but, conscious of the purity of my intentions, I was surprised to hear my conduct as a man arraigned; astonished, when an adviser like myself cautioned me against intermeddling with other people's affairs; told me, that nothing was so hurtful to one's self as the telling people disagreeable truths; and that if I was not on my guard, I would soon be shunned as a busy body and an incendiary, who set every family into which he was admitted by the ears.

In consequence of the caution offered me by this teller of agreeable truths, I was determined, not withstanding my natural philanthropy, to withhold the counsel of which I saw most of my neighbours stand so much in need, when an incident happened that put me a good deal in spirits with myself, and in favour with the world. An uncle died, and left me heir to a considerable sum which he posses sed in the funds. By his death I found myself to have acquired a great deal of wisdom and persuasion, as well as money; and while that money lasted, seldom met with a man or a woman who did not find my advice perfectly prudent and useful. It was indeed frequently given in a way exactly the reverse of what my profession (which I now followed only for my amusement) should have taught me. The fee commonly accompanied the prescription, in the form of a loan, a present, a subscription, or some such genteel denomination; and I had among my patients

persons of very great consideration, and of the most eminent talents. I scarce remember any who obstinately and bluntly refused my advice, except one author, whom I earnestly advised to suppress a dedication he shewed me to a small volume of poems, with which he was about to favour the public. This was a matter too in which I thought I had the best title to offer my opinion, as the book was to be dedicated to myself, and I had set down my name for one hundred copies.

In the disposal of the riches with which this unexpected death of my relation had endowed me, I was equally benevolent and disinterested as in the other parts of my conduct. The effects of this

were, as in other cases, more beneficial to my friends than to myself: by that hospitality with which I repaid the gratitude of those whose measures I prompted or advised; by the facility with which I entered into money engagements, in aid of those measures; by becoming a sharer in several projects, of which I had the chief management and direction, and in which therefore I generally had the honour of making the first and largest advances; and by laying out money according to the advice of some of the ablest men in that department; (for after I grew rich I had got advisers too ;) by all of these means, Mr. Lounger, in the course of ten or twelve years I found my uncle's inheritance almost entirely exhausted, and I was left in the decline of life with no other provision than a very small annuity, which the wreck of it enabled me to purchase.

I was, however, always of a sanguine, thoughtless disposition, and not easily put out of temper with the circumstances in which fortune had placed me. My annuity, small as it was, enabled me to keep up a decent appearance: and my degree gave me a convenient, and, in this country, a respectable

appellation. I had gained, too, some experience during the vicissitudes of my fortune, and in my days of prosperity, had, as I mentioned above, known what it was to receive as well as to offer advice. On this experience, and an attention to my own feelings, I built the system of my future conduct; and by a diligent attention to the feelings of others, I have been able to pursue it with very tolerable success. I still continue my profession of adviser; but I now give advice after a manner perfectly different from that in which I set out, not according to the case in which I am consulted, but according to the inclination of him or her who consults me.

You cannot easily imagine, Sir, how much goodwill this deportment has gained me. Instead of the distant acquaintance and cold reception which in the days of my honest counsel I generally met with, I now find myself surrounded by friends and well-wishers wherever I go. I dine six days in the week at good tables, have frequent invitations to parties of pleasure; nay, I might have even some professional advantage, if I was inclined to lay hold of it, and might be fed for prescribing remedies to people of fashion, of which themselves have first told me the infallibility. I had a present of a gold snuff-box from an old gouty Lord, for listening to his account of the virtues of sulphur-water; and my Lady Notable lately sent me a suit of damask of her own making, for having staid to witness some experiments with her favourite worm-powder.

Not only indeed in medicine, in which I might be supposed to have some knowledge, but in most other arts and sciences, this same echo-counsel has given me the character of being very skilful and well informed. I have acquired a great character for connoisseurship in painting, by advising the great collector, Mr. Tinto, to purchase, as an original Vandyke,

a picture which his ordinary counseller in these matters, had insisted, in spite of his patron's assertion, was but a copy; and an author of great reputation has mentioned me as one of the justest critics of his acquaintance, because I gave it as my opinion, that he should by all means retain a simile in his new tragedy, which an actor would have had him cut out as too long and unnatural. At the theatre my advice is followed, even by that most unadviseable of all professions, the players, ever since I told Mr. that he was an incomparable Macbeth, and adto play Juliet in her grand climac

vised Mrs.

teric.

I sometimes make friends, and establish my reputation for taste, as much by dissuading from what should not, as by advising what should be done. I have eat venison half a dozen times at Lord Visto's country-seat, ever since I begged him not to think of building such a clumsy temple as his neighbour Sir Paul Prospect has lately erected; and have been very much a man à bonnes fortunes in the good graces of Miss Trippet, since one morning that I dissuaded her from wearing a gypsey hat with pink ribbons, which made Lady Bell Airy look so frightful at the assembly a few evenings before.

On one occasion only I recollect my method of giving counsel to have failed of being acceptable: in my young days, when I had the foolish way of advising inconsiderately, I had given a decided opinion against a friend's marrying his maid-servant, who a few days after first shewed his being estranged from me, by leaving me out of the company he invited to the christening of his first child. In my wiser days, I was consulted by another friend on a similar occasion. I advised him by all means to marry. I did not see him till a twelvemonth after; he seemed to bear me no good-will for my advice: and the first token

of reconciliation I received from him was a few weeks ago, by a letter to his wife's funeral.

I have thus very candidly communicated to you, Mr. Lounger, my method of giving advice, so agreeable to the advised, as well as so highly advantageous to the adviser. I communicate it to you from a very friendly motive; because I think I have observed, that in many of your Papers you have rather shewn a disposition to give counsel to your readers in my first manner, which before I had been taught better things, made me so unwelcome a guest and so disagreeable a companion. Believe me, you will find it much more expedient to perform this friendly office according to the improved system which at present I follow with so much applause and success. But I forget that it is probable you design your work rather for posterity than the present times; in which case you are certainly very much in the right to adopt the opposite plan; and in that view of the matter, it has my entire approbation.

Ꮓ

I have the honour to be, &c.

VALERIUS VELVET.

N° 95. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1786.

Here HUNT may box, or MAHOMET may dance.

JOHNSON.

WHEN I returned from my morning's walk one day of last week, Peter informed me that a young gentleman had called, who would not tell his name,