Arabian tales, faftens himself upon our fhoulders, preffes with intolerable weight, and fticks fo clofe, that oftentimes an unhappy victim of his malice is fain to rid himself of his oppreffor at the expence of his life. It is not then surprising that it should be the conftant study of us, who are infefted by this monfter, to try every probable scheme for his deftruction.

Now, Sir, as in a long-continued war, the military genius is fharpened by exercife, deftructive inventions are multiplied, and a variety of artful difpofitions, manœuvres, and ftratagems are found out, which the great mafters of the science, Folard, Puyfegur, and Saxe, are careful to record for the benefit of belligerent pofterity: So I, in like manner, who for many years have maintained an obstinate warfare with my mortal enemy, have not only put in practice all the common and most approved modes of attack and defence, fo as precifely to afcertain the refpective merit of each, but I flatter myfelf with having difcovered feveral artful devices and ingenious plans which fufficiently prove my own mafterly fkill in the fcience, and which I can recommend to the practice of my brother-loun

gers, from repeated experience of their effi

cacy.

I have made fo great a proficiency in this ufeful art, that it was for feveral years a darling project of mine to digest my knowledge into a regular fyftem; but when, in the profecution of this great defign, I had got the length of forming a complete title-page, and had entered upon the confideration of the plan and arrangement of the work, I found a neceffity of abandoning my project, from the immenfe variety of matter which prefented itfelf to my view, as well as from an unhappy infirmity under which I have laboured from my youth, a fort of lethargic disorder, which totally unfits me for reading or writing more than half an hour at a time.

But, Sir, that the world may not be entire ly deprived of the fruits of my talents and experience, I have determined to fend you fome of my detached notes, and a few obfervations occafionally jotted down as materials, while the work I have mentioned was in contempla tion. Thefe, Sir, as you feem to have a pret ty turn for writing, you may, in your own way of periodical fpeculations, enlarge and improve upon; or if you fhould think proper

to

to follow out my defign of a complete treatise on the fubject, you have my full permiffion.

The philofophers fay, Cogito, ergo fum; I think, therefore I exift. Now, as the fenfe of our own existence is the moft difagreeable of all reflections to us lounging philofophers, it follows, that in order to rid ourselves of that most uneasy fenfation, we must endeavour as much as poffible to banish all thought.

To attain this important end, there are various means, according to the variety of taftes. To escape from his own thoughts, one lounger betakes himself to his bottle, another to the gaming table, and a third to a mistress. That thefe methods are frequently fuccefsful must be prefumed, fince the greatest adepts fo generally employ them. Nevertheless, I muft be excufed for hinting a very few objections which have occurred in the courfe of my own practice.

As an antidote to the cares of life, and fovereign opiate for the miseries of thought and reflection, there is no medicine which has acquired an equal reputation with a flask of good wine. But moft opiates ferve only as temporary palliatives, and fome, while they give immediate relief, are known to increase

the

the disease. I am afraid we must apply to the pleasures of the bottle, what, with a flight alteration, was faid by a wife ancient, "Joy may endure for a night, but heaviness (too "furely) cometh in the morning.”

Gaming, too, though a very genteel occupation, must be allowed to approach rather too near to the drudgery of real bufinefs. The labour of thought which it requires, and the turbulence of contending paffions, are certainly inimical to that tranquil indifference in which we loungers place our fupreme felicity.

Although I am well acquainted with all the arguments in favour of gallantry, and allow them to have a great deal of weight, I cannot help thinking, that, when confidered with a view to our fraternity, it is fubject to many inconveniencies: Even under the management of the most prudent, it cannot be denied, that it leads to fituations in which the peace and quiet, fo neceffary in the life of a lounger, are difturbed and broken; or leaves him in others that render the prefence of his great adverfary time more than usually irk

fome.

To conftitute a complete lounger, it is neceffary that he should be a man of taste. Reading,

Reading, though, as a food, it is grofs and of hard digestion, may be taken with much advantage in small dozes, both as a cordial, and as an opiate. For the former of these purposes, I would recommend a complete fet of jeft-books, from Joe Miller and the Medley of Fun, down to Johnsoniana; for the latter, most of the new novels. I would likewife advife the taking in all the magazines and reviews. Thefe, befides the very confiderable amusement in cutting up their leaves, enable a gentleman, by the moft compendious means, to form a complete judgement of any author, in any fcience, and to decide upon his merits. in any company, with that proper confidence which repreffes all oppofition of opinion.

*

An ingenious author of this age has lately demonftrated, that it is poffible to acquire a critical tafte in any of the fine arts, without the fmalleft portion of natural genius; and it must be acknowledged, that his theory is proved by the example of most modern critics. Among thefe arts, I would particularly recommend, as most profitable to the lounger,

* Mr Webb. See preface to his Inquiry into the beauties of painting, &c.

the