hands of fome ladies of the first rank, bufily engaged in unweay ng the rags, to fend, as foon as poffible, thofe precious relics of your feemgly spoiled cloths, toyons, &c. where ten workmen are waiting its arrival, to get bread by reitoring to it a great part of its former value, under another form. And you would prefume to have confumed it... The work of God is not fo easily destroyed, nor his beneficence fo cafily concentered. "Was it worth being fo rich, to confume fo little ?

"Where you to fay, Is it worth while to commit an injustice in order to grow rich, when we can confume but fo little, and when the means are fo numerous of pilfering fo lawfully all that is wanted for confumption? I could then under itand you ;-but fince you are in poffation of 500 properties without having been guilty of injuftice; it is fomething to reflect that they are really to you, the fource of numberlefs enjoyments which you have it in your power to render worthy of a rational being: and, as the continuance of thofe enjoyments depends entirely on the health and bodily ftrength of fo many others who are to contribute thereto, it is fomething to be confcious that we find our own pleafures in the intereft of others; it is fomething to reflect, that thefe pleasures are a very gentle mean, deviled moft probably by an univerfal watch tuleefs, to induce you to provide men dettitute of every thing, with that modicum of goods which was not granted to them, and which, nevertheless, being neceflary for their futenance, is fufficient to the'r moderation, and prevents their feeling the privation of all the reft: it is fomething to reflect, that you feed in fact 50, 100, 500 perhaps

of your brethren, amongst whom there are 1, 15, 30, as well fed as yourfelf, fince they live on what comes from your table. As to the other, whole faces you will never fee, fince some of them are at Pekin, in Arabia, at Conftantinople, and others in France Ruffia, &c. be affured that, with much les meat than you, but more bread, potatoes, or rice, and a few gliffes of an acid liquor, the idea of which, whilst I venture to speak of it, is enough to crifp all your ne veš, they are as contented, as happy as you, because they confume, without any reflection, without any folicitude for the morrow, all they want, in order to view that morrow with the fame tranquillity. Would it not be unjust in that Being, who weigheth the mountains in a balance. if there were, among men, one condition more unfortunate than another? Would he not be unjust, if amongst men, there were one condition more blefied than another? I fuppofe, indeed, that there exifts a Being, who weigheth the mountains in a balance, as others have fuppofed that there is a future life, where happines is more vitibly equal; and I have hitherto ventured upon fo many fuppofitions!-yet I would beg leave to offer one more, relating, though indirectly perhaps, to to the object now under confideration; but this fhall be the last: I will afk (upon the fuppofition that there really exits a Being, not only Eftimator, Moderator, but Creator alto of all that thinks, wishes, and can be happy) ·· ·· yes, I prefume to afk, whether the created being, capable of conceiving the idea of giving immortality to the creature capable of wifhing for it, of fottering the hopes, and feeling the value of it, would not be greater

than

than the Creator himself, if the Creator had not conceived fuch an idea? -I freely confefs, that I should think myself better than the Creator, had the Creator conceived fuch an idea without putting it execution.

"I now return to the point which requires no kind of fuppofition, I mean the real confumption.-Let us pafs from that very infignificant poffeffor of 500 properties, to the greate monarch upon earth.What difference is there between his confumption and that of the meanest of his fubjects?-He has the choice of every thing, fuch is the ne plus ultra of his power: three, four, or five pounds weight of nourishing food, are really as fufficient for the one as they are neceffary to the other;-and on all points, what is the object that procures to the monarch either advantage or pleasure, the price of which as paid by him, were it even of fourfold the value, is not exactly compofed, both of the amount of the fuftenance that was neceflary to the production of that object, and

of a fum which will infallibly pay for other productions, which must be purchased to forward new ones— from which the people will conftantly have deducted their neceffaries, before they are permitted to fatisfy the fuperfluities, the luxu ry of any whofoever?-Such is that never-ending ferew, that adorable chain, which nothing can fiop or break, unless it be the infanity of a monfler, who fhould receive that fourfold price, and bury it under ground, Ift it fhould prove ufeful to fociety. That wretch was very confiftent with his feelings, who wifhed the Roman people to have but one head, that he might exterminate the whole nation at a fingle blow; but the phenix will ever rife from its afhes; and humanity, with all her refources, all her rights, would be reproduced from the very ftones, were it poffible that not a fingle head fhould escape the fword of that confiftent being who might wish to cut them all off."

Spectator.

HOR.

no very eafy or trivial undertaking, and may feem to require more abilities and more experience than a mere Trifler can poffibly have at

charm

blished principles are received rather as a burden than an advantage to fociety; when fashion and invention are become the grand topics of meditation and employment:

when the least attempt towards the revival of antiquated and forgotten

cultoms

euftoms, the fimpleft difcovery of new amusements, or the propagation of fuch as are not universally known, meet with the moft liberal rewards and acknowledgments from every rank and station; in fuch an age, I fay, fome thoughts upon the fubject of Novelty may not be found totally impertinent, though unfupported by that claim which fhould chiefly recommend them. "Novelty, like commodities of every fort, becomes more or lefs valuable according to its greater or lefs degree of fcarcity, and continues to lofe part of its influence as new inventions become more common, and variety is enjoyed with greater frequency. In thofe dark ages of the world when arts and fciences ferved no other purpofe than to gratify the appetites of an ignorant monarch, or to confume whole lives of his fubjects in the contemplation of what they knew nothing more of, except the mere existence, without the most feeble attempts to cultivate or render them ferviceable to the ends of moral inftitutions or natural appearances. Novelty may be faid to have been at its highest pitch of infection. So little were arts and fciences known in those days, that the difcovery of any thing new, though never fo trivial, excited their attention almoft to a degree of enthufiafm; but fo ignorant were the people of cultivation, and their genius fo incapable of exertion, that they admired it more for its rarity than its real value. Having no idea of the operations of any machine already constructed to their hands, nor how that construction was produced, they could not poffibly place any value on that, the mere existence of which was all they could comprehend. The most they could prefume to do, was to fhew their apparent

knowledge and real regard, by remaining fixed in a state of amazement and ftupidity, without once enquiring in what manner, or to what purpofe, fo wonderful a piece of mechanifm had been wrought. It was the amufement of monarchs, to toy and dally with that which was the admiration of their fubjects. When the Europeans first introduced locks and keys into America, the Virginian king was fo ftruck with the addnefs of the phænomenon, that it was his conftant employment, for fome time, to turn the key, and become doorkeeper to his attendants: but, when arts and fciences began to flourish more diffufely over the whole globe, they became the objects of more circumfpect attention; the folly and ignorance of preceding ages was now beginning to wear off, and there was manifeftly to be seen in every new difcovery fomething that called for enquiry, and demanded analyfis. What was difcovered in this led to the difcovery of fomething more myfterious, and of greater confequence; till, at length, the whole body of philofophy was laid open, its contents examined, the thread of its myfteries unravelled, and its truths exposed to public circumfpection. By this means Novelty is become more common and lefs ftriking. It must be fomething of the greatest importance, and fomething of the most extraordinary nature, that can now excite the public curiofity; I mean, that can affect every individual equally alike; for fashions are continually changing; manners and customs depend totally upon the fancy and whimfies of the court: but revolutions of this fort are not of equal moment to all ranks of people; the great alone are subject to them, and to thefe I fhall very.

fparingly

fparingly allude. The late rage of ballooning, which had spread it.elf beyond even the nations of Europ, begins now to be appealed: every fecret of the art is explore, and every principle that a hated the powers of this wonderful bubble is en ered common to the most igno. rant beholder. Yet nothing at its firit appearance met with fuch univerfal attention; nor was the inventor unworthily rewarded: and I am forry to remark, that fo cele brated a nursery of the arts and fciences, as that Univerfity of which I have the honour to be a member, fhould degrade itself fo far as to fuffer fuch ingenious and truly phi lofophic merit as that of Mr. Sadler's to lie undiftinguithed by any fingle mark of esteem, or even at tention. The improvement of an invention of fuch a nature, though at prefent fo imperfect, may lead to the difcovery of fomething more confiderable, especially when ingenuity and ambition concur in the purfuit of one grand end. For an ambition fo highly laudable as this muit be, raifes in our minds a defire, which, if it once calls for gratification, will never be refited, nor ought we to refift a paffion which may tend to produce fuch great and ufeful fervices. In every intance, this paffion of novelty may calily he proved to be not lefs ufeful than confiderable. Genius, however dep effed by accident or inclination, ut at one time or other, be exerted. A state of indolence and folicitude can no longer be endured when once the pallions are called forth by the force of example, or the hopes of encouragement. The warbling of birds, the filling of cafeades, and all the variety of rural cajoy men s, become either naufeo is or t talle infipid, when once the charm of Novelty has raifed

our defies, and its pleafures demanded gratification. It is true that folitude and quiet are the mott effectual requifites for diving into the myterie of profound literature; but while they improve the understanding, and favour the purfuits after real knowledge, genius and taste are left at a distance behind. The man of the world, who has travelled through most of the countries in Europe, and carefully obferved the diffe ence between their manners and cutioms; has ranged from tavern to tavern, from coffee-houte to coffee-houte, and i dulged himself with the gratification of every enjoyment of life, from the pomp and fplendor of St. James's, to the privacy and humility of the "ftraw-built cot ;" may be able to temper his geuius, and direct his taste to a degree of elegance and accuracy, to which the rural enthufiatt is an entire ftranger. In order, therefore, to correct the natural morofity of fuch a man's temper, and to divert the peculiarities of his manner, no. thing will be found of greater efficacy than a change of place, convertation, and acquaintance. A tranfition from obfcurity to public attention; from the fecurities of retirement to the hazards of a riotous and vitious metropolis; from the private conviviality of a few friends to a wide world of acquaintance; from the artlefs m lody of a nightingale, to the choral dignity of an opera; from the humble employments of hufbandry, or the study of vegetation, to the matchlefs fublimity of theatrical enter tainments, or the matter and importance of political fquabbles; cannot but awake him from his lethargy, and demand his attention. He has now an opportunity of afcending from fpeculation to prac

tice, from precept to example. The moralift, who has the intereft and happiness of a few individuals at heart, must expect the rewards and acknowledgements of a few individuals only; but he that has all mankind for his fubject, will not only be rewarded by fu h myriads of thofe to whom his labours were confecrated, but will receive the particular dit nction of HIM, in whofe hand is the full and foe power of compenfation and applaufe. In order to profefs this latter, in any degree of perfection, a large acquaintance maft be a tained with the world and its foibles, which can only be done by the above tranfition and accurate obfervation; and it generally happens that this tranfi ion is effected merely by the averfion whi h moi peo ple frequently difcover to a tedious return of the fame pleafures, and the fame uniforme method of life. At a period when letters are fought after as the grand incentive to earthly happiness, and cultivated as the most indiffoluble cement of fociety, I am happy to oblerve, that a means of circulating them by an eafy and concife plan of publication becomes daily increased. Within the narrow bounds of a Magazine may be found, at once, information, variety, and entertainment. The generous reception with which the Gentleman's Magazine ever has, and fill continues to be honoured, may prove the truth of this affertion; nor can the clofeft imitations ever hope to rival originality of defign, and a noble fpirit of execution; and I regard as a favourable omen the circum. ftance of having introduced myself to the world by means of fo extenfive and communicative a mifcellany. The warmth and fpirit which has hitherto buoyed up this publication, it is to be haped, will

ftill continue to be countenanced and app auded: for, in pursuit of any thing new, nothing can be too much applauded, nothing too much encouraged.- fhall here remark an error which parents are continually guilty of, in reftaining their children from that fphere of life, which the early bent of their genius has difcovered a frong partality for. Perhaps eight out of ten are prejudiced in favour of a travelling fe; a life which the molt dignified rank, and the most luxurious enjoyments, can never be compared with, either in point of pleasure or utility. To charm is in the power of every kind of life; but to charm with continuance the lie of a traveller can only profefs. He is carried off in the heat of his curiofity from the contemplation of one project, to others as diferent in their kind as diftant in their ftation. Before one leafure has loft i's power of attraction, another fucceeds in its pla e; from court to court, from country to country, from profpect to profpect, his attention is diverted, while every fresh motion brings along with it fome new beauty, or confefles fome unknown truth. The boundaries of his understanding are hereby extended, the bent of his genius complied with, and the ardour of his curiofity appeafed. The ftudy of arts and fciences is facilitated by a continual fucceffion of new discoveries. The fyftem of vegetation becomes more enlarged, the distance and ftation of countries more determinate, and their manners and policy more publicly understood. In fhort, every pleafure that can touch the heart, and every good that can improve the mind, is to be expected only from the fullest enjoyments of variety, and the keeneft thirst of Novelty."