dexterity or courage, since, though none their way, took care never to look forcould retreat back from danger, yet they ward, but found some amusement of the might often avoid it by an oblique direc- present moment, and generally entertion.

tained themselves by playing with Hope, It was, however, not very common to who was the constant associate of the steer with much care or prudence, for, Voyage of Life. by some universal infatuation, every man

Yet all that Hope ventured to proappeared to think himself safe, though mise, even to those whom she favoured he saw his consorts every moment sink- most, was, not that they should escape, ing round him; and no sooner had the but that they should sink Jast; and waves closed over them, than their fate with this promise every one was satisand their misconduct were forgotten; fied, though he laughed at the rest for the voyage was pursued with the same seeming to believe it

. Hope, indeed, jocund confidence; every man congra- apparently mocked the credulity of her tulated himself upon the soundness of companions; for, in proportion as their his vessel, and believed himself able to vessels grew leaky, she redoubled her asstem the whirlpool in which his friend surances of safety; and none were more was swallowed, or glide over the rocks busy in making provisions for a long on which he was dashed; nor was it voyage, than they whom all but themoften observed that the sight of a wreck selves saw likely to perish soon by irmade any man change bis course; if he reparable decay. turned aside for a moment, he soon for- In the midst of the current of Life, got the rudder, and left himself again was the gulf of Intemperance, a dreadto the disposal of chance.

ful whirlpool, interspersed with rocks, This negligence did not proceed from of which the pointed crags were conindifference, or from weariness of their cealed under water, and the tops covered present condition; for not one of those with herbage, on which Ease spread who thus rushed upon destruction failed, couches of repose ; and with shades, when he was sinking, to call loudly up- where Pleasure warbled the song of inon his associates for that help which vitation. Within sight of these rocks, could not now be given him: and many all who sailed on the ocean of Life must spent their last moments in cautioning necessarily pass. Reason indeed was others against the folly by which they always at hand to steer the passengers were intercepted in the midst of their through a narrow outlet, by which they

Their benevolence was some- might escape ; but very few could, by times praised, but their admonitions her entreaties or remonstrances, be inwere unregarded.

duced to put the rudder into ber hand, The vessels in which we had embark- without stipulating that she should aped, being confessedly unequal to the proach so near unto the rocks of Pleaturbulence of the stream of life, were sure, that they might solace themselves visibly impaired in the course of the with a short enjoyment of that delicious voyage, so that every passenger was cer. region, after which they always detertain, that how long soever he might, by mined to pursue their course without favourable accidents, or by incessant vi- any other deviation. gilance, be preserved, he must sink at last. Reason was too often prevailed upon

This necessity of perishing might have so far by these promises, as to venture been expected to sadden the gay, and her charge within the eddy of the gulf intimidate the daring, at least to keep of Intemperance, where, indeed, the cirthe melancholy and timorous in perpe. cumvolution was weak, but yet intertual torments, and hinder them from any rupted the course of the vessel, and enjoyment of the varieties and gratifica- drew it, by insensible rotations, towards tions which nature offered them as the the centre. She then repented her tesolace of their labours; yet in effect merity, and with all her force endeanone seemed less to expect destruction voured to retreat; but the draught of than those to whom it was most dread- the gulf was generally too strong to be ful; they all had the art of concealing overcome; and the passenger, having their danger from themselves; and those dancer in circles with a pleasing and who knew their inability to bear the giddy velocity, was at last overwhelmed sight of the terrors that embarrassed and lost. Those few whom Reason

course.

was able to extricate, generally suffered ous with rest; he was animated with 80 many shocks upon the points which hope; he was incited by desire; he shot out from the rocks of Pleasure, that walked swiftly forward over the valleys, they were unable to continue their and saw the hills gradually rising becourse with the same strength and faci. fore him. As he passed along, his ears lity as before, but floated along timorous- were delighted with the morning song ly and feebly, endangered by every of the bird of paradise; he was fanned breeze, and shattered by every ruffle of by the last flutters of the sinking breeze, the water, till they sunk, by slow degrees, and sprinkled with dew by groves of after long struggles, and innumerable ex- spices; he sometimes contemplated the pedients, always repining at their own towering height of the oak, monarch of folly, and warning others against the first the hills; and sometimes caught the approach of the gulf of Intemperance. gentle fragrance of the primrose, eldest

There were artists who professed to daughter of the spring: all his senses repair the breaches and stop the leaks of were gratified, and all care was banishthe vessels which had been shattered ed from the heart. on the rocks of Pleasure. Many ap- Thus he went on till the sun appeared to have great confidence in their proached his meridian, and the increasskill, and some, indeed, were preserved ing heat preyed upon his strength; he by it from sinking, who had received then looked round about him for some only a single blow; but I remarked, more commodious path. He saw, on that few vessels lasted long which had his right hand, a grove that seemed to been much repaired, nor was it found wave its shades as a sign of invitation ; that the artists themselves continued he entered it, and found the coolness afloat longer than those who had least and verdure irresistibly pleasant. He of their assistance.

did not, however, forget whither he The only advantage which, in the was travelling, but found a narrow way Voyage of Life, the cautious had above bordered with flowers, which appeared the negligent, was, that they sunk later, to have the same direction with the and more suddenly; for they passed main road, and was pleased that, by forward till they had sometimes seen all this happy experiment, he had found those in whose company they had issued means to unite pleasure with business, from the straits of Infancy, perish in the and to gain the rewards of diligence, way, and at last were overset by a cross without suffering its fatigues. He, there. breeze, without the toil of resistance, or fore, still continued to walk for a time, the anguish of expectation. But such without the least remission of his ardour, as had often fallen against the rocks of except that he was sometimes tempted Pleasure, commonly subsided by sensi- to stop by the music of the birds, whom ble degrees, contended long with the en- the heat had assembled in the shade, croaching waters, and harassed them- and sometimes amused himself with selves by labours that scarce Hope her- plucking the flowers that covered the self could flatter with success.

banks on either side, or the fruits that As I was looking upon the various hung upon the branches. At last the fate of the multitude about me, I was green path began to decline from its suddenly alarmed with an admonition first tendency, and to wind among hills from some unknown power, “Gaze not and thickets, cooled with fountains, and idly upon others when thou thyself art murmuring with waterfalls. Here Obi. sinking. Whence is this thoughtless dah paused for a time, and began to contranquillity, when thou and they are sider whether it were longer safe to forequally endangered ?' I looked, and see- sake the known and common track; but ing the gulf of Intemperance before remembering that the heat was now in me, started and awaked. Rumbler. its greatest violence, and that the plain § 3. The Journey of a Day, a Picture pursue the new path, which he supposed

was dusty and uneven, he resolved to of Human Life; the Slory of Obidah. only to make a few meanders, in com

Obidah, the son of Abensina, left the pliance with the varieties of the ground, caravansera early in the morning, and and to end at last in the common road. pursued bis journey through the plains Having thus calmed his solicitude, he of Indostan. He was fresh and vigor- renewed his pace, though he suspected

6

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that he was not gaining ground. This every moment drawing noarer to safety uneasiness of his mind inclined him 10 or to destruction. At length, not fear, but lay hold on every new object, and give labour, began to overcome him; his way to every sensation that might sooth breath grew short, and his knees tremor divert him. He listened to every bled, and he was on the point of lying echo: he mounted every bill for a fresh down in resignation to his fate, vhen he prospect: he turned aside to every cas- beheld through the brambles the glimcade, and pleased himself with tracing mer of a taper. He advanced towards the course of a gentle river that rolled the light, and finding that it proceeded among the trees, and watered a large from the cottage of a hermit, he called region with innumerable circumvolu- humbly at the door, and obtained adtions. In these amusements the hours mission. The old man set before him passed away uncounted, his deviations such provisions as he had collected for bad perplexed his memory, and he knew himself, on which Obidah fed with eanot towards what point to travel. He gerness and gratitude. stood pensive and consused, afraid to go When the repast was over, · Tell me,' forward, lest he should go wrong, yet said the hermit, .by what chance thou conscious that the time of loitering was hast been brought hither; I have been now past. While he was thus tortured now twenty years an inhabitant of the with uncertainty, the sky was overspread wilderness, in which I never saw a man with clouds, the day vanished from be- before.' Obidah then related the occurfore him, and a sudden tempest gathered rences of his journey, without any conround his head. He was now roused cealment or palliation. by his danger, to a quick and painsul • Son,' said the hermit, • let the errors reinembrance of his folly; he now saw and follies, the dangers and escape of this how happiness is lost, when ease is con. day, sink deep into thy heart. Rememsulted; he lamented the unmanly impa- ber, my son, ihat human life is the jourtience that prompted him to seek shelter ney of a day. We rise in the morning in the grove, and despised the petty cu- of youth, full of vigour, and full of exriosity that led him on from trifle to tri- pectation; we set forward with spirit fle. Whilst he was thus reflecting, the and liope, with gaiety and with diligence, air grew blacker, and a clap of thunder and travel on a while in the straight road broke his meditation.

of piety towards the mansions of rest. In He now resolved to do what remain- a short time we remit our fervour, and ed yet in his power; to tread back the endeavour to find some mitigation of our ground which he had passed, and try to duty, and some more easy means of obfind some issue where the wood might taining the same end. We then relax opou into the plain. He prostrated him- our vigour, and resolve no longer to be self on the ground, and commended his terrified with crimes at a distance, but life to the Lord of nature. He rose with rely upon our own constancy, and venconfidence and tranquillity, and pressed ture to approach what we resolve never on with his sabre in his hand, for the to touch. We thus enter the bowers of beasts of the desert were in motion, and ease, and repose in the shades of secuon every hand were heard the mingled rity. Here ihe heart softens, and vigihowls of rage and fear, and ravage and lance subsides; we are then willing to expiration; all the horrors of darkness inquire, whether another advance cannot and solitude surrounded him; the winds be made, and whether we may not, at roared in the woods, and the torrents least, turn our eyes upon the gardens of tumbled from the hills.

pleasure. We approach them with scruWorkid into sudden rage by wintry ple and hesitation; we enter them, but show'rs,

enter timorous and trembling, and alDown the steep hill the roaring torrent ways hope to pass through them without

losing the road of virtue, which we for a pours; The mountain shepherd hears the dis- while keep in our sight, and to which

we propose to return. But temptation tant noise.

succeeds temptation, and one compliance Thus forlorn and distressed, he wan- prepares us for another ; we in time lose dered through the wild, without knowing the happiness of innocence, and solace whither he was going, or whether he was our disquiet with sensual gratifications. By degrees we let fall the remembrance the question. We make provisions for of our original intention, and quit the this life, as though it were never to have only adequate object of rational desire. an end; and for the other life, as though We entangle ourselves in business, im- it were never to have a beginning. merge ourselves in luxury, and rove Should a spirit of superior rank, who through the labyrinths of inconstancy, is a stranger to human nature, accidentill the darkness of old age begins to in- tally alight upon the earth, and take a vade us, and disease and anxiety ob- survey of its inhabitants, what would his struct our way. We then look back notions of us be? Would not he think, upon our lives with horror, with sorrow, that we are a species of beings made for with repentance ; and wish, but too often quite different ends and purposes than vainly wish, that we had not forsaken what we really are ? Must not he imaa the ways of virtue. Happy are they, gine that we were placed in this world to my son, who shall learn froin thy er- get riches and honours? Would not he ample not to despair, but shall remem- think that it was our duty to toil after ber, that though the day is past, and their wealth, and station, and title? Nay, strength is wasted, there yet remains one would not he believe we were forbidden effort to be made ; that reformation is poverty by threats of eternal punishnever hopeless, nor sincere endeavours ment, and enjoined to pursue our pleaever unassisted ; that the wanderer may sures under pain of damnation ? He at length return, after all his errors; and would certainly imagine, that we were that he who implores strength and cou- influenced by a scheme of duties quite rage from above, shall find danger and opposite to those which are indeed predifficulty give way before him. Go now, scribed to us. And truly, according to my son, to thy repose; commit thyself such an imagination, he must conclude to the care of Omnipotence; and when that we are a species of the most obethe morning calls again to toil, begin dient creatures in the universe; that we anew thy journey and thy life.' are constant to our duty; and that we

Rambler. keep a steady eye on the end for which

we were sent hither. § 4. The present Life to be considered

But how great would be his astonishonly as it may conduce to the Happi- ment, when he learnt that we were beings ness of a future one.

not designed to exist in this world above A lewd young fellow seeing an aged threescore and ten years; and that the hermit go by him barefoot, “ Father,” greatest part of this busy species fall says he, "you are in a very miserable short even of that age! How would he condition if there is not another world.” be lost in horror and admiration, when

True, son,” said the hermit: “ but he should know that this set of creawhat is thy condition if there is ?”- tures, who lay out all their endeavours Man is a creature designed for two dif- for this life, which scarce deserves the ferent states of being, or rather for two name of existence; when, I say, he different lives. His first life is short and should know that this set of creatures transient; his second, permanent and are to exist to all eternity in another life, lasting. The question we are all con- for which they make no preparations ? cerned in is this, in which of those two Nothing can be a greater disgrace to lives is it our chief interest to inake our- reason, than that inen, who are persuadselves happy? or, in other words, whe- ed of these two different states of being, ther we should endeavour to secure to should be perpetually employed in proourselves the pleasures and gratisications viding for a life of threescore and ten of a life which is uncertain and preca- years, and neglecting to make provision rious, and at its utmost length, of a very for that which, after many myriads of inconsiderable duration ; or to secure to years, will be still new, and still beginourselves the pleasures of a life that is ning; especially when we consider that fixed and settled, and will never end? our endeavours for making ourselves Every man, upon the first hearing of this great, or rich, or honourable, or whatquestion, knows very well which side of ever else we place our happiness in, may, it he ought to close with. But however after all, prove unsuccessful; whereas, right we are in theory, it is plain that, in if we constantly and sincerely endeapractice, we adhere to the wrong side of vour to make ourselves happy in the

a

other life, we are sure that our endea- generally happens) that virtue will make vours will succeed, and that we shall not us more happy, even in this life, than a be disappointed of our hope.

contrary course of vice; how can we The following question is started by sufficiently admire the stupidity or madone of the schoolmen. Supposing the ness of those persons who are capable whole body of the earth were a great of making so absurd a choice ! ball or mass of the finest sand, and that Every wise man, therefore, will cona single grain or particle of this sand sider this life only as it may conduce to should be annihilated every thousand the happiness of the other, and cheerfully years : Supposing then that you had it sacrifice the pleasures of a few years to in your choice to be happy all the while those of an eternity. Spectator. this prodigious mass of sand was consuming by this slow method till there § 5. The Adrantages of a good Edu

cation. was not a grain of it left, on condition you were to be miserable for ever after; I consider an human soul without or supposing you might be happy for education like marble in the quarry, ever after, on condition you would be which shews none of its inherent beaumiserable till the whole mass of sand ties, until the skill of the polisher fetches were thus annihilated, at the rate of one out the colours, makes the surface shine, sand in a thousand years; which of these and discovers every ornamental cloud, two cases would you make your choice? spot, and vin, that runs through the

It must be confessed in this case, so body of it. Education, after the same many thousands of years are 10 the ima- manner, when it works upon a noble gination as a kind of eternity, though in mind, draws out to view every latent reality they do not bear so great a pro. virtue and perfection, which, without portion to that duration which is to fol- such helps, are never able to make their low them, as an unit does to the greatest appearance. number wbich you can put together in If my reader will give me leave to figures, or as one of those sands to the change the allusion so soon upon him, I supposed heap. Reason therefore tells shall make use of the same instance to us, without any manner of hesitation, illustrate the force of education, which which would be the better part in this Aristotle has brought to explain his docchoice. However, as I have before in trine of substantial forms, when he tells timated, our reason might in such a case us that a statue lies bid in a block of be so overset by the imagination, as to n-arble; and that the art of the statuary dispose some persons to sink under the only clears away the supersuous matter, consideration of the great length of the and removes the rubbish. The figure is first part of this duration, and of the in the stone, and the sculptor only finds great distance of that second duration it. What sculpture is to a block of which is to succeed it. The mind, I say, marble, education is to a human soul. might give itself up to that happiness The philosopher, the saint, or the hero, which is at hand, considering that it is so the wise, the good, or the great man, very neer, and that it would last so very very often lie hid and concealed in a long. But when the choice we actually plebeian, which a proper education have before us is this, whether we will might have dis-interred, and have choose to be happy for the space of only brought to light. I am therefore much threescore and ten years, nay, perhaps, delighted with reading the accounts of of only twenty or ten years, I might savage nations, and with contemplating say, of only a day or an hour, and ini- those virtues which are wild and unculserable to all eternity; or, on the con- tivated; to see courage exerting itself in trary, miserable for this short term of fierceness, resolution in obstinacy, wisyears, and happy for a whole eternity; dom in cunning, patience in sullenness what words are sufficient to express that and despair. folly and want of consideration which Men's passions operate variously, and in such a case makes a wrong choice! appear in different kinds of actions, ac

I here put the case, even at the worst, cording as they are more or less rectified by supposing (what seldom happens) and swayed by reason. When one hears that a course of virtue makes us misera- of negroes, who upon the death of their ble in this life; but if we suppose (as it masters, or upon ehanging their service,