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On Play and Luck.

152 and fmiling atmosphere, and a tranquil movement. And when, at any time, it has been too impetuously raised in billows, we foon find that its retroceffion has as quickly and fuddenly followed. This fondness of fortune for eafe and repofe, feems fo far to have the afcendant, that it even chufes rather to fettle in the loweft places, and tends, as it were, only to the fmootheft bottoms, by the laws of gravity, that it may there fpread out its fhining mirror, like the furface of a pellucid pool.

The nobler games of antiquity, together with otther objects con. formable with their conftitution, had principally in view to perfectionate the form and the agility of the body. Since these manly games have been diffufed, this perfectionating of the body is no longer a requifite, at least, to the generality of mankind. If we procure to ourselves as much motion as is neceffary to the digeftion of our food, the bodily duties are fulfilled; the reft belongs to quite another concern of life, which is wonderfully modified by the various paffions and wants of the individual. In general, however, the indolence of our body is a great gainer thereby, and we rather love to be active by the mind, than by, facts and labour. To this play is extremely adapted. It is continually entertaining the mind with new tafks and confiderations, and amid the ufual languor and unconcerned nefs of life, the wants requifite hereto are con ftantly excited. We feel ourfelves obliged to endeavour at interrupting the uniform current of time; and in what manner can this better be done, than in bringing the torpid paffions into movement, by a play that

but feldom, in company, degenerates into rudeness. At the fame time, all the other paffions are foftened down, or at least reftrained, and purfue their attenuated courfe. Intereft of mind muft fomewhere be found, and where that is not fully to be attained, it is, at all events, fupplied by an exertion, by a fleeting femblance of intereft: and the mind is thus beguiled.

To this end, play is an excel. lent invention. In figures and images, eafily furveyed, and strikingly legible, it knits and unties knots, which every moment are motived by the impelling power of intereft, by artifice and kill, by accident, by confideration or negligence. The motley fpirit of thefe figures gives rise to various reflections, and may feem, in fome measure, to fatisfy us concerning the great game of the world, where the knave is at times of more confequence than the king, and the ace is victorious over both. Thus it is now become indifpenfably neceffary to our politer companies, which, but for this fuccedaneum for converfation, would generally grow very tirefome, and frequently fomewhat difgufting.

He feems to be abandoned by fortune, who, in thefe circumftances, feeks in play for more than is to be fought for in it; who expects at a card-table the interpofition of heaven. That, from the foolishness of men, a thoughtlefs game may become the arbiter of their fate, is a cafe by no means rare. But he that feeks his fortune on the tight rope of chance, ought not to be furpri fed if he falls, and breaks his neck.

To have a reverence for fortune, is natural to all men. Man, in the propereft meaning of the term, is the child of fortune.

On Play and Luck.

153

His exiftence is diverfified, and forces into brazen vaults, for ob the operations of a marvelloustaining a very trifling end; it energy lie darkly before him.

Within us, and without us, are ftreamlets of fortune. They frequently flow in various directions; but when two of them operate together, they produce the fplendid appearance of a being adorned with all the decorations of existence. Haughty and imperious is the courfe it purfues; it convinces, in an impofing way, and his most infignificant habits turn to his advantage; nature feems fubmiffive to him, and only madness can venture to stem the impetuous current of fuccefs. But fhort and tranfient is this appearance. Even with the most profperous of men, it has hardly continued for more than moment. A more moderate lot confines the children of the earth to the benefit of their existence, and to teach them the ufe of their

powers. To climb, and to fall, is the fentence of all things. The measure by which they are, or are to be accounted, is the time of their increasing and decreafing state. The breath of fortune occafions the child to be conceived. It is brought into the world; it is nourished through tender infancy by the breath of fortune. By it the fripling blooms; the man expands; but age preffes on, and in advanced years, only fparingly is here and there perceptible of a cold and feeble influence of its infpiration.

Thus it fares with the existence of mankind. They are only miffed by fortune, and decline as its pinions become feeble. It often fhews itself in furprising and contrary appearances. On what On what inconceivably thin-fpun threads often runs a mighty feries of events! It breaks through walls of more than adamantine ftrength;

glides along the branching tubes of a hair, and overturns mighty palaces.

In like manner it fometimes creates a wonderful filent destiny in tribes and nations, as well as in private perfons and particular families. It labours likewife at quenching the rifing fparks of every advantage, and extinguifh. ing the dawn of light in peftilential vapour. In vain are then all the talents conferred by nature, fruitless the efforts to caft off the covering of darknefs. They lie for years and ages entire, unlefs a vivyfying breath of fortune calls them to a new life and vigour.

Others again fparkle in a blaze, that leaft of all befits them. Scarcely is a trace of their merit to be found in any departed writing. They enjoy, however, the benefit of the fun which fo favourably enlightened them; even the smallest gleam mounts upwards in them; and they fet no bounds to their merits but what their vanity prefcribes.

In the mean time, their betters ftand in obfcurity before their fplendour; and their envious light permits no ray to pierce the furrounding gloom. Thus reign almighty time, and fate and fortune, and shed in but too large proportions, light and darkness over mortals.

Yet one kind of fortune attends during the progrefs of life on every employment, on the execution of every project. To this I might give the name of mixed fortune; for nothing can eminently eminently thrive, where the fure impulfe from within, and, the favourable infpiration from without do not concur; and that with equal ability. Here the un derstanding

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The Accomplished Sportswoman.

derstanding and fortune are in
equipoife. Is one of them want-
ing; then the other will but fel-
dom fucceed. But without fome
reciprocal help, they both are
dead. Understanding itfelf is
fometimes fortune, as well as vir-
rue; and both frequently climb
to the fummit of their flippery
fphere. Does the genius of for-
tune frown, they fall backwards;
their bloom and pleasure are fled,
and each good talent is
gone, and
every joyful expectation evapora-
ted in a gleamless night.

One moment of fortune, often effaces the injuries of years long paft; one moment fnatches the banner from the pinnacle of pomp, and leaves nought to be feen but a heap of dead embers. Hence fortune requires to be conftantly tended, filently expected and preferved with prudent caution. A rude and refractory behaviour fcares it away, levity and tender weakneffes let it efcape; moderation in acting fixes and confirms it, and it grows under her foftering wings to the faireft maturity.

That wife and great men of all ages have had a particular efteem for fortune, needs no demonstration. The wifeft of the Roman emperors kept its image in gold in their private apartments, or carried it about them. They never fent it to their fucceffor till they were near expiring; and then it was accompanied with this declaration : That in the

whole courfe of their atchievements they were more indebted to fortune than to any fkill or dexterity of their own. They who had reached the highest pinnacle of fuccefs, did homage to fortune, and thus evaded the odium of felf-conceit.

In the odes of Pindar, (the wifeft of all the poets) we are

every where meeting with noble maxims that teftify the profound reverence this poet had for fortune. In his lofty mind, he understood how to apportion it its proper claims, and to determine how far it is able to reach :

He whom flourishing fortune attends,
And is rich in goods,

And adds renown to thefe,
Let him not strive to become a god.

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But fortune has been moft efteemed by the eastern nations. They regarded it as an efflorefcence of virtue, and placed it in connexion with every fentiment of magnanimity, of valour, of beneficence, and of mental elevation. All the excellent qualities of the foul appear to them but as the bloffoms of fortune. Hatem," fays an Arabian poet, was magnanimous, valiant, a lofty poet, and always victorious. Did he give battle to his foes, he was crowned with conqueft. Did he hunt after prey, it never efcaped him. Did any man afk of him a favour, he never put him off. Did he enter the courfe for obtaining the prize, he affuredly bose it away, &c."

66

The ACCOMPLISHED SPORTSWO

WOMAN,

N the fports of the field, it has

IN

been the province of man more particularly to have fignalized himself; and, of courfe, his exploits have been the object of our more immediate attention. But that we may not incur the cenfure of the fair inhabitants of this ifle, in having for fuch a length of time paffed unnoticed the many inftances of their heroifm in the chafe, we beg leave to prefent them with the elegant engraving annexed, which

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The Accomplished Sportswoman

Published July 1 1794.by J.wheble. Warwick square.

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