foftneffes of the heart; and he, who wore a club and a lion's fkin in the caufe of virtue, condefcended to the most effeminate employments to gratify a criminal weakness. Hannibal, who vanquished mighty nations, was himfelf overcome by the love of pleasure; and he who defpifed cold, and want, and danger, and death on the Alps, was conquered and undone by the diffolute indulgences of Capua.

Before the hero of the most beautiful and virtuous romance that ever was written, I mean Telemachus, landed on the island of Cyprus, he unfortunately loft his prudent companion, Mentor, in whom wifdom is fo finely perfonified. At first he beheld with horror the wanton and diffolute manners of the voluptuous inhabitants; the ill effects of their example were not immediate; he did not fall into the commiffion of glaring enormities; but his virtue was fecretly and imperceptibly undermined, his heart was foftened by their pernicious fociety, and the nerve of resolution was flackened he every day beheld with diminifhed indignation the worship which was offered to Venus; the disorder of luxury and prophanenefs became lefs and lefs terrible, and the infectious air of the country enfeebled his courage, and relaxed his principles. In short, he had

ceafed to love virtue long before he thought of committing actual vice; and the duties of a manly piety were burdenfome to him, before he was fo debafed as to offer perfumes, and burn inftance on the altar of the licentious goddess.

Ladies fupreme among amusements reign,
By nature form'd to footh and entertain.

"Let us crown ourfelves with rofe-buds before they be withered," faid Solomon's libertine. Alas! he did not reflect that they withered in the very gathering. The roses of pleafure feldom last long enough to adorn the brow of him who plucks them; for they are the only rofes which do not retain their sweetness after they have loft their beauty.

The heathen poets often preffed on their readers the neceffity of confidering the shortnefs of life, as an incentive to pleasure and voluptuoufnefs; left the season for indulging in them fhould pass unimproved. The dark and uncertain notions, not to fay the abfolute difbelief, which they entertained of a future ftate, is the only apology that can be offered for this reasoning. But while we cenfure their tenets, let us not adopt their errors; errors which would be infinitely more inexcufable in us,

who, from the clearer views which revelation has given us, fhall not have their ignorance or their doubts to plead. It were well if we availed ourselves of that portion of their precept, which inculcates the improvement of every moment of our time, but not like them to dedicate the moments fo redeemed to the purfuit of fenfual and perishable pleasures, but to the fecuring of those which are spiritual in their nature, and eternal in their duration.

If, indeed, like the miserable beings imagined by Swift, with a view to cure us of the irrational defire after immoderate length of days, we were condemned to a wretched earthly immortality, we should have an excufe for spending fome portion of our time in diffipation, as we might then pretend, with fome colour of reafon, that we proposed, at a distant period, to enter on a better courfe of action. Or if we never formed any fuch refolution, it would make no material difference to beings, whose state was already unalterably fixed. But of the fcanty portion of days affigned to our lot, not one should be loft in weak and irrefolute procrastination.

Those who have not yet determined on the fide of vanity, who, like Hercules (before he knew the queen of Lydia, and had learnt to

fpin), have not refolved on their choice between VIRTUE and PLEASURE, may reflect, that it is ftill in their power to imitate that hero in his noble choice, and in his virtuous rejection. They may also reflect, with grateful triumph, that Chriftianity furnithes them with a better guide than the tutor of Alcides, and with a furer light than the doctrines of pagan philofophy.

It is far from my defign feverely to condemn the innocent pleasures of life: I would only beg leave to obferve, that thofe which are criminal should never be allowed; and that even the most innocent will, by immoderate ufe, foon cease to be fo.

The women of this country were not fent into the world to fhun fociety, but to embellish it; they were not defigned for wilds and folitudes, but for the amiable and endearing offces of focial life. They have useful stations to fill, and important characters to fuftain.

NUMBER XVI.

The broadest mirth unfeeling Folly wears,
Lefs piealing far than Virtue's very tears.

ON HAPPINESS.

A Vision.

YE ductile youths, whofe rifing fun
Hath many circles ftill to run;
Who wifely with the pilot's chart
To steer thro' life th' unsteady heart;
And, all the thoughtful voyage past,
To gain a happy port at last :
Attend a Seer's instructive fong;
For moral truths to dreams belong.

I faw this wondrous vifion foon;
Long ere my fun had reach'd its noon;
Juft when the rifing beard began
To grace my chin, and call me man.

One night, when balmy flumbers fhed Their peaceful poppies o'er my head, My fancy led me to explore

A thoufand fcenes unknown before.