hid in unmerited obfcurity. But though the impudent and the bold are frequently fuccessful in forming intimacies, and are fometimes able to diftinguifk themselves in fituations in which the modeft would not have been able to appear, and though their talents are frequently dif played where those of a man with lefs confidence would be unnoticed; yet, even in these cafes, modefty has an evident fuperiority; and, in private life, if it do not pro. duce unexpected familiarity, yet it feldom fails to fecure a friendship folid and fatisfactory, to fteal upon the affections and to procure esteem. But the regard which is granted to impudence is not that of affection; it is rather the regard which we have for another, because he seems to claim, and we know not how to deny it, than that which is excited by union of fentiment; it feldom extends to actual fervices, or to a return of good offices, but it is generally evaporated in pro feffions, and ceafes with the prefence of its object. But the intimacy which is procured by the modeft is generally lating if it be not fuddenly formed, it is durable and ftrong; it is not weakened by trifles, nor leffened by abfence. There is fomething naturally difagreeable to the human mind in affurance and forwardness; from him who is poffeffed with great talents, (however he may difplay them, and however he may be admired,) every one withholds his praises, if he appears to be confcious of them. From the man who feems by his converfation and beha viour to tell us that he ought to be refpected for his knowledge and abilities, we turn with difgult, we cannot per. fuade fuade ourselves to encrease the pride of one who is already elevated by felf importance, and whofe addrefs feems to indicate that he is conscious of being our superior, and that he has little doubt of his own attractions. But the man who, beneath the garb of modefty, conceals excellencies, is refpected in proportion, when they are discovered: We willingly give attention to him who feems not to claim it, nor do we hesitate in expreffing our admiration of the man who does not appear to be conscious of deferv. ing it It is true, that, by ignorance, boldness may be mistaken for a juftifiable confideration of our dignity as men, and modesty for a consciousness of our own infig. nificance; but he who trufts to ignorance for advantage or applaufe, will be disappointed of the one, and uncer. tain of the other. If we examine the biography of thofe men who have not by intrigue or by commerce, but merely by their accomplishments and their knowledge, been exalted above, the rest of the world, we fhall discover that a becoming diffidence did hot hide their value, nor deprefs their fortunes; and that many who could not enter a drawing-room without conft fion, have been refpected by the wealthy, and careffed by the great have been honoured during their lives, and been immortalized after death. It cannot, indeed, be denied, that there are fome inftances of thofe who have pleafed the world, having been proud and overbearing; but it is not unreasonable to imagine, that if they had displayed equal arrogance before their agreeable agreable qualities had been celebrated, they would have remained in obfcurity, without admirers and withoutfriends; and that if they had added to their other accomplishments that of modefty, their powers of delighting, how ever great, would have been encreased, and their fame, however univerfal, would have been extended. It must likewife be recollected, that it falls to the lot of few to be capable, by the merit of their converfation, of compenfating for the difguft which, may be excited by their pride or their dogmatifm. All who are eminent for their political abilities, do not poffefs the attractions of a Fox; nor is every man who creates admiration by his literary talents, able to equal the colloquial eloquence of Johnson. The man who is remarkable for his want of modesty, every one may obferve, is known to all, but beloved by few: Every man he meets falutes him, and every company into which he enters, treats him as a friend with whom all have long been familiar; his jefts create a smile, and his opinions are attended to. But view him in focial life, amongst thofe whom every man would wish to call his friends; he is treated by all with coldnefs and difrefpect, hated by many, and reverenced by none. These effects, it is true, may depend on other circumstances; he may be looked on with contempt for his ignorance, and with disgust for his vulgarity; but it will not be difficult to prove that both might have been in a great measure overlooked, had he paid fome regard to modefty. Though Though impudence is generally the attendant on ignorance, yet it is not uncommon to fee men of learning and knowledge falling into a very abfurd fpecies of it: What l allude to is, the practise of disregarding all converfation which is not literary: The ufual focial chit chat is to many of them infupportable; they wonder what pleafure and improvement a human being can receive from talking about the common affairs of life, and return in a hurry from the company of an English matron, to meditate on the warmth of Cleopatra or the chastity of Lucretia. To men who have long been used to confider themselves as acting more reasonably and wifely than the rest of man. skind,. I doubt my advice will be of little ufe; but I can. not help thinking, that even a philofopher may fometimes forget the pages of Tacitus, to partake of the comfort of an English firefide, and to difcourfe on fubjects which are level to every understanding, without wafting his time or leffening his dignity. It will, perhaps, be unneceffary to recommend to the ladies an accomplishment which the univerfal confent of mankind has pronounced to be abfolutely neceffary to the perfection of a female, and which adds fo much to her at <traction. What expreffion does it not give to her countenance, what dignity to her mien, and propriety to her demeanour? How fevere it renders her frown; how enchanting her fmile; and how becoming her freedom! With it, a plain woman can please, a witty one can enrapture, and a beautiful one delight: Without it, the homely are difgufting, the witty difagreeable, and the beautiful contemptible. No. No. 14. Tuesday, Jan. 1, 1804, Breeve et irreparabile tempus › Omnibus eft vitæ, "Life is fhort." HE period has again arrived, which brings to our THE remembrance the rapidity of time, and the flowness of improvement; which reminds us of defigns that have not been executed, and of refolutions which have been broken. We can now recollect, that the commencement of the laft year brought with it the fame fenfations as the commencement of the prefent; that we looked forward with the hape, that it would in its, courfe bring with it fome relief from the troubles which affected us, and that we expected at its conclufion to be able to boast of having triumphed over fome difficulty, or of having gained fome advantage. But while we bring thefe expectations to our remembrance, we may perhaps feel that many of them. have been disappointed; how little lighter the burden we formerly complained of has been rendered by time; that many opportunities of improvement have been fuffered to flee unregarded before us; and that we can now recol led little which can allay our anxiety, or gratify our pride. -But thefe reflections, however mortifying, will not be without their use, if those who have been obliged to in dulge |