mined to regulate his conduct by his father's precepts, and cultivate the love of mankind. by every art of kindness and endearment. He wifely confidered, that domestick happiness was first to be fecured, and that none have fo much power of doing good or hurt, as those who are present in the hour of negligence, hear the bursts of thoughtless merriment, and obferve the ftarts of unguarded paffion. He therefore augmented the pay of all his attendants, and requited every exertion of uncommon diligence by fupernumerary gratuities. While he congratulated himself upon the fidelity and affection of his family, he was in the night alarmed by robbers, who, being pursued and taken, declared, that they had been admitted by one of his fervants; the fervant immediately confeffed, that he unbarred the door, because another not more worthy of confidence was entrusted with the keys.

ABOUZAID was thus convinced that a dependant could not eafily be made a friend; and that while many were foliciting for the first rank of favour, all those would be alienated whom he difappointed. He therefore refolved

refolved to affociate with a few equal companions felected from among the chief men of the province. With these he lived happily for a time, till familiarity fet them free from reftraint, and every man thought himself at li berty to indulge his own caprice, and advance his own opinions. They then disturbed each other with contrariety of inclinations, and difference of fentiments, and Abouzaid was neceffitated to offend one party by concurrence, or both by indifference.

He afterwards determined to avoid a clofe union with beings fo difcordant in their nature, and to diffufe himself in a larger circle. He practifed the fmile of univerfal courtesy, and invited all to his table, but admitted none to his retirements. Many who had been rejected in his choice of friendship now refufed to accept his acquaintance; and of those whom plenty and magnificence drew to his table, every one preffed forward toward intimacy, thought himself overlooked in the croud, and murmured because he was not diftinguished above the reft. By degrees all made advances, and all refented repulfe. The table was then covered with delicacies in

vain; the mufick founded in empty rooms; and Abouzaid was left to form in folitude fome new scheme of pleasure or security.

RESOLVING now to try the force of gratitude, he enquired for men of science, whose merit was obfcured by poverty. His houfe was foon crouded with poets, fculptors, painters, and defigners, who wantoned in unexperienced plenty, and employed their powers in celebration of their patron. But in a short time they forgot the distress from which they had been rescued, and began to confider their deliverer as a wretch of narrow capacity, who was growing great by works which he could not perform, and whom they overpaid by condescending to accept his bounties. Abouzaid heard their murmurs and dismissed them, and from that hour continued blind to colours, and deaf to panegyrick.

As the fons of art departed muttering threats of perpetual infamy, Abouzaid, who ftood at the gate, called to him Hamet the poet. "Hamet," faid he, "thy ingratitude has put "an end to my hopes and experiments; I

"have now learned the vanity of those la"bours, which hope to be rewarded by hu"man benevolence; I fhall henceforth do "good and avoid evil without refpect to the "opinion of men; and refolve to 'folicit only "the approbation of that being whom alone "we are sure to please by endeavouring to "please him."

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NUMB. 191. TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 1752.

Cereus in Vitium flecti, Monitoribus afper.

HOR.

To the RAMBLER.

I

Dear Mr. RAMBLER,

HAVE been four days confined to my chamber by a cold, which has already kept me from three plays, nine fales, five fhows, and fix card-tables, and put me feventeen visits behind hand; and the doctor tells my mamma, that if I fret and cry, it will fettle in my head, and I fhall not be fit

to

to be seen these fix weeks. But, dear Mr. Rambler, how can I help it? at this very time Melissa is dancing with the prettiest gentleman ;---fhe will breakfast with him to-morrow, and then run to two auctions, and hear compliments, and have prefents; then fhe will be dreft, and visit, and get a ticket to the play; then go to cards, and win, and come home with two flambeaus before her chair. Dear Mr. Rambler, who can bear it?

My aunt has just brought me a bundle of your papers for my amufement. She fays, you are a philofopher, and will teach me to moderate my defires, and look upon the world with indifference. But, dear fir, I do not wish nor intend to moderate my defires, nor can I think it proper to look upon the world with indifference, till the world looks with indifference on me. I have been forced, however, to fit this morning a whole quarter of an hour with your paper before my face; but juft as my aunt came in, Phyllida had brought me a letter from Mr. Trip, which I put with- ` in the leaves, and read about abfence and inconfolableness, and ardour, and irrefiftible paffion, and eternal conftancy, while my aunt VOL. VI. imagined,

H