PITY

ITY has been generally confidered as the paffion of gentle, benevolent, and virtuous minds; although it is acknowledged to produce only fuch a participation of the calamity of others, as upon the whole is pleafing to ourselves. As a tender participation of foreign diftrefs, it has been urged to prove, that man is endowed with focial affections, which, however forcible, are wholly difinterested; and as a pleafing fenfation, it has been deemed an example of unmixed felfishness and malignity. It has been refolved into that power of imagination, by which we apply the misfortunes of others to ourselves: we have been faid to pity no longer than we fancy ourselves to fuffer, and to be pleafed only by reflecting that our fufferings are not real; thus indulging a dream of diftrefs, from which we can awake whenever we pleafe, to exult in our fecurity, and enjoy the comparison of the fiction with truth.

I fhall not perplex my readers with the fubtilties of a debate, in which human nature has, with equal zeal and plaufibility, been exalted and degraded. It is fufficient for my purpofe to remark, that Pity is generally understood to be that paffion, which is excited by the fufferings of perfons with whom we have no tender connection, and with whofe welfare the ftronger paffions have not united our felicity; for no man would call the anguish of a mother, whofe infant was torn from her breaft and left to be devoured in a defert, by the name of Pity; although the fentiment of a stranger, who should drop a filent tear at the relation, which yet might the next hour be forgotten, could not otherwife be juftly denomi nated.

If Pity, therefore, is abforbed in another paffion, when our love of thofe that fuffer is ftrong; Pity is rather an evidence of the weakness than the ftrength of that general philanthropy, for which fome

VIRG.

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have fo eagerly contended, with which they have Hattered the pride and veiled the vices of mankind, and which they have affirmed to be alone fufficient to recommend them to the favour of Heaven, to atone for the indulgence of every ap'petite and the neglect of every duty.

If human benevolence was abfolutely pure and focial, it would not be neceffary to relate the ravages of a pettilence or a famine with minute and difcriminating circumstances to rouze our sensi bility: we fhould certainly deplore irremediable calamity, and participate temporary diftrefs, without any mixture of delight: that deceitful forrow, in which pleasure is fo well known to be predomi nant, that invention has been bufied for ages in contriving tales of fictitious fufferance for no other end than to excite it, would be changed into honeft commiferation, in which pain would be unmixed, and which therefore we should with to lofe.

Soon after the fatal battle of Fontenoy, a young gentleman, who came over with the officer that brought the express, being expected at the house of a friend, a numerous company of gentlemen and ladies were affembled to hear an account of the action from an eye-witnefs.

The gentleman, as every man is flattered by commanding attention, was eafily prevailed upon to gratify the company, as foon as they were feated, and the firft ceremonies pat. He defcribed the march of many thoufands of their countrymen into a field, where batteries had been concealed on each fide, which in a moment ftrewed the ground with mangled limbs, and carcalfes that almoft floated in blood, and obftructed the path of thofe who followed to the flaughter. He related, how often the decreafing multitude returned to the mouth of the cannon; how fuddenly they were rallied, and how fuddenly

broken

broken; he repeated the lift of officers who had fallen undiftinguished in the carnage, men whofe eminence rendered their names univerfally known, their influence extenfive, and their attachments numerous; and he hinted the fatal effects which this defeat might produce to the nation, by turning the fuccefs of the war against us. But the company, however amused by the relation, appeared not to be affected by the event: they were still attentive to every trifling punctilio of ceremony, ufual among well-bred perfons; they bowed with a graceful fimper to a lady who fneezed, mutually prefented each other with fnuff, fhook their heads and changed their pofture at proper intervals, asked fome questions which tended to produce a more minute detail of fuch circumftances of horror as had been lightly touched; and having at last remarked that the Roman patriot regretted the brave could die but once, the conversation foon became general, and a motion was made to divide into parties at whift. But just as they were about to comply, the gentleman again engaged their at

tention.

Forgot, faid he, to relate one particular, which, however, deferves to be remembered. The captain of a company, whofe name I cannot now recollect, had, just before his corps was ordered to embark, married a young lady to whom he had been long tenderly attached, and who, contrary to the advice of all her friends, and the expoftulations, perfuafion, and entreaty of her husband, infifted to go abroad with him, and share his fortune at all events. If he should be wounded, the faid that the might haften his recovery, and alleviate his pain, by fuch attendance as ftrangers cannot be hired to pay; if he should be taken prisoner, the might, perhaps, be permitted to fhorten the tedious hours of captivity which folitude would protract; and if he fhould die, that it would be better for her to know it with certainty and fpeed, than to wait at a distance with anxiety and fufpence, tormented by doubtful and contradictory reports, and at last believing it poffible, that if the had been prefent, her affiduity and tenderness might have preferved his life. The captain, though he was not convinced by her reasoning, was yet overcome by the importunate

eloquence of her love; he confented to her request, and they embarked together.

The head-quarters of the Duke of Cumberland were at Bruffoel, from whence they removed the evening before the battle to Monbray, a village within mufquet-fhot of the enemy's lines, where the captain, who commanded in the left wing, was encamped.

Their parting in the morning was fhort. She looked after him, till he could no longer be diftinguished from others; and as foon as the firing began, fhe went back pale and trembling, and fat down expecting the event in an agony of impatience, anxiety, and ter

ror.

She foon learned from stragglers and fugitives, that the flaughter was dreadful, and the victory hopeless. She did not, however, yet defpair; the hoped, that the captain might return among the few that might remain: but foon after the retreat this hope was cut off, and the was informed that he fell in the first charge, and was left among the dead. She was reftrained by thote about her from rufhing in the phrenzy of defperation to the field of battle, of which the enemy was ftill poffeffed: but the tumult of her mind having abated, and her grief become more calm during the night, fhe ordered the fervant to attend her at break of day; and as leave had been given to bury the dead, the went herfelf to feek the remains of her hufband, that fhe might honour them with the laft rites, and pour the tears of conjugal affection upon his grave. They wandered about among the dying and the dead, gazing on every diftorted countenance, and looking round with irrefolution and amazement on a scene, which those who fripped had left tenfold more a fight of horror than those who had flain. From this fight she was at laft turning with confusion and defpair; but was ftopped by the cries of a favourite spaniel, who had followed her without being perceived. He was standing at foine diftance in the field; and the moment she saw him, the conceived the strongest affurance that he had found his master. She hafted inftantly to the place, without regarding any other ob ject; and stooping over the corpfe by which he ftood, the found it fo disfigured with wounds,and befmeared with blood, that the features were not to be known:

but as fhe was weeping in the anguish

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of

of fufpence, fhe discovered hanging on the wrift the remains of a ruffle, round which there was a flight border of her own work. Thus fuddenly to have difcovered, and in fuch dreadful circumstances, that which the had fought, quite overwhelmed her, and the funk down on the body. By the affiftance of the fervant fhe was recovered to fentibility, but not to reafon; fhe was feized at once with convulfions and madness; and a few hours after fhe was carried back to the village the expired.

Thofe, who had heard the fate of whole battalions without pity, and the lofs of a battle, by which their country would probably fuffer irreparable damage, without concern, liftened to a tale of private diftrefs with uninterrupted attention. All regard to each other was for a while fufpended; tears by degrees overflowed every eye, and every bofom became fufceptible of Pity: but the whole circle paused with evident regret, when the narrative was at an end; and would have been glad, that fuch another could have been told to continue their entertainment. Such was the Benevolence of Pity! But a lady who had taken the opportunity of a very flight acquaintance to fatisfy her curiofity, was touched with much deeper diftrefs; and fainting in the ftruggle to conceal the emotions of her mind, fell back in her chair: an accident which was not fooner difcovered, because every eye had been fixed upon the speaker, and all attention

monopolized by the ftory. Every one, however, was ready to afford her affiftance; and it was foon discovered, that the was mother to the lady whofe diftrefs had afforded fo much virtuous pleasure to the company. It was not poffible to tell her another story, which would revive the fame fenfations; and if it had, the world could not have bribed her to have heard it. Her affection to the fufferer was too strong to permit her, on this occafion, to enjoy the luxury of Pity, and applaud her benevolence for fenfations which fhewed it's defects. It would, indeed, be happy for us, if we were to exift only in this ftate of imperfection, that a greater fhare of fenfibility is not allowed us; but if the mole, in the kindness of Unerring Wisdom, is permitted fcarce to diftinguifh light from darkness, the mole fhould not, furely, be praised for the perfpicacity of it's fight.

Let us distinguish the malignity, which others confound with Benevo lence, and applaud as Virtue; let that imperfection of nature, which is adapted to an imperfect ftate, teach us to humility; and fix our dependence upon Him, who has promifed to create in

us a new heart and a right fpirit;' and to receive us to that place, where our love of others, however ardent, can only increase our felicity; becaufe in that place there will be no object, but fuch as Perfect Benevolence can contemplate with delight,

TH

HE evils infeparably annexed to the prefent condition of man, are fo numerous and afflictive, that it has been, from age to age, the talk of fome to bewail, and of others to folace them; and he, therefore, will be in danger of seeing a common enemy, who fhall attempt to depreciate the few pleafures and felicities which nature has allowed

us:

Yet I will confefs, that I have fometimes employed my thoughts in examin

ing the pretenfions that are made to happinefs, by the fplendid and envied condition of life, and have not thought the hour unprofitably spent, when I have detected the impofture of counterfeit advantages, and found difquiet lurking under falfe appearances of gaiety and greatnefs.

It is afferted by a tragic poet, that 'eft mifer nemo nifi comparatus-No 'man is miferable, but as he is compared with others happier than him• felf.'

felf. This pofition is not strictly and philofophically true. He might have d, with rigorous propriety, that no man is happy but as he is compared with the miferable; for fuch is the state of this world, that we find in it absolute Lafery, but happiness only comparative; we may incur as much pain as we can fibly endure, though we can never tain as much happiness as we might prably enjoy.

Yet it is certain likewife, that many f our miseries are merely comparative: we are often made unhappy, not by the fence of any real evil, but by the abence of fome fictitious good; of fomeng which is not required by any real *ct of nature, which has not in itself ry power of gratification, and which ther reafon nor fancy would have prompted us to wifh, did we not fee it 1 the poffeffion of others.

For a mind difeafed with vain long. gs after unattainable advantages, no dicine can be prefcribed, but an imperial enquiry into the real worth of it which is to ardently defired. It is wol known how much the mind, as *l as the eye, is deceived by distance; , perhaps, it will be found, that of many imagined blessings it may be mited, whether he that wants or pofTes them has more reafon to be fatisfied with his lot.

The dignity of high birth and long xtraction, no man, to whom nature has died it, can confer upon himfelf; and berefore it deferves to be confidered,

ther the want of that which can ever be gained, may not easily be ended. It is true, that if we confider the triumph and delight with which most of thofe recount their ancestors who have ancestors to recount, and the artifas by which fome who have rifen to expected fortune endeavour to infert elves into an honourable ftem, we all be inclined to fancy that wisdom tue may be had by inheritance, or all the excellencies of a line of proitors are accumulated on their dendant. Reafon, indeed, will foon inmus, that our estimation of birth is bitrary and capricious, and that dead retors can have no influence but upon gination: let it then be examined, ether one drean may not operate in place of another; whether he that s nothing to fore-fathers, may not ive equal pleasure from the confci

oufnefs of owing all. to himself; whether he may not, with a little meditation, find it more honourable to found than to continue a family, and to gain dignity than tranfmit it; whether, if he receives no dignity from the virtues of his family, he does not likewife efcape the danger of being difgraced by their crimes; and whether he that brings a new name into the world, has not the convenience of playing the game of life without a take, an opportunity of winning much though he has nothing to lofe.

There is another opinion concerning happiness, which approaches much more nearly to univerfality, but which may, perhaps, with equal reafon be difputed. The pretenfions to ancestral honours many of the fons of earth cafily fee to be ill-grounded; but all agree to celebrate the advantage of hereditary riches, and to confider thofe as the minions of fortune, who are wealthy from their cradles, whofe eftate is res non parta labore fed relicta-The acquifition of another, not of themfelves; and whom a father's induftry has difpenfed from a laborious attention to arts or commerce, and left at liberty to dispose of life as fancy fhall direct them.

If every man were wife and virtuous, capable to difcern the beft ufe of time, and refolute to practife it; it might be granted, I think, without hesitation, that total liberty would be a bleffing, and that it would be defirable to be left at large to the exercife of religious and focial duties, without the interruption of importunate avocations.

But fince felicity is relative, and that which is the means of happiness to one man may be to another the cause of mifery, we are to confidêr, what ftate is beft adapted to human nature in it's pre-. fent degeneracy and frailty. And, furely, to the far greater number it is highly expedient, that they fhould by fome fettled fcheme of duties be refcued from the tyranny of caprice, that they should be driven on by neceffity through the paths of life with their attention confined to a ftated task, that they may be lefs at leifure to deviate into mifchief at the call of folly.

When we obferve the lives of thofe whom an ample inheritance has let loofe to their own direction, what do we difcover that can excite our envy? Their time feems not to país with much applause from others, or fatisfaction to them

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