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would have it, that at least he must be Ill-manners. | more solemnly engaged; at least it was an acknow. Thus slighted and despised by all, he was driven ledgment that they ought to have been so. I have out for abusing people of merit and figure; and I been told the same even of the Mahometans, with reheard it firmly resolved, that he should be used no lation to the propriety of their demeanour in the better wherever they met with him hereafter. conventions of their erroneous worship: and I cannot but think either of them sufficient and laudable patterns of our imitation in this particular.

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I had already seen the meaning of most part of that warning which he had given, and was considering how the latter words should be fulfilled, when a mighty noise was heard without, and the door was blackened by a numerous train of harpies crowding in upon us. Folly and Broken-credit were seen in the house before they entered. Trouble, Shame, Infamy, Scorn, and Poverty, brought up the rear. Vanity, with her Cupid and Graces, disappeared; her subjects ran into holes and corners; but many of them were found and carried off (as I was told by one who stood near me) either to prisons or cellars, solitude or little company, the mean arts or the viler crafts of life. 'But these,' added he with a disdainful air,' such who would fondly live here, when their merits neither matched the lustre of the place, nor their riches its expenses. We have seen such scenes as these before now; the glory you saw will all return when the hurry is over.' I thanked him for his information, and believing him so incorrigible as that he would stay till it was his turn to be taken, I made off to the door, and overtook some few, who, though they would not hearken to Plaindealing, were now terrified to good purpose by the example of others. But when they had touched the threshold, it was a strange shock to them to find that the delusion of Error was gone, and they plainly discerned the building to hang a little up in the air without any real foundation. At first we saw nothing but a desperate leap remained for us, and I a thousand times blamed my unmeaning curiosity that had brought me into so much danger. But as they began to sink lower in their own minds, methought the palace sunk along with us, till they were arrived at the due point of esteem which they ought to have for themselves; then the part of the building in which they stood touched the earth, and we departing out, it retired from our eyes. Now, whether they who stayed in the palace were sensible of this descent, I cannot tell; it was then my opinion that they were not. However it be, my dream broke up at it, and has given me Occasion all my life to reflect upon the fatal consequences of following the suggestions of Vanity*.

MR. SPECTATOR,

'I WRITE to you to desire, that you would again + touch upon a certaia enormity, which is chiefly in use among the politer and better-bred part of mankind; I mean the ceremonies, bows, curtsies, whisperings, smiles, winks, nods, with other familiar arts of salutation, which take up in our churches so much time, that might be better employed, and which seem so utterly inconsistent with the duty and true intent of our entering into those religious assemblies. The resemblance which this bears to our indeed proper behaviour in theatres, may be some instance of its incongruity in the above-mentioned places. In Roman catholic churches and chapels abroad, I myself have observed, more than once, persons of the first quality, of the nearest relation, and intimatest acquaintance, passing by one another unknowing as it were, and unknown, and with so little notice of each other, that it looked like having their minds more suitably and

*This vision was written by Dr. Parnell. See also N° 501. * See No 259.

'I cannot help, upon this occasion, remarking on the excellent memories of those devotionists, who, upon returning from church, shall give a particular account how two or three hundred people were dressed; a thing, by reason of its variety, so difficult to be digested and fixed in the head, that it is a miracle to me how two poor hours of divine service can be time sufficient for so elaborate an undertaking, the duty of the place too being jointly, and no doubt oft pathetically, performed along with it. Where it is said in sacred writ, that "the woman ought to have a covering on her head because of the angels," that last word is by some thought to be metaphorically used, and to signify young men. Allowing this interpretation to be right, the text may not appear to be wholly foreign to our present purpose.

When you are in a disposition proper for writing on such a subject, I earnestly recommend this to you; and am, 'SIR,

STEELE.

"Your very humble servant.'

T.

N° 461. TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1712.

Sed non ego credulus illis.

VIRG. Ecl. ix. ver. 34 But I discern their flatt'ry from their praise. DRYDEN.

FOR want of time to substitute something else in the room of them, I am at present obliged to publish compliments above my desert in the following letters. It is no small satisfaction to have given occasion to ingenious men to employ their thoughts upon sacred subjects from the approbation of such pieces of poetry as they have seen in my Saturday's papers. I shall never publish verse on that day but what is written by the same hand *; yet shall I not accompany those writings with eulo giums, but leave them to speak for themselves.

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'You very much promote the interests of virtue, while you reform the taste of a profane age; and persuade us to be entertained with divine poems, whilst we are distinguished by so many thousand humours, and split into so many different sects and parties; yet persons of every party, sect, and humour, are fond of conforming their taste to yours. You can transfuse your own relish of a poem into all your readers, according to their capacity to receive; and when you recommend the pious passion that reigns in the verse, we seem to feel the devction, and grow proud and pleased inwardly, that we have souls capable of relishing what the Spectator approves.

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palm appears to me an admirable ode, and I began to turn it into our language. As I was describing the journey of Israel from Egypt, and added the divine presence amongst them, I perceived a beauty in this psalm, which was entirely new to me, and which I was going to lose; and that is, that the poet utterly conceals the presence of God in the beginning of it, and rather lets a possessive pronoun go without a substantive, than he will so much as mention any thing of divinity there. "Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion, or kingdom." The reason now seems evident, and this conduct necessary: for, if God had appeared before, there could be no wonder why the mountains should leap, and the sea retire; therefore that this convulsion of nature may be brought in with due surprise, his name is not inentioned till afterward, and then with a very agrecable turn of thought God is introduced at once in all his majesty. This is what I have attempted to imitate in a translation without paraphrase, and to preserve what I could of the spirit of the sacred author.

"If the following essay be not too incorrigible, bestow upon it a few brightenings from your genius, that I may learn how to write better, or to write no more.

"Your daily admirer and
humble servant, &c.'

PSALM CXIV.

"When Israel, freed from Pharaoh's hand,
Left the proud tyrant and his land,
The tribes with cheerful homage own
Their king, and Judah was his throne.

Across the deep their journey lay,
The deep divides to make them way;
The streams of Jordan saw, and fled
With backward current to their head.

The mountains shook like frighted sheep,
Like lambs the little hillocks leap;
Not Sinai on her base could stand,
Conscious of sov'reign pow'r at hand.
What power could make the deep divide?
Make Jorean backward roll his tide?
Why did ye leap, ye little hills?
And whence the fright that Sinai feels!

Let ev'ry mountain, ev'ry flood,
Retire, and know th' approaching God,
The King of Israel. See him here:
Tremble thou earth, adore, and fear.

He thunders-and all nature mourns:
The rock to standing pools he turns.
Flints spring with fountains at his word,
And fires and seas confess their Lord.”

lewdness, and debauchery, are not now qualifica-
tions; and a man may be a very fine gentleman,
though he is neither a keeper, nor an infidel.
I would have you tell the town the story of the
Sibyls, if they deny giving you two-pence. Lt
then know, that those sacred papers were valued
at the same rate after two-thirds of them were de
stroyed, as when there was the whole set. There
are so many of us who will give you youUT OWN
price, that you may acquaint your non-conformed
readers, that they shall not have it, except they
come in within such a day, under three-pence. I
do not know but you might bring in the Date ele
lum Belisario with a good grace. The with
come in clusters to two or three coffee-houses whila
have left you off'; and I hope you will make r
who fine to your wit, merry with their characte
who stand out against it.

I am your most humble servant.

'P. S. I have lately got the ingenious authors ef blacking for shoes, powder for colouring the kar. pomatum for the hands, cosmetic for the face, i be your constant customers; so that your advertse ments will as much adorn the outward man, as your paper does the inward,'

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H.

PEOPLE are not aware of the very great fort which pleasantry in company has upon all case with whom a man of that talent converses faults are generally overlooked by all his acquar» tance, and a certain carelessness, that const_rt · attends all his actions, carries him on with greakt success, than diligence and assiduity does atten who have no share of this endowment. Dacinta breaks his word upon all occasions, both tree. and important; and, when he is sufficiently rains at for that abominable quality, they who talk of him end with After all, he is a very pleasant frlow.' Dacinthus is an ill-natured husband, ass yet the very women end their freedom of dis oge upon this subject, 'But, after all, he is very pin sant company.' Dacinthus is neither, in post ef honour, civility, good-breeding, nor good-natur, unexceptionable; and yet all is answered, * ka? he is a very pleasant fellow.' When this quality » conspicuous in a man who has, to accompsey K, THERE are those who take the advantage of your manly and virtuous sentiments, there cannot eesputting a halfpenny value upon yourself above the tainly be any thing which can give so pleasing a rest of our daily writers, to defame you in public gratification as the gaiety of such a person; ba conversation, and strive to make you unpopular when it is alone, and serves only to gild a crowd upon the account of this said halfpenny. But, if of ill qualities, there is no man so much to be I were you, I would insist upon that small acknow-avoided as your pleasant fellow. A very pleasant ledgment for the superior merit of yours, as being fellow shall turn your good name to a jest, mike a work of invention. Give me leave, therefore, your character contemptible, debauch your wife to do you justice, and say in your behalf, what you or daughter, and yet be received by the rest of the cannot yourself, which is, that your writings have world with welcome wherever he appears. made learning a more necessary part of good-very ordinary with those of this character to breeding than it was before you appeared: that modesty has become fashionable, and impudence stands in need of some wit, since you have put them both in their proper lights. Profaneness,

MR. SPECTATOR,

By Dr. Watts.

attentive only to their own satisfactions, an' ba?" very little bowels for the concerns or sorrXWY** other men; nay, they are capable of partiaing their own pleasures at the expense of givit bie to others. But they who do not consider this wort men thus carefully, are irresistibly ea; ował w tek

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THERE is no one passion which all mankind so naturally give into às pride, nor any other passion which appears in such different disguises. It is to be found in all habits and complexions. Is it not a question, whether it does more harm or good in the world; and if there be not such a thing as what we may call a virtuous and laudable pride?

a statue of his merry monarch in Stocks-market *
and did the crown many and great services; and
it was owing to this humour of the king, that his
family had so great a fortune shut up in the exche.
quer of their pleasant sovereign. The many good.
natured condescensions of this prince are vulgarly
known; and it is excellently said of him by a
great hand + which writ his character, that he was
not a king a quarter of an hour together in his
whole reign. He would receive visits even from
fools and half madmen; and at times I have met
with people who have boxed, fought at back-sword,
and taken poison, before King Charles II. In a
word, he was so pleasant a man, that no one could
be sorrowful under his government. This made
him capable of baffling, with the greatest case ima-
ginable, all suggestions of jealousy; and the peo-
ple could not entertain notions of any thing ter-

This scrap of the familiar part of that prince's his-
tory thought tit to send you, in compliance to the
request you lately made to your correspondents.
'I am, SIR,
'Your most humble servant.'

STELLE.

T.

N° 463. THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1712.

Omnia quæ sensu volvuntur vota diurno,
Pectore sopito reddit amica quies.
Venator defissa toro cum membra reponit,
Mens tamen ad sylvas et sua lustra redit:
Judicibus lites, aurige somnia currus,
Vanaque nocturnis meta cavetur equis.
quoque Musarum studium sub nocte silenti
Artibus assuetis sollicitare solet.

Me

CLAUD.

It is this passion alone, when misapplied, that lays us so open to flatterers; and he who can agree ably condescend to sooth our humour or temper, finds always an open avenue to our soul; especially if the flatterer happen to be our superior. 'One might give many instances of this in a laterible in him whom they saw every way agreeable. English monarch, under the title of "The Gaieties of King Charles II." This prince was by nature extremely familiar, of very easy access, and much delighted to see and be seen; and this happy temper, which in the highest degree gratified his people's vanity, did him more service with his loving subjects than all his other virtues, though it must be confessed he had many. He delighted, though a mighty king, to give and take a jest, as they say and a prince of this fortunate disposition, who were inclined to make an ill use of his power, may have any thing of his people, be it never so much to their prejudice. But this good king made generally a very innocent use, as to the public, of this insnaring temper; for, it is well known, he pursued pleasure more than ambition. He seemed to glory in being the first man at cockmatches, horse-races, balls, and plays: he appeared highly delighted on those occasions, and never failed to warm and gladden the heart of every spectator. He more than once diued with his good citizens of London on their lord-mayor's day, and did so the year that Sir Robert Viner was mayor. Sir Robert was a very loyal man, and, if you will allow the expression, very fond of his sovereign; but, what with the joy he felt at heart for the honour done him by his prince, and through the warmth he was in with continual toasting healths to the royal family, his lordship grew a little fond of his majesty, and entered into a familiarity not altogether so graceful in so public a place. The king understood very well how to extricate himself in all kinds of difficulties, and, with an hint to the company to avoid ceremony, stole off and made towards his coach, which stood ready for him in Guildhall-yard. But the mayor liked his company so well, and was grown so intimate, that he pursued him hastily, and catching him fast by the hand, cried out with a vehement oath and accent, "Sir, you shall stay and take t'other bottle." The airy monarch looked kindly at him over his shoulder, and with a simile and graceful air (for I saw hin at the time, and do now) repeated this line of the old song,

"He that is drunk is as great as a king,"

and immediately returned back and complied with his landlord.

I give you this story, Mr. Spectator, because, as I said, I saw the passage; and I assure you it is very true, and yet no common one; and when I tell you the sequel, you will say I have a better reason for it. This very mayor afterwards erected

In sleep, when fancy is let loose to play,
Our dreams repeat the wishes of the day.
Though further toil his tired limbs refuse,
The dreaming hunter still the chase pursues.
The judge a bed dispenses still the laws,
And sleeps again o'er the unfinish'd cause.
The dozing racer bears his chariot roll,
Smacks the vain-whip, and shuns the fancy'd goal.
Me too the Muses, in the silent night,

With wonted chimes of jingling verse delight.

I WAS lately entertaining myself with comparing Homer's balance, in which Jupiter is represented as weighing the fates of Hector and Achilles, with a passage of Virgil, wherein that deity is introduced as weighing the fates of Turnus and Eneas. I then considered how the same way of thinking prevailed in the eastern parts of the world, as in those noble passages of scripture, wherein we are told that the great king of Babylon, the day before

*This equestrian statue was originally made for John Sobieski, King of Poland, but by some accident it had been left on the workman's hands. To save time and expense, the Polander was converted into a Britain, and the Turk underneath his horse into Oliver Cromwell, to complete the compliment. Unfortunately, the turban on the Turk's head was overlooked, and left an undeniable proof of this story. See Stow's Survey, &c. ed. 1755, vol. i. p. 517. This statue, formed of white marble, was erected on a neat conduit, in 1675; but when, in 1735, the city-council fixed on Stocksmarket for the site of a house of residence for the lord-mayors of London, the statue was removed, to make way for the Mansion-house: the first stone of which was laid October 25, 1739, by Micajah Perry, Esq. then lord-mayor.-On the 28th of May, 1779, Robert Viner, Esq. applied to the court of common council to have this statue (which had been erected by his ancestor) delivered to him for his use; and the court Where it is now, we do not complied with the request.

know.

+ Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, said, that on premeditation Charles IL could not act the part of a king for a monient,'

6

his death, had been weighed in the balance, and seeing a little glittering weight lie by me, I threw been found wanting.' In other places of the holy it accidentally into the other scale, when, to my writings, the Almighty is described as weighing the great surprise, it proved so exact a counterpone, mountains in scales, making the weight for the that it kept the balance in an equilibrium. Ina winds, knowing the balancings of the clouds; and little glittering weight was inscribed upon the in others, as weighing the actions of men, and lay-edges of it with the word vanity.' I found there ing their calamities together in a balance. Milton, were several other weights which were equally as I have observed in a former paper*, had an heavy, and exact counterpoises to one another: a eye to several of these foregoing instances in that few of them I tried, as avarice and poverty, riches beautiful description, wherein he represents the and content, with some others. archangel and the evil spirit as addressing themselves for the combat, but parted by the balance which appeared in the heavens, and weighed the consequences of such a battle.

Th' Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray, Hung forth in Heav'n his golden scales, yet seen Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion sign; Wherein all things created first he weigh'd, The pendulous round earth, with balanc'd air, In counterpoise, now ponders all events, Battles and realms; in these he put two weights, The sequel each of parting and of fight. The latter quick up flew, and kick'd the beam: Which Gabriel spying, thus bespake the fiend: "Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know'st mine: Neither our own, but giv'n. What folly then To boast what arms can do, since thine no more Than Heav'n permits; nor mine, though doubled now To trample thee as mire! for proof look up, And read thy lot in yon celestial sign, Where thou art weigh'd. and shown how light, how weak, If thou resist." The fiend look'd up, and knew His mounted scale aloft; nor more; but fled Murm'ring, and with him fled the shades of night.'

These several amusing thoughts, having taken possession of my mind some time before I went to sleep, and mingling themselves with my ordinary ideas, raised in my imagination a very odd kind of vision. I was, methought, replaced in my study, and seated in my elbow-chair, where I had indulged the foregoing speculations, with my lamp burning by me as usual. Whilst I was here meditating on several subjects of morality, and considering the nature of many virtues and vices, as materials for those discourses with which I daily entertain the public; I saw, methought, a pair of golden scales hanging by a chain of the same metal over the table that stood before me; when, on a sudden, there were great heaps of weights thrown down on each side of them. I found, upon examining these weights, they showed the value of every thing that is in esteem among men. I made an essay of them, by putting the weight of wisdom in one scale, and that of riches in another; upon which the latter, to show its comparative lightness, immediately flew up, and kicked the beam."

But, before I proceed, I must inform my reader, that these weights did not exert their natural gravity, till they were laid in the golden balance, inromuch that I could not guess which was light or heavy, whilst I held them in any hand. This I found by several instances; for, upon my laying a weight in one of the scales, which was inscribed by the word eternity,' though I threw in that of time, prosperity, affliction, wealth, poverty, interest, success, with many other weights, which in my band seemed very ponderous, they were not able to stir the opposite balance; nor could they have prevailed, though assisted with the weight of the sun, the stars, and the earth.

Upon emptying the scales, I laid several titles and honours, with pomps, triumphs, and many weights of the like nature, in one of them; and

* No 321.

There were likewise several weights that were of the same figure, and seemed to correspond with each other, but were entirely different when thrown into the scales: as religion and hypocrisy, pedantry and learning, wit and vivacity, supersotion and devotion, gravity and wisdom, with many

others.

I observed one particular weight lettered on both sides; and, upon applying myself to the reading of it, I found on one side written, In the dialect of men,' and underneath it, Calamities:" on the other side was written, In the language of the gods,' and underneath, Blessings. I found the intrinsic value of this weight to be much greater than I imagined, for it overpowered Health, Wealth, Good-fortune, and many other weights, which were much more ponderous in my hand than the other.

There is a saying among the Scotch, that at ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of clergy. I was sensible of the truth of this saying, when I saw the difference between the weight of Natural Parts, and that of Learning. The observationa which I made upon these two weights opened ta me a new field of discoveries; for, notwithstand ing the weight of Natural Parts was much heavier than that of Learning, I observed that it weighed an hundred times heavier than it did before, whet I put Learning into the same scale with it. I made the same observation upon Faith and Morality; for, notwithstanding the latter outweighed the former separately, it received a thousand times more additional weight from its conjunction with the former, than what it had by itself. This odf phenomenon showed itself in other particulars, a in Wit and Judgment, Philosophy and Religios Justice and Humanity, Zeal and Charity, depth of Sense and perspicuity of Style, with innumerable other particulars too long to be mentioned in tha paper.

As a dream seldom fails of dashing seriouses with impertinence, mirth with gravity, methought I made several other experiments of a more lac crous nature, by one of which I found that an Flish octavo was very often heavier than a Freach folio; and, by another, that an old Greek or Laus author weighed down a whole library of modern Seeing one of my Spectators lying by me, I laid it into one of the scales, and flung a two-penny piece into the other. The reader will not inquire ins the event, if he remembers the first trial which I have recorded in this paper. I afterwards threw both the sexes into the balance; but, as it is t for my interest to disoblige either of them, I sal desire to be excused from telling the result of the experiment. Having an opportunity of this nature in my hands, I could not forbear throwing isla one scale the principles of a tory, and into the other those of a whig; but as I have all along declared this to be a neutral paper, I shall likewist desire to be silent under this head also, though,

• See N° 459.

pon examining one of the weights, I saw the
ord TEKEL engraven on it in capital letters.
I made many other experiments; and, though I
lave not room for them all in this day's specula-
ion, I may perhaps reserve them for another. I
hall only add that, upon my awaking, I was sorry
o find my golden scales vanished; but resolved for
he future to learn this lesson from them, not to
lespise or value any things for their appearances,
ut to regulate my esteem and passions towards
hem according to their real and intrinsic value.

ADDISON.

N° 464. FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 1712.

Aurcam quisquis mediocritatem
Diligit, tutus curet obsoleti

Sordibus tecti, caret invidenda

Sobrius aula.

C.

HOR. Od. x. 1. 2. ver. 5.

The golden mean, as she's too nice to dwell
Among the ruins of a filthy cell,

So is her modesty withal as great,
To balk the envy of a princely seat.

NORRIS.

I AM wonderfully pleased when I meet with any passage in an old Greek or Latin author, that is hot blown upon, and which I have never met with n a quotation. Of this kind is a beautiful saying a Theognis: Vice is covered by wealth, and virue by poverty; or, to give it in the verbal transation, Among men there are some who have their rices concealed by wealth, and others who have heir virtues concealed by poverty. Every man's observation will supply him with instances of rich nen, who have several faults and defects that are wverlooked, if not entirely hidden, by means of heir riches; and, I think, we cannot find a more natural description of a poor man, whose merits are lost in his poverty, than that in the words of he wise man: There was a little city, and few nen within it; and there came a great king against t, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against t. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and le, by his wisdom, delivered the city: yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless, the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.'

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fondness for the present world. In short, the middle condition is most eligible to the man who would improve himself in virtue, as I have before shown it is the most advantageous for the gaining of knowledge. It was upon this consideration that Agur founded his prayer, which for the wisdom of it is recorded in holy writ: Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.'

I shall fill the remaining part of my paper with a very pretty allegory, which is wrought into a play by Aristophanes, the Greek comedian. It seems originally designed as a satire upon the rich, though, in some parts of it, it is, like the foregoing discourse, a kind of comparison between wealth and poverty.

Chremylus, who was an old and a good man, and withal exceeding poor, being desirous to leave some riches to his son, consults the oracle of Apollo upon the subject. The oracle bids him follow the first man he should see upon his going out of the temple. The person he chanced to see was to appearance an old sordid blind man; but upon his following him from place to place, he at last found, by his own confession, that he was Plutus, the god of riches, and that he was just come out of the house of a miser. Plutus further told him, that when he was a boy, he used to declare, that as soon as he came to age he would distribute wealth to none but virtuous and just men; upon which Jupiter, considering the pernicious consequences of such a resolution, took his sight away from him, and left him to stroll about the world in the blind condition wherein Chremylus beheld him. With much ado Chremylus prevailed upon him to go to his house, where he met an old woman in a tattered raiment, who had been his guest for many years, and whose name was Poverty. The old woman refusing to turn out so easily as he would have her, he threatened to banish her not only from his own house, but out of all Greece, if she made any more words upon the matter. Poverty on this occasion pleads her cause very notably, and represents to her old landlord, that should she be driven out of the country, all their trades, arts, and sciences, would be driven out with her; and The middle condition seems to be the most ad- that if every one was rich, they would never be vantageously situated for the gaining of wisdom. supplied with those pomps, ornaments, and conve Poverty turns our thoughts too much upon the sup-niencies of life, which made riches desirable,/ She plying of our wants, and riches upon our enjoying likewise represented to him the several advantages superfluities; and, as Cowley has said in another which she bestowed upon her votaries in regard to case, ' It is hard for a man to keep a steady eye their shape, their health, and their activity, by preupon truth, who is always in a battle, or a tri-serving them from gouts, dropsies, unwieldiness, umph.'

If we regard poverty and wealth, as they are apt to produce virtues or vices in the mind of man, one may observe that there is a set of each of these growing out of poverty, quite different from that which arises out of wealth. Humility and patience, industry and temperance, are very often the good qualities of a poor man. Humanity and goodnature, magnanimity and a sense of honour, are as often the qualifications of the rich. On the contrary, poverty is apt to betray a man into envy, riches into arrogance; poverty is too often attended with fraud, vicious compliance, repining, murmur, and discontent. Riches expose a man to pride and luxury, a foolish elation of heart, and too great a

See Daniel, v. 27.

and intemperance. But whatever she had to say for herself, she was at last forced to troop off. Chremylus immediately considered how he might restore Plutus to his sight; and, in order to it, conveyed him to the temple of Esculapius, who was famous for cures and miracles of this nature. By this means the deity recovered his eyes, and began to make a right use of them, by enriching every one that was distinguished by piety towards the gods, and justice towards men; and at the same time by taking away his gifts from the impious and undeserving. This produces several merry inci. dents, till in the last act Mercury descends with great complaints from the gods, that since the good men were grown rich, they had received no sacrifices; which is confirmed by a priest of Jupiter, who enters with a remonstrance, that since the late

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