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Old Age.

CHAPTER XI.

So mayst thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop
Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease

Gather'd, not harshly pluck'd, for death mature.
This is old age; but then thou must outlive

Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change
To wither'd, weak, and grey; thy senses then
Obtuse, all taste of pleasure must forego

To what thou hast and for the air of youth
Hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reign
A melancholy damp of cold and dry,

To weigh thy spirits down; and last consume
The balm of health.

MILTON.

IN our two foregoing chapters we have two very different and alarming characters before us; each sufficient to shew us the vanity of this life, and to awaken in our souls an earnest attention to fu

Old Age.

ture concerns: the one cut off by a sudden blast from heaven in the full bloom of days, and the vigour of health: the other dragging through a length of weary years a feeble existence *, to "the last scene of all,

Which ends our strange, eventful history,

To second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing t."

Old age is honourable, and hath its advantages -But might I presume, oh! thou Almighty and All-wise, short-sighted as I am, and incapable at the best to distinguish my real good or evilmight I presume to judge, or ask any thing of thee respecting my future state in this poor passing world, I would humbly say, "Suffer me not to bear the load of life when every faculty is benumbed; when every power of enjoyment is past; when oblivion darkens the memory, and all the

* Mr. NASH died at Bath in February, 1761, aged 88. "The man was sunk long before, as one expresses it, in the weakness and infirmities of exhausted nature." See the PUBLIC LEDGER, No. 365.

+ SHAKSPEARE.

Hassan.

senses seem wearied and sealed up; when the power of being useful to mankind is totally removed; nay, when the power of pleasing is no more, and we become a burden even to our nearest friends."

See the trembling, palsied HASSAN! unable to move; scarce able to utter intelligible sounds; weak in his sight; imperfect in hearing; opprest with pains: forgotten by all the world; forsaken by all; and attended only by a distant relation, whom interest keeps with him, impatient for his departure, and anxious to possess his wealth. Yet though thus miserable, despised, forsaken, forgotten, HASSAN loves the world; clings faster to it, the more it shrinks from his embraces; detests the thoughts of death; and thinks and talks of nothing with satisfaction, but the delusive mammon of unrighteousness. Oh, what an old age is this! How wretched an issue of a long useless life. Fourscore years have been passed to no end, but the procuring of wealth. Fourscore years are over; the wealth is secured; the man is about to die; and he hath neither child nor friend to inherit it! He hath no power to

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Hall.

enjoy it; he is dead while he liveth yet his affections are placed-not on things above-butah! sad reverse-on things below. Can the world produce any object more pitiable or more contemptible than HASSAN?

Vigorous old age, the winter of an useful, virtuous life, is as much to be desired, as the contrary is to be deprecated. Crowned with victory over the inferior passions, girt round with useful and experimental knowledge, leaning on the staff of prudence, courage*, and resolution, the old man becomes a blessing to society; we rise

*Bishop Hall gives us an instance of courage in an old plain man in the country; some thieves broke into his solitary dwelling, taking advantage of the absence of his family, and finding him sitting alone by his fire-side, they fell violently upon him; when one of them fixing his dagger to the old man's heart, swore that he would presently kill him, if he did not instantly deliver to them that money which they knew he had lately received. The old man, looking boldly into the face of the villain, replied with an undaunted courage: "Nay, if I were killed by thee I have lived long enough; but I tell thee, son, unless thou mend thy manners, thou wilt never live to see half my days."

Sophron.

up to him with reverence, and rejoice to do him honour.

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Such is the hoary SOPHRON; we behold him with a degree of awe and veneration; we consult him with confidence; and to follow his advice is to act wisely and consistently. SOPHRON filled a very busy sphere of life, and maintained a high reputation for integrity, prudence, and piety. He retreated in proper season from the stage, and now dedicates his time to the great business of self-recollection. Yet is he no absolute hermit nor recluse; nor does he so live to himself as to forget the concerns of others; mild and affable, he delights in the conversation of his friends, and pleasingly instructs, while scarce seeming to instruct; benevolent and humane, he listens to the voice of affliction, and is always the ready friend of the poor and the oppressed. Happy SOPHRON ! he has not lived in vain; his youth was active; his old age is healthful, placid, and peaceable. Resigned to the Sovereign Disposer's will, he waits contentedly for his approaching change, and looks with joy to his journey's end; looks with joy to that harbour, wherein his weatherbeaten vessel must shortly cast anchor! when his

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