of conveying more ideas, for men have thought and Spoken of many things which they do not fee.

Other parallels are fortuitous and fanciful, yet thefe have fometimes been extended to many particulars of resemblance by a lucky concurrence of diligence and chance. The animal body is compofed of many members, united under the direction of one mind; any number of individuals, connected for fome common purpose, is therefore called a body. From this participation of the fame appellation arose the comparison of the body natural and body politick, of which, how far foever it has been deduced, no end has hitherto been found.

In these imaginary fimilitudes, the fame word is ufed at once in its primitive and metaphorical fenfe. Thus health, afcribed to the body natural, is oppofed to fickness; but attributed to the body politick ftands as contrary to adverfity. These parallels therefore have more of genius but lefs of truth; they often please, but they never convince.

Of this kind is a curious fpeculation frequently indulged by a philofopher of my acquaintance, who had discovered, that the qualities requifite to conversation. are very exactly represented by a bowl of punch.

Punch, fays this profound investigator, is a liquor compounded of fpirit and acid juices, fugar and wa

The fpirit, volatile and fiery, is the proper emblem of vivacity and wit; the acidity of the lemon will very aptly figure pungency of raillery, and acrimony of cenfure; fugar is the natural reprefentative of luscious adulation and gentle complaifance; and water is the proper hieroglyphick of eafy prattle, inpocent and tastelefs.

K 4

Spirit

Spirit alone is too powerful for ufe. It will produce madnefs rather than merriment; and instead of quenching thirft will inflame the blood. Thus wit, too copiously poured out, agitates the hearer with emotions rather violent than pleafing; every one fhrinks from the force of its oppreffion, the company fits intranced and overpowered; all are aftonifhed, but nobody is pleafed.

The acid juices give this genial liquor all its power of ftimulating the palate. Converfation would become dull and vapid, if negligence were not fometimes roufed, and fluggishness quickened, by dee feverity of reprehenfion. But acids unmixt will d.ftort the face and torture the palate; and he that has no other qualities than penetration and afperity, he whofe conftant employment is detection and cenfure, who looks only to find faults, and fpeaks only to punifh them, will foon be dreaded, hated, and avoided.

The taste of fugar is generally pleafing, but it cannot long be eaten by itfelf. Thus meeknefs and courtesy will always recommend the first addrefs, but foon pall and naufeate, unless they are affociated with more fprightly qualities. The chief ufe of fugar is to temper the tafte of other fubftances, and foftnefs of behaviour in the fame manner mitigates the roughnefs of contradiction, and allays the bitternels of unwelcome truth.

Water is the univerial vehicle by which are conveyed the particles neceffary to fuftenance and growth, by which thirst is quenched, and all the wants of life and nature are fupplied. Thus all the bufinefs of the world is tranfacted by artlefs and eafy talk, neither fublimed by fancy, nor difcoloured by affecta

tion, without either the harshness of fatire, or the lusciousness of flattery. By this limpid vein of language, curiofity is gratified, and all the knowledge is conveyed which one man is required to impart for the fafety or convenience of another. Water is the only ingredient of punch which can be used alone, and with which man is content till fancy has framed an artificial want. Thus while we only defire to have our ignorance informed, we are most delighted with the plaineft diction; and it is only in the moments of idleness or pride, that we call for the gratifications of wit or flattery.

He only will please long, who, by tempering the acid of fatire with the fugar of civility, and allaying the heat of wit with the frigidity of humble chat, can make the true punch of converfation; and as that punch can be drunk in the greatest quantity which has the largest proportion of water, fo that companion will be ofteneft welcome, whofe talk flows out with inoffenfive copioufnefs, and unenvied infipidity.

NUMB. 35. SATURDAY, December 16, 1758.

Mr. IDLER,

To the IDLER.

Fit be difficult to perfuade the idle to be busy,

it is likewife, as experience has taught me, not eafy to convince the busy that it is better to be idle. When you fhall defpair of ftimulating fluggishness to motion, I hope you will turn your thoughts towards the means of filling the bustle of pernicious activity.

I am the unfortunate hufband of a buyer of bargains. My wife has fomewhere heard, that a good housewife never has any thing to purchase when it is wanted. This maxim is often in her mouth, and always in her head. She is not one of thofe philofophical talkers that fpeculate without practice, and learn fentences of wifdom only to repeat them; fhe is always making additions to her ftores; fhe never looks into a broker's fhop, but fhe fpies fomething that may be wanted fome time; and it is impossible to make her pafs the door of a houfe where fhe hears goods felling by auction.

Whatever the thinks cheap, fhe holds it the duty of an economift to buy; in confequence of this maxim, we are incumbered on every fide with useJefs lumber. The fervants can fcarcely creep to their beds through the chefts and boxes that furround them. The carpenter is employed once a

week

week in building clofets, fixing cupboards, and fastening shelves, and my house has the appearance of a ship stored for a voyage to the colonies.

I had often obferved that advertisements fet her on fire; and therefore, pretending to emulate her laudable frugality, I forbad the newfpaper to be taken any longer; but my precaution is vain; I know not by what fatality, or by what confederacy, every catalogue of genuine furniture comes to her hand, every advertisement of a warehouse newly opened is in her pocket-book, and he knows before any of her neighbours when the stock of any man leaving off trade is to be fold cheap for ready

money.

Such intelligence is to my dear-one the Syren's fong. No engagement, no duty, no intereft, can withhold her from a fale, from which fhe always returns congratulating herself upon her dexterity at a bargain; the porter lays down his burthen in the hall, the difplays her new acquifitions, and fpends the rest of the day in contriving where they shall be put.

As fhe cannot bear to have any thing uncomplete, one purchase neceffitates another; fhe has twenty feather-beds more than fhe can ufe, and a late fale has fupplied her with a proportionable number of Whitney blankets, a large roll of linen for fheets, and five quilts for every bed, which the bought because the feller told her, that if fhe would clear his hands he would let her have a bargain.

Thus by hourly encroachments my habitation is made narrower and narrower; the dining-room is fo crowded