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extravagancy whatever I did. well that he would have ftarved me, but for lofing my jointures; and he fuffered agonies between the grief of fecing me have fo good a ftomach, and the fear that, if he made me faft, it might prejudice my health. I did not doubt he would have broke my heart, if I did not break his, which was allowable by the law of felf-defence. The way was very eafy. I refolved to spend as much money as I could; and, before he was aware of the ftroke, appeared before him in a two thousand pounds diamond necklace; he faid nothing, but went quietly to his chamber, and, as it is thought, compofed himself with a dofe of opium. I behaved myself fo well upon the occafion that to this day I believe he died of an apoplexy. • Mr. Waitfort was refolved not to be too late this time, and I heard from him in two days. I am almost out of my weeds at this prefent writing, and very doubtful whether I will marry him or no. I do not think of a feventh for the ridiculous reafon you mention, • but out of pure morality that I think fo much. conftancy fhould be rewarded, though I may not do it after all perhaps. I do not believe all the unreafonable malice of mankind can give a pretence why I fhould have been conftant to the memory of any of the deceased, or have fpent much time in grieving for an infolent, infignificant, negligent, extravagant, fplenatic, or covetous hufband; my • first infulted me, my fecond was nothing to H 2

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me, my third disgusted me, the fourth would • have ruined me, the fifth tormented me, and the fixth would have ftarved me. If the other ladies you name would thus give in their husbands' pictures at length, you would fee they have had as little reafon as myself to lose their hours in weeping and wailing.'

I

N° 574.

Friday, July 30, 1714.

Non poffidentem multa vocaveris
Rectè beatum; recliùs occupat
Nomen beati, qui Deorum
Muneribus fapienter uti,
Duramque callet pauperiem pati.

HOR. 4 Od. ix. 45.

Believe not thofe that lands poffefs,

And fhining heaps of ufelefs ore,
The only lords of happiness;

But rather thofe that know
For what kind fates beftow,

And have the art to use the ftore:
That have the generous fkill to bear
The hated weight of poverty.'

CREECH.

As

WAS once engaged in difcourfe with a Roficrucian about the great fecret." this kind of men (I mean those of them who are not profeffed cheats) are overrun with en

Juft published, "An Account of Switzerland, writ-
By Abraham Stanyan, Envoy there.

CC ten in 1714."

SPECT. in folio.

thufiafm

thufiafin and philofophy, it was very amufing to hear this religious adept defcanting on his pretended discovery. He talked of the fecret as of a fpirit which lived within an emerald, and converted every thing that was near it to the highest perfection it is capable of. It gives a luftre, fays he, to the fun, and water to the diamond. It irradiates every metal, and enriches lead with all the properties of gold. It heightens fmoke into flame, flame into light, and light into glory. He further added, that a fingle ray of it diffipates pain, and care, and melancholy, from the perfon on whom it falls. In fhort, fays he, its prefence naturally changes every place into a kind of heaven. After he had gone on for fome time in this unintelligible cant, I found that he jumbled natural and moral ideas together in the fame difcourfe, and that his great fecret was nothing elfe but CONTENT.

This virtue does indeed produce, in fome measure, all thofe effects which the alchymist ufually afcribes to what he calls the philofopher's stone; and if it does not bring riches, it does the fame thing, by banishing the defire of them. If it cannot remove the difquietudes arifing out of man's mind, body, or fortune, it makes him eafy under them. It has indeed a kindly influence on the foul of man, in refpect of every being to whom he ftands related. It extinguishes all murmur, repining and ingratitude towards that Being who has allotted him his part to act in this world. It destroys all inordinate ambition, and every tendency to corruption,

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ruption, with regard to the community wherein he is placed. It gives fweetnefs to his converfation, and a perpetual ferenity to all his thoughts.

Among the many methods which might be made ufe of for the acquiring of this virtue, I fhall only mention the two following. First of all, a man fhould always confider how much he has more than he wants: and fecondly, how much more unhappy he might be than he really is.

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First of all, a man fhould always confider how much he has more than he wants. wonderfully pleased with the reply which Ariftippus made to one who condoled him upon the lofs of a farm: "Why," faid he, Why," faid he, "I have "three farms ftill, and you have but one; fo "that I ought rather to be afflicted for you "than you for me." On the contrary, foolish men are more apt to confider what they have loft than what they poffefs; and to fix their eyes upon those who are richer than themselves, rather than on those who are under greater difficulties. All the real pleasures and conveniencies of life lie in a narrow compafs; but it is the humour of mankind to be always looking forward, and straining after one who has got the start of them in wealth and honour, this reafon, as there are none can be properly called rich who have not more than they want, there are few rich men in any of the politer nations but among the middle fort of people, who keep their withes within their for

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tunes,

tunes, and have more wealth than they know how to enjoy. Perfons of a higher rank live in a kind of fplendid poverty, and are perpetually wanting, becaufe, inftead of acquiefcing in the folid pleasures of life, they endeavour to outvie one another in fhadows and appearances. Men of sense have at all times beheld with a great deal of mirth this filly game that is playing over their heads, and, by contracting their defires, enjoy all that fecret fatisfaction which others are always in queft of. The truth is, this ridiculous chafe after imaginary pleasures cannot be fufficiently expofed, as it is the great fource of thofe evils which generally undo a nation. Let a man's eftate be what it will, he is a poor man if he does not live within it, and naturally fets himself to fale to any one that can give him his price. When Pittacus, after the death of his brother, who had left him a good eftate, was offered a great fum of money by the king of Lydia, he thanked him for his kindnefs, but told him he had already more by half than he knew what to do with. In fhort, Content is equivalent to wealth, and luxury to poverty; or, to give the thought a more agreeable turn, "Content is natural wealth," fays Socrates; to which I fhall add, "Luxury is "artificial poverty." I fhall therefore recommend to the confideration of those who are always aiming after fuperfluous and imaginary enjoyments, and will not be at the trouble of contracting their defires, an excellent faying of Bion the philofopher; namely, "That no man has

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