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ing began to knock down one of the walls of it, in order to let in the fresh air, and had packed up fome of the household-goods, of which I intended to have made thee a prefent; • but the falfe varlet no fooner faw me falling to work, but he fent word to defire me to give over, for that he would have no fuch doings in his house. I had not been long in this nation before I was told by one, for whom I had afked a certain favour from the chief of the king's fervants, whom they here call the lord• treasurer, that I had eternally obliged him. I fo furprised at his gratitude, that I could not forbear faying, What fervice is there • which one man can do for another, that can oblige him to all eternity! However, I only afked him, for my reward, that he would lend me his eldest daughter during my stay in this country; but I quickly found that he was as • treacherous as the reft of his countrymen.

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At my firft going to court one of the great men almost put me out of countenance, by afking ten thoufand pardons of me for only treading by accident upon my toe. They call this kind of lie a compliment; for, when they are civil to a great man, they tell him untruths, for which thou wouldeft order any of thy officers of state to receive a hundred blows his foot. I do not know how I fhall negoupon ciate any thing with this people, fince there is fo little credit to be given to them. When I go to fee the King's fcribe, I am generally ⚫ told that he is not at home, though perhaps I

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faw him go into his houfe almoft the very moment before. Thou wouldest fancy that the ⚫ whole nation are physicians, for the first queftion they always afk me is, how I do: I have this question put to me above a hundred times a day. Nay, they are not only thus inquifitive ' after my health, but with it in a more folemn manner, with a full glafs in their hands, every time I fit with them at table, though at the fame time they would perfuade me to drink their liquors in fuch quantities as I have found by experience will make me fick. They often pretend to pray for thy health alfo in the fame manner; but I have more reafon to expect it 'from the goodness of thy conftitution than the fincerity of their wishes. May thy flave escape in fafety from this double-tongued race ' of men, and live to lay himself once more at thy feet in the royal city of Bantam.'

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N° 558. Wednesday, June 23, 1714.

Qui fit, Macenas, ut nemo, quam fibi fortem
Seu ratio dederit, feu fors objecerit, illa
Contentus vivat: laudet diverfa fequentes?
O fortunati mercatores, gravis annis
Miles ait, multo jam fractus membra labore!
Contrà mercator, navim ja&tantibus auftris,
Militia eft potior. Quid enim? concurritur : hora
Momento cita mors venit, aut victoria læta.
Agricolam laudat juris legumque peritus,

* By ADDISON.

*

Sub

Sub galli cantum confultor ubi oftia pulsat.

Ille, datis vadibus, qui rure extractus in urbem eft,
Solos felices viventes clamat in urbe.

Cetera de genere hoc (adeo funt multa) loquacem
Delaffare valent Fabium. Ne te morer, audi
Quò rem deducam. Si quis Deus, en ego, dicat,
Fam faciam quod vultis: eris tu, qui modò, miles,
Mercator: tu confultus modò, rufticus. Hinc vos,
Vos hinc mutatis difcedite partibus. Eja,
Quid ftatis? Nolint. Atqui licet effe beatis.

HOR. I Sat. i. I.

Whence is't, Mæcenas, that fo few approve The state they're placed in, and incline to rove; Whether against their will by fate impos'd, Or by confent and prudent choice efpous'd? Happy the merchant! the old foldier cries, Broke with fatigues and warlike enterprife. The merchant, when the dreaded hurricane Toffes his wealthy cargo on the main, Applauds the wars and toils of a campaign: There an engagement foon decides your doom, Bravely to die, or come victorious home. The lawyer vows the farmer's life is beft, When at the dawn the clients break his reft. The farmer, having put in bail t'appear, And forc'd to town, cries, they are happieft there: • With thousands more of this inconftant race, • Would tire e'en Fabius to relate each case.

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Not to detain you longer, pray attend

The iffue of all this; fhould Jove defcend,
And grant to every man his rafh demand,
To run his lengths with a neglectful hand;
First, grant the harafs'd warrior a release,
Bid him to trade, and try the faithlefs feas,
To purchase treafure and declining cafe:
Next, call the pleader from his learned ftrife,

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To the calm bleffings of a country life: And, with thefe feparate demands difinifs Each fuppliant to enjoy the promis'd blifs : 'Don't you believe they'd run? Not one will move Tho' proffer'd to be happy from above.'

IT

HORNECK.

T is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the Misfortunes of mankind were caft into a public stock, in order to be equally diftributed among the whole fpecies, thofe who now think themfelves the most unhappy would prefer the share they are already poffeffed of before that which would fall to them by fuch a divifion. Horace has carried this thought a great deal farther in the motto of my Paper, which implies, that the hardships of Misfortunes which we lie under are more eafy to us than thofe of any other perfon would be, in cafe we could change conditions with him.

As I was ruminating upon these two remarks, and seated in my elbow-chair, I infenfibly fell afleep; when on a fudden methought there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal fhould bring in his Griefs and Calamities, and throw them together in a heap. There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my ftand in the centre of it, and faw with a great deal of pleasure the whole human fpecies marching one after another, and throwing down their feveral loads, which immediately grew up into a prodigious Mountain, that feemed to rife above the clouds.

VOL. VIII.

C

There

There was a certain lady of a thin airy fhape, who was very active in this folemnity. She carried a magnifying glafs in one of her hands, and was clothed in a loose flowing robe, embroidered with feveral figures of fiends and fpectres, that discovered themselves in a thousand chimerical fhapes as her garment hovered in the wind. There was fomething wild and distracted in her looks. Her name was Fancy. She led up every mortal to the appointed place, after having very officioufly aflifted him in making up his pack, and laying it upon his fhoulders. My heart melted within me to fee my fellow-creatures groaning under their refpective burdens, and to confider that prodigious bulk of human Calamities which lay before me.

There were however feveral perfons who gave me great diverfion upon this occafion. I obferved one bringing in a fardel very carefully, concealed under an old embroidered cloak, which, upon his throwing it into the heap, I difcovered to be Poverty. Another, after a great deal of puffing, threw down his luggage, which upon examining, I found to be his wife.

There were multitudes of Lovers faddled with very whimsical burdens compofed of darts and flames; but, what was very odd, though they fighed as if their hearts would break under thefe bundles of Calamities, they could not perfuade themselves to caft them into the heap, when they came up to it; but, after a few faint efforts, fhook their heads and marched away, as heavy loaden as they came. I faw multitudes

of

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