N° 626. Monday, November 29, 1714.

·Dulcique animos novitate tenebo. Ov. Met. 1. 1.

HAVE feen a little work of a learned man, confifting of extemporary fpeculations, which owed their birth to the most trifling occurrences of life. His ufual method was, to write down any fudden start of thought which arofe in hist mind upon the fight of an odd gefticulation in a man, any whimsical mimickry of reafon in a beast, or whatever appeared remarkable in any object of the visible creation. He was able to moralize upon a fnuff-box, would flourish eloquently upon a tucker or a pair of ruffles, and draw practical inferences from a full-bottomed periwig. This I thought fit to mention, by way of excufe, for my ingenious correfpondent, who hath introduced the following letter by an image which, I will beg leave to tell him, is too ridiculous in fo ferious and noble a fpeculation.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

WH

HEN I have seen young pufs playing her wanton gambols, and with a thoufand antick fhapes exprefs her own gaiety at the fame time that the moved mine, while the old grannum hath fat by with a moft exemplary gravity, unmoved at all that past, it hath made me reflect what fhould be the occafion of humours fo oppofite in two creatures,

• between

between whom there was no vifible difference but that of age; and I have been able to refolve it into nothing elfe but the force of novelty.

In every fpecies of creatures, those who have been leaft time in the world appear best pleased with their condition: for, befides that to a new comer the world hath a freshness on it that ftrikes the fenfe after a moft agreeable manner, being itself unattended with any great variety of enjoyments, excites a fenfation of pleasure: but, as age advances, every thing feems to wither, the fenfes are difgufted with 'their old entertainments, and exiftence turns • flat and infipid. We may fee this exemplified • in mankind: the child, let him be free from pain, and gratified in his change of toys, is diverted with the fmalleft trifle. Nothing difturbs the mirth of the boy but a little pu' nifhment or confinement. The youth muft have more violent pleasures to employ his time; the man loves the hurry of an active life, devoted to the purfuits of wealth or ambition; and, laftly, old age, having loft its capacity for these avocations, becomes its own unfupportable burthen. This variety may in part be accounted for by the vivacity and decay of the faculties; but I believe is chiefly owing to this, that the longer we have been in pof'feffion of being, the lefs fenfible is the guft we have of it; and the more it requires of adventitious amufements to relieve us from the fatiety and wearinefs it brings along with it.

A a 2

• And

6

And as novelty is of a very powerful, fo is it of a moft extenfive influence. Moralifts have long fince obferved it to be the fource of ad• miration, which leffens in proportion to our familiarity with objects, and upon a thorough acquaintance is utterly extinguifhed. But I think it hath not been fo commonly remarked that all the other paffions depend confiderably 6 on the fame circumftance. What is it but novelty that awakens defire, enhances delight, kindles anger, provokes envy, infpires horror? To this caufe we must afcribe it, that love languishes with fruition, and friendship itself is recommended by intervals of abfence: hence monsters, by use, are beheld without loathing, and the most enchanting beauty without rapture. That emotion of the fpirits, in which paffion confifts, is ufually the effect of furprife, and, as long as it continues, heightens the agreeable or difagreeable qualities of its object; but as this emotion ceafes (and it ceases with the novelty) things appear in another light, and affect us even lefs than might be expected 'from their proper energy, for having moved us

6

6

6

6

6

too much before.

It may not be an ufelefs inquiry how far the love of novelty is the unavoidable growth • of nature, and in what refpects it is peculiarly adapted to the prefent ftate. To me it feems impoffible that a reasonable creature should reft abfolutely fatisfied in any acquifitions whatever, without endeavouring farther; for, after its highest improvements, the mind hath

6

• an

6

6

6

6

6

an idea of an infinity of things still behind 'worth knowing, to the knowledge of which 'therefore it cannot be indifferent; as by clinıbing up a hill in the midst of a wide plain a man hath his profpect enlarged, and, together with that, the bounds of his defires. Upon this account, I cannot think he detracts from the ftate of the bleffed, who conceives them to be perpetually employed in fresh searches into nature, and to eternity advancing into the fathomless depths of the divine perfections. In this thought there is nothing but what doth ⚫ honour to these glorified fpirits; provided still it be remembered, that their defire of more • proceeds not from their difrelishing what they poffefs; and the pleasure of a new enjoyment is not with them measured by its novelty (which is a thing merely foreign and accidental) but by its real intrinfic value. After an ⚫ acquaintance of many thousand years with the • works of God, the beauty and magnificence of the creation fills them with the fame pleasing wonder and profound awe which Adam felt • himself seized with as he first opened his upon this glorious fcene. Truth captivates • with unborrowed charms, and whatever hath once given fatisfaction will always do it. In all which they have manifeftly the advantage of us, who are fo much governed by fickly and changeable appetites, that we can with the greatest coldness behold the ftupendous difplays of omnipotence, and be in transports at the puny effays of human fkill; throw afide • fpeculations

6

6

A a 3

eyes

6

6

fpeculations of the fublimeft nature and vastest importance into fome obfcure corner of the mind, to make room for new notions of no confequence at all; are even tired of health, becaufe not enlivened with alternate pain; and prefer the first reading of an indifferent author to the fecond or third perufal of one whofe merit and reputation are established.

Our being thus formed ferves many useful purposes in the prefent ftate. It contributes not a little to the advancement of learning; for, as Cicero takes notice, that which makes men willing to undergo the fatigues of philofophical difquifitions, is not fo much the greatnefs of objects as their novelty. It is not enough that there is field and game for the chafe, and that the understanding is prompted with a restless thirft of knowledge, effectually 6 to roufe the foul, funk into the state of floth and indolence; it is alfo neceffary that there be an uncommon pleafure annexed to the first appearance of truth in the mind. This pleasure being exquifite for the time it lasts, but tranfient, it hereby comes to pafs that the mind grows into an indifference to its former notions, and paffes on after new difcoveries, in hope of repeating the delight. It is with knowledge as with wealth, the pleasure of which lies more in making endless additions. than in taking a review of our old ftore, There are fome inconveniencies that follow this

6 temper, if not guarded againft, particularly this, that, through too great an eagerness of • fomething