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LETTER XV.

"Laugh where you muft; be candid where you can."

"Know then, that always when you come,

"You'll find me fitting on my bum;

"Or lying on a couch, furrounded

"With tables, pens, and books, confounded;

Wrapt up in lofty fpeculation,

"As if on the fafety of the nation."

POPE.

HUME.

DEAR FRIEND,

IN the courfe of my reading,

I learnt that there had been various fects of philofophers amongst the Greeks, Romans, &c. and I well remembered the names of the most eminent of them. At an old book-fhop I purchased Plato on the Immortality of the Soul, Plutarch's Morals, Seneca's Morals, Epicurus's Morals, the Morals of Confucius the Chinese Philofopher, and a few others. I now can scarce help thinking that I received more real benefit from reading and studying them

them and Epictetus, than from all other books that I had read before, or have ever read fince that time.

I was but about twenty-two years of age, when I first began to read those fine moral productions; and I affure you, my friend, that they made a very deep and lasting impreffion on my mind. By reading them, I was taught to bear the unavoidable evils attending humanity, and to fupply all my wants by contracting or restraining my defires.

It is now twenty-three years fince I first perused them; during which time I do not recollect that I have ever felt one anxious painful wish to get money, eftates, or any way to better my condition :

"Indeed, my friend, were I to find

"That wealth could e'er my real wishes gain ;
"Had e'er difturb'd my thoughtful mind,

"Or cost one serious moment's pain;
" I should have faid, that all the rules,
" I learn'd of moralifts and schools,
"Were very useless, very vain.

And

And yet I have never fince that time let flip any fair opportunity of doing it. So that all I mean is, that I have not been over folicitous to obtain any thing that I did not poffefs; but could at all times fay, with St. Paul, that I have learned to be contented in all fituations, although at times they have been very gloomy indeed. Dryden says,

"We to ourselves may all our wishes grant,
"For, nothing coveting, we nothing want."

DRYDEN'S Indian Emperor.

And in another place he fays,

་་

They cannot want who wish not to have more : "Who ever faid an anchoret was poor ?"

DRYDEN'S Secret Love.

The pleasures of eating and drinking I entirely despised, and for fome time carried this

difpofition to an 'extreme.

The account of

Epicurus living in his garden, at the

expence

of about a halfpenny per day, and that when he added a little cheese to his bread on particular occafions, he confidered it as a luxury, filled me with raptures. From that moment I began

K

I began to live on bread and tea, and for a
confiderable time did not partake of any other
viands, but in thofe I indulged myself three or
four times a day. My reafons for living in
this abftemious manner were in order to fave
money to purchase books, to wean myself
from the grofs pleafures of eating, drink-
ing, &c. and to purge my mind, and make
it more fufceptible of intellectual pleasures..
And here I cannot help remarking, that the
term Epicure when applied to one who makes
the pleasures of the table his chief good, cafts
an unjust reflection on Epicurus, and conveys
a wrong
idea of that contemplative and very
abftemious philofopher: for although he af-
ferted that pleasure was the chief or fupreme
good, yet he also as ftrongly afferted, that it
was the tranquillity of the mind, and intel-
lectual pleasure, that he fo extolled and re-
commended.

"Some place the blifs in action, fome in ease;
"Those call it pleasure, and contentment these :
"Some, funk to beasts, find pleasure end in pain;
"Some, fwell'd to gods, confefs e'en virtue vain.”

POPE.

I continued the above felf-denying life until I left Bristol, which was on Whitsunday in 1769. I had for fome time before been pointing out to my friend John Jones fome of the pleasures and advantages of travelling, fo that I easily prevailed on him to accompany me towards the Weft of England; and in the evening we arrived at Bridgewater, where Mr. Jones got work. He was employed by Mr. Cash, with whom he continued near twelve months, and in the end married Mr. Cafh's daughter, a very pretty and very amiable little woman, with fome fortune. When my friend was offered work by Mr. Cafh, I prevailed on him to accept of it, affuring him that I had no doubt of my being able to get work at Taunton but in that I was disappointed, nor could I get a conftant feat of work until I came to Exeter, and of that place I was foon tired; but being informed that a Mr. John Taylor of Kingsbridge (forty miles below Exeter) wanted fuch a hand, I went down, and was gladly received by Mr. Taylor, whofe name infpires me with gratitude, as he

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