I»70?. gleamngs of literature. lopr 



" Methlnks he was chicken hearted, and might have done 

 it with a dafli, by setting it down to the account of mode- 

 rate desires. 



" It is the fret that gets upon our minds, and the want 

 of sedatives to allay it, that plays the devil with us all. 



" Let us cultivate engaging, and rational, and easily at- 

 tainable pursuits, as the sedatives for this fret^ and all wUl 

 be well. 



" If fortune, who governs all things, {hall call us into 

 eminent or busy stations, let us be daring and busyj but if 

 (he compels us to remain in the iliade, let us remember 

 that the laurel thrives in the (hade with peculiar procerity. 



" I was born to the pofsefsion of a small estate, and ha- 

 ving mlfsed my way in the world, by some of the freaks 

 of the fickle She that stands upon the globe with a ban- 

 dage on her eyes, I have lately ended a poetical efsay on 

 my own pursuits, in the following manner, after having 

 said that I desire not " voiitare vhut per era virum : 



" Thus would I pafs my unambitious days, 

 " Unltr.own to envy, undisturbed with praise; 

 " Cuiltlefs, enjoy the lot Heav'n freely gave, 

 " Steal soft through life, and hide me in the grave. 



" The great misery with respect to this said businefs of 

 contentment, is, that we imagine we can obtain it by the 

 power of ratiocination ; and by comparing our situations 

 with such as are more unfortunate than our own. Now 

 contentmfint, as I said before, is only to be obtained by 

 going out of ourselves, to dwell upon agreeable, interest- 

 ing, and permanent objects and pursuits, that prevent us 

 from falling back (as it were_) and prefsing upon ourselves, 

 which must certainly terminate in quarrelling with our- 

 gelves, or in the production of the Englifli spleen, or 

 French ennui, a disease from which, that you may he pre- 

 served, by my admirable nostrum, is the sincere and hearty 

 prayer of, my dear Sir, your affectionate humble servant."' 



B. A 



