ESSAYS. 



the fairy-land around him. Every thing fur- 

 nished him with an opportunity of mirth ; and 

 though some thought him, from his insensibili- 

 ty, a fool, he was such an Hiot as philosophers 

 should wish to imitate ; for al! philosophy is 

 only forcing the trade of happiness, when na- 

 ture seems to deny the means. 



They who, like our slaves, can place them- 

 selves on that side of the world in which every 

 thing appears in a pleasing light, will find 

 something in every occurrence to excite their 

 good humour-. The most calamitous events, 

 either to themselves or others, can bring no 

 new affliction ! the whole world i* to them a 

 theatre, on which comedies only are acted. 

 All the bustle of heroism, or the rants of am- 

 bition, serve only to heighten the absurdity of 

 the scene, and make the humour more poig- 

 nant. They feel, in short, as little anguish at 

 their own distress, or the complaints of others, 

 as the undertaker, though dressed in black, 

 feels sorrow at a funeral. 



Of all the men 1 ever read of, the famous 

 cardinal de lleiz possessed this happiness of 

 temper in the highest degree. A-* he was a 

 man of gallantry, and despised all that wore 

 the pedantic appearance of philosophy, where- 

 ever pleasure was to be sold, he was generally 

 foremost to raise the auction. Being an uni- 

 versal admirer of the fair sex, when he found 

 one lady cruel, he generally fell in love with 

 another, from who.n he expected a more fa- 

 vourable reception : if she too rejected his ad- 

 dresses, he never thought of retiring into de- 

 sarts, or pining in hopeless distress. He per- 

 suaded hi nsflf, that, instead of loving the lady, 

 he only fancied that he had loved her, and so 

 all was well again. When fortune wore her 

 angriest look, lie at last fell into the power of 

 his most deadly enemy, cardinal Mazarine, 

 (being confined a close prisoner in the castle 

 of V ilencieiM *,) he never attempted to snp- 

 p >rr his di>jtre-*s by wisdom or philosophy, for 

 he pretended to neither. He only laughed at 

 himself and his persecutor, and seemed infinite- 

 ly pleased at his new situation. In this man- 

 sion of distress, though secluded from his friends, 

 though denied all the amusements, and even 

 the conveniences of life, he still retained his 

 go,) ! humour ; laughed at all the little spite of 

 his enemies ; and carried the j;:st *o far, as to 

 be revenged, by writing the life of his gaoler. 



All that the w isdom of the proud can teach, 



is to be stubborn or sullen under misfortunes. 

 The cardinal's example will instruct us to be 

 merry in circumstances of the highest afflic- 

 tion. It matters not whether our good humour 

 be construed by others into insensibility, or 

 even idiotism ; it is happiness to ourselves, and 

 none but a fool would measure his satisfaction 

 by what the world thinks of it ; for my own 

 part, I never pass by one of our prisons for 

 debt, that I do not envy that felicity which is 

 still going forward among those people who 

 forget the cares of the world by being shut out 

 from its ambition. 



The happiest silly fellow I ever knew, was 

 of the number of these good-natured creatures 

 that are said to do no harm to any but them- 

 selves. Whenever he fell into any misery, he 

 usually called it, Seeing Life. If liis head was 

 hroke by a chairman, or his pocket picker) by 

 a sharper, he comforted himself by imitating 

 the Hibernian dialect of the one, or the more 

 fashionable cant of the other. Nothing came 

 amiss to him. His inattention to money mat- 

 ters had incensed his father to such a degree, 

 that all the intercession (if his friends in his fa- 

 vour was fruitless. The old gentleman was 

 on his death-bed. The whole family, and 

 Dick among the number, gathered around 

 him, ' I leave my second son, Andrew,' said 

 the expiring miser, ' my whole estate, and de- 

 ' sire him to be frugal.' Andrew, in a sorrow- 

 ful tone, as is usual on these occasions, prayed 

 Heaven to prolong his life and health to enjoy 

 it himself. ' 1 recommend Simon, n;\ third 

 ' son, to the care of his elder brother, and !e; -\ 

 ' him beside four thousand pounds.' ' Ah ! 

 ' father,' cried Simon, (in great affliction to be 

 sure) * May heaven give you life and health 

 ' to enjoy it yourself,' At last, turning to poor 

 Dick, ' As for you, you have always been a sad 

 ' dog ; you'll never come to good ; you'll neve r 

 ' be rich ; I'll leave you a shilling to buy a l.ul- 

 ' ter.' ' All ! father,' cries Dick, \\itht-ut uny 

 emotion, ' may Heaven give you life aiiu htyhh 

 ' lo enjoy it yourself.' This was ;.!! ilie trouble 

 the loss of fortune gave this thoughtless im- 

 prudent creature. However, the tenderness 

 of an uncle recompensed the neglect of a 

 father; and my friend is now not only ex- 

 cessively good humoured, but competently 

 rich. 



Yes, let the world cry out at n bankrupt who 

 appears at a ball ; at an author n ho laughs at 



