LETTERS. '2bo 



not too anxious, driv^es away from his brain those harass- 

 ing speculations which are continually assaulting the 

 man of leisure, and the man of reading. The studious 

 man, though his pleasures are of the most refined species, 

 finds cares and disturbing thoughts in study. To think 

 much and deeply will soon make a man sad. His 

 thoughts, ever on the wing, often carry him where he 

 shudders to be even in imagination. He is like a man 

 in sleep — sometimes his dreams are pleasing, but at 

 others horror itself takes possession of his imagination ; 

 and this inequality of mind is almost inseparable from 

 much meditation and mental exercise. From this cause 

 it often happens, that lettered and philosophical men are 

 peevish in their tempers and austere in their manners. 

 The inference I would draw from these remarks is gene- 

 ; rally this, that although every man carries about him the 

 seeds of happiness or misery in his own bosom, yet it is 

 I a truth not liable to many exceptions, that men are more 

 ! equally free from anxiety and care, in proportion as they 

 I recede from the more refined and mental, to the grosser 

 , and bodily employments and modes of life, but that the 

 happiest condition is placed in the middle, between the 

 extremes of both. Thus a person with a moderate love 

 of reading, and few opportunities of indulging it, would 

 be inclined to envy one in my situation, because such a 

 one has nothing to do but to read ; but I could tell him, 

 that though my studious pleasures are more comprehen- 

 sive than his, they are not more exquisite, and that an 

 occasional banquet gives more delight than a continual 

 feast. Reading should be dearer to you than to me, 

 because I always read, and you but seldom. 



Almond and I took a small boat on Monday, and set 

 out for Hull, a distance of thirteen miles, as some com- 

 pute it, though others make it less. We went very 

 merrily with a good pair of oars, until we came within 

 four miles of Hull, when, owing to some hard working, 

 we were quite exhausted ; but as the tide was nearly 

 down, and the shore soft, we could not get to any villages 

 on the banks. At length we made Hull, and just arrived 

 in time to be grounded in the middle of the harbour, 



