fulting the oracle, for want of knowing the language in which its answers were returned. It is, indeed, neceffary, if I have any regard to her ladyship's esteem, that I should apply myfelf to some of thefe economical accomplishments; for I overheard her, two days ago, warning her daughters, by my mournful example, against negligence of pastry, and ignorance in carving: for you saw, said the, that, with all her pretenfions to knowledge, fhe turned the partridge the wrong way when the attempted to cut it, and, I believe, fcarcely knows the difference between pakte raised, and paste in a dish. The reason, Mr. Rambler, why I have laid Lady Buftle's character before you, is a defire to be informed whether, in your opinion, it is wòrthy of imitation, and whether I fhall throw away the books which I have hitherto thought it my duty to read, for the lady's clofet opened, the complete fervant maid, and the court cook, and refign all curiofity after right and wrong, for the art of fcalding damafcenes without burfting them, and preferving the whiteness of pickled mushrooms... Lady Buftle has, indeed, by this inceffant application to fruits and flowers, contracted her cares into a narrow space, and fet herself free from many perplexities with which other minds are difturbed. She has no curiofity after the events of a war, or the fate of heroes in distress; she can hear, without the least emotion, the ravage of a fire, or devastations of a ftorm; her neighbours grow rich or poor, come into the world or go out of it, without regard, while fhe is preffing the gelly-bag, or airing the ftore-room; but I cannot perceive that she is more free from difquiets difquiets than those whose understandings take a wider range. Her marigolds, when they are almost cured, are often scattered by the wind, the rain fometimes falls upon fruit when it ought to be gathered dry. While her artificial wines are fermenting, her whole life is reftleffnefs and anxiety. Her fweetmeats are not always bright, and the maid fometimes forgets the juft proportions of falt and pepper, when venifon is to be baked. Her conferves mould, her wines four, and pickles mother; and, like all the reft of mankind, he is every day mortified with the defeat of her schemes, and the disappointment of her hopes. With regard to vice and virtue she seems a kind of neutral being. She has no crime but luxury, nor any virtue but chastity; fhe has no defire to be praised but for her cookery, nor wishes any ill to the rest of mankind, but that whenever they aspire to a feast, their custards may be wheyish, and their pie-crufts tough. I am now very impatient to know whether I am to look on these ladies as the great patterns of our fex, and to confider conferves and pickles as the business of my life; whether the cenfures which I now fuffer be juft, and whether the brewers of wines, and the diftillers of washes, have a right to look with infolence on the weakness of CORNELIA ་། NUMB 52. Saturday, Sept. 15, 1750. Quoties fenti Thefeius beros Sifte modum, dixit, neque enim fortuna querenda Mitius ifta feres. How oft in vain the son of Thefeus laid, The ftormy forrows be with patience laid ; Weigh other's woes, and learn to bear thy own. CATCOTT. MONG the various methods of confola Ation, to which the miferies infeparable from our present state have given occafion, it has been, as I have already remarked, recommended by some writers to put the fufferer in mind of heavier preffures, and more excruciating calamities, than thofe of which he has himself reason to complain. This has, in all ages, been directed and practifed; and, in conformity to this cuftom, Lipfius, the great modern master of the Stoick philofophy, has, in his celebrated treatife on fteadiness of mind, endeavoured to fortify the breast against too much fenfibility of misfortune, by enumerating the evils which have in former ages fallen upon the world, the devastation of wide-extended regions, the fack of cities, and massacre of nations. And the cominon voice of the multitude uninstructed by precept, and unprejudiced by authority, which, in queftions that relate to the heart of man, is, in my opinion, more decifive than the learning of Lipfius, seems to justify the efficacy of this procedure; for one of the first comforts which one neighbour adminifters to another, is a relation of the like infelicity, combined with circumftances of greater bitterness. But But this medicine of the mind is like many remedies applied to the body, of which, though we see the effects, we are unacquainted with the manner of operation, and of which, therefore, fome, who are unwilling to fuppofe any thing out of the reach of their own fagacity, have been inclined to doubt whether they have really thofe virtues for which they are celebrated, and whether their reputation is not the mere gift of fancy, prejudice, and credulity. Confolation, or comfort, are words which, in their proper acceptation, fignify fome alleviation of that pain to which it is not in our power to afford the proper and adequate remedy; they imply rather an augmentation of the power of bearing,' than a diminution of the burthen. A prifoner is relieved by him that fets him at liberty, but receives comfort from such as suggest considerations by which he is made patient under the inconvenience of confinement. To that grief which arifes from a great lofs he only brings the true remedy, who makes his friend's condition the fame as before; but he may be properly termed a comforter;' who by perfuafion extenuates the pain of poverty, and fhews, in the ftyle of Hefiod, that half is more than the whole. It is, perhaps, not immediately obvious, how it can lull the memory of misfortune, or appease the throbbings of anguish, to hear that others are more miferable; others, perhaps, unknown or wholly indifferent, whofe profperity raifes no envy, and whofe fall can gratify no resentment. Some topicks of comfort arifing, like that which gave hope and fpirit to the captive of Sefoftris, from the perpetual viciffitudes of life, and mutability of human VOL. I. P affairs, affairs, may as properly raise the dejected as deprefs the proud, and have an immediate tendency to exhilarate and revive. But how can it avail the man who languishes in the gloom of forrow, without profpect of emerging into the funfhine of cheerfulness, to hear that others are funk yet deeper in the dungeon of mifery, fhackled with heavier chains, and surrounded with darker desperation? The folace arifing from this consideration seems indeed the weakest of all others, and is perhaps never properly applied, but in cafes where there is no place for reflections of more speedy and pleafing efficacy. But even from fuch calamities life is by no means free; a thousand ills incurable, a thousand loffes irreparable, a thousand difficulties infurmountable, are known, or will be known, by all the fons of men. Native deformity cannot be rectified, a dead friend cannot return, and the hours of youth trifled away in folly, or loft in fickness, cannot be restored. Under the oppreffion of fuch melancholy, it has been found useful to take a furvey of the world, to contemplate the various scenes of diftrefs in which mankind are struggling round us, and acquaint ourfelves with the terribilis vifu forma, the various fhapes of mifery, which make havock of terreftrial happiness, range all corners almost without reftraint, trample down our hopes at the hour of harveft, and when we have built our schemes to the top, ruin their foundations. The firft effect of this meditation is, that it furnishes a new employment for the mind, and engages the paffions on remoter objects; as kings have fometimes freed themfelves from a fubject too |