regularly traced from the first motion to the laft, muft be formed and executed by calm intrepidity, and requires not only courage which danger cannot turn afide, but conftancy which fatigues cannot weary, and contrivance which impediments cannot exhauft.

All the performances of human art, at which we look with praife or wonder, are inftances of the refiftless force of perfeverance: it is by this that the quarry becomes a pyramid, and that distant countries are united with canals. If a man was to compare the effect of a single stroke of the pick-ax, or of one impreffion of the fpade, with the general defign and laft refult, he would be overwhelmed by the fenfe of their difproportion; yet thofe petty operations, inceffantly continued, in time furmount the greateft difficulties, and mountains are levelled, and oceans bounded, by the flender force of human beings.

It is therefore of the utmost importance that thofe who have any intention of deviating from the beaten roads of life, and acquiring a reputation fuperior to names hourly fwept away by time among the refuse of fame, fhould add to their reafon, and their spirit, the power of perfifting in their purposes; acquire the art of fapping what they cannot batter, and the habit of vanquishing obftinate refiftance by obftinate

attacks.

The ftudent who would build his knowledge on folid foundations, and proceed by juft degrees to the pinacles of truth, is directed by the great philofopher of France to begin by doubting of his own exiftence. In like manner, whoever would complete any arduous and intricate enterprife, fhould, as foon as his imagination can cool after the firft blaze of hope, place before his own eyes every poffible embarrafment that may retard or defeat him. He should ft question the probability of fuccefs, and then en

deavour

deavour to remove the objections that he has raised. It is proper, fays old Markham, to exercise your horfe on the more inconvenient fide of the course, that if he should, in the race, be forced upon it, he may not be difcouraged; and Horace advifes his poetical friend to confider every day as the last which he fhall enjoy, because that will always give pleasure which we receive beyond our hopes. If we alarm ourselves beforehand with more difficulties. than we really find, we fhall be animated by unexpected facility with double fpirit; and if we find our cautions and fears juftified by the confequence, there will however happen nothing against which provifion has not been made, no fudden fhock will be received, nor will the main fcheme be difconcerted.

There is, indeed, fome danger left he that too fcrupulously balances probabilities, and too perfpicacioufly forefees obftacles, fhould remain always in a ftate of inaction, without venturing upon attempts on which he may perhaps fpend his labour without advantage. But previous defpondence is not the fault of those for whom this effay is defigned; they who require to be warned against precipitation, will not fuffer more fear to intrude into their contemplations than is neceflary to allay the effervefcence of an agitated fancy. As Des Cartes has kindly fhewn how a man may prove to himself his own exiftence, if once he can be prevailed upon to question it, fo the ardent and adventurous will not be long without finding fome plaufible extenuation of the greatest difficulties. Such, indeed, is the uncertainty of all human affairs, that fecurity and despair are equal follies, and as it is prefumption and arrogance to anticipate triumphs, it is weakness and cowardice to prognofticate mifcarriages. The numbers that have been ftopped in their career of happiness are fufficient to fhew the uncertainty of human forefight; but there are not wanting contrary inftances of fuch

fuccefs

No 44. fuccefs obtained against all appearances, as may warrant the boldeft flights of genius, if they are fupported by unfhaken perfeverance.

NUMB. 44. SATURDAY, August 18, 1750.

Οναρ ἐκ Διός ἐσι

Dreams defcend from Jove.

HOMER.

POPE.

I

SIR,

To the RAMBLER.

Had lately a very remarkable dream, which made fo ftrong an impreffion on me, that I remember it every word; and if you are not better employed, you may read the relation of it as follows.

Methought I was in the midst of a very entertaining fet of company, and extremely delighted in attending to a lively converfation, when on a fudden I perceived one of the most shocking figures imagination can frame, advancing towards me. She was dreft in black, her fkin was contracted into a thouand wrinkles, her eyes deep funk in her head, and her complexion pale and livid as the countenance of death. Her looks were filled with terror and unrelenting severity, and her hands armed with whips and fcorpions. As foon as fhe came near, with a horrid frown, and a voice that chilled my very blood, fhe bid me follow her. I obeyed, and fhe led me through rugged paths, befet with briars and thorns, into a deep folitary valley. Wherever the passed the fading verdure withered beneath her fteps; her peftilential breath infected the air with malignant va

pours,

239

pours, obfcured the luftre of the fun, and involved the fair face of heaven in univerfal gloom. Difmal howlings refounded through the foreft, from every baleful tree the night-raven uttered his dreadful note, and the profpect was filled with defolation and horror. In the midst of this tremendous fcene my execrable guide addreffed me in the following man

ner.

"Retire with me, O rafh unthinking mortal, "from the vain allurements of a deceitful world, and learn that pleasure was not defigned the portion of human life. Man was born to mourn and "to be wretched; this is the condition of all below "the ftars, and whoever endeavours to oppose it, "acts in contradiction to the will of heaven. Fly "then from the fatal enchantments of youth and "focial delight, and here confecrate the folitary "hours to lamentation and woe. Mifery is the

duty of all fublunary beings, and every enjoy"ment is an offence to the Deity, who is to be wor"shipped only by the mortification of every fenfe "of pleafure, and the everlasting exercife of fighs

" and tears.

my

This melancholy picture of life quite funk my fpirits, and feemed to annihilate every principle of joy within me. I threw myfelf beneath a blasted yew, where the winds blew cold and difmal round. my, head, and dreadful apprehenfions chilled heart. Here I refolved to lie till the hand of death, which I impatiently invoked, fhould put an end to the miseries of a life fo deplorably wretched. In this fad fituation I fpied on one hand of me a deep muddy river, whofe heavy waves rolled on in flow fullen murmurs. Here I determined to plunge, and was juft upon the brink, when I found myfelf fuddenly drawn back. I turned about, and was furprifed by the fight of the lovelieft object I had ever beheld. The most engaging charms of youth and

beauty

beauty appeared in all her form; effulgent glories fparkled in her eyes, and their awful splendours were foftened by the gentleft looks of compaffion and peace. At her approach, the frightful spectre, who had before tormented me, vanifhed away, and with her all the horrors fhe had caufed. The gloomy clouds brightened into chearful fun-fhine, the groves recovered their verdure, and the whole region looked gay and blooming as the garden of Eden. I was quite tranfported at this unexpected change, and reviving pleasure began to glad my thoughts, when, with a look of inexpreffible sweetness, my beauteous deliverer thus uttered her divine inftructions.

"My name is RELIGION. I am the offspring of "TRUTH and Love, and the parent of BENEVO"LENCE, HOPE and Joy. That monfter from "whofe power I have freed you is called SUPER"STITION, fhe is the child of DISCONTENT, and her "followers are FEAR and SORROW. Thus different

as we are, fhe has often the infolence to affume "my name and character, and feduces unhappy "mortals to think us the fame, till fhe, at length, "drives them to the borders of DESPAIR, that "dreadful abyfs into which you were just going to "fink.

"Look round and furvey the various beauties of the "globe, which heaven has destined for the feat of "human race, and confider whether a world thus ex

quifitely framed could be meant for the abode of "mifery and pain. For what end has the lavish "hand of providence diffufed fuch innumerable ob

jects of delight, but that all might rejoice in the "privilege of existence, and be filled with gratitude "to the beneficent author of it? Thus to enjoy the "bleffings he has fent, is virtue and obedience; "and to reject them merely as means of pleasure, "is pitiable ignorance, or abfurd perverseness. In

"finite