numberless multitudes, whofe faces are, clouded with anxiety, and whofe fteps are hurried by precipita tion, from no other motive than the hope of gain; and the whole world is put in motion, by the defire of that wealth, which is chiefly to be valued, as it fecures us from poverty; for it is more useful for defence than acquifition, and is not fo much able to procure good as to exclude evil. Yet there are always fome whofe paffions or follies lead them to a conduct oppofite to the general maxims and practice of mankind; fome who feem to rush upon poverty, with the fame eagerness with which others avoid it; who fee, their revenues hourly leffened, and the eftates which they inherit from their ancestors mouldering away, without refolution to change their courfe of life; who perfevere against all remonftrances, and go forward with full career, though they fee before them the precipice of deftruction. It is not my purpose, in this paper, to expoftulate with fuch as ruin their fortunes by expenfive fchemes of buildings and gardens, which they carry on with the fame vanity that prompted them to begin, chufeing, as it happens in a thousand other cafes, the remote evil before the lighter, and deferring the shame of repentance till they incur the miferies of diftrefs. Thofe for whom I intend my prefent admonitions, are the thoughtless, the negligent, and the diffolute; who having, by the vicioufnefs of their own inclinations, or the feducements of alluring companions, been engaged in habits of expence, and accustomed to move in a certain round of pleafures, difproportioned to their condition, are without, power to extricate themselves from the enchantments of cuftom, avoid thought because they know, it will be painful, and continue, from day to day, and from month to month, to anticipate their revenues, and fink every hour deeper into the gulphs of ufury and extortion. This folly has lefs claim to pity, because it cannot be imputed to the vehemence of fudden paffion; nor can the mischief which it produces be extenuated as the effect of any fingle act, which rage, or defire, might execute before there could be time for an appeal to reafon. These men are advancing towards mifery by foft approaches, and deftroying themselves, not by the violence of a blow, which, when once given, can never be recalled, but by a flow poifon, hourly repeated, and obftinately continued. " This conduct is, fo abfurd when it is examined by the unprejudiced eye of rational judgment, that nothing but experience could evince its poffibility; yet abfurd as it is, the fudden fall of fome families, and the fudden rife of others, prove it to be common; and every year fees many wretches reduced to contempt and want, by their coftly facrifices to pleasure and vanity. It is the fate of almoft every paffion, when it has paffed the bounds which nature prefcribes, to counteract its own purpose. Too much rage hinders the warriour from circumfpection, too much eagerness of profit hurts the credit of the trader, too much ardour takes away from the lover that eafinefs of addrefs with which ladies are delighted. Thus extravagance, though dictated by vanity, and incited by voluptuousness, feldom procures ultimately either applause or pleasure. If praife be juftly eftimated by the character of thofe from whom it is received, little fatisfaction will be given to the fpendthrift by the encomiums which he purchases. For who are they that animate him in his purfuits, but young men, thoughtlefs and abandoned like himself, unacquainted with all on which the wifdom of nations has impreffed the ftamp of excellence, and devoid alike of knowledge ledge and of virtue? By whom in his profufion praised, but by wretches who confider him as fubfervient to their purposes, Sirens that entice him to fhipwreck, and Cyclops that are gaping to devour him? Every man whofe knowledge, or whofe virtue, can give value to his opinion, looks with scorn, or pity, neither of which can afford much gratification to pride, on him whom the panders of luxury, have drawn into the circle of their influence, and whom he fees parcelled out among the different minifters of folly, and about to be torn to pieces by taylors and jockeys, vintners and attorneys, whe at once rob and ridicule him, and who are fecretly triumphing over his weakness, when they present new incitements to his appetite, and heighten his defires by counterfeited applaufe. Yet Such is the praise that is purchafed by prodigality. Even when it is yet not discovered to be false, it is the praise only of those whom it is reproachful to please, and whofe fincerity is corrupted by their intereft, men who live by the riots which they encourage, and who know that whenever their pupil grows wife, they fhall lofe their power. with fuch flatteries, if they could laft, might the cravings of vanity, which is feldom very delicate, be fatisfied; but the time is always haftening forward when this triumph, poor as it is, fhall vanifh, and when those who now furround him with obfequioufnefs and compliments, fawn among his equipage, and animate his riots, fhall turn upon him with infolence, and reproach him with the vices promoted by themselves. And as little pretenfions has the man, who fquanders his eftate, by vain or vicious expences, to greater degrees of pleasure than are obtained by others. To make any happiness fincere, it is neceť fary 289 fary that we believe it to be lafting; fince whatever we fuppofe ourselves in danger of lofing, muft be enjoyed with folicitude and uneafinefs, and the more value we fet upon it, the more must the prefent poffeffion be imbittered. How can he then be envied for his felicity, who knows that its continuance cannot be expected, and who is conscious that a very fhort time will give him up to the gripe of poverty, which will be harder to be borne, as he has given way to more exceffes, wantoned in greater abundance, and indulged his appetites with more pro**fuseness? It appears evident that frugality is necessary even to complete the pleasure of expence; for it may be generally remarked of those who fquander what they know their fortune not fufficient to allow, that in their moft jovial expence, there always breaks out fome proof of difcontent and impatience; they either fcatter with a kind of wild defperation, and affected lavishness, as criminals brave the gallows when they cannot escape it, or pay their money with a peevish anxiety, and endeavour at once to fpend idly, and to fave meanly: Having neither firmness to deny their paffions, nor courage to gratify them, they murmur at their own enjoyments, and poifon the bowl of pleasure by reflexion on the coft. AMONG these men there is often the vociferation of merriment, but very feldom the tranquillity of chearfulness; they inflame their imaginations to a kind of momentary jollity, by the help of wine and riot, and confider it as the first bufinefs of the night to ftupefy recollection, and lay that reason afleep which difturbs their gayety, and calls upon them to retreat from ruin. BUT this poor broken fatisfaction is of short continuance, and must be expiated by a long feries of mifery and regret. In a fhort time the creditor grows impatient, the laft acre is fold, the paffione VOL. I. O an |