hour allowed me on the stage. I have ftrove therefore that my tutelar genius fhould have an honourable charge to prefide over, and to be in readiness to quit the field, when nature founds the retreat.

The defire of fame has had but little influence on my life. The emptinefs of applaufe, its precarious tenure, and the little judgment of thofe, who beftow it, rendered it contemptible in my view. The narrow limit of its extent was not out of my mind. I confidered the globe but as a point; of this little, that but little was inhabited, and that in its populous clans the number or the quality of admirers gave but little worth to eulogy. Even these will foon be no more; in the next generation our glory must flag, and like a ball toffed from hand to hand must fall at last. But grant that in the frequent breaks of fucceffion it is not dropped, what is panegyric to the deaf ear of the dead? It is useless as the fun to the rotting feed. I confidered that virtue is perfect of itfelf, and finifhed in its own nature. The diamond beams with luftre, though no tongue tells of its radiance, and the good are not better for commendation.

With fuch fentiments and fuch conduct you can readily conceive my feelings on furveying the world and its varying scenes I beheld matter in perpetual flux, and the present but the feed of fucceffion. I faw human life but a point-perception growing dull and weak-the body, flenderly compacted, rapidly falling into ruin-fortune and futurity out of the reach of conjecture, and fame not necessarily connected with defert or judgment. In comparing history with obfervation, I found the fame things repeated, and nature treading in a circle through the whole courfe of eternity. In tracing the annals of the world, I found the names of heroes grew obfolete with other words, and that men grew out of fashion, as well as language. All these things impressed me with an idea of my mortality, and I ftrove to act in the very rudiments of life like one who would foon be turned to mummy or afhes. Hence I have endeavoured to improve. the only advantage which life affords, of endeavouring to affimilate myself to the gods, and being useful to my fellow men, of adoring those above and affifting those below me.

Death can

not come too foon, for it is the course of nature, and to be wife is to fubmit.

I have briefly sketched, continued Antoninus, the principles of my philofophy-I have endeavoured my life should resemble the picture I have drawn ; and where I have failed, I must impute it to the weakness of nature, rather than the error of my fentiments.

You may imagine all my feelings at this difcourfe. We knew Antoninus had given but a just likeness of himself, and I forward it to you that a knowledge of this godlike man may lead to a juft veneration of his virtues. The hours of leisure had paft, and the fetting stars invited us to repofe.

For the MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY.

HISTORY OF A COLLEGE RAKE.

Mr. PER-SE,

As you have feen fit to publish my remarks on some abfurd notions prevailing at our Alma Mater, I fend you the fubftance of two letters, the one from a Lawyer and the other from a Clergyman, in which their adoption of these dangerous fentiments at the University is lamented in strains of unaffected forrow. The names of my correfpondents I have not permiffion to mention. But I am fully authorized to make public their confeffions, with the fond hope, that fome, who are not yet contaminated by fimilar errors, may be perfuaded to learn wisdom by the folly of others. Yours, &c. STUDIOSUS.

MY DEAR STUDIOSUS,

LETTER 1.

BY this title permit me to addrefs you, though I have forfeited every claim to your friendship by unworthy conduct. When I was under your care at the Academy, you were unwearied in endeavours to infpire me with juft fentiments and virtu ous behaviour. Happily for me, as my morals were then, in a good measure, pure, I cautiously obferved your directions.

When I was about to enter the University, I well remember with what anxiety you gave me your parting counfels. You were pleased to obferve, that, with judicious application, my capacity would enable me to become a diftinguished scholar;

but with tears you added, that I should be obliged to encounter every poffible allurement to indolence and diffipation.

You then faithfully laid before me my dangers and my duties. You entreated me to beware of thofe early prejudices, which ftudents are apt to contract against their faithful inftructors. You represented to me in ftrong terms the pernicious influence of bad companions. You were particularly folicitous, that I fhould not be ambitious of becoming a College genius; as this is often fupposed consistent with extreme negligence and the utmost irregularity.

You advised me to maintain a noble indifference to the bubble, popularity. For this, you assured me, can feldom be acquired, or preferved at the University, but by a total facrifice of independence, and by a fervile defire to please those, who, while they are the most influential, are commonly the most diffipated. You befought me to respect my teachers, and to be attentive to my Atudies, though it should procure me the odious title of a "fiber."

Accordingly, when I first entered College, I firmly refolved to follow your counfels. I treated my instructors with filial affection and respect. I carefully obferved the rules they prefcribed, and ftudied the tasks they affigned. While many of my classmates were ranfacking the library with a view to other ftudies, my highest ambition was to become a claffical scholar. Several private proposals to pilfer watermelons and to rob orchards I refolutely withstood. Nor would I club to go to a tavern for food and drink, while they were provided to my fatisfaction at my regular meals. In fine, I commenced College life, by laying a foundation for virtuous morals and attentive study.

But I foon began to find, that I was remarked for my precifenefs. Hints were circulated, that I was "a dupe to government." My deportment was narrowly watched. Some on feeing me enter a tutor's room for leave of abfence, fwore that I went to inform of the misdemeanors of my fellow-students.

Hence violent prejudices were excited against me. Though I always recited well, it was imputed to exceffively hard ftudy. My fuperiority in the languages, mathematics, and metaphyfics was never difputed. But then it was alleged, that

-Such dry 66

roots are always found To flourish beft in barren ground."

Vol. I. No. 4.

U

Thefe various afperfions I bore with confiderable firmness, till I was charged with want of genius. This, as it was a novel accufation, and as I was confcious of its falfehood, I ought to have fpurned with contempt. But, I confefs, it produced the oppofite effect. In endeavouring to refute the charge, I was infenfibly Ied into those unhappy mistakes, which I had most resolutely determined to avoid.

To acquire a popularity, which I had unjustly forfeited, my firft ftep was to adapt myself to the prejudices of my fellow-ftudents. I allowed that the government had faults; and I loudly inveighed against the feverity, with which fome of my claffmates were treated at the exhibition of their themes. I took but little pains with thefe exercifes myself, left I should appear to be anxious for "parts.”

By degrees I was led to abjure mathematics; the languages foon followed; nor did I arrive at the fummit of College favour, till I affumed the right of directing my own ftudies, and of treating with heedlefs neglect the ftated exercises of my inftructors. But what contributed moft to this change in my fentiments and conduct, was the affignment of a part at Exhibition, which I with my flatterers were pleased to confider beneath my merit.

From that moment I fwore revenge. On the evening of Exhibition I reforted to a tavern, and, with some rakes from Boston and a few College bloods, I got very drunk. When I had fo far recovered, that I could stagger into College yard, I yelled, and fwore, and broke windows, till I was tired, and than finished the night in gambling and caroufing.

From this period I remifsly attended recitations and prayers. I was feveral times fined. Once I was privately admonished, and I narrowly efcaped a threatened fufpenfion.

As a natural confequence of neglecting ftudies, I affociated with unprincipled companions and contracted bad habits. I conftantly ftrove by what arts I fhould oppofe and perplex government. Profaneness, although I had been accustomed to confider it beneath a gentleman, I began to employ as my familiar language. As for lying, I thought it not only expedient, but commendable, when ufed to deceive my inftructors.

But the worst effect I experienced was a love of ftrong liquors. At first I found them difguftful. I could drink only wine, and

that in moderate quantities.

This foon became too weak to fat

isfy my raging appetite, till by degrees I contracted an inveter

ate habit of intemperance.

What promoted my diffipation was admiffion into the Pig Club. Here I found ample fcope for irregular indulgence. I was one of the first to approve an abfurd motion, once made by a member, that it fhould be an established rule before parting for every one to get drunk. I alfo clamorously applauded a molt impious blefling, which was on a certain occafion afked, and which threw the whole Club into a tumultuous fhout of praife.*

It is true, I fometimes felt rebukes of conscience, when I recollected my early inftructions and refolutions, and when I acci dentally met my virtuous friends. But I was in a great meafure relieved from these momentary pangs by having the credit among my companions of an extraordinary genius. They took unwearied pains to proclaim it to the world. But for this purpose they used to mention not fo much what I had done, as what I could do. They conftantly maintained my great fuperiority to all thofe, who were obliged to earn their reputation with the government by hard study.

To preferve as well as to gain renown from fuch friends, I had recourfe to fome of the methods, which you, my dear Studiofus, in a late communication fo very justly expofed. I particularly remember, that, when I was about to copy a poem, which had coft me much time and exertion, I went to a claffmate's room to borrow pen, ink, and paper, under the pretence, that I was deftitute of these conveniences, and that I wished to compofe my task under a fhady tree. In about three hours I returned with my poem completed, and written without blots. By this artifice I attracted general attention, and received indif criminate praise.

I had, indeed, sense enough to feel my real inferiority to feveral others. But I took care to make myself more celebrated. Thus while my industrious fellow-ftudents were poring over Locke, Euclid, and Conic Sections, I was curforily reading Shakespeare's plays, and committing fome of his most striking

*I am happy to hear, that this Club has fince affumed another name, and more decent manners.