and the nation that can furnish these univerfal commodities may have her ships welcomed at a thousand ports, or fit at home, and receive the tribute of foreign countries, enjoy their arts, or treasure up their gold.

Ditto, p. 114.

AGE.

He that would pafs the latter part of his life with honour and decency, muft, when he is youug, confider that he fhall one day be old, and remember, when he is old, that he has once been young.

Rambler, v. 1, p. 304.

Age feldom fails to change the conduct of youth. We grow negligent of time in proportion as we have lefs remaining, and fuffer the laft part of life to fteal from us in languid preparations for future undertakings, or flow approaches to remote advantages, in weak hopes of fome fortuitous occurrence, or drowfy equilibrations of undetermined counfel. Whether it be that the aged having tafted the pleasures of man's condition, and found them delufive, become less anxious

for

for their attainment, or that frequent mifcarriages have depreffed them to defpair, and frozen them to inactivity; or that death fhocks them more as it advances upon them, and they are afraid to remind themfelves of their decay, or difcover to their own hearts that the time of trifling is paft.

Ditto, v. 3, P. 32.

The truth of many maxims of age gives too little pleasure to be allowed till it is felt, and the miseries of life would be increafed beyond all human power of endurance, if we were to enter the world with the fame opinions we carry from it.

Ditto, v. 4, P. 195.

It is one of the melancholy pleafures of an old man to recollect the kindnefs of friends, whofe kindnefs he fhall experience no more.

Treatife on the Longitude, p. 14.

AGE AND YOUTH.

THE notions of the old and young are like liquors of different gravity and texture, which never can unite.

Rambler, v. 2, p. 89.

In youth it is common to neafure right and wrong by the opinion of the world, and

in age to act without any meafure but intereft, and to lofe fhame without fubftituting virtue.

Ditto, v. 4, p. 198.

Such is the condition of life that fomething is always wanting to happiness. In youth we have warm hopes, which are foonblafted by rafhnefs and negligence, and great designs, which are defeated by inexperience. In age we have knowledge and prudence, without fpirit to exert, or motives to prompt them. We are able to plan schemes and regulate measures, but have not time remaining to bring them to completion.

Ditto, ditto, ditto.

ADVICE..

IF we confider the manner in which thofe who affume the office of directing the conduct of others execute their undertaking, it will not be very wonderful that their labours, however zealous, or affectionate, are frequently ufelefs. For, what is the advice that is commonly given? A few general maxims, enforced with vehemence and inculcated with importunity; but failing for want of particular reference and immediate application.

Ditto, v. 2, p. 190.

It

It is not often that a man can have fo much knowledge of another as is neceffary to make inftruction useful. We are fometimes not ourfelves confcious of the original motives of our actions, and when we know them, our first care is to hide them from the fight of others, and often from those most diligently whofe fuperiority either of power or underftanding, may entitle them to inspect our lives. It is therefore very probable that he,. who endeavours the cure of our intellectual maladies, mistakes their cause, and that his prefcriptions avail nothing, because he knows not which of the paffions or defires is vitiated.

Ditto, ditto, ditto.

Advice, as it always gives a temporary ap pearance of fuperiority, can never be very grateful, even when it is moft neceffary, or most judicious; but, for the fame reason, every one is eager to inftruct his neighbours. To be wife or to be virtuous is to buy dignity and importance at a high price; but when nothing is neceffary to elevation but detection of the follies or the faults of others, no man is fo infenfible to the voice of fame as to linger on the ground.

Ditto, ditto, ditto.

Advice is offenfive, not because it lays us. open to unexpected regret, or convicts us of any fault which has escaped our notice, but because it fhews us that we are known to others as well as ourselves; and the officious monitor is perfecuted with hatred, not becaufe his accufation is falfe, but because he affumes the fuperiority which we are not willing to grant him, and has dared to detect what we defire to conceal.

Ditto, v. 3, P. 295.

ADVERSARY.

CANDOUR and tenderness are in any relation, and on all occafions, eminently amiable, but when they are found in an adverfary, and found fo prevalent as to overpower that zeal which his caufe excites, and that heat which naturally encreases in the profecution of argument, and which may be, in a great measure, juftified by the love of truth, they certainly appear with particular advantages; and it is impoffible not to envy thofe who poffefs the friendship of him whom it is even fome degree of good fortune to have known as an enemy.

Letter to Dr. Douglas, p. 3.

AVA