cares of watchful avarice, and the vexation of difappointed ambition. At the fame time, we exaggerate the misfortunes, and undervalue the comforts, which fall to our own lot. We diftrefs ourfelves by invidiously comparing our own fituation with that of our fuperiors, and by numbering over advan tages which we might have poffeffed, rather than cherish in our breafts thofe generous fentiments which gratitude would dictate, were we to reflect upon the condition of others, who behold our enjoyments with wiftful amaze ment. We are too frequently dif fatisfied that we have not been ex. empted from calamities which are in. cident to humanity, and that we have not received benefits which nothing but our own felfishness gave us any reafon to expect. We fet our affections on objects which cannot be obtained, and pine over events which we could not prevent, and which we cannot redress. But we should reflect, whilft we are ftudying to increase competence into affluence, and affluence into fuperabundance, and whilft the gratification of every with is in our power, how many want the common neceffaries of life. Whilft we are afcending the fummit of ambition, how many are toiling up the craggy freep of adverfity!

The human heart knows no bounds to its defires. We oftentimes perfuade ourselves, that were certain defires in dulged, we should then be contented, without pursuing our withes any fur. ther. But the accomplishment of our wishes, instead of completing our happinefs, for the most part only ferves to push forward our ambition with re newed force. Tranfported by our success in one attempt, we creduloutly listen to the voice of hope, which holds forth to us another prize ftill more tempting than the former. The pea. fant only defires a competency; he who poffeffes a competency longs to be independent of the world, and afterwards, when he has proceeded thus far, is imperceptibly betrayed into an admiration of wealth. The opulent man hankers after the titles and the influence of the courtier; and the courtier, in his turn, pants for the unrivalled dominion of the throne. We read, that Alexander, when he had vanquished every enemy, and overrun every te ritory within his reach, after all the triumphs of victory, the fpoils of rapine, and the abfolute au

thority of empire, still felt an aching void, and lamented, that there were no more worlds left for him to fubdue. Thus the defires of the heart fucceed each other as regularly as the returning feafons; and thus, if they are indulged, they will embitter every stage of our lives by difcontent and difappointment; for they will only end with our exiftence. The unadvised caprice of youth will be ripened into the projects of maturity; and these will be afterwards fucceeded by the purfuits and prejudices of age.

It is strange, that, when we are fporting in the funfhine of happiness, when we are not haraffed by the tortures of pain, not pinched by the cravings of want, not tried by the difficulties of diftrefs, not alarmed by the menaces of danger, we cannot "improve negative into pofitive happiness." When no real evil diftreffes us, the vacant mind aggravates the flighteft pique or the moft trifling mifcarriage of our expectations into a ferious calamity. It is as though we refolved to thut our eyes obftinately against the bleflings which the munificent hand of Providence has bestowed upon us, and to harafs ourselves perpetually by the creation of imaginary evils, rather than fuffer our minds to be at reft. It is a lamentable truth, that we feldom appreciate with fidelity the advantages which we enjoy, until the lofs of them acquaints us with their value. We then learn what comforts we have enjoyed, and what forrows we have been ftrangers to, and become fenfible of the happiness which was within our reach. We then regret that we did not check the impetuous torrent of our defires, and lament, when it is too late, that fuch precious opportunities have been fuffered to pafs by unimproved.

He who refolves to give a loose rein to his defires, in fact refolves to be miferable; for when they are encou raged, fo restless is their pungency that they can never be hushed, and fo unlimited their multiplicity that they can never be fatisfied..

In many fituations of life fcarcely any thing clie is neceffary to our happinets but a refolution to be happy. There is no condition which fo prudent a determination will not tend to meliorate; nor is there any, with which a fretful difpofition will not find occafion to be difpleafed. The favours of Providence

are

are thrown away upon those who want a heart to enjoy them, and who will defiderate what is wanting rather than enjoy what is prefent. Every miffortune is doubly afflictive to the man who, pondering on it with morofenefs, induftriously connects with it adfcititious circumstances of aggravation.

To be contented, then, is not only the duty, but the intereft of every one. If the difpenfations of Providence are favourable, they fhould excite our gratitude and animate our virtue. If we are vifited by the rude hand of calamity, we should fubmit with refignation and endure with fortitude. The foldier who in the warfare of life lolls at his eafe in the tent can at best but efcape cenfure; but he who bravely steps forward, and encounters every danger, will receive a diftinguished reward. Inftead of furrendering ourselves to womanish irrefolution, and tamely pining over every ftroke of ill-fortune, let us rather man every faculty of our fouls to repel the difgraceful inroads of grief, and puiffantly redouble our exertions to retrieve the lofs. In eftimating the advantages which we enjoy, and the disadvantages under which we labour, let us remember, that it is the part of wifdom to lean to the favour able fide, and to adopt every meafure which will contribute to our fatiffaction; let us compare our condition to those who are galled by the ruthlefs rod of affliction, rather than thofe who are reclined on the foft couch of eafe; and let us recollect, that if an humble fituation want the luxuries of affluence and the insolence of power, it is, how ever, not tied to fo many duties, or expofed to fo many temptations, as a more exalted sphere.

from the wretchednefs of poverty and the pride of wealth. In early life, they instilled into his mind principles which ftill fhine confpicuously in his character. When he entered into business, his industry enfured him fuccefs. Though he abhorred the loofenefs of prodigality, ftill he defpifed the mifery of avarice; and, though he never affociated with the riotous votaries of vice and folly, ftill his purse was ever open to the neceffities of poverty and the claims of friendship. He was convinced that it was not the poffeffion, but the difcreet ufe of riches, which could either beftow pleasure or command esteem. He reflected, that the head which ambition adorns with the wreaths of laurel is loaded with many cares, and furrounded by many dangers; and that the heart which is locked up in the fame coffer as the mifer's treasures, muft neceffarily be estranged to every real enjoyment. Having therefore acquired, by attention and economy, what he deemed fufficient to render him independent, he retired from the noife of the town and the hurry of business, and fought the ftill. nefs and the leifure of a rural retreat. Here he paffes his time in attending to the facred offices of religion, in rendering himself ferviceable to his fellowcreatures, and in ftudying to exprefs his contentment and his gratitude in his life. Every morning he offers up the facrifice of devout thanksgiving to the bounteous Source from which every blefling is derived; and every evening he commits himfelf with confidence to the protection of that Being whofe power created, whofe goodness fuftains, and whole faithfulness will eternally reward him.

AURELIUS.

WE fhall now proceed to ftate fuch rules as have been followed by those who have attained great age, as they may furnish fome hints that may be ferviceable to others.

The plan laid down by the celebrated Cornaro is well known, and the abftemious manner in which he lived has often been recommended to the imita

tion of others; but I queftion much whether many would wish to lead the fame life for the fake of mere existence. Life is no longer defirable than whilft it can be enjoyed with fome degree of fatisfaction, and it is of little confequence, if a perfon merely vegetates, whether he lives or not.

Without entering, therefore, into various

1. Diet. The importance of wholefome food, for the preservation of health and long life, and the avoiding of excefs, whether in eating or drink ing, need not be dwelt upon. Some intances, indeed, are mentioned of perfons who have continued to commit exceffes, and have lived long; but thefe are to be confidered in no other light than as exceptions from a general rule; and it may reafonably be contended, that if fuch perfons lived to a great age, notwithstanding their intemperance, they would have lived much longer had they followed a different

course.

2. Clothing. It is equally unneceffary to detail at any length the neceflity of warm clothing, more especially in advanced life, and during the cold fea fons, as the best mode of preventing a number of diseases to which old men are particularly expofed, and which by no other means can be avoided.

3. Habitation. The health of every individual must greatly depend on the place where he refides, and the nature of the houfe which he inhabits; and as it has frequently been remarked, that the greatest number of old people die in winter, and that many indivi. duals, in a weak and confumptive state, are obliged to fly to warmer climates as the only means of fafety, it has thence occurred to Dr. Pearfon, that it would be of fervice, both to the aged and to the confumptive, to have houfes erected, of fuch a peculiar conftruction that the air could always be preferved, not only pure, but nearly of the fame, and of rather an elevated temperature, fo that the invalids who refided in them should never be affected by the viciffitudes of the feafons. Such an idea, it must be admitted, cannot be a general remedy or refource, but it is well entitled to the attention of thofe who are in affluent circumftances, by

VOL. XLII. Aug. 1802

fome of whom, it is to be hoped, an hofpital for the aged and the confumptive will be erected, and the experiment fairly tried, both for their own fakes, and for that of human nature in general.

4. Exercife and Labour. That either exercite or moderate labour is neceffary even to aged perfons, for the purpole of preferving the human frame in order, can hardly be questioned, provided any great exertion is avoided, than which nothing is more likely to deftroy the fprings of life, particularly when these become feeble. Travelling in moderation alfo, from the change of air and fcene, has been found of great use.

5. Habits and Cuftoms. In the next place, good health, and confequently longevity, depends much on perfonal cleanliness, and a variety of habits and customs, or minute attentions, which it is impoffible here to difcufs. It were much to be wished, that fome author would undertake the trouble of collecting the refult of general experience upon that fubject, and would point out thofe habits which, taken fingly, appear very trifling, yet when combined, there is every reason to believe, that much additional health and comfort would arise from their obfervance.

6. Medicine. It is a common faying, that every man, after the age of forty, fhould be his own phyfician. This feems, however, to be a dangerous maxin. The greatest phyficians, when they are fick, feldom venture to prefcribe for themselves, but generally rely on the advice of their medical friends. Perfons who pretend to be their own phyficians are generally much addicted to quackery, than which nothing can be more injurious to the constitution. It is effential to health, that medicines fhould never be taken but when necessary, and never without the best advice in re gard to the commencement, which ought not to be too long delayed, otherwife much benefit cannot be expected from them; and also with reipect to nature or fort, quantity and continuance.

At prefent, the powers of phyfic, it is generally acknowledged, are extremely bounded. The medical art, however, is probably fill in its infancy, and it is impoffible yet to say

to