NUMB. 99. TUESDAY, February 26, 1751. Scilicet ingeniis aliqua eft concordia junétis, Congenial paffions fouls together bind, OVIE: F. LEWIS. IT has been ordained by providence, for the con fervation of order in the immense variety of nature, and for the regular propagation of the several claffes of life with which the elements are peopled; that every creature fhould be drawn by fome fecret attraction to those of his own kind; and that not only the gentle and domeftick animals which naturally unite into companies, or cohabit by pairs, should continue faithful to their fpecies; but even those ravenous and ferocious favages which Ariftotle observes never to be gregarious, fhould range mountains and deferts in fearch of one another, rather than pollute the world with a monstrous birth. As the perpetuity and diftinction of the lower tribes of the creation require that they should be determined to proper mates by fome uniform motive of choice, or fome cogent principle of instinct; it is neceffary likewife, that man, whofe wider capacity demands more gratifications, and who feels in himself innumerable wants, which a life of folitude cannot cannot supply, and innumerable powers to which it cannot give employment. fhould be led to fuitable companions by particular influence; and among many beings of the fame nature with himself, he may felect fome for intimacy and tenderness, and improve the condition of his exiftence, by fuperadding friendfhip to humanity, and the love of individuals to that of the fpecies. Other animals are fo formed, that they feem to contribute very little to the happiness of each other, and know neither joy, nor grief, nor love, nor hatred, but as they are urged by fome defire immediately fubfervient either to the fupport of their own lives, or to the continuation of their race; they therefore feldom appear to regard any of the minuter difcriminations which diftinguifh creatures of the fame kind from one another. But if man were to feel no incentives to kindness, more than his general tendency to congenial nature, Babylon or London, with all their multitudes, would have to him the defolation of a wilderness; his affections, not compreffed into a narrower compass, would vanish like elemental fire, in boundless evaporation; he would languish in perpetual infenfibility, and though he might, perhaps, in the first vigour of youth, amuse himself with the fresh enjoyments of life, yet, when curiofity fhould ceafe, and alacrity fubfide, he would abandon himself to the fluctuations of chance, without expecting help against any calamity, or feeling any wifh for the happiness of others. To love all men is our duty, fo far as it includes a general habit of benevolence, and readiness of oc cafional kindness; but to love all equally is impoffible; at leaft impoffible without the extinction of thofe paffions which now produce all our pains and all our pleasures; without the difufe, if not the abolition of fome of our faculties, and the fuppeffion of all our hopes and fears in apathy and indifference. The neceffities of our condition require a thoufand offices of tenderness, which mere regard for the fpecies will never dictate. Every man has frequent grievances which only the folicitude of friendship will discover and remedy, and which would remain for ever unheeded in the mighty heap of human calamity, were it only furveyed by the eye of general benevolence equally attentive to every mifery. The great community of mankind is, therefore, neceffarily broken into fmaller independent focieties; these form diftinct interefts, which are too frequently oppofed to each other, and which they who have entered into the league of particular governments falfely think it virtue to promote, however deftructive to the happiness of the reft of the world. Such ur.ions are again feparated into fubordinate claffes and combinations, and focial life is perpetually branched out into minuter fubdivifions, till it terminates in the laft ramifications of private friendship. That friendship may at once be fond and lafting, it has been already obferved in thefe papers, that a conformity of inclinations is neceffary. No man can have much kindness for him by whom he does not believe himself esteemed, and nothing fo evidently proves esteem as imitation. That benevolence is always ftrongest which arises from participation of the fame pleasures, fince we are are naturally most willing to revive in our minds the memory of perfons, with whom the idea of enjoyment is connected. It is commonly, therefore, to little purpose, that any one endeavours to ingratiate himself with fuch as he cannot accompany in their amusements and diverfions. Men have been known to rife to favour and to fortune, only by being fkilful in the fports with which their patron happened to be delighted, by concurring with his tafte for fome particular fpes cies of curiofities, by relifhing the fame wine, or applauding the fame cookery, Even those whom wisdom or virtue have placed above regard to fuch petty recommendations, muft nevertheless be gained by fimilitude of manners. The highest and nobleft enjoyment of familiar life, the communication of knowledge and reciprocation of fentiments, muft always prefuppofe a difposition to the fame inquiry, and delight in the fame discoveries. With what fatisfaction could the politician lay his schemes for the reformation of laws, or his comparifons of different forms of government, before the chemist, who has never accustomed his thoughts to any other object than falt and fulphur; or how could the astronomer, in explaining his calculations and conjectures, endure the coldness of a grammarian, who would lose fight of Jupiter and all his fatellites, for a happy etymology of an obfcure word, or a better explication of a controverted line. Every man loves merit of the fame kind with his own, when it is not likely to hinder his advancement or his reputation; for he not only beft understands N 3 the the worth of thofe qualities, which he labours to cultivate, or the usefulness of the art which he practises with fuccefs, but always feels a reflected pleasure from the praises, which, though given to another, belong equally to himself. There is indeed no need of refearch and refinement to discover that men muft generally felect their companions from their own ftate of life, fince there are not many minds furnished for great variety of converfation, or adapted to multiplicity of intellectual entertainments. The failor, the academick, the lawyer, the mechanick, and the courtier, have all a caft of talk peculiar to their own fraternity, have fixed their attention upon the fame events, have been engaged - in affairs of the fame fort, and made ufe of allufions and illuftrations which themselves only can understand. To be infected with the jargon of a particular profeffion, and to know only the language of a fingle rank of mortals, is indeed fufficiently despicable. But as limits must be always fet to the excurfions of the human mind, there will be some study which every man more zealously profecutes, fome darling fubject on which he is principally pleased to converfe; and he that can moft inform or best underftand him, will certainly be welcomed with particular regard. Such partiality is not wholly to be avoided, nor is it culpable, unless fuffered fo far to predominate as to produce averfion from every other kind of excellence, and to fhade the luftre of diffimilar virtues. Those therefore, whom the lot of life has conjoined, fhould |