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NUMB. III. TUESDAY, April 9, 1751.

Φρονεῖν γὰρ οι ταχεῖς, ἐκ ἀσφαλεῖς.

Difafter always waits on early wit.

Богнос

T has been obferved, by long experience, that late springs produce the greatest plenty. The delay of blooms and fragrance, of verdure and breezes, is for the most part liberally recompenfed by the exuberance and fecundity of the enfuing seasons; the bloffoms which lie concealed till the year is advanced, and the fun is high, efcape those chilling blafts, and nocturnal frofts, which are often fatal to early luxuriance, prey upon the first fmiles of vernal beauty, deftroy the feeble principles of vegetable life, intercept the fruit in the gem, and beat down the flowers unopened to the ground.

I am afraid there is little hope of perfuading the young and sprightly part of my readers, upon whom the spring naturally forces my attention, to learn from the great procefs of nature, the difference between diligence and hurry, between speed and precipitation; to profecute their defigns with calmnefs, to watch the concurrence of opportunity, and endeavour to find the lucky moment which they cannot make. Youth is the time of enterprize and hope; having yet no occafion of comparing our force with any oppofing power, we naturally form presumptions in our own favour, and imagine

that

that obftruction and impediment will give way before us. The first repulses rather inflame vehemence than teach prudence; a brave and generous mind is long before it fufpects its own weakness, or submits to fap the difficulties which it expected to fubdue by ftorm. Before difappointments have enforced the dictates of philofophy, we believe it in our power to fhorten the interval between the first cause and the last effect; we laugh at the timorous delays of plodding industry, and fancy that, by increafing the fire, we can at pleasure accelerate the projection.

At our entrance into the world, when health and vigour give us fair promifes of time fufficient for the regular maturation of our schemes, and a long enjoyment of our acquifitions, we are eager to seize the present moment; we pluck every gratification within our reach, without fuffering it to ripen into perfection, and crowd all the varieties of delight into a narrow compafs; but age feldom fails to change our conduct; we grow negligent of time in proportion as we have lefs remaining, and fuffer the laft part of life to steal from us in languid preparations for future undertakings, or flow approaches to remote advantages, in weak hopes of fome fortuitous occurrence, or drowsy equilibrations of undetermined counsel: whether it be that the aged, having tafted the pleasures of man's condition, and found them delufive, become less anxious for their attainment; or that frequent mifcarriages have depreffed them to despair, and frozen them to inactivity; or that death shocks them more as it advances upon them; and they are afraid to remind themselves of their decay, or to discover

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discover to their own hearts, that the time of trifling

is past.

age;

and

A perpetual conflict with natural defires feems to be the lot of our prefent ftate. In youth we require fomething of the tardiness and frigidity of in age we must labour to recall the fire and impetuofity of youth; in youth we must learn to expect, and in age to enjoy.

The torment of expectation is, indeed, not eafily to be borne at a time when every idea of gratification fires the blood, and flashes on the fancy; when the heart is vacant to every fresh form of delight, and has no rival engagements to withdraw it from the importunities of a new defire. Yet fince the fear of missing what we seek, must always be proportionable to the happiness expected from poffeffing it, the passions, even in this tempeftuous ftate, might be fomewhat moderated by frequent inculcation of the mischief of temerity, and the hazard of lofing that which we endeavour to feize before our time.

He that too early afpires to honours, muft refolve to encounter not only the oppofition of intereft, but the malignity of envy. He that is too eager to be rich, generally endangers his fortune in wild adventures, and uncertain projects; and he that haftens too speedily to reputation, often raifes his character by artifices and fallacies, decks himself in colours which quickly fade, or in plumes which accident may shake off, or competition pluck away.

The danger of early eminence has been extended by fome, even to the gifts of nature; and an opinion has been long conceived, that quickness of invention, accuracy of judgment, or extent of knowledge,

appearing

་

appearing before the ufual time, prefage a fhort life. Even those who are lefs inclined to form general conclufions, from inftances which by their own nature must be rare, have yet been inclined to prognofticate no fuitable progress from the first fallies of rapid wits; but have observed, that after a fhort effort they either loiter or faint, and suffer themselves to be sur paffed by the even and regular perfeverance of flower understandings.

It frequently happens, that applaufe abates diligence. Whoever finds himself to have performed more than was demanded, will be contented to spare the labour of unneceffary performances, and fit down to enjoy at eafe his fuperfluities of honour. He whom fuccefs has made confident of his abilities, quickly claims the privilege of negligence, and looks contemptuously on the gradual advances of a rival, whom he imagines himself able to leave behind whenever he shall again fummon his force to the contest. But long intervals of pleasure dissipate attention, and weaken conftancy; nor is it eafy for him that has funk from diligence into floth, to roufe out of his lethargy, to recollect his notions, rekindle his curiofity, and engage with his former ardour in the toils of study.

Even that friendship which intends the reward of genius, too often tends to obftruct it. The pleasure of being careffed, diftinguished, and admired, eafily feduces the student from literary folitude. He is ready to follow the call which fummons him to hear his own praife, and which, perhaps, at once flatters his appetite with certainty of pleasures, and his ambition with hopes of patronage; pleasures which he

conceives

conceives inexhaustible, and hopes which he has not yet learned to diftruft.

Thefe evils, indeed, are by no means to be imputed to nature, or confidered as infeparable from an early difplay of uncommon abilities. They may be certainly escaped by prudence and refolution, and must therefore be recounted rather as confolations to those who are lefs liberally endowed, than as difcouragements to fuch as are born with uncommon qualities. Beauty is well known to draw after it the perfecutions of impertinence, to incite the artifices of envy, and to raise the flames of unlawful love; yet among the ladies whom prudence or modefty have made most eminent, who has ever complained of the inconveniencies of an amiable form? or would have purchased safety by the lofs of charms?

Neither grace of perfon, nor vigour of underftanding, are to be regarded otherwife than as bleffings, as means of happiness indulged by the Supreme Benefactor; but the advantages of either may be lost by too much eagerness to obtain them. A thousand beauties in their first bloffom, by an imprudent expofure to the open world, have fuddenly withered at the blast of infamy; and men who might have subjected new regions to the empire of learning, have been lured by the praise of their first productions from academical retirement, and wasted their days in vice and dependence. The virgin who too foon afpires to celebrity and conqueft, perishes by childish vanity, ignorant credulity, or guiltless indifcretion. The genius who catches at laurels and preferment before his time, mocks the hopes that he had excited, and lofes thofe years which might have been most VOL. VI. usefully

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