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Stretch'd to the yoke? They come! the market throngs;
But who has most by fraud or force amass'd?

Who most can charm corruption with his doles?
He be the monarch of the state: and lo!

Didius, vile usʼrer!* through the croud he mounts!
Beneath his feet the Roman eagle cow'rs,

And the red arrows fill his grasp uncouth.

O Britons! O my countrymen! beware!

Gird! Gird your hearts! the Romans once were free,
Were brave, were virtuous.

To conclude: if such superior, such commanding beauties cannot awake the curiosity or excite the gratitude of the age, let no man, for the future, put his trust in the Muses, or flatter himself that merit is the road to reputation. The hints of acknowledgement, scattered up and down this paper, are a free-will offering; and owe their rise neither to friendship, flattery, nor interest. The Champion is an utter stranger even to the name of the author of " The Ruins of Rome," and praises him merely because he deserves it he is both the admirer and friend of genius, however discountenanced, or obscure; nor waits for the fashion to prompt his panegyric; and though not of the illustrious society for the encouragement of learning, would make it his highest glory to assist the endeavours of all

*Didius Julianus, who bought the empire.

who labour, as well as he, either to instruct, delight, or polish mankind.

CHAMPION, March 8, 1739-40. Vol. i. p. 340..

The "Ruins of Rome," though a poem of great descriptive merit, must be classed among the numerous productions in verse, which have been neglected by caprice or bad taste. Notwithstanding the praise of the Champion, notwithstanding the felicity of the subject, this highly-finished piece, with the exception of a slight notice from Dr. Johnson, and from Hervey in his Meditations, was almost forgotten, when John Scott, in his Critical Essays, published in 1785, recalled the attention of the public to its beauties by a minute and well-executed critique,

No. XLIII.

The ways of heaven are dark and intricate,
Puzzled in mazes, and perplex'd with errors :
Our understanding traces them in vain,

ADDISON'S CATO,

It was the complaint of Alphonsus, that God might have ordered many things better in the creation of the world than he has done; but the answer of St. Augustin was as just as the censure was profane.-If we complain of defect in the works of the creation, it is because we do not understand them in their proper spheres and uses. Though this complaint of the philosopher, and the answer of the divine, were concerning the system of the creation, yet there are too many persons, who, concerning the accidents of life, shew the discontented temper of the first, and deserve the reproof of the latter. As nothing is more foolish, nothing can be more unjust than the dissatisfaction which is shewn at those distributions which Providence has made: for it is not in the power of human nature to know what would prove really beneficial or detrimental; what would produce them a sincere joy, or plunge them into the deepest misery.

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There is an excellent reflection, which an ancient philosopher has made on this subject: If all the misfortunes of all the men in the world were crowded together in one heap, and then every man out of this heap were to take but an equal share, he believed that every man would rather resume his own, than, after a proportionable rate, take what should then fall to him.

These cursory thoughts were occasioned by a letter I have just now received and read, in which my correspondent describes in a very lively manner, the unhappiness he labours under, in having a near relation of so dissatisfied a temper, as to be often censuring the disposition of Providence; the letter is of too private a nature to appear in public, yet I shall comply with the earnest request made in it, to shew, that though the determinations of Divine Providence are past human comprehension, they are most just; and when most censured, are best ordered for our happiness and welfare.

Arguments and examples on this subject are almost infinite; I shall therefore make use of a parable which Dr. H. More has told in his Divine Dialogues; it may make a deeper impression than the closest reasoning, and, while it strikes the fancy, convince the judgment. The story runs thus :

A certain hermit, not well satisfied with the administration of this world and its affairs, and the divers occurrences of Divine Providence in relation to it, resolved to quit his cell and travel abroad to view the course of things, and make what observations he could, whereby to form a judgment of what disturbed him. He had not gone above half a day's journey before he was overtaken by a young stranger, who came up to him, and joined company with him, who soon insinuated himself into the hermit's affections, that he thought himself happy in having so soon met with so agreeable a companion. As their journey lay the same way, they agreed to eat and lodge always at one house, wheresoever they came: they travelled some few days before the hermit took notice of any thing that occurred worthy his observation: but at length he could not but be concerned to see, that at a house where they were very kindly and generously entertained, his fellow-traveller, with whom in this time he had contracted an endearing friendship, at his departure stole a gold cup, and took it away with him. The hermit was astonished that his friend, whom he thought a devout Christian, should be guilty of theft and ingratitude, where he had received such particular obligations: he was, however,

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