Imatges de pàgina
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increased his fame by his poetical verfion of bles, and the beft profe-writer in the beft age of Rome wrote the line, "O fortunatam, natam, me confule, Ro"mam." The truth is, nature ufually beflows her gifts with a prudent liberality even to her favourites. One might on this occafion apply Martial's, "Hoc "Ciceronis babes." This character of a bad poet you have in common with the great Cicero.

To oppofe opinions univerfally received, is to incur the imputation of vanity, ignorance, and want of tafte. But as every individual has a right to private judgment, and may offer his fentiments to others, while he does it with modefty, profeffes a poffibility of miftake, and keeps his mind open to conviction, I have ventured to advance an opinion against the poetical merit of Addifon; regardlefs how it may alarm thofe who fubmit their judgments to the direction of others, and who pay an implicit obedience to authority.

No. CXIX. THE FOLLY OF BRINGING UP CHILDREN TO A LEARNED PROFESSION, WITHOUT THE PROBABILITY OF PROVIDING THEM WITH A COMPETENCY.

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HAT admiration is the effect of ignorance, is a truth univerfally confeffed; and nothing fo forcibly excites the wonder of the illiterate Plebeian, as the character of profound erudition.

Dazzled by the fplendor of literary honours, many an honeft parent has prevented his fon from acquiring a fortune behind the counter, to fee him ftarve in a pulpit.

These reflections were occafioned by meeting an old friend at a coffee-house one evening laft week. His looks were meagre, his drefs fhabby, and he fufficiently apologized for the ruftinefs of his coat, by the following narrative : VOL. H.

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"My father," faid he, after fome preliminary converfation, was a fhoemaker of tolerable business in "London; a very honeft man, and very much given to reading godly books, whenever he could steal a moment from the lap-ftone and the laft. As I was "the only child, he took great delight in me, and "ufed frequently to fay, that he hoped in time to fee me Archbishop of Canterbury, and no fuch great matters neither; for as to my parentage, I was as good as many a one that had worn a mitre; and he "would make me as good a scholard too, or it should 66 go hard with him.

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My destination to the church was thus unalterably "fixed before I was five years old; and in confequence "of it, I was put to a grammar-school in the city, "whence, after a thoufand perils of the cane, and perils "of the rod, I went to the University on an exhibition "of fifteen pounds a year, which my father obtained "from one of the city companies, with no fmall diffi"culty. So fcanty an allowance would by no means defray the enormous expence of univerfity education; "and my father, whofe pride would not let me appear meaner than my companions, very readily agreed to pay me forty pounds out of the yearly profits of his trade, and to debar himself many innocent gratifications, in order to accomplish in me the grand object of all his ambition.

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"In confequence of my father's defire, that I fhould complete the full term of academical education, I did 14 not go into orders till I was of feven years standing, "and had taken the degree of Mafter of Arts. I was "therefore incapable of receiving any pecuniary emoluments from my ftudies, till I was fix and twenty. Then, however, I was refolved to make a "bold push, and to free my father from the burthen "of fupporting me with half the profits of his labours. "The old man was eager that I fhould attempt to get "fome kind of preferment; not, as he would gene"roufly fay, that he wanted to withdraw his affiftance, "but that he thought it was high time to begin to look "up at the Bishoprick.

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"I hastened to London as the most ample field for "the difplay of my abilities, and the acquifition of money and fame. Soon after my arrival, I heard of a vacant Lectureship; and though I was an entire "ftranger to every one of the parishioners, I refolved "6 to truft my caufe to honeft endeavours, and a sedu"lous canvafs. I fhall not trouble you with an enu"meration of the feveral indignities I fuffered (for I "had not loft my univerfity pride), from being under "the neceffity to addrefs, with the most abject fupplication, chandlers, barbers, and green-grocers. Suf"fice it to acquaint you, that myself, and another young clergyman of regular education, appeared, on the day of election, to have but feventeen votes "between us; and that a methodistical enthusiast, who "had once been a carpenter, bore away the prize "with a majority of a hundred and twenty.

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Though difappointed, I was not dejected; and I applied to a certain Rector for his Curacy, the "duty of which, confifted in prayers twice a day,

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a fermon on Sundays, and innumerable burials, "chriftenings, and weddings. I thought myself happy, "however, in being offered forty guineas a year, with"out furplus, or furplice fees; but how was I chagrined, on being told by the Rector, on the very first Sunday "I went to officiate, that I need not trouble myself, as "another gentleman had undertaken the whole duty "at forty pounds!

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"I waited now a confiderable time in expectation of fomething to fall; but heard of nothing in which "there was the leaft probability of fuccefs, unfupported, I was by friends, and unknown to fame. At laft, "I was informed by an acquaintance, that a certain "Clergyman in the city was about to refign his Lectureship, and that he would probably refign in my "favour, if I were early enough in my application. "I made all the hafte I poffibly could to reach this

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gentleman before his refignation; and found very "little difficulty in perfuading him to intercede in my "favour. In fhort, his endeavours, joined to my own, "fecured the Lectureship, and I was unanimoufly cho"fen. The electors, however, expreffed a defire, that "I would

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"I would quit my place of refidence, which was a long way off, and live in the parish. To this "requett I confented; and immediately fixed myself in a decent family, where I lodged and boarded for fifty pounds a year; and as I was not fo ambitious as my father, I congratulated my felf on the happy event, and fat down contented and fatisfied. But, "alas! how was I confounded, when my collectors brought the annual contribution, to find it amount to no more than an exact fum of twenty-one pounds two fhillings and three-pence three-farthings! I was under the immediate neceflity of difcharging my lodging, refigning my preferment, and quietly decamping with the lofs of no inconfiderable fum.

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Thus, Sir, faid he, " have I now for these twenty years been toffed about in the world, without any fixed refidence, and without any certain profpec "of my bread. I muft not however complain, as I "am well affured there are many in the metropolis "in fituations very fimilar to mine. Yet fometimes, I own, I cannot help being foolish enough to imagine, that I might, perhaps, have been happier, " and I am fure I could have been richer, had I been "brought up to my paternal awl and laft. My poor "father died about two years ago, and I have reafon "to think, his disappointment and forrow for my illfuccefs haftened his diffolution.

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"I now fupport myself tolerably well in the capacity of, what the world ludicroufly calls, a Hackney Parfon. And though I do not get quite fo much as a journeyman fhoemaker, I make fhift to keep foul and body together; and I thank God for that. "If, Sir, you could recommend me, here is my addrefs, up four pair of stairs."

He was proceeding, but he had too powerfully excited my fympathy; and after confoling him to the best of my power, I took my leave of him, not without fevere reflections on thofe parents who, to indulge a childi vanity, bring up their offspring to mifery and

want.

No.

No. CXX. ON DECENCY, AS THE ONLY

MOTIVE OF OUR APPARENT VIRTUES, AND
PARTICULARLY OF OUR RELIGIOUS BE
HAVIOUR.

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HATEVER may be the vices of this age, it cannot be faid to be particularly diftinguished by hypocrify. Selfishness reigns triumphant; and men, for the most part, purfue whatever they think conducive to their own pleasure or intereft, without regarding appearances, or the opinions of others, except, indeed, when their intereft or their pleafure are inmediately concerned.

Even they who fill offices of confidence and honour in the community, are, in this age, fond of divefting themselves of that external dignity with which the wisdom of our ancestors judged it right to furround them. They defcend with a peculiar kind of pride from their natural or political eminence, and will not even difplay the appearance of thofe virtues and abilities which are abfolutely neceffary in their offices and ftations. They oftentatiously exhibit a careleffnefs and profligacy in their converfation and behaviour, which, if they really poffefs, ought to difplace them from their rank, and ftrip them of their blushing honours.

In those who fill public offices, or who are fixed in the more important profeflions, a regard to external decency is itself a virtue. But, in truth, if the prefent difordered state of things would permit, none ought to fill thofe offices and profeffions, whofe regard to decency does not arife from a regard to virtue.

There are, indeed, many who are esteemed good fort of perfons, but whofe goodness is unprincipled, and appears to arife folely from a regard to external decorum, or, what is called, the faving of appearances. And this motive, poor and contemptible as it is, in comparison with rational principles arifing from conviction,

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