time, of enormous deftruction of money, of irritating the paffions, of ftirring up avarice, of innumerable fneaking tricks and frauds, of encouraging idleness, of difgufting people againft their proper employments, and of finking and debafing all that is truly great and valuable in the mind *.

As for the theatrical diverfions, they are managed in fuch a manner,, that a fober perfon may be ashamed to be seen at many of them. It is notorious that the bulk of our English plays are not fit to be feen in print. The tragedies are, generally fpeaking, a heap of wild flights and bombastic rants, and the comedies of fcandalous impurities; neither of which can be thought worthy the attention of a people, who value themfelves either upon their taste or their virtue. There may be found, perhaps,

Cards being now become fo univerfal, as to be the nuifance of almost all companies, it may feem neceffary in oppofing the general practice of the polite, to fupport what is above faid againit card-playing by fome authorities, which will, I believe, appear at least equal to thofe of any of the molt eminent modern defenders of that stupid and mischievous amusement.

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"Play, wherein perfons of condition, especially ladies" [in our times all ages, fexes, and ranks]" wafte fo much of their time, is a plain instance that people cannot be idle, they must be doing fomething," [if it be milchief] "For how elfe could they fit fo many hours toiling at that which gives generally more vexation than delight to people, while they are en"gaged in it? It is certain, gaming leaves no fatisfaction behind it to those "who reflect when it is over, and it no way profits either body or mind. As "to eftates, if it ftrike fo deep as to concern them, it is then a trade, and not "a recreation, wherein few thrive; and at beft, a thriving gamefter has but a poor trade on't, who fills his pockets at the price of his reputation." LOCKE on Educat. p. 366.

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And afterwards, page 368.

"As to cards and dice, I think the fafeft and best way is, never to learn "any play upon them, and so to be incapacitated for those dangerous tempta"tions and incroaching wafters of useful time."

What would this great man have faid, had he lived in our times, when it is common for people to spend five or fix hours every night at cards, Sunday not excepted; which amounts to a fourth or fifth part of the whole time of life, and comes in all to perhaps ten or a dozen years in a long life?

Let us now hear Mr. Addifon on the fame fubject. SPECT. No. 93. "I must confefs I think it is below reasonable creatures to be altogether "converfant in fuch diverfions as are merely innocent, and have nothing "elfe to recommend them, but that there is no hurt in them. Whether any "kind of gaming has even thus much to fay for itself, I fhall not determine; "but I think it is very wonderful to fee perfons of the beft fenfe, paffing away "bours together in fhuffling and dividing a pack of cards, with no other con"verfation, but what is made up of a few game phrafes, and no other ideas, "but thofe of black or red spots, ranged together in different figures. Would ' nota man laugh to hear any one of this fpecies complaining that life is bartë "",

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perhaps, in the English language, about twenty or thirty pieces, especially fome of Shakespear's, which, if subjected to pretty fevere caftigation, and properly reprefented, might be faid to make a noble entertainment. But these ferve only as traps to draw in the innocent and unweary to a delight in the diverfions of the theatre. And by the fagacity of the managers of the theatres, who very well know, that the grofs of an audience have no tafte for what is really excellent in thofe entertainments, and are only to be pleafed with fhew, or ribaldry; by their cunning management, I fay, it comes about, that it is not much fafer for a young and innocent perfon to be prefent at the reprefentation of a chafte and virtuous piece, than of one of the most profane. What does it avail, that the piece itself be unexceptionable; if it is to be interlarded with lewd fongs or dances, and tagged at the conclufion with a ludicrous and beaftly farce? I cannot therefore, in confcience, give youth any other advice, than generally to avoid fuch diverfions, as cannot be indulged without the utmoft danger of perverting their tafte, and corrupting their morals.

As for mafquerades, if the intention of them be intriguing, they answer fome end, though a bad one; if not, they feem by all accounts to be fuch a piece of wretched foolery, as ought to be beneath any but children, or mad people. That a thoufand people fhould come together in ridiculous dreffes only to fqueak to one another, I know you, and, Do you know me! Pofterity, if the world fhould grow a little wifer, will not believe it; but will conclude, that their grandfathers and grandmothers were very naught. A multitude affembled together in mafks, by which means fhame, the great restraint from vice, is banished! What can be imagined more threatening to the interefts of virtue and decency*? I know

Among various other the immortal honours of our prefent most excellent Sovereign, George III. may this page hand down to pofterity, that he has fet his royal authority and example in full oppofition to the vices here remarked on, viz. Mafquerading, Gaming, and criminal Gallantry. And to the indelible difgrace of the prefent age, be it remembered, that, in confequence of the difcontent of a set of disappointed grandees, the merit of fo Jamiable a prince has not been efteemed as, from the known generofity of he people of Britain, might have been expected,

I know of no very material objection against the entertainments of mufic called concerts, if they be not purfued to the lofs of too much time or money. Thofe called oratorios, being a kind of dramas taken from Scripture, are, I think, exceptionable, as they tend to degrade those awful fubjects, and to turn into diverfion what is more proper for devotion.

Promifcuous dancing at public balls, is a diversion no way proper for young people, as it gives an opportunity for the artful and defigning of either sex to lay fnares for one another, which fometimes prove fatal. At the fame time, country-dancing in private, where the whole company are known to one another, where the parents or other judicious perfons prefide, where decency is kept up, and moderation used, muft, I think, be owned to be both an agreeable amufement, and a wholefome exercise.

Hunting, the favourite diverfion of the country-gentry, is, without doubt, the very best that can be used, for the prefervation of health, exclufive of the danger of broken bones. But, as a gentleman ought in all reafon to be poffeffed of other endowments and accomplishments, befides that of a healthy conftitution, one would think, a few other employments fhould have place; fuch as reading, overlooking their bufinefs, inproving their eftate; ferving their friends, and country, and preparing themfelves for another world: for furely that cannot be faid to be the existence of a thinking, focial, immortal creature, which is divided between, hunting, drinking, and fleeping.

The diftrefs many people feem to be in for fomewhat to pafs the time, might have been prevented by their studying in the earlier part of life to acquire a little tafte for reading and contemplation. Whoever can find an agreeable companion in a book, a tree, or a flower, can never be at a lofs how to pafs his leisure hours, though he should not be in the way of the cardtable, the tavern, or the play. And it is well worth while to acquire a little tafte for mental amufements in one's early years (the only time of life in which it is to be acquired) for when all is faid, it is but a mifera

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ble

ble cafe for a man to have in himself no entertainment for himfelf; but to be obliged to be beholden to others for all his pleasure in life.

Our fituation in the prefent ftate is fuch, that every thing makes a part of our difcipline; and we are in danger, without proper care, and attention, of deviating into error in fo feemingly trivial a particular as that of drefs. Too much time, or too great expence beftowed on drefs, that is, more than might do the business decently, becomes criminal. For that is wafting upon an affair of very little confequence, what is of great value, and might be much better applied. Levity, or wantonnefs appearing in drefs, is alfo unjuftifiable, as tending to produce bad effects on ourfelves and others.

To conclude, the proper conduct of the paffions and appetites confifts briefly, in following nature in the indulgence of them; in taking care, above all things, not to fuffer them to get fuch a hold of the mind, as to enflave it, that is, to engage fo much of its attention as may disqualify it for worthier pursuits, make it unhappy by continually hankering after the gratification of one low defire or other, and lead it to place its whole fatisfaction in fuch gratifications. The due conduct of the paffions and appetites fuppofes reafon to bear rule in the mind, and the inferior powers to be in fubjection. Whoever keeps his mind conftantly in fuch a condition, is at all times in a capacity for acting a part fuitable to the Dignity of Human Nature, and performing his duty to his fellow-creatures, and to his Creator.

SECT. VII.

Of our Obligations with Refpect to our Fellow

creatures.

HE foundation upon which the whole of our duty

THE

to our fellow-creatures muft reft, is benevolence. And the measure of our love to the rest of mankind, is, its being equal to that which we have for ourselves. The reafon why it is made our duty to love our neighbours as ourselves, is, That being proper, there fhould be fuch an order of beings, as man, created, it was impoffible for Divine Wisdom to propofe the production of such a

fpecies,

fpecies, without intending them to be united together as a fociety; and that mutual love and agreement are effentially neceffary to the very idea of a fociety, As it is impoffible to conceive a material fyftem, in which repulfion fhould univerfally prevail, and attraction have no place, but every particle of matter should repel every other, fo is it conceivable that a fociety should subsist, in which every individual fhould hate every other.

Our felf-love is very wifely made the measure of our love to our fellow-creatures, because every individual ought to confider himself as only one among many, and no way of greater confequence than his neighbour, before the univerfal Governor, than as he may be more virtuous than he. And as human penetration does not reach fo far as to judge of internal characters, we cannot upon any rational pretence pronounce ourselves preferable to others, nor confequently ought to love our fellow-creatures at all leis than ourselves. It is true, that the order of human affairs is fuch, as to direct every man to apply himfelf to the conducting of his own concerns, and confulting his own intereft; because every man knows beft, and is therefore the fittest, to undertake the management of his own concerns, temporal and spiritual. By which means every man's concerns are likely to be managed to the best purpose. But it does not follow from thence, that any man ought in his own mind to prefer himself to another, or to love himfelf more than his neighbour.

Whoever loves his neighbour as himself, will shew his affection by confulting his intereft in all things which may concern either his body, his foul, his fortune, or reputation: For every man, who rationally loves himfelf, will study his own intereft with refpect to the fe four great concerns.

To confult our neighbour's intereft, is, to do him nọ injury to prevent, as much as in us lies, any other perfon from injuring him; to do him juftice in every refpect, and, beyond juftice, to fhew him all the kind

nefs in our power.

To be negatively good, if we proceed no farther, is deferving no more praife than a flock or a ftone. And Y 4

thofe