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date is a good man, whom he is unwilling to oppose or offend.

IF difputes happen among his neighbours, he obferves an invariable and cold neutrality. His punctuality has gained him the reputation of honesty, and his caution that of wisdom, and few would refufe to refer their claims to his award. He might have prevented many expen five law-fuits, and quenched many a feud in its firft smoke, but always refuses the office of Arbitration, because he must decide against one or the other.

WITH the affairs of other families he is al ways unacquainted. He fees eftates bought and fold, fquandered and increased, without praising the economist or cenfuring the spendthrift. He never courts the rifing left they fhould fall, nor infults the fallen left they should rife again. His caution has the appearance of virtue, and all who do not want his help praise his benevolence; but if any man folicits his affiftance, he has juft fent away all his money; and when the petitioner is gone, declares to his family that he is forry for his misfortunes, has always looked upon him with particular kind

nefs,

nefs, and therefore could not lend him money, left he should deftroy their friendship by the neceffity of enforcing payment.

OF domeftic misfortunes he has never heard. When he is told the hundredth time of a Gentleman's daughter who has married the coachman, he lifts up his hands with aftonishment, for he always thought her a very fober girl. When nuptial quarrels, after having filled the country with talk and laughter, at last end in feparation, he never can conceive how it happened, for he looked upon them as a happy couple.

If his advice is afked, he never gives any particular direction, because events are uncertain, and he will bring no blame upon himfelf; but he takes the confulter tenderly by. the hand, tells him he makes his cafe his own, and advises him not to act rafhly, but to weigh the reasons on both fides; obferves that a man may be as eafily too hafty as too flow, and that as many fail by doing too much as too little; that a wife man has two ears and one tongue; and that little faid is foon amended; that he could tell him this and that, but

that after all every man is the beft judge of his own affairs.

WITH this fome are fatisfied, and go home with great reverence of Sophron's wifdom, and none are offended, because every one is left in full poffeffion of his own opinion.

SOPHRON gives no characters. It is equally vain to tell him of Vice and Virtue, for he has remarked that no man likes to be cenfured, and that very few are delighted with the praises of another. He has a few terms which he uses to all alike. With respect to fortune, he believes every family to be in good circumftances; he never exalts any understanding by lavish praife, yet he meets with none but very fenfible people. Every man is honeft and hearty, and every woman is a good creature.

THUS Sophron creeps along, neither loved nor hated, neither favoured nor oppofed; he has never attempted to grow rich for fear of growing poor, and has raised no friends for fear of making enemies.

N° 58.

N° 58. Saturday, May 26.

PLEA

LEASURE is very seldom found where it is fought. Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected fparks. The flovers which scatter their odours from time to time in the paths of life, grow up without culture from feeds fcattered by chance.

NOTHING is more hopeless than a scheme of merriment. Wits and humorists are brought together from diftant quarters by preconcerted invitations; they come attended by their admirers prepared to laugh and to applaud: They gaze a-while on each other, afhamed to be filent, and afraid to speak; every man is difcontented with himfelf, grows angry with those that give him pain, and refolves that he will contribute nothing to the merriment of such worthless company. Wine inflames the general malignity, and changes fullennefs to

petulance, till at laft none can bear any longer the prefence of the reft. They retire to vent their indignation in fafer places, where they are heard with attention; their importance is restored, they recover their good humour, and gladden the night with wit and jocularity.

MERRIMENT is always the effect of a sudden impreffion. The jeft which is expected is already deftroyed. The most active imagination will be fometimes torpid, under the frigid influence of melancholy, and sometimes occafions will be wanting to tempt the mind, however volatile, to fallies and excurfions. Nothing was ever faid with uncommon felicity, but by the co-operation of chance; and therefore, wit as well as valour must be content to share its honours with fortune.

ALL other pleafures are equally uncertain; the general remedy of uneafinefs is change of place; almost every one has fome journey of Pleasure in his mind, with which he flatters his expectation. He that travels in theory has no inconveniences; he has fhade and sunshine at his difpofal, and wherever he alights finds tables of plenty and looks of gaie

ty.