It was now known that I had money and would spend it, and I paffed four months in the company of Architects, whofe whole bufiness was to perfuade me to build a house. I told them that I had more room than I wanted, but could not get rid of their importunities. A new plan was brought me every morning; till at last my constancy was overpowered, and Į began to build. The happiness of Building lafted but a little while, for though I love to fpend, I hate to be cheated; and I foon found that to build is to be robbed.

How I proceed in the pursuit of happiness, shall hear when I find myself disposed to write.

you

I am, Sir, &c.

TIM. RANGER,

N° 63.

N° 63. Saturday, June 30.

HE natural progrefs of the works of

THE

men is from rudeness to convenience, from convenience to elegance, and from elegance to nicety.

THE firft labour is enforced by neceffity. The favage finds himself incommoded by heat and cold, by rain and wind; he fhelters himfelf in the hollow of a rock, and learns to dig a cave where there was none before. He finds the fun and the wind excluded by the thicket, and when the accidents of the chace, or the convenience of pafturage leads him into more open places, he forms a thicket for himself, by planting stakes at proper diftances, and laying branches from one to another.

THE next gradation of skill and industry produces a house, clofed with doors, and diD 6 vided

vided by partitions; and apartments are multiplied and difpofed according to the various degrees of power or invention; improvement fucceeds improvement, as he that is freed from a greater evil grows impatient of a lefs, till: ease in time is advanced to pleasure.

THE mind fet free from the importunities of natural want, gains leifure to go in search of fuperfluous gratifications, and adds to the ufes of habitation the delights of profpect. Then begins the reign of fymmetry; orders of architecture are invented, and one part of the edifice is conformed to another, without other reason than that the eye may not be offended.

any

THE paffage is very fhort from elegance to luxury. Ionick and Corinthian columns are foon fucceeded by gilt cornices, inlaid floors, and petty ornaments, which fhew rather the wealth than the taste of the poffeffor..

LANGUAGE proceeds, like every thing elfe, thro' improvement to degeneracy. The rovers who first take poffeffion of a country, having not many ideas, and those not nicely

modified or difcriminated, were contented if by general terms and abrupt fentences they could make their thoughts known to one anther; as life begins to be more regulated, and property to become limited, disputes must be decided and claims adjusted; the differences of things are noted, and diftin&tness and propriety of expreffion become neceffary. In time, happiness and plenty give rise to curiofity, and the sciences are cultivated for ease and pleafure; to the arts which are now to be taught, emulation foon adds the art of teaching; and the ftudious and ambitious contend not only who shall think beft, but who fhall tell their thoughts in the most pleasing manner.

THEN begin the arts of Rhetorick and Poetry, the regulation of figures, the felection of words, the modulation of periods, the graces of tranfition, the complication of clauses, and all the delicacies of style and subtilties of compofition, useful while they advance perfpicuity, and laudable while they increase pleasure, but eafy to be refined by needlefs fcrupulofity till they fhall more embarrass the writer than affift the reader or delight him.

THE

THE firft ftate is commonly antecedent to the practice of writing; the ignorant effays of imperfect diction pafs away with the favage generation that uttered them. No nation can trace their language beyond the fecond period, and even of that it does not often happen that many monuments remain.

THE fate of the English tongue is like that of others. We know nothing of the fcanty jargon of our barbarous ancestors, but we have fpecimens of our language when it began to be adapted to civil and religious purposes, and find it fuch as might naturally be expected, artless and fimple, unconnected and concife. The writers feem to have defired little more than to be understood, and perhaps seldom afpired to the praise of pleafing. Their verses were confidered chiefly as memorial, and therefore did not differ from profe but by the meafure or the rhyme.

In this ftate, varied a little according to the different purposes or abilities of writers, our language may be faid to have continued to the time of Gower, whom Chaucer calls his mafter, and who, however obfcured by his fcho

lar's