Gloom

ter is generally the chief time of labour. and filence produce compofure of mind, and concentration of ideas, and the privation of external pleasure naturally caufes an effort to find entertainment within. This is the time in which thofe whom literature enables to find amufements for themselves, have more than common convictions of their own happiness. When they are condemned by the elements to retirement, and debarred from most of the diverfions which are called in to affift the flight of time, they can always find new fubjects of inquiry, engage their paffions in new purfuits, and preferve themselves from that wearinefs which hangs always flagging upon the vacant mind.

It cannot indeed be expected of all to be poets and philofophers, deeply verfed in fciences, or much engaged in any refearches into paft or diftant tranfactions. It is neceffary, that the greatest part of mankind fhould be employed in the trivial business of common life; trivial indeed, not with refpect to its influence upon our happiness, but of the abilities requifite to conduct it. These must

neceffarily be more dependent on accident for the means of spending agreeably those hours which their employment leaves unengaged, or which the imbecillity of nature obliges them to allow to relaxation and diverfion. Yet on these I would willingly impress such a sense of the value of time, as may incline them to find out for their most carelefs hours fome amusement of more use and dignity than the common games, which not only weary the mind without improving it, but ftrengthen the paffions of envy and avarice, and often lead to fraud and to profufion, to corruption and to ruin. It

is

is unworthy of a reasonable being, to spend any of the little time allotted us, without fome tendency, either direct or oblique, to the end of our exiftence. And though every moment cannot be laid out on the formal and regular improvement of our knowledge, or in the stated practice of a moral or religious duty, yet none fhould be so spent as to exclude wifdom or virtue, or pafs without poffibility of qualifying us more or lefs for the better employment of those which are to come.

It is fcarcely poffible to pafs an hour in honeft converfation, without being able, when we rife from it, to please ourselves with having given or received fome advantages: but a man may fhuffle cards or rattle dice from noon to midnight, without tracing any new idea in his mind, or being able to recollect the day by any other token but his gain or lofs, and a confufed remembrance of agitated paffions and clamorous altercations.

However, as experience is always of more weight than precept, any of my readers who are contriving how to spend the dreary months before them, may confider which of their past amufements fill them now with greatest satisfaction, and refolve to repeat thofe gratifications of which the pleasure is molt durable.

THE

RAMBLER.

NUMBER LXXXI.

LONDON, Tuesday, December 25. 1750.

Difcite juftitiam moniti

VIRG.

A

Mong other questions which have been long difcuffed in the world, without any approach to decifion, may be numbered the precedency or fuperior excellence of one virtue to another; which has furnished a fubject of debate to thofe whofe leifure fent them out into the intelVOL. IV.

C

lectual