73. THE lingering Expectation of an Heir.

74. Peevishness equally wretched and offensive-the

Character of Tetrica.

75. The World never known but by a Change of Fortune

-the History of Melissa.

76. The Arts by which bad Men are reconciled to them-

selves.

77. The Learned seldom despised but when they deserve

Contempt.

78. The Power of Novelty-Mortality too familiar to

raise Apprehensions.

79. A suspicious Man justly suspected.

80. Variety necessary to Happiness.-a Winter Scene.

81. The great Rule of Action-Debts of Justice to be

distinguished from Debts of Charity.

82. The Virtuoso's Account of his Rarities.

83. The Virtuoso's Curiosity justified.

84. A young Lady's Impatience of Control.

85. The Mischiefs of total Idleness.

NO.

86. The Danger of succeeding a great Author: an Intro-

duction to a Criticism on Milton's Versification.

87. The Reasons why Advice is generally ineffectual.

88. A Criticism on Milton's Versification-Elisions dan-

gerous in English Poetry.

89. The Luxury of vain Imagination.

90. The Pauses in English Poetry adjusted.

91. The Conduct of Patronage: an Allegory.

92. The Accommodation of Sound to Sense, often chi-

merical.

93. The Prejudices and Caprices of Criticism.

94. An Inquiry how far Milton has accommodated the
Sound to the Sense.

95. The History of Pertinax the Sceptic.

96. Truth, Falsehood, and Fiction, an Allegory.

97. Advice to unmarried Ladies.

98. The Necessity of cultivating Politeness.

99. The Pleasures of private Friendship-the Necessity

of similar Dispositions.

100. Modish Pleasures.

101, A proper Audience necessary to a Wit.

102. The Voyage of Life.

103. The Prevalence of Curiosity-the Character of

Nugaculus.

104. The Original of Flattery-the Meanness of venal

Praise.

105. The Universal Register: a Dream.

106. The Vanity of an Author's Expectations-Reasons

why good Authors are sometimes neglected.

107. Properantia's Hopes of a Year of Confusion-the

Misery of Prostitutes.

108. Life sufficient to all Purposes, if well employed.

109. The Education of a Fop.

110. Repentance stated and explained - Retirement and

Abstinence useful to Repentance.

NO.

111. Youth made unfortunate by its Haste and Eager-

ness.

112. Too much Nicety not to be indulged-the Charac-

ter of Eriphile.

113. The History of Hymenæus's Courtship.

114. The Necessity of proportioning Punishments to

Crimes.

115. The Sequel of Hymenæus's Courtship.

116. The young Trader's Attempt at Politeness.

117. The Advantages of living in a Garret.

118. The Narrowness of Fame.

119. Tranquilla's Account of her Lovers opposed to

Hymenæus.

120. The History of Alamoulin the Son of Nouradin.

The Dangers of Imitation—the Impropriety of

imitating Spenser.

X121.

122. A Criticism on the English Historians.

123. The young Trader turned Gentleman.

124. The Lady's Misery in a Summer Retirement.

125. The Difficulty of defining Comedy-Tragic and

Comic Sentiments confounded.

126. The Universality of Cowardice-the Impropriety.

of extorting Praise-the Impertinence of an

Astronomer.

127. Diligence too soon relaxed-Necessity of Perseve-

rance.

128. Anxiety universal—the Unhappiness of a Wit and

a fine Lady.

129. The Folly of Cowardice and Inactivity.

130. The History of a Beauty.

131. Desire of Gain the general Passion.

132. The Difficulty of educating a young Nobleman.

133. The Miseries of a Beauty defaced.

134. The essenes of

135. The Folly of annual Retreats into the Country.

NO.

136. The Meanness and Mischiefs of indiscriminate

Dedication.

137. The Necessity of literary Courage.

138. Original Characters to be found in the Country-

the Character of Mrs. Busy.

N. B.

All the papers contained in this volume are
by Dr. Johnson, except No. 97, by Mr. Richardson;
and 100, by Mrs. Carter.

THE

RAMBLER.

No. 73. TUESDAY, NOV. 27, 1750.

Stulte, quid heu frustra votis puerilibus optas
Quæ non ulla tulit, fertve, feretve dies.
Why thinks the fool with childish hope to see
What neither is, nor was, nor e'er shall be?

"SIR,

"TO THE RAMBLER.

Ovid.

ELPHINSTON.

"IF you feel any of that compassion which you recommend to others, you will not disregard a case which I have reason from observation to believe very common, and which I know by experience to be very miserable. And, though the querulous are seldom received with great ardour of kindness, I hope to escape the mortification of finding that my lamentations spread the contagion of impatience, and produce anger rather than tenderness. I write not merely to vent the swelling of my heart, but to inquire by what means I may recover my tranquillity; and shall endeavour at brevity in my narrative, having long known that complaint quickly tires, however elegant or however just.

"I was born in a remote county, of a family that boasts alliances with the greatest names in English

VOL. II.

B