awakened and animated, by the luftre of it, "to

glorify our Father in heaven."

SECTION X.

DODDRIDGE.

Schemes of Life often illufory.

OMAR, the fon of Hufsan, had passed feventy-five years, in honour and profperity. The favour of three fuccefsive califs had filled his house with gold and filver; and whenever he appeared, the benedictions of the people proclaimed his passage.

Terreftrial happiness is of fhort continuance. The brightnefs of the flame is wafting its fuel; the fragrant flower is pafsing away in its own odours. The vigour of Omar began to fail; the curls of beauty fell from his head; ftrength departed from his hands; and agility from his feet. He gave back to the calif the keys of truft, and the feals of fecrecy; and fought no other pleasure for the remains of life, than the converfe of the wife, and the gratitude of the good.

The powers of his mind were yet unimpaired.. His chamber was filled by vifitants, eager to catch the dictates of experience, and officious to pay the tribute of admiration. Caled, the fon of the viceroy of Egypt, entered every day early, and retired late. He was beautiful and eloquent: Omar admired his wit, and loved his docility. "Tell me," faid Caled, "thou to whofe voice nations have liftened, and whose wisdom is known to the extremities of Afia, tell me how I may refemble Omar the prudent. The arts by which thou

haft gained power and preferved it, are to thee no longer necefsary or ufeful: impart to me the fecret of thy conduct, and teach me the plan upon which thy wisdom has built thy fortune."

Ten

"Young man," said Omar, "it is of little ufe to form plans of life. When I took my firft furvey of the world, in my twentieth year, having confidered the various conditions of mankind, in the hour of folitude I faid thus to myself, leaning against a cedar, which fpread its branches over my head: Seventy years are allowed to man: I have yet fifty remaining. years I will allot to the attainment of knowledge, and ten I will pass in foreign countries; I fhall be learned, and therefore shall be honoured; every city will shout at my arrival, and every student will solicit my friendship. Twenty years thus pafsed, will ftore my mind with images, which I fhall be bufy, through the rest of my life, in combining and comparing. I fhall revel in inexhaustible accumulations of intellectual riches; I fall find new pleafures for every moment; and shall never more be weary of myfelf. I will not, however, deviate too far from the beaten track of life; but will try what can be found in female delicacy. I will marry a wife beautiful as the Houries, and wife as Zobeide: with her I will live twenty years within the suburbs of Bagdat, in every pleasure that wealth can purchafe, and fancy can invent. I will then retire to a rural dwelling; pafs my days in obfcurity and contemplation; and lie filently down on the bed of death. Through my life it fhall be my fettled refolution, that I will never depend upon the smile of princes; that I will never ftand expofed to the artifices of courts; I will never pant for public honours, nor disturb my

quiet with the affairs of state.' Such was my fcheme of life, which I imprefsed indelibly upon my memory."

"The first part of my enfuing time was to be spent in search of knowledge, and I know not how I was diverted from my defign. I had no visible impediments without, nor any ungovernable pafsions within. I regarded knowledge as the highest honour, and the most engaging pleasure; yet day ftole upon day, and month glided after month, till I found that seven years of the first ten had vanifhed, and left nothing behind them. I now poftponed my purpose of travelling; for why fhould I go abroad, while fo much remained to be learned at home? I immured myself for four years, and ftudied the laws of the empire. The fame fkill reached the judges: I was found able to speak upon doubtful questions; and was commanded to ftand at the footftool of the calif. I was, heard with attention; I was confulted with confidence; and the love of praise faftened on my heart."

of

my

"Iftill wifhed to fee diftant countries; liftened with rapture to the relations of travellers; and refolved fome time to afk my difmifsion, that I might feast my foul with novelty: but my prefence was always neceffary; and the ftream of business hurried me along. Sometimes I was afraid left I fhould be charged with ingratitude; but I ftill propofed to travel, and therefore would not confine myfelf by marriage."

"In my fiftieth year, I began to fufpect that the time of travelling was paft; and thought it beft to lay hold on the felicity yet in my power, and indulge myself in domeftic pleasures. But at fifty no man eafily finds a woman beautiful as the Hourics, and wife as Zobeide.

I inquired and rejected, confulted and deliberated, till the fixty-fecond year made me afhamed of withing. to marry. I had now nothing left but retirement; and for retirement I never found a time, till disease forced me from public employment."

"Such was my scheme, and fuch has been its confe quence. With an infatiable thirst for knowledge, I triffed away the years of improvement; with a reftlefs defire of seeing different countries, I have always refided in the fame city; with the highest expectation of connubial felicity, I have lived unmarried; and with unalterable refolutions of contemplative retirement, I am going to die within the walls of Bagdat."

DR. JOHNSON.

SECTION XI.

The Pleafures of virtuous Senfibility.

THE good effects of true fenfibility on general virtue and happiness, admit of no difpute. Let us confider its effect on the happinefs of him who pofsefses it, and the various pleasures to which it gives him accefs.. If he is mafter of riches or influence, it affords him the means of increafing his own enjoyment, by relieving the wants, or increafing the comforts of others. If he commands not these advantages, yet all the comforts, which he fees in the pofsefsion of the deferving, become in fome fort his, by his rejoicing in the good. which they enjoy. Even the face of nature yields a fatisfaction to him, which the infenfible can never know. The profufion of goodness which he beholds poured forth on the univerfe, dilates his heart with

the thought, that innumerable multitudes around him are bleft and happy. When he fees the labours of men appearing to profper, and views a country flourishing in wealth and induftry; when he beholds. the fpring coming forth in its beauty, and reviving the decayed face of nature; or in autumn beholds the fields loaded with plenty, and the year crowned with all its fruits; he lifts his affections with gratitude to the great Father of all, and rejoices in the general felicity and joy.

It may indeed be objected, that the fame fenfibility lays open the heart to be pierced with many wounds, from the diftrefses which abound in the world; expofes us to frequent fuffering from the participation which it communicates of the forrows, as well as of the joys, of friendship. But let it be confidered, that the tender melancholy of fympathy, is accompanied with a fenfation, which, they who feel it would not exchange for the gratifications of the felfifh. When the heart is ftrongly moved by any of the kind affections, even when it pours itfelf forth in virtuous forrow, a fecret attractive charm mingles with the painful emotion; there is a joy in the midft of grief. Let it be farther confidered, that the griefs which fenfibility introduces, are counterbalanced by pleasures which flow from the fame fource. Senfibility heightens in general the human powers, and is connected with acuteness in all our feelings. If it makes us more alive to fome painful fenfations, in return, it renders the pleasing ones more vivid and animated. The selfish man languishes in his narrow circle of pleafures. They are confined to what affects his own intereft. He is obliged to repeat the fame gratifi