Page images
PDF
EPUB

"MEL

HISTORY OF MELETINA.

[From the fame Work.]

ELETINA is the accomplished daughter of opulent parents. Her mother died when he was very young; her fa ther, a man of a feeling and liberal mind, devoted himself entirely to the education of his two lovely children, Meletina and her brother, who, being nearly of an age, and equal in all the best gifts of nature, grew up together in the tendereft affection. It happened that Meletina, now turned of twenty, was on a diftant vifit, at the houfe of a female relation, when he heard that her father, whom he loved moft tenderly, was attacked by a very dangerous diforder. The poor girl haftened home in the moft painful anxiety, which was converted into the bittereft diftrefs, by her finding, on her return, that her father was dead, and her brother confined by the malignant diftemper, which he had caught in his inceffant attendance on the parent they had loft. The utmoft efforts were ufed to keep Meletina from the chamber of her brother; but no entreaties could prevail on her to defert the only furviving object of her ardent affection, and, de fpifing the idea of her own dan ger, he attended the unhappy youth, who was now del rious, with fuch tender affiduity, that he would not permit him to receive either nourishment or medicine from any hand but her own. The purity of her confiitution, or the immediate care of Providence, preferved the generous Meletina from infection, and heaven granted to her carneft prayers the endangered

life of her brother; but his reco very feemed to be rather defigned as a trial of her fortitude than as a reward of her tenderness: his bo dily health was restored to him, but his mental faculties were de ftroyed. The unhappy Meletina, in the place of a lively young friend, and a generous protector, found only a poor babbling idiot, whofe fituation appeared to her the more deplorable, becaufe, though he had utterly loft a folid and a brilliant understanding, he feemed to retain all his benevolent aff-ctions. By one peculiarity which attended him, he was fingularly affected; and perhaps it made her refolve on the extraordinary facrifice which he has offered to his calamity. The peculiarity I fpeak of was this: he not only difcovered great fatisfaction in the fight of his lifter, though utterly unable to maintain a rational converfation with her; but if the left him for any confiderable time, he began to exprefs, by many wild geftures, extreme agitation and anxiety, and could never be prevailed on to touch any food, except in the prefence of Mele ina. Many experiments were tried to quiet his apprehenfions on this point, and to relieve his fifter from fo inconvenient and fo painful an attendance. Thefe experiments did not fucceed; but two medical friends of Meletina, who took a generous intereft in her health and happiness, engaged to correct this peculiarity in her poor fenfelefs brother, and convinced her, that for his fake, as well as her own, he ought to acquiefce in

fome

[ocr errors]

L

fome painful expedients for this purpofe. Her understanding was indeed convinced by their humane and judicious arguments, but her heart foon revolted against them; and, after two or three fevere but unfuccessful attempts to correct the obftinate habit of the affectionate idiot, the determined to irritate him no farther, but to make an entire facrifice of her own convenience and pleasure to the tranquillity of this unfortunate being. She felt a tender and melancholy delight in promoting his peace and comfort; but the time now arrived, in which the force and purity of her fifterly attachment was expofed to a trial perhaps as fevere as ever woman fuftained. A year and fome months had now elapfed fince the decease of her father, when a young foldier of family and fortune, who had made a deep impreffion on her youthful heart, returned to England from a diftant campaign. He was just recovered of a wound, which had detained him abroad, and returned home in the ardent hope of being completely rewarded for all his toils and futterings, by the poffeffion of his lovely Meletina. She received him with all the frankness and warmth of a fincere and virtuous affection; but, after they had given to each other a long and circumftantial account of their paft diftreffes, the anfwered his cager propofal of immediate marriage by declaring, that fhe thought it her duty to renounce her fair profpect of connubial happinefs, and to devote herself entirely to that unfortunate brother, who exifted only by her inceffant attention: fhe enumerated the many reafons that inclined her to fuch a painful facrifice, with all the fimple and pathetic eloquence of angelic virtue. Her lover, who poffeffed

[ocr errors]

that melting tenderness of heart, which often accompanies heroic courage, liftened to all her argu ments with a filent though paffionate admiration, and, intlead of attempting to detach her thoughts from the deplorable condition of her brother, he offered to relinquish his own active pu fuits, to engage with her in any plan of fequestered life, and to take an equal part in the fuperintendance of that hapless being, who had fo jutt a title to their compaflion and their care. This generous offer overwhelmed the tender Meletina. For fome time he could answer it only by weeping; but they were tears of mingled agony and delight. At lat he replied, "My excellent friend, I fhall now, and at all times, have the franknefs to avow, that you are extremely dear to me, and that I feel, as I ought to do, the uncommon proof which you are now giving me of the purest affection; but I must not fuffer the kindnefs and generofity of your heart to injure your happiness and glory. I must not be your wife. The peculiarity of my fituation calls for fo painful a facrifice; but great facrifices have great rewards; I feel that I fhall be fupported by the noble pride, not only of dif charging my duty, but of preferv ing your tender efteem, which I fhould certainly deferve to forfeit, as well as my own, if I did not re folutely decline your too generous propofal." The affectionate young foldier endeavoured to fhake her refolution, by every argument that the truth and ardour of his paffion could poflibly fugget. was inflexible; and the utmoit that her lover could obtain, was a pro. mife, that if, by attention and time, fhe fucceeded in her hope of reftoring the intellects of her bro

ther

not find twenty lines together without fome extravagance. He repeated two paffages from his Love of Fame, the characters of Brunetta and Stella, which he praised highly. He faid Young preffed him much to come to Wellwyn. He always intended it, but never went. He was forry when Young died. The caufe of quarrel between Young and his fon, he told us, was, that his fon infifted Young fhould turn away a clergyman's widow, who lived with him, and who, having acquired great influence over the father, was faucy to the fon. Dr. Johnfon faid, he could not conceal her refentment at him, for faying to Young, that "an old man fhould not refign himself to the manage. ment of any body." I asked him, if there was any improper connection between them. No, fir, no more than between two ftatues. He was past fourfcore, and the a very coarfe woman. She read to him, and, I fuppofe, made his coffee, and frothed his chocolate, and did fuch things as an old man wifhes to have done for him."

66

Dr. Doddridge being mentioned, he observed that he was author of one of the finest epigrams ju the English language. It is in Orton's Life of him. The fubject is his family-motto—Dum vivimus, vivamus; which, in its primary fignification, is, to be fure, not very fuitable to a Chriftian divine; but he paraphrafed it thus:

"Live, while you live, the epicure
would fay,

And feize the pleasures of the prefent day.
Live, while you live, the facred preacher
cries,
And give to God each moment as it flies.
Lord, in my views let both united be;
I live in pleasure, when I live to thee."

"I asked, if it was not ftrange that government fhould permit fo many infidel writings to pafs without cenfure.-Johnjon. "Sir, it is mighty foolish. It is for want of knowing their own power. The prefent family on the throne came to the crown against the will of nine-tenths of the people. Whether thefe nine-tenths were right or wrong, it is not our business now to enquire. But fuch being the fi tuation of the royal family, they were glad to encourage all whe would be their friends. Now you know every bad man is a Whig; every man who has loofe notions. The church was all against this family. They were, as I fay, glad to encourage any friends; and therefore, fince their acceffion, there is no inftance of any man being kept back on account of his bad principles; and hence this inundation of impiety." I obferved that Mr. Hume, fome of whofe writings were very unfavourable to religion, was, however, a Tory.-John fon.

Sir, Hume is a Tory by chance, as being a Scotchman; but not up. on a principle of duty; for he has no principle. If he is any thing, he is a Hobbit.”

Dr. JOHNSON's VISIT to the DUKE of ARGYLE.
[From the fame Work, ]

"MY acquaintance, the rive, and brother to our good friend at

rend Mr. John M'Aulay, one of the minifters of Inveraray,

Calder, came to us this morning, and accompanied us to the caftle,

where

-1

nary,

ther to wear out, than to ruft out.
To rife early, and as often as pof-
fible to go to bed before midnight.
Not to nod in company, nor to in-
dulge repofe too frequently on the
couch in the day. To wafte as lit-
tle of life in fleep as may be, for
we shall have enough in the grave.
Not to give up walking; nor to
ride on horfeback to fatigue. Ex-
perience, and a late medical opi-
nion, determine to ride five miles
every day. Nothing contributes
more to the prefervation of appe-
tite, and the prolongation of life.
Cheyne's direction to the valetudi-
"to make exercise a part of
their religion," to be religiously
obferved. To continue the prac-
tice of reading, purfued for more
than fifty years, in books on all
fubjects; for varlety is the falt of
the mind as well as of life. Other
people's thoughts, like the best con-
verfation of one's companions, are
generally better and more agree.
able than one's own. Frequently
to think over the virtues of one's
acquaintance, old and new. To
admit every cheerful ray of fun-
fhine on the imagination. To a-
void retrofpection on a paft friend-
fhip, which had much of love in it,
for memory often comes when the is
not invited. To try to think more
of the living and lefs of the dead;
for the dead belong to a world of
their own. To live within one's
income, be it large or little. Not
to let paffion of any fort run away
with the understanding. Not to
encourage romantic hopes nor fears.
Not to drive away hope, the fove-
reign balm of life, though he is
the greatest of all flatterers. Not
to be under the dominion of fuper-
ftition or enthufiafm. Not wilfully
to undertake any thing for which
the nerves of the mind or the body
are not strong enough. Not to run

the race of competition, or to be in another's way. To avoid being joftled too much in the street, being overcome by the noise of the carri ages, and not to be carried even by curiofity itfelf into a large croud. To frive to embody that dignified fentiment, "to write injuries in duft, but kindneffes in marble." Not to give the reins to conftitutional impatience, for it is apt to hurry on the first expreffions inta the indecency of fwearing. To recollect, that he who can keep his own temper may be mafter of another's. If one cannot be a ftoic, in bearing and forbearing, on every trying occafion, yet it may not be impoilible to pull the check-ftring against the morofencfs of fpleen or the impetuofity of pee viflinefs, Anger is a fhort madnef. Not to fall in love, now on the precipice of threefcore, nor expect to be fallen in love with. A connexion between fummer and winter is an improper one. Love, like fire, is a good fervant, but a bad master. Love is death, when the animal fpirits are gone. To contrive to have as few vacant hours upon one's hands as poffible, that idlenefs, the mother of crimes and vices, may not pay its vifit. To be always doing of fomething, and to have fomething to do. To fill up one's time, and to have a good deal to fill up, for time is the materials that life is made of. If one is not able by fituation, or through the neceffity of railing the fupplies within the year, or by habit (for virtue itself is but habit) to do much oftentatious good, yet do as little harm as poffible. To make the beft, and the most of every thing. Not to indulge too much in the luxury of the table, nor yet to underlive the conftitution. The gout, rheumatifm, and dropfy, in the language

of

of the Spectators, feem to be hovering over the dishes. Wine, the great purveyor of pleasure, and the fecond in rank among the fenfes, offers his fervice, when love takes his leave. It is natural to catch hold of every help, when the spirits begin to droop. Love and wine are good cordials, but are not proper for the beverage of common ufe. Refolve not to go to-bed on a full meal. A light fupper and a good confcience are the best receipts for a good night's reft; and the parents of undisturbing dreams. Not to be enervated by the flatulency of tea. Let the fecond or third morning's thought be to confider of the employment for the day; and one of the laft at night to enquire what has been done in the courfe of it. Not to let one's tongue run at the expence of truth. Not to be too communicative nor unreserved. A clofe tongue, with an open countenance, are the fafeft paffports through the journey of the world. To correct the error of too much talking, and restrain the narrativeness of the approaching climacteric. To take the good-natured fide in converfation. However, not to praife every body, for that is to praife no body. Not to be inquifitive, and eager to know fecrets, nor be thought to have a head full of other people's affairs. Not to make an enemy, nor to lose a friend. To aim at the esteem of the public, and to leave a good name behind. Not to be fingular in dress, in behaviour, in notions, or expreffions of one's thoughts. Never to give bad advice, and to ftrive not to fet a bad example. Seldom to give advice till afked, for it appears like giving fomething that is fuperfluous to one's felf. Not to like or diflike too much at first fight. Not to wonder, for all wonder is ignorance

that poffeffion falls fhort of expectation. The longing of twenty years may be difappointed in the unanswered gratification of a single hour. Whilst we are withing, we fee the best fide; after we have taken poffeffion, the worst. Refolved, to attend to the arguments on both fides; and to hear every body against every body. The mind ought not to be made up, but upon the beft evidence. To be affectionate to relations, which is a kind of felf-love, in preference to all other acquaintance. But not to omit paying the commanding refpect to merit, which is fuperior to all the accidental chains of kindred. Not to debilitate the mind by new and future compofitions. Like the fpider, it may fpin itself to death. The mind, like the field, muft have its fallow feason. The leisure of the pen has created honourable acquaintance, and pleased all it has wifhed to pleafe. To refolve, not to be too free of promises, for performances are fometimes very difficult things. Not to be too much alone, nor to read, nor meditate, or talk too much on points that may awaken tender fenfations, and be too pathetic for the foul. To enjoy the present, not to be made too unhappy by reflection on the past, nor to be oppreffed by invincible gloom on the future. To give and receive comfort, thofe neceffary alms to a diftreffed mind. To be conftantly thankful to Providence for the plenty hitherto poffeffed, which has preserved one from the dependence on party, perfons, and opinions, and kept one out of debt. The appearance of a happy fituation, and opportunities of tafting many worldly felicities (for content has feldom perverted itself into difcontent), has induced many to conclude, that one must be pleased

with

« PreviousContinue »