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 fpirits 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 praise 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 lofe a friend. To aim at the esteem of the public, and to leave a good name behind. Not to be fingular in drefs, in behaviour, in notions, or expreffions of one's thoughts. Never to give bad advice, and to frive 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 unanfwered gratification of a fingle hour. Whilft 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 best 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, must have its fallow feafon. The leifure of the pen has created honourable acquaintance, and pleafed 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 prefent, 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 preferved 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 1 with one's lot in life; and it occafions many to look with the eye of innocent envy. To refolve more than ever, o fhun every public ftation and refponfibility of conduct. To be fatisfied with being mafter of one's felf, one's habits, now a fecond nature, and one's time. Determined not to fol cit, unless trampled upon by fo tune, to live and die in the harness of trade, or a pr feffion. To take care that p ty, huma ity is not here meant, does not find out one in the endurance of any calan ity. When pity is within call, contempt is not far off No to wish to have a greater hold of life, nor to quit that hold. The poffible tenure of existence is of too fhort poffeffion for the long night that is to fucceed: therefore not a moment to be.lo. Not to lofe fight, even for a fingle day, of these good and proverbial doctors-diet merryman-and quiet. Refolve, to remember and to recommend, towards tranquillity and longevity, the three oral maxims of fir Hans Sloane-" Never to quarrel with one's felf one's wife or one's prince." Laftly, not to put one's felf too much in the power of the elements, thofe great enemies to the human frame; namely, the funthe wind-the rain-and the night air.” MEMORY. POETRY. POETRY. The VILLAGE FREEHOLDER. [From the News Paper, a Poem, by Mr. CRABEE.] OR here th' infectious rage for party flops, N along from to Our weekly journals o'er the land abound, Here he delights the weekly news to con, While thus he reads or raves, around him wait To praife or blame, to judge of wrong or right; What What KIND of COMPOSITION a NEWS PAPER is, and the AMUSEMENT it affords. [From the fame Poem.] fo Such various fubjects in so small a space? In one finall room, moths, minerals, and coins, Add next th' amufement which the motley page So charm the news; but we, who far from town Such reflefs paffion is the love of news, Give poets claret, they grow idle foon; Such powers have things fo vile, and they can boast The SONG of EXULTATION. [From Mr. POTTER'S Oracle concerning Babylon, and the Song of Exultation, from Ifaiah, chap. xiii. xiv.] TH HE fpoil-gorg'd city is no more; Hath rent the enfign of command, The Earth exulting views his breathless corfe, "Thy furious hand no more shall bleeding realms deftroy.* The lordly Lebanon waves high The ancient honours of his facred head; Their branching arms his cedars spread, He calls through all the drear abodes of Death; And fceptred kings of empires wide Rife from their lofty thrones, and thus accoft thy pride. Is this weak form of flirting air The potent lord that fill'd th' Affyrian throne? Where thy rich feasts, thy fprightly viols where? How art thou fall'n, bright star of orient day, Son of the Morning! Thou, whofe fanguine ray Glared terribly a baleful light; War kindled at the blaze, and wild Rufh'd Slaughter, Havoc rufh'd, their robes with blood defil'd. |