causes, are glad to close their eyes upon the gloomy prospect, and lose, in a short insensibility, the remembrance of others, miseries and their own. The hero has no higher hope, than that, after having routed legions after legions, and added kingdom to kingdom, he shall retire to milder happiness, and close his days in social festivity. The wit or the sage can expect no greater happiness, than that, after having harassed his reason in deep researches, and fatigued his fancy in boundless excursions, he shall sink at night in the tranquillity of sleep.

The poets, among all those that enjoy the blessings of sleep, have been least ashamed to acknowledge their benefactor. How much Statius considered the evils of life as assuaged and softened by the balm of slumber, we may discover by that pathetic invocation, which he poured out in his waking nights: and that Cowley, among the other felicities of his darling solitude, did not forget to number the privilege of sleeping without disturbance, we may learn from the rank that he assigns among the gifts of nature to the poppy, "which is scattered," says he, "over the fields of 66 corn, that all the needs of man may be easily satis"fied, and that bread and sleep may be found toge"ther."

He wildly errs who thinks I yield
Precedence in the well cloth'd field,
Tho' mixed with wheat I grow:
Indulgent Ceres knew my worth,
And to adorn the teeming earth,
She bade the Poppy blow.

Nor vainly gay the sight to please,
But blest with power mankind to ease,
The Goddess saw me rise:

"Thrive with the life-supporting grain,"
She cry'd, "the solace of the swain,
"The cordial of his eyes.

"Seize, happy mortal, seize the good;
"My hand supplies thy sleep and food,
"And makes thee truly blest:
"With plenteous meals enjoy the day,
"In slumbers pass the night away,
"And leave to fate the rest."

C. B.

Sleep, therefore, as the chief of all earthly blessings, is justly appropriated to industry and temperance; the refreshing rest, and the peaceful night, are the portion only of him who lies down weary with honest labour, and free from the fumes of indigested luxury; it is the just doom of laziness and gluttony, to be inactive without ease, and drowsy without tranquillity.

Sleep has been often mentioned as the image of death; "so like it," says Sir Thomas Brown, "that "I dare not trust it without my prayers: :" their resemblance is, indeed, apparent and striking; they both, when they seize the body, leave the soul at liberty; and wise is he that remembers of both, that they can be safe and happy only by Virtue."

VOL. II.

No. XL. SATURDAY, MARCH 24.

Solvite tantis animum monstris,

Solvite, Superi; rectam in melius
Vertite mentum.

O! save, ye gods omnipotent and kind,
From such abhorr'd chimeras save the mind!

In truth's strait path no hideous monsters roar ;
To truth's strait path the wand'ring mind restore.

SEN.

I WENT a few days ago to visit a friend, whose understanding is so much disordered by an unjudicious application to study, that he has been some time confined in a mad-house. His imagination was alalways remarkably vigorous, and his judgment far from contemptible: but having resolved to admit no proposition which he could not demonstrate to be true, and to proceed to no enquiry till he had perfectly levelled the path before him; his progress was presently stopped, and his mind continued fixed upon problems which no human abilities can solve, till object became confused, and he mistook for reali the illusions of fancy.

The unequal distribution of good and evil, t sufferings of virtue, and the enjoyments of vice, had long busied and perplexed his understanding: he could not discover, why a being to whom all things are possible, should leave moral agents exposed to accidental happiness and misery; why a child often languishes under diseases which are derived from a parent, and a parent suffers yet keener anguish by the rebellious ingratitude of a child; why the tenderest affection is often abused by the neglect of indifference, or the insults of brutality; and why vice has external advantages put into her power, which virtue is compelled to renounce.

He considered these phenomena as blemishes in the moral system, and could not suppress romantic wishes to see them removed. These wishes he now believes to be in some degree accomplished; for he conceives himself transported to another planet, peopled with beings like himself, and governed by such laws as human pride has often dictated to Divine Wisdom for the government of the earth; he fancies too, that he is attended by a being of a superior order, who has been commanded to take charge of him during his excursion; and he says the name of this being is Azail. But notwithstanding these extravagances, he will sometimes reason with great subtilty; and perfectly comprehends the force of any argument that is brought against him, though the next moment he will be wandering in the mazes of phrenzy, or busied to accomplish some trifling or ridiculous purpose.

When I entered his room, he was sitting in a contemplative posture, with his eyes fixed upon the ground; he just glanced them upon me, but as I perceived that his imagination was busy, I was not willing to interrupt it by the intrusion of foreign ideas; I therefore, seated myself near him, without speaking a word; and after he had continued in his reyerie near a quarter of an hour, he rose up, and seemed by his jestures to take leave of some invisible guest, whom with great ceremony he attended to the door. When he returned, he addressed me with his usual formality; and, without expressing any curiosity to know how I had followed him into a region so remote and difficult of access, he began to acquaint me with all that had passed in his imagination.

“Azail,” said he, " has just promised, that he will "to-morrow remove me from this solitary retire"ment to the metropolis; where the advantages that " arise from a perfect coincidence of the natural and

"the moral world, will be more apparent and strik"ing: he tells me, that you have been abroad with "him this morning, and have made some discove"ries which you are to communicate to me. Come,

"I know that you find this world very different from "that which you left: there, all is confusion and "deformity; good and evil seem to be distributed "not by design, but by chance; and religion is not "founded on reason, but faith: here, all is order, "harmony, and beauty: vice itself is only a deep "shadow that gives strength and elegance to other "figures in the moral picture; happiness does, in"deed in some degree depend upon externals; but even external advantages are the appendages of "virtue: every man spontaneously believes the rec❝titude which he sees, and rejoices that a blind as"sent to propositions which contradict his experi"ence is not exacted."

66

To this address I was at a loss how to reply; but some time was happily allowed me for recollection by my friend, who having now exhausted his ideas, lighted a pipe of tobacco, and resigned himself again to meditation. In this interval I determined to accommodate myself to his conceptions, and try what could be effected by decorating some arguments with the machinery of his fancy.

"If Azail," said I," has referred you to me, I "will readily gratify your curiosity: but for my own "part I am more and more disgusted with this place, "and I shall rejoice when I return to our own "world. We have, I confess, been abroad this morn"ing; but though the weather, as you see, is fine " and the country pleasant, yet I have great reason "to be dissatisfied with my walk. This, as you "have remarked, is a retired part of the country: 66 my discoveries, therefore, with respect to the peo"ple, have been few; and till to-day, I have seen 66 no object that has much excited my curiosity, or