"them." It is happy, therefore, for mankind, that of this union there is no probability. As men take in a wider compafs of intellectual furvey, they are more likely to chufe different objects of purfuit; as they see more ways to the fame end, they will be less easily perfuaded to travel together; as each is better qualified to form an independent scheme of private greatness, he will reject with greater obftinacy the project of another; as each is more able to distinguish himself as the head of a party, he will lefs readily be made a follower or an affociate. The reigning philofophy informs us, that the vaft bodies which conftitute the univerfe, are regulated in their progrefs through the etherial spaces, by the perpetual agency of contrary forces; by one of which they are restrained from deserting their orbits, and lofing themselves in the immenfity of heaven; and held off by the other from rushing together, and clustering round their center with everlasting cohefion. The fame contrariety of impulfe may be perhaps difcovered in the motions of men: we are formed for fociety, not for combination; we are equally unqualified to live in a close connection with our fellow-beings, and in total feparation from them; we are attracted towards each other by general fympathy, but kept back from contact by private interests. Some philofophers have been foolish enough to imagine, that improvements might be made in the system of the univerfe, by a different arrangement of the orbs of heaven; and politicians, equally ignorant and equally prefumptuous, may easily be led to fuppofe, that the happiness of our world would be promoted promoted by a different tendency of the human mind. It appears, indeed, to a flight and fuperficial obferver, that many things impracticable in our prefent ftate, might be easily effected, if mankind were better difpofed to union and co-operation: but a little reflection will difcover, that if confederacies were eafily formed, they would lofe their efficacy, fince numbers would be oppofed to numbers, and unanimity to unanimity; and inftead of the prefent petty competitions of individuals or fingle families, multitudes would be fupplanting multitudes, and thousands plotting against thousands. There is no clafs of the human fpecies, of which the union feems to have been more expected, than of the learned: the reft of the world have almost always agreed to fhut fcholars up together in colleges and cloifters; furely not without hope, that they would look for that happiness in concord, which they were debarred from finding in variety; and that fuch conjunctions of intellect would recompenfe the munificence of founders and patrons, by performances above the reach of any fingle mind. But difcord, who found means to roll her apple into the banqueting chamber of the goddeffes, has had the address to scatier her laurels in the feminaries of learning. The friendship of ftudents and of beauties is for the moft part equally fincere, and equally durable as both depend for happiness on the regard of others, on that of which the value arifes merely from comparison, they are both expofed to perpetual jealoufies, and both inceflantly employed in fchemes to intercept the praifes of each other. I am, however, far from intending to inculcate that this confinement of the ftudious to ftudious companions, has been wholly without advantage to the publick: neighbourhood, where it does not concilate friendship, incites competition; and he that would contentedly reft in a lower degree of excellence, where he had no rival to dread, will be urged by his impatience of inferiority to inceffant endeavours after attainments. great Thefe ftimulations of honeft rivalry are, perhaps, the chief effects of academies and focieties; for whatever be the bulk of their joint labours, every fingle piece is always the production of an individual, that owes nothing to his colleagues but the contagion of diligence, a refolution to write, because the reft are writing, and the fcorn of obfcurity while the reft are illuftrious. NUMB. 50. SATURDAY, April 28, 1753. Quicunque turpi fraude femel innotuit, The wretch that often has deceiv'd, W PHÆD. HEN Ariftotle was once afked, what a man could gain by uttering falfehoods? he replied, "Not to be credited when he fhall tell the "truth." The character of a liar is at once fo hateful and contemptible, that even of thofe who have loft their virtue it might be expected that from the violation of truth they fhould be reftrained by their pride. Almoft every other vice that difgraces human nature, may be kept in countenance by applause and affociation: the corrupter of virgin innocence fees himfelf envied by the men, and at least not detefted by the women: the drunkard may easily unite with beings, devoted like himfelf to noify merriments or filent infenfibility, who will celebrate his victories over the novices of intemperance, boaft themfelves the companions of his prowefs, and tell with rapture of the multitudes whom unfuccefsful emulation has hurried to the grave: even the robber and the cutthroat have their followers, who admire their address and intrepidity, their ftratagems of rapine, and their fidelity to the gang. The The liar, and only the liar, is invariably and univerfally defpifed, abandoned, and difowned: he has no domeftick confolations, which he can oppofe to the cenfure of mankind; he can retire to no fraternity, where his crimes may ftand in the place of virtues; but is given up to the hiffes of the multitude, without friend and without apologift. It is the peculiar condition of falsehood, to be equally detefted by the good and bad: "The devils," fays Sir Thomas Brown" do not tell lies to one another; for truth is neceffary to all focieties: nor can the fociety of hell "fubfift without it." It is natural to expect, that a crime thus generally detested should be generally avoided; at least, that none should expofe himself to unabated and unpitied infamy, without an adequate temptation; and that to guilt fo eafily detected, and fo feverely punished, an adequate temptation would not readily be found. Yet fo it is, that in defiance of cenfure and contempt, truth is frequently violated; and fcarcely the most vigilant and unremitted circumfpection will secure him that mixes with mankind, from being hourly deceived by men of whom it can scarcely be imagined, that they mean any injury to him or profit to themselves; even where the fubject of converfation could not have been expected to put the paffions in motion, or to have excited either hope or fear, or zeal or ma-" lignity, fufficient to induce any man to put his reputation in hazard, however little he might value it, or to overpower the love of truth, however weak might be its influence. The cafuifts have very diligently diftinguished lies into their feveral claffes, according to their various degrees |