Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

NUMB. 69. TUESDAY, July 3, 1753,

Ferè libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.

Men willingly believe what they wish to be true.

CESAR.

TULLY has long ago obferved, that no man, however weakened by long life, is fo confcious of his own decrepitude, as not to imagine that he may yet hold his ftation in the world for another year.

Of the truth of this remark every day furnishes new confirmation: there is no time of life, in which men for the most part feem lefs to expect the ftroke of death, than when every other eye fees it impending; or are more bufy in providing for another year than when it is plain to all but themselves, that at another year they cannot arrive. Though every funeral that paffes before their eyes evinces the deceitfulness of fuch expectations, fince every man who is born to the grave thought himself equally certain of living at least to the next year; the furvivor ftill continues to flatter himfelf, and is never at a loss for fome reason why his life fhould be protracted, and the voracity of death continued to be pacified with fome other prey,

But this is only one of the innumerable artifices practifed in the univerfal confpiracy of mankind against themselves: every age and every condition indulges fome darling fallacy; every man amufes himfelf with projects which he knows to be impro

N4

bable,

bable, and which, therefore, he refolves to pursue without daring to examine them. Whatever any man ardently defires, he very readily believes that he fhall fome time attain: he whofe intemperance has overwhelmed him with difeafes, while he languishes in the spring, expects vigour and recovery from the fummer fun; and while he melts away in the fummer, transfers his hopes to the frofts of winter: he that gazes upon elegance or pleasure, which want of money hinders him from imitating or partaking, comforts himself that the time of distress will foon be at an end, and that every day brings him nearer to a ftate of happinefs; though he knows it has paffed not only without acquifition of advantage, but perhaps without endeavours after it, in the formation of schemes that cannot be executed, and in the contemplation of profpects which cannot be approached.

Such is the general dream in which we all flumber out our time: every man thinks the day coming, in which he shall be gratified with all his wifhes, in which he fhall leave all thofe competitors behind, who are now rejo'cing like himself in the expectation of victory; the day is always coming to the fervile in which they fhall be powerful, to the obfcure. in which they fhall be eminent, and to the deformed in which they fhall be beautiful.

If any of my readers has looked with fo little attention on the world about him, as to imagine this reprefentation exaggerated beyond probability, let him reflect a little upon his own life; let him confider what were his hopes and profpects ten years ago, and

what

what additions he then expected to be made by ten years to his happiness: thofe years are now elapfed; have they made good the promise that was extorted from them, have they advanced his fortune, enlarged his knowledge, or reformed his conduct, to the degree that was once expected? I am afraid, every man that recollects his hopes, must confefs his disappointment; and own that day has glided unprofitably after day, and that he is ftill at the fame distance from the point of happiness.

With what confolations can thofe, who have thus mifcarried in their chief defign, elude the memory of their ill fuccefs? with what amufements can they pacify their discontent, after the loss of so large a portion of life? they can give themfelves up again to the fame delufions, they can form new fchemes of airy gratifications, and fix another period of felicity; they can again refolve to truft the promise which they know will be broken, they can walk in a circle with their eyes fhut, and perfuade themfelves to think that they go forward.

Of every great and complicated event, part depends upon causes out of our power, and part must be effected by vigour and perfeverance. With regard to that which is ftiled in common language the work of chance, men will always find reafons for confidence or diftruft, according to their different tempers or inclinations; and he that has been long accustomed to please himself with poffibilities of fortuitous happiness, will not eafily or willingly be reclaimed from his miftake. But the effects of human industry and fkill are more cafily fubjected to calculation: whatever can be completed in a year,

js

is divifible into parts, of which each may be performed in the compafs of a day; he, therefore, that has paffed the day without attention to the task affigned him, may be certain that the lapse of life has brought him no nearer to his object; for whatever idleness may expect from time, its produce will be only in proportion to the diligence with which it has been used. He that floats lazily down the stream, in pursuit of fomething borne along by the fame current, will find himself indeed move forward; but unless he lays his hand to the oar, and increases his fpeed by his own labour, must be always at the fame distance from that which he is following.

There have happened in every age fome contingencies of unexpected and undeferved fuccefs, by which thofe who are determined to believe whatever favours their inclinations, have been encouraged to delight themselves with future advantages; they fupport confidence by confiderations, of which the only proper ufe is to chafe away defpair it is equally abfurd to fit down in idlenefs because some have been enriched without labour, as to leap a precipice because fome have fallen and efcaped with life, or to put to fea in a ftorm becaufe fome have been driven from a wreck upon the coast to which they are bound.

We are all ready to confefs, that belief ought to be proportioned to evidence or probability: let any man, therefore, compare the number of thofe who have been thus favoured by fortune, and of those who have failed of their expectations, and he will cafily determine, with what juftnefs he has registered himself in the lucky catalogue.

But

But there is no need on these occafions for deep enquiries or laborious calculations; there is a far eafier method of diftinguishing the hopes of folly from thofe of reafon, of finding the difference between profpects that exift before the eyes, and those that are only painted on a fond imagination. Tom Drowsy had accustomed himself to compute the profit of a darling project, till he had no longer any doubt of its fuccefs; it was at laft matured by clofe confideration, all the measures were accurately adjusted, and he wanted only five hundred pounds to become mafter of a fortune that might be envied by a director of a trading company. Tom was generous and grateful, and was refolved to recompence this small affiftance with an ample fortune: he, therefore, deliberated for a time, to whom amongst his friends he fhould declare his neceffities; not that he fufpected a refusal, but because he could not fuddenly determine which of them would make the beft ufe of riches, and was, therefore, moft worthy of his favour. At laft his choice was fettled; and knowing that in order to borrow he muft fhew the probability of re-payment, he prepared for a minute and copious explanation of his project. But here the golden dream was at an end: he foon difcovered the impoffibility of impofing upon others the notions by which he had fo long impofed upon himself; which way foever he turned his thoughts, impoffibility and abfurdity arose in oppofition on every fide; even credulity and prejudice were at laft forced to give way, and he grew afhamed of crediting himself what shame would not fuffer him to communicate to another.

Το

« ZurückWeiter »