present to the mind; and every thing, therefore, must be kept at a distance, which may perplex the memory, or diffipate the attention.

But though learning may be conferred by folitude, its application must be attained by general converfe. He has learned to no purpofe, that is not able to teach; and he will aways teach unfuccefsfully, who cannot recommend his fentiments by his diction or addrefs.

Even the acquifition of knowledge is often much facilitated by the advantages of fociety: he that never compares his notions with those of others, readily acquiefces in his first thoughts, and very feldom discovers the objections which may be raised against his opinions; he, therefore, often thinks himfelf in poffeffion of truth, when he is only fondling an error long fince exploded. He that has neither companions nor rivals in his ftudies, will always applaud his own progress, and think highly of his performances, because he knows not that others have equalled or excelled him. And I am afraid it may be added, that the ftudent who withdraws himself from the world, will foon feel that ardour extinguished which praise or emulation had enkindled, and take the advantage of secrecy to fleep, rather than to labour.

There remains yet another fet of reclufes, whofe intention intitles them to higher refpect, and whofe motives deserve a more serious confideration. Thefe retire from the world, not merely to bask in eafe or gratify curiofity; but that being difengaged from common cares, they may employ more time in the duties of religion that they may regulate their actions with ftricter

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ftricter vigilance, and purify their thoughts by more frequent meditation.

To men thus elevated above the mists of mortality, I am far from prefuming myself qualified to give directions. On him that appears "to pafs through

things temporary," with no other care than "not "to lofe finally the things eternal," I look with fuch veneration as inclines me to approve his conduct in the whole, without a minute examination of its parts; yet I could never forbear to wish, that while vice is every day multiplying feducements, and ftalking forth with more hardened effrontery, virtue would not withdraw the influence of her prefence, or forbear to affert her natural dignity by open and undaunted perfeverance in the right. Piety practifed in folitude, like the flower that blooms in the defart, may give its fragrance to the winds of Heaven, and delight thofe unbodied fpirits that furvey the works of God and the actions of men; but it beftows no affiftance upon earthly beings, and however free from taints of impurity, yet wants the facred fplendor of beneficence.

Our Maker, who, though he gave us fuch varieties of temper and fuch difference of powers, yet defigned us all for happinefs, undoubtedly intended, that we fhould obtain that happiness by different means. Some are unable to refift the temptations of importunity, or the impetuofity of their own paffions incited by the force of present temptations: of these it is undoubtedly the duty to fly from enemies which they cannot conquer, and to cultivate, in the calm of folitude, that virtue which is too tender to endure

the

the tempefts of publick life. But there are others, whofe paffions grow more ftrong and irregular in privacy; and who cannot maintain an uniform tenor of virtue, but by expofing their manners to the public eye, and affifting the admonitions of confcience with the fear of infamy: for fuch it is dangerous to exclude all witneffes of their conduct, till they have formed ftrong habits of virtue, and weakened their paffions by frequent victories. But there is a higher order of men fo infpired with ardour, and fo fortified with refolution, that the world paffes before them without influence or regard: thefe ought to confider themselves as appointed the guardians of mankind: they are placed in an evil world, to exhibit publick examples of good life: and may be faid, when they withdraw to folitude, to defert the station which Providence affigned them.

NUMB. 131. TUESDAY, February 5, 1754.

Ergo aliquid noftris de moribus.

Mifce

And mingle fomething of our times to please.

JUVENAL.

DRYDEN Jun.

FONTENELL E, in his panegyrick on Sir Isaac Newton, clofes a long enumeration of that great philofopher's virtues and attainments, with an obfervation, that "he was not diftinguished from other દ men, by any fingularity either natural or af "fected."

It is an eminent inftance of Newton's fuperiority to the rest of mankind, that he was able to feparate knowledge from thofe weakneffes by which knowledge is generally difgraced; that he was able to excel in fcience and wisdom, without purchasing them by the neglect of little things; and that he ftood alone, merely because he had left the rest of mankind behind him, not because he deviated from the beaten track.

Whoever, after the example of Plutarch, fhould compare the lives of illuftrious men, might fet this part of Newton's character to view with great advantage, by oppofing it to that of Bacon, perhaps the only man of later ages, who has any pretenfions to difpute with him the palm of genius or science.

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Bacon,

Bacon, after he had added to a long and careful contemplation of almoft every other object of knowledge a curious infpection into common life, and after having furveyed nature as a philofopher, had examined" men's bufinefs and bofoms" as a statefman; yet failed fo much in the conduct of domestick affairs, that, in the moft lucrative poft to which a great and wealthy kingdom could advance him, he felt all the miseries of distressful poverty, and committed all the crimes to which poverty incites. Such were at once his negligence and rapacity, that, as it is faid, he would gain by unworthy practices that money, which, when fo acquired, his fervants might fteal from one end of the table, while he fat ftudious and abftracted at the other.

As fcarcely any man has reached the excellence, very few have funk to the weakness of Bacon: but almost all the ftudious tribe, as they obtain any participation of his knowledge, feel likewife fome contagion of his defects; and obftruct the veneration which learning would procure, by follies greater or lefs, to which only learning could betray them.

It has been formerly remarked by The Guardian, that the world punishes with too great feverity the errors of those, who imagine that the ignorance of little things may be compenfated by the knowledge of great; for fo it is, that as more can detect petty failings than can distinguish or esteem great qualifi- · cations, and as mankind is in general more easily difpofed to cenfure than to admiration, contempt is often incurred by flight mistakes, which real virtue or usefulness cannot counterbalance.