can have no fcruple in mentioning his authority for the infertion of fuch a paragraph; and it would be ufeful to name the perfon who could derive pleafure from fuch a falfehood.

QUESTIONS to be answered next

month.

Which are the oft important epochs between the erecting of the tent in the wildernefs for the worship of the one and only true God, and the invafion of Paleftine by Joshua?

What are the reflections to which thefe epochs give rife?

Which are the most important epochs between the figning of Magna Charta by John, and the reformation? To what reflections do thefe epochs give rife?

Is any human being ever twice in the fame place?

How far muft the fun be removed from us to appear as a ftar only of the firft magnitude?

THE INSPECTOR. NO. VI. Be niggards of advice on no pretence, For the worst avarice is that of fenfe. "Which may be deemed the happieft:---the man of intellectual refincment, or the man of uncultivated tafe?"

OUR reflections on the diftribution of happinefs, as it flows through the various channels of fociety, have generally terminated in the conviction, that impartial nature has dealt out the invaluable gift with an equal and undiftinguishing hand. The quantum of the poffeffion has appeared to be duly apportioned to the capability of the poffeffor; and the measure of individual enjoyment, various as its capacity may be, has feemed to be filled refpectively in fimilar proportions. Enlarged means of gra→ tification bring with them new and augmented defires, followed by new and enlarged fources of difcontent and difappointment; and as happi-, nefs is merely comparative, the

equilibrium of defire, and the means of gratification, whether in the humbleft or moft exalted sphere, conftitutes alike the maximum of happinefs. The influence of rank, therefore, is probably much les conducive to any variety of individual happiness which may occur, than the moral and phyfical accidents of life, and, perhaps, that difference in the degree of mental cultivation which is the subject of the prefent paper.

There is fome difficulty in arriv ing at a fatisfactory conclufion upon this queftion, in confequence of the difficulty of appreciating correctly the intenfity of the feelings of men. Language is fcarcely an adequate medium of reprefentation, becaule fome men are loud and vociferous on all occations, fome are cool and filent, fome are prone to exaggeration, while others magnanimously depreciate their fuflerings, and enjoy with all the temperance of philofophy. If we recur to a comparison of our own fenfations in fimilar circumftances, we then appeal to a fixed ftandard, which, if applied to others different in the cultivation and original modification of their understanding and feelings, will undoubtedly lead us into error. In this dilemma, we shall perhaps come nearest to a fatisfactory inference by comparing our own feelings not with thofe of other men in fimilar fituations, but with themfelves at different periods of our existence, and confequently under different degrees of cultivation and refinement; and, fecondly, we thall examine how far the interence that may be deduced from this comparifon is fupported or invalidated by the evidence of other men, granting that that evidence may be in itself fomewhat imperfect.

From the earlieft dawnings of intellect, the pleafures of imagination or of talle are very important parts in the composition of our happinefs.

Mufic and painting,

The

fongs and tales of fancy adapted to our comprehenfion, arreft with a powerful influence even our childith attention, and elicit the strongest emotions of childish delight. judgement is not then formed, and the utmost extravagance of fancy on the one hand, and every little conceit and petty play of words on the other, every novelty, in fhort, which lies within the reach of young apprehenfion, operates in its full force on the mind, uncorrected by fkill, and the emotions, therefore, which it excites, unrepreffed and undiminished by the chilling hand of maturer criticifm. Mr. Burke feems to have felt equal conviction and regret of the fuperior gratification which the uncultivated tafte of early youth derives from works of the imagination, compared with that of maturer years. "In the morning of our days," he fays, "when the fenfes "when the fenfes are unworn and tender, when the whole man is awake in every part, and the glofs of novelty freth upon all the objects that furround us, how lively at that time are our fenfations, but how falfe and inaccurate the judgements we form of things! I defpair of ever receiving the fame degree of pleafure from the most excellent perform ances of genius, which I felt at that age from pieces which my prefent judgement regards as trifing and contemptible." (On Subl. and Beaut., p. 35.)

The man of uncultivated tafte remains during his whole life nearly in this happy flate of childhood, in regard to the gratification afforded by works of fancy. Obferve the delight which reigns at the cottage door, when the pedlar opens his portfolio of miferable pictures, that imitate humanity fo abominably." If the external expreffion be a true eriterion of the internal emotion, the critic, contemplating the productions of Raphael himfelf, feels not fuch exalted and unalloyed gratiVOL. I.

fication. In the fame manner a halfpenny ballad gives to the unrefined intellect a pleasure which the fapient and critical man of taste does not derive even from the immortal productions of a Shakespear or a Milton: the emotions of the former, during his perufal, are uniformly agreeable; thofe of the latter are often unpleasant, even painful, at the discovery of faults in the most finished compofitions.

But there is another ingredient in the compound, happiness, which is of infinitely higher importance than the pleasures of tafte; I mean the exercife of the focial affections. Upon this the influence of the progrefs of life, i. e. of the progrefs of cultivation, is perhaps fcarcely more favourable. It is true, that we gradually acquire a delicacy, an acutenefs of fenfibility, a greater aptitude, therefore, to the play of thofe affections; but at the fame time we attain an acuteness of difcernment, and the qualities which call them forth in focial intercourfe become cautiously fcrutinized, and deliberately weighed. The open unfufpicious confidence of youth is fuperfeded by the prudent and jealous calculations of maturer moral judgement. And as the differences of character are general and confpicuous, while congeniality is rare to a proverb, this deliberate fcrutiny ends more frequently in a diftant civility, than in the cordial interchange of unre ferved and confidential friendship.

Yet, although this is, we believe, a correct statement of the circumftances, as fociety is now constituted in general, it must be acknowledged, that the ideal perfection of focial happiness must be fought for only among minds of that delicate refinement, which repels every approach of the coarfe and groffer fentiments of the world, and is tremblingly alive to the pure and etherial feelings of dignity, propriety, and virtue.

4 K

This tendency as well as facility of enlarging upon our ills, affords, we think, the principal appearance of an argument in favour of the non-refinement of our underflanding and feelings; becaufe to cultivate them is neceffarily to cultivate this tendency and this facility, and in many, therefore, to counteract a felicitous difpofition, and to contribute to mental inquietude.

But if the capability of the highest happiness belongs to thefe, does the evidence of mankind tend to prove that they enjoy the poffeffion? Or does it corroborate the deduction we have drawn from the progrefs of individual cultivation? We fhall allow a poet to answer the queftion, who, while he alludes more particularly to the poffeffion of poetic fenfibilify, and the favours of the Mufe, prefents a picture of more general application." "But far, far happier is the lot of thofe "Who never learn'd her dear delu

"five art;

"Which, while it decks the head with many a role,

66

"Referves the thorn to fefter in the "heart.

"For fill the bids foft pity's melting eye "Stream o'er the ills the knows not

"most."

CHARLOTTE SMITH.

In the fame ftrain of reply, no doubt, the Cowpers, Chattertons, Cunninghams, and even Johnfons of the laft age, would feelingly join; and the fimple and pathetic eloquence of Burns would not be lefs impreffive on the fubject. Nor would Young, and Goldfmith, and Shenfione, refufe the teftimony of their fentiments in corroboration of their fitter-poet's opinion. The evils of the world are unquestionably numerous, and the fenfibility that is fharpened by refinement to the keeneft perception is but too apt do dwell upon them both by anticipation and reflection, and even to magnify them through the obfcurity of diftance. Thus, as a waggish poet has remarked,

"We all can magnify our ills;

"It requires none or little art "To turn our bon-bons into pills, "Or make a bolus of a tart. "To make a fweetmeat of a pill,

Requires fome fancy, and more fkill."

STEVENSON.

But we would earnetily hope that thefe fombre complainers have left us rather the language of occafional and imaginary inquietude than a picture of their habitual and real ftate of mind, fince we know that the writings and difpofitions of poets are often greatly at variance. We would hope, too, that where the delineation is true, the temperament of the individual may be of en affigned as a caufe of those of things; aided perhaps by diffimurmurings and melancholy views culties of circumftance, or the unforefcen trials of adverfity: for under thefe conditions only can we conceive that the cultivation of intellect and the refinement of tafie can in any degree contribute to unhappiness.

For it must be remembered, that the fame acuteness of difcernment and fenfibility, which originates in this cultivation, neceflarily implies an equally vivid perception of pleafurable as of painful emotions. And indifference to the one is of neceflity accompanied with indifference to the other. But his condition is furely not enviable whofe faculties are born fo obtufely, that, through the varied fcenes of life,

"Joy is ne'er felt, and forrows never "known :"

and unquestionably the man of refined taite enjoys the exquifite endearments of fociety, where thefe are in his power, far above the coarfe uncultivated being of nature. And the many inftances of that enjoyment which we find among poets and wits, not indeed from their own

account (for men are lefs apt to fit down and recount their joys to the world than to mufe in public over their forrows), but from the accounts of others, tend fill farther to imprefs a conviction that the complaints of thofe murmuring poets, above alluded to, are to be confidered as the offspring of their wayward moments of ennui and fpleen, or to be attributed to peculiarity of mental conftitution, irritated by the unpleafant cafualties of life. Lady W. Montague fays of her relation Fielding, that " no man enjoyed life more than he did, though few had lefs reafon to do fo. His happy confiitution (even when he had, with great pains, half demolithed it) made him forget every thing when he was before a venifon party, or over a flask of champagne; and I ar am perfuaded he has known more happy moments than any prince upon earth. His natural fpirits gave him rapture with his cook-maid, and cheerfulnefs when he was ftarving in a garret." Similar obfervations have been related, too, respecting Sir Richard Steele, and the profligate and unfortunate Savage; and it was probably their acutenefs of fenfibility, refined by cultivation, to which this vivid perception of emotions of happinefs, even in the moft defperate circumftances, is to be attributed.

Thus, upon the whole, the evidence of mankind is, on this fubject, very contradictory, which incvitably leads to the conclufion, that the refinement of intellect and the cultivation of taite are not greatly inftrumental cither in the production of happiness or of mifery: and it feems probable, that the conttitutional temperament, the ftore of animal fpirits, and the corporeal health, have contributed more powerfully to excite murmurs, in fpite of the moft favourable and ecftatic happiness, in oppofition to

the most defperate circumftances. Could we prolong "the glofs of novelty freth upon all the objects which furround us," as in youth, the uncultivated mind would then, no doubt, experience the greatest enjoyment; but as familiarity neceflarily enues on repetition, and admiration declines, to reafon from our early pleatures is but to amuse ourfelves with fophifms. Perhaps the Iloratian appeal will bring the queftion home to the conviction of every cultivated understanding; "Will ye exchange your refined fenfibility for the und fcerning flupor of ignorance?" What murmurer will anfwer in the affirmative?

66

HOR., Sat. I.

Z.

From a conviction that greater latitude will be given to difcuffion, and being aware that there are many important topics which cannot Conve niently be thrown into the form of a quefiiom, we intend, in future, to drop that part of our "Inspector." We hall, however, continue it as a periodical ejayifi," but upon a more ertenfive plan than the Rambler, Spectator, &c., because we shall admit into it difquifitions upon every fieliject, connected either with morality, literature, feience, politics, or philofo phy. By this means we shall be enabled to embrace a much more comprehenfive sphere of enquiry, and conjequently contribute fo much the more to the amujement and inftruction of our readers.

THE BABILLARD. NO. VI. Come like fhadows; fo depart! SHAKESPEARE.

Voltaire.

THIS great musician poffcffed that enthuafiafm without which nothing great is ever effected. He had one day fome men of letters at his houfe, who laughed at him very much for making an anachronifm. Rameau flew with great emotion to his harpsichord, and, running rapidly over the keys of it, played a moft exquifite piece of harmony. "Now," faid he, "gentlemen, it furely fhews more talent to be able to compofe fuch a piece of mufic as that you have just heard, than to be able to tell in what year Charlemagne or Clovis died. You only remember, I invent; and pray which is most admirable, genius or erudition?"

On a quarrel he had with the elegant Quinault, whofe operas he fet to mufic, he faid, "You will fee how well I can do without my poet. I will, in future, fet the Dutch gazette to mufic."

Du Cerceau,

In his life of the modern Roman demagogue Rienzi, observes, that "popular talents, in general, are combined with a certain degree of infanity." The mafs of mankind appear rather to be pleafed with what dazzles than with that which convinces them; and are more impreffed by the ardour of enterprize than by the fobriety of practicability. It is the exercifed eye alone which prefers the impafto of Titan to the glaze of Barocci-solid and fubftantial colour to airy and dia phonous tints.

M. Chamfort

SAYS in his "" Maxims,"

Philofophy, like the art of medicine, contains a great deal of trath; very few remedies, and hardly any fpecifics.

Vanity caufes a man to exert his talents more forcibly than he otherwife would have done. Put a ftick to a piece of pointed iron, it becomes a dart; add a few feathers to it, and it becomes an arrow.

"Weak men are to rogues and defigning perfons what light troops are to an army, who do more milchief than the army itfelf, by fecuring and ravaging the country.

“If a man really withes to avoid being a quack, he should never get upon a ftage; but if once he has played his tricks upon it, he muft continue them, or fubmit to have ftones thrown at him by the populace.

"Moft men are flaves because they cannot pronounce the monofyllable No," and are unable to live alone.

66

"General maxims are in the conduct of life what routine is in certain arts. Situations in each occafionally arife, which require fomething beyond them."

Fontenelle

BEING afked, a few hours before

and a fum of money entrusted to

qu'une difficulté d'être."