1. INTRODUCTION-Character of the Author, indolent with Feeling, and vacant with Observation 2. Importance of the Duty of Manners 3. The Vanity of Skill in what we do not know, and the Pedantry of valuing ourselves on those Branches of 4. The Author becomes acquainted with Col. Caustic, a fine Gentleman of the last Age, somewhat severe in 5. On the writing of History-Ancient History compared 6. The Author attends Col. Caustic to a Play-Remarks of the Colonel on the Entertainment and the Au- 7. The Regrets of him who has thrown away domestic Happiness in frivolous Dissipation; in a Letter from 12. Trifling Circumstances often form the Criterion of Cha- racter-Judgement of a Company drawn from the dif- ferent Appearance of their Hats 13. The Consequences of a Town Education and Society to from Agrestis No. 14. Narrative of a modern Dinner in Company with Col. Caustic 15. Description of a new Variety of the Human Race, the Phusalophagus, or Toad-eater 16. Defects of modern female Education in teaching the Duties of a Wife, exemplified in the Narrative of Horatius 17. Influence of the Neighbourhood of a rich Asiatic, in a Letter from John Homespun Page 82 90 96 103 18. Injustice of the World in forming an Estimate of Character and Conduct-Contrasts of those of Cleora. and Aurelia 19. Comparison of ancient with modern Times, much to the 20. On Novel writing ... 22. Account of a little speaking Automaton, the Ponpée ... 25. Critical Examination of the Tragedy of the Fair Penitent-Some Remarks on Mrs. Siddons's Performance of the Character of Calista .......... 26. Insignificance and Unhappiness of a certain Species of Bachelor-Lounger 27. An Examination of the moral Effects of Tragedy 28. The same Subject continued 108 ... 163 168 175 182 ......... 29. Some Account of the late Mr. William Strahan 189 31. On rural Pleasures and rural Contemplation-A Visit of the Author to the Country Dwelling of Col. Caustic 32. Account of the Colonel's Family and Occupation in the Country-Sketch of the Character of his Sister 196 33. Relation of a Visit to the House of Lord Grubwell, a Neighbour of Col. Caustic's 34. Importance of Feelings accommodated to Happiness 202 NO. Page 208 illustrated in the Characters of Clitander and Eudocius 35. Fallaciousness of that Generosity and Friendship which are supposed to reside in the Society of Men of Plea sure and Dissipation-Character and Story of Flavillus 214 36. Narrative of a Country Family raised to sudden Affluence by the arrival of a Son from India, and of the Taxes 37. Effects of the Introduction of ancient Mythology into 38. Dream of a Court instituted for the Dissolution of Marriages, on the Ground of a Deception in some of the Parties 39. High and brilliant Talents not the most conducive to Eminence or Success in the Departments of Business and Ambition 40. Qualifications required in a Country Clergyman by his Patron or his Patron's Family-Amiable Picture of the Clergyman of Colonel Caustic's Parish 41. Argument for the Existence of Sorcery in the present Times-Enumeration of various Kinds of modern Witchcraft 220 225 230 237 243 .................. 255 264 42. On the Poems of Hamilton of Bangour 43. The Evils of a good Neighbourhood 44. Narrative of the Happiness of a virtuous and benevolent East Indian; in a Letter from John Truman .... 269 45. Second Letter from Jeremiah Dy-soon, containing a Narrative of his Expedition to England for the Benefit of his Health 46. The Power of Fashion in regulating the Deportment of Men towards the other Sex, in a Letter from Almeria 47. Law of Amasis, for every Egyptian to give an Account of his Manner of acquiring his Livelihood-Dream of such an Institution in Britain. 48. The Sentiment and the Moral of Time-Reflections occasioned by the Beginning of another Year 49. Observations on Comedy.. .... ..... 277 285 292 300 305 50. The same Subject continued-Moral Effects of Comedy 312 51. Senex on our Neglect of the Improvement and of the Progress of Time-Proposal by Memory Modish for a new Sort of Memorandum-book of Things to be 319 THE LOUNGER. No. 1. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1785. J'y goûte avec plaisir Les charmes peu connus d'un innocent Loisir : DESTOUCHES. NOTHING is perhaps so difficult as to find out business proper for the idle; and, though it may appear paradoxical, yet I believe none have so much need of it as they. The man who is professionally employed, in whatever department, goes on in the track which habit has marked out for him, at peace with his own thoughts and the world; but he whom every passing moment reproaches with doing nothing, must often fly for relief to very useless or very unworthy occupations. He will often be dissipated without amusement, and intemperate without pleasure, merely because dissipation is preferable to vacancy, and intemperance to listlessness. There is, however, a kind of men, whom accident has thrown out of the business of life, and whom temperament, if not virtue, keeps out of the dissipation of it, who hold a station of less destructive and more dignified indolence, whom the company of their ownthoughts renders independent of vulgar society, and the vigour and variety of whose imagination |