by the "multiplying villainies of his life," that it was impoffible for him to refrain one moment from the practice of them, without feeling uneafinefs and discontent; and he never appeared perfectly happy, but when new opportunities occurred to glut his infernal foul with the spectacle of human miferies.

The TIMON of Lucian was in fome measure excufable for his exceffive hatred to mankind, by the unparalleled wrongs they had heaped upon him. The inexorable antipathy he entertained against his species, had been provoked by injuries almoft too great for the common fortitude of humanity to endure. His probity, humanity, and charity to the poor, had been the ruin of him; or rather his own folly, eafinefs of difpofition, and want of judgment in his choice of friends. He never difcovered that he was giving away his all to wolves and ravens. Whilst these vultures were preying on his liver, he thought them his beft friends, and that they fed upon him out of pure love and affection. After they had gnawed him all around, ate his bones bare, and, whilft there was any marrow in them, fucked it carefully out, they left him cut down to the roots and withered; and, fo far from relieving him, or affifting him in their turns, would not fo much as know or look upon him. This made

him

him turn a common labourer; and, dreffed. in his fkin garment, he tilled the earth for hire; afhamed to fhew himself in the city, and venting his rage against the ingratitude of those, who, enriched, as they had been by him, now proudly paffed along without noticing him. But although fuch a character is not to be defpifed. or neglected, no provocation, however great, can justify the violent and exceffive invectives which he profanely bellowed forth from the bottom of HYMETTUS: "This fpot of earth fhall "be my only habitation while I live; and, "when I am dead, my fepulchre. From this time "forth, it is my fixed resolution to have no

commerce or connection with mankind; but "to despise them, and avoid it. I will pay no

regard to acquaintance, friendship, pity, or "compaffion. To pity the diftressed, or to re"lieve the indigent, I fhall confider as a weak"nefs; nay, as a crime: my life, like that of "the beasts of the field, shall be spent in foli"tude; and TIMON alone fhall be TIMON'S "friend. I will treat all befides as enemies and "betrayers. To converse with them were pro"fanation; to herd with them, impiety. Ac "curfed be the day that brings them to my "fight! I will look upon men, in fhort, as no more than fo many ftatues of brass or stone:

"will make no truce, have no connection with "

VOL. II.

G

"them.

"them. My retreat shall be the boundary to "separate us for ever. Relations, friends, and "country, are empty names, refpected by fools "alone. Let TIMON only be rich, and despise "all the world befide. Abhorring idle praise, "and odious flattery, he shall be delighted with "himfelf alone. Alone fhall he facrifice to the "gods, feaft alone, be his own neighbour, and "his own companion. I am determined to be "alone for life; and when I die, to place the

crown upon my own head. The fairest name "I would be diftinguished by is that of MISAN

THROPE. I would be known and marked out "by my afperity of manners, by moroseness, "cruelty, anger, and inhumanity. Were I "to see a man perishing in the flames, and "imploring me to extinguifh them, I would "throw pitch or oil into the fire to increase it: or, "if the winter flood fhould overwhelm another, "who, with outstretched hands, fhould beg me

to affift him, I would plunge him still deeper

in the ftream, that he might never rife again. "Thus fhall I be revenged of mankind. This "is TIMON's law, and this hath TIMON rati"fied. I fhould be glad, however, that all "might know how I abound in riches,* be

caufe

JUPITER, hearing the complaints of the liberal-minded TIMON, refolved to relieve his diftrefs, and fent PLUTUS, the

god

"cause that I know will make them misera"ble.".

The moral to be drawn from this dialogue of the celebrated Grecian philofopher, is the extreme danger to which the best and most benevolent characters may be expofed, by an indifcreet and unchecked indulgence of those painful G 2 feelings

god of wealth, accompanied by MERCURY, to restore him to riches, to whom TIMON makes this noble reply. “To you, MERCURY, and to JUPITER, for your care of me, acknowledge my obligations: but as for this PLUTUS, I will by no means accept of him, because he was the author of all my paft misfortunes, gave me up to flatterers and evil counsellors, corrupted me with perpetual temptations, and rendered me the object of hatred and of envy; but, above all, because he perfidiously deserted me. POVERTY, on the other hand, my best and truest friend, exercised me with wholesome labours, fupplied me with what was neceffary, taught me to contemn every thing fuperfluous, and to rely upon myself alone; fhewed me what true riches were; thofe treasures which neither the fawning fycophant, nor the angry multitude, the time-ferving orator, nor the enfnaring tyrant, can ever wrest from me. Thus while with pleasure I till this little field, my fpade most abundantly fupplies me with every thing that is really neceffary. Return, therefore, good MERCURY, the way you came, and carry PLUTUS back with you to JUPITER. I fhall be satisfied if he makes fools of all mankind, as he has of me."-At length, however, he obeyed, and agreed, in compliance with the will of the gods, to be rich again, upon condition that they fhould preferve him in his innocence and happiness, and prevent the wealth they intended to bestow from making him miferable, by teaching him how to use it.

feelings with which the baseness and ingratitude of the world are apt to wound the heart. There are, however, thofe who, without having received ill treatment from the world, fofter in their bofoms a splenetic animofity against society, and fecretly exult in the miseries and misfortunes of their fellow creatures. Indulging themselves in the indolent habits of vice and vanity, and feeling a mortification in being disappointed of those rewards which virtuous industry can alone bestow, they seek a gloomy folitude to hide them from those lights which equally discover the errors of vice and the rectitude of virtue. Unable to attain glory for themselves, and incapable of enduring the luftre of it in others, they creep into discontented retirement, from which they only emerge to envy the fatisfaction which accompanies real merit, to calumniate the character to which it belongs; and, like SATAN. on the view of Paradise, to "fee undelighted all delight.”

There are, however, a class of a very different description, who, unoppreffed by moody melancholy, untinctured by petulance or spleen, free from resentment, and replete with every generous thought and manly fentiment, calmly and contentedly retire from fociety, to enjoy, uninterruptedly, a happy communion with those high and enlightened minds, who have adorned

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