What can be more odious than that man, who, as if he were born for himself, lives for himself, heaps up riches for himself, spares for himself, spends for himself, loves no human creature but himself, and is beloved by none? How will you value your happines,

qui tuos tuæque conjugis vultus referat, qui te BLANDA BALBUTIE PATREM APPELLITET.

I know, says he, that you will object that all this happiness depends upon the disposition of the wife, more than on the marriage state. A marriage may be thus happy if the wife be good; but suppose her ill-natured, suppose her unchaste, and suppose the children undutiful. Believe me, the bad husband usually makes the bad wife. You certainly have it in your power to chuse a good one; but what if she should afterwards be spoiled? Erasmus confidently replies, A good wife may indeed be spoiled by a bad husband, but a bad wife is usually reformed by a good one. FALSO UXORES ACCUSAMUS. No body, he assures us (I am afraid too confidently,) ever had a bad wife but by his own fault. And with res pect to children, good children, says he, are usually born of good parents; but however they may have been born, they commonly become just such as they are made by education and example.

But why, continues he, do you so anxiously enumerate the inconveniences of marriage, just as if celibacy were totally free from them, or as if any mode of human life were not subject to evil and misfortune. If you would have no inconvenient circumstances in your state, you must leave this life. Sin intra humanam conditionem animum contineas, nihil est conjugali vita, neque tutius, neque tranquillius, neque jucundius, neque amabilius, neque, felicius. But if one can restrain one's desires within the boundaries of happiness which belong to human nature, there is no state safer, more tranquil, pleasanter, lovelier, nor happier, than the conjugal.

Though Erasmus is seeking hints to supply the young letter-writer with matter for his compositions, yet I cannot but think that he spoke his honest sentiments, because he spoke with warmth, and, I believe, meant ob

liquely to censure those unnatural institutions of the Romish church, which tend to discourage marriage. He is very copious on the subject, and advances many arguments, which I have not room to transcribe, and which indeed will appear to much greater advantage in the original. I must not conceal that, to shew his ingenuity, he has written a dissuasive from marriage; but it really contains no argument which is valid, or which is worthy of repetition.

I am of opinion that the reluctance of many young men of fortune to enter into the state, arises not from any settled conviction of the unreasonableness of the institution, but from profligacy, thoughtlessness, false ideas of pleasure, and a want of rational ideas of human life and the nature of human happiness. But, whatever is the cause, the effect is certainly unhappy both to men and women. Men, indeed, in consequence of their libertinism, gratify their desires in the haunts of vice ; and so much the worse, for they thus add sin to misery. Women are often kept in a state of celibacy, for which nature never designed them, and to which, I may say, without attributing to them indecency or immodesty, they are in general not much inclined. It is happy, however, that reserve and virtue so far prevail among them, as, for the most part, to prevent them from forming improper connections, in consequence of being thus injuriously prevented from making a matrimonial alliance. It it to be hoped, they will still preserve their dignity by preserving their innocence; but their case is hard, and nothing, which a wise legislature can do to alleviate it, should be omitted. Many nations have taken great pains to encourage marriage; but ours places some obstacles in its way, which, though often salutary in the higher clas ses, are perhaps injurious in the subordinate.

A reformation of manners, among the young men who lead the fashion, would contribute most to the encouragement of marriage; for where libertinism greatly prevails, celibacy, which is favorable to it, will be predominant. Perhaps, if women were instructed in useful as well as ornamental arts, and were less expensive in dress and diversions, the rest might be left to the natural operation of their beauty and agreeable accomplishments. As the small-pox is in great measure defeated, they cer

tainly never appeared more beautiful, than in the present time; and ornamental accomplishments were never pur sued by them with more ardor, or advanced to higher perfection.

I

EVENING VI.

ON NEGLECTING THE PRACTICE OF DRINKING HEALTH AT TABLE.

Tarde Cyathos mihi das; cedo sane: bene mihi; bene vobis.

SIR,

Plautus.

LATELY addressed to you a few observations on the omission of grace at table; and I now beg leave to add some remarks on another omission, which fashion seems to recommend, but which is countenanced neither by the examples of the ancients, nor by reason, nor by a sense of propriety. I observed, on my visit to my old friend in London, that the friendly practice of drinking health at dinner was, in most of the fashionable families, very much on the decline, and in many, totally omitted. Indeed the omission arises from a principle which seems very much to prevail in the present age, and which aims at the abolition of all forms and ceremonies, as meaning nothing, and at the same time giving trouble and excluding ease. Forms and ceremonies undoubtedly have their utility, or they would not have been universally retained in every age and nation, which history has recorded. But allowing some forms to be without meaning, I cannot suppose, unless I throw a severer reflection on the friendship and hospitality of modern times than I chuse, that the drinking of health is, without exception, a sense less and empty ceremony. A man of a warm and friendly heart usually feels a sentiment of cordial kindness, when he holds the cup of refreshment in his hand, and wishes health and happiness to his friends, who are partaking with him, of the same innocent and necessary pleasure.

The custom prevailed among the Greeks, who carried the elegance which they displayed in the polite arts, to the table and social circle, assembled to enjoy the plea

sures of the palate and of discourse. Homer, indeed, has given the model in the first book of the Iliad, who says of the gods at their feast,

Χρυσείο, δεπάεσσι

Δειδέχατ' ἀλλήλους .

The manner of drinking to each other resembled what is called among us pledging. The person who drank to his friend was said mom, or to drink first. He drank a part of the cup, and then handed the rest to the friend whom he had named. The words which passed on the occasion were προπίνω σοι καλως, to which the per 800 saluted, λαμβάνω από του ηδέως, which may be thus freely translated: I have the honor to drink to you— I pledge you with pleasure.

It was also the custom, after due respect paid to the gods, to drink to absent friends; and, as an emblem of sincerity, it was established as a law never to dilute the wine drunk on this occasion.

I shall not trouble you with various proofs that the custom of health is justified by the example of the politest people of antiquity. It would be easy to collect them from the writers on antiquities; but the instance alleged is sufficient for my purpose, and will serve to confute those, who hint that the custom is unpolite.

There is surely something peculiarly brutal in sitting down to meals without ever thinking of God or man; in neglecting the grace, and omitting the form of wishing health and happiness to those who sit at the same table. We have seen that it is contrary to the practice of antiquity, and of almost all people in the world, who, though they varied in the forms of the table, agreed in the essential points, in giving glory to God on high, and testifying good-will towards men.

Your's, &c.

A RATIONAL FORMALIST.

The omission of drinking health is by no means general; but, as it has been countenanced at the tables of persons of fashion, it may probably descend to their imitators in lower life, and, in time, become universal. My correspondent has therefore very properly expressed his

disapprobation of it. It certainly displays something of selfishness, and is contrary to the general sense of the most enlightened and polished people. It can only be jus tified with certain qualifications and restrictions. It is troublesome, in a large company, to drink the health of every guest respectively; and troublesome formalities ought not to be scrupulously adhered to, when they contravene the very purpose of the meeting, which was certainly to promote cheerfulness, enjoyment, and ease.

But forms, not evidently and intolerably burthensome and foolish, are certainly to be retained, as they constitute those outworks, which often preserve the interior parts from assault and destruction. The drinking of health is significant of that good-will which ought to prevail among fellow-creatures, happily enjoying at the same table the bounty of their common Parent and Creator; and though it may be attended with a little trouble, yet there is a great decency and propriety in it, and to bear the trouble may be considered, as an additional exercise of benevolence.

I cannot help expressing a sentiment of pity, or rather of contempt, for persons who think to recommend themselves as genteel and superior to the vulgar, merely by such easy means, as the omission of decent and reasonable ceremonies. I suppose, they mean to claim the merit of being superior to prejudice; but, I think they are under a very silly prejudice, when they think themselves wise enough to be justified in contradicting the common sense and common practice of mankind; and when they suppose that singularity alone can give them merit, and cause them justly to plume themselves on conscious superiority.

Observe at table that fine lady, and that fine gentleman by her side. How they lift their eyebrows, and smile with ineffable contempt. Heavens! has there been any moral turpitude; or any gross violation of decency committed? None. But, you must know, that yonder gentleman, who is just arrived from the country, where he has resided for a long time, drank to the lady in small beer, and stood up to say grace, and to make a bow to the master of the house. He might have sworn profanely, talked indecently, or drunk intemperately, and if he had shewn but the cant of fashion, they who now