ever, in this life, to be expected. Not only the goods of fortune, and the endowments of the body (both which are of great importance) not only thefe advantages, I fay, are unequally divided between the virtuous and vicious, but even the mind itself partakes, in fome degree, of this disorder, and the most worthy character, by the very œconomy of the paffions, enjoys not always the highest felicity.

'Tis obfervable, that though every bodily difeafe or pain proceeds from fome diforder in the parts, yet the pain is not always proportioned to the diforder; but is greater or lefs, according to the greater or lefs fenfibility of the part, upon which the noxious humours exert their influence. A tooth-ach produces more violent convulfions of pain than a phthifts or a dropfy. In like manner, with regard to the conftitution of the mind, we may observe, that all vice is indeed pernicious; but yet the disturbance or pain is not measured out by nature with exact proportion to the degrees of vice, nor is the man of highest virtue, even abstracting from external accidents, always the

occur to and perfuade moft men; when they confider human life, by a general and calm furvey: But where any real, affecting incident happens; when paffion is awakened, fancy agitated, example draws, and counfel urges; the philofopher is loft in the man, and he searches in vain for that perfuafion, which before seemed so firm and unshaken. What remedy for this inconvenience? Affift yourself by a frequent perufal of the entertaining moralifts: Have recourfe to the learning of PLUTARCH, the imagination of LUCIAN, the eloquence of CICERO, the wit of SENECA, the gaiety of MONTAIGNE, the fublimity of SHAFTESBURY. Moral precepts, fo couched, strike deep, and fortify the mind against the illufions of paffion. But truft not altogether to external aid: By habit and study acquire that philofophic temper, which both gives force to reflection, and by rendering a great part of your happiness independant, takes off the edge from all diforderly paflions, and tranquilizes the mind. Defpife not thefe helps; but confide not too much in them neither: unless nature has been favourable in the temper, with which he has endowed you.

VOL. I.

D d

moft

most happy. A gloomy and melancholy difpofition is certainly, to our fentiments, a vice or imperfection; but as it may be accompanied with great sense of honour and great integrity, it may be found in very worthy characters; though 'tis fufficient alone to imbitter life, and render the perfon affected with it compleatly miferable. On the other hand, a selfish villain may poffefs a spring and alacrity of temper, a certain gaiety of heart, which is indeed a good quality, but which is rewarded much beyond its merit, and when attended with good fortune, will compensate the uneasiness and remorse arising from all the other vices.

L

* I fhall add, as an observation to the fame purpose, that if a man be liable to a vice or imperfection, it may often happen, that a good quality, which he poffeffes with it, will render him more miserable than if he were completely vicious. A person of such imbecility of temper, as to be easily broke by affliction, is more unhappy for being endowed with a generous and friendly difpofition, which gives him a lively concern for others, and exposes him the more to fortune and accidents. A sense of shame, in an imperfect character, is certainly a virtae, but produces great uneafinefs and remorfe, from which the abandoned villain is entirely free. A very amorous complexion, with a heart incapable of friendship, is happier than the fame excess in love, with a generofity of temper, which transports a man beyond himself, and renders him a total llave to the object of his paffion.

In a word, human life is more governed by fortune than by reason; is to be regarded more as a dull pastime than as a serious occupation; and is more influenced by particular humour than

by

by general principles. Shall we engage ourfelves in it with paffion and anxiety? It is not worthy of fo much concern. Shall we be indifferent about what happens? We lose all the pleasure of the game by our phlegm and careleffness. While we are reasoning concerning life, life is gone; and death, though perhaps they receive him differently, yet treats alike the fool and the philofopher. To reduce life to exact rule and method, is commonly a painful, oft a fruitlefs occupation: And is it not also a proof, that we overvalue the prize for which we contend? Even to reafon fo carefully concerning it, and to fix with accuracy its juft idea, would be over-valuing it, were it not that, to fome tempers, this occupation is one of the most amusing, in which life could poffibly be employed...

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ESSAY XIX.

OF POLYGAMY AND DIVORCES.

A

S marriage is an engagement entered into by mutual confent, and has for its end the propagation of the fpecies, 'tis evident, that it must be fufceptible of all the variety of conditions, which confent establishes, provided they be not contrary to this end.

A man, in conjoining himself to a woman, is bound to her according to the terms of his engagement: In begetting children, he is bound, by all the ties of nature and humanity, to provide for their fubfiftence and education. When he has performed these two parts of duty, no being can reproach him with injuftice or injury. And as the terms of his engagement as well as the methods of fubfifting his offspring, may be very various, 'tis mere fuperftition to imagine, that marriage can be entirely uniform, and will admit only of one mode or form. Did not human laws reftrain the natural liberty of men, every particular marriage would be as different, as contracts or bargains of any other kind or fpecies.

As circumstances vary, and the laws propofe different advantages, we find, that, in different times and places, they impose different conditions on this important contract. In TONQUIN

'tis

'tis ufual for the failors, when the fhips come into the harbour, to marry for the season; and, notwithstanding this precarious engagement, they are affured, 'tis faid, of the ftricteft fidelity to their bed, as well as in the whole management of their affairs, from those temporary spouses.

I cannot, at prefent, recollect my authorities; but I have fomewhere read, That the republic of ATHENS having loft many of its citizens by war and peftilence, allowed every man to marry two wives, in order the fooner to repair the wafte which had been made by these calamities. The poet EURIPIDES happened to be coupled to two noify Vixens, who fo plagued him with their jealousies and quarrels, that he became ever after a professed woman-hater; and is the only theatrical writer, perhaps the only poet, who ever entertained an averfion against the whole sex.

In that agreeable romance, called the Hiftory of the SEVARAMBIANS, where a great many men and a few women are fuppofed to be fhipwrecked on a defert coaft; the captain of the troop, in order to obviate thofe endless quarrels which arofe, regulates their marriages after the following manner: he takes a handfome female to himself alone; affigns one to every couple of inferior officers; and to five of the lowest rank he gives one wife in common. Could the greatest legislator, in such circumftances, have contrived matters with greater wisdom?

The ancient BRITONS had a very fingular kind of marriage, which is to be met with among no other people. Any number of them, as ten or a dozen, joined in a fociety together, which was perhaps requifite for mutual defence in thofe barbarous times. In order to link this fociety. the clofer, they took an

equal