Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

on the road of life without injury, and to remount with agility and vigour. It argues a strong fenfe of virtue, and a high degree of the natural prerogative of felf-prefervation, to oppose those temptations which affault us when we are naked and defencelefs, when we are despised, and have none to encourage us, and when we are suspected, and must prove our integrity. To thefe difcouragements it may be added that we have to conquer the pride of our profperous days, and to accommodate ourselves to a fituation in all respects new and untried. Yet it is pleafing to think how many there are who overcome thefe obftacles, not only without injury to their moral character, but with a display of energies which calamity only could have called forth, with a patience which the rich are loth to practice, and a perfeverance which the profperous and indolent can command only in others.

The cafe is completely reverfed with those who have met with a fudden ånd unexpected acceffion of riches. They are not only unprepared, but they know not where to find a proper model of conduct. They follow, therefore, the practices of those who have gone before them in the fame career, and they confider that riches thus acquired are defigned to be spent upon a certain fet of objects, which are the fame in all men. Thefe are, a few schemes of luxurious living calculated to promote pride, by procuring a hired refpect, and a penfionary gratitude. Friendships fuch as riches procure are quickly formed, and it is the bufinefs of the upftart to choose his rank among the rich. Into this he is received with open arms, copies all the follies of thofe he affociates with, and becomes eafily perfuaded that there is no crime in wickedness, but that of not being able to afford it. He wonders at his paft fobriety and continence, at his dislike of expenfive pleasures, and fashionable follies, and cannot help blufhing for the ignorance in which he has spent fo much of life.

To that ignorance he imputes it that he has hitherto but exifted. He now, therefore, determines to live, and enjoy with liberality what has been bestowed fo lavishly.

If we observe the conduct of twenty fuch men, whom, by the bye, the Romans called Novi homines new men, we fhall find it all alike, the fame ftruggle for fuperiority, independent of mind, and the fame appetite for novelty, independent of taste, They find it difficult to imitate with fuccefs the gayety, and graceful fplendour of those who have been born to wealth, and they hope, therefore, to compenfate by external appearances. They begin with being the dupes of a fet of men, who are always ready to furnish them with the externals of high life, and who, although they make them pay a price far beyond the real value, have it not in their power fo to inftruct them in the use of those things, as not to render themselves ridiculous. There is one thing, however, which they foon acquire, and which is about as much as their new friends expect from them, which is a readiness of parting with money. He who has acquired that, will never be unwelcome in the first circles of fashion, and will never want any degree of refpect and attention for which he pays liberally.

There is a famenefs, in the whole career of a man who acquires fudden riches, without the proper ufe of them, which makes it difficult to advance any thing new upon the fubject in a paper like this-There is one animal however, to whom they are greatly indebted. The bore not only fupplies them with bodily exercife, but with mental pleasure, not only conveys them with the velocity of lightning into good company, but furnishes them fuch converfation as may enable them to fhine with volubility. The firft object, therefore, is to learn to ride, and the fecond, to talk of riding. It is doubtful which study is the hardest, but without the lacter, the being able to talk fluently of the properties of a

horfe, his ftrength, fpeed, colour, paces, &c. there is no poffibility of making any figure, and what is perhaps as bad, there would be no filling up thofe interftices of converfation which are left by toafts, and bets, the only other materials. It is a great object, therefore, to be able to talk about riding, and in doing it, the difficulty is fomewhat removed when we confider that no particular or fcrupulous adherence to truth is neceffary. If a horfe walks ten miles an hour, it may as well be made twelve, or if he trots twelve, there can be no harm in extending the ride to fifteen or twenty. Should the affertion be doubted, there are two ways of proving

it.

Thefe are fwearing, or betting. The mode by fwearing is the most common, because oaths are always at the tongue's end, and do not require the formality of waiting upon a juftice of peace, nor of confulting him, fhould there be one in company. Betting, however, must not be rejected, if offered. This is a mode of proof which perfons of the description we treat of, never fail to employ, and a better fuccedaneum for reafon, argument or proof cannot well be invented. It is very ferviceable, too, as fupply mg converfation, and will keep good in all weathers.' As betting is com* menfurate to the understandings of the parties, we generally find that it is employed on the most trifling and fenfelefs objects. Were thefe objects, indeed, of another kind, it could not be admitted. To its other ufes, it may be added, that it is an excellent weapon to knock down a poor fellow who has intruded into company, and ventures to give an opinion. If he speaks with the tongue of an angel, bet him twenty guineas, and he is inftantly dumb.

It appears not very fingular that men who have acquired fudden riches fhould be under the neceffity of copying the example of others, and be unable to invent any new modes of their own; but it appears very fingu

lar that men born to spend immense wealth, fruges confumere nati should be poffeffed of dull faculties as not to ftrike out fome plan of employing wealth, which shall be as new as improper, and aftonith the world as much by its originality as by its abfurdity. It is well known that many who waste their wealth are men not deficient in talents, and as they employ them upon no other, it is very odd they do not employ them on this their favourite object. All this is the more fingular, too, because the age we live in, appears to be peculiarly favourable to new difcoveries and experiments, many of which recommend themfelves principally by their abfurdity. Several treatifes have been written to perfuade us that Chriftianity and morality have no folid foundation, but it is not fair to deprive us of thofe principles, without fupplying us with a few new ones of an oppofite cast. Yet nothing of this kind has been attempted, and in the improper ufe of riches, we continue to practice the fame folly and wickedness as our ancestors, without alteration or improvement. Did not one of the tyrants of Rome offer a reward for the discovery of a new pleafure? Is it not a reproach to the age that this reward has never been claimed, although we are certain it would be paid with gladnefs? Is it not a reproach to the taste of men of extravagance, that however unlimited in their expences, they are miferably limited in their objects, and that when we have mentioned a wh-e, a horse, a dicebox, and a pack of cards, we arrive at the end of their catalogue of ways and means?

Those who place their chief happinefs in riches, must naturally confider the fudden acquifition of them as the greatest of bleffings, as it has been attended with no toil and fatigue, and makes up for the deficiencies of birth, but that few men are qualified to bear this reverfe, almoft univerfal experience teftifies. The fuperior advantage and lefs danger of riches flowly acquired needs fcarcely an argument.

It is excellently illuftrated in one of the papers called the Idler, in the biftoriette of Ortogrul, from which I fhall make the following extract, as a conclufion to this paper.

One day, after fome hours paffed -in violent fluctuation of opinion, fleep infenfibly feized him in his chair; he dreamed that he was ranging a defart country in fearch of fome one that might teach him to grow rich; and as he stood on the top of a hill fhaded with cypress, in doubt whither to direct his fteps, his father appeared on a fudden standing before him. Ortogrul, faid the old man, I know thy perplexity; liften to thy father; turn thine eye on the oppofite mountain. Ortogrul looked, and faw a torrent tumbling down the rocks, roaring with the noise of thunder, and scattering its foam on the impending woods. Now,

faid his father, behold the valley that lies between the hills. Ortogrul looked, and efpied a little well, out of which iffued a fmall rivulet. Tell me now, faid his father, doft thou wish for fudden affluence, that may pour upon thee like the mountain torrent, or for a flow and gradual increase, refembling the rill gliding from the well? Let me be quickly rich, faid Ortogrul; let the golden ftream be quick and violent. Look round thee, faid his father, once again. Ortogrul looked, and perceived the channel of the torrent dry and dufty; but following the rivulet from the well, he traced it to a wide lake, which the fupply, flow and conftant, kept always full.— He waked, and determined to grow rich by filent profit, and perfevering industry.'

AN APOLOGY FOR THE METROPOLIS.
Power, wisdom, goodness fure to frame
This univerfe, and ftill guide the fame :
But thoughts from paffion sprung, deceive
Vain mortals: no man can contrive
A better race than what's been run
Since the first circuit of the fun.

MR. EDITOR,

I A M one of those characters, per

haps fingular ones, who are more apt to confider the conduct of mankind in a favourable than an unfavourable light, who think that fome of the complaints made against the degeneracy of the age, are not well founded, and arife either from private difappointment, or from taking only local and partial views of things; and that, therefore, whatever proportion of evil we may discover, if we will give ourfelves the trouble, we shall find that it is overbalanced by the good. My favourable opinion of mankind princi pally arifes from having obferved that men in general have acquired jufter notions of what is right, proper, and good; and wherever a habit of right

C. C.

MORE'S RESOLUTION.

thinking is acquired, it cannot fail to be accompanied by right action, although it must be confeffed, it often happens that the paffions and interests of men clash with their opinions, and the latter feem to be for a time borne down and effaced.

Of all places where a man can form a favourable opinion of his fpecies, it would appear at first fight that a metropolis, like London, is the last to fuggeft fuch notions. You may, therefore, be furprised when I inform you that it is in the city of London that I have formed my opinions, and that I am about to write a defence of that city against the cavils of mifanthropes, and those persons who think they find the golden age in the country only,

and perfect innocence and happiness only in obfcure hamlets and distant villages.

In all great towns there muft of neceffity be a great proportion of evil, but furely it does not follow that the fhare of evil which falls to the lot of the individual, fhould be greater than it would be in any other fituation. In a fociety of one hundred perfons, there will be a certain portion of wicked nefs. In a fociety of a thoufand, a greater portion; but the individual wickedness of any one will probably be the fame in both focieties. Let me illuftrate this by a familiar inftance, In collecting an hundred guineas, I may probably find five or fix which are of base metal or light of weight. In collecting a thoufand, I fhall not be furprised to find fifty or fixty. It is exactly the fame cafe with the wickedness of a metropolis. Yet if we meet with a mob of five hundred wicked perfons, all bent on mifchief, we cry out against the wickedness of a place where there are so many pefts; forgetting that thefe are the refufe of five hundred thousand perfons of oppofite characters.

I was led into thofe reflections a few days ago, by perufing a treatife on the police, by a very able magiftrate; in which he ftates, from documents that appear to be accurate, that there are in London one hundred and fifteen thoufand perfons who earn their livelihood by purfuits either criminal, immoral or ilegal. Now as he estimates the number of inhabitants at one million two hundred and fifty thousand, my chief pofition is already established, namely, that the good preponderates over the bad in the proportion nearly of eleven to one. Had I not made this calculation, the knowledge, of fuch an existing mafs of wickedness would have overwhelmed me. I fhould have confidered London as the moft wretched place in the world, as ripe for destruction, and as calling for the immediate vengeance of heaven. But befide this proportional statement of good and bad, I think we may de

rive confolation from fome other circumstances peculiar to this great city.

In the first place, however, I ought to premife, that when the number of perfons who earn their livelihood by dishoneft means, are estimated at the above number, it does not follow that even among these there are not many who purfue an improper method of getting their bread, without the guilt of being confcious they are doing what is wrong, and fome among them who, notwithstanding the bufinefs they follow may not be in fome refpects ftrictly legal, cannot be accused of depravity of heart or wilful neglect of the duties of life in other refpects.-Secondly, must be premifed, that fuppofing this whole number to be alike wicked, it is not meant that all the reft of the inhabitants of the metropolis are immaculate. This lift principally includes thofe who are breakers of the laws of man; and this remark would feem to make against my argument, but perhaps we may now difcover fome things which will rather confirm it.

it

There are two principal articles, in which London excells every city in the known world, I mean in the number of its places of public worship, and of public charity. These are two refpects in which it may challenge a comparifon, with any city of ancient or modern times. We know that no fuch place now exists, and history does not inform us that there ever did.

And firft, fir, with regard to places of public worship. I must here go back a little to trace the progreffional rife of the number of thefe, compared with the population at different periods. I fhall, however, go no farther back then the commencement of the prefent century. In 1708, then, the population of the metropolis (which always includes the fuburbs) was eftimated at five hundred thirty four thousand and forty fouls. There were then only one church and about twenty chapels, befide the two cathedrals. When Maitland's history was laft published, about thirty years ago.

the number of inhabitants was eftimated at feven hundred twenty-five thoufand, nine hundred and three fouls. Befide the churches, he reckons fixty-eight chapels, and one hundred and thirty-fix meeting-houses.

In the prefent year, the author of the treatife on the police gives the following statement.

Of the established religion.

1 Cathedral, dedicated to St. Paul. 1 Abbey church, Westminster. 114 Parish churches. 130 Chapels, and chapels of ease.

246

Meeting-houses for diffenters are 207, confifting of 82 chapels for Nonconformifts and Prefbyterians, 56 for Independents of different claffes, 23 for Anabaptifts, 32 for Quakers, fix for Nonjurors, four for Muggletonians, and four for Roman Catholics.

The chapels and meeting-houses for foreigners are forty-three, confifting of eight chapels for French proteftants, eight for Germans, fix for Dutch, three for Swedish, four for Danish, and four for Helvetical proteftants, fix for Roman catholics, and four for the Ruffian, or Greek church. Six Syna gogues for the Jewish religion.

In all five hundred and two places of religious worship, to a population of one million two hundred and fifty fouls. The erecting of thefe, it is obvious, has more than kept pace with the increase of population. It would perhaps be impoffible, at least it would be very difficult to eftimate the population of our churches, that is, to count the refpective congregations. Lefs neceffary is it to enter into any difcuffion refpecting the various religious tenets, which may be more or lefs earnestly inculcated in thefe different places. Suffice it to obferve, that in the general doctrines of Chrif tianity, in what more immediately relates to a virtuous life and conduct, they are all agreed, and can it be fuppofed that their influence in this refpect will be fmall? Is it not fairer to suppose that it muft, though perhaps

by flow and imperceptible degrees, keep among all claffes of people a high fenfe of moral and religious duty, that it must be a very ftrong check upon public licentioufnefs, and improve the general manners of society? Nay that it actually produces this effect, may, I humbly prefume, be proved from the very increafe of places of worship. Of the 502 enumerated, more than half have been built and are fupported by voluntary fubfcription, by the fubfcription of persons who, over and above what they expend in this way, are alfo compelled by law to bear their part in the expence of fupporting the places of worhip belonging to the established church. Many of them have been undertaken likewife (that do belong to the established church) from the generous confideration that when a neighbourhood becomes populous, it fhould have a place of worship conveniently adapted to its fituation. Of the other chapels, likewife, which belong more properly to diffenters of different defcriptions, there are many in which fome of the forms of the eftablished religion are kept up, and in most of them its effential doctrines; in all, I trust, the fpirit of one Chriftian fyftem.

The influence of fo great a force embodied to fupport religion and morality must be great. It has a fenfible effect upon the public judgment of mórals. Every crime is publicly accompanied with fentiments of abhorrence. And this, as Mr. Paley ob ferves, is important. For, adds he, without the occafional correction which public opinion receives, by referring to fome fixed ftandard of morality, no man can tell into what extravagancies it might wander. Affaffination might become as honourable as duelling; unnatural crimes be accounted as venial, as fornication is wont to be accounted. In this way it is poffible, that many may be kept in order by Chriftianity, who are not them felves Christians. They may be guided by the rectitude which it com

« AnteriorContinuar »