Fortune feemed willing to promote her unjuft intentions; the circumftances of Sabinus had been long embarraffed by a tedious lawsuit, and the court determining the caufe unexpectedly in favour of his opponent, it funk his fortune to the lowest pitch of penury from the higheft affluence. From the nearness of relationship Sabinus expected from Ariana thofe affiftances his prefent fituation required; but fhe was infenfible to all his entreaties, and the juftice of every remonftrance, unless he first feparated from Olinda, whom the regarded with deteftation. Upon a compliance with her defires in this refpect, fhe promifed that her fortune, her intereft, and her all, fhould be at his command. Sabinus was fhocked at the propofal; he loved his wife with inexpreffible tenderness, and refufed thofe offers with indignation, which were to be purchafed at fo high a price. Ariana was no less displeased to find her offers rejected, and gave a loose to all that warmth, which fhe had long endeavoured to fupprefs. Reproach generally produces recrimination; the quarrel rofe to fuch a height, that Sabinus was marked for deftruction ; and the very next day, upon the ftrength of an old family debt, he was fent to gaol, with none but Olinda to comfort him in his miferies. In this manfion of diftrefs they lived together with refignation and even with comfort. She provided the frugal meal; and he read to her while employed in the - little offices of domeftic concern. Their fellow prifoners admired their contentment, and whenever they had a defire of relaxing into mirth, and enjoying those little comforts that a prifon affords, Sabinus and Olinda were fure to be of the party. Inftead of reproaching each other for their mutual wretchedness, they both lightened it, by bearing each a fhare of the load impofed by Providence. Whenever Sabinus fhewed the leaft concern on his

dear

dear partner's account, fhe conjured him by the love he bore her, by thofe tender ties which now united them for ever, not to difcompofe himself; that fo long as his affection lafted, fhe defied all the ills of fortune, and every lofs of fame or friendship; thaf nothing could make her miferable but his feeming to want happiness, nothing pleased but his fympathifing with her pleafure. A continuance in prifon foon robbed them of the little they had left, and famine began to make its horrid appearance; yet ftill was neither found to murmur; they both looked upon their little boy, who infenfible of their or his own diftrefs was playing about the room, with inexpreffible yet filent anguish, when a meffenger came to inform them that Ariana was dead, and that her will in favour of a very diftant relation, who was now in another country, might eafily be procured and burnt, in which cafe all her large fortune would revert to him as being the next heir at law.

A propofal of fo base a nature filled our unhappy couple with horror; they ordered the meffenger immediately out of the room, and falling upon each other's neck indulged an agony of forrow; for now even all hopes of relief were banithed. The meffenger who made the propofal, however, was only a fpy sent by Ariana to found the difpofitions of a man fhe loved at once and perfecuted. This lady, though warped by wrong paffions, was naturally kind, judicious, and friendly. She found that all her attempts to shake the conftancy or the integrity of Sabinus were ineffectual; he had therefore begun to reflect, and to wonder how fhe could fo long and fo unprovoked injure fuch uncommon fortitude and affection.

She had from the next room herself heard the reception given to the meffenger, and could not avoid feeling all the force of fuperior virtue; fhe

therefore

therefore re-affumed her former goodness of heart; fhe came into the room with tears in her eyes, and acknowledged the feverity of her former treatment. She bestowed her firft care in providing them all the neceffary fupplies, and acknowledged them as the moft deferving heirs of her fortune. From this moment Sabinus enjoyed an uninterrupted happiness with Olinda, and both were happy in the friendship and affiftance of Ariana, who, dying foon after, left them in poffeffion of a large eftate, and in her laft moments confeffed that virtue was the only path to true glory; and that, however innocence may for a time be depreffed, a fteady perfeverance will in time lead it to a certain victory.

THE SENTIMENTS OF A FRENCHMAN

ON THE

TEMPER OF THE ENGLISH.

NOTHING is fo uncommon among the English as that eafy affability, that inftant method of acquaintance, or that cheerfulness of difpofition, which make in France the charm of every fociety. Yet in this gloomy referve they feem to pride themselves, and think themfelves lefs happy, if obliged to be more focial. One may affert, without wronging them, that they do not ftudy the method of going through life with pleasure and tranquillity like the French. Might not this be a proof that they are not fo much philofophers as they imagine? Philofophy is no more than the art of making ourselves happy; that is of feeking pleafure in regularity, and reconciling what we owe to fociety with what is due to ourselves. VOL. IV.

T

This

This cheerfulness, which is the characteristic of our nation in the eye of an Englishman, paffes almoft for folly. But is their gloominefs a greater mark of their wifdom? and folly againft folly is not the most cheerful fort the beft. If our gaiety makes them fad, they ought not to find it ftrange, if their ferioufnefs makes us laugh.

As this difpofition to levity is not familiar to them, and as they look on every thing as a fault which they do not find at home, the English, who live among ts, are hurt by it. Several of their authors reproach us with it as a vice, or at least as a ridicule.

Mr. Addifon ftyles us a comic nation. In my opinion it is not acting the philofopher on this point, to regard as a fault that quality, which contributes moft to the pleasure of fociety and happiness of life. Plato, convinced that whatever makes men happier, makes them better, advises to neglect nothing that may excite and convert to an early habit this fenfe of joy in children. Seneca places it in the first rank of good things. Certain it is at least, that gaiety may be a concomitant of all forts of virtue, but that there are fome vices with which it is incompatible.

As to him who laughs at every thing, and him who laughs at nothing, neither of them has found judgment. All the difference I find between them is, that the laft is conftantly the moft unhappy. Those, who speak against cheerfulness, prove nothing elfe, but that they were born melancholic, and that in their hearts they rather envy than condemn that levity they affect to defpife.

The Spectator, whofe conftant object was the good of mankind in general, and of his own nation in particular, fhould according to his own principles place cheerfulness among the moft defirable qualities; and probably, whenever he contradicts himfelf in this particular, it is only to conform to

the

the tempers of the people whom he addreffes. He afferts that gaiety is one great obftacle to the prudent conduct of women. But are thofe of a melancholic temper, as the English women generally are, lefs fubject to the foibles of love? I am acquainted with fome doctors in this fcience, to whofe judgment I would more willingly refer than to his. And perhaps in reality, perfons naturally of a gay temper are too eafily taken off by different objects, to give themselves up to all the exceffes of this paffion.

Mr. Hobbes, a celebrated philofopher of his nation, maintains that laughing proceeds from our pride alone. This is only a paradox if afferted of laughing in general, and only argues that mifanthropical difpofition for which he was remarkable.

To bring the caufes he affigns for laughing under fufpicion, it is fufficient to remark that proud people are commonly those who laugh leaft. Gravity is the infeparable companion of pride. To fay that a man is vain, because the humour of a writer, or the buffooneries of an harlequin excite his laughter, would be advancing a great abfurdity. We fhould diftinguifh between laughter infpired by joy, and that which arifes from mockery. The malicious fneer is improperly called laughter. It must be owned that pride is the parent of fuch laughter as this; but this is in itself vicious; whereas, the other fort has nothing in its principles or effects that deferves condemnation. We find this amiable in others, and is it unhappiness to feel a difpofition towards it i ourselves?

When I fee an Englishman laugh, I fancy I rather fee him hunting after joy, than having caught it; and this is more particularly remarkable in their women, whose tempers are inclined to melancholy. A laugh leaves no more traces on their countenance than a flash of lightning on the face of the heavens.