I could not but fmile at these migrations of a man by the fire-fide, and continued to ask if he had ever been married. 66 Ay, that I have, mafter," replied he, "for fixteen long years; and a weary life I had "of it, Heaven knows. My wife took it into her "head, that the only way to thrive in this world "was to fave money, fo though our comings-in was ❝ but about three fhillings a week, all that ever she "could lay her hands upon the used to hide away "from me, though we were obliged to ftarve the "whole week after for it.

"The first three years we used to quarrel about "this every day, and I always got the better; but "fhe had a hard spirit, and still continued to hide "as ufual; fo that I was at laft tired of quarrelling "and getting the better, and the fcraped and fcraped "at pleasure, till I was almoft ftarved to death. Her "conduct drove me at laft in defpair to the ale"houfe; here I used to fit with people who hated

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home like myself, drank while I had money left, and run in fcore when any body would truft me; "till at last the landlady, coming one day with a long bill when I was from home, and putting it "into my wife's hands, the length of it effectually "broke her heart. I fearched the whole ftall after "she was dead for money, but she had hidden it fo "effectually, that with all my pains I could never "find a farthing."

By this time my fhoe was mended, and fatisfying the poor artift for his trouble, and rewarding him befides for his information, I took my leave, and returned home to lengthen out the amusement his converfation afforded, by communicating it to my

friend.

Adiéu.

LETTER

LETTER LXV.

From Lien Chi Altangi to Hingpo, by the way of Mofcow. GENEROSITY properly applied will fupply every other external advantage in life, but the love of those we converse with; it will procure efteem and a conduct refembling real affection, but actual love is the fpontaneous production of the mind; no generofity can purchase, no rewards increafe, nor no liberality continue it: the very person who is obliged, has it not in his power to force his lingering affections upon the object he should love, and voluntarily mix paffion with gratitude.

Imparted fortune, and well-placed liberality may procure the benefactor good-will, may load the perfon obliged with the sense of the duty he lies under to retaliate; this is gratitude: and fimple gratitude untinctured with love, is all the return an ingenuous mind can beftow for former benefits.

But gratitude and love are almoft oppofite affections; love is often an involuntary paffion, placed upon our companions without our confent, and frequently conferred without our previous efteem. We love fome men, we know not why; our tenderness is naturally excited in all their concerns; we excuse their faults with the fame indulgence, and approve their virtues with the fame applaufe with which we confider our own. While we entertain the paffion it pleases us, we cherish it with delight, and give it up with reluctance, and love for love is all the reward we expect or defire.

Gratitude, on the contrary, is never conferred, but where there have been previous endeavours to excite it; we confider it as a debt, and our fpirits

wear a load till we have difcharged the obligation. Every acknowledgement of gratitude is a circumftance of humiliation; and fome are found to fubmit to frequent mortifications of this kind; proclaiming what obligations they owe, merely because they think it in fome measure cancels the debt.

Thus love is the most eafy and agreeable, and gratitude the most humiliating affection of the mind; we never reflect on the man we love, without exulting in our choice, while he who has bound us to him by benefits alone, rifes to our idea as a perfon to whom we have in fome measure forfeited our freedom. Love and gratitude are feldom therefore found in the fame breaft without impairing each other; we may tender the one or the other fingly to those we converfe with, but cannot command both together. By attempting to increase, we diminish them; the mind becomes bankrupt under too large obligations; all additional benefits leffen every hope of future return, and shut up every avenue that leads to tenderness.

In all our connexions with fociety, therefore, it is not only generous, but prudent to appear infenfible of the value of thofe favours we bestow, and endeavour to make the obligation feem as flight as poffible. Love must be taken by ftratagem, and not by open force: we should seem ignorant that we oblige, and leave the mind at full liberty to give or refuse its affections; for conftraint may indeed leave the receiver ftill grateful, but it will certainly produce difguft.

If to procure gratitude be our only aim, there is no great art in making the acquifition; a benefit conferred deinands a juft acknowledgment, and we have a right to infift upon our due.

But it were much more prudent to forego our right on fuch an occafion, and exchange it, if we

can,

can, for love. We receive but little advantage from repeated proteftations of gratitude, but they coft him very much from whom we exact them in return; exacting a grateful acknowledgment is demanding a debt by which the creditor is not advantaged, and the debtor pays with reluctance.

As Mencius the Philofopher was travelling in purfuit of wifdom, night overtook him at the foot of a gloomy mountain, remote from the habitations of men. Here as he was ftraying, while rain and thunder confpired to make folitude ftill more hideous, he perceived a hermit's cell, and approaching, afked for fhelter: Enter, cries the hermit, in a fevere tone, men deferve not to be obliged, but it would be imitating their ingratitude to treat them as they deserve. Come in: examples of vice may fometimes ftrengthen us in the ways of virtue.

After a frugal meal, which confifted of roots and tea, Mencius could not reprefs his curiofity to know why the hermit had retired from mankind, the actions of whom taught the trueft leffons of wifdom. Mention not the name of man, cries the hermit, with indignation; here let me live retired from a base ungrateful world; here among the beafts of the foreft I fhall find no flatterers; the lion is a generous enemy, and the dog a faithful friend, but man, base man can poifon the bowl, and fmile while he prefents it. You have been used ill by mankind? interrupted the philofopher fhrewdly. Yes, returned the hermit, on mankind I have exhaufted my whole fortune, and this staff, and that cup, and thofe roots are all that I have in return. Did you bestow your fortune, or did you only lend it? returned Mencius. I bestowed it, undoubtedly, replied the other, for where were the merit of being a money lender? Did they ever own that they received it? still adds the philofopher. A thousand times, cries the hermit

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hermit, they every day loaded me with profeffions of gratitude for obligations received, and folicitations for future favours. If then, fays Mencius fmiling, you did not lend your fortune, in order to have it returned, it is unjust to accufe them of ingratitude; they owned themselves obliged, you expected no more, and they certainly earned each favour by frequently acknowledging the obligation. The hermit was ftruck with the reply, and furveying his gueft with emotion, I have heard of the great Mencius, and you certainly are the man: I am now fourfcore years old, but ftill a child in wifdom, take me back to the school of man, and educate me as one of the moft ignorant and the youngest of your difciples!

Indeed, my fon, it is better to have friends in our paffage through life than grateful dependants; and as love is a more willing, fo it is a more lafting tribute than extorted obligation. As we are uneasy when greatly obliged, gratitude once refufed can never after be recovered: the mind that is bafe enough to difallow the juft return, inftead of feeling any uneafinefs upon recollection, triumphs in its new acquired freedom, and in fome measure is pleased with confcious bafenefs.

Very different is the fituation of disagreeing friends, their feparation produces mutual uneafinefs: like that divided being in fabulous creation, their fympathetic fouls once more defire their former union; the joys of both are imperfect, their gayeft moments tinctured with uneafinefs; each feeks for the smallest conceffions to clear the way to a wishedfor explanation; the moft trifling acknowledgment, the flightest accident ferves to effect a mutual reconciliation.

But instead of pursuing the thought, permit me to foften the severity of advice, by an European ftory which will fully illuftrate my meaning.

A fidler