The Rambler, Vol. II | Page 2

in lotteries 182. The history of Leviculus, the
fortune-hunter 183. The influence of envy and interest compared 184.
The subject of essays often suggested by chance. Chance equally
prevalent in other affairs 185. The prohibition of revenge justifiable by

reason. The meanness of regulating our conduct by the opinions of men
186. Anningait and Ajut; a Greenland history 187. The history of
Anningait and Ajut concluded 188. Favour often gained with little
assistance from understanding 189. The mischiefs of falsehood. The
character of Turpicula 190. The history of Abouzaid, the son of Morad
191. The busy life of a young lady 192. Love unsuccessful without
riches 193. The author's art of praising himself 194. A young
nobleman's progress in politeness 195. A young nobleman's
introduction to the knowledge of the town 196. Human opinions
mutable. The hopes of youth fallacious 197. The history of a
legacy-hunter 198. The legacy-hunter's history concluded 199. The
virtues of Rabbi Abraham's magnet 200. Asper's complaint of the
insolence of Prospero. Unpoliteness not always the effect of pride 201.
The importance of punctuality 202. The different acceptations of
poverty. Cynicks and Monks not poor 203. The pleasures of life to be
sought in prospects of futurity. Future fame uncertain 204. The history
of ten days of Seged, emperour of Ethiopia 205. The history of Seged
concluded 206. The art of living at the cost of others 207. The folly of
continuing too long upon the stage 208. The Rambler's reception. His
design

THE
RAMBLER.

No. 106. SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1751.
_Opinionum commenta delet dies, naturæ judicia Confirmat_. CICERO,
vi. Att. 1.
Time obliterates the fictions of opinion, and confirms the decisions of
nature.
It is necessary to the success of flattery, that it be accommodated to
particular circumstances or characters, and enter the heart on that side
where the passions stand ready to receive it. A lady seldom listens with
attention to any praise but that of her beauty; a merchant always
expects to hear of his influence at the bank, his importance on the
exchange, the height of his credit, and the extent of his traffick: and the
author will scarcely be pleased without lamentations of the neglect of

learning, the conspiracies against genius, and the slow progress of merit,
or some praises of the magnanimity of those who encounter poverty
and contempt in the cause of knowledge, and trust for the reward of
their labours to the judgment and gratitude of posterity.
An assurance of unfading laurels, and immortal reputation, is the
settled reciprocation of civility between amicable writers. To raise
_monuments more durable than brass, and more conspicuous than
pyramids_, has been long the common boast of literature; but, among
the innumerable architects that erect columns to themselves, far the
greater part, either for want of durable materials, or of art to dispose
them, see their edifices perish as they are towering to completion, and
those few that for a while attract the eye of mankind, are generally
weak in the foundation, and soon sink by the saps of time.
No place affords a more striking conviction of the vanity of human
hopes, than a publick library; for who can see the wall crowded on
every side by mighty volumes, the works of laborious meditation, and
accurate inquiry, now scarcely known but by the catalogue, and
preserved only to increase the pomp of learning, without considering
how many hours have been wasted in vain endeavours, how often
imagination has anticipated the praises of futurity, how many statues
have risen to the eye of vanity, how many ideal converts have elevated
zeal, how often wit has exulted in the eternal infamy of his antagonists,
and dogmatism has delighted in the gradual advances of his authority,
the immutability of his decrees, and the perpetuity of his power?
_--Non unquam dedit Documenta fors majora, quam frugili loco
Starent superbi_.
Insulting chance ne'er call'd with louder voice, On swelling mortals to
be proud no more.
Of the innumerable authors whose performances are thus treasured up
in magnificent obscurity, most are forgotten, because they never
deserved to be remembered, and owed the honours which they once
obtained, not to judgment or to genius, to labour or to art, but to the
prejudice of faction, the stratagem of intrigue, or the servility of
adulation.
Nothing is more common than to find men whose works are now
totally neglected, mentioned with praises by their contemporaries, as
the oracles of their age, and the legislators of science. Curiosity is

naturally excited, their volumes after long inquiry are found, but
seldom reward the labour of the search. Every period of time has
produced these bubbles of artificial fame, which are kept up a while by
the breath of fashion, and then break at once, and are annihilated. The
learned often bewail the