The Vanity of Human Wishes (1749) and Two Rambler papers (1750) | Page 8

perhaps, is
always struggling to escape from the Remembrance of a Loss, the Fear
of a Calamity, or some other Thought of greater Horror.

Those, who are incapacitated to enjoy the Pleasures of Contemplation,
by their Griefs, may, very properly, apply to such Diversions, provided
they are innocent, as lay strong hold on the Attention; and those, whom
Fear of any future Calamity chains down to Misery, must endeavour to
obviate the Danger.
My Considerations shall, on this Occasion, be turned on such as are
burthensome to themselves merely because they want Subjects for
Reflection, and to whom the Volume of Nature is thrown open without
affording them Pleasure or Instruction, because they never learned to
read the Characters.
A French Author has advanced this seeming Paradox, that _very few
Men know how to take a Walk_; and, indeed, it is very true, that few
Men know how to take a Walk with a Prospect of any other Pleasure,
than the same Company would have afforded them in any other
Circumstances.
There are Animals that borrow their Colour from the neighbouring
Body, and, consequently, vary their Hue as they happen to change their
Place. In like manner it ought to be the Endeavour of every Man to
derive his Reflexions from the Objects about him; for it is to no
purpose that he alters his Position, if his Attention continues fixt to the
same Point. The Mind should be kept open to the Access of every new
Idea, and so far disengaged from the Predominance of particular
Thoughts, as to be able to accommodate itself to emergent Occasions,
and remark every Thing that offers itself to present Examination.
A Man that has formed this Habit of turning every new Object to his
Entertainment, finds in the Productions of Nature an inexhaustible
Stock of Materials, upon which he can employ himself, without any
Temptations to Envy or Malevolence; Faults, perhaps, seldom totally
avoided by those, whose Judgment is much exercised upon the Works
of Art. He has always a certain Prospect of discovering new Reasons
for adoring the Sovereign Author of the Universe, and probable Hopes
of making some Discovery of Benefit to others, or of Profit to himself.
There is no doubt but many Vegetables and Animals have Qualities
that might be of great Use; to the Knowledge of which there is required

no great Sagacity of Penetration, or Fatigue of Study, but only frequent
Experiments, and close Attention. What is said by the Chymists of their
darling Mercury, is, perhaps, true of every Body through the whole
Creation, that, if a thousand Lives should be spent upon it, all its
Properties would not be found out.
Mankind must necessarily be diversified by various Tastes, since Life
affords and requires such multiplicity of Employments; and a Nation of
Naturalists is neither to be hoped, or desired, but it is surely not
improper to point out a fresh Amusement to those who langush in
Health, and repine in Plenty, for want of some Source of Diversion that
may be less easily exhausted, and to inform the Multitudes of both
Sexes, who are burthened with every new Day, that there are many
Shews which they have not seen.
He that enlarges his Curiosity after the Works of Nature, demonstrably
multiplies the Inlets to Happiness, and, therefore, the younger Part of
my Readers, to whom I dedicate this vernal Speculation, must excuse
me for calling upon them to make use at once of the Spring of the Year,
and the Spring of Life; to acquire, while their Minds may be yet
impressed with new Images, a Love of innocent Pleasures, and an
ardour for useful Knowledge; and to remember, that a blighted Spring
makes a barren Year, and that the vernal Flowers, however beautiful
and gay, are only intended by Nature as Preparatives to Autumnal
Fruits.
LONDON:
Printed for J. PAYNE, and J. BOUQUET, in
Pater-noster-Row;
where Letters for the RAMBLER are received,
and the preceding Numbers may be had.
THE RAMBLER.
NUMB. 60. Price 2 d.
To be continued on_ TUESDAYS _and SATURDAYS.
SATURDAY, October 13, 1750.

--_Quid fit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non,
Plenius et
melius_ Chrysippo et_ Crantore _dicit. HOR.
All Joy or Sorrow for the Happiness or Calamities of others is produced
by an Act of the Imagination, that realises the Event however fictitious,
or approximates it however remote, by placing us, for a Time, in the
Condition of him whose Fortune we contemplate; so that we feel, while
the Deception lasts, whatever Motions would be excited by the same
Good or Evil happening to ourselves.
Our Passions are therefore more strongly moved, in proportion as we
can more readily adopt the Pains or Pleasures proposed to our Minds,
by recognising them as once our own, or considering them as naturally
incident to