ftantly before his eyes an object of fupreme importance, productive of perpetual engagement and activity, and of which the purfuit (which can be faid of no purfuit befides) lafts him to his life's end. Yet even he must have many ends, befide the far end: but then they will conduct to that, be fubordinate, and in fome way or other capable of being referred to that, and derive their fatisfaction, or an addition of fatisfaction, from that.

Engagement is every thing: the more fignificant, however, our engagements are, the better; fuch as the planning of laws, inftitutions, manufactures, charities, improvements, public works; and the endeavouring, by our intereft, addrefs, folicitations, and activity, to carry them into effect: or, upon

fmaller fcale, the procuring of a maintenance and fortune for our families by a courfe of induftry and application to our callings, which forms and gives motion to the common occupations of life; training up a child; profecuting a fcheme for his future eftablishment; making ourfelves mafters of a language or a fcience; improving or managing an eftate; labouring after a piece of preferment and laftly, any engagement, which is innocent, is better than none; as the writing of a book, the building of a houfe, the laying out of a garden, the digging of a fish-pond-even the raifing of a cucumber or a

tulip.

Whilst the mind is taken up with the objects or bufinets before us, we are commonly happy, whatever the object or bufinefs be: when the mind is abfent, and the thoughts are wandering to fomething elle than what is paling in the place in which we are, we are often miferable.

III. Happiness depends upon the prudent conftitution of the habits,

The art in which the fecret of human happiness in a great measure confifts, is to fet the habits in fuch a manner, that every change may be a change for the better. The habits themselves are much the

lame

fame for whatever is made habitual, becomes. fmooth, and eafy, and nearly indifferent. The return to an old habit is likewife eafy, whatever the habit be. Therefore the advantage is with thofe habits which allow of indulgence in the deviation from them. The luxurious receive no greater pleasure from their dainties, than the peafant does from his bread and cheese but the peafant, whenever he goes abroad, finds a feaft, whereas the epicure must be well entertained to escape difguft. Those who spend every day at cards, and those who go every day to plough, país their time much alike; intent upon what they are about, wanting nothing, regretting nothing, they are both for the time in a ftate of cafe: but then, whatever fufpends the occupation of the card player, diftreffes him; whereas to the labourer, every interruption is a refreshment: and this appears in the different effect that Sunday produces upon the two, which proves a day of recreation to the one, but a lamentable burthen to the other. The man who has learned to live alone, feels his fpirits enlivened whenever he enters into company, and takes his leave without regret: another, who has long been accustomed to a crowd, or continual fucceffion of company, experiences in company no elevation of fpirits, nor any greater fatisfaction, than what the man of a retired life finds in his chimney corner. So far their conditions are equal: but let a change of place, fortune, or fituation, feparate the companion from his circle, his vifitors, his club, common room, or coffee-houfe, and the difference of advantage in the choice and conftitution of the two habits will fhew itfelf. Solitude comes to the one clothed with melancholy; to the other it brings liberty and quiet. You will fee the one fretful and reftlefs, at a lofs how to diipofe of his time, till the hour come round that he can forget himself in bed; the other eafy and fatisfied, taking up his book, or his pipe, as foon as he finds himself alone; ready to admit any little amufement that cafts up, or

I

to

a

to turn his hands and attention to the first business that prefents itself; or content without either to fit ftill, and let his trains of thought glide indolently through his brain, without much ufe, perhaps, or pleasure, but without hankering after any thing better, and without irritation.A reader, who has inured himself to books of fcience and argumentation, if a novel, a well written pamphlet, an article of news, a narrative of a curious voyage, or the journal of traveller, fall in his way, fits down to the repaft with relish; erjoys his entertainment while it lafts, and can return, when it is over, to his graver reading, without diftafte. Another, with whom nothing will go down but works of humour and pleafantry, or whofe curiofity must be interested by perpetual novelty, will confume a bookfeller's window in half a forenoon; during which time he is rather in fearch of diverfion than diverted; and as books to his tafte are few, and short, and rapidly read over, the ftock is foon exhaufted, when he is left without refource from this principal fupply of harmless amufe

ment.

So far as circumftances of fortune conduce to happiness, it is not the income which any man poffeffes, but the increase of income that affords the pleasure. Two perfons, of whom one begins with an hundred, and advances his income to a thousand pounds a year; and the other fets off with a thoufand, and dwindles down to an hundred, may, in the courfe of their time, have the receipt and fpending of the fame fum of money: yet their fatisfaction, fo far as fortune is concerned in it, will be very different the feries and fum total of their incomes. being the fame, it makes a wide difference at which end they begin.

IV. Happiness confifts in Health.

By health I underftand, as well freedom from bedily diftempers, as that tranquillity, firmness, and alacrity of mind, which we call good fpirits; and which may properly enough be included in our noti

on

on of health, as depending commonly upon the same caufes, and yielding to the fame management, as our bodily conftitution.

Health, in this fenfe, is the one thing needful. Therefore no pains, expence, felf-denial, or restraint, to which we fubject ourselves for the fake of health, is too much. Whether it require us to relinquish lucrative fituations, to abftain from favourite indulgences, to control intemperate paffions, or undergo tedious regimens; whatever difficulties it lays us under, a man, who purfues his happiness rationally and refolutely, will be content to fubmit to.

When we are in perfect health and spirits, we feel in ourselves a happiness independent of any particular outward gratification whatever, and of which we can give no account. This is an enjoyment which the Deity has annexed to life; and probably conftitutes, in a great measure, the happiness of infants and brutes, especially of the lower and fedentary orders of animals, as of oyfters, periwinkles, and the like; for which I have fometimes been at a lofs to find out amusement.

The above account of human happiness will juftify the two following conclufions, which, although found in most books of morality, have seldom, I think, been fupported by any fufficient reafons:

FIRST, that happiness is pretty equally distributed amongst the different orders of civil fociety.

SECONDLY, that vice has no advantage over virtue, even with refpect to this world's happiness.

CHAP.

СНАР. VII.

V"

VIRTUE.

IRTUE is," the doing good to mankind, in "obedience to the will of God, and for the fake of everlasting happiness.'

According to which definition, "the good of "mankind" is the fubject, the will of God" the rule, and "everlafting happiness" the motive of human virtue.

Virtue has been divided by fome moralifts into benevolence, prudence, fortitude, and temperance. Benevolence propofes good ends; prudence fuggefts the best means of attaining them; fortitude enables us to encounter the difficulties, dangers, and difcouragements, which ftand in our way in the purfuit of thefe ends; temperance repels and overcomes the paffions that obftruct it. Benevolence, for instance, prompts us to undertake the caufe of an oppreffed orphan; prudence fuggefts the beft means of going about it; fortitude enables us to confront the danger, and bear up against the lofs, difgrace, or repulse, that may attend our undertaking, and temperance keeps under the love of money, of ease, or amufement, which might divert us from it.

Virtue is diftinguished by others into two branches only, prudence and benevolence; prudence attentive to our own intereft; benevolence to that of our fellow creatures: both directed to the fame end, the increase of happiness in nature; and taking equal concern in the future as in the prefent.

The four CARDINAL virtues are prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice

But the divifion of Virtue, to which we are nowa-days moft accustomed, is into duties,

Towards