by accumulated riches, from the terrors of poverty, and its attendant difgrace: for in the world's esteem, wealth ennobles every character, by whatever means it may be acquired; and the most unprincipled villain, if he be rich and bountiful, will be honoured, admired, adored, reverenced, highly magnified, and gather many friends. "For virtue, glory, beauty, all divine "And human powers, IMMORTAL GOLD! are thine: "And he who piles the fhining heap, fhall rise "Brave, noble, honourable, just, and wise.” The rich Florentine, John de Medicis, was fo fenfible of the power of riches, that, when on his dying bed, calling before him his fons, Cofme and Lorenzo, to give them his bleffing, he exclaimed, "My mind is at reft at this awful. moment, when I reflect that I fhall leave you, my children, in the poffeffion of good health and abundant riches." This power, indeed, is not only the effect of real wealth liberally bestowed, but is frequently acquired by those who have the art of displaying its enfigns, and putting on its femblance. Coin, well counterfeited, paffes a long while current before it is detected; and outward fplendour, well managed, may, for fome time, procure to fome Faftidious Brifk, or Sir contrary, man idently poor in purie, is always concluded to be poor in fpirit; and although he be honeft, wife, learned, well deferving, noble by birth, and of exceeding good parts, he is contemned, neglected, forfaken, confidered a low flave, a vile drudge, an odious fellow, a common eye-fore, fcarcely fit to be made a foot-ftool; and, like the people of Africa, who, as Leo Afer obferves, are bafe by nature, no more to be efteemed than a dog. A poor man can have no learning, no knowledge, no civility, fcarcely common fenfe; and if he fpeaks, "What a babbler he is!" Dante, whofe works have rendered his fame immortal, was once ignominiously excluded from company on account of his poverty: Teretius was placed at the lower end of Cecilius's table, merely because he was poorly dreffed: and Terence, the celebrated Roman poet, was, in his adverfity, left and abandoned by his former illuftrious friends and admirers, Scipio, Lælius, and Fucius, and fuffered to die in melancholy diftrefs on a foreign fhore. Rats, indeed, inftinctively quit the nobleft mansion when it is about to fall. But the moft grievous confequence of poverty is, that it expofes the unhappy fufferer to the keeneft fhafts of ridicule from a contemptuous and unfeeling world; and a poor man is frequently forced to endure the jefts, taunts, flouts, and blows of his fuperiors, to get a meal's meat; or to fubmit to their ever varying humours, to avoid thofe dreadful alternatives, thieving or ftarving. Human fortitude is unable to fuftain fuch fevere conflicts; and the children of poverty are invariably the children of discontent, and the victims of melancholy. Foreftus, in his medicinal observations, relates a memorable example of two brothers of Lovain, who being by accident left deftitute of the means of fupport, became melancholy, and, in the anguish of their discontent, by mutual stabs died in each others arms. "What cannot Want? the best she will expose, "And sink e'en Virtue in her train of woes: "She fills with navies, hosts, and loud alarms, "The sea, the land, and shakes the world with arms!" The very apprehenfion of poverty, indeed, is frequently fo alarming as to produce the fame effect; for Apicius, the celebrated Roman epicure, finding, on examining his affairs, that he had only 100,000 crowns left, destroyed his life by poifon for fear of being famished: and the once rich and powerful Bishop of Salisbury, on being defpoiled of his property by King Stephen, and reduced to a state of indigence, ran immediately mad with grief and vexation. Aufonius relates, relates, in a neat epigram, a story of a melancholy man, who, on going into a wood, with intention to hang himself, in order to get rid of the miseries of poverty, fortunately found a large bag of money concealed at the foot of the tree, which had fuch an effect upon his fpirits, that he flung away the rope, and went dancing merrily home, with the treasure under his arm, quite cured of his melancholy: but the man who had wifhed to fecrete it, on coming to the spot, and finding it gone, fell into such a sudden despondency, that he hanged himself with the very rope which the fortunate finder of his treasure had flung away. "Want, and incurable Disease, fell pair! THE DEATH OF A FRIEND unavoidably causes the deepest affliction; for true friendship is our laft and only comfort under every misfortune, and the greatest folace amidft the miferies of life. The temporary absence of those whom we love and efteem, cafts a forrowful gloom over the mind, and gives a painful uneasiness to the heart. Montanus mentions an instance of a lively country girl, whofe fenfibility was so affected on leaving her native place, and quitting the loved companions of her youth, that her spirits sub fided, and funk her into an irrecoverable melancholy for the remainder of her days. The absence of that best of friends, a real hufband, must be feverely afflicting to every fond and faithful wife; and during this distreffing interval Her tearful eyes are strangers to repose; In bitter grief fhe fighs and vents her woes; His charming voice still sounding in her ears. If a short and temporary abfence of friends can work fuch violent effects, DEATH, which caufes an eternal separation, must inflict the bittereft of pangs: Then The soul loaths the day, and fickens at the sky, Stroza Filius, the elegant Italian poet, in his Epicedium, bewails the death of his fond father with an excess of forrow: and Quintilian, in lamenting the lofs of his wife and children, fhews how fuperiour the genuine feelings of the heart are to all the rules of rhetoric in the eloquence of diftrefs. "What affectionate fa"ther could ever pardon my infenfibility should "I be capable to purfue my ftudies? What parent will not deteft me, should I now find any "other |