old age governs without control. In that period of life, generally fpeaking, we eat at a certain hour, take exercise at a certain hour, go to rest at a certain hour, all by the direction of habit: nay, a particular feat, table, bed, comes to be effential; and a habit in any of these cannot be contradicted without uneafinefs.

Any flight or moderate pleafure frequently reiterated for a long time, forms a connection between us and the thing that caufes the pleasure. This connection, termed habit, has the effect to awaken our defire or appetite for that thing when it returns not as usual. During the courfe of enjoyment, the pleasure rises infenfibly higher and higher till a habit be established; at which time the pleasure is at its height. It continues not however ftationary: the fame customary reiteration which carried it to its height, brings it down again by infenfible degrees, even lower than it was at first: but of this circumftance afterward. What at prefent we have in view, is to prove by experiments, that thofe things which at firft are but moderately agreeable, are the apteft to become habitual. Spirituous liquors, at firft fcarce agreeable, readily produce an habitual appetite : and custom prevails fo far, as even to make us fond of things originally difagreeable, fuch as coffee, affa-fœtida, and tobacco; which is pleafantly illustrated by Congreve :

Fainall. For a paffionate lover, methinks you are a

man

man somewhat too discerning in the failings of your miftrefs.

Mirabell. And for a difcerning man, fomewhat too paffionate a lover; for I like her with all her faults; nay like her for her faults. Her follies are fo natural, or fo artful, that they become her; and thofe affectations which in another woman would be odious, ferve but to make her more agreeable. I'll tell thee, Fainall, fhe once us'd me with that infolence, that in revenge I took her to pieces, fifted her, and separated her failings; I study'd 'em, and got 'em by rote. The catalogue was fo large, that I was not without hopes, one day or other, to hate her heartily: to which end I fo us'd myself to think of 'em, that at length, contrary to my defign and expectation, they gave me every hour less and less disturbance; till in a few days it became habitual to me, to remember 'em without being difpleased. They are now grown as familiar to me as my own frailties; and in all probability, in a little time longer, I fhall like 'em as well.

The way of the world, act 1. fc. 3.

A walk upon the quarter-deck, though intolerably confined, becomes however fo agreeable by custom, that a failor in his walk on fhore, confines himself commonly within the fame bounds. I knew a man who had relinquifhed the fea for a country-life in the corner of his garden he reared an artificial mount with a level fummit, refembling most accurately a quarter-deck, not only in shape but in fize; and here was his choice walk. Play or gaming, at firft barely amufing by the occupation it affords, becomes in time extremely agreeable; and is frequently profecuted Bb 2

with

with avidity, as if it were the chief bufinefs of life. The fame obfervation is applicable to the pleasures of the internal fenfes, thofe of knowledge and virtue in particular: children have fcarce any fense of these pleasures; and those men very little, who are in the ftate of nature without culture: our tafte for virtue and knowledge improves flowly; but is capable of grow ing stronger than any other appetite in human

nature,

To introduce a habit, frequency of acts is not fufficient without length of time; the quickest fucceffion of acts in a fhort time, is not fufficient; nor a flow fucceffion in the longest time. The effect must be produced by a moderate foft action, and a long feries of eafy touches, removed from each other by fhort intervals. Nor are thefe fufficient without regularity in the time, place, and other circumftances of the action; the more uniform any operation is, the fooner it becomes habitual. And this holds equally in a paffive habit; variety in any remarkable degree, prevents the effect; thus any particular food will fcarce ever become habitual, where the manner of dreffing is varied. The circumftances then requifite to augment any pleafure, and at the long-run to form a habit, are weak uniform acts, reiterated during a long courfe of time without any confiderable interruption: every agreeable cause that operates in this manner, will bitual.

grow ha

Affection

Affection and averfion, as diftinguished from paffion on the one hand, and on the other from original disposition, are in reality habits refpecting particular objects, acquired in the manner above fet forth. The pleafure of focial intercourse with any perfon, muft originally be faint, and frequently reiterated, in order to establish the habit of affection. Affection thus generated, whether it be friendship or love, seldom fwells into any tumultuous or vigorous paffion; but is however the strongest cement that can bind together two individuals of the human fpecies. In like manner, a flight degree of difgust often reiterared with any regularity, grows into the habit of averfion, which generally fubfifsts for life.

Objects of taste that are delicious, far from tending to become habitual, are apt by indulgence to produce fatiety and difguft: no man contracts a habit of taking fugar, honey, or fweetmeats, as he doth of tobacco:

Dulcia non ferimus; fucco renovamur amaro.

Ovid. art. amand. I. 3.

Infipido è quel dolce, che condito

Non è di qualche amaro, e tofto fatia.

Aminta di Taffo.

Thefe violent delights have violent ends,

And in their triumph die. The sweetest honey

Is loathfome in its own deliciousness,

And in the tafte confounds the appetite;

Therefore love mod'rately, long love doth fo;
Too fwift arrives as tardy as too flow.

Romeo and Juliet, act 2. fc. 6.

The fame obfervation holds with refpect to all objects that being extremely agreeable raife violent paffions fuch paffions are incompatible with a habit of any fort; and in particular they never produce affection nor averfion: a man who at firft fight falls violently in love, has a strong defire of enjoyment, but no affection for the woman*: a man who is furprised with an unexpect

ed

Violent love without affection is finely exemplified in the following story. When Conftantinople was taken by the Turks, Irene, a young Greek of an illuftrious family, fell into the hands of Mahomet II. who was at that time in the prime of youth and glory. His favage heart being fubdued by her charms, he shut himself up with her, denying accefs even to his ministers. His paffion feemed to increase with time: in the most important expeditions, frequently would he abandon the army, and fly to his Irene War relaxed, for victory was no longer the monarch's favourite paffion. The foldiers, accustomed to booty, began to murmur, and the infection fpread even among the commanders. The Balha Muftapha, confulting the fidelity he ow'd his master, was the first who durft acquaint him of the discourses held publicly to the prejudice of his glory.

The Sultan, after a gloomy filence, formed his refolution. He ordered Mustapha to affemble the troops next morning; and then with precipitation retired to Irene's apartment. Never before did that princess appear fo charming; never before did the prince beftow fo many warm caresses. To give a new luftre to her beauty, he exhorted her women next morning, to bestow their utmost art and care on her drefs. He took her by the hand, led her into

the