Adventurer No. 137. Tuesday, February 26, 1754. [Greek: Ti d erexa];PYTHAG. What have I been doing? As man is a being very sparingly furnished with the power of prescience, he can provide for the future only by considering the past; and as futurity is all in which he has any real interest, he ought very […]

Adventurer No. 138. Saturday, March 2, 1754. Quid pure tranquillet; honos, an dulce lucellum,An secretum iter, et fallentis semita vitae.HOR. Lib, i. Ep.xviii. 102. Whether the tranquil mind and pure,Honours or wealth our bliss ensure:Or down through life unknown to stray,Where lonely leads the silent way.FRANCIS. Having considered the importance of authors to the welfare […]

Adventurer No. 95. Tuesday, October 2, 1753. — Dulcique animos novitate tenebo.OVID. Met. iv. 284. And with sweet novelty your soul detain. It is often charged upon writers, that with all their pretensions to genius and discoveries, they do little more than copy one another; and that compositions obtruded upon the world with the pomp […]

Adventurer No. 99. Tuesday, October 16, 1753. — Magnis tamen excidit ausis.OVID. Met. Lib. ii. 328. But in the glorious enterprise he died.ADDISON. It has always been the practice of mankind, to judge of actions by the event. The same attempts, conducted in the same manner, but terminated by different success, produce different judgments: they […]

Adventurer No. 102. saturday, october 27, 1753. — Quid tam dextro pede concipis, ut teConatus non poeniteat votique peracti?JUV. Sat. x. 5. What in the conduct of our life appearsSo well design’d, so luckily begun,But when we have our wish, we wish undone.DRYDEN. TO THE ADVENTURER. Sir, I have been for many years a trader […]

Adventurer No. 107. Tuesday, November 13, 1753. — Sub judice lis est.HOR. De Ar. Poet. 78. And of their vain disputings find no end.FRANCIS. It has been sometimes asked by those who find the appearance of wisdom more easily attained by questions than solutions, how it comes to pass, that the world is divided by […]

Adventurer No. 108. Saturday, November 17, 1753. Nobis, quum semet occidit brevis lux,Nox est perpetua una dormienda.CATULLUS. Lib. v. El. v. When once the short-liv’d mortal dies,A night eternal seals his eyes.ADDISON. It may have been observed by every reader, that there are certain topicks which never are exhausted. Of some images and sentiments the […]

Adventurer No. 111. Tuesday, November 27, 1753. –Quae non fecimus ipsi,Vix ea nostra voco.OVID. The deeds of long descended ancestorsAre but by grace of imputation ours.DRYDEN The evils inseparably annexed to the present condition of man, are so numerous and afflictive, that it has been, from age to age, the task of some to bewail, […]

Adventurer No. 115. Tuesday, December 11, 1753. Scribimus indocti doctique.HOR. Lib. ii. Ep. i. 17. All dare to write, who can or cannot read. They who have attentively considered the history of mankind, know that every age has its peculiar character. At one time, no desire is felt but for military honours; every summer affords […]

Adventurer No. 67. Tuesday, June 26, 1753. Inventas–vitam excolucre per artes.VIRG. Aen. vi. 663. They polish life by useful arts. That familiarity produces neglect, has been long observed. The effect of all external objects, however great or splendid, ceases with their novelty; the courtier stands without emotion in the royal presence; the rustick tramples under […]

Adventurer No. 69. Tuesday, July 3, 1753. Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.Caesar. Men willingly believe what they wish to be true. Tully has long ago observed, that no man, however weakened by long life, is so conscious of his own decrepitude, as not to imagine that he may yet hold his station in […]

Adventurer No. 74. Saturday, July 21, 1753. Insanientis dun sapientaeConsultus erro.–HOR. Lib. i. Od. xxxiv. 2. I miss’d my end, and lost my way,By crack-brain’d wisdom led astray. TO THE ADVENTURER. SIR, It has long been charged by one part of mankind upon the other, that they will not take advice; that counsel and instruction […]

Adventurer No. 81. Tuesday, August 14, 1753. Nil desperandum.Lib. i. Od. vii. 27. Avaunt despair! I have sometimes heard it disputed in conversation, whether it be more laudable or desirable, that a man should think too highly or too meanly of himself: it is on all hands agreed to be best, that he should think […]

Adventurer No. 84. Saturday, August 25, 1753. Tolle periclum,Jam vaga prosiliet frenis natura remotis.HOR. Lib. ii. Sat. vii. 73. But take the danger and the shame away,And vagrant nature bounds upon her prey.FRANCIS. TO THE ADVENTURER. SIR, It has been observed, I think, by Sir William Temple, and after him by almost every other writer, […]

Adventurer No. 58. Saturday, May 25, 1753. Damnant quod non intelligunt.CIC. They condemn what they do not understand. Euripides, having presented Socrates with the writings of Heraclitus[1], a philosopher famed for involution and obscurity, inquired afterwards his opinion of their merit. “What I understand,” said Socrates, “I find to be excellent; and, therefore, believe that […]

Adventurer No. 62. Saturday, June 9, 1753. O fortuna viris, invida fortibusQuam non aequa bonis praemia dividis.SENECA. Capricious Fortune ever joys,With partial hand to deal the prize,To crush the brave and cheat the wise. TO THE ADVENTURER. Fleet, June 6. SIR, To the account of such of my companions as are imprisoned without being miserable, […]

Adventurer No. 85. Tuesday, August 28, 1753. Qui studet optatam cursu contingere metam,Multa tulit fecitque puer.HOR. De Ar. Poet. 412. The youth, who hopes th’ Olympic prize to gain,All arts must try, and every toil sustain.FRANCIS. It is observed by Bacon, that “reading makes a full man, conversation a ready man, and writing an exact […]

Adventurer No. 92. Saturday, September 22, 1753. Cum tabulis animum censoris sumet honesti.HOR. Lib. ii. Ep. it. 110. Bold be the critick, zealous to his trust,Like the firm judge inexorably just. TO THE ADVENTURER. Sir, In the papers of criticism which you have given to the publick, I have remarked a spirit of candour and […]