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can do the meanest, the worst, and most criminal of his subjects.

To know that the passions or distempers of the mind make our lives unhappy, in spite of all accidents and favours of fortune, a man perhaps must be a philosopher, and requires much thought and study, and deep reflections. To be a stoic, and grow insensible of pain, as well as poverty or disgrace, one must be perhaps something more or less than a man, renounce common nature, oppose common truth and constant experience. But there needs little learning or study, more than common thought and observation, to find out that ill health loses not only the enjoyments of fortune, but the pleasures of sense, and even of imagination, and hinders the common operations both of mind and body, from being easy and free.

Let philosophers reason and differ about the chief good or happiness of man; let them find it where they can, and place it where they please; but there is no mistake so gross, or opinion so impertinent, (how common soever) as to think pleasures arise from what is without us, rather than from what is within; from the impression given us of objects, rather than from the disposition of the organs that receive them. The various effects of the same objects upon different

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persons, or upon the same persons at different times, make the contrary most evident. distempers make things look yellow, others double what we see, the commonest alter our tastes and our smells, and the very foulness of ears changes sounds. The difference of tempers, as well as of age, may have the same effects, by the many degrees of perfection or imperfection in our original tempers, as well as of strength or decay, from the differences of health and of years. From all which it is easy, without being a great naturalist, to conclude, that our perceptions are formed, and our imaginations raised upon them, in a very great measure, by the dispositions of the organs through which the several objects make their impressions; and that these vary according to the different frame and temper of the others, as the sound of the same breath passing through an oaten pipe, a flute, or a trumpet.

But to leave philosophy, and return to health. Whatever is true concerning the dependence of happiness upon the temper of the mind, it is certain that pleasures depend upon the temper of the body, and that to enjoy them, a man must be well with himself, as the vessel must be sound to have your wine sweet; for otherwise, let it be never so pleasant and generous, it loses the

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taste; and pour in never so much, it all turns sour, and were better to let alone. Whoever will eat well, must have a stomach; who will relish the pleasure of wine, must have his mouth in taste; nay, to find any felicity, or take any pleasure, in the greatest advantages of honour and fortune, a man must be in health. Who would not be covetous, and with reason, if this could be purchased with gold? Who not ambitious, if it were at the command of power, or restored by honour.

But alas! a white staff will not help gouty feet to walk better than a common cane; nor a blue ribband bind up a wound so well as a fillet. The glitter of gold, or of diamonds, will but hurt sore eyes, instead of curing them; and an aching head will be no more eased by wearing a crown, than a common night cap.

The two great blessings of life, are, in my opinion, health and good humour; and none contribute more to one another. Without health, all will allow life to be but a burthen; and the several conditions of fortune, all wearisome, dull, or disagreeable, without good humour. Nor does any seem to contribute towards the true happiness of life, but as it serves to increase that treasure, or to preserve it. Whatever other differences are commonly appre

hended in the several conditions of fortune, none perhaps will be found so true, or so great, as what is made by those two circumstances, so little regarded in the common course or pursuits of mortal men.

Whether long life be a blessing or no, God only can determine, who alone knows what length it is like to run, and how it is like to be attended. Socrates used to say, it was pleasant to grow old with good health and a good friend; and he might have reason. A man may be content to live, while he is no trouble to himself, or his friends; but after that, it is hard if he be not content to die. I knew, and esteemed a person abroad, who used to say, a man must be a mean wretch, that desired to live beyond the age of threescore. But so much I doubt is certain, that in life as in wine, he that will drink it good, must not draw it to the dregs.

When this happens, one confort of age may be, that whereas younger men are usually in pain, when they are not in pleasure; old men find a sort of pleasure, whenever they are out of pain. And as young men often lose, or impair their present enjoyments, by raving after what is to come, by vain hopes or fruitless fears; so old men relieve the wants of their age, by pleasing reflection upon what is past. Therefore men in

the health and vigour of their age, should endeavour to fill their minds with reading, with travel, with the best conversation, and with the worthiest actions, either in their public or private stations; that they may have something agreeable left to feed on when they are old, by pleasing remembrances.

But as those are only clean beasts which chew the cud when they have fed enough, so they must be clean and virtuous men, that can reflect with pleasure upon the past accidents and courses of their lives. Besides, men who grow old with good sense, a good fortune, and good nature, cannot want the pleasure of pleasing others, by assisting with their gifts, their credit, their advice, such as deserve; as well as their care of children, kindness to friends, and bounty

to servants.

But there cannot, indeed, live a more unhappy creature, than an ill natured old man, who is neither capable of receiving pleasures, nor sensible of doing them to others.

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