86. The Danger of succeeding a great Author: an Intro- duction to a Criticism on Milton's Versification. 87. The Reasons why Advice is generally ineffectual. 88. A Criticism on Milton's Versification-Elisions dan- - 89. The Luxury of vain Imagination. 90. The Pauses in English Poetry adjusted. 91. The Conduct of Patronage: an Allegory. 92. The Accommodation of Sound to Sense, often chi- 93. The Prejudices and Caprices of Criticism. 94. An Inquiry how far Milton has accommodated the 95. The History of Pertinax the Sceptic. 96. Truth, Falsehood, and Fiction, an Allegory. 97. Advice to unmarried Ladies. 98. The Necessity of cultivating Politeness. 101. A proper Audience necessary to a Wit. 103. The Prevalence of Curiosity-the Character of 104. The Original of Flattery-the Meanness of venal 105. The Universal Register: a Dream. 106. The Vanity of an Author's Expectations-Reasons why good Authors are sometimes neglected. 107. Properantia's Hopes of a Year of Confusion-the 108. Life sufficient to all Purposes, if well employed. 112. Too much Nicety not to be indulged-the Charac- 113. The History of Hymenæus's Courtship. 114. The Necessity of proportioning Punishments to 115. The Sequel of Hymenæus's Courtship. : 116. The young Trader's Attempt at Politeness. 117. The Advantages of living in a Garret. 119. Tranquilla's Account of her Lovers opposed to 120. The History of Alamoulin the Son of Nouradin. 121. The Dangers of Imitation-the Impropriety of 122. A Criticism on the English Historians. 123. The young Trader turned Gentleman. 124. The Lady's Misery in a Summer Retirement. 125. The Difficulty of defining Comedy-Tragic and 126. The Universality of Cowardice-the Impropriety N. B. All the papers contained in this volume are THE RAMBLER. No. 73. TUESDAY, NOV. 27, 1750. Stulle, quid heu frustra votis puerilibus optas OVID. ELPHINSTON. "TO THE RAMBLER. you re "SIR, "IF you feel any of that compassion which commend to others, you will not disregard a case which I have reason from observation to believe very common, and which I know by experience to be very miserable. And, though the querulous are seldom received with great ardour of kindness, I hope to escape the mortification of finding that my lamentations spread the contagion of impatience, and produce anger rather than tenderness. I write not merely to vent the swelling of my heart, but to inquire by what means I may recover my tranquillity; and shall endeavour at brevity in my narrative, having long known that complaint quickly tires, however elegant or however just. "I was born in a remote county, of a family that boasts alliances with the greatest names in English VOL. II. B history, and extends its claims of affinity to the Tudors and Plantagenets. My ancestors, by little and little, wasted their patrimony, till my father had not enough left for the support of a family, without descending to the cultivation of his own grounds, being condemned to pay three sisters the fortunes allotted them by my grandfather, who is suspected to have made his will when he was incapable of adjusting properly the claims of his children, and who, perhaps without design, enriched his daughters by beggaring his son. My aunts being at the death of their father neither young nor beautiful, nor very eminent for softness of behaviour, were suffered to live unsolicited, and by accumulating the interest of their portions grew every day richer and prouder. My father pleased himself with foreseeing that the possessions of those ladies must revert at last to the hereditary estate; and, that his family might lose none of its dignity, resolved to keep me untainted with a lucrative employment; whenever therefore I discovered any inclination to the improvement of condition, my mother never failed to put me in mind of my birth, and charged me to do nothing with which I might be reproached when I should come to my aunts' estate. my 66. In all the perplexities or vexations which want of money brought upon us, it was our constant practice to have recourse to futurity. If any of Our neighbours surpassed us in appearance, we went home and contrived an equipage, with which the death of my aunts was to supply us. If any purseproud upstart was deficient in respect, vengeance was referred to the time in which our estate was to be repaired. We registered every act of civility and rudeness, inquired the number of dishes at every feast, and minuted the furniture of every house, that we might, when the hour of affluence |