No 81. SATURDAY, Auguft 19, 1786. THE Love of Fame," that laft infirmity "of noble minds," though it may fometimes expofe its votaries to a certain degree of blame or of ridicule, is in the main a useful pasfion. In the present age, I have often thought, that, instead of being restrained, a love of fame and of glory ought to be encouraged, as an incitement to virtue, and to virtuous actions. From various caufes, which I mean not at prefent to investigate, this paffion feems to have loft its ufual force; it has almoft ceased to be a motive of action; and its place feems now to be supplied by a fordid love of gain, by which men of every rank and of every station appear to be actuated. In the Camp, as upon 'Change, profit and lofs is the great object of attention. When a young foldier fets out on an expedition against the enemies of his country, he does not now talk fo much of the honour and reputation he is to acquire, as of the profit he expects to reap from his conquefts. Accordingly we have feen gallant officers metamorphofed into skilful merchants, who, though they had fpirit enough. to expofe themselves to "the cannon's mouth," were his regiment, he was distinguished for an unwearied attention to the duties of his station. When he appeared in public, or upon duty, his drefs and deportment were always decent and proper. Of his manner of life in private, even his brother-officers were for fome time ignorant. He did not mefs with them, and he partook of none of their expenfive pleasures and amusements. At length it was discovered, that he fared worse, and lived on lefs, than any privatefoldier in the regiment. The good sense and the known spirit of Mr. Wpreferved him from the ridicule and contempt with which this discovery might otherwise have been attended. His merit as an officer mean-while recommended Mr. W to the notice of his fuperiors; he was promoted from time to time; but no promotion ever made any alteration on his mode of life. After ferving with distinguished reputa tion under King William, Mr. W went to Flanders in the beginning of the Duke of Marlborough's campaigns, in the courfe of which he was promoted to the rank of General, and obtained the command of a regiment. Although his income was now great, he still lived with the utmost parfimony; and even those who efteemed him the most were obliged to allow that his love of money (which they confidered as a fort of difcafe) exceeded all bounds. His enemies, however, were forced to acknowledge, that in all his tranfactions he was perfectly honourable, and that his love of money never led him to commit injustice. In one of the last years of the war, General Wand his regiment went into winter-quarters at Ghent. About the middle of winter his officers were aftonished at receiving an invitation to dine with their Colonel for the first time. Most of the principal officers in the garrison received with equal furprise a fimilar invitation. Upon the day appointed they went to the General's houfe, where they were received with a kindly cheerful welcome, proceeding from a mind at ease, and satisfied with itself, more engaging to the feelings of our guests than the most finished politeness. After an elegant dinner, wines of every kind were placed upon the table; and as the General knew that fome of his guests did not dislike their glass, he pushed the bottle. brifkly about. The company were more and more aftonished; at length fome of them took the liberty to express what all of them felt. "I "do not wonder at your surprise," said General W," and in juftice to myself I must "take this occafion to explain a conduct which "hitherto must have appeared extraordinary to "all of you. You must know, then, that I " was bred a linen-draper in London. Early in diffipate their own money, and waste that with which others have intrusted them, with all the fangfroid of the best-bred people of fashion ; and we may meet with more than one man of spirit behind a counter, who can cock his hat in the face of his creditors, as valiantly as if there was a cockade or a feather in it. R N 82. SATURDAY, August 26, 1786. Je n'arme contre lui que le fruit de fon crime. CREBILLON. THE effects of moral inftruction and pre cept on the mind have been rated very highly by fome grave and worthy men, while by others the experience of their inefficacy, in regulating the conduct of the hearer or reader, has been cited as an indifputable proof of their unimportance. Among thofe, fay they, on whom Moral Eloquence has employed all her powers, who have been tutored by the wifeft and moft virtuous teachers, and have had the advice and direction of the ablest and most perfuafive guides, how few are there whose future conduct has answered to the instruction they received, or the maxims which were fo often repeated to them. Natural difpofition or acquired habits regulate the tenor of our lives; and neither the fermon that persuades, nor the relation that moves, has any permanent effect on the actions of him who liftens or who weeps. Yet, though examples of their efficacy are not very frequent, it does not altogether follow that VOL. III. G the |
