Oh, come! relieve this widow'd heart, My Delia come ! whofe looks beguile, Oh, come! and make me full amends, I N° 86. SATURDAY, September 23, 1786. Happened to spend some days lately in the country, at the houfe of a gentleman diftinguifhed in the republic of letters, and whofe converfation is at all times in the highest degree inftructive and entertaining. On my road home from his houfe, my whole thoughts were taken up with the agreeable entertainment I had received from his company, and I was employed in treasuring up in my mind the many useful obfervations that had fallen from him. When I arrived in town, the first person I met with was my old acquaintance Sympofius. Sympofius is what is called a good bottle-companion; that is, one who thinks none, talks little, and drinks a great deal. He is much in company, and good company too; because he keeps his feat quietly, has a steady hand at decanting a bottle, never forgets where, the toast stands, never interrupts a story except by filling a bumper, can make punch, brew negus, and feafon a devil. With this combination of qualities, Sympofius is oftener seen at good dinners than any man in town; and were it not for the liquor he confumes, would be as harmless as e'er a bottle-flider at the table. At fome houfe of my acquaintance he had heard of my country-excursion, and where I had paffed my time. "You are a "happy man," said he, "in poffeffing an inti66 macy and friendship fo valuable as that of "Mr. I was once accidentally at his "houfe: he had the finest batch of wine of « any man in the country. I never drank fuch "Old Hock in my life." . I could not help fmiling at Sympofius's idea of a valuable friendship; and yet, when I confidered the matter a little more clofely, I began to think that in most men the fame difpofition might be traced, to value others according to the ftandard of themselves; to form their opinions. and their attachments from circumftances as partial, though not fo ridiculous, as the friendship of Symposius for the cellar of Mr. was, I had not long parted with Symposius, when I met with my old college-companion Dr. Syntax. He when I knew him first, a tutor at one of the universities, which he left on the death of a relation in India, who bequeathed him a confiderable annuity for life. When at the university, he was remarkable for his skill in the Latin language, and ftill confiders the knowledge of that tongue as the only thing which can conduct a man to eminence. I remember to have had fome converfation with him about a gentleman, who, in his younger years, was one of Syntax's pupils. This gentleman had been bred to the bar; and after having figured in his profeffion, he became a member of the legislature, and was confidered as one of the ableft speakers in the house in which he fat."Yes," faid my learned friend, "I al"( ways knew the lad would do well. When he was under my care, he wrote Latin verfes "fafter than any boy I ever knew, and com"pofed the beft difcourfe Lever read upon Pa"tavinity." I took care not to let Syntax know that the first thing his pupil did, was to endeavour to forget almost all he had learned from his master, and that to this he principally afcribed his fuccefs in life. But it is not only amongst men of learning that this narrownefs of opinion is to be met with. It is to be found in all profeffions and in every fituation. fituation. Ditticus is a man of fortune, and indeed he has this merit, that it has been principally made by himfelf. To men whofe wealth is of their own acquirement, it naturally appears of the higheft value, as the Ifraelites worfhipped the golden image they had made. Ditticus fuppofes, that the poffefsion of wealth conftitutes the great happiness of life. In this, perhaps, however falfe the fuppofition, Ditticus is not fingular; but he carries the matter a good deal farther, and thinks that wealth confers not only every bleffing, but every talent and accomplishment. He thinks meanly of the fenfe, the learning, or the taste of any man who walks on foot, a little better of one who rides a-horseback, but his idea of fupreme excellence is confined to the person who lolls in his coach and fix. When you fee Ditticus with a stranger, you may judge of the weight of his purfe from the degree of complaifance and attention which Ditticus pays to his opinions. Ditticus would not for the world be thought to be intimate with a poor man; and ayoids as much as poffible being feen with perfons fufpected of poverty; and if he should be fo unlucky as to encounter with any of them, he takes care to fhow, by his behaviour, in what repute he holds their abilities and understanding. If he has a rich man at his table, he fends him a larger flice of his mutton than to any other perfon, as if his ftomach were proportionably capacious as his purfe; if he is engaged in a party at cards, he chufes the wealthieft man of the fet for his partner, as if riches could give skill in the game. I dined t'other day with Ditticus, when, úpon his telling me a story that appeared not a little improbable, I expreffed fome difficulty to give entire credit to it; Ditticus, with great earnestnefs, affured me it was most certainly true; for he had |