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from one generat on to another, if these regards were reciprocally held in veneration: But as he never fails to mix an air of mirth and good-humour with his good sense and reasoning, he entered into the following relation.

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Will not be confident in what century, or under what reign it happened, that this want of mutual confidence and right underftanding between father and fon was fatal to the family of the Valentines in Germany. Bafilius Valentinus was a person who had arrived at the utmost perfection in the hermetic art, and initiated his fon Alexandrinus in the fame myfteries: but as you know they are not to be attained but by the painful, the pious, the chafte, and pure of heart, Bafilius did not open to him, beraufe of his youth, and the deviations too natural to it, the greateft fecrets of which he was master, as well knowing that the operation would fail in the hands of a man fo liable to errors in life as Alexandrinus. But believing, from a certain indifpofition of mind as well as body, his diffolution was drawing nigh he called Alexandrinus to him, and as he lay on a couch, overagainst which his fon was feated, and prepared by fending out fervants one after another, and admonition to examine that no one overheard them, he revealed the moft important of his fecrets with the folemnity and language of an adept. My fon, faid he, many have been the watchings, long the lucubrations, conftant the labours of thy father, not only to gain a great and plentiful eftate to his pofterity, but also to take care that he fhould have no pofterity. Be not amazed, my child, I do not mean that thou fhalt be taken from me, but that I will never leave thee, and confequently cannot be faid to have pofterity. Behold, my deareft diexandrinus, the effect of what was propagated in nine months: We are not to contradi&t nature, but to follow and to help her; just as long as an infant is in the womb of its parent, fo long are thefe medicines of revivification in preparing. Obferve this small phial and this little gallipot, in this an unguent, in the other a liquor. In thefe, my child, are collected fuch powers, as fhall revive the fprings of life when they are yet but just ceased, and give new ftrength, new fpirits, and, in a word, wholly

wholly reftore all the organs and fenfes of the human body to as great a duration, as it had before enjoyed from its birth to the day of the application of these my medicines. But, my beloved fon, care must be taken to apply them within ten hours after the breath is out of the body, while yet the clay is warm with its late life, and yet capable of refufcitation. I find my frame grown crazy with perpetual toil and meditation; and I conjure you, as foon as I am dead, to anoint me with this unguent; and when you fee me begin to move, pour into my lips this ineftimable liquor, elle the force of the ointment will be ineffectual. By this means you will give me life as I have you, and we will from that hour mutually lay afide the authority of having bestowed life on each other, but live as brethren, and prepare new medicines against fuch another period of time as will demand another application of the fame restoratives. In a few days after these wonderful ingredients were delivered to Alexandrinus, Bafilius departed this life. But fuch was the pious forrow of the fon at the lofs of fo excellent a father, and the firft tranfports of grief had fo wholly disabled him from all manner of bufinefs, that he never thought of the medicines till the time to which his father had limited their efficacy was expired. To tell the truth, Alexandrinus was a man of wit and pleafure, and confidered his father had lived out his naturaltime, his life was long and uniform, fuitable to the regularity of it; but that he himself, poor finner, wanted a new life, to repent of a very bad one hitherto; and in the examination of his heart, refolv'd to go on as he did with this natural being of his, but repent very faithfully, and spend very pioufly the life to which he fhould be restored by application of thefe rarities, when time fhould come, to his own perfon.

It has been obferved, that Providence frequently funishes the felf-love of men, who would do immoderately for their own offspring, with children very much below their characters and qualifications, infomuch that they only tranfmit their names to be borne by those who give daily proofs of the vanity of the labour and ambition of their progenitors.

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It happen'd thus in the family of Bafilius; for Alexandrinus began to enjoy his ample fortune in all the extremities of houshold expence, furniture, and infolent equipage; and this he purfued till the day of his own departure began, as he grew fenfible, to approach. As Bafilius was punished with a fon very unlike him, Alexandrinus was vifited by one of his own difpofition. It is natural that ill men should be fufpicious, and Alexandrinus, befides that jealoufy, had proofs of the vicious difpofition of his fon Renatus, for that was his name.

Alexandrinus, as I have obferved, having very good reafons for thinking it unfafe to truft the real-fecret of his phial and gallipot to any man living, projected to make fure work, and hope for his fuccefs depending from the avarice, not the bounty of his benefactor.

With this thought he called Renatus to his bed-fide, and bespoke him in the moft pathetic gefture and accent. As much, my fon, as you have been addicted to vanity and pleasure, as I also have been before you, you nor I could efcape the fame, or the good effects of the profound knowledge of our progenitor, the renowned Bafilius. His fymbol is very well known in the philofophic world, and I fhall never forget the venerable air of his countenance, when he let me into the profound myfteries of the Smaragdine table of Hermes. It is true, faid he, and far removed from all colour of deceit; that which is inferior is like that which is fuperior, by which are acquired and perfected all the miracles of a certain work. The father is the fun, the mother the moon, the wind is the womb, the earth is the nurse of it, and mother of all perfection. Al this must be received with modefty and wisdom. The chymical people carry in all their jargon a whimsical fort of piety which is ordinary with great lovers of money, and is no more but deceiving themfelves, that their regularity and trictness of manners for the ends of this world, has fome affinity to the innocence of heart which muft recommend them to the next. Renatus wondered to hear his father talk fo like an adept, and with fuch a mixture of piety, while Alexandrinus obferving his attention fixed, proceeded: This phial, child, and this little earthen pot will add to thy eftate fo much, as to make thee the

richest

richest man in the German empire. I am going to my long home, but shall not return to common duft. Then he refumed a countenance of alacrity, and told him, that if within an hour after his death he anointed his whole body, and poured down his throat that liquor which he had from old Bafilius, the corps would be converted into pure gold. I will not pretend to exprefs to you the unfeigned tenderness that paffed between thefe two extraordinary perfons; but if the father recommended the care of his remains with vehemence and affection, the fon was not behind-hand in profeffing that he would not cut the leaft bit off him, but upon the utmost extremity, or to provide for his younger brothers

and fifters.

Well, Alexandrinus died, and the heir of his body (as our term is) could not forbear in the wantonneffes of his heart, to measure the length and breadth of his beloved father, and caft up the enfuing value of him before he proceeded to operation. When he knew the immenfe reward of his pains, he began the work: But lo! when he had anointed the corps all over, and began to apply the liquor, the body ftirred, and Renatus, in a fright broke the phial.

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N° 427

Thursday, July 10.

Quantùm à rerum turpitudine abes, tantùm te à verborum libertate fejungas.

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TULL.

We shou'd be as careful of our words, as our actions; and as far from speaking, as from doing ill.

T is a certain fign of an ill heart to be inclined to defamation. They who are harmless and innocent, can have no gratification that way; but it ever arifes from a neglect of what is laudable in a man's felf, and an impatience of feeing it in another. Elfe why should

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virtue

virtue provoke? Why should beauty displease in such á degree, that a man given to scandal never lets the mention of either pafs by him without offering fomething to the diminution of it? A lady the other day at a visit being attacked fomewhat rudely by one, whofe own character has been very rudely treated, anfwered a great deal of heat and intemperance very calmly, Good Madam Spare me, acho am none of your match; I Speak ill of no body, and it is a new thing to me to be fpeken ill of. Little minds think fame confifts in the number of votes they have on their fide among the multitude, whereas it is really the infeparable follower of good and worthy actions. Fame is as natural a follower of merit, as a shadow is of a body. It is true, when crouds prefs upon you, this fhadow cannot be feen, but when they separate from around you, it will again appear. The lazy, the idle, and the froward, are the perfons who are most pleased with the little tales which pafs about the town to the disadvantage of the reft of the world. Were it not for the pleasure of speaking ill, there are numbers of people who are too lazy to go out of their own houfes, and too ill-natured to open their lips in converfation. It was not a little diverting the other day to obferve a lady reading a post-letter, and at these words, After all her airs, he has heard fome flory or other, and the match is broke off, gives orders in the midst of her reading, Put to the horses. That a young woman of merit had miffed an advantageous fettlement, was news not to be delayed, left fomebody elfe fhould have given her malicious acquaintance that fatisfaction before her. The unwillingness to receive good tidings is a quality as infeparable from a fcandal-bearer, as the readiness to divulge bad. But, alas! how wretchedly low and contemptible is that ftate of mind, that cannot be pleased but by what is the fubject of lamentation. This temhas ever been in the highest degree odious to galant pirits. The Perfian foldier, who was heard reviling Alexander the Great, was well admonish'd by his officer, Sir, you are paid to fight against Alexander, and not to rail at him.

per

Cicero in one of his pleadings. defending his client from general fcandal, says very handfomly, and with

much

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