University of Virginia Library

CONTENTS

• 1 Difficulty of the first address. Practice of the epick poets. convenience of periodical performances . . . . . . . . . 1
• 2 The necessity and danger of looking into futurity. Writers naturally sanguine. Their hopes liable to disappointment7
• 3 An allegory on criticism . . . . . . . . . . . .14
• 4 The modern form of romances preferable to the ancient. The necessity of characters morally good . . . . . . .19
• 5 A meditation on the Spring . . . . . . . . . . .27
• 6 Happiness not local. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
• 7 Retirement natural to a great mind. Its religious use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
• 8 The thoughts to be brought under regulation; as they respect the past, present, and future. . . . . . . . . . .45
• 9 The fondness of every man for his profession. The gradual improvement of manufactures . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
• 10 Four billets, with their answers. Remarks on masquerades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
• 11 The folly of anger. The misery of a peevish old age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
• 12 The history of a young woman that came to London for a service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
• 13 The duty of secrecy. The invalidity of all excuses for betraying secrets,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
• 14 The difference between an author's writings and his conversation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
• 15 The folly of cards. A letter from a lady that has lost her money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
• 16 The dangers and miseries of a literary eminence102
• 17 The frequent contemplation of death necessary to moderate the passions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
• 18 The unhappiness of marriage caused by irregular motives of choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
• 19 The danger of ranging from one study to another. The importance of the early choice of a profession. . . . . . 122
• 20 The folly and inconvenience of affectation. . 130
• 21 The anxieties of literature not less than those of publick stations. The inequality of authors' writings. . . . 136
• 22 An allegory on wit and learning . . . . . . . 143

---

v



• 23 The contrariety of criticism. The vanity of objection. An author obliged to depend upon his own judgment. 146
• 24 The necessity of attending to the duties of common life. The natural character not to be forsaken . . . . 154
• 25 Rashness preferable to cowardice. Enterprize not to be repressed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
• 26 The mischief of extravagance, and misery of dependence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
• 27 An author's treatment from six patrons. . . . 174
• 28 The various arts of self-delusion . . . . . . 180
• 29 The folly of anticipating misfortunes . . . . 187
• 30 The observance of Sunday recommended; an allegory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
• 31 The defence of a known mistake highly culpable199
• 32 The vanity of stoicism. The necessity of patience206
• 33 An allegorical history of Rest and Labour . . 213
• 34 The uneasiness and disgust of female cowardice219
• 35 A marriage of prudence without affection. . . 226
• 36 The reasons why pastorals delight . . . . . . 232
• 37 The true principles of pastoral poetry. . . . 238
• 38 The advantages of mediocrity; an eastern fable245
• 39 The unhappiness of women whether single or married . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
• 40 The difficulty of giving advice without offending257
• 41 The advantages of memory. . . . . . . . . . . 264
• 42 The misery of a modish lady in solitude . . . 270
• 43 The inconveniences of precipitation and confidence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
• 44 Religion and Superstition; a vision . . . . . 283
• 45 The causes of disagreement in marriage. . . . 290
• 46 The mischiefs of rural faction. . . . . . . . 296
• 47 The proper means of regulating sorrow . . . . 301
• 48 The miseries of an infirm constitution. . . . 308
• 49 A disquisition upon the value of fame . . . . 313
• 50 A virtuous old age always reverenced. . . . . 319
• 51 The employments of a housewife in the country 325
• 52 The contemplation of the calamities of others, a remedy for grief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
• 53 The folly and misery of a spendthrift . . . . 338
• 54 A death-bed the true school of wisdom. The effects of death upon the survivors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344