122 An Allegory from the RAMBLER. C faid, or several bright arrows darting down to the ground, and repeated for fome time, as others fay. Yet fome who faw it, did not think there was really any fire in it, but that the bright breaks in a black cloud looked like it. However, the whirling, A breaks, roar, and smoke, frightened both man and beaft. Coming down the hill, it took up water from the river Welland, and paffing over Seaton field, carried away feveral fhocks of itubble; and croffing Glaifton and Morcot lordships, at Pilton B town's end, tore off two branches, and carried one of them a good way. In a hedge-row in the meadow, at right angles to the spout's course, flood an oak and an ash 15 yards afunder; the oak, a young found one, 16 inches thick, it fplit two yards down, and one half fell to the ground, but was not quite parted from the other; the afh, about 8 inches thick, was torn off in the middle, and carried 10 or 12 yards. Between and on each fide of these trees were other fmaller ones, which D were not hurt: I heard of no harm it did after, but breaking and fcattering a few boughs. I faw it pafs from Pilton over Lyndon lordship, like a black fmoky cloud, with an odd whirling mobright breaks tion, and a roaring noise, like a dif- E tant wind, or a great flock of fheep galloping along on hard ground; it was divided into two parts all the way it went, and, tho' there was no wind, moved apace from S. by W. to N. by E. As it went by a quarter of a mile E. from me, I faw F fome ftraws fall from it, and a part, like an inverted cone of rain, reached down to the ground. Some who were milking, faid it came all round them like a thick mift, whirling and parting, and, when that was past, a trong wind for a very little while, G tho' it was calm both before and after. It then paffed off between. Edithwefton and Hambleton, but how much farther I do not know. March Ipfa quoque affiduo labuntur tempora [fiftere flumen, motu Non fecus ac fiumen: neque enim con- "L' IFE, fays Seneca, is a voyage, in the progrefs of which, we are perpetually changing our fcenes; we first leave childhood behind us, then youth, then the years of ripened manhood, then the latter and more pleafing part of old age." The perufal of this paffage, having incited in me a train of reflections on the ftate of man, the inceffant fluctuation of his wishes, the gradual change of his difpofitions to all external objets, and the thoughtlefnefs with which he floats along the ftream of time, I funk into a flumber, and, on a fudden, found my ears filled with the tumult of labour, the fhouts of alacrity, the fhrieks of alarm, the whistle of winds, and the dafh of waters. My aftonishment, for a time, repreffed my curiofity; but foon recover ing myself fo far as to enquire whither we were going, and what was the cause of fuch a clamour and confufion, I was told, we were launche ing out into the ocean of life, that we had already paffed the ftreights of infancy, in which multitudes had perished, fome by the weakness and fragility of their veffels, and more by the folly, perverfenefs, or negli, gence of thofe who undertook to fteer them; and that we were now on the main fea, abandoned to the winds and billows, without any other means of fecurity, than the care of the pilot, whom it was always in our power to chufe, among great numbers that offered their direction and allistance. I then looked round, and turning my eyes behind me, saw a stream flow ing thro' flowery iflands, which thofe who 1751. The VOYAGE of LIFE. who were failing along feemed to behold with pleasure; but no fooner touched, than the current, which tho' not noify or turbulent, was yet irrefiftible, bore them away. Beyond these inlands all was darknefs, nor could any of the paffengers defcribe the A fhore at which he first embarked. Before me, and on each fide, was an expanfe of waters violently agitated, and covered with fo thick a mift, that the most perfpicacious eye could fee but a little way. It appeared to be full of rocks and B whirlpools, for many funk unexpectedly, while they were courting the gale with full fails, and infulting thofe whom they had left behind. So numerous, indeed, were the dangers, and fo thick the darknefs, that no caution could confer C fecurity. Yet there were many, who, by falfe intelligence, betrayed their followers into whirlpools, or by violence pushed those whom they found in their way against the rocks. The current was invariable and infurmountable; but tho' it was im- D poffible to fail against it, or to return to the place that was once paffed, yet it was not fo violent as to allow no opportunities for dexterity or courage, fince tho' none could retreat back from danger, yet they might often avoid it by oblique direction. E It was, however, not very common to fteer with much care or prudence ; for, by fome univerfal infatuation, every man appeared to think himself fafe, tho' he faw his conforts every moment finking round him, and no fooner had the waves clofed over F them, than their fate and their mifconduct were forgotten; the voyage was purfued with the fame jocund confidence ; every man congratulated himself upon the foundness of his veffel, and believed himself able to stem the whirlpool in which his friend was G fwallowed, or glide over the rocks on which he was dafhed; nor was it often obferved that the fight of a wreck made any man change his 1.23 courfe, or if he turned afide for a moment, he foon forgot the rudder, and left himself again to the difpofal of chance. This negligence did not proceed from indifference, or from weariness of their prefent condition; for not one of thofe, who thus rufhed upon deftruction, failed, when he was finking, to call loudly upon his affociates for that help which could not now be given him, and many fpent their last moments in cautioning others against the folly, by which they were intercepted in the midft of their courfe. Their benevolence was fometimes praised, but their admonitions were unregarded. The veffels, in which we had embarked, were confeffedly unequal to the turbulence of the ftream of life, and were vifibly impared in the courie of the voyage, fo that every paffenger was certain, that how long foever he might, by favourable accidents, or by inceffant vigilance, be preferved, he muft fink at last. This neceffity of perifhing might have been expected to fadden the gay, and intimidate the daring, at leaft to keep the melancholy and timorous in perpetual torments, and hinder them from any enjoyment of the varieties and gratifications which nature offered them as the folace of their labours; yet, in effect, none fecmed lefs to expect deftruction, than those to whom it was moft dreadful; they all had the art of concealing their danger from themfelves; and thofe who knew their inability to bear the fight of the terrors that embarraffed their way, took care never to look forward, but found fome amufement for the prefent moment, and generally entertained themselves by playing with Hope, who was the conftant aflociate of the voyage of life. Yet all that Hope ventured to promife, even to thofe whom the favoured moit, was not that they should efcape, but that they should fink laft; and Q 2 with 124 The VOYAGE of LIFE. with this promife every one was fatiffied, tho' he laughed at the reft for feeming to believe it. Hope, indeed, feemed to mock the credulity of her companions; for in proportion as their veffels grew leaky, the redoubled her affurances of fafety, and none were more bufy in making provifions for a long voyage, than they, whom all but themselves faw likely to perish foon by irreparable decay. A C March rocks of Pleasure, that they were unable to continue their courfe with the fame ftrength and facility as before, but floated along timorously and feebly, endangered by every breeze, and fhattered by every ruffle of the water, till they funk, by flow degrees, after long ftruggles and innumerable expedients, always repining at their own folly, and warning others against the firft approach to the gulph of Intemperance. There were artifts who profeffed to repair the breaches and stop the leaks of the veffels, which had been fhattered on the rocks of Pleafure; many appeared to have great confidence in their skill, and fome, indeed, were preferved from finking, who had received only a fingle blow; but I remarked, that few veffels lafted long which had been much repaired, nor was it found that the artifts themselves continued afloat longer than those who had leaft of their affiftance. In the midst of the current of life was the gulph of Intemperance, a dreadful whirlpool, interfperfed with B rocks, of which the points were concealed under water, and the tops were covered with herbage, on which Eafe (pread couches of repofe, and with fhades, where Pleafure warbled the fong of invitation. Within fight of these rocks all who failed on the ocean of life were neceffarily to pafs. Reafon, indeed, was always at hand to steer the passengers thro' the narrow outlet, by which they might escape; but very few could, by her The only advantage, which, in intreaties or remonftrances, be in- the voyage of life, the cautious had duced to put the rudder into her D above the negligent, was, that they hand, without ftipulating that the funk later and more fuddenly; for fhould approach fo near the rocks of they paffed forward till they had fomePleafure, that they might folace them- times feen all thofe in whofe comfelves with a fhort enjoyment of that pany they had iffued from the straits delicious region, after which they of infancy, perifh in the way, and at always determined to purfue their laft were overfet by a cross breeze, courfe without any other deviation. F without the toil of refiftance, or the anguish of expectation; but fuch as had been battered upon the rocks of Pleasure, commonly funk by fenfible degrees, contended long with the encroaching waters, and harraffed themfelves with labours that scarce Hope herfelf could flatter with fuccefs. Reafon was too often prevailed upon fo far by these promises, as to venture her charge within the eddy of the gulph of Intemperance, where, indeed, the circumvolution was weak, but yet interrupted the course of the veffel, and drew it, by infenfible ro. tations, towards the center. Reason then always repented her temerity, and with all her force endeavoured to retreat; but the draught of the gulph was generally too ftrong to be overcome, and the paffenger having danced in circles with a pleafing and giddy velocity, at laft was overwhelmed and loft. Those few whom Reafon was able to extricate, geneally received fo many fhocks from points which hot out from the E As I was looking upon the vari ous fate of the multitude about me, I was fuddenly alarmed with an admonition from fome unknown power, "Gaze not idly upon others, when thou thyfelf art finking. Whence is G this thoughtless tranquillity, when thou and they are equally endangered?" I looked, and feeing the gulph of Intemperance before me, ftarted and waked, A 1751. A Surveying Question propofed and answered. A QUESTION in SURVEYING. Surveying in a triangular field ABC standing at the R, I took the < ABC and found it 98° 48'; then I measured the fide AC, and found it 105 poles (or perches) and the fum of the other two fides to be 135 poles. A B 125 Required the fides and area of the field, with the geometrical conftruction then draw AC= 105 the given A line, and from C draw BC; fo that BCD fhall be required; for ABC BDC; therefore BC Q. E. D. Now A B measured is 85, and BC= 50, hence the area is 2100 poles, or 13 acres and 20 poles. being of a ftate, methinks every man of abilities in the kingdom ought to exert himself, to roule an unthinking people from the lethargy into which pleafure and luxury have plunged them. And need I call to this important work the author of ? Or, will he pretend want of leisure as an excufe? Your house, Sir, is on fire: You will not, I hope, fit down to confider whether you have time to quench it. Pity your finking country. Save your poor diftracted fellow-creatures, who are deftroying themselves, and if they be not reftrained, will involve you and your family in the general ruin. If it be certain, that, fince the introduction of spirituous liquors, the number 126 Remonstrance again Spirituous Liquors. number of births yearly has been for fome D E F and our home trade and manufactures finking: If the infection be every day (preading from the capital, thro' the manufacturing owns and provinces: If there is fuch a quantity of this liquid fire fwallowed by our G wretched countrymen, that a duty of near half a million yearly, arifes from the confumption of it: If health, and life, and foul, are all going to deftruction, gibbets groaning with the load of increasing numbers March brought to an untimely end, by the force of this fatal maddening drench; death and hell opening their jaws, and (wallowing our wretched fellow-creatures by thousands: If these things are fo, is it not time, Sir, to blow a trumpet and found an alarm, that may reach the ears of thofe who have it in their power to remedy this dreadful evil, and prevent the impending mifery ? The only difficulties I know of in the upon every person in the kingdom, from |