torture. fympathetic affection, brings on a beastly felfishness, which leaves nothing of man but the external figure. Luxury befide renders the mind fo effeminate, as to be fubdued by every diftrefs: the flightest pain, whether of mind or body, is a real evil and any higher degree becomes a The French are far gone in that disease. Pictures of deep distress, which attract English fpectators, are to the French unfupportable: their averfion to pain overcomes the attractive power of fympathy, and debars from the ftage every distress that makes a deep impreffion. The British are gradually finking into the fame weaknefs: Venice preferv'd collects not fuch numbers as it did originally; and would scarce be endured, were not our sympathy blunted by familiarity: a new play in a fimilar tone would not take. The gradual decay of manhood in Britain, appears from their funeral rites. Formerly the deceafed were attended to the grave, by relations and friends of both fexes; and the day of their death was preserved in remembrance, with folemn lamentation, as the day of their birth was with exhilarating cups. In England, a man was first relieved relieved from attending his deceafed wife to the grave; and afterward from attending his deceased children; and now fuch effeminacy of mind prevails there, that upon the laft groan, the deceased, abandoned by every relation, is delivered to an undertaker by profeffion, who is left at leifure to mimick the funeral rites. In Scotland, fuch refinement has not yet taken place: a man is indeed excufed from attending his wife to the grave; but he performs that duty in perfon to every other relation, his children not excepted. I am told, that people of high fashion in England, begin to leave the care of their fick relations to hired nurfes; and think they do their duty in making fhort vifits from time to time. Hitherto I have confidered luxury with refpect to thofe only who are infected with it; and did its poifon spread no wider, the cafe perhaps would be the lefs deplorable. But unhappily, where luxury prevails, the innocent fuffer with the guilty. A man of economy, whether a merchant or a manufacturer, lays up a flock for his children, and adds useful members to the ftate. A man, on the contrary, who lives above T 2 above his fortune, or his profits, accustoms his children to luxury, and abandons them to poverty when he dies. Luxury at the fame time is a great enemy to population: it enhances the expence of living, and confines many to the bachelor-ftate. Luxury of the table in particular is remarkable for that effect: "L'homme riche met toute fa દ gloire à confommer, toute fa grandeur "à perdre, en un jour à fa table, plus de "biens qu'il n'en faudroit pour faire fub"fifter plufieurs familles. Il abuse égalet ment et des animaux et des hommes ; "dont le refte demeure affamé, languit "dans la misére, et ne travaille que pour "fatisfaire à l'appétit immodéré, et à la "vanité encore plus infatiable, de cet "homme; qui detruifant les autres par "la difette, fe detruit lui-même par les exces (a) *" (a) Buffon. Το The fole glory of the' rich man is, to confume and deftroy; and his grandeur confists, in "lavishing in one day upon the expence of his table "what would procure fubfiftence for many fami"lies. He abufes equally animals and his fellow"creatures; a great part of whom, a prey to fa mine, and languifhing in mifery, labour and toil To confider luxury in a political view, no refinement of drefs, of the table, of equipage, of habitation, is luxury in those who can afford the expence ; and the public gains by the encouragement that is given to arts, manufactures, and commerce. But a mode of living above a man's annual income, weakens the state, by reducing to poverty, not only the fquanderers themselves, but many innocent and induftrious perfons connected with them. Luxury is above all pernicious in a commercial state. A perfon of moderation is fatisfied with small profits: not fo the luxurious, who defpife every branch of trade but what returns great profits other branches are ingroffed by foreigners who are more frugal. The merchants of Amfterdam, and even of London, within a century, lived with more economy than their clerks do at prefent. Their country-houfes and gardens, make not the greatest articles of their expence. At first, a merchant retires to his country-houfe on Sundays only and holy 66 to fatisfy his immoderate defires, and infatiable "vanity; who, destroying others by want, destroys himself by excefs." 2 days: days: but beginning to relish indolent retirement, business grows irksome, he trusts all to his clerks, lofes the thread of his affairs, fees no longer with his own eyes, and is now in the high way to perdition. Every cross accident makes him totter; and in labouring circumstances, he is tempted to venture all in hopes of re-eftablishment. He falls at laft to downright gaming; which, fetting confcience afide, is a prudent measure: he risks only the money of his creditors, for he himself has nothing to lofe: it is now with him, Cefar aut nihil*. Such a man never falls without involving many in his ruin. The bad effects of luxury above difplay'd, are not the whole, nor indeed the most destructive. In all times luxury has been the ruin of every ftate where it prevailed. But that more important branch of the fubject, is referved to particular sketches, where it will make a better figure. In the favage ftate, man is almost aİl body, with a very fmall proportion of mind. In the maturity of civil fociety, *❝ Cæfar or nothing." he |