his own happiness. There was nothing trifling or ludicrous, nothing that did not tend to the nobleft end, the propagation of piety, and the increase of devotion.

It may feem very fuperfluous to lay it down as the first rule for writing EPITAPHS, that the name of the deceased is not to be omitted; nor fhould I have thought fuch a precept neceffary, had not the practice of the greateft writers fhown, that it has not been fufficiently regarded. In most of the poetical EPITAPHS, the names for whom they were compofed, may be fought to no purpose, being only prefixed on the monument. To expofe the abfurdity of this omiffion, it is only neceffary to afk how the EPITAPHS, which have outlived the ftones on which they were infcribed, would have contributed to the information of posterity, had they wanted the names of thofe whom they celebrated.

In drawing the character of the deceased, there are no rules to be observed which do not equally relate to other compofitions. The praife ought not to be general, because the mind is loft in the extent of any indefinite idea, and cannot be affected with what it cannot comprehend. When we hear only of a good or great man, we know not in what clafs to place him, nor have any notion of his character, diftin& from that of a thousand others; his example can have no effect upon our conduct, as we have nothing remarkable or eminent to propose to our imitation. The EPITAPH Composed by Ennius for his own tomb, has both the faults laft mentioned:

Nemo

Nemo me decoret lacrumis, nec funera, fletu

Faxit. Cur? volito vivu' per ora virum.

The reader of this EPITAPH receives fearce any idea from it; he neither conceives any veneration for the man to whom it belongs, nor is inftructed by what methods this boafted reputation is to be

obtained.

Though a fepulchral infcription is profeffedly a panegyrick, and, therefore, not confined to hiftorical impartiality, yet it ought always to be written with regard to truth. No man ought to be commended for virtues which he never poffeffed, but whoever is curious to know his faults muft inquire after them in other places; the monuments of the dead are not intended to perpetuate the memory of crimes, but to exhibit patterns of virtue. On the tomb of Maecenas his luxury is not to be mentioned with his munificence, nor is the profcription to find a place on the monument of Augustus.

The beft fubject for EPITAPHS is private virtue; virtue exerted in the fame circumftances in which the bulk of mankind are placed, and which, therefore, may admit of many imitators. He that has delivered his country from oppreffion, or freed the world from ignorance and errour, can excite the emulation of a very fmall number; but he that has repelled the temptations of poverty, and difdained to free himself from diftrefs at the expenfe of his virtue, may animate multitudes, by his example, to the fame firmnefs of heart and fteadinefs of. refolution.

Of this kind I cannot forbear the mention of two Greek infcriptions; one upon a man whose

writings

writings are well known, the other upon a perfon whofe memory is preferved only in her EPITAPH, who both lived in flavery, the most calamitous eftate in human life:

ZOSIMA, quæ folo fuit olim corpore ferva,
Corpore nunc etiam libera facta fuit.

"ZOSIMA, who in her life could only have her body enslaved, now finds her body likewife fet at liberty."

It is impoffible to read this EPITAPH without being animated to bear the evils of life with conftancy, and to fupport the dignity of human nature under the most preffing afflictions, both by the example of the heroine, whofe grave we behold, and the profpect of that state in which, to use the language of the infpired writers, "The poor ceafe from their labours, and the weary be at reft.".

The other is upon Epictetus, the Stoick philofopher:

ΔελΘ- ΕπικτητΘ λενομην, και σωμα αναπης Θ;
Και πενίην ΙρΘ, και φιλΘ- Αθανατοις.

Servus EPICTETUS, mutilatus corpore vixi

Pauperieque Irus, curaque prima Deúm.

EPICTETUS, who lies here, was a flave and a cripple, poor as the beggar in the proverb, and the favourite of Heaven."

In this diftich is comprifed the nobleft panegyrick, and the most important inftruction. We may learn from it, that virtue is impracticable in no condition,

fince Epictetus could recommend himself to the regard of Heaven, amidst the temptations of poverty and slavery: flavery, which has always been found fo deftructive to virtue, that in many languages a flave and a thief are expreffed by the fame word. And we may be likewise admonished by it, not to lay any stress on a man's outward circumftances, in making an estimate of his real value, fince Epictetus the beggar, the cripple, and the flave, was the favourite of Heaven.

POLITICAL ESSAYS.

OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

STATE OF AFFAIRS IN M,DCC,LVI*.

THE time is now come in which every Englishman expects to be informed of the national affairs, and in which he has a right to have that expectation gratified. For whatever may be urged by minifters, or those whom vanity or intereft make the followers of minifters, concerning the neceffity of confidence in our governours, and the prefumption of prying with profane eyes into the receffes of policy, it is evident, that this reverence can be claimed only by counfels yet unexecuted, and projects fufpended in deliberation. But when a defign has ended in mifcarriage or fuccefs, when every eye and every ear is witnefs to general difcontent, or general fatisfaction, it is then a proper time to difentangle confufion, and illustrate obfcurity, to

* Published firft in the Literary Magazine, No. IV. from July 15, to Auguft 15, 1756. This periodical work was published by Richardfon in Paternofter-Row, but was difcontinued about two years after. Dr. Johnson wrote many articles, which have been enumerated by Mr. Bofwell, and there are others which I should be inclined to attribute to him from internal evidence.

VOL. II.

C.

fhow