o make us happy,
given us reason, that will not suffer us to be so?"

It was this same troublesome reason that made Sophocles say, "[8]It is
very sweet to live, but none of your wisdom, away with her, she spoils
life."

Vaunt less thy reason, O unhappy man!
Behold how useless is this gift celestial,
For which, they say, thou should'st the rest disdain.
Feeble as thou wert in thy infant days,
Like thee she mov'd, she totter'd, and was weak.
When age mature arriv'd, and call'd to pleasures,
Slave to thy sense, she still was so to thee,
When fifty winters, Fate had let thee count;
Pregnant with thousand cares and worlds of woes,
The hateful issue in thy breast she threw,
And now grown old thou loosest her for ever.

Before I end this chapter, let every body take notice, that if for
having spoken so much against reason, any one should say, that it is a
plain sign the author has none; and that there are a great many others,
who, in the words of M. La Motte[9], will be apt to say:--

"Heureux cent fois l'auteur avec qui l'on s'oublie
Qui nous offre un charmant poison,
Et nous associant a sa douce folie
Nous affranchit de la raison."

Happy the author, whose bewitching style,
Life's tedious minutes can beguile,
Makes us, with him, forget uneasy care,
And not remember what we are.
Who by a charm, which no one can withstand,
Enchanting poison can command,
Can make us share his pleasing foolery,
And from dull reason set us free.

And I shall not be wanting to answer in the words of the same gentleman:

"[10]Buveurs brisez le joug d'une raison trop fiere
Eteignez son triste flambeau
D'autres enseignent l'art d'augmenter sa lumiere
Mais l'art de l'eteindre est plus beau."

Break, jolly topers, break th' ungrateful chain
Of reason, if she too imperious grow,
Of being disturb'd you never need complain,
If you put out her troublesome flambeau.
Others may teach the art t' increase her fires,
To put them out a finer art requires.

[Footnote 1: Lett. xxii, sur la Crit. du Calv. p. 756.]

[Footnote 2: Lett. sur la Crit. du Calv. Lett. xvi. p.504.]

[Footnote 3: Ibid. p. 535.]

[Footnote 4: Dial. de M. Stuart, et P. Riccio.]

[Footnote 5: Dial. de Parmen. et de Theb.]

[Footnote 6: Dial. de Alexand. et Phryne.]

[Footnote 7: Nouv. Dial. des Dieux, p. 99.]

[Footnote 8: Moriae Encom.]

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