The New Hampshire Gazette

On HAPPINESS.

Know then this truth—enough for man to know,
Virtue alone is happiness below. POPE.

I OUGHT hourly to be looking up with gratitude and praise to the Creator of my being, for having formed me of a disposition that throws off every particle of spleen, and either directs my attention to objects of cheerfulness and joy, or enables me to look upon their contraries as I do on shades in a picture, which add force to the lights, and beauty to the whole.

With this happiness of constitution I can behold the luxury of the times, as giving food and clothing to the hungry and the naked ; extending our commerce, and promoting and encouraging, the liberal arts. I can look upon the horrors of war, as productive of the blessings and enjoyments of peace ; and upon the miseries of mankind, which I cannot relieve, with a thankful heart that my own lot has been more favourable.

There is a passage in that truly original poem, called the Spleen, which pleases me more than almost any thing I have read. The passage is this :

Happy the man, who innocent,
Grieves not at ills he can't prevent :
His skiff does with the current glide,
Nor puffing pull'd against the tide :
He, paddling by the bustling crowd,
Sees unconcerned life's wager row'd ;
And when he can't prevent foul play,
Enjoys the follies of the fray.

The laughing philosopher has always appeared to me a more eligible character than the weeping one ; but before I sit down either to laugh or to cry at the follies of mankind, as I have publicly enlisted myself in their service, it becomes me to administer every thing in my power to relieve or cure them. For this purpose I shall here lay before my readers some loose hints on a subject, which will. I hope, excite their attention, and contribute towards the expelling from the heart those malignant and sullen humours, which destroy the harmony of social life.

If we make observations on human nature, either from what we feel in ourselves, or see in others, we, shall perceive that almost all the uneasiness of mankind owe their rise to inactivity or idleness of body or mind. A free and brisk circulation of the blood is absolutely necessary towards the creating ease and good humour ; and is the only means of securing us from a restless train of idle thoughts, which cannot fail to make us burdensome to ourselves, and dissatisfied with all about us.

Providence has therefore wisely provided for the generality of mankind, by compelling them to use that labour, which not only procures them the necessaries of life, but peace and health to enjoy them with delight. Nay farther, we find how essentially necessary it is that the greatest part of mankind should be obliged to earn their bread by labour, from the ill use that is almost universally made of those riches which exempt men from it. Even the advantages of the best education are generally found to be insufficient to keep us within the limits of reason and moderation.

How hard do the very best of men find it, to force upon themselves that abstinence or labour which the narrowness of their circumstances does not immediately compel them to ? Is there really one in ten, who, by all the advantages of wealth and leisure, is made more happy in respect to himself, or made more useful to mankind ? What numbers do we daily see of such persons, either rioting in luxury, or sleeping in sloth, for one who makes a proper use of the advantages which riches give for the improvement of himself, or the happiness of others! And how many do we meet with, who, for their abuse of the blessings of life, are given up to perpetual uneasiness of mind, and to the greatest agonies of bodily pain ?

Whoever seriously considers this point, will discover, that riches are by no means such certain blessings as the poor imagine them to be : on the contrary, he will perceive, that the common labours and employments of life are much better suited to the majority of mankind, than property and abundance would be without them.

It was a merciful sentence which the Creator passed on man for his disobedience, By the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread; for to the punishment itself he stands indebted for health, strength, and all the enjoyments of life. Though the first paradise was forfeited for his transgression, yet by the penalty inflicted for that transgression, the earth is made into a paradise again, in the beautiful fields and gardens which we see daily produced by the labour of man.

And though the ground was pronounced cursed for his disobedience ; yet is that curse so ordered, as to be the punishment, chiefly and almost solely of those, who, by intemperance or sloth, inflict it upon themselves.

Even from the wants and weakness of mankind, are the bonds of mutual support and affection derived. The necessities of each, which no man himself can sufficiently supply, compel him to contribute towards the benefit of others ; and while he labours only for his own advantage, he is promoting the universal good of all around him.

Health is the blessing that every one wishes to enjoy ; but the multitude are so unreasonable, as to desire to purchase it at a cheaper rate than it is to be obtained. The continuance of it is only to be secured by exercise or labour. But the misfortune is, that the poor are too apt to overlook their own enjoyments, and to view with envy the ease and affluence of their superiors, not considering that the usual attendants upon great fortunes are anxiety and disease.

If it be true, that those persons are the happiest who have the fewest wants, the rich man is more the object of compassion than envy. However moderate his inclinations may be, the custom of the world lays him under a kind of necessity of living up to his fortune. ' He must be surrounded by an useless train of servants ; his appetite must be palled with plenty, and his peace invaded by crowds. He must give up the pleasures and endearments of domestic life, to be the slave of party and faction. Or, if the goodness of his heart should incline him to acts of humanity and benevolence, he will have the frequent mortification of seeing his charities ill bestowed, and by his inability to relieve all, the constant one of making more enemies by his refusals, than friends by his benefactions. If we add to these considerations a truth, which I believe few persons will dispute, namely, that the greatest fortunes, by adding to the wants of their possessors, usually render them the most necessitous of men, we shall find greatness and happiness to be at a wide distance from one another. If we carry our inquiries still higher ; if we examine into the state of a king, and even enthrone him, like our own, in the hearts of his people, if the life of a father be a life of care and anxiety, to be the father of a people is a pre-eminence to be honoured, but not envied.

This happiness of life is, I believe, generally to be found on those stations, which neither totally subject men to labour, nor absolutely exempt them from it. Power is the parent of disquietude, ambition of disappointment, and riches of disease.

I will conclude these reflections with the following fable.

Labour, the offspring of Want, and the mother of Health and Contentment, lived with her two daughters in a little cottage by the side of a hill, at a great distance from town. They were totally unacquainted with the great, and had kept no better company than the neighbouring villagers : but having a desire of seeing the world, they forsook their companions and habitation, and determined to travel. Labour went soberly along the road, with Health on her right hand, who, by the sprightliness of her conversation, and songs of cheerfulness and joy, lessened the toils of the way ; while Contentment went smiling on her left, supporting the steps of her mother, and, by her perpetual good humour, increasing the vivacity of her sister.

In this manner they travelled over forests, and through towns and villages, 'till at last they arrived at the capital of the kingdom. At their entrance into the great city, the mother conjured her daughters never to lose sight of her ; for it was the will of Jupiter, she said,that their separation should be attended with the utter ruin of all three. But Health was of too gay a disposition to regard the counsel of Labour : She suffered herself to be debauched by Intemperance, and at last died in childbed of Disease. Contentment, in the absence of her sister. gave herself up to the enticements of Sloth. and was never heard of after : While Labour, who could have no enjoyment without her daughters, went every where in search of them, till she was at last seized by a lassitude in her way, and died in misery.