THE WORL D, FOR THE YEAR ONE THOUSAND seven HUNDRED and FIFTY THREE. By ADAM FITZ-ADAM. The WORLD was all before him, where to chuse. MILTON. LONDON: Printed for R. and J. DODSLEY, in PALL-MALL, and fold by M. COOPER, in Pater-Noster-Row. THE WORL D. ་་ Сс NUMBER I. By ADAM FITZ-A DA M. Nil dulcius eft, bene quam munita tenere Lucret. lib. z. v. 7. To be continued every THURSDAY. A T the village of Aronche, in the " and blind. His chearful fubmiffion to so deplorable a "IT happened one day, as he was fitting at his "door, and offering up his mental prayers to St. Jago, "that "that he found himself, on a fudden, reftored to all the privileges he had loft. The news ran quickly through the village, and old and young, rich and poor, the bufy and the idle, thronged round him with congra"tulations. "BUT as if the bleffings of this life were only given us for afflictions, he began in a few weeks to lofe "the relish of his enjoyments, and to repine at the પ poffeffion of those faculties, which served only to dif cover to him the follies and diforders of his neighbours, and to teach him that the intent of speech was too often to deceive. "THOUGH the inhabitants of Aronche were as honeft as other villagers, yet Gonzales, who had formed his "ideas of men and things from their natures and "ufes, grew offended at their manners. He faw the " avarice of age, the prodigality of youth, the quar rels of brothers, the treachery of friends, the frauds "of lovers, the infolence of the rich, the knavery of "the the poor, and the depravity of all. These, as he "faw and heard, he spoke of with complaint; and en❝deavoured by the gentleft admonitions to warn men ❝ to goodness.” FROM this place the story is torn out to the laft paragraph; which fays, "That he lived to a comfortless "old age, defpifed and hated by his neighbours for "pretending to be wifer and better than themselves ;' "and that he breathed out his foul in thefe memorable' « words, that HE WHO WOULD ENJOY MANY FRIENDS, "AND LIVE HAPPY IN THE WORLD, SHOULD BE DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND TO THE FOLLIES AND VICES OF IT.' Ik candour, humility, and an earneft defire of inftruction and amendment were not the diftinguishing' characteristics characteristics of the present times, this fimple story had filenced me as an author. But when every day's experience fhews me, that our young gentlemen of fashion are lamenting at every tavern the frailties of their natures, and confeffing to one another whose daughters they have ruined, and whose wives they have corrupted; not by way of boafting, as fome have ignorantly imagined, but to be reproved and amended by their penitential companions: when I obferve too, that from an almost-blameable degree of modefty, they accuse themselves of more vices than they have conftitutions to commit; I am led by a kind of impulse to this work; which is intended to be a public repofitory for the real frailties of these young gentlemen, in order to relieve them from the neceffity of fuch private confeffions. ( THE present times are no lefs favourable to me in another very material circumstance. It was the opinion of our ancestors, that there were few things more difficult, or that required greater skill and address than the fpeaking properly of one's, felf. But if by speaking properly be meant speaking fuccessfully, the art is now as well known among us as that of printing or of making gunpowder. 1: WHOEVER is acquainted with the writings of thofe eminent Practitioners in Phyfic, who make their appearance either in hand-bills, or in the weekly or daily papers, will fee clearly that there is a certain and in Variable method of fpeaking of one's felf to every body's fatisfaction. I shall therefore introduce my own importance to the public, as near as I can, in the manner and words of thofe gentlemen; not doubting of the fame credit, and the fame advantages. AD |