their own Ufe: The Sweets which they collect in their laborious Excurfions, and ftore up in their Hives with fo much Skill, are feized by thofe who have contributed neither Toil ncr Art to the Collection; and the poor Animals are either destroyed by the Invader, or left to shift without a Supply. The Condition is nearly the fame of the Gatherer of Honey and the Gatherer of Knowledge. The Bee and the Author work alike for others, and often lofe the Profit of their Labour, The Cafe, therefore, of Authors, however hitherto neglected, may claim Regard. Every Body of Men is important according to the joint Proportion of their Usefulness and their Number. Individuals, however they may excel, cannot hope to be confidered fingly as of great Weight in the political Balance; and Multitudes, though they may, merely by their Bulk, demand fome Notice, are yet not of much Value, unless they contribute to eafe the Burthen of Society, by co-operating to its Prosperity.

Of the Men, whofe Condition we are now examining, the Usefulness never was difputed: They are known to be the great Diffeminators of Knowledge, and Guardians of the Commonwealth; and of late their Numbers have been so much increased, that they are become a very confpicuous Part of the Nation. It is not now, as in former Times, when Men ftudied long, and paffed through the Severities of Discipline, and the Probation of public Trials, before they prefumed to think themselves qualified for Inftructors of their Countrymen: There is found a nearer Way to Fame and Erudition, and the Inclofures of Literature are thrown open to every Man whom Idleness difpofes to loiter, or whom Pride inclines to fet himself to View. The Sailor publishes his Journal; the Farmer writes the Procefs of his annual Labour: He that fucceeds in his Trade thinks his Wealth a Proof of his Understanding, and

C 4

boldly

boldly tutors the Public: He that fails, confiders his Mifcarriage as the Confequence of a Capacity too great for the Business of a Shop, and amufes himself in the Fleet with Writing or Tranflating. The laft Century imagined, that a Man compofing in his Chariot was a new Object of Curiofity; but how much would the Wonder have been increased, by a Footman ftudying behind it? There is now no Clafs of Men without its Authors, from the Peer to the Thresher; nor can the Sons of Literature be confined any longer to Grubstreet or Moorfields; they are spread over all the Town and all the Country, and fill every Stage of Habitation from the Cellar to the Garret.

It is well known, that the Price of Commodities must always fall as the Quantity is increased, and that no Trade can allow its Profeffors to be multiplied beyond a certain Number. The great Mifery of Writers proceeds from their Multitude. We eafily perceive that in a Nation of Clothiers no Man could have any Cloth to make but for his own Back; that in a Community of Bakers every Man must use his own Bread; and what can be the Cafe of a Nation of Authors, but that every Man must be content to read his Book to himself? For furely it is in vain to hope, that of Men labouring at the fame Occupation, any will prefer the Work of his Neighbour to his own; yet this Expectation, wild as it is, feems to be indulged by many of the Writing Race; and therefore it can be no Wonder that, like all other Men who fuffer their Minds to form inconfiderate Hopes, they are harraffed and dejected with frequent Disappointments.

If I were to form an Adage of Mifery, or fix the lowest Point to which Humanity could fall, I fhould be tempted to name the Life of an Author. Many univerfal Comparisons there are by which Mifery is expreffed. We talk of a Man teazed like a Bear at

the

the Stake, tormented like a Toad under a Harrow, or hunted like a Dog with a Stick at his Tail: All thefe are indeed States of Uneafiness; but what are they to the Life of an Author! of an Author worried by Critics, tormented by his Bookfeller, and hunted by his Creditors. Yet fuch must be the Case of many among the Retailers of Knowledge, while they continue thus to fwarm over the Land; and whether it be by Propagation or Contagion, produce new Writers to heighten the general Diftrefs, to increase Confufion, and haften Famine.

Having long ftudied the Varieties of Life, I can guefs by every Man's Walk, or Air, to what State of the Community he belongs. Every Man has noted the Legs of a Taylor, and the Gait of a Seaman; and a little Extenfion of his phyfiognomical Acquifitions will teach him to diftinguith the Countenance of an Author. It is my Practice, when I am in Want of Amusement, to place myfelf for an Hour at Temple-Bar, or any other narrow Pafs much frequented, and examine one by one the Looks of the Paffengers; and I have commonly found, that, between the Hours of Eleven and Four, every Sixth Man is an Author. They are feldom to be seen very early in the Morning, or late in the Evening; but about Dinner-time they are all in Motion, and have one uniform Eagernefs in their Faces, which gives little Opportunity of difcerning their Hopes or Fears, their Pleasures or their Pains.

But, in the Afternoon, when they have all dined, or compofed themselves to pafs the Day without a Dinner, their Paflions have full Play, and I can perceive one Man wondering at the Stupidity of the Public, by which his new Book has been totally neglected; another curfing the French, who fright away literary Curiofity by their Threats of an Invafion; another fwearing at his Bookfeller, who will advance no Money without Copy; another peruí

ing, as he walks, his Publisher's Bill; another murmuring at an unanswerable Criticism; another determining to write no more to a Generation of Barbarians; and another refolving to try once again, whether he cannot awake the drowsy World to a Senfe of his Merit.

It fometimes happens, that there may be remarked among them a Smile of Complacence, or a Strut of Elevation: But if thefe Favourites of Fortune are carefully watched for a few Days, they feldom fail to fhew the Tranfitoriness of human Felicity; the Creft falls, the Gaiety is ended, and there appear evident Tokens of a fuccessful Rival, or a fickle Patron.

But of all Authors, thofe are the most wretched, who exhibit their Productions on the Theatre, and who are to propitiate firft the Manager, and then the Public. Many an humble Vifitant have I followed to the Doors of these Lords of the Drama, feen him touch the Knocker with a fhaking Hand; and, after long Deliberation, adventure to folicit Entrance by a fingle Knock: But I never ftaid to see them come out from their Audience; because my Heart is tender, and being fubject to Frights in Bed, I would not willingly dream of an Author.

That the Number of Authors is difproportionate to the Maintenance which the Public feems willing to affign them; that there is neither Praife nor Meat for all who write, is apparent from this; that, like Wolves in long Winters, they are forced to prey one on another. The Reviewers and Critical Reviewers, the Remarkers and Examiners, can fatisfy their Hunger only by devouring their Brethren. I am far from imagining that they are naturally more ravenous or blood-thirty than those on whom they fall with fo much Violence and Fury; but they are hungry, and Hunger must be fatisfied; and thefe Savages, when

their Bellies are full, will fawn on those whom they now bite.

The Refult of all these Confiderations amounts only to this; that the Number of Writers must at last be leffened; but by what Method this great Defign can be accomplished, is not easily discovered. It was lately propofed, that every Man who kept a Dog fhould pay a certain Tax, which, as the Contriver of Ways and Means very judiciously observed, would either destroy the Dogs, or bring in Money. Perhaps it might be proper to lay fome fuch Tax upon Authors, only the Payment must be leffened in Proportion as the Animal, upon which it is raifed, is lefs neceffary; for many a Man that would pay for his Dog, will difmifs his Dedicator. Perhaps if every one, who employed or harboured an Author, was affeffed a Groat a Year, it would, fufficiently leffen the Nuisance without destroying the Species.

But no great Alteration is to be attempted rafhly. We must confider how the Authors, which this Tax fhall exclude from their Trade, are to be employed. The Nets used in the Herring Fishery can furnish Work but for few, and not many can be employed as Labourers at the Foundation of the new Bridge. There muft, therefore, be fome other Scheme formed for their Accommodation, which the present State of Affairs may easily supply. It is well known, that great Efforts have been lately made to man the Fleet, and augment the Army, and loud Complaints are made of useful Hands forced away from their Families into the Service of the Crown. This offenfive Exertion of Power may be eafily avoided, by opening a few Houses for the Entertainment of difcarded Authors, who would enter into the Service with great Alacrity, as most of them are zealous Friends of every prefent Government; many of them are Men of able Bodies, and ftrong Limbs, qualified at least as well for the Mufket as the Pen: They are, perhaps,