11. And if you look into the world, and observe the lives of those women, whom no arguments can persuade to live wholly unto God, you will find most of them such, as lose all the comforts of religion without gaining the tenth part of Feliciana’s happiness. They are such as spend their times and fortunes only in mimicking the pleasures of richer people; and rather look and long after, than enjoy those delusions, which are not to be purchased but by considerable fortunes.
But if a woman of high birth and great fortune, having read the gospel, should rather wish to be an under servant in some pious family, where wisdom, piety, and great devotion, directed all the actions of every day; if she should rather wish this, than to live at the top of Feliciana’s happiness, I should think her neither mad nor melancholy; but that she judged as rightly of the spirit of the gospel, as if she had rather wished to be poor Lazarus at the gate, than to be the rich man cloathed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day.
*But to proceed, would you know what an happiness it is, to be governed by the wisdom of religion, look at the poor condition of Succus, whose greatest happiness is a good night’s rest in bed, and a good meal when he is up. When he talks of happiness, it is always in such expressions as shews you, that he has only his bed and his dinner in his thoughts.
This regard to his meals and repose, makes Succus order all the rest of his time with relation to them. He will undertake no business that may hurry his spirits, or break in upon his hours of eating and rest. If he reads, it shall be only for half an hour, because that is sufficient to amuse the spirits; and he will read something that may make him laugh, as rendering the body fitter for its food and rest; or, if he has a mind at any time to indulge a grave thought, he has recourse to a useful treatise upon the [♦]ancient cookery. Succus is an enemy to all party matters, having made it an observation, that there is as good eating amongst the whigs as the tories.
[♦] ‘antient’ replaced with ‘ancient’
He talks coolly and moderately upon all subjects, and is as fearful of falling into a passion, as of catching cold; being very positive they are both equally injurious to the stomach. If ever you see him more hot than ordinary, it is upon some provoking occasion, when the dispute about cookery runs high, or in the defence of some beloved dish, which has often made him happy. But he has been so long upon these subjects, is so well acquainted with all that can be said on both sides, and has so often answered all objections, that he generally decides the matter with great gravity.
Succus is very loyal, and as soon as ever he likes any wine, he drinks the king’s health with all his heart. Nothing could put rebellious thoughts into his head, unless he should live to see a proclamation against eating of pheasant’s eggs.
[♦]13. All the hours that are not devoted either to repose or nourishment, are looked upon by Succus as waste or spare time. For this reason he lodges near a coffee-house and a tavern, that when he rises in the morning he may be near the news, and when he parts at night, he may not have far to go to bed. In the morning you always see him in the same place in the coffee-room; and if he seems more attentively engaged than ordinary, it is because some criminal is broke out of newgate, or some lady was robbed last night, but they can’t tell where. When he has learnt all that he can, he goes home to settle the matter with the barber’s boy that comes to shave him.
[♦] Number 12 omitted in text.
The next waste time that lies upon his hands, is from dinner to supper; and if melancholy thoughts ever come into his head, it is at this time, when he is often left to himself for an hour or more, and that after the greatest pleasure he knows is just over. He is afraid to sleep, because he has heard it is not healthful at that time; so that he is forced to refuse so welcome a guest.