| [No. 116] | Friday, July 13, 1711 | Budgell |
... Vocat ingenti clamore Cithœron,
Taygetique canes ...
Virg.
Those who have searched into human Nature observe that nothing so much shews the Nobleness of the Soul, as that its Felicity consists in Action. Every Man has such an active Principle in him, that he will find out something to employ himself upon in whatever Place or State of Life he is posted. I have heard of a Gentleman who was under close Confinement in the
Bastile
seven Years; during which Time he amused himself in scattering a few small Pins about his Chamber, gathering them up again, and placing them in different Figures on the Arm of a great Chair. He often told his Friends afterwards, that unless he had found out this Piece of Exercise, he verily believed he should have lost his Senses.
After what has been said, I need not inform my Readers, that Sir
Roger