IT AN ORATION, DELIVERED IN A PRIVATE SOCIETY, ON THE QUESTION; Which imparts most Happiness to Man— HOPE OR FRUITION? Man never is, but always to be BLEST. POPE. T has often been questioned, Whether expectation or fruition imparts the greatest pleasure to the human breaft? To this question we can all speak from our own experience. None of us can have lived, even a few years in this world, without having often indulged hopes, which have fometimes been disappointed, and fometimes anfwered by events. Whenever our expectations have been realized, we can judge whether the pleafure which we then received, was equal to that which we enjoyed in the profpect. Inexperienced youth may confidently affirm, that participation affords a greater pleasure than expec.tation ; but if we refer ourselves to the decifion of perfons advanced in years, I fear we fhall, almost always find them to be of a different opinion. This is a queftion on which every one muft form an opinion for himself, and on which opinions may be as various as the circumstances and difpofitions of men. Some have been far more fortunate than others, and fome might be happy in the fame fituations in which others would be wretched. Can it then be expected that all thould return the fame anfwer to the proposal of our question? For my own part, I am confidently perfuaded, that enjoyment feldoms anfwers expecta tion. Some few inftances may, perhaps, be adduced as exceptions. It may be faid that we receive greater pleasure pleafure from meeting with abfent friends, than from the expectation of feeing them. This I fhall not controvert. But how many other inftances might be mentioned, in which it would be folly to deny, that the pleasure confifted chiefly in expectation? When one fituation in life, is exchanged for another, which it is thought will be more agreeable; how feldom is it found that the change is what we expected? The acquifition of wealth, fame, honour, or authority, will very rarely anfwer the expectation which they had excited. To their votaries we may fafely appeal for the truth of this affertion. Were not mankind conftituted fo, as to defire thofe things, they would have little or nothing, as to the present state of existence, to ftimulate them to exertion. When they have obtained their defires, ftill they are diffatisfied, and proceed to fome other purfuits. To be continually devifing new schemes of happiness, and perpetually disappointed in expectation, is the deftined lot of humanity. Were we deftitute of hope, how fmall á fhare of happinefs would arife from enjoy. ment! Where is the man to be found, who is fatisfied with what he poffeffes ?-Who does not look forward to fomething from which he expects to have his happiness increased? In expectation, delight is often experienced; but when our defires are obtained, how small is the gratification! Thus we find it by experience; and are never fo happy as when we are full of animating profpects. We are then active and enterprifing-not eafily deterred by the difficulties which are before us. When we have fucceeded in our projects, we find how little we have gained. Is not this agreeable to the ordinary experience of mankind? Can it be faid that men in general, receive as much pleafure from the fuccefs of their schemes, as they do from looking forward to their completion? If this question be answered in the affirmative, the anfwer can only be referred to his own future experience. By that teft he will, perhaps, be convinced that our pleasure in this life, confifts, prin P 3 cipally, cipally, in expectation; and be led to adopt the fentiment of Burns, the famous Scotch Poet: "" Happy ye fons of bufy life, Who, equal to the bustling strife, Ev'n when the wished end's deny'd, It was wifely appointed by the Author of our Being, that all our enjoyments in the prefent ftate of existence, fhould be tranfient and unfatisfactory. Our defires do not meet with full gratification, because it was not intended that we fhould continue here forever. Did every thing fucceed according to our wishes, and our enjoyments prove equal to our expectations, we should think a future ftate no part of our concern. We could not reflect without the greateft reluctance, on leaving this world for one which is unknown; and the thought that death is inevitable, would be attended with pungent diftrefs. But now, when the mind has been convinced by experience, that all things below are frail, uncertain, and delufive; when it is affured that a ftate of happiness remains, in the expectation of which it will not be difappointed, it can look forward without regret, to the period when it must take a final leave of fcenes to which it has always been accustomed, and which, at last, have ceafed to be defirable. The only remaining obstacle is parting with friends, whom we have valued and efteemed. But this is removed by the confideration, that they, as well as we, thall again exift in a happier ftate; and that we fhall never again be feparated. The infufficiency of all our acquifitions to afford complete and lafting fatisfaction, is likewife confidered as a forcible argument, that we are defigned for a higher fphere of action and enjoyment, than that in which we at present exist. Our defires are never fully fatisfied, fatisfied, nor our faculties improved to the degree of which they are capable. If death terminates our exiftence for ever, man appears to have been made in vain. Dr. Young has fome beautiful lines on this fubject, with which I fhall conclude. Speaking of MAN, he threwdly remarks: "His immortality alone can folve That darkest of enigmas, human hope; Hoxton. R. A. THE SEA-BEAR. [From a View of the Ruffian Empire, by William HE fea-bear appears in troops in the eaftern Toccan, principally between the Kurilly and the Aleutan iflands. The largest of these animals are ninety English inches in length, and weigh eighteen or twenty pood. They refemble no land-animal more than the bear, excepting only the feet, and the hinder part of the body, which terminates in a grotefque figure.. What is more fingular in the ftructure of thefe animals is their finny feet, having not only joints and toes, by which they are enabled to go on fhore, to fit on their breech like like the dog, and to use their paws in various ways, but likewife, by means of the web between their toes, to fwim with equal eafe. The manners of these animals are fo peculiar and extraordinary, that the account of them would be deemed a fiction, were it not accredited by the teftimony of a fagacious and learned obferver. The affection of the mother for her young is exceedingly great; and they, in return, endeavour to divert her by various kinds of frolicfome play. On feeing thefe gambols, it feems as if they were exercifing feats of wrestling; one striving to give the other a fall; and if the father comes up growling, he drives the wrestlers afunder, coaxes the conqueror, and even tries himself to throw him to the ground: the greater the refistance shown by the latter, the more he gains the love of the parents, to whom, on the other hand, their flothful or timid children appear to give but little joy. Though polygamy prevails among the fea-bears, and fome of then have as many as fifty wives, yet every one watches over his offspring with uncommon jealousy, and is exceffively furious if a stranger come too near to them. Even when they lie by thoufands on the beach, they are always divided family-wife into companies, and in like manner they fwim together in the ocean. The aged, who no longer have any wives, live folitary, and are, of all, the most grim: thefe frequently pass a whole month on the fhore in fleep, without taking any food; but whatever approaches them, whether man or beaft, they fall upon with the most outrageous fury. The seabears, at times, wage bloody wars together, the usual ground of hoftility being either the females or a good Couching place. When two are contending against one, others come up to affift the weaker party, and during the combat, the fwimming fpectators raife their heads above the water, and calmly look on for a length of time, till they alfo find a motive for mingling in the fight. Sometimes these conflicting armies cover a tract on the shore of two or three verfts, and all the air refounds |