塞缪尔·约翰逊

SamuelJohnson

Manymoralistshaveremarked，thatPridehasofallhumanvicesthewidestdominion，aearsinthegreatestmultilicityofforms，andlieshidunderthegreatestvarietyofdisguises；ofdisguises1，which，likethemoonsveilofbrightness，arebothitslusteranditsshade，andbetrayittoothers，thoughtheyhideitfromourselves。

ItisnotmyintentiontodegradePridefromthisreeminence2ofmischief，yetIknownotwhetherIdlenessmaynotmaintainaverydoubtfulandobstinatecometition。

TherearesomethatrofessIdlenessinitsfulldignity，whocallthemselvestheIdle，asBusirisinthelay

"callshimselftheProud

"；whoboastthattheydonothing，andthanktheirstarsthattheyhavenothingtodo；whosleeeverynighttilltheycansleenolonger，andriseonlythatexercisemayenablethemtosleeagain；whorolongthereignofdarknessbydoublecurtains，andneverseethesunbutto

"tellhimhowtheyhatehisbeams

"；whosewholelaboristovarytheosturesofindulgence，andwhosedaydiffersfromtheirnightbutasacouchorchairdiffersfromabed。

ThesearethetrueandoenvotariesofIdleness，forwhomsheweavesthegarlandsofoies3，andintowhosecusheoursthewatersofoblivion；whoexistinastateofunruffledstuidity，forgettingandforgotten；whohavelongceasedtolive，andatwhosedeaththesurvivorscanonlysay，thattheyhaveceasedtobreathe。

ButIdlenessredominatesinmanyliveswhereitisnotsusected；forbeingavicewhichterminatesinitself，itmaybeenjoyedwithoutinjurytoothers；andisthereforenotwatchedlikeFraud，whichendangersroerty，orlikePride，whichnaturallyseeksitsgratificationsinanothersinferiority。Idlenessisasilentandeacefulquality，thatneitherraisesenvybyostentation，norhatredbyoosition；andthereforenobodyisbusytocensureordetectit。

AsPridesometimesishidunderhumility，Idlenessisoftencoveredbyturbulence4andhurry。Hethatneglectshisknowndutyandrealemloyment，；naturallyendeavorstocrowdhismindwithsomethingthatmaybarouttheremembranceofhisownfolly，anddoesanythingbutwhatheoughttodowitheagerdiligence，thathemaykeehimselfinhisownfavor。

Somearealwaysinastateofrearation，occuiedinreviousmeasures，forminglans，accumulatingmaterials，androvidingforthemainaffair。ThesearecertainlyunderthesecretowerofIdleness。Nothingistobeexectedfromtheworkmanwhosetoolsareforevertobesought。Iwasoncetoldbyagreatmaster，thatnomaneverexcelledinainting，whowaseminentlycuriousaboutencilsandcolors。

ThereareotherstowhomIdlenessdictatesanotherexedient，bywhichlifemaybeassedunrofitablyawaywithoutthetediousnessofmanyvacanthours。Theartis，tofillthedaywithettybusiness，tohavealwayssomethinginhandwhichmayraisecuriosity，butnotsolicitude，andkeethemindinastateofaction，butnotoflabor。

ThisarthasformanyyearsbeenracticedbymyoldfriendSober，withwonderfulsuccess。Soberisamanofstrongdesiresandquickimagination，soexactlybalancedbytheloveofease，thattheycanseldomstimulatehimtoanydifficultundertaking；theyhave，however，somuchower，thattheywillnotsufferhimtoliequiteatrest，andthoughtheydonotmakehimsufficientlyusefultoothers，theymakehimatleastwearyofhimself。

Mr。Soberschiefleasureisconversation；thereisnoendofhistalkorhisattention；toseakortohearisequallyleasing；forhestillfanciesthatheisteachingorlearningsomething，andisfreeforthetimefromhisownreroaches。

Butthereisonetimeatnightwhenhemustgohome，thathisfriendsmayslee；andanothertimeinthemorning，whenalltheworldagreestoshutoutinterrution。ThesearethemomentsofwhichoorSobertremblesatthethought。Butthemiseryofthesetiresomeintervals，hehasmanymeansofalleviating。Hehasersuadedhimselfthatthemanualartsareundeservedlyoverlooked；hehasobservedinmanytradestheeffectsofclosethought，andjustratiocination。Fromseculationheroceededtoractice，andsuliedhimselfwiththetoolsofacarenter，with；whichhemendedhiscoalboxverysuccessfully，andwhichhestillcontinuestoemloy，ashefindsoccasion。