great that it may illuminate the Earth all over at once as
clear as broad Day, but there are tenebrificous and dark Stars, by
whose Influence Night is brought on, and which do ray out Darkness and
Obscurity upon the Earth, as the Sun does Light.'

I consider Writers in the same View this sage Astrologer does the
Heavenly Bodies. Some of them are Stars that scatter Light as others do
Darkness. I could mention several Authors who are tenebrificous Stars of
the first Magnitude, and point out a Knot of Gentlemen, who have been
dull in Consort, and may be looked upon as a dark Constellation. The
Nation has been a great while benighted with several of these
Antiluminaries. I suffered them to ray out their Darkness as long as I
was able to endure it, till at length I came to a Resolution of rising
upon them, and hope in a little time to drive them quite out of the
_British_ Hemisphere.

[Footnote 1: Put in the Pillory.]

* * * * *

No. 583. Friday, August 20, 1714. Addison.

'Ipse thymum pinosque ferens de montibus altis,
Tecta serat late circum, cui talia Curae:
Ipse labore manum duro terat, ipse feraces
Figat humo plantas, et amicos irriget Imbres.'

Virg.

Every Station of Life has Duties which are proper to it. Those who are
determined by Choice to any particular kind of Business, are indeed more
happy than those who are determined by Necessity, but both are under an
equal Obligation of fixing on Employments, which may be either useful to
themselves or beneficial to others. No one of the Sons of _Adam_ ought
to think himself exempt from that Labour and Industry which were
denounced to our first Parent, and in him to all his Posterity. Those to
whom Birth or Fortune may seem to make such an Application unnecessary,
ought to find out some Calling or Profession for themselves, that they
may not lie as a Burden on the Species, and be the only useless Parts of
the Creation.

Many of our Country Gentlemen in their busie Hours apply themselves
wholly to the Chase, or to some other Diversion which they find in the
Fields and Woods. This gave occasion to one of our most eminent
_English_ Writers to represent every one of them as lying under a kind
of Curse pronounced to them in the Words of _Goliah, I will give thee to
the Fowls of the Air, and to the Beasts of the Field_.

Tho' Exercises of this kind, when indulged wi