age, then to be a man of business, then to
make up an estate, then to arrive at honours, then to retire. Thus,
although the whole of life is allowed by every one to be short, the
several divisions of it appear long and tedious. We are for lengthening
our span in general, but would fain contract the parts of which it is
composed. The usurer would be very well satisfied to have all the time
annihilated that lies between the present moment and next quarter-day.
The politician would be contented to lose three years in his life, could
he place things in the posture which he fancies they will stand in after
such a revolution of time. The lover would be glad to strike out of his
existence all the moments that are to pass away before the happy meeting.
Thus, as fast as our time runs, we should be very glad, in most part of
our lives, that it ran much faster than it does. Several hours of the
day hang upon our hands, nay, we wish away whole years; and travel
through time as through a country filled with many wild and empty wastes,
which we would fain hurry over, that we may arrive at those several
little settlements or imaginary points of rest which are dispersed up and
down in it.

If we divide the life of most men into twenty parts, we shall find that
at least nineteen of them are mere gaps and chasms, which are neither
filled with pleasure nor business. I do not, however, include in this
calculation the life of those men who are in a perpetual hurry of
affairs, but of those only who are not always engaged in scenes of
action; and I hope I shall not do an unacceptable piece of service to
these persons, if I point out to them certain methods for the filling up
their empty spaces of life. The methods I shall propose to them are as
follow.

The first is the exercise of virtue, in the most general acceptation of
the word. That particular scheme which comprehends the social virtues
may give employment to the most industrious temper, and find a man in
business more than the most active station of life. To advise the
ignorant, relieve the needy, comfort the afflicted, are duties that fall
in our way almost every day of our lives. A man has frequent
opportunities of mitigating the fierceness of a party; of doing justice
to the character of a deserving man; of softening the envious, quieting
the angry, and rectifying the prejudiced; which are all of them
employments suited to a reasonable nature, and bring great satisfaction