his quality to the highest perfection, and
communicates it wherever he appears: the sad, the merry, the severe, the
melancholy, shew a new cheerfulness when he comes amongst them. At the
same time no one can repeat any thing that _Varilas_ has ever said that
deserves repetition; but the man has that innate goodness of temper,
that he is welcome to every body, because every man thinks he is so to
him.

14. He does not seem to contribute any thing to the mirth of the
company; and yet upon reflection you find it all happened by his being
there. I thought it was whimsically said of a gentleman, That if
_Varilas_ had wit, it would be the best wit in the world. It is certain
when a well corrected lively imagination and good-breeding are added to
a sweet disposition, they qualify it to be one of the greatest
blessings, as well as pleasures of life.

15. Men would come into company with ten times the pleasure they do, if
they were sure of bearing nothing which should shock them, as well as
expected what would please them. When we know every person that is
spoken of is represented by one who has no ill-will, and every thing
that is mentioned described by one that is apt to set it in the best
light, the entertainment must be delicate, because the cook has nothing
bought to his hand, but what is the most excellent in its kind.

16. Beautiful pictures are the entertainments of pure minds, and
deformities of the corrupted. It is a degree towards the life of angels,
when we enjoy conversation wherein there is nothing present but in its
excellence; and a degree towards that of demons, wherein nothing is
shewn but in its degeneracy.

SPECTATOR, Vol. II. No. 100.

_Friendship_.

1. One would think that the larger the company is in which we are
engaged, the greater variety of thoughts and subjects would be started
in discourse; but instead of this, we find that conversation is never so
much straitened and confined as in numerous assemblies.

2. When a multitude meet together upon any subject of discourse, their
debates are taken up chiefly with forms; and general positions; nay, if
we come into a more contracted assembly of men and women, the talk
generally runs upon the weather, fashions, news, and the like public
topics.

3. In proportion as conversation gets into clubs and knots of friends,
it descends into particulars, and grows more free and communicative; but
the most open, instructive, and unreserved discourse, i