companions, has been wholly without advantage to the publick: neighbourhood, where it does not conciliate friendship, incites competition; and he that would contentedly rest in a lower degree of excellence, where he had no rival to dread, will be urged by his impatience of inferiority to incessant endeavours after great attainments.

These stimulations of honest rivalry are, perhaps, the chief effects of academies and societies; for whatever be the bulk of their joint labours, every single piece is always the production of an individual, that owes nothing to his colleagues but the contagion of diligence, a resolution to write, because the rest are writing, and the scorn of obscurity while the rest are illustrious[1].

[1] It may not be uninteresting to place in immediate comparison with this finished paper its first rough draught as given in Boswell, vol. i.

"Confederacies difficult; why.

    "Seldom in war a match for single persons—nor in peace; therefore
    kings make themselves absolute. Confederacies in learning—every
    great work the work of one. Bruy. Scholars friendship like
    ladies. Scribebamus, &c. Mart. The apple of discord—the laurel of
    discord—the poverty of criticism. Swift's opinion of the power of
    six geniuses united. That union scarce possible. His remarks just;
   —man a social, not steady nature. Drawn to man by words, repelled
    by passions. Orb drawn by attraction, rep. [repelled] by
    centrifugal.

    "Common danger unites by crushing other passions—but they return.
    Equality hinders compliance. Superiority produces insolence and
    envy. Too much regard in each to private interest;—too little.

    "The mischiefs of private and exclusive societies.—The fitness of
    social attraction diffused through the whole. The mischiefs of too
    partial love of our country. Contraction of moral duties.
     [Greek: Oi philoi, ou philos].

"Every man moves upon his own centre, and therefore repels others from too near a contact, though he may comply with some general laws. Of confederacy with superiors every one knows the inconvenience. With equals no authority;—every man his own opinion—his own interest.

"Man and wife hardly united;—scarce ever without children. Computation, if two to one against two, how many against five? If confederacies were easy—useless;—many oppresses many.—If possible only to some, dangerous. Principum amicitias."

No. 50. SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1753.

  Quicunque turpi fraude semel innotuit,
  Etiamsi verum dicit, amittit fidem. PHÆD. Lib. i. Fab. x. l.

  The wretch that often has deceiv'd,
  Though truth he speaks, is ne'er believ'd.

When Aristotle was once asked, what a man could gain by uttering falsehoods? he replied, "Not to be credited when he shall tell the truth."