...gence. and fills the villages of his district with conjectures on the
         events of war, and with debates on the true interest of Europe.
         To write news in its perfection requires such a combination of
         qualities, that a man completely fitted for the task is not always to be
         found. In Sir Henry Wotton's jocular definition, 'An ambassador' is
         said to be 'a man of virtue sent abroad to tell lies for the advantage of
         his country'; a news-writer is 'a man without virtue, who writes lies
         at home for his own profit.' To these compositions is required neither
         genius nor knowledge, neither industry nor sprightliness, but con-
         tempt of shame and indifference to truth are absolutely necessary.
         He who by a long familiarity with infamy has obtained these qualities,
         may confidently tell today what be intends to contradict tomorrow;
         he may affirm fearlessly what he knows that he shall be obliged to
         recant; and may write letters from Amsterdam or Dresden to
         himself.
             In a time of war the nation is always of one mind, eager to hear
         something good of themselves and ill of the enemy. At this time the
         task of news-writers is easy, they have nothing to do but to tell that
         a battle is expected, and afterwards that a battle has been fought in
         which we and our friends, whether conquering or conquered, did all, 
         and our enemies did nothing.
             Scarce anything awakens attention like a tale of cruelty. The writer
         of news never fails in the intermission of action to tell how the enemies
         murdered children and ravished virgins; and if the scene of action be
         somewhat distant, scalps half the inhabitants of a province.
              Among the calamaties of war may be justly numbered the diminu-
         tion of the love of truth, by the falsehoods which interest dictates and
         credulity encourages. A peace will equally leave the warrior and
         relator of wars destitute of employment; and I know not whether
         more is to be dreaded from streets filled with soldiers accustomed to
         plunder, or from garrets filled with scribblers accustomed to lie.


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                         No. 31, SATURDAY, 18 November 1758
         
         
         Many moralists have remarked that pride has of all human vices the
         widest dominion, appears in the greatest multiplicity of forms, and
         lies hid under the greatest variety of disguises; of disguises, which,
         like the moon's 'veil of brightness,' are both its 'lustre and its shade'
         and betray it to others, tho' they hide it from ourselves.
               It is not my intention to degrade pride from this pre-eminence of
         mischief yet I know not whether idleness may not maintain a very
         doubtful and obstinate competition.
               There are some that profess idleness in its full dignity who call
         themselves the 'Idle', as Busiris in the play 'calls himself the Proud';
         who boast that they do nothing, and thank their stars that they have
         nothing to do; who sleep every night till they can sleep no longer,
         and rise only that exercise may enable them to sleep again; who
         prolong the reign of darkness by double curtains, and never see the
         sun but to 'tell him how they hate his beams', whose whole labour
         is to vary the postures of indulgence, and whose day differs from their
         night but as a couch or chair differs from a bed.
               These are the true and open votaries of idleness, for whom she
         weaves the garlands of poppies, and into whose cup she pours the
         waters of oblivion; who exist in a state of unruffled stupidity, forget-
         ting and forgotten; who have long ceased to live, and at whose death
         the survivors can only say, that they have ceased to breath.
               But idleness predominates in many lives where it is not suspected,
         for being a vice which terminates in itself, it may be enjoyed without
         injury to others, and is therefore not watched like fraud, which
         endangers property, or like pride which naturally seeks its gratifica-
         tions in another's inferiority. Idleness is a silent and peaceful quality,
         that neither raises envy by ostentation, nor hatred by opposition; and
         therefore no body is busy to censure or detect it.
              As pride sometimes is hid under humility, idleness is often covered
         by turbulence and hurry. He that neglects his known duty and real
         employment, naturally endeavours to crowd his mind with some-


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