Her Mind continued wavering about twenty Years longer between Shalum and Mishpach; for tho’ her Inclinations favoured the former, her Interest pleaded very powerfully for the other.  While her Heart was in this unsettled Condition, the following Accident happened which determined her Choice.  A high Tower of Wood that stood in the City of Mishpach having caught Fire by a Flash of Lightning, in a few Days reduced the whole Town to Ashes. Mishpach resolved to rebuild the Place whatever it should cost him; and having already destroyed all the Timber of the Country, he was forced to have Recourse to Shalum, whose Forests were now two hundred Years old.  He purchased these Woods with so many Herds of Cattle and Flocks of Sheep, and with such a vast Extent of Fields and Pastures, that Shalum was now grown more wealthy than Mishpach; and therefore appeared so charming in the Eyes of Zilpah’s Daughter, that she no longer refused him in Marriage.  On the Day in which he brought her up into the Mountains he raised a most prodigious Pile of Cedar and of every sweet smelling Wood, which reached above 300 Cubits in Height; He also cast into the Pile Bundles of Myrrh and Sheaves of Spikenard, enriching it with every spicy Shrub, and making it fat with the Gums of his Plantations.  This was the Burnt-Offering which Shalum offered in the Day of his Espousals:  The Smoke of it ascended up to Heaven, and filled the whole Country with Incense and Perfume.

* * * * *

No. 586.  Friday, August 27, 1714.  John Byrom [1]

  ’—­Quae in vita usurpant homines, cogitant, curant, vident, Quaeque
  agunt vigilantes, agitantque, ea cuique in somno accidunt.’

  Cic. de Div.

By the last Post I received the following Letter, which is built upon a Thought that is new, and very well carried on; for which Reasons I shall give it to the Publick without Alteration, Addition, or Amendment.

  SIR,

’It was a good Piece of Advice which Pythagoras gave to his Scholars, That every Night before they slept they should examine what they had been a doing that Day, and so discover what Actions were worthy of Pursuit to-morrow, and what little Vices were to be prevented from slipping unawares into a Habit.  If I might second the Philosopher’s Advice, it should be mine, That in a Morning before my Scholar rose, he should consider what he had been about that Night, and with the same Strictness, as if the Condition he has believed himself to be in, was real.  Such a Scrutiny into the Actions of his Fancy must be of considerable Advantage, for this Reason, because the Circumstances which a Man imagines himself in during Sleep, are generally such as entirely favour his Inclinations good or bad, and give him imaginary Opportunities of pursuing them to the utmost; so that his Temper will lye