OnIdleness
？塞缪尔·约翰逊 / SamuelJohnson
Manymoralistshaveremarked， thatPridehasofallhumanvicesthewidestdominion， appearsinthegreatestmultiplicityofforms， andlieshidunderthegreatestvarietyofdisguises； ofdisguises， which， likethemoon’sveilofbrightness， arebothitslusteranditsshade， andbetrayittoothers， thoughtheyhideitfromourselves.
ItisnotmyintentiontodegradePridefromthispreeminenceofmischief， yetIknownotwhetheridlenessmaynotmaintainaverydoubtfulandobstinatecompetition.
TherearesomethatprofessIdlenessinitsfulldignity， whocallthemselvestheIdle， asBusirisintheplay “callshimselftheProud”； whoboastthattheydonothing， andthanktheirstarsthattheyhavenothingtodo； whosleepeverynighttilltheycansleepnolonger， andriseonlythatexercisemayenablethemtosleepagain； whoprolongthereignofdarknessbydoublecurtains， andneverseethesunbutto “tellhimhowtheyhatehisbeams”； whosewholelaboristovarytheposturesofindulgence， andwhosedaydiffersfromtheirnightbutasacouchorchairdiffersfromabed.
ThesearethetrueandopenvotariesofIdleness， forwhomsheweavesthegarlandsofpoppies， andintowhosecupshepoursthewatersofoblivion； whoexistinastateofunruffledstupidity， forgettingandforgotten； whohavelongceasedtolive， andatwhosedeaththesurvivorscanonlysay， thattheyhaveceasedtobreathe.
ButIdlenesspredominatesinmanyliveswhereitisnotsuspected； forbeingavicewhichterminatesinitself， itmaybeenjoyedwithoutinjurytoothers； andisthereforenotwatchedlikeFraud， whichendangersproperty， orlikePride， whichnaturallyseeksitsgratificationsinanother’， thatneitherraisesenvybyostentation， norhatredbyopposition； andthereforenobodyisbusytocensureordetectit.
AsPridesometimesishidunderhumility， ， naturallyendeavorstocrowdhismindwithsomethingthatmaybarouttheremembranceofhisownfolly， anddoesanythingbutwhatheoughttodowitheagerdiligence， thathemaykeephimselfinhisownfavor.
Somearealwaysinastateofpreparation， occupiedinpreviousmeasures， formingplans， accumulatingmaterials， ， thatnomaneverexcelledinpainting， whowaseminentlycuriousaboutpencilsandcolors.
ThereareotherstowhomIdlenessdictatesanotherexpedient， ， tofillthedaywithpettybusiness， tohavealwayssomethinginhandwhichmayraisecuriosity， butnotsolicitude， andkeepthemindinastateofaction， butnotoflabor.
ThisarthasformanyyearsbeenpracticedbymyoldfriendSober， ， soexactlybalancedbytheloveofease， thattheycanseldomstimulatehimtoanydifficultundertaking； theyhave， however， somuchpower， thattheywillnotsufferhimtoliequiteatrest， andthoughtheydonotmakehimsufficientlyusefultoothers， theymakehimatleastwearyofhimself.
’schiefpleasureisconversation； thereisnoendofhistalkorhisattention； tospeakortohearisequallypleasing； forhestillfanciesthatheisteachingorlearningsomething， andisfreeforthetimefromhisownreproaches.
