The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1771-12-19
For the MASSACHUSETTS, SPY.
I HoMAS,

For the MAssAcHysETTS SPY.
MIR. THOMAS,
have ient you ore of Cato's Letters, pleats
to give it place in your next paper. 1t
appears to me to be an interefing piece,
il efp.cially concerns RULERS to read it
with attention 1t needs no comment,
ihalI therefore give it none. A. L.
MEEN, for the fake of their poRerity,do
lVl many things, which, they tell US,
they would not do for their own fakes. The
wealth which they do not ipend, they lay up
for polterity; and their care for poiferity is
made a prelence, to julflfy all the acquiii;i-
ons that they make of fortune and dominion.
But this is falfe ieaIoning, though by it they
often deceive themielves and Others. They
hnd that they have greater appetites to ac-
quirc wealth, than they have to enjoy it;
and, not being able to deny, that wealth is
only 70 far ulcfgl as it is enjoyed, and no far
ther, they canno, jui1ify their conduct, but
by furrilhing lhemielves with falfe cxcule
from their regard for pofcri,y As if the az
fectons Of men could be ltronger for others,
and fer future race, of whom they know
nothing, or for fuch as perhaps may never ex-
lit, than for themSelves. Doubles, men
are in no circumstances to be feparated from
themlelyes They are ever the chief objects
of their own tenderness and good wifhes /;
and the love of poRerity is only felf- love con-
tinued beyond the grave. We fee thofe who
have no poGerity, nor the profpe4 of any,
engaged in the fame psHionate and greedy
puriuits as thole who have; and they often
leave their Eaates, when they die, to thcie
forwhom, while they lived, they ihewed no
concern.
This ambition therefore amongR men, Of
leaving an luxurious poferity, is mere felf-
love paiIion to lurvive themlelves, and
to make a6gure after they are dead. To
crafty this PATTON, men in all ffations often
take wild and unaccountabls couries They
employ great pains for that which they can
never enjoy, and run many dangers for what
they will aever reap: They drudge, and la
boriouny contrive ways TO wear themielves
out they deny themfelves ref and cafe,
and the comforts of life, that fome future
men, whom they know not, may live i'll idle
neis and abundance, land perhaps defpife thefe
their careful and penurious ancefors, who
painfully provided for them the means of lux
ury, and enabled them to be infolent, or de-
bauched, or nfignihcant to fociety. They
are indeed generally but even with one ano-
Their Fhe defendant receives, without gra-
titude, an efate which his ancehor left him
without affe fion People would take it great
ly amils, if YOU fuppofed that they wanted
honour for their Anceifors, or regard to
their poferity and that they themfeves
were the only real objects of all this regard,
and of shat honour. But let them ak them
ls.ves, whether they would reitore to their
grandfather againthe eifatewhich he eftthem,
were DC TO rife from the dead, and demand
il i! or, whether they are willing TO part with
il to ti,eir children before their own death
or, ifthey fonletimes do, Whether they have
nc, other motives beiides paternal affection i?
aad, whether their own credit and vanity be
not the lronsef.
Thus men crafty their own tsmPers, and
invent fine falie reaEons and fpecious names
for what they DC. A patton for pollerity is
patton Tor fame and he who RATES. ia
mily, coniiders bis race as hereditary trufees
for his name and grandeur, and as the pro-
pei mean: AID channel for pepetua!ing him