This, however, was afterwards of use to me. The impression continued on my mind; so that, often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, _don't give too much for the whistle_; and so I saved my money.
As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many who _gave too much for the whistle_.
When I saw any one too ambitious of court favours, sacrificing his time in attendance on levees, his repose, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, to attain it; I have said to myself, _this man gives too much for his whistle_.
When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly employing himself in political bustles, neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by that neglect; _he pays indeed_, says I, _too much for his whistle_.
If I knew a miser, who gave up every kind of comfortable living; all the pleasures of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the joys of benevolent friendship, for the sake of accumulating wealth; _poor man_, says I, _you do, indeed, pay too much for your whistle_.
When I meet a man of pleasure, sacrificing every laudable improvement of the mind, or of his fortune, to mere corporeal sensations--_Mistaken man_, says I, _you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure. You give too much for your whistle._
If I see one fond of fine clothes, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his fortune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in prison; _alas_, says I, _he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle_.
When I see a beautiful sweet-tempered girl, married to an ill-natured brute of a husband; _what a pity it is_, says I, _that she has paid so much for her whistle_.
In short, I conceived, that great part of the miseries of mankind were brought upon them, by the false estimates they had made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their _whistle_.
The following admirable satire against _prejudice_, can never be too often read by the ill-natured and hypochondrical.
There are two sorts of people in the world, who, with equal advantages of life, become, the one happy, and the other miserable. This arises, very much, from the different views in which they consider things, and the effect of those different views upon their own minds.