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2. Our pride and self-conceit render us quarrelsome and contentious, by nourishing a weak and childish sensibility to every fancied point of our own honour or interest, while they exclude all regard to the honour or interest of our brethren.

3. If there is any first principle of wisdom, it is undoubtedly this: the distresses that are removeable, endeavour to remove; those which cannot be removed, bear with as little disquiet as you can in every situation of life, there are comforts; find them out, and enjoy them.

4. Instead of aspiring beyond your proper level, bring down your mind to your state; lest, by aiming too high, you spend your life in a train of fruitless pursuits, and bring yourself at last to a state of entire insignificance and contempt.

5. Often have we seen, that what we considered at the time, as a sore disappointment, has proved, in the issue, to be a merciful providence; and that, if what we once eagerly desired had been obtained, it would have been so far from making us happy, that it would have produced our ruin.

6. Can the stream continue to flow, when it is cut off from the fountain? Can the branch flourish when torn away from the stock which gave it nourishment? No more can dependent spirits be happy when deprived of all union with the Father of spirits, and the Fountain of happiness.

7. Prosperity is redoubled to a good man, by his generous use of it. It is reflected back upon him from every one whom he makes happy. In the intercourse of domestic affection, in the attachment of friends, the gratitude of dependents, the esteem and good will of all that know him, he sees blessings multiplied round him on every side. 8. He that would pass the latter part of life with honour and decency, must when he is young, consider, that he shall one day be old; and remember when he is old, that he once was young. In youth, he must lay up knowledge for his support, when his powers of acting shall forsake him; and in age, forbear to animadvert with rigour, on faults which experience only can correct.

9. Let us consider that youth is not of long duration; and that in maturer age, when the enchantments of fancy shall cease, and phantoms dance no more about us, we shall have no comforts but the approbation of our own hearts, the esteem of wise men, and the means of doing good. Let us live as men who are some time to grow old; and to whom it will be the most dreadful of all evils, to count their past years only by follies, and to be reminded of their former luxuriance of health, only by the maladies which riot has produced.

Section 7. See Exercises, p. 116.

1. The man who considers the poor, will be especially anxious to supply their spiritual wants.

2. We have, indeed, heard of men who, whilst they affected to adhere to the principles of natural religion, repudiated those of revealed religion.

3. I know that he is a man of extravagant manners, and subject to melancholy; yet I understand that he is of unexceptionable character.

4. Indeed, he is very irritable; for, though we merely quarreled one day respecting (or about) a trifle, yet, he insisted upon an apology, and would not be reconciled by any arguments which I could adduce.

5. Since this is the case, I must confess my fault, that I may prevent the consequences of his displeasure.

6. He shewed that he had a full comprehension of the whole of the plan, and of the judicious adaptation of the parts to the whole.

7. Nothing can be more pleasant, than to see virtuosoes, about a cabinet of medals, descanting upon the value, the rarity, and genuineness of the several pieces.

8. Two rival nations, the Jews and the Samaritans, have preserved separate exemplars of it.

9. If any minister refused to admit a lecturer recommended to him, he was required to give attendance on the committee.

10. A thanksgiving of twenty days was decreed to his honour. 11. Our pleasures are purer, when consecrated by nations, and cherished by the greatest geniuses among men.

12. The neglect of this exposes us to an uncommon levity in our usual conversation.

13. A letter, relative to certain calumnies and misrepresentations, which have appeared in the Edinburgh Review, with an exposure of the ignorance of the new critical junto.

14. Of all the modes of giving literary instruction, to engage a private tutor appears to me the least eligible.

15. But you are too wise to propose to yourselves an object, to which your strength is inadequate.

16. It is ascribable or was owing, perhaps, more to the ignorance of the scholars, than to the knowledge of the masters.

17. No man had ever fewer friends, and more enemies.

18. He has wit enough to make him a pleasant companion, were it polished by good manners.

19. They form a procession to precede the palanquin of the ambassador.

20. Without attention to this, we shall be at a loss to understand several passages in the classics.

21. It would be injurious to his character, to suppose, that he would degrade himself so far, as to be concerned in those anonymous pamphlets.

22. In order to have this project reduced to practice, nothing seems to be required (or wanted,) except to remind them of our plan.

ADDITIONAL EXERCISES UNDER FIGURATIVE

LANGUAGE.

See Exercises, p. 117.

Note.-In the following Exercises, the Student is required to mention what Figure each example illustrates, and for what particulars it is to be admired or condemned.

Example 1. The husbandman sees all his fields and gardens covered with the beauteous creations of his own industry; and sees, like God, that all his works are good.

Comments-This example illustrates the Simile. From an unprofitable waste, the husbandman is represented by means of industry as creating what is useful and beautiful.

Example 2. The following passage is from Canning's speech at Portsmouth ;

"Our present repose is no more a proof of inability to act, than the state of inertness and inactivity, in which I have seen those mighty masses that float in the waters above your town, is a proof that they are devoid of strength and incapable of being fitted for action. You well know how soon one of these stupendous masses, now reposing on their shadows in perfect stillness-how soon, upon any call of patriotism or of necessity, would assume the

likeness of an animated thing, instinct with life and motion; how soon it would ruffle, as it were, its swelling plumage; how quickly it would put forth all its beauty and bravery; collect its scattered elements of strength, and awaken its dormant thunders. Such is one of those magnificent machines, when springing from inaction into a display of its might; such is England herself, while apparently passive and motionless, she silently concentrates the power to be put forth on adequate occasion."

Comments. This is an instance of the Simile, and Personification. England, personified, is compared to a ship, which, though at present motionless, may soon become instinct with life, and prepared to commit dreadful devastation among its opponents. Propriety is not sustained throughout.

K

Example 3. The following is from Kenilworth :

"The mind of England's Elizabeth was like one of those ancient Druidical monuments, called Rocking-stones. The finger of Cupid, boy as he is painted, could put her feelings in motion, but the power of Hercules could not have destroyed their equilibrium."

Comment. This is a beautiful Simile; in which the ease with which the affections of Elizabeth could be moved, and yet the control which her moral principle exerted over her, are finely compared with the Druidical rocking stones which are easily moved but cannot be overturned.

Example 4. "The main of life is composed of small incidents and petty occurrences; of wishes for objects not remote, and grief for disappointments of no fatal consequence; of insect vexations which sting us and fly away; impertinences, which buzz awhile about us, and are heard no more; of meteorous pleasures which dance before us and are dissipated; of compliments which glide off the soul like other music, and are forgotten by him that gave and him that received them."-Johnson's Rambler.

This example illustrates the Metaphor.

Example 5. "It was one hour after midnight, and the prospect around was lovely. The grey old towers of the ruin, partly entire, partly broken, here bearing the rusty weather stains of ages, and there partially mantled with ivy, stretched along the verge of the dark rock which rose on Mannering's right hand. In his front was the quiet bay, whose little waves, crisping and sparkling to the moonbeams, rolled successively along its surface, and dashed with a soft and murmuring ripple against the silvery beach. To the left, the woods advanced into the ocean, waving in the moonlight along ground of an undulating and varied form, and presenting those varieties of light and shade, and that interesting combination of glade and thicket, upon which the eye delights to rest, charmed with what it sees, yet curious to pierce still deeper into the intricacies of the woodland scenery. Above rolled the planets, each, by its own liquid orbit of light, distinguished from the inferior or more distant stars.". Sir Walter Scott's Guy Mannering.

Comment. In this example, occur several short similes and metaphors; as, The quiet bay; crisping and sparkling waves; silvery beach; waving woods; rolling planets.

Example 6. "These philosophers (of the French Revolution) consider men in their experiments no more than they do mice in an air pump, or in a recipient of mephitic gas. Whatever his Grace may think of himself, they look upon him, and every thing that belongs to him, with no more regard than they do upon the whiskers of that little long-tailed animal, that has long been the

game of the grave, demure, insidious, spring-nailed, velvet-pawed, green-eyed philosophers, whether going upon two legs, or upon four."-Burke.

This is an example of keen Irony.

Example 7. "Go to your Natural Religion; lay before her Mahomet and his disciples, arrayed in armour and blood, riding in triumph over the spoils of thousands who fell by his victorious sword. Shew her the cities which he set in flames, the countries which he ravaged and destroyed, and the miserable distress of all the inhabitants. When she has viewed him in this scene, carry her into his retirement; shew her the prophet's chamber; his concubines and his wives; and let her hear him allege revelation and a divine commission, to justify his adultery and lust. When she is tired with this prospect, then shew her the blessed Jesus, humble and meek, doing good to all the sons of men. Let her see him in his most private retirement; let her follow him to the Mount, and hear his devotions and supplications to God. Carry her to his table, and view his poor fare and hear his heavenly discourse. Let her attend him to the tribunal, and consider the patience with which he endured the scoff and reproaches of his enemies. Lead her to his cross; let her view him in the agony of death, and hear his last prayer for his persecutors; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do! When Natural Religion has thus viewed both, ask her, Which is the prophet of God? But her answer we have already had, when she saw part of this scene, through the eyes of the centurion, who attended at the cross. By him she spoke, and said, Truly this man is the Son of God."Sherlock's Sermons.

Comment. This is an instance of Personification, carried as far as prose will admit. The whole passage is animated; and the figure rises at the conclusion, when Natural Religion, who before was only a spectator, is introduced as speaking by the voice of the Centurion.

Example 8. "Now from the golden east, the Zephyrs borne, Proclaim'd with balmy gales the approach of morn,

And fair Aurora deck'd her radiant head

With roses, cropp'd in Eden's flowery bed."

Ex. 9. "

This Example illustrates the combination of Personification with Metaphor.
Still o'er those scenes my memory wakes,
And fondly broods with miser care;
Time but the impression stronger makes,
As streams their channels deeper wear."

Ex. 10. "Pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower-its bloom is shed."
Examples 9 and 10, illustrate comparison.

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