be made, and whether we may not, at least, turn our eyes upon the gardens of pleasure. We approach them with scruple and hesitation; we enter them, but enter timorous and trembling; and always hope to pass through them without loosing the road of virtue, which, for a while, we keep in our sight, and to which we purpose to return. But temptation succeeds temptation, and one compliance prepares us for another; we in time loose the happiness of innocence, and solace our disquiet with sensual gratification.

17. "By degrees, we let fall the remembrance of our original intention, and quit the only adequate object of rational desire. We entangle ourselves in business, immerge ourelves in luxury, and rove through the labyrinths of inconancy; till the darkness of old age begins to invade us, and lisease and anxiety obstruct our way. We then look back pon our lives with horror, with sorrow, with repentance; nd wish, but too of en vainly wish, that we had not forsaken he ways of virtue.

18. Happy are they, my son, who shall learn from thy xample, not to despair; but shall remember, that, though he day is past, and their strength is wasted, there yet rebains one effort to be made: that reformation is never opeless, nor sincere endeavours ever unassisted; that the yanderer may at length return after all his errors; and that e who implores strength and courage from above, shall find langer and difficulty give way before him. Go now my son thy repose; commit thyself to the care of Omnipotence; nd when the morning calls again to toil, begin anew thy ourney and thy life."

DR. JOHNSON

mental cloud, spot, and vein, that runs through the body of it. Education after the same manner, when its works upon a noble mind, draws out to view every latent virtue and perfection, which, without such helps, are never able to make their appearance.

2. If my reader will give me leave to change the allusion so soon upon him, I shall make use of the same instance to illustrate the force of education, which, Aristotle has brought to explain his doctrine of substantial forms, when he tells us that a statue lies hid in a block of marble; and that the art of the statuary only clears away the superfluous matter, and removes the rubbish. The figure is in the stone, and the sculptor only finds it.

3. What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a human soul. The philosopher, the saint, or the hero, the wise, the good, or the great man, very often lies hid and concealed in a plebeian, which a proper education might have disinterred and have brought to light. I am therefore much delighted with reading the accounts of savage nations; and with contemplating those virtues which are wild and uncul tivated to see courage exerting itself in fierceness, resolu. tion in obstinacy, wisdom in cunning, patience in sullenuess and despair.

4. Men's passions operate variously, and appear in differ ent kinds of actions, according as they are more or less rectified and swayed by reason. When one hears of negroes, who. upon the death of their masters, or upon changing their service, hang themselves upon the next tree, as it sometimes happens in our American plantations, who can forbear admiring their fidelity, though it expresses itself in so dreadful a manner?

5 What might not that savage greatness of soul, which appears in those poor wretches on many occasions be raised to, were it rightly cultivated? And what colour of excuse can there be, for the contempt with which we treat this part of our species; that we should not put them upon the com mon footing of humanity; that we should only set an insig nificant fine upon the man who murders them; nay, that we should, as much as in us lies, cut them off from the prospects of happiness in another world, as well as in this; and deny them that which we look upon as the proper means for attaining it?

6. It is therefore an unspeakable blessing, to be born in those parts of the world where wisdom and knowledge fl››urh; though, it must be confessed, there are, even in these

parts, several poor uninstructed persons, who are but little above the inhabitants of those nations of which I have been here speaking; as those who have had the advantages of a more liberal education, rise above one another by several different degrees of perfection.

7. For, to return to our statue in the block of marble, we see it sometimes only begun to be chipped, sometimes rough hewn, and but just sketched into a human figure; sometimes we see the man appearing distinctly in all his limbs and features; sometimes, we find the figure wrought up to great elegancy; but seldom meet with any to which the hand of a Phadius or a Praxiteles could not give several nice touches and finishings.

SECTION II.

On Gratitude.

ADDISON.

1. THERE is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with so great inward satisfaction, that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance. It is not like the practice of many others virtues, difficult and painful, but attended with so much pleasure that were there no positive command which enjoined it nor any recompense laid up for it hereafter, a generous mind would indulge it, for the natural gratification which it affords. 2. If gratitude is due from man to man, how much more from man to his Maker: The supreme Being does not only confer upon us those bounties which proceed more immediately from his hand, but even those benefits which are conveyed to us by others. Every blessing we enjoy, by what means soever it may be derived upon us, is the gift of Him who is the great Author of good, and the Father of mercies. 3. If gratitude, when exerted towards one another, naturally produces a very pleasing sensation in the mind of a grateful man, it exalts the soul into rapture, when it is employed on this great object of gratitude: on this beneficent Being, who has given us every thing we already possess, and from whom we expect every thing we yet hope for.

SECTION III.

On Forgiveness.

ADDISON.

1. THE most plain and natural sentiments of equity concup with divine authority, to enforce the duty of forgive

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ness. Let him who has never in his life done wrong, be allowed the privilege of remaining inexorable. But let such as are conscious of frailties and crimes, consider forgiveness as a debt which they owe to others Common failings are the strongest lesson to mu ual forbearance. Were this virtue unknown among men, order and comfort, peace and repose, would be strangers to human life.

2. Injuries retaliated according to the exorbitant measure which passion prescribes, would excite resentment in return. The injured person would become the injurer; and thus wrongs, retaliations, and fresh injuries, would circulate in endless succession, till the world was rendered a field of blood. Of all the passions which invade the human breast, revenge is the most direful.

3. When allowed to reign with full dominion, it is more than sufficient to poison the few pleasures which remain to man in his present state. How much soever a person may suffer from injustice, he is always in hazard of suffering more from the prosecution of revenge. The violence of an enemy cannot inflict what is equal to the torment he creates to himself, by the means of the fierce and desperate passions which he allows to rage in his soul.

4. Those evil spirits who inhabit the regions of misery are represented as delighting in revenge and cruelty. But all that is great and good in the universe, is on the side of clemency and merey The almighty Ruler of the world, though for ages offended by the unrighteousness, and insulted by the impiety of men, is long suffering and slow to anger."

5. His Son, when he appeared in our nature, exhibited both in his life and his death, the most illustrious example of forgiveness which the world ever beheld. If we look into the history of mankind, we shall find that, in every age, they who have been respected as worthy, or admired as great, have been distinguished for this virtue.

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6. Revenge dwells in little minds. A noble and magnaimous spirit is always superior to it. It suffers not from the injuries of men those severe shocks which others feel. Collected within itself, it stands unmoved by their impotcat assaults; and with generous pity, rather than anger, locks down on their unworthy conduct. It has been truly said, that the greatest man on earth can no sooner commit an injury, than a good man can make himself greater, by forgiv ing it.

BLAIR

SECTION IV.

Motives to the practice of gentleness.

1. To promote the virtue of gentleness, we ought to view our character with an impartial eye; and to learn, from our own failings, to give that indulgence which in our turn we claim. It is pride which fills the world with so much harshness and severity. In the fulness of self-estimation, we forget what we are. We claim attentions to which we are not entitled. We are rigorous to offences, as if we had never offended; unfeeling to distress, as if we knew not what it was to suffer. From those airy regions of pride and folly, let us descend to our proper level.

2. Let us survey the natural equality on which providence has placed man with man, and reflect on the infirmities common to all. If the reflection on natural equality and mutual offences, be insufficient to prompt humanity, let us at least remember what we are in the sight of our Creator. Have we none of that forbearance to give one another, which we all so earnestly entreat from heaven? Can we look for clemency or gentleness from our Judge, when we are so backward to show it to our brethren?

3. Let us also accustom ourselves, to reflect on the small moment of those things, which are the usual incentives to violence and contention. In the ruffled and angry hour, we view every appearance through a false medium. The most inconsiderable point of interest, or honour, swells into a momentous object; and the slightest attack seems to threaten immediate ruin.

4. But after passion or pride has subsided, we look around in vain for the mighty mischiefs we dreaded. The fabric, which our disturbed imagination had reared, totally disappears. But though the cause of contention has dwindled away, its consequences remain. We have alienated a friend; we have embittered an enemy; we have sown the seeds of future suspicion, malevolence, or disgust.

5. Let us suspend our violence for a moment, when causes of discord occur. Let us anticipate that period of coolness, which of itself, will soon arrive. Let us reflect how little we have any prospect of gaining by fierce contention; but how much of the true happiness of life we are certain of throwing away. Easily, and from the smallest cbink, the bitter waters of strife are let førth ; but their course cannot be foreseen; and he seldom fails of suffering most from their poi sonous effect, who first allowed them to flow.

BLAIR