vanity, nor too insensible, from ignorance; and he that can balance the centre, may not be fearful as to the two exWere one half of the world philosophers, and the other, fools, I would either not have written these pages, or having written--burnt them.

tremes.

LXXXVI.

IT is a curious paradox, that precisely in proportion to our own intellectual weakness, will be our credulity as to those mysterious powers assumed by others; and in those regions of darkness and ignorance where man cannot effect even those things that are within the power of man, there we shall ever find that a blind belief in feats that are far beyond those powers, has taken the deepest root in the minds of the deceived, and produced the richest harvest to the knavery of the deceiver. An impostor that would starve in Edinburgh, might luxuriate in his Gynæceum at Constantinople. But the more we know as to those things that can be done, the more sceptical do we become, as to all things that cannot. Hence it is that no man thinks so meanly of a prime minister, as his private secretary, nor so humbly of a conjuror, as his own zany; hence it is that no men have so little confidence in medicine, as physicians, nor in works of supererogation, as monks; notwithstanding both respectively prescribe each, to others. And the converse of this proposition, being perhaps equally true, it then affords the same kind of conviction to the philosopher, that the joint proof of synthesis and analysis doth to the chemist. And we might transpose, for brevity, the proposition thus--the less we know as to things that can be done, the less sceptical are we as to things that cannot. Hence it is that sailors and gamblers, though not over remarkable for their devotion, are even proverbial for their superstition; the solution of this phenomena is, that both these descriptions of men have so much to do with things beyond all possibility of being reduced either to rule, or to reason,--the winds

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and the waves,---and the decisions of the dice-box. The gambler, indeed, abounds in two of the cardinal virtues--Faith and Hope; but as he lamentably fails in Charity, which is greater than these---He is nothing.

LXXXVII.

THOSE that are teaching the people to read, are doing all that in them lies to increase the power, and to extend the influence of those that can write ;* for the child will read to please the master, but the man, to please himself.

This question would require a volume, and all I shall observe upon it here, is, that a state of half knowledge in the lower orders, is far more dangerous to the tranquillity of a government, than a state of ignorance; for those that can see a little will submit to be led, far less readily than those that are blind, and the little glimmering such have, does not enable them to distinguish between the false light of the demagogue, and the true light of the patriot; between him who means their good, and him that means his own. But in spite of this, I am still an advocate for enlightening the people, notwithstanding this middle point must be passed in doing it; but it is a stage in the progress of a nation requiring not only much of firmness, but much of concession too, on the part of the rulers. In fact, I know of no political problem where the adjustment of the balance of the suaviter and the fortiter is so nice, and at the same time so necessary. I shall make no apology for quoting here the words of a learned foreigner, in his Preface of a most valuable work, addressed to Sir Robert Walpole, then prime minister of England. "True and extensive knowledge never was, and never can be, hurtful to the peace of society. It is ignorance, or which is far worse than ignorance, false knowledge, that is chiefly terrible to states. They are the furious, the ill-taught, the blind, and misguided, that are prone to be seized with groundless fears, and unprovoked resentments; to be raised by incendiaries, and to rush desperately on to sedition, and acts of rage. Subjects that are most knowing, and best informed, are ever most peaceable and loyal. Whereas the loyalty and obedience of such, whose understandings extend not beyond names and sounds, will be always precarious, and can never be thoroughly relied upon, whilst any turbulent or artful men can by din and clamour, and the continual application of those sounds intoxicate and inflame them even to madness; can make them believe themselves undone, though nothing can hurt them; think

LXXXVIII.

THE greatest and the most amiable privilege which the rich enjoy over the poor, is that which they exercise the least--the privilege of making them happy.

LXXXIX.

IF you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fin her above the brim with love of herself ;---all that runs over will be your's.

XC.

THERE are many dogs that have never killed their own mutton; but very few who having begun, have stopped. And there are many women who have never intrigued, and many men who have never gamed; but those who have done either but once, are very extraordinary animals, and more

they are oppressed, when they are best protected; and can drive them into riots and rebellion, without the excuse of one real grievance. It will always be easy to raise a mist before eyes that are already dark, and it is a true observation, that it is an easy work to govern wise men, but to govern fools or madmen, a continual slavery. It is from the blind zeal and stupidity cleaving to superstition, it is from the ignorance, rashness, and rage attending faction, that so many mad, and so sanguinary evils, have destroyed men, dissolved the best governments, and thinned the greatest nations. And as a people well instructed, will certainly esteem the blessings they enjoy, and study public peace for their own sake, there is a great merit in instructing the people, and cultivating their understandings. They are certainly less credulous, in proportion as they are more knowing, and consequently less liable to be the dupes of Demagogues, and the property of ambition. They are not then to be surprised with false cries, nor animated by imaginary danger. And wherever the understanding is well principled, and informed, the passions will be tame, and the heart well disposed. They, therefore, who communicate true knowledge to their species, are true friends to the world, benefactors to society, and deserve all encouragement from those who preside over society, with the applause and good wishes of all good and honest men."

worthy of a glass case when they die, than half the exotics in the British Museum.

XCI.

WHEN we feel a strong desire to thrust our advice upon others, it is usually because we suspect their weakness; but we ought rather to suspect our own.

XCII.

THE young fancy that their follies are mistaken by the old, for happiness; and the old fancy that their gravity is mistaken by the young, for wisdom. And yet each are wrong in supposing this of the other. The misapprehension is mutual, but I shall not attempt to set either of them right, because their respective error is reciprocally consolatory* to both. I would not be so severe on the old, as the lively Frenchman, who said, that if they were fond of giving good advice, it was only because they were no longer able to set a bad example; but for their own sake, no less than of others, I would recommend cheerfulness to the old, in the room of austerity, knowing that heaviness is much more often synonimous with ignorance, than gravity with wisdom. Cheerfulness ought to be the viaticum vitæ of their life to the old; age without cheerfulness, is a Lapland winter without a sun; and this spirit of cheerfulness should be encouraged in our youth, if we would wish to have the benefit of it in our old age; time will make a generous wine more mellow; but it will turn that which is early on the fret, to vinegar.

*

"pol me occidistis amici,

"Per quos demptus erat, vitæ dulcissimus error.”

XCIII.

COURAGE is like the diamond-very brilliant, not changed by fire, capable of high polish, but, except for the purpose of cutting hard bodies, useless. The great Tamerlane* had his full share of it, yet he said its value was much overrated, because it required nothing more than the exercise of fortitude and patience for one short hour. One would suppose the Tartar had read Horace, and had his description of a battle in view :

"concurritur-hora

"Momento cita mors venit, aut victoria læta."

XCIV.

IN great cities men are more callous both to the happiness and the misery of others, than in the country; for they are constantly in the habit of seeing both extremes.

XCV.

MYSTERY magnifies danger, as a fog the sun; the hand that warned Belshazzar, derived its horrifying influence from the want of a body.

XCVI.

IN the East, the women are chosen with reference to their personal charms, rather than their intellectual, considered as ministers to sensuality, rather than as ornaments of society, and abandoned the moment the slightest decay begins to manifest itself in those corporeal attractions which first enhanced their value, and insured their admiration. It would seem that there is a sound physical cause for this low and animal mode of appreciating female excellence, so pre

* See White's Institutes of Tamerlane.

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