Mau. In every clime, thy vifage greets my eyes, Say, then, fraternal family divine, ; Whom mutual wants and mutual aids combine. Not feas, nor climes, nor wild ambition's fire, The gazing crowd, of glittering state afraid, 177 See heralds gay, with emblems on their veft, Of thefe no more. From orders, flaves and kings, Extends o'er earth her everlasting reign.-Barlow. WHEN I reflect upon man-and take a view of that dark fide of him which reprefents his life as open to fo many caufes of trouble-when I confider how oft we eat the bread of affliction, and that we are born to it, as to the portion of our inheritance-when one runs over the catalogue of all the cross reckonings and forrowful items with which the heart of man is overcharged, 'tis wonderful by what hidden resources the mind is enabled to ftand it out, and bear itself up as it does, against the impofitions laid upon our nature.-Sterne. MEN are gregarious in their nature; they form together in fociety, not merely from neceffity, to avoid the evils of folitude, but from inclination and mutual attachment. They find a pofitive pleasure in yielding affistance to each other, in communicating their thoughts and improving their faculties, This difpofition in man is the fource of morals; they have their foundation in nature, and receive their nourishment from fociety. The different portions of this fociety, that call themselves nations, have generally established the principle of fecuring to the individuals who compofe a nation, the exclufive enjoyment of the fruits of their own labour; referving, however, to the governing power the right to reclaim, from time to time, so much of the property and labour of individuals as fhall be deemed neceffary for the public fervice. This is the general bafis on which property, public and private, has hitherto been founded. Nations have proceeded no farther. Perhaps in a more improved flate of fociety, the time will come, when a different fyltem may be introduced; when it fhall be found more congenial to the focial nature of man, to exclude the idea of feparate property, and with that the numerous evils which feem to be entailed upon it.-Barlow. MAN, confidered in himself, is a very helpless and a very wretched being. He is fubject every moment to the greatest calamities and misfortunes. He is befet with dangers on all fides, and may become unhappy by numberlefs cafualties, which he could not foresee, nor prevent, had he foreseen them. It is our comfort, while we are obnoxious to fo many accidents, that we are under the care of one who directs contingencies, and has in his hands the management of every thing that is capable of annoying or offending us; who knows the affiftance we ftand in need of, and is always ready to bestow it on those who afk it of him. The natural homage, which fuch a creature bears to fo infinitely wife and good a being, is a firm reliance on him, for the bleffings and conveniencies of life, and an habitual trust in him for deliverance out of all fuch dangers and difficulties as may be fall us. The man who always lives in this disposition of mind, has not the fame dark and melancholy views of human nature, as he who confiders himself abftractedly from this relation to the Supreme Being. At the fame time that he reflects upon his own weakness and imperfection, he comforts himself with the contemplation of thofe divine attributes, which are employed for his fafety and his welfare. He finds his want of forefight made up by the omnifcience of him who is his fupport. He is not fenfible of his own want of ftrength, when he knows that his helper is almighty. In fhort, the perfon who has a firm truft on the Supreme Being is powerful in his power, wife by his wifdom, happy by his happiness. He reaps the benefit of every divine attribute, and lofes his own infufficiency in the fulness of infinite perfection. To make our lives more eafy to us, we are commanded to put our trust in him, who is thus able to relieve and fuccour us; the divine goodnefs having made fuch reliance a duty, notwithstanding we fhould have been miferable had it been forbidden us. Spedator. MEDIOCRITY. SINCE wealth and pow'r too weak we find To quell the tumults of the mind; Or from the monarch's roofs of state, Drive thence the cares that round him wait: Fit for my mind, fit for my mufe; Shunning the knaves and fools I fcorn.-Otway. MERCY. NOT the king's crown, nor the deputed fword; Alas! the fouls of all men once were forfeit, Mercy-Monarch.-Magnanimity. Upon the place beneath. It is twice bleft; Wherein doth fit the dread and fear of kings. And earthly power doth then fhew likeft God's, 131 MY uncle Toby was a man patient of injuries ;-not from want of courage. Where juft occafion prefented, or called it forth,-I know no man under whofe arm I would fooner have taken thelter ;-nor did this arife from any infenfibility or obtufeness of his intellectual parts; he was of a peaceful, placid nature, no jarring element in it,-all was mixed up fo kindly with him, my uncle Toby had fcarce a heart to retaliate upon a fly :-Go,-fays he one day at dinner, to an overgrown one which had buzzed about his nofe, and tormented him cruelly all dinner time,—and which, after infinite attempts, he had caught at last-as it flew by him ;-I'll not hurt thee, fays my uncle Toby, rifing from his chair, and going across the room, with the fly in his hand,—I'll not hurt a hair of thy head:-Go, fays he, lifting up the fath, and opening his hand as he fpoke, to let it efcape;-go, poor devil, get thee gone; why thould I hurt thee?-This world furely is wide enough to hold thee and me.-Sterne. MONARCH. WHY has the monarch fo much use for life? Yet in his health is levell'd with the peasant! O painful majefty! unequal state! Not all thy gorgeous pomp, thy flags of power, The crown, the fceptre, and the royal ball, The purple robe, nor princely crowds, whofe prefs Of duty intercepts the wholefome air; Not all thefe glories, for one precious hour, Can buy the beggar's health or appetite.-Cibber. MAGNANIMITY. HOW much more fweet and worth our conftant pray'r, A mind unfhaken by the ftorms of care! |