1108. Despotism. It is as astonishing as it is melancholy to travel through a whole country, as one may through many in Europe, gasping under endless taxes, groaning under dragoons and poverty, and all to make a wanton and luxurious court, filled for the most part with the worst and vilest of all men. Good God! What hard heartedness and barbarity, to starve perhaps half a province, to make a gay garden! And yet sometimes this gross wickedness is called public spirit, because forsooth a few workmen and labourers are maintained out of the bread and blood of half a million-Gordon. Cato's Letters. 1109. Pursuit of Knowledge. He who calls in the aid of an equal understanding, doubles his own; and he who profits of a superior understanding, raises his powers to a level with the height of the superior under"standing he unites with.-Burke. 1110. Invention.-Invention is the talent of youth, and judgment of age: so that our judgment grows harder to please, when we have fewer things to offer it: this goes through the whole commerce of life. When we are old, our friends find it difficult to please us, and are less concerned whether we be pleased or not.-Swift. 1111. Anger-Anger is the most impotent passion that accompanies the mind of man; it effects nothing it goes about; and hurts the man who is possessed by it more than any other against whom it is directed. 'Clarendon. 1112. Wisdom.-I am of opinion that those who do not act right, are for that very reason neither wise nor virtuously tempered. Justice, together with every other virtue, is wisdom; for all their actions being fair and good must be preferred as such by all who are possessed of right discernment; but ignorance and folly can perform nothing fair and good, because, if attempted, it would miscarry in their hands. Whence it follows, that as whatever is just and fair, must be the result of sound wisdom; and as nothing can be fair and just where virtue is wanting; therefore justice and every other virtue is wisdom.-Socrates in Xenophon. 1113. Truth. Truth, like beauty, varies its fashions, and is best recommended by different dresses to different minds; and he that recalls the attention of mankind to any part of learning which time has left behind it, may be truly said to advance the literature of his own age.-Johnson. 1114. Decency. That is decent which is agreeable to our state, condition, or circumstances, whether it be in behaviour, discourse, or action. Watts. 1115. Life. There is nothing of which men are so fond of, and withal Bo eareless, as life.-Bruyere. 1116. Persecution for Opinion.-One other practice in society remains to be noticed, which must necessarily have an evil effect upon the spirit and conduct of investigation; namely, the practice of persecution for opinions, that eternal blot on the reputation of humanity. It might be expected, perhaps, that as rewards encourage a partial attention to evidence in favour of those doctrines for the profession of which they are bestowed, the opposite treatment, persecution, would have the effect of inducing mankind to shun the persecuted doctrines and the arguments in their favour. And it no doubt happens, that the lovers of peace and quietness, who do not greatly concern themselves about any opinions so long as their ordinary course of life is suffered to run smoothly, may be deterred by a fear of painful consequences from any attention to doctrines which can bring only danger and discredit on their votaries. But in general the effect is the reverse, and especially on the party who actually suffers in his own person. His passions are roused against his oppressors, and instead of seeking for what is true, his whole soul is bent on detecting the errors of his antagonists, and providing himself with every possible argument on his own side. He grasps not at truth, but at the means, whatever they may be, of self-defence, and at the power of annoyance. Thus punishment in fact like rewards, although in a different way, brings the mind into a state far from being favourable to impartiality of investigation-Essays on the Pursuit of Truth, &c. 1117. Conversation.—The great secret in conversation is, to admire little, to hear much; always to distrust our own reason, and sometimes that of our friends; never to pretend to wit, but to make that of others appear as much we can; to hearken to what is said, and to answer to the purpose. 1118. Cunning and Knavery.—Cunning leads to knavery; it is but a step from one to the other, and that very slippery; lying only makes the difference; add that to cunning, and it is knavery.—Bruyere. 1119. Reason. The law of Reason is founded in nature; it is universal, immutable, and eternal. It is subject to no change from any difference of place or time; it extends invariably to all ages and nations. 1120. Kings. The least fault a king commits produces infinite mischief; for it diffuses misery through a whole people, and sometimes for many generations.-Swift's Thoughts. 1121.—Truth is in a great measure concealed from the blind.-Seneca. Printed by J. V. Chilcott, Leominster. LONDON: Published by J. H. STARIE, 59, Museum Street, J. PATTIE, 17, High Street, St. Giles; and may be had of all Booksellers. INDEX. The figures refer to the Number of the Article, and the words in ABILITY, Speculative and Practical, Anon | Animal Existence without Consent, John- Actions, Marius, 275 Hobbes, 329 Affectation, Lavater, 185 Affection, Zimmerman, 579 Affections, Lord Kames, 538 Africans. Morals of, Lawrence, 794 Bulwer, 438 Cicero, 783 L'Estrange, 983 Panages, Age, Golden, The Savage, 471 Age, not always experienced, Rochefou- Age, without Learning and Virtue, Felt- Aged, Respect paid to, Drummond, 398 son, 665 Animals, Cruelty to, Dean on the Future Antiquity, Attachment to, Montague 366 Argument, Bad, of Divines, Shenstone 484 Alchemy, Sir W. Temple, 79 Bacon, 582 Authority Usurped, Locke, 375 Alderman, an, Butler, 546 Aliment, Moral Effect of Rousseau 1088 BALLOT, Montesquieu 57 Merlin, 875 Bible, Parts of, not to be Read by Chil- Church, The, Lock, 390 dren, Watts, 1039 Bodily Imperfections, Feltham, 532 Bond of Honour, Montague, 712 Books, Anon 150 Colton 183 De Bury 302 Books, Knowledge of, Spectator, 1068 Boy, Mrs. Grimstone, 829 Brain, Functions of, Lawrence, 347 Business, Men of, 318 Business and Learning, Bacon, 557 CALMNESS, Zimmerman, 138 Caprice, Zimmerman, 477 Cards. The Savage. 756 Cause, Good, Andrew Marvel, 772 Character, Formation of. Godwin, 367 Change, Desire of, 61 Change, Dislike of. Montague, 146 Changes Necessary to Perfection, Feltham Chance, Bentley, 838 Charity, Public, Fielding, 469 Childhood, Characteristics of, Chambers,669 Chinese Emperor, Anecdote of, 32 Christian Ambition, Lacon, 611 Church Revenues, Eagle, 759 Church and State. Selden, 167 Hall, $11 Civilization, Anon, 631 The Savage, 655 Cobbett's Advice to Youth. 806 Complaining, Feltham, 653 Fielding, 605 Deity, Notions of, Egyptian Antiquities, EASE, Desire of, Anon, 34 Locke, 93 Deity, Unchangeable in his Decrees, R. Education, Anon, 60 Williams, 258 Democracies, Blackstone, 860 Delivery, Advantages of a good, Trusler, 1090 Depravity of Human Nature, Colton, 586 Despotism, Godwin, 70 De Torqueville, 297 Locke, 1038 Gordon, 1108 Devotion, Rousseau, 152 Diet, Vegetable, Studies of Nature, 1092 Dilemma, Drummond, 324, Mill, 734 Educational Magazine, 393 Dr. John- son, 686 Spectator, 840 Swift, 981 Education. Necessity of Natural, De Toc- Education of the Greeks, Dryden, 652 245 Emulation, Anon 49 Enjoyment, Sources of, Hume 600 Enthusiasm, Sir W. Temple, 142 Ditinction, Love of, Zimmerman 75 and Ennui, Helvetius, 292 Error, Congreve, 1028 Doubt, Colton, 223 Reproof of Brutus, Error and Custom, Milton, 942 Downing Street, Theodore Hook, 1055 Ethics, Boyle, 975 | Events, Zimmerman, 140 |