soldier-that would be contrary to every maxim of their trade. Soldiers, as men, are often humane, but war must ever be cruel; and that which binds a man to cruelty and injustice cannot be an honourable calling.--Anon.

XLIII.

Diffusion of Knowledge. The strong barriers which confined the stores of wisdom have been thrown down, and a flood overspreads the earth: old establishments are adapting themselves to the spirit of the age; new establishments are rising; the inferior schools are introducing improved systems of instruction, and good books are rendering every man's fireside a school. From all these causes there is growing up an enlightened public opinion, which quickens and directs the progress of every art and science, and through the medium of a free press, although overlooked by many, is now rapidly becoming the governing influence in all the affairs of man.- -Dr. Arnott-Elements of Physics.

XLIV.

Truth and Justice.-Truth and justice are the immutable laws of social order. Far from us be the dangerous maxim, that it is sometimes useful to mislead, to enslave, and to deceive mankind, to ensure their happiness. Cruel experience has at all times proved, that, with impunity, these sacred laws can never be injured.-Laplace-Systeme du Monde.

XLV.

Mercy and Humanity.-When a man cares not what sufferings he causes others, and especially if he delights in other men's sufferings and makes them his sport, this is

cruelty. And nu to be affected with the sufferings of other people, thoughey proceed not from us, but from others, or from causes in which we are not concerned, is unmercifulness. Mercy and manity are these.-Wollaston's Religion of Nature.

XLVI.

reverse of

Power cannot be Supported by Injustice.—It is not sible to found a lasting power upon injustice, perjury, and treachery. These may, perhaps, succeed for once, ana borrow for awhile, from hope, a gay and flourishing appearance. But time betrays their weakness, and they fall into ruin of themselves. For, as in structures of every kind, the lower parts should have the greatest firmnessso the grounds and principles of actions should be just and true.-Demosthenes.

XLVII.

The Good and Evil Things of Life, The difference of the degrees in which the individuals of a great community enjoy the good things of life has been a theme of declaration and discontent in all ages; and it is doubtless our paramount duty, in every state of society, to alleviate the pressure of the purely evil part of this distribution, as much as possible, and, by all the means we can devise, secure the lower links in the chain of society from dragging in dishonour and wretchedness.-Herschel on the Study of Natural Philosophy.

XLVIII.

The Rich and the Poor.-There is not such a mighty difference, as some men imagine, between the poor and the rich-in pomp, show, and opinion, there is a great VOL. I.-3

deal, but little as to the pleasures a satisfactions of life: they enjoy the same earth, and ir, and heavens; hunger and thirst make the poor Man's meat and drink as pleasant and relishing as the varieties which cover a rich man's table; and the labour of a poor man is more healthful, and many times more pleasant too, than the ease and softness of the rich.-Dr. Sherlock.

XLIX.

Bad Moralists.-Bad moralists produce no better effects than bad preachers; who admonish Christians of their duty in general, and exhort them to practise it; but neglect to inculcate the principal rules of life-so that the hearers hence become no wiser, nor live after a better manner than they did. Admonition, indeed, should be used; but instruction is more essential. Admonitions are of use, but to be always repeating the same things, cannot be necessary. The Reflector.

66

L.

Gamblers.-A man who had gone over a great part of the world, returned at length home from his travels: his friends came and requested him to relate what he had seen. Listen," said he,-"eleven hundred miles beyond the country of the Hurons, there are men whom I thought very strange, they frequently sit at table until late in the night; there is no cloth laid, they do not wet their mouths; lightnings might flash around them; two armies might be engaged in battle, even the sky might threaten to crush them in its fall, they would remain unmoved on their seats, for they are deaf and dumb. Yet now and then there escapes from their lips a half-broken, unconnected, and unmeaning sound; and they horribly roll

their eyes at the same time. I often stood looking at them with astonishment, for when such sittings take place, people frequently go to witness them. Believe me, brethren, I shall never forget the horrible contortions which I there saw. Despair, fury, malicious joy, and anguish, were by turns visible in their countenances. Their rage, I assure you, appeared to me that of the furies-their gravity that of the judges of hell-and their anguish that of malefactors." "But what was their object?" asked his friends. 66 They attend perhaps to the welfare of the community?"—"Oh no!" "They are seeking the philosopher's stone?"-"You are mistaken," "They wish to discover the quadrature of the circle?"'—“No.” 66 They do pe

nance for old sins?"—"Nothing of all this."

"Then they

are mad: if they neither hear, nor speak, nor feel, nor see, what can they be doing?" — 66 ' They are GAMBLING!— From the German of Lichtwehr.

LI.

Experience without Learning.—Verilie they bee fewest in number, that bee happie or wise by unlearned experience. And looke well upon the former life of those fewe, whether your example be old or young, who, without learning, have gathered, by long experience, a little wisdome and some happiness; and when you doe consider what mischiefe they have committed, what dangers they have escaped, (and twentie for one doe perish in the adventure) then think well with yourselfe, whether ye would, that your own sonne should cum to wisdome and happiness by the way of such experience or no.-Ascham's Schoolmaster.

LII.

Biography. To find that great lengths have actually been gone in learning and virtue-—that high degrees of perfection have actually been attained by men like ourselves, entangled among the infirmities, the temptations, the oppositions from wicked men, and the other various evils of life-how does this show us to ourselves as utterly inexcusable, if we do not endeavour to reach the heights we know have been gained by others of our fellow creatures? Biography sets before us the whole character of a person, who has made himself eminent either by his virtues or his vices-shows us how he came first to take a' right or a wrong turn-the prospects which invited him to aspire to higher degrees of glory, or the delusions which misled him from his virtue and his peace; the circumstances which raised him to true greatness, or the rocks on which he split, and sunk to infamy. And how can we more effectually, or in a more entertaining manner, learn the important lesson, what we ought to pursue, and what to avoid?-Burgh's Dignity of Human Nature,

LIII.

Amusements. In studying the character of a people, our inquiry should always be, what were their amusements? We here get hold of great features, which often unriddle the rest. This is indispensably necessary, where states have risen to cultivation. In the finer tracts of the temperate regions of the earth, you meet amusements that are elegant, and pleasures that are refined. Departing on either hand to the south, or to the north, you find taste to degenerate, and gratification to become impure. At length, arriving at the extremities, refinement is utterly lost; to give pleasure is to stupify, or to intoxicate-here