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the whole mass of the brain is strongly adherent to it, and by a number of foldings and duplications, yields many wav ing partitions, which penetrate into all the adjacent parts, and make their way into all the various seats of the brain.

Of the modifications of the brain, which go before or accompany any pleasing

sensation.

Wisdom, in sable garb array'd,
Immers'd in rapt'rous thought profound.

ALL agreeable sensations may be reduced to two different classes. One consists of the munificence of nature, which conveys consonant sensations prior to all consideration which may be reputed, not only the pleasures of the senses, but also those of the heart and imagination, the beauty of the body, mind, and soul, and all that

change of pleasing objects, which glitter so conspicuously throughout the works of nature and art. They are united to whatever exercises the organs of our abilities without tiring them. It is to these organs that we are indebted every moment for our preservation; and it is of the utmost weight to us, that pleasure should discern whatever conduces to promote this exercise of the fibres and motion of the fluids.

The other class is made up of those, which spring from our way of thinking, and cease upon the diversity of our ideas. One man aims openly at independency; another is content to obey, because by this means he thinks he shall arrive at command. One man delights in storing up riches,

which become useless to him; another squanders away in a few years an estate, which ought to have supported him through life. This ascendancy, which our thoughts have over our pleasures, is the principal characteristic of the human species.

Meanwhile Opinion gilds with varying rays,
Those painted clouds that beautify our days,
Each want of happiness by Hope supply'd,
And each vacuity of sense by Pride;

These build as fast as Knowledge can destroy,

In Folly's cup still laughs the bubble, Joy,

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And not a vanity is giv'n in vain;

Ev'n mean self-love becomes, by force divine,
The scale to measure other's wants by thine;
See! and confess one comfort still must rise,

'Tis this though man's a fool, yet God is wise.

At our first entrance into life, we in general pursue that particular sensation, which is most agreeable to us; but in a short time being instructed by experience, we find that there are pleasures which follow pain, as well as pains which follow pleasure. This makes us aspire at having sensations truly valuable, and attaining qualities which we esteem most. Thus we form ideas of happiness and perfection, which blind us to every other advantage. The faculty which we possess, of applying these two important ideas to different objects, frequently proves destructive; yet it would have been doing a remarkable injury to man, to have made him insensible to the impressions which they make upon him.

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