The Speaker; or, miscellaneous pieces, selected from the best English writers, etc

Front matter

1 Frontispiece. JlffoAJLlJi UZ impart PrfPfi/iPjiPPtPtPf //,///// ,,„.;- R I A . l'uMuM,,.,rli. sl,r,/,r,-,/.,./,yJ,fc/„.,r,a inS'ZPmiU Oimk T.ird. lAjiqiMti78ti THE SPEAKER O R MISCELLANEOUS PIECES, SELECTED FROM THE BEST ENGLISH WRITERS, AND DISPOSED UNDER PROPER HEADS, WITH A VIEW TO FACILITATE THE IMPROVEMENT OF YOUTH I N READING and SPEAKING. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED AN ESSAY ON ELOCUTION. By WILLIAM ENFIELD, LL. D. LECTURER ON THE BELLES LETTRES IN THE ACADEMY AT WARRINGTON. .... Oculos, paulum tellure moratos, Sustulit ad proceres; expectatoque resolvit Ora sono; nee abest facundis gratia dictis. Ovl D. LONDON: TBINTEDFOR JOSEPH JOHNSON, ST. PAUL'SCHUR CH-YAE 0. M D C C L XXI V. T O JOHN LEES, Esquire, PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY IN WARRINGTON. S I R, THIS work having been undertaken principally with the design of assist ing the Students at V/arrington in acquiring a just and graceful Elocution, I feel a peculiar propriety in addressing it to you, as a public acknowledgment of the steady sup port which you have given to this Instituti on, and the important services which you have rendered it.

In this Seminary, which was at first e stablifhed, and has been uniformly conduct ed, on the extensive plan of providing a proper course of Instruction for young men in the most useful branches of Science and Literature, you have seen many respectable characters formed, who are now filling up their stations in society with reputation to a 2 themselves DEDICATION. themselves and advantage to the Public. And, while the fame great object continues to be pursued, by faithful endeavours to cultivate the understandings of youth, and by a steady attention to discipline, it is hoped, that you will have the satisfaction to observe the same effects produced, and that the scene will be realized, which Our Poetess has so beautifully described : When this, this little group their country calls From academic shades and learned halls, To fix her laws, her spirit to sustain, And light up glory thro' her wide domain •, Their various tastes in different arts display'd, Like temper'd harmony of light and shade, With friendly union in one mass shall blend, And this adorn the state, and that defend.

I am, With sincere Respecl and Gratitude, Dear Sir, Tour much obliged, and most obedient Servants Warrington Adademy, October ist, .774. WILLIAM ENFIELD. A n ESSAY O N ELOCUTION. MUCH declamation has been employed to convince the world of a very plain truth, that to be able to speak well is an ornamental and useful accomplishment. With out the laboured panegyrics of ancient or modern orators, the importance of a good elocution is suf ficiently obvious. Every one will acknowledge it to be of some consequence, that what a man has hourly occasion to do, should be done well. Every private company, and almost every public assembly affords opportunities of remarking the difference between a just and graceful, and a a 3 faulty vi. ANESSAYON faulty and unnatural elocution ; and there are few persons who do not daily experience the advan tages of the former, or the inconveniences of the latter.

Book II. Narrative

pieces. Chap. Page I. The Dervise. SpeBator. 19 II. Turkish Tale. ibid. 20 III. Avarice and Luxury. ibid. 21 IV. Pleasure and Pain. ibid. 23 V. Labour. World. 35 VI. The old Man and his Al's. ibid. 26 VII. Hercules's Choice. Tatler. 27 VIII. Pity. Mrs. Barbauld. 30 IX. The Dead Ass. Sterne. 3a X. The Sword. ibid. 34 XI. Maria. ibid. 37 XII. The Camelion. Merrick. 42 XIII. The Youth and the Philosopher. Whitcbead. 45 XIV. Sir Balaam. Pope. 47 XV. Edwin and Emma. Mallet. 49 XVI. Celadon and Amelia. Thomson. 53 XVII. Junio and Theana. Grair.ger; 55 XVIII. Douglas to Lord Randolph. Herne. 59 XIX. Othello's Apology. Shakespear. 61

Book III. Didactic Pieces

I. On Mode/ty. SpeRator. . <3 II. OnChearfulness. Ibid. 66 - III. On The CONTENTS XXXI Chap. Page 111. On Sincerity. Tilktson. 69 IV. On Honour. Guardian. 72 V. On Good Humour. Rambler. 75 VI. On the Knowledge of the World. ibid. 79 VII. On the Ad\antages of uniting Gentleness of Manners with Firmness of Mind. Lord Chejierfeld. 81 VIII. On Good Sense. Me/moth. 84 IX. On Study. Bacon. 86 X. On Satirical Wit. Sterne. 87 XI. Hamlets Instructions to the Players. Shakespear. SS XII. The present Condition of Man vindicated. Pope, 90 XIII. On the Order of Nature. ibid. 92 XIV. The Origin of Superstition and Tyranny. ibid. 94 XV. On Happiness. ibid. 97 XVI. On Virtue. ibid. 100 XVII. On Versification. ibid. 102 XVIII. Leuons of Wisdom. Armstrong. 104 XIX. Against Indolence; an Epistle. 107 XX. Elegy to a young Nobleman.

Mason. no XXI. On the Miseries of Human Life. Thomson. 112 XXII. Reflections on a Future State. ibid. 113 XXIII. On Procrastination. Young. n j XXIV. The Pain arising from Virtuous Emotions attended with Pleasure. Alenside. 116 XXV. On Taste. ibid. izo XXVI. The Pleasures arising from a Cultivated Imagination, ibid. 122

Book IV. Argumentative Pieces

I. On Anger. II. Virtue our highest Interest. III. The fame Subject. IV. On the Immortality of the Soul. V. On the Being of a God. Holland. 125 Harris. 132 ibid . 1 34 Spectator, 135 Young. 138

Book V. Orations

and HARANGUES. I. Junius Erutus over the dead Body of Lucretia, Livy. 140 II. Hannibal to his Soldiers. ibid. 142 HI. C. Marius to the Romans, on their hesitating to appoint him General in the Expedition against Jugurtha merely on Account of his Extraction. Salluji. 14; IV. Calisthenes's The CONTENTS. Chap. Page IV. Calisthenes's Reproof of Cleon's Flattery to Alexander. Sfyintus Curtius. 149 V. The Scythian Ambassadors to Alexander. ibid. 150 VI. Galgacus the General of the Caledonii to his Army, to incite them to Action against the Romans. Tacitus. 154 VII. The Earl of Arundel's Speech, proposing an Accommodation between Henry II. and Stephen. Lord Lyttelton. 157 VIII. Mr. Pulteney's Speech on the Motion for reducing the Army. 162 IX. Sir John St. Aubin's Speech for repealing the Septennial Act. 166 X. Sir Robert Walpole's Reply. 173 XI.

Lord Lyttelton's Speech on the Repeal of the Act called the Jew Bill, in the Year 1753. 179 XII. In Praise of Virtue. Price. 183 S3II. The Speech of Brutus on the Death of Cæsar. Shakespear. _8j XIV, Glocester's Speech to the Nobles. ibid. 186

Book VI

D I A L O G U E S. I. On Happiness. Harris. 188 II. The fame Subject, ibid. 194 III. On Criticism. Sterne. 200 IV. On Negroes. ibid. 201 V. Rivers and Sir Harry. False Delicacy. 203 VI. Sir John Melvil and Sterling. Clandestine Marriage, 205 VII. Belcour and StocUwell. West Indian. 210 VIII. Lord Eustace and Frampton. School for Rakes. 213 IX. Duke and Lord. Shakespear. 217 X. Duke and Jaques. ibid. 219 XI. Henry and Lord Chief Justice. ibid. 222 .XII. Archbishop of Canterbury and Bifliop of Ely. ibid. 225 XIII. Hamlet and Horatio. ibid. 228 XIV. Brutus and Cassius. ibid. 231 XV. Belarius, Guiderius, and Arvixagus. ibid. 136

Book VII Descriptive

pieces. I. Sensibility. Sterne. 240 II. Liberty and Slavery. ibid. 241 HI. Corporal Trim's Eloquence., ibid. 243 IV. The Man of Ross. Pope. 244 V. The The CONTENTS. XXXIII Chap. Page V. The Country Clergyman. Goldsmith. 246 VI. The .Wish. Green. 248 VII. Grongar Hill. Dyer. 252 VIII. Hymn to Adversity. Cray. 257 IX. Ode on a distant Prospect os Eton College. ibid. 259 X. Elegy written in a Country Church-Yard. ibid. 263 XI. Warrington Academy. Mrs. Barbauid. 268 XII. Ode to Content. ibid. 27-. XIII. Ode to Fear. Collins. 274 XIV. Ode to Truth. Mason. 276 XV. Ode to Fancy. Warton, zyf XVI. L' Allegro. Milton, as- XVII. II Penseroso. ibid. 2SS XVIII. The Progress of Life. Shakespear. 294 XIX. TheEntryofBolingbrokean3RichardintoLondon. ibid. 2q6 XX. Life. ibid. lg7 XXI. Hotspur's Description of a Fop. ibid. 2Qg XXII.

Clarence's Dream. ibid. ,co XXIII. Queen Mab. ibid. ' i0, XXIV. Apothecary. ibid. Z0l XXV. Ode to Evening. Collins. tot XXVI. Cde to Spring. Mrs. Barbauid ~0j XXVII. Domestic Love and Happiness. Thomson. -ca XXVIII. The Pleasures of Retirement. -. ibid. -,j XXIX. Genins. Akcvfide. %-,, XXX. Greatness. ibid. .l6 .YXXI. Novelty. ibid. i^ BOO K VIII P A T H E T I C PIECES I. The Story of Le Fever. Sterne. 32; II. Yorick's Death. ibid. r~* ni. The Beggar's Petition. ;3j IV. Elegy on the Death of an unfortunate Lady. Pope. 337 V.*" Morning Hymn. Milton. 34-3 VI. Satan's Soliloquy. • ibid. 7,4-. VII. Juba and Syphax. Cato. 34.;. VIII. Cato's Soliloquy. ibid. 350 IX. Southampton and Essex. Earl of Essex. 351 X. Jaffier and Pierre. Venice Preserved. 354 XI. Edward and Warwick. Earl os Warwick. 35S Xl\.

Orlando and Adam. Shakespear, 362 XIII. Scroop and Richard. ibid. 365 XIV. Hotspur and Glendower. ibid. 367 XV. Hotspur reading a Letter. ibid. 370 C XVI. Henry The CONTENTS. Chap. Page XVI. Henry IV.'s Soliloquy on Sleep. Shakespear, 37 1 XVII. Henry IV. and Prince Henry. ibid. 372 XVIII. Henry V. to his Soldiers. ibid. 377 XIX. Henry VI. Warwick, and Cardinal Beaufort, ibid. 379 XX. Wolsey and Cromwell. ibid. 380 XXI. Lear. ibid. 384 XXII. Macbeth's Soliloquy. ibid. 3S5 XXlli. Macduff, Malcolm, and Rode. ibid. 386 XXIV. Antony's Soliloquy over Cæsar's Body. ibid. 390 XXV. Antony's Funeral Oration over Caesar's Eody. ibid. 391 XXVI. The Quarrel of Brutus and Cassius. ibid. 394 JXVW. Othello and Iago. ibid. 398 X^VHI. Hamlet's Soliloquy on his Mother's Marriage, ibid. 404 XJsaX. Hamlet and Ghost. ibid. 406 XfX.

Hamlet's Soliloquy en Death. ibid. 409 XXX\- Soliloquy of the King in Hamlet. ibid. 410 XXflf Ode on St. Cecilia's Day. Pope. 412 XXffH. Alexander's Feast. Dryden. js,\-j

Book I. Select Sentences

CHAP. L TO be ever active in laudable pursuits, is the distinguishing characteristic of a man of merit. There is an heroic innocence, as well as an heroic courage. There is a mean in all things. Even virtue itself hath its stated limits ; which not being strictly observed, it cea ses to be virtue. It is wiser to prevent a quarrel beforehand, than to revenge it afterwards. It is much better to reprove, than to be angry secretly. No revenge is more heroic, than that which torments en vy, by doing good. The discretion of a man deserreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. Money, like manure, does no good till it is spread. B There SELECTSENTENCES. Book I. 2 There is no real use of riches, except in the distribution ; the rest is all conceit. A wise man will desire no more than what he may get justly, use soberly, distribute chearfully, and live upon con tentedly.

A contented mind, and a good conscience, will make a man happy in all conditions. He knows not how to fear, who dares to die. There is but one way of fortifying the foul against all gloomy presages and terrors of mind ; and that is, by secur ing to ourselves the friendship and protection of that Being who disposes of events, and governs futurity. Philosophy is then only valuable, when it serves for the law of life, and not for the ostentation of science. CHAP. II. WITHOUT a friend the world is but a wilderness. A man may have a thousand intimate acquain tances, and not a friend among them all. If you have one friend, think yourself happy. When once you profess yourself a friend, endeavour to be always such. He can never have any true friends, that will be often changing them. Prosperity gains friends, and adversity tries them.

Nothing more engages the affections of men, than a handsome address, and graceful conversation. Complaisance renders a superior amiable, an equal agreeable, and an inferior acceptable. Excess of ceremony shews want of breeding. That civility Chap. III. SELECT SENTENCES. 3 lity is best, which excludes all superfluous formality. Ingratitude is a crime so shameful, that the man was never yet found, who would acknowledge himself guilty of it. Truth is born with us ; and we must do violence to nature, to shake off our veracity. There cannot be a greater treachery, than first to raise a confidence, and then deceive it. By others' faults, wife men correct their own. No man hath a thorough taste of prosperity, to whom ad versity never happened. When our vices leave us, we flatter ourselves that we leave them.

It is as great a point of wisdom to hide ignorance, as to discover knowledge. Pitch upon that course of life which is the most excellent ; and habit will render it the most delightful. CHAP. III. CUSTOM is the plague of wise men, and the idol of fools. As to be perfectly just, is an attribute of the divine nature ; to be so to the utmost of our abilities, is the glory of man. No man was ever cast down with the injuries of fortune, unless he had before suffered himself to be deceived by her favours. Anger may glance into the breast of a wife man, but rests only in the bosom of fools. B 2 None SELECT SENTENCES. Book I. 4 None more impatiently suffer injuries, than those that are most forward in doing them. By taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in pasting it over, he is superior.

To err is human ; to forgive, divine. A more glorious victory cannot be gained over another man, than this, that when the injury began on his part, the kindness should begin on ours. The prodigal robs his heir, the miser robs himself. We Ikould take a prudent care for the future, but so as to enjoy the present. It is no part of wisdom, to be miserable to-day, because we may happen to be so to-morrow. To mourn without measure is folly ; not to mourn at all insensibility. Some would be thought to do great things, who are but tools and instruments ; like the fool who fancied he played upon the organ, when he only drew the bellows. Though a man may become learned by another's learning, he never can be wise but by his own wisdom. He who wants good fense is unhappy in having learning ; for he has thereby more ways of exposing himself.

It is ungenerous to give a man occasion to blush at his own ignorance in one thing, who perhaps may excel us in many. No object is more pleasing to the eye, than the sight of a man whom you have obliged ; nor any music so agreeable to the ear, as the voice of one that owns you for his bene factor. The coin that is most current among mankind is flattery; the only benefit of which is, that by hearing what we are not, we may be instructed what we ought to be. Thi Chap. IV. SELECT SENTENCES. 5 The character os the person who commends you, is to be considered before you set a value on his esteem. The wise man applauds him whom he thinks most virtuous, the rest of the world him who is most wealthy. The temperate man's pleasures are durable, because they are regular ; and all his life is calm and serene, because it is innocent.

A good man will love himself too well to lose, and his neighbour too well to win, an estate by gaming. The love of gaming will corrupt the best principles in the world. CHAP. IV. AN angry man who suppresses his paffions, thinks worse than he speaks ; and an angry man that will chide, speaks worse than he thinks. A good word is an easy obligation ; but not to speak ill requires only our silence, which costs us nothing. It is to affectation the world owes its whole race of cox combs. Nature in her whole drama never drew such apart; see has sometimes made a fool, but a coxcomb is always of his own making. It is the infirmity of little minds, to be taken with every appearance, and dazzled with every thing that sparkles ; but great minds have but little admiration, because sew things appear new to them.

It happens to men of learning, as to ears of corn ; they shoot up, and raise their heads high, while they are empty ; but when full, and swelled with grain, they begin to flag and droop. He that is truly polite, knows how to contradict with re- B 3 spect, Book I. 6 SELECT SENTENCES. spect, and to please without adulation ; and is equally re mote from an insipid complaisance, and a low familiarity. The failings of good men are commonly more published in the world than their good deeds ; and one fault of a de serving man, shall meet with more reproaches, than all his virtues, praise: such is the force of ill will, and ill nature. It is harder to avoid censure, than to gain applause ; for this may be done by one great or wise action in an age ; but to escape censure, a man must pass his whole life without saying or doing one ill or foolish thing.

When Darius offered Alexander ten thousand talents to divide Asia equally with him, he answered, the earth cannot bear two suns, nor Asia two kings. Parmenio, a friend of Alexander's, hearing the great offers Darius had made, said, were I Alexander I would accept them. So would I, replied Alexander, were I Parmenio. Nobility is to be considered only as an imaginary distinction, unless accompanied with the practice of those gene rous virtues by which it ought to be obtained. Titles of ho nour conferred upon such as have no personal merit, are at best but the royal stamp set upon base metal. Though an honourable title may be conveyed to poste rity, yet the ennobling qualities which are the foul of great ness are a fort of incommunicable perfections, and cannot be transferred. If a man could bequeath his virtues by will, and settle his sense and learning upon his heirs, as certainly as he can his lands, a noble descent would then in deed be a valuable privilege.

Truth is always consistent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out. It is always near at hand, and sits upon our Jifsi and is ready to drop out before we are aware: whereas a lit Chap. V. SELECT SENTENCES. 7 lie is troublesome, and sets a man's invention upon the rack; and one trick needs a great many more to make it good. The pleasure which affects the human mind with the most lively and transporting touches, is the sense that we act in the eye of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness, that will crown our virtuous endeavours here with a happiness hereaf ter, large as our desires, and lasting as our immortal souls ; without this the highest state of life is insipid, and with it the lowest is a paradise. CHAP. V. HONOURABLE age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years; but Wisdom is the grey hair unto man, and unspotted life is old age.

Wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always fore casteth evil things : for fear is nothing else, but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth. A wise man will fear in every thing. He that contemn eth small things shall fall by little and little. A rich man begining to fall is held up of his friends ; but a poor man being down is thrust away by his friends : when a rich man is fallen he hath many helpers ; he fpeak eth things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him : the poor man flipt and they rebuked him ; he spoke wisely, and could have no place. When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and look, what he faith they extol B4 it Book I. 8 SELECT SENTENCES. it to the clouds; but if a poor man speak, they say, what fellow is this ?

Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so many as have fallen by the tongue. Well is he that is de fended from it, and hath not passed through the venom thereof ; who hath not drawn the yoke thereof, nor been bound in her bonds ; for the yoke thereof is a yoke of iron, and the bands thereof are bands of brass ; the death thereof is an evil death. My son, blemish not thy good deeds, neither use uncom fortable words, when thou givest any thing. Shall not the dew asswage the heat ? so is a word better than a gift. Lo, is not a word better than a gift ? but both are with a gracious man. Blame not, before thou hast examined the truth ; under stand first, and then rebuke. If thou wouldest get a friend, prove him first and be not hasty to credit him ; for some men are friends for their own occasions, and will not abide in the day of thy trouble.

Forsake not an old friend, for the new is not compara ble to him : a new friend is as new wine ; when it is old, thou shalt drink it with pleasure. A friend cannot be known in prosperity ; and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity. Admonish thy friend ; it may be, he hath not done it ; and if he have, that he do it no more. Admonish thy friend ; it may be he hath not said it, or if he have, that he speak it not again. Admonish a friend; for many times it is a slander ; and believe not every tale. There is one that slip peth in his speech, but not from his heart ; and who is he that hath not offended with his tongue ? Whoso Chap. VI. SELECT SENTENCES. 9 Whoso discovereth secrets lofeth his credit, and shall ne ver find a friend to his mind. Honour thy father with thy whole heart, and forget not the sorrows of thy mother : how canst thou recompense them the things they have done for thee ?

There is nothing so much worth as a mind well instructed. The lips of talkers will be telling such things as pertain not unto them ; but the words of such as have understanding are weighed in the balance. The heart of fools is in their mouth, but the tongue of the wise is in their heart. To labour, and to be content with that a man hath, is a sweet life. Be in peace with many ; nevertheless, have but one coun sellor of a thousand. Be not confident in a plain way. Let reason go before every enterprize, and counsel be fore every action. CHAP. VI. THE latter part of a wise man's life is taken up in curing the follies, prejudices, and false opinions he had contracted in the former. Censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent. Very few men properly speaking live at present, but are providing to live another time.

Party is the madness of many, for the gain of a few. To To endeavour to work upon the vulgar with fine sense, is like attempting to hew blocks of marble with a razor. Superstition is the spleen of the soul. He who tells a lye is not sensible how great a talk he un dertakes ; for he must be forced to invent twenty more to maintain that one. Some people will never learn any thing, for this reason, because they understand every thing too soon. There is nothing wanting to make all rational and dis interested people in the world of one religion, but that they Ihould talk together every day. Men are grateful, in the same degree that they are re sentful. Young men are subtle arguers ; the cloak of honour covers all their faults, as that of passion, all their follies. Œconomy is no disgrace ; it is better living on a little. than out-living a great deal.

Next to the satisfaction I receive in the prosperity of an honest man, I am best pleased with the confusion of a rascal. What is often termed shyness, is nothing more than re fined sense, and an indifference to common observations. The higher character a person supports, the more he should regard his minutest actions. . Every person insensibly fixes upon some degree of refine ment in his discourse, some measure of thought which he thinks worth exhibiting. It is wise to fix this pretty high, although it occasions one to talk the less. To endeavour all one's days to fortify our minds with learning and philosophy, is to spend so much in armour, that one has nothing left to defend. Deference often shrinks and withers as much upon the approach Chap. VII. SELECT SENTENCES 11 approach os intimacy, as the sensitive plant does upon the touch of one's finger.

Men are sometimes accused of pride, merely because their accusers would be proud themselves if they were in their places. » People frequently use this expression, I am inclined to. think so and so, not considering that they are then speaking the most literal of all truths. Modesty makes large amends for the pain it gives the persons who labour under it, by the prejudice it affords eve ry worthy person in their favour. The difference there is betwixt honour and honesty seems to be chiefly in the motive. The honest man does that from duty, which the man of honour does for the fake of character. A liar begins with making falsehood appear like truth, and ends with making truth itself appear like falsehood. Virtue should be considered as a part of taste ; and we should as much avoid deceit, or sinister meanings in discourse, as we would puns, bad language, or false grammar.

CHAP. VII. DEFERENCE is the most complicate, the most indirect, and the most elegant of all compliments. He that lies in bed all a summer's morning, loses the chief pleasure of the day : he that gives up his youth to indolence, undergoes a loss of the fame kind. Shining characters are not always the most agreeable ones. ones. The mild radiance of an emerald, is by no means less pleasing than the glare of the ruby. To be at once a rake, and to glory in the character, discovers at the fame time a bad disposition, and a bad taste. How is it possible to expect that mankind will take ad vice, when they will not so much as take warning ? Although men are accused for not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps as few know their own strength. It is in men as in foils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.

Fine sense and exalted sense are not half so valuable as common sense. There are forty men of wit for one man of sense ; and he that will carry nothing about him but gold, will be every day at a loss for want of ready change. Learning is like mercury, one of the most powerful and excellent things in the world in skilful hands ; in unskilful, most mischievous. A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong ; which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser to day than he was yesterday. Wherever I find a great deal of gratitude in a poor man, I take it for granted there would be as much generosity if he were a rich man. Flowers os rhetoric in sermons or serious discourses, are like the blue and red flowers in corn, pleasing to those who come only for amusement, but prejudicial to him who would reap the profit.

It often happens that those are the best people, whose characters have been most inj ured by slanderers : as we usually find that to be the sweetest fruit, which the birds have been pecking at. The Chap. VII. SELECT SENTENCES. 13 The eye of a critic is often like a microscope, made so very sine and nice, that it discovers the atoms, grains, and minutest articles, without ever comprehending the whole, comparing the parts, or seeing all at once the harmony. Men's zeal for religion is much of the fame kind as that which they shew for a foot-ball ; whenever it is contested for, every one is ready to venture their lives and limbs in the dispute ; but when that is once at an end, it is no more thought on, but sleeps in oblivion, buried in rubbifli, which no one thinks it worth his pains to rake into, -much less to remove.

Honour is but a fictious kind of honesty ; a mean, but a necessary substitute for it, in societies who have none : it is a sort of paper-credit, with which men are obliged to trade, who are deficient in the sterling cash of true morality and religion. Persons of great delicacy should know the certainty of the following truth : there are abundance of cases which occasion suspense, in which whatever they determine they will repent of their determination ; and this through a pro pensity of human nature to fancy happiness in those schemes which it does not pursue. The chief advantage that ancient writers can boast over modern ones seems owing to simplicity. Every noble truth and sentiment was expressed by the former in a natural man ner, in word and phrase simple, perspicuous, and incapable of improvement.

What then remained for later writers, but affectation, witticism, and conoeit ? CHAP. CHAP. VIII. WH AT a piece of work is man ! how noble in reason ! how infinite in faculties ! in form and moving how express and admirable ! in action how like an angel ! in apprehension how like a God ! If to do, were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men's cottages princes' palaces. He is a good divine that follows his own instructions : I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than to be one of the twenty to follow my own teaching. Men's evil manners live in brass ; their virtues we write in water. The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together; our virtues would be proud, if our faults whipped them not ; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues.