The Speaker ... To which is prefixed an essay on elocution ... A new edition, corrected

Front matter

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 X N READING and SPEAKING.' TO WHICH IS PREFIXED AY ON AN ESS E L O C U TION. N F I E L'D, LL.D. By WILLIAM E J.ECTORER ON THE BELLES LETTRES IN THE ACADEMT AT WARRINGTON. A NEW EDITION, CORRECTED. — — — Ocutos, paulum tellure moratos, Sustulit ad proceres ; expectatoque refolvit Ora seno ; nee abed facundis gratia dictis. Ovid; LONDON: _i .TED FOR J. JOHN'SO ., ST. PAUL'S C H U R C H-Y AjlD. MECCLXXXV. T O John Carill Worsley, Esq; late PRESIDENT of the ACADEMY* in WARRINGTON. S I R, THIS work having been undertaken principally with the design of assist ing the Students at Warrington 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 Institu tion, and the important services which you have rendered it.

In this Seminary, which waS at first established, and has been uniformlv con ducted, 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 a themselves, DEDICATION. IV 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 asteady 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 difplay'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.. / am, With sincere RefyeEl and Gratitude , * Dear Sir, Tour much obUged, and most obedient Servant, 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 andufeful accomplishment.

Wich out the laboured panegyricsof ancient or modern orators, the importance osa good elocution is sufficiently 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 faulty and unnatural elocution; and there are few persons who do not daily experience the advan tages ofthe former, or the inconveniencies ofthe latter. The great difficulty is, not to prove that it is a desirable thing to be able to read and speak with propriety, but to point out a prac ticable and easy method by which this accom plishment may be acquired. Follow Nature, is certainly the fundamental law of Oratory, without a regard to which, all o therrules will only produce affected declamation, not just elocution.

Book II. Narrative Pieces

Chap. Page I. The Dervise. II. Turkish Tale. Speliaton ibid. ibid. ibid. T9 20 III. Avarice and Luxury. IV. Pleasure and Pain. "V. Labour. 21 -1 World. ibid. 26 VI. The old Man and his Ass. VII. Hercules's Choice. Taller. 2 i VIII. Pity. IX. The Dead Ass. X. The Sword. Mrs. Barbau/d. 3« Sterne. ibid. 3» 34 XI. Maria. ibid. 36 XII. The Camelion. Merrick. 4- XIII. The Youth and the Philosopher. Whitebead. XIV. Sir Balaam. . Pope. 4* 46 XV. Edwin and Imma. Mallet. 4s XVI. Celadon and Amelia. 'Thomson. XVII. Juno and Theana. Grainger. XVIII. Douglas to Lord Randolph. Home. 5* 5. XIX. Othello's Apology. Shakespear.

Book III. Didactic Pieces

I. On Modesty. J I. On Cheerfulness Spectator. ibid/. e? 65 III. On *,i CONTENTS. XXXI Ch,.. . Page Tilhtfon. 68 Guardian. 71 Rambler. 74. • ibid. 78 III. On Sincerity. IV. On Honour. V. On Good Humour. VI. On the Knowledge of the World. VII. On the Advantages of uniting Gentleness of Manners with Firmness of Mind. Lord Chesterfield. 80 VIII. On Good Sense. Melmoth. 83 IX. On Study. Bacon. 84 X. On Satiric:. Wit. Sierne. 85 XI. Hamlet's Instructions to the Players. Shalejpcar. 87 XII. The present Cosdition of Man vindicated. Pope. 88 XIII. On the Order of Nature. ibid. 90 XIV. The Origin of Superstition and Tyranny. ibid. gz XV. On Happiness. ibid. 95 XVI. On Virtue. ibid. 97 XVII. On Versification. ibid. 100 XVIII. Lessons on Wisdom. Armstrong. 101 XIX. Against Indolence ; an Epistle. 104 XX.

Elegy to a young Nobleman. Mason. 107 XXI. On the Miseries of Human Life. Thomson. 109 XXII. Reflections on a Future State. ibid. no XXIII. On Procrastination. Young. na XXIV. The Pain arising from Virtuous Emotions attended with Pleasure. Akenfide. nj XXV. On Taste. ibid. 117 XXVI. The Pleasures arising from a cultivated Imagination, ibid. 119

Book IV. Argumentative

PI*ECES I. On Anger. II. Virtue our highest Interest. HI. The fame Subject. IV. On the Immortality of the Sou!. V. On the Being of a God. Holland. i_s Harris. 12S ibid. 1 30 Spectator. 131 Young. 1 34

Book V Orations

and HARANGUES. I. Junius Brutus over the dead Body of Lucretia. h'vvy. 13S II. Hannibal to his Soldiers. ibid. 138 HI. C Marius to the Romans, on their hesitating to appoint him General in thc Expedition against jugurtha, merely »n Account of hi3 Exttactioa. Saltust. 141 IV. CaUsthenes's The CONTENTS. X-rxii Chat. Califthenes's Reproof of Cleon's Flattery to Alexander. Quintus Curtius. J45 The Scythian Ambassadors to Alexander. ibid. 146 IV. V. VI. Galgacus the General ofthe Caledonii to his Army, to incite them to Action against the Romans. lacitus. 149 The Earl of Arundel's Speech, proposing an Accommodation between Henry-II. and Stephen'. Lord Lyttehon. I52. Mr. Pulteney's Speech on the Motion for reducing the Army. 158 VII. VIII. IX. Sir John St. Aubin's Speech for repealing the Septennial Act. 161 X. XI.

Sir Robert Walpole's Reply. 1 6* Lord Lyttelton's Speech on the Repeal of the Act called the Jew Bill, in the Year 1753. 174 In Praise of Virtue. Price. I-'3. XII. XIII. XIV. in I rail, or vinue. jrricc. _' . The Speech of Brutus on the Death of Cæsar. Shakespear. 179 Glocefter's Speech to the Nobles. Hid. i8» BOO K VI. I A L O GUES D I. On Happiness. . Harris. II. The fame Subject. ibid. HI. On Criticism. Sterne. JV. On Negroes. ibid. V. Rivers and Sir Harry. F<i//_ Delicacy. VI. Sir John Melvil and Sterling. Clandefiine Marriage. VII. Belcour and Stockwell. /_?/? !___ VIII. Lord Eustace and Frampton. School for Rakes. IX. Duke and Lord. Shake/pear. Xj Duke and Jaques. ibid. XI. Henry and Lord Chief Justice. i__. XII. Archbishopof Canterbury and Biihop of Ely. ibid. XIII. Kamlet and Horatio. ibid. XIV. Brutus and Cassius. ibid. XV. Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus. ibid. lS2 . ■:'. 193 J95 ig6 ig8 203 206 2IO 212 2I5 217 220 223 228

Book VII. Descriptive Pieces

I. Sensibility. II. Liberty and Slavery. III. Corporal Trim's Eloquence. IV. Ihe Man of Ross. Sterne. ibid. 231 .33 ibid. 235 Pope. 23d V. The The CONTENTS. XXXIII Chap. Page V. The Country Clergyman. Goldsmith. __8 .VI. The Wish. Green. _4° VII. XJrongarHill. Dyer. 243 VIII. Hymn to Adversity. Gray. 248 IX. Ode on a distant Prospect of Eton College, ibid. 250 X. {Elegy written in a Country Church-Yard. ibid. 254 XI. Warrington Academy. Mrs. Barbauld. 259 XII. Ode to Content. ibid. 264, XIII. Ode to Fear. Collins. 264 XIV. Ode to Truth. Mason. 266 XV. Ode to Fancy. Warton. 268 XVI. L' Allegro. Milton. 273 XVII. IlPenseroso. ibid. 278 XVIII. The Progress of Life. Shakespear. 2S4 XIX. The Entry of Bolingbroke and Richard into London, ibid. 285 XX. Life. XXI. Hotspur's Description of a Fop XXII.

Clarence's Dream. ibid. 286 ibid. 287 ibid. 289 XXIII. Queen Mab. XXIV. The Apothecary. XXV. Ode to Evening. XXVI. Ode to Spring. XXVII. Domestic Love and Happiness. XXVIII. The Pleasures of Retirement. XXIX. Genius. ibid. 29 1 ibid. 292 Collins, 293 __rs. Barbauld. 295 Thomson. ibid. 297 299 Akenfide. ibid. 3Q£ XXX. Greatness. XXXI. Novelty. 3°4 ibid. 3«7 K VIII BOO P A T H E T I C PIECES I. The Story of Le Fevre. Sterne. 309 II. Yorick's Death. ibid. 320 HI. The Eeggar's Petition. 323 IV. Elegy on the Deathof an unfortunate Lady. Pope. 324 V. Morning Hymn. Milton. 327 VI. Satan's Soliloquy. ibid. 329 VII. Juba and Syphax. Cato. 332, VIII. Cato's Soliloquy. ibid. 337 IX. Southampton and Essex. Earl of Essex. 338 X. Jaffier and Pierre. Venice Preserved. 340 XI. Edward and Warwick. Marl of War-wick. 344 XII.

Orlando and Adam. Shakespear. 349 XIII. Scroop and Richard. ibid. 351 XIV. Hotspur and Glendower. / ibid. 354 XV, Hotspur reading a Letter. ibid. 356 0 XVI. HeWy The CONTENTS. Chap. Page XVI. Henry IV. 's Soliloquy on Sleep. Shakespear. 357 XVII. Henry IV. and Prince Henry. ibid. 358 XVIII. Henry V. to his Soldiers. ibid. 363 XIX. Henry VI. Warwick, and Cardinal Beaufort, ibid. 364 XX. Wolsey and Cromwell. XXI. Lear. XXII. Macbeth's Soliloquy. XXIII. Macduff, Malcolm, and Rosse. XXIV. Antony's Soliloquy over Cæsar's Body. ibid. 366 ibid. 370 ibid. 371 ibid. 372 ibid. 375 XXV. Antony's Funeral Oration over Cæsar's Body. ibid. 376 XXVI. The Quarrel of Erutus and Cassius. ibid. 379 XXVII. Othello and Iago. ibid. 383 XXVIII. Hamlet's Soliloquy on his Mother's Marriage, ibid. 3S9 XXIX. Hamlet and Ghost. ibid. 390 XXX.

Hamlet's Soliloquy on Death. ibid. 394 XXXI. Soliloquy of the King in Hamlet. ibid. 395 XXXII. Ode on St. Cecilia's Day. Pope. 396 XXXIII. Alexander's Feast. Drjdtti. 401 BOOK

Book I. Select Sentences

CHAP. I. TO be ever active in laudable pursuits, is the distinguishing characteristic of a man of merit. There is an heroic innocence, as well as aa heroic courage. There is a mean in all things. Even virtue itself hath its stated limits ; which not being strictly observed, it ceases 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 tormenti envy, by doing good. The discretion of a man deferretH his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. Monet, like manure, does no good till it is spread. There is no real use of riches, except in the distribution : the rest is all conceit. C 2 A WISE A wise man will desire no more than what he may get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, 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 secu ring 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. linTHOUT a friend the world is but a wilderness. A man may have a thousand intimate acquaint ances, 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 ci vility is best, which excludes all superfluous formality. Ingratitude isa crime so shameful, that the manwas r.ever yet found, who would acknowledge himself guilty •fit. Truth Chap.HL SELECT SENTENCES. 3 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 adversity 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 excel lent; and habit will render it the most delightful. CHAP. nr. CU S T O M is the plague of wife 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. 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 passing it over, he is superior. To err is human ; to forgive, divine.

A more glorious victory cannot be gained over another C 3 man 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 should take a prudent care for the future, but so as to enjoy the present. It is no part of wisdom to be miser able 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 blew the bellows. Thouch a man may become learned by another's learning ; he never can be wife but by his own wisdom. He who wants good fense, is unhappy in having learn. ing, 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 fector. 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. The character of 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, be cause it is innocent.

A goou Chap. IV.' SELECT SENTENCES. 5 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. A N angry man who suppresses his passions, 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 a part ; she has sometimes made a fool, but a coxcomb is al ways 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 few 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 respect, and to please without adulation ; and is equally remote from an insipid complaisance, and a low familiarity. The failings of good men are commonly more published itt. 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 C 4. to SELECT SENTENCES. Boo* I. 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 practica of those ge nerous virtues by which it ought to be obtained. Titles of honour 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 soul of great ness, are a sort 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; indeed be a very 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 lips, and is ready to drop out before we are aware : whereas a 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 molt 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 here after, large as ourdesires, and lasting as our immortal souls ; without this the highest stute of life is insipid, and with it the lowest is a paradise. CHAP. Chap.V. select sentences. 7 CHAP. V. HO N O U R A B L E age is not that which standeth ia length of time, nor that is measured by number of years ; but wisdom is the grey hair unto man, and un spotted 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 beginning 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 speak eth things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him : the poor man slipt and they rebuked him ; he spoke wisely, and could have no plate. When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and look, what he faith they extol 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. Mr son, blemish not thy good deeds, neither use uncom fortable words, when thou givest any thing. Shall not the dew assuage the heat ? so is a word better than a gift. Lo, is Book I. 8 SELECT SENTENCES. is not a word better than a gift ? bat both are with a gracious man. Blame not, before thou hast examined the truth ; un derstand first, and then rebuke. If thou wouldest get a friend, prove him first, and be not lasty 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 ene my cannot be hidden in adversity. Admonish thy friend ; it may be he hath not done it ; and ifhe 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 Bander; and believe not every tale. There is one that fiippeth in his speech, but not from his heart ; and who is he that hath not offended with his tongue ? Whoso difcovereth secrets loseth his credit, and shall never 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 in structed. The lips of talkers will be telling such things a« pertain not unto them ; but the words of such as have understand ing 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. Bs Chap. VI. SELECT SENTENCES. 9 v/ Be in peace with many; nevertheless, have but one counsellor of a thousand. Be not confident in a plain' way. Let reason go before every enterprize, and counsel be fore every action. CHAP. VI. r I ' HE latter part osa wise man's life is taken up in cu. -"- ring 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. Vert few men, properly speaking, live at present, but are providing to live another time.

Partt is the madness of many, for the gain of a few: To endeavour to work upon the vulgar with sine sense, is like attempting to hew blocks of marble with a razor. Superstition is the spleen ofthe soul. He who tells a lye is not sensible how great a task he undertakes-; for he must be forced to invent twenty more to maintain that one. Some people will never learn anything, 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 th'ey should 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. ŒCONOMT (Economy 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 soyness, 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 sixes upon some degree of re finement in his discourse, some measure of thought which he thinks worth exhibiting. It is wise to six this pretty fiigh, 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 of intimacy, as the sensitive plant does upon the teach of one's singer.

Men are sometimes accused of pride, merely because their accusers would be proud, themselves if they were in their places. Pecple 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 every 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 DA, Chap. VII. SELECT SENTENCES. 11 A liar begins with making falshood appear like truth, and ends with making truth itself appear like falshood. Virtue should be considered as a part of taste ; and we should as much avoid deceit, orsinistermeaningsindiscourse, as we would puns, bad language, or false grammar.

CHAP. VII. T^V EFERENCE is the most complicate, the most in •^~* direct, aud 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. The mild radiance of an emerald, is by no means less pleasing than the glare ofthe 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. Hew is it possible to expect that mankind will take ad vice, when they will not so much as take warning? Althouch men are accused for not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps as few know their own strength. It u in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the author knows not of.

Fine fense and exalted sense are not half so valuable as common sense. There are forty men of wit for one man of fense ; 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 ofthe 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 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 genero sity if he were a rich man. Flowers of rhetoric in sermons or serious discourses, are like jhe 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 injured by slanderers: as we usually find that to be the sweetest fruit, which the birds have been pecking at. The eye ofthe critic is often like a microscope, made so very fine 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 soew 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 rubbiso, which no one thinks it worth his pains to rake into, much less to remove. Honour is but a fictitious kind of honesty ; a mean, but a necessary substitute for it, in societies who have none : it is a fort of paper-credit.with which men are obliged to trade, who are deficient in the sterling casoof true morality and religion.

Persons of great delicacy soould know the certainty of the following truth : there are abundance of cases which occasion suspense, in which whatever they determine they will repent of the determination ; and this through a propensity Chap. VIII. SELECT SENTENCES. 13 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 conceit ? CHAP. VIII. WH A T 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 !