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expofed to the artifices of courts; I will never pant for public honours, nor disturb my quiet with the affairs of ftate.' Such was my fcheme of life, which I impressed indelibly upon my memory."

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The first part of my enfuing time was to be spent in fearch of knowledge, and I know not how I was diverted from my design. I had no vifible impediment, without, nor any ungovernable paffions within. I regarded knowledge as the highest honour, and the most engaging pleaf ure; yet day ftole upon day, and month glided after month, till I found that feven years of the first ten had vanished, and left nothing behind them. I now poftponed my purpose of travelling; for why fhould I go abroad, while fo much remained to be learned at home? Ĭ immured myfelf for four years, and ftudied the laws of the empire. The fame of my fkill reached the judges; I was found able to speak upon doubtful queftions; and was commanded to ftand at the footstool of the calif. I was heard with attention; I was confulted with confidence; and the love of praise faftened on my heart."

"I ftill wifhed to fee diftant countries; liftened with rapture to the relations of travellers; and refolved fome time to afk my difmiffion, that I might feast my foul with novelty; but my prefence was always neceffary; and the ftream of bufinefs hurried me along. Sometimes I was afraid left I fhould be charged with ingratitude; but I ftill proposed to travel, and therefore would not confine myself by marriage."

"In my fiftieth year, I began to fufpect that the time of travelling was paft; and thought it beft to lay hold on the felicity yet in my power, and indulge myself in domestic pleafures. But at fifty no man eafily finds a woman beautiful as the Houries, and wife as Zobeide. I inquired and rejected, confulted and deliberated, till the fixty-fecond year made me ashamed of wishing to marry. I had now nothing left but retirement; and for retirement I never found a time, till difeafe forced me from public employ

ment."

Suchw was my fcheme, and fuch has been its confequence. With an infatiable thirst for knowledge, I trifled away the years of improvement; with a reftlefs defire of feeing dif ferent countries, I have always refided in the fame city

with the highest expectation of connubial felicity, I have lived unmarried; and with unalterable refolutions of contemplative retirement, I am going to die within the walls of Bagdat."

SECTION XI.

THE PLEASURES OF VIRTUOUS SENSIBILLITY.

DR. JOHNSON.

THE good effects of true fenfibility on general virtue and happiness, admit of no difpute. Let us confider its effect on the happinefs of him who poffeffes it, and the various pleasures to which it gives him accefs. If he is master of riches or influence, it affords him the means of increasing his own enjoyment, by relieving the wants, or increafing the comforts of others. If he commands not these advantages, yet all the comforts, which he fees in the poffeffion of the deferving, become in fome fort his, by his rejoicing in the good which they enioy. Even the face of nature yields a fatisfaction to him, which the infenfible can never know. The profufion of goodness which he beholds poured forth on the universe, dilates his heart with the thought, that innumerable multitudes around him are bleft and happy. When he fees the labours of men appearing to profper, and views a country flourishing in wealth and industry; when he beholds the fpring coming forth in its beauty, reviving the decayed face of nature; or in autumn beholds the fields loaded with plenty, and the year crowned with all its fruits; he lifts his affections with gratitude to the great Fa ther of all, and rejoices in the general felicity and joy.

It may indeed be objected, that the fame fenfibility lays open the heart to be pierced with many wounds, from the diftreffes which abound in the world; expofes us to frequent fuffering from the participation which it communicates of the forrows, as well as of the joys, of friendship. But let it be confidered, that the tender melancholy of fympathy, is accompanied with a fenfation, which they who feel it would not exchange for the gratifications of the selfish. When the heart is ftrongly moved by any of the kind affections, even when it pours itself forth in virtuous forrow, a fecret/attrac tive charm mingles with the painful emotion; here is a joy in the midft of grief. Let it be farther confidered, that the griefs which fenfibility introduces, are/counterbalanced by pleasures which flow from the fame fource. Senfibility

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heightens in general the human powers, and is connected with acuteness in all our feelings. If it makes us more alive to fome painful fenfations, in return, it renders the pleafing ones more vivid and animated. The felfifh man languishes in his narrow circle of pleafures. They are confined to what affects his own intereft. He is obliged to repeat the fame (gratifications, till they become infipid. But the man of virtuous fenfibility moves in a wider fphere of felicity. His powers are much more frequently called forth. into occupations of pleafing activity. Numberlefs occafions open to him of indulging his favourite tafte, by conveying fatisfaction to others. Often it is in his power, in one way or other, to footh the afflicted heart; to carry fome confo-lation into the houfe of wo. In the fcenes of ordinary life, in the domeftic and focial intercourfes of men, the cordiality of his affections cheers and gladdens him. Every appearance, every defcription of innocent happiness, is enjoyed by him. Every native expreffion of kindnefs and affection among others, is felt by him, even though he be not the object of it. Among a circle of friends enjoying one another,, he is as happy as the happieft. In a word, he lives in a different fort of world from what the felfish man inhabits. He poffeffes a new fenfe that enables him to behold objects. which the selfish cannot fee. At the fame time, his enjoy-ments are not of that kind which remain/merely on the furface of the mind. They penetrate the heart. They enlarge and elevate, they refine and ennobleit. To all the pleafing emotions of affection, they add the dignified confcioufnefs of virtue. Children of men! men formed by nature to live and to feel as brethren! how long will ye continue to leftrange your felves from one another by /competitions and jealoufies, when in cordial union ye might be fo much more bleft? How long will ye feek your happiness in felfish gratifications alone, neglecting thofe purer and bet-ter fources of joy, which flow from the affections and the heart?

SECTION XII.

ON THE TRUE. HONOUR OF MAN.

A

BLAIR..

THE proper honour of man arifes not from fome of thofe fplendid actions and abilities, which excite high admiration. Courage and prowefs, military renown, fignal victories and!

conquests, may render the name of a man famous, without rendering his character truly honourable. To many brave men, to many heroes renowned in ftory, we look up with wonder. Their exploits are recorded. Their praises are fung. They stand as on aneminence above the eft of mankind. Their eminence, nevertheless, may not be of that fort, before which we bow with inward esteem and refpect. Something more is wanted for that purpofe, than the conquering arm, and the intrepid mind. The laurels of the warrior must at all times be dyed in blood, and bedewed with the tears of the widow and the orphan. But if they have been stained by rapine and inhumanity; if fordid avarice has marked his character; or low and gross fenfuality has degraded his life; the great hero finks into a little What at a distance, or on a fuperficial view, we admired, becomes mean, perhaps odious, when we examine it more clofely. It is like the Coloffal ftatue, whofe immenfe fize ftruck the spectator afar off with astonishment; but when nearly viewed, it appears difpropotioned, unshapely, and rude.

man.

Obfervations of the fame kind may be applied to all the reputation derived from civil accomplishments; from the refined politics of the ftatefman; or the literary efforts of genius and erudition. Thefe beftow, and within certain bounds, ought to beftow, eminence and diftinction on men. They discover talents which in themselves are fhining; and which become highly valuable, when employed in advancing the good of mankind. Hence, they frequently give rife to fame. But a distinction is to be made between fame and true honour. The ftatefman, the orator, or the poet, may be famous; while yet the man himself is far from being honoured. We envy his abilities. We wish to rival them. But we would not choofe to be claffed with him who poffeffed them. Inftances of this fort are too often found in every record of ancient or modern history.

From all this it follows, that, in order to difcern where man's true honour lies, we must look, not to any adventitious circumstance of fortune; not to any single sparkling quality; but to the whole of what forms a man ; what entitles him, as fuch, to rank high among that clafs of beings to which he belongs; in a word, we must look to the mind and the foul. A mind fuperior to fear, to selfish interest and

corruption; a mind governed by the principles of uniform rectitude and integrity; the fame in prosperity and adverfity; which no bribe can feduce, nor terror overawe; neither by pleasure melted into effeminacy, nor by distress funk into dejection; fuch is the mind which forms the diftinction and eminence of man. One, who in no fituation of life, is either afhamed or afraid of discharging his duty, and acting his proper part with firmness and conftancy; true to the God whom he worships, and true to the faith in which he profeffes to believe; full of affection to his brethren of mankind; faithful to his friends, generous to his enemies, warm with compaffion to the unfortunate; felfdenying to little private interefts and pleafures, but zealous for public intereft and happiness; magnanimous, without being proud; humble, without being mean; juft, without being harsh; fimple in his manners, but manly in his feelings; on whose word we can entirely rely; whofe countenance never deceives us; whofe profeffions of kindness are the effufions of his heart; one, in fine, whom, independent of any views of advantage, we would choose for a fuperior, could trust in as a friend, and could love as a brother. This is the man, whom in our heart, above all others, we do, we must hon

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THE INFLUENCE OF DEVOTI'N ON THE HAPPINESS OF LIFE.

BLAIR.

WHATEVER promotes and ftrengthens virtue, whatever calms and regulates the temper, is a fource of happiness. Devotion produces these effects in a remarkable degree. It infpires compofure of fpirit, mildnefs, and benignity; weakens the painful, and cherifhes the pleafing emotions; and, by thefe means, carries on the life of a pious man in a fmooth and placid tenor.

Befides exerting this habitual influence on the mind, devotion opens a field of enjoyments, to which the vicious are entire ftrangers; enjoyments the more valuable, as they peculiarly belong to retirement, when the world leaves us; and to adverfity, when it becomes our foe. These are the two seasons, for which every wife man would moft wish to provide fome hidden store of comfort. For let him be placed in the most favourable fituation which the human state admits, the world can neither always

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