2. And none of sin lamented more, or sighed 3. 4. All knees were weary; with one hand he put And with the other took a shilling out. On charitable lists, those trumps which told The poor a benefit, and half the alms They told of, took themselves to keep them sounding; His virtues being over-done, his face Too grave, his prayers too long, his charities could see LESSON CV. Mental Improvement. 1. No man is obliged to learn and know every thing, for it is utterly impossible; yet all persons are under some obligation to improve their own understanding. Universal ignorance or infinite errours will overspread the mind which is neglected, and lies without cultivation. Skill in the sciences is, indeed, the business and profession but of a small part of mankind; but there are many others placed in such a rank in the world, as allows them much leisure and large opportunities to cultivate their reason, and enrich their minds with various knowledge. 2. The common duties and benefits of society which belong to every man living, and even our necessary relations to a family, a neighbourhood, or government, oblige all persons whatsoever to use their reasoning powers upon a thousand occasions; every hour of life calls for some regular exercise of our judgement as to times and things, persons and actions; without a prudent and discreet determination in matters before us, we shall be plunged into perpetual errours in our conduct. Now, that which should always be practised, must at some time be learned. 3. Besides, every son and daughter of Adam has a most important concern in the affairs of a life to come, and, therefore, it is a matter of the highest moment for every one to under stand, to judge, and to reason right about the things of religion. It is vain for any to say, we have no leisure or time for it. 4. The daily intervals of time, and vacancies from necessary labour, together with the one day in seven in the Christian world, allow sufficient opportunity for this, if men would but apply themselves to it with half so much zeal and diligence as they do to the trifles and amusements of this life; and it would turn to infinitely better account. 5. There are five eminent means or methods whereby the mind is improved in the knowledge of things; and these are observation, reading, instruction by lectures, conversation, and meditation, which last, in a peculiar manner, is called study. 6. Observation is the notice that we take of all occurrences in human life, whether they are sensible or intellectual, whether relating to persons or things, to ourselves or others. It is this that furnishes us, even from our infancy, with a rich variety of ideas and propositions, words and phrases. 7. All those things which we see, hear, or feel, which we per ceive by sense or consciousness, or which we know in a direct manner, with scarce any exercise of our reflecting faculties or our reasoning powers, may be included under the general name of observation. There is no time or place, no transactions, occurrences, or engagements in life, which exclude us from this method of improving the mind. 8. Reading is that means of knowledge, whereby we acquaint ourselves with the affairs, actions, and thoughts of the living and the dead, in the most remote nations, and most distant ages. By reading, we learn not only the actions and sentiments of dif ferent nations and ages, but transfer to ourselves the knowledge and improvements of the most learned men, the wisest and best of mankind. 9. It is another advantage of reading, that we may review what we have read; we may consult the page again and again, and meditate on it at successive periods in our retired hours. Unless a reader has an uncommon and most retentive memory, there is scarcely any book or chapter worth reading once, that is not worthy of second perusal. 10. Publick or private lectures are such verbal instructions as are given by a teacher while the learners attend in silence. An instructer, when he paraphrases and explains other authors, can mark out the precise point of difficulty or controversy, and unfold it. When he teaches us natural philosophy, or most parts of mathematical learning, he can convey to our senses those notions, with which he would furnish our minds. He can make the experiments before our eyes. He can describe figures and diagrams, point to the lines and angles, and by sensible means make out the demonstration in a more intelligible manner. 11. Conversation is that method of improving our minds, wherein, by mutual discourse and inquiry, we learn the sentiments of others, as well as communicate our own. By friendly conference, not only the doubts which arise in the mind upon any subject of discourse are easily proposed and solved, but the very difficulties we meet with in books and in our private studies may find a relief. A man of vast reading, without conversation, is like a miser, who lives only to himself. 12. Meditation, or study, includes all those exercises of the mind, whereby we render all the former methods useful, for our increase in true knowledge and wisdom. By meditation. we fix in our memory whatsoever we learn, and form our own judgement of the truth or falsehood, the strength or weakness of what others speak or write. 13. Neither our own observation, nor reading the works of the learned, nor attendance on the best lectures of instruction, nor enjoying the brightest conversation, can ever make a man truly knowing and wise, without the labours of his own reason in surveying, examining, and judging, concerning all subjects upon the best evidence he can acquire.-WATTS. LESSON CVI. The Broken-hearted Woman. 1. How many bright eyes grow dim; how many soft cheeks grow pale; how many lovely forms fade away into the tomb, and none can tell the cause that blighted their loveliness. As the dove will clasp its wings to its side, and cover and conceal the arrow that is preying on its vitals, so it is the nature of woman to hide from the world the pangs of wounded affection. 2. The love of a delicate female is always shy and silent. Even when fortunate she scarcely breathes it to herself; but when otherwise, she buries it in the recesses of her boson and there lets it cower and brood among the ruins of her peace. With her the desire of the heart has failed. 3. The great charm of existence is at an end. She neglects all the cheerful exercises that gladden the spirits, quicken the pulses, and send the tide of life in healthful currents through the veins. Her rest is broken; the sweet refreshment of sleep is poisoned by melancholy dreams; "dry sorrow drinks her blood," until her enfeebled frame sinks under the least external assailment. 4. Look for her after a little while, and you find friendship weeping over her untimely grave, and wondering that one, who but lately glowed with all the radiance of health and beauty, should now be brought down to "darkness and the worm. You will be told of some wintry chill, some slight indisposition, that laid her low; but no one knows the mental malady that previously sapped her strength, and made her so easy a prey to the spoiler. 5. She is like some tender tree, the pride and beauty of the grove; graceful in its form, bright in its foliage, but with the worm preying at its core. We find it suddenly withering, when it should be most fresh and luxuriant. We see it drooping its branches to the earth, and shedding leaf by leaf; until, wasted and perished away, it falls even in the stillness of the forest; and as we muse over the beautiful ruin, we strive in vain to recollect the blast or thunderbolt that could have smitten it with decay. 6. I have seen many instances of women running to waste and self-neglect, and disappearing gradually from the earth, almost as if they had been exhaled to heaven; and have repeatedly fancied that I could trace their deaths through the various declensions of consumption, colds, debility, languor, melancholy, until I reached the first symptom of disappointed love. W. IRVING. LESSON CVII. Summer Morning. 1. SWEET the beams of rosy morning, See the king of day appearing, 2. Lovely songsters join their voices, And in praise his pleasure shows! 3. May each morn, that, in succession, LESSON CVIII. Nothing Formed in Vain. 1. Let no presuming impious railer tax Shall little haughty Ignorance pronounce And lives the man, whose universal eye Has swept at once the unbounded scheme of things : Marked their dependance so, and firm accord, As with unfaltering accent to conclude, |