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pendent on power, but the guide of all power. Virtue is the foundation of honour and esteem, and the fource of all beauty, order, and happiness, in nature. It is what confers value on all the other endowments and qualities of a reasonable being, to which they ought to be absolutely 'fubfervient; and without which, the more eminent they are, the more hideous deformities and the greater curfes they become.

The use of it is not confined to any one stage of our existence, or to any particular fituation we can be in, but reaches through all the periods and circumstances of our being. Many of the endowments and talents we now poffefs, and of which we are too apt to be proud, will ceafe entirely with the prefent ftate; but this will be our ornament and dignity, in every future ftate to which we may be removed. Beauty and wit will die, learning will vanifh away, and all the arts of life be foon forgot; but virtue will remain for ever. This unites us to the whole rational creation; and fits us for converfing with any order of fuperiour natures, and for a place in any part of God's works. It procures us the approbation and love of all wife and good beings, and renders them our allies and friends. But what is of unfpeakably greater confequence is, that it makes God our friend, affimilates and unites our minds to his, and engages his Almighty power in our defence. Superiour beings of all ranks are bound by it no lefs than ourselves. It has the fame authority in all worlds that it has in this. The further any being is advanced in excellence and perfection, the greater is his attachment to it, and the more is he under its influence. To fay no more, it is the law of the whole universe, it stands first in the eftimation of the Deity, its original is his nature, and it is the very object that makes him lovely.

Such is the importance of virtue. Of what confequence, therefore, is it that we practise it! There is no argument or motive in any respect fitted to influence a reasonable mind, which does not call us to this. One virtuous difpofition of foul is preferable to the greatelt natural accomplishments and abilities, and of more value than all the treasures of the world.If you are wife, then, ftudy virtue, and contemn every thing that

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can come in competition with it. Remember, that nothing else deserves one anxious thought or with. Remember, that this alone is honour, glory, wealth, and happiness. Secure this, and you fecure every thing Lofe this, and all is loft.

VII. Addrefs to Art.

ART! thou diftinguishing attribute and honour of human kind! who art not only able to imitate nature in her graces, but even to adorn her with graces of thine own! Poffeffed of thee, the meaneft genius grows deferving, and has a juft demand for a portion of our efteem: devoid of thee, the brightest of our kind lie loft and ufelefs, and are but poorly distinguished from the moft defpicable and bafe. When we inhabited foreits in common with brutes, nor otherwife known from them than by the figure of our fpecies, thou taughteft us to affert the fovereignty of our nature, and to affume that empire for which providence intended us. Thousands of utilities owe their birth to thee; thousands of elegancies, pleasures, and joys, without which life itfelf would be but an infipid poffeffion.

Wide and extensive is the reach of thy dominion. No element is there, either fo violent or fo fubtile, fo yielding or fo fluggish, as, by the powers of its nature, to be fuperiour to thy direction. Thou dreadeft not the fierce impetuofity of Fire, but compelleft its violence to be both obedient and useful. By it thou fofteneft the ftubborn tribe of minerals, so as to be formed and moulded into fhapes innumerable. Hence weapons, armour, coin: and, previous to these and other thy works and ener gies, hence all thofe various tools and inftruments, which empower thee to proceed to farther ends more excellent. Nor is the fubtile Air lefs obedient to thy power, whether thou willeft it to be a minister to our pleasure or utility. At thy command, it giveth birth to founds,, which charm the foul with all the powers of harmony. Under thy inftruction, it moves the fhip over feas; while that yielding element, where otherwife we tink, even Water itself is by thee taught to bear us; the vast ocean, to promote that intercourfe of nations which ignorance would imagine it was deftined to intercept.

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To fay how thy influence is feen on Earth, would be to teach the meaneft what he knows already. Suffice it but to mention, fields of arable and pasture; lawns, and groves, and gardens, and plantations; cottages, villages, caftles, towns; palaces, temples, and fpacious cities.

Nor does thy empire end in fubjects thus inanimate. Its power alfo extends through the various race of Animals, who either patiently fubmit to become thy flaves, or are fure to find thee an irrefiftible foe. The faithful dog, the patient ox, the generous horfe, and the mighty elephant, are content all to receive their inftructions from thee, and readily to lend their natural instincts or ftrength to perform thofe offices which thy occafions call for. If there be found any fpecies which are serviceable when dead, thou fuggeftelt the means to investigate and take them: if any be fo favage as to refufe being tamed, or of natures fierce enough to venture an attack, thou teacheft us to fcorn their brutal rage, to meet, repel, purfue, and conquer.

Such, O Art! is thy amazing influence, when thou art employed only on these inferiour fubjects, on natures. inanimate, or at belt irrational. But, whenever thou chooseft a fubject more noble, and settest to the cultivating of Mind itfelf, then 'tis thou becomeft truly amiable and divine, the ever-flowing fource of thofe fublimer beauties of which no fubject but mind alone is capable. Then 'tis thou art enabled to exhibit to mankind the admired tribe of poets and orators, the facred train of patriots and heroes, the god-like lift of philofophers and legiflators, the forms of virtuous and equal polities, ..where private welfare is made the fame with public, where crowds themfelves prove difinterefted, and virtue is made a national and popular characteristic.

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Hail! facred fource of all these wonders! Thyfelf inftruct me to praife thee worthily; through whom, whatever we do, is done with elegance and beauty; without whom, what we do is ever gracelefs and deformed. Venerable power! by what name fhall I address thee? Shall I call thee Ornament of mind, or art thou more truly Mind itfelf! 'Tis Mind thou art, most perfect Mind: not rude, untaught; but fair and polished. In

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fuch thou dwelleft; of fuch thou art the form; nor is it a thing more poffible to separate thee from fuch, than it would be to feparate thee from thy own existence.

VIII. Flattery.

FLATTERY is a manner of converfation very fhameful in itself, but beneficial to the flatterer.

If a flatterer is upon a public walk with you, “Do but mind," fays he, " how every-one's eye is upon you. Sure there is not a man in Athens that is taken fo much notice of. You had juftice done you yesterday in the portico. There were above thirty of us together; and, the question being started who was the most confiderable perfon in the commonwealth-the whole company was of the fame fide. In fhort, Sir, every one made familiar with your name." He follows this whifper with thousand other flatteries of the fame nature.

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Whenever the perfon to whom he would make his court begins to speak, the fycophant begs the company to be filent, mott impudently praifes him to his face, is in raptures all the while he talks, and, as foon as he has done, cries out, That is perfectly right! When his pa tron aims at being witty upon any man, he is ready to burft at the fmartnefs of his raillery, and stops his mouth with his handkerchief that he may not laugh out. If he calls his children about him, the flatterer has a pocket, ful of apples for them, which he distributes among them with a great deal of fondness, wonders to fee fo many fine boys, and, turning about to the father, tells him they are all as like him as they can ftare.

When he is invited to a feaft, he is the first man that calls for a glass of wine, and is wonderfully pleafed with the delicioufnels of the flavour; gets as near as poffible to the man of the house, and tells him with much concern that he eats nothing himself. He fingles out some particular dish, and recommends it to the reft of the company for a rarity. He defires the master of the feaft to fit in a warmer part of the room, begs him to take more care of his health, and advises him to put on a fupernumerary garment in this cold weather. He is in a close whifper with him during the whole entertainment, and

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has neither eyes nor ears for any one elfe in the company.

If a man fhows him his house, he extols the architect, admires the gardens, and expatiates upon the furniture. If the owner is grofsly flattered in a picture, he outflatters the painter; and, though he difcovers a great likeness in it, can by no means allow that it does justice to the original.In Thort, his whole bufinefs is to ingratiate himself with those who hear him, and to wheedle them out of their fenfes.

IX. The abfent Man.

MENALCAS comes down in the morning: opens his door to go out; but shuts it again, because he perceives he has his night-cap on; and, examining himself further, finds that he is but half-fhaved, that he has stuck his fword on his right fide, that his ftockings are about his heels, and that his fhirt is over his breeches.

When he is dreffed, he goes to court; comes into the drawing-room; and, walking upright under a branch of candlesticks, his wig is caught up by one of them, and hangs dangling in the air. All the courtiers fall alaughing; but Menalcas laughs louder than any of them, and looks about for the perfon that is the jeft of the company. Coming down to the court-gate, he finds a coach; which, taking for his own, he whips into it; and the coachman drives off, not doubting but he carries bis mafter. As foon as he ftops, Menalcas throws himself out of the coach, croffes the court, afcends the ftair-cafe, and runs through all the chambers with the greateft familiarity, repofes himfelf on a couch, and fancies himfelf at home. The mafter of the house at laft comes in. Menalcas rifes to receive him, and defires him to fit down. He talks, mufes, and then talks again. The gentleman of the house is tired and amazed. Menalcas is no lefs fo; but is every moment in hopes that His impertinent gueft will at laft end his tedious vifit. Night comes on, when Menalcas is hardly convinced.

When he is playing at backgammon, he calls for a full glafs of wine and water. It is his turn to throw. He has the box in one hand, and his glafs in the other; and, being extremely dry and unwilling to lofe time, he fwal

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