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demned to eternal death: but he alone is happy who is innocent and just. For him, immortality is the legitimate and honourable reward, a reward which God, from the beginning, has appointed for those holy and uncorrupted souls that preserve themselves unspotted from the world? Nor can any be partakers of this heavenly and eternal prize, who have polluted their consciences by fraud, rapine, or deceit, whose wrongs against their fellow men, have left stains of guilt that cannot be effaced. 10 Wherefore, if we wish to be deemed wise, and worthily to bear the name of men, it becomes us all to live superior to the vile concerns of earth, in order that, by a blessed necessity, we may be joined to God. Away! then, with impiety; peace!

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If

to those turbulent discords and dissensions which break and dissolve the concord of human society, the heavenly bond of public union, 12 and let our study be, to make ourselves good and beneficent to the utmost of our power. something more than a common share of riches and wealth fall to our lot, let it not be squandered for the pleasure of one, but imparted for the welfare of all. 18 For pleasure is as short-lived as the body to which it ministers; but justice and beneficence are as immortal as the soul, that, by its good deeds, assimilates itself to God. Let us consecrate Him not in temples, but in our hearts; for all things are destructible which are made with hands. Let us purify that

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temple which is defiled 15 not by smoke or by dust, but by evil thoughts; that temple which is illumined not by burning tapers, but by the clear light of wisdom: 16 in which if we think that God is ever present, we shall so live as to have him always propitious, without any cause to fear his wrath.

LACTANTIUS.

68. Comparison between Human and Divine Justice.

ARGUMENTATIVE MANNER:

'A long Pause should precede this passage, and the argumentative manner assume an expression of Warning with Impressive Solemnity.

"Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" is a general rule, the equity of which is so apparent to common sense, that it admits of no dispute, and calls for no explanation. A single mite offered by a poor widow, is a present fit for the King of Heaven, which, from the hand of a rich man would hardly be a decent charity to a poor widow. And thus in all instances to which the rule is applicable.

But plain as this general maxim is, the weakness and wickedness of men have almost totally excluded it from human judicatures. For as it

is in every one's power to pretend ignorance of a law or some other inability, in excuse for crime, so if the excuse were as easily admitted as it could be pleaded, a door would be opened to all kinds of licentiousness, and that fear of punishment would be taken off, which is so necessary a restraint upon the depraved inclinations of men. And since the wisest and ablest judges cannot discern (some few cases perhaps excepted) between real and affected ignorance; or so distinguish between the powers and abilities of one man and of another, as to proportion rewards and punishments according to this rule; therefore the law puts all, except those who are manifestly deficient in reason, upon the same level: it supposes every man to know the laws of his country, and consequently, where a malicious act is proved, it presumes a malicious intention, and the criminal is sentenced accordingly.

But how justifiable soever this proceeding may be upon the necessity there is for it in order to preserve some tolerable degree of peace and quiet in the world; yet it is evident that the general presumptions upon which all human judicatures proceed, do not leave reason for an exact distribution of justice; and it often happens that men are made equal in punishment, who, if all circumstances could be considered, are not equal in crime.-But could you introduce a judge endowed with a perfect knowledge

of men's hearts, there would be an end of all such general presumptions: he would do, in every case, what was exactly right and equitable, and the only standing rule of the court would be that of the text, "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required."

1 One such court there is, in which He who knows the secrets of every heart will sit judge himself; before whose tribunal there will want no evidence to convict the guilty, no advocate to defend the innocent: there, no pretended excuse will be admitted, no real one excluded: there, every man with all his actions, with all his talents and abilities, and all his opportunities of knowing the will of God, will be weighed in the balance; and unto whom much was given, of him shall much be required.

SHERLOCK.

CHAPTER IV.

ACTING,

SO FAR AS IT DIFFERS FROM SPEAKING, EXEMPLIFIED BY A FEW PIECES THAT ADMIT OF SLIGHT OR OCCASIONAL MIMICKRY.

In pronouncing plays and such like conversation pieces, a good reader of very inferior talents for mimickry may be heard with pleasure; but he will be qualified to give a higher degree of life and force to the dialogue and characters, by delivering them as an actor. ART of DELIVERING WRITTEN LANGUAGE.

In comœdiis-servi, lenones, parisiti, rustici, milites, vetulæ, meretriculæ, ancillæ, senes austeri ac mites, juvenes severi ac luxuriosi, matronæ, puellæ, inter se discernuntur. Aliud oratio sapit-actione enim constat, non imitatione. QUINCTILIAN.

In assuming a character which requires no other peculiarity of manner than what arises from the utterance of passions common to mankind at large, a person needs not deviate from his own style of expression-that is to say, from the manner which he would naturally adopt, if the passion were excited in himself to the same degree. Under such circumstances, Acting does not differ from Speaking. But there are passions and modes of behaviour, chiefly of the ridiculous kind, which belong only to a few; and modes of address and elocution, which adhere to persons of a particular age, sex, country, or profession; in assuming any of which, the reader or reciter would probably be obliged to give up entirely the manner of speaking natural to himself. This, then, is the peculiarity which distinguishes Acting from Speaking-the imitation of another person's elocution and deportment; an imitation which can seldom take place but in composition of a dramatic kind; and which does not take place even in this, in the higher and more dignified walks of tragedy and comedy. The talent, therefore, which will enable the reader to give complete effect to such pieces as follow, must not be deemed an indispensable, or even a necessary requisite of elocution.

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