He did, indeed, replied my uncle Toby.Then, Trim, faid Yorick, fpringing out of his chair, and taking the Corporal by the hand, thou art the best commentator upon that part of the Decalogue; and I honour thee more for it, Corporal Trim, than if thou hadft had a hand in the Talmud itself. T. SHANDY, V. III. C. 32. HEALTH. Bleffed health! thou art above all gold and treasure; 'tis thou who enlargest the soul, -and openest all its powers to receive inftruction, and to relifh virtue.-He that has thee has little more to wish for! and he that is fo wretched as to want thee, wants every thing with thee. T. SHANDY, V. III. c. 33. CRO SOLITUDE. ROWDED towns, and bufy societies, may folitude is the best nurse of wisdom. LETTER III. TO HIS FRIENDS. TRIBULATION. 1 TH TRIBULATION. HE way to Fame is like the way to Heaven --through much tribulation. LETTER IX. F FRIENDSHIP. FRIENDSHIP is the balm and cordial of life, and without it, 'tis a heavy load not worth 'N folitude the mind' gains strength, and learns or accepts of a few treacherous fupports-the feigned compaffion of one-the flattery of a fecond-the civilities of a third-the friendfhip of a fourth-they all deceive, and bring the mind back to retirement, reflection, and books. LETTER LXXXIL FLATTERY. D FLATTERY. T ELICIOUS effence how refreshing art thou to nature! how strongly are all its powers and all its weaknesses on thy fide! how fweetly doft thou mix with the blood, and help it through the most difficult and torturous paf fages to the heart. SENT. JOURNEY, P. 210. PERFECTION. AN has a certain compafs, as well as an instrument; and the focial and other calls have occafion by turns for every key in him; fa that if you begin a note too high or too low, there must be a want either in the upper or under part, to fill up the fyftem of harmony. A polished nation makes every one its debtor; and besides, urbanity itself, like the fair fex, has fo many charms, it goes against the heart to say, it can do ill; and yet, I believe, there is but a certain line of perfection, that man, take him altogether, is empowered to arrive at-if he gets beyond, he rather exchanges qualities, than gets them. I must not prefume to fay, how far this has affected the French-But fhould it ever be be the cafe of the English in the progress of their refinements to arrive at the fame polish which diftinguishes the French, if we did not lofe the politele de caur, which inclines men more to humane actions, than courteous ones we should at leaft lofe that diftin& variety and originality of character, which distinguishes them, not only from each other, but from all the world befides. SENT. JOUR. P. 171. T FORGIVENESS. HE brave only know how to forgive;—it is the most refined and generous pitch of virtue human nature can arrive at.-Cowards have done good and kind actions *,-cowards have even fought-nay fometimes even conquered; but a coward never forgave.-It is not in his nature; the power of doing it flows only from a ftrength and greatness of foul, confcious of its own force and fecurity, and above the little temptations of refenting every fruitless attempt to interrupt its happiness. *Chriftian Hero. SERM. XII. P. 244. FAVOURS. FAVOURS. IN, fan conferring them; in the one, N returning favours, we act differently from " ་ cafe we fimply confider what is beft,in the other what is most acceptable. The reafon is, that we have a right to act according to our, own ideas of what will do the party most good,, in the cafe where we bestow a favour;-but where we return one, we lose this right, and act according to his conceptions, who has obliged us, and endeavour to repay in such a manner as we think it most likely to be accepted in discharge of the obligation. SERM. XIII. P. 260 RUSTIC FELICITY. MANY are the filent plea(ures of the honeft peafant; who rifes cheerfully to his la-, bourlook into his dwelling, where the, scene of every man's happiness chiefly lies:-. he has the fame domeftic endearments,-as, much joy and comfort in his children, and as flattering hopes of their doing well,-to enliven his hours and glad his heart, as you could conceive in the moft affluent ftation.-And I conceive |