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On the wide sea of letters, 'twas thy boast
To crowd each sail, and touch at ev'ry coast:
From that rich mine how often hast thou brought
The pure and precious pears of splendid thought!
How didst thou triumph on that subject tide,
Till vanity's wild gust, and stormy pride,
Drove thy strong mind, in evil hour, to split
Upon the fatal rock of impious wit!

Since the time that reason began to bud, and put forth her shoot, thought, during our waking hours, has been active in every breast, without a moment's suspension or pause. The current of ideas has been always moving. The wheels of the spiritual engine have exerted themselves with perpetual motion.

The man who has no rule over his own spirit, possesses no antidote against poisons of any sort. He lies open to every insurrection of ill humour, and every gaie of distress. Whereas he who is employed in regulating his mind, is making provision against all the accidents of life. He is erecting a fortress into which, in the day of sorrow, he can retreat with satisfaction.

Tamerlane the Great, writes to Bajazet, emperor of the Ottomans, in the following terms-"Where is the monarch who dares resist us? Where is the potentate who does not glory in being numbered among our attendants? As for thee, descended from a Turcoman sailor, since the vessel of thy unbounded ambition has been wrecked on the gulf of thy self-love, it would be proper that thou shouldst take in the sails of thy temerity, and cast the anchor of repentance in the port of sincerity and justice, which is the port of safety; lest the tempest of our vengeance make thee perish in the sea of the punishment thou deservest.'

It is pleasant to be virtuous and good; because that is to excel many others: it is pleasant to grow better; because that is to excel ourselves: it is pleasant to command our appetites and passions, and to keep them in due order, within the bounds of reason and religion; because this is empire: nay, it is pleasant even to mortify and subdue our lusts? because that is victory.

CHAP. V.

Violations of the Rules respecting perspicuous and accurate writing, promiscuously disposed.

See the Key, p. 141.

SECT. I.

WHAT is human life to all, but a mixture, with various cares and troubles, of some scattered joys and pleasures?

When favours of every kind are conferred speedily, they are doubled.

He will soon weary the company, who is himself

wearied.

He must endure the follies of others, who will have their kindness.

For the last years of man the first must make provision.

Perpetual light-mindedness must terminate in ig

norance.

In these, and in such like cases, we should, in our alms, generally suffer none to be witness, but Him who must see every thing.

The reason why he is so badly qualified for the business, is because he neglected his studies, and opportunities of improvement.

That Plutarch wrote lives of Demosthenes and Cicero at Chæronea, it is clear from his own account.

I wish to cultivate your further acquaintance. He may probably make the attempt, but he cannot possibly succeed.

No pains were spared by his tutor, in order to his being improved in all useful knowledge.

In no seene of her life was ever Mary's address more remarkably displayed.

This was the cause which first gave rise to such a barbarous practice.

He craftily endeavoured, by a variety of false insinuations which he made use of, to turn the emperor to his purpose.

The beauty in the earth equals the grandeur in the heavens.

In health and vigour of body, and in the state of worldly fortune, all rejoice.

What passes in the hearts of men, is generally unknown to the public eye.

Many associations are united by laws the most arbitrary.

These instances may, it is hoped, be sufficient to satisfy every reasonable mind.

By such general and comprehensive rules as this, the clearest ideas are conveyed.

He determined not to comply with the proposal, except he should receive a more ample compensation.

There can be no doubt but that health is preferable to riches.

They declared to their friends, that they believed the perusal of such books had ruined their principles. John's temper greatly indisposed him for instruction.

Vegetation is advancing constantly, though no eye can trace the steps of its gradation.

The reason of my consenting to the measure, was owing to his importunity.

I conceived a great regard for him, and could not but mourn for his loss.

The officer apprehended him, and confined him in his own house.

Charlotte, the friend of Amelia, to whom no one imputed blame, was too prompt in her vindica

Men who are rich and avaricious, lose themselves in a spring which might have cherished all around them.

I should prefer him to be rather of slow parts, than with a bad disposition.

As soon as Eugenius undertook the care of a parish, it immediately engrossed the whole of his attention.

The plan will at once contribute to general convenience, and add to the beauty and elegance of the town.

Together with the national debt, the greatest national advantages are also transmitted to succeeding generations.

Their intimacy had commenced in the happier period, perhaps, of their youth and obscurity.

His subject is precisely of that kind, which a daring imagination could alone have adopted.

This emperor conjured the senate, that the purity of his reign might not be stained or contaminated, by the blood even of a guilty senator.

It is a happy constitution of mind, to be able to view successive objects so steadily, as that the more may never prevent us from doing justice to the less important.

This activity drew great numbers of enterprising men over to Virginia, who came either in search of fortune, or of liberty, which was the only conpensation for the want of it.

The erroneous judgment of parents, concerning the conduct of schoolmasters, has crushed the peace of many an ingenious man, who engaged in the care of youth; and paved the way to the ruin of hopeful boys.

SECT. II.

Key, p. 143.

THE Greek doubtless is a language which is much superior in riches, harmony, and variety, to

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