fifty no man eafily finds a woman beautiful as the Houries, and wife as Zobeide. I inquired and rejected, confulted and deliberated, till the fixtyfecond year made me afhamed of wishing to marry. I had now nothing left but retirement; and for retirement I never found a time, till disease forced me from public employment."

"Such was my fcheme, and fuch has been its confequence. With an infatiable thirst for knowledge, I trifled away the years of improvement; with a restlefs defire of feeing different countries, Is have always refided in the fame city; with the higheft expectation of connubial felicity, I have lived unmarried; and with unalterable refolutions of contemplative retirement, I am going to die within the walls of Bagdat."

DR. JOHNSON.

SECTION XI.

The Pleasures of virtuous Senfibility.

THE good effects of true fenfibility on general virtue and happiness admit of no difpute. Let us confider its effect on the happiness of him who poffeffes it, and the various pleasures to which it gives him accefs. If he is mafter of riches or influence, it affords him the means of increafing his own enjoyment, by relieving the wants, or increafing the comforts of others. If he commands not thefe advantages, yet all the comforts, which he fees in the poffeffion of the deferving, become in fome fort his, by his rejoicing in the good which they enjoy. Even the face of nature yields a fatisfaction to him,

which the infenfible can never know. The profufion of goodnefs which he beholds poured forth on the univerfe, dilates his heart with the thought, that innumerable multitudes around him are bleft and happy. When he fees the labours of men appearing to profper, and views a country flourish, ing in wealth and induftry; when he beholds the fpring coming forth in its beauty, and reviving the decayed face of nature; or in autumn beholds the fields loaded with plenty, and, the year crowned with all its fruits; he lifts his affections with gra titude to the great Father of all, and rejoices in the general felicity and joy.

It may indeed be objected, that the fame fenfibility lays open the heart to be pierced with many wounds, from the diftreffes which abound in the world; exposes us to frequent fuffering from the participation which it communicates of the forrows, as well as of the joys, of friendship. But let it be confidered, that the tender melancholy of fympathy, is accompanied with a fenfation, which they who feel it would not exchange for the gratifications of the felfish. When the heart is ftrongly moved by any of the kind affections, even when it pours itself forth in virtuous forrow, a fecret attractive charm mingles with the painful emotion; there is a joy in the midft of grief. Let it be far ther confidered, that the griefs which fenfibility introduces, are counterbalanced by pleasures which flow from the fame fource. Senfibility heightens in general the human powers, and is connected with acuteness in all our feelings. If it makes us more alive to fome painful fenfations, in return, renders the pleasing ones more vivid and animated.

it

The selfish man languishes in his narrow circle of pleafures. They are confined to what affects his own intereft. He is obliged to repeat the fame gratifications, till they become infipid. But the man of virtuous fenfibility moves in a wider fphere of felicity. His powers are much more frequently called forth into occupations of pleafing activity. Numberless occafions open to him of indulging his favourite taste, by conveying fatisfaction to others. Often it is in his power, in one way or other, to footh the afflicted heart; to carry fome confolation into the house of woe. In the fcenes of ordinary life, in the domeftic and focial intercourses of men, the cordiality of his affections cheers and gladdens him. Every appearance, every defcription of innocent happiness, is enjoyed by him. Every native expreffion of kindness and affection among others, is felt by him, even though he be not the object of it. Among a circle of friends, enjoying one another, he is as happy as the happieft. In a word, he lives in a different fort of world from what the felfifh man inhabits. He poffeffes a new fenfe, that enables him to behold objects which the selfish cannot fee. At the fame time, his enjoyments are not of that kind which remain merely on the furface of the mind. They penetrate the heart. They enlarge and elevate, they refine and ennoble it. To all the pleafing emotions of affection, they add the dignified consciousness of virtue.-Children of men! men formed by nature to live and to feel as brethren! how long will ye continue to eftrange yourselves from one another by competitions and jealousies, when in cordial union ye might be fo much more bleft?

How long will ye feek your happinefs in selfish gratifications alone, neglecting those purer and bet ter fources of joy, which flow from the affections and the heart?

BLAIR.

SECTION XII.

On the true Honour of Man.

THE proper honour of man arifes not from fome of thofe fplendid actions and abilities, which excite high admiration. Courage and prowefs, military renown, fignal victories and conquefts, may render the name of a man famous, without rendering his character truly honourable. To many brave men, to many heroes renowned in ftory, we look up with wonder. Their exploits are recorded. Their praifes are fung. They ftand as on an eminence above the reft of mankind. Their eminence, nevertheless, may not be of that fort, before which we bow with inward efteem and refpect. Something more is wanted for that purpose, than the conquering arm, and the intrepid mind. The laurels of the warrior muft at all times be dyed in blood, and bedewed with the tears of the widow and the orphan. But if they have been ftained by rapine and inhumanity; if fordid ava rice has marked his character; or low and grofs fenfuality has degraded his life; the great hero finks into a little man. What at a diftance, or on a fuperficial view, we admired, becomes mean, perhaps odious, when we examine it more clofely. It is like the Coloffal ftatue, whofe immenfe fize ftruck the fpectator afar off with aftonifhment;

but when nearly viewed, it appears difproportioned, unfhapely, and rude.

Obfervations of the fame kind may be applied to all the reputation derived from civil accomplishments; from the refined politics of the ftatefman; or the literary efforts of genius and erudition, These bestow, and, within certain bounds, ought to bestow, eminence and distinction on men. They discover talents which in themfelves are fhining; and which become highly valuable, when employed in advancing the good of mankind. Hence, they frequently give rife to fame. But a diftinction is to be made between fame and true honour. The ftatesman, the orator, or the poet, may be famous ; while yet the man himself is far from bcing honoured. We envy his abilities. We with to rival them. But we would not choose to be claffed with him who poffeffed them. Inftances of this fort are too often found in every record of ancient or modern history.

From all this it follows, that, in order to dif cern where man's true honour lies, we muft look, not to any adventitious circumftance of fortune; not to any fingle fparkling quality; but to the whole of what forms a man; what entitles him, as fuch, to rank high among that clafs of beings to which he belongs; in a word, we muft look to the mind and the foul. A mind fuperior to fear, to selfish intereft and corruption; a mind governed by the principles of uniform rectitude and integrity; the fame in profperity and adverfitý; which no bribe can feduce, nor terror overawe; neither by pleafure melted into effeminacy, nor by diftrefs funk into dejection: fuch is the mind which forms