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CHAPTER IX.

"Genius has seen thee in her passionate dreams;
And dim forebodings of thy loveliness,

Haunting the human breast, have there entwined
Those rooted hopes of some sweet place of bliss,

Where friends and lovers meet to part no more."-Shelley.

ON the following morning the heavy clouds had passed away, and the atmosphere was serene and clear. The fields and hanging woods shone with a more vivid green, and the dazzling radiance of the rising sun called forth all the beauties of the surrounding scenery; while the birds singing in full chorus seemed to hail the return of the glorious sun-beams. Such were the attractions that invited Saadi to quit his rooms at an earlier hour than usual. The observations of Douglas and Margaret on the preceding morning, had convinced him that the principles of the communities were not inimical to true religion, and his mind had regained its wonted serenity. As he walked along the borders of the lake, enjoying the freshness of the morning breeze, he felt his spirits unusually exhilarated. "How inexpressibly dear to me," he exclaimed, are the persons with whom I have formed an acquaintance in these intelligent societies; seeking to apply the bountiful gifts of Providence to the promotion of each other's happiness! Never can I return to Persia, unattended by a chosen band from the borders of Loch Lomond, to assist in rearing this long-sought temple of felicity."

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Saadi insensibly bent his course towards the public baths, which were fronted with a long raised terrace, covered with a veranda, and having rustic seats and cane sofas. As he entered upon the terrace, he observed a tall venerable man in a plaid cloak,

sitting in deep reflection; his hair was white as snow, and though his countenance was furrowed by age, animation still sparkled in his eye. Saadi soon recognized in him the Elder who had delivered the lecture on the Human Character. At the approach of Saadi, he started from his reverie, and invited him to a seat. His first inquiry referred to Saadi's opinion of their communities.

Saadi, having expressed in glowing terms the pleasures he had experienced, begged permission to refer to his lecture, acknowledging that he had since become a convert to the opinion-that "the character is formed for and not by the individual.” "But," he added, "I have often heard it objected to those enlarged views of benevolence inculcated in your communities, that they are too apt to overlook the claims of kindred, and to be wanting in sympathy towards those objects near at hand: but certainly what I have witnessed since my arrival is at variance with that opinion."

"The decisions," replied the Elder, "of literary and speculative men unaided by practical knowledge, for a long period held mankind in bondage; and it is remarkable, that after Lord Bacon had discovered the unerring path of inductive

*The science of human nature, or rather that of social union, has experienced the fate which Lord Bacon describes, as that of the sciences in general. "Those who have treated the sciences were either empirics or rationalists. The empirics, like ants, only lay up stores, and use them; the rationalists, like spiders, spin webs out of themselves; but the bee takes a middle course, gathering her matter from the flowers of the field and garden, and digesting and preparing it by her native powers. In like manner, that is the true office and work of philosophy, which, not trusting too much to the faculties of the mind, does not lay up the matter afforded by natural history and mechanical experience, entire

reasoning in physics, the world should have been so long perplexed with delusive theories of education and social improvement.-Our great moral poet has justly observed,

"Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake,

As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake:
The centre moved, a circle straight succeeds,
Another still, and still another spreads;

Friend, parent, neighbour, first it will embrace ;
His country next, and next all human race:""

"The expansive benevolence imbibed under our system regards every object, present or remote, that can be benefited by its sympathies; as yon glorious luminary, while it invigorates the hardy oak and the lofty pine of the mountain, cherishes the lovely violet that blooms in solitude. This feeling, interwoven with our earliest associations and strengthened by habit, soon becomes the source of the most refined and exquisite pleasures: but it is a feeling not depending solely upon extraordinary culture for its development, for even in the age of conflicting interests, and in the most barbarous periods, it was in some degree manifested."

Saadi. "I must, however, acknowledge that those in Persia who are most devoted to the public welfare, too frequently sacrifice their own interests, and the welfare of their families."

The Elder." That is very likely; for so numerous are the difficulties and dangers arising from the selfishness, fraud and duplicity of the Competitive System, that the utmost vigilance is required on the part of each head of a family, to protect his

or unfashioned, in the memory, but treasures it, after being first elaborated and digested in the understanding; and therefore we have a good ground of hope, from the close and strict union of the experimental and rational faculty, which have not hitherto been united."-Lord Bacon's Novum Organum.

dependants, and to procure for them the necessaries of life. If his mind be enlarged by benevolence, and he is struck with the contemplation of evils flowing from imperfect institutions, he will be apt to neglect that family, to devote himself to the more extended sphere of usefulness.* We have numerous instances in the biographical history of this country, of patriots and men of ardent minds dedicated to the welfare of their species, themselves experiencing great privation and distress. It was the characteristic of Competitive society to generate a collision not only of individual, but also of collective interests. Private considerations would frequently interfere with the claims of patriotism; and this subdivision of benevolence called patriotism, was generally opposed to the principles of universal benevolence. In Co-operative society all these interests are amalgamated. This I will in part illustrate in my own case.-My favourite study is education, the improvement of which is interesting to my country, and to the world at large; but my family have not been neglected by this pursuit of an object of universal interest; they have, in common with the rest of society, participated in the benefit of all useful discoveries, and in the mean time have been supported out of the public store. Neither has my affection for them in any degree been diminished by an ardent desire to promote the general welfare of mankind; rather has it been increased by the solicitude they express for the successful result of my efforts :-it is not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more.'

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*Fenelon was accustomed to say, "I love my family better than myself; my country better than my family; and mankind better than my country :-for I am more a Frenchman than a Fenelon, and more a man than a Frenchman."

Saadi.-"But how can the interests of distant countries be identified with yours?"

The Elder." Because it is the reciprocal interest of all countries that each should be governed by those principles which will promote with facility the production of the largest portion of staple commodities, in order that as much of them should be distributed in exchange as may be necessary for all; and the regulations that will effect this object are such as are most conducive to the happiness of individual communities.* The pleasures of sympathy are also heightened to those who visit foreign countries where correct principles are acted upon, in meeting with an intelligent and friendly people. Time was, when the inhabitants of this country were eager to restore independence to the Greeks; while their own citizens were experiencing, under the name of freedom, the worst evils of despotism in the monopoly of wealth."

Saadi." Blame them not for those exalted sympathies; who would not have been emulous to fight in the ranks of men animated by the remembrance of their ancient glory, and struggling for their dearest liberties!"

The Elder.-"I censure them not for a conduct which was the necessary result of the age in which they lived, but I revert to that period as exhibiting the consequences of misapplied zeal. In those days

"Foreign or domestic improvements in machinery will be to such a Community, as they ought to be to all the world, a blessing to the utmost extent. The prosperity of foreign nations, and their improvement in every respect, will be to such a Community a source of sincere congratulation and joy, affording also by immediate imitation the means of domestic improvement, or lowering the cost, and thus increasing the supply, of such foreign produce as may be useful articles of exchange."-Prospectus of the Cork Co-operative Community.

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