9 eration. With what capacity was he endowed! with what advantages for being greatly good! But with the talents of an angel, a man may be a fool. If he judge amiss in the supreme point, judging aright in all else, but aggravates his folly; as it shows him wrong, though blessed with the best capacity of being right.

Sure 'tis a serious thing to die :-my soul!
What a strange moment must it be, when near
Thy journey's end, thou hast the gulf in view!
That awful gulf no mortal e'er repassed,
To tell what's doing on the other side.
Nature runs back and shudders at the sight,
And every life-string bleeds at thought of parting—
For part they must; body and soul must part,
Fond couple, linked more close than wedded pair.
This wings its way to its Almighty Source,
The witness of its actions, now its judge;
That drops into the dark and noisome grave,
Like a disabled pitcher of no use.—Blair.

6

7

Into so small a character

Removed far from our human sight;

But, if we steadfast look

We shall discern

In it, as in some holy book,

How man may heavenly knowledge learn.

Thus those celestial fires,
Though seeming mute,

The fallacy of our desires
And all the pride of life confute.

For they have watched since first
The world had birth;

And found sin in itself accursed

And nothing permanent on earth.

The Ministry of Angels.-SPENSER

1 AND is there care in heaven? and is there love In heavenly spirits to these creatures base, That may compassion of their evils move?

There is: else, much more wretched were the case Of men than beasts. But, oh! the exceeding grace Of highest God! that loves his creatures so,

And all his works with mercy doth embrace, That blessed angels he sends to and fro,

To serve to wicked man,-to serve his wicked foe.

2 How oft do they their silver bowers leave,

To come to succor us, that succor want! How oft do they with golden pinions, cleave The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant, Against foul fiends to aid us militant! They for us fight, they watch and duly ward,

And their bright squadrons round about us plant, And all for love, and nothing for reward:

Oh! why should heavenly God to man have such regard'

1

LESSON LXXXII.

Change not Reform.-From a Speech in the Virginia Convention.-RANDOLPH.

SIR, I see no wisdom in making this provision for future changes. You must give governments time to operate on the people, and give the people time to become gradually assimilated to their institutions. Almost any thing is better than this state of perpetual uncertainty. A people may have the best form of government that the wit of man ever devised; and yet, from its uncertainty alone, may, in effect, live under the worst government in the world. Sir, how often must I repeat, that change is not reform. I am willing that this new constitution shall stand as long as it is. 2 possible for it to stand, and that, believe me, is a very short time. Sir, it is in vain to deny it. They may say what they please about the old constitution-the defect is not there. It is not in the form of the old edifice, neither in the design nor the elevation: it is in the material—it is in the people of Virginia. To my knowledge that people are changed from what they have been. The 400 men who went out to David, were in debt. The partisans of Cæsar were in debt. The fellow-laborers of Catiline were in debt :—and 3 I defy you to show me a desperately indebted people any where, who can bear a regular, sober government. I throw the challenge to all who hear me. I say that the character of the good old Virginia planter-the man, who owned. from five to twenty slaves or less, who lived by hard work, and who paid his debts, is passed away. A new order of things is come. The period has arrived of living by one's wits-of living by contracting debts that one cannot pay— and above all, of living by office-hunting.

4

Sir, what do we see? Bankrupts--branded bankrupts -giving great dinners-sending their children to the most expensive schools-giving grand parties-and just as well. received as any body in society. I say, that in such a state of things the old constitution was too good for them; they could not bear it. No, sir-they could not bear a freehold suffrage, and a property representation.

I have always endeavored to do the people justice-but I will not flatter them--I will not pander to their appetite for change. I will do nothing to provide for change. I

5 will not agree to any rule of future apportionment, or to any provision for future changes called amendments to the constitution. They who love change-who delight in public confusion-who wish to feed the caldron, and make it bubble-may vote if they please for future changes. But

by what spell-by what formula, are you going to bind the people to all future time? You may make what entries upon parchment you please. Give me a constitution that will last for half a century—that is all I wish for. No constitution that you can make, will last the one half of half a 6 century.

Sir, I will stake any thing short of my salvation, that those who are malcontent now, will be more malcontent three years hence than they are at this day. I have no favor for this constitution.—I shall vote against its adoption, and I shall advise all the people of my district to set their faces-ay-and their shoulders against it. But if we are to have it let us not have it with its death-warrant in its very face, with the sardonic grin of death upon its coun

tenance.

There is a man, whose moral character, deep learning, and superior parts, I acknowledge, admire, and respect; but whom it is so impossible for me to love, that I am almost in a fever whenever I am in his company. His figure, without being deformed, seems made to disgrace or ridicule the common structure of the human body. His legs and arms are never in the position which, according to the situation of his body, they ought to be in, but constantly employed in committing acts of hostility upon the graces. He throws any where, but down his throat, whatever he means to drink; and only mangles what he means to carve. Inattentive to all the regards of social life, he mistimes or misplaces every thing. He disputes with heat and indiscriminately, mindless of the rank, character, and situation of those with whom he disputes: absolutely ignorant of the several gradations of familiarity or respect, he is exactly the same to his superiors, his equals, and his inferiors; and, therefore, by a necessary consequence, absurd to two of the three. Is it possible to love such a man? No; the utmost I can do for him is, to consider him as a respectable Hottentot.-Chesterfield.

LESSON LXXXIII.*

On Good Breeding.

1 As learning, honor, and virtue, are absolutely necessary to gain you the esteem and admiration of mankind, politeness and good breeding are equally necessary to make you agreeable in conversation and common life.

2

Great talents are above the generality of the world, who neither possess them themselves, nor judge of them rightly in others; but all people are judges of the smaller talents, such as civility, affability, and an obliging, agreeable address and manner; because they feel the effects of them, as making society easy and pleasing.

Good sense must, in many cases, determine good breeding; but there are some general rules of it, that always hold true. For example, it is extremely rude not to give proper attention, and a civil answer, when people speak to you or to go away, or be doing something else, while they are speaking to you; for, that convinces them, that you despise them, and do not think it worth your while to hear, or answer what they say. It is also very rude to take the best place in a room, or to seize immediately upon what you like at table, without offering first to help others; as if you 3 considered nobody but yourself. On the contrary, you should always endeavor to procure all the conveniences you can to the people you are with.

Besides being civil, which is absolutely necessary, the perfection of good breeding is, to be civil with ease, and in a becoming manner :-Awkwardness can proceed but from two causes; either from not having kept good company, or from not having attended to it. Attention is absolutely necessary for improving in behavior, as indeed it is for every thing else. If an awkward person drinks tea or 4 coffee, he often scalds his mouth, and lets either the cup or the saucer fall, and spills the tea or coffee on his clothes. At dinner his awkwardness distinguishes itself particularly, as he has more to do. There, he holds his knife, fork, and spoon, differently from other people; eats with his knife, to the great danger of his lips; picks his teeth with his fork; and puts his spoon, which has been in his mouth twenty times, into the dishes again. If he is to carve, he can never hit the joint; but in his vain efforts to cut through