These are

observed without the help of such ill-favourite passions, particular educanatured monitors." tion, or whatever promotes our worldIn order likewise to come to a ly interest or advantage. In these or true knowledge of ourselves, we the like cases, a man's judgment is should consider, on the other hand, easily perverted, and a wrong bias how far we may deserve the praises hung upon his mind. and approbations which the world be- the inlets of prejudice, the unguardstows upon us; whether the actions ed avenues of the mind, by which a they celebrate proceed from laudable thousand errors and secret faults find and worthy motives; and how far we admission, without being observed or are really possessed of the virtues, taken notice of. A wise man will which gain us applause among those suspect those actions to which he is with whom we converse. Such a directed by something besides reareflection is absolutely necessary, if son, and always apprehends some we consider how apt we are either concealed evil in every resolution to value or condemn ourselves by the that is of a disputable nature, when opinion of others, and to sacrifice it is conformable to his particular the report of our own hearts to the temper, his age, or way of life, or judgment of the world. when it favours his pleasure or his

In the next place, that we may not profit. deceive ourselves in a point of so There is nothing of greater immuch importance, we should not lay portance to us, than thus diligently too great a stress on any supposed to sift our thoughts, and examine all virtues we possess, that are of a these dark recesses of the mind, if doubtful nature and such we may we would establish our souls in such esteem all those in which multitudes a solid and substantial virtue as will of men dissent from us, who are as turn to account in that great day, good and as wise as ourselves. We when it must stand the test of infishould always act with great cautious-nite wisdom and justice. ness and circumspection, in points I shall conclude this essay with where it is not impossible that we observing, that the two kinds of hymay be deceived. Intemperate zeal, pocrisy I have here spoken of, namebigotry, and persecution, for any par-ly, that of deceiving the world, and ty or opinion, how praise-worthy so-that of imposing on ourselves, are ever they may appear to weak men touched with wonderful beauty in the of our own principles, produce infi- hundred and thirty-ninth psalm. The nite calamities among mankind, and folly of the first kind of hypocrisy is are highly criminal in their own na- there set forth by reflections on ture; and yet how many persons, God's omniscience and omnipreeminent for piety, suffer such mon-sence, which are celebrated in as strous and absurd principles of ac-noble strains of poetry as any other tion to take root in their minds under I ever met with, either sacred or the colour of virtues? For my own profane. The other kind of hypopart, I must own, I never yet knew crisy, whereby a man deceives himany party so just and reasonable, self, is intimated in the two last that a man could follow it in its verses, where the psalmist addresses height and violence, and at the same himself to the great searcher of time be innocent. hearts in that emphatical petition; We should likewise be very ap-" Try me, O God, and seek the prehensive of those actions, which ground of my heart; prove me and proceed from natural constitution, examine my thoughts: look well if

there be any way of wickedness in traveller, under whose foot they peme, and lead me in the way ever-rish for ever; and all enjoyment is lasting." Spectator. unsubstantial and evanescent, as the colours of the bow that appears in the interval of a storm. Suffer me, there

20. No Life pleasing to God, but that which is useful to Mankind. An Eastern Story.

fore, to prepare for the approach of eternity; let me give up my soul to meditation; let solitude and silence It pleased our mighty sovereign acquaint me with the mysteries of Abbas Carascan, from whom the devotion; let me forget the world, kings of the earth derive honour and and by the world be forgotten, till dominion, to set Mirza his servant the moment arrives in which the over the province of Tauris. In the veil of eternity shall fall, and I shall hand of Mirza, the balance of distri- be found at the bar of the Almighty." bution was suspended with impar- Mirza then bowed himself to the tiality; and under his administration earth, and stood silent. the weak were protected, the learned By the command of Abbas it is received honour, and the diligent be- recorded, that at these words he came rich Mirza, therefore, was trembled upon the throne, at the beheld by every eye with compla- footstool of which the world pays hocency, and every tongue pronounced mage; he looked round upon his blessings upon his head. But it was nobles; but every countenance was observed that he derived no joy from pale, and every eye was upon the the benefits which he diffused; he earth. No man opened his mouth; became pensive and melancholy; he and the king first broke silence, after spent his leisure in solitude; in his it had continued near an hour. palace he sat motionless upon a sofa; "Mirza, terror and doubt are and when he went out, his walk was come upon me. I am alarmed as a slow, and his eyes were fixed upon man who suddenly perceives that he the ground: he applied to the busi- is near the brink of a precipice, and ness of state with reluctance; and is urged forward by an irresistible resolved to relinquish the toil of go- force: but yet I know not whether vernment, of which he could no my danger is a reality or a dream. longer enjoy the reward. I am as thou art, a reptile of the

He, therefore, obtained permission earth: my life is a moment, and to approach the throne of our sove- eternity, in which days, and years, reign; and being asked what was and ages, are nothing, eternity is behis request, he made this reply fore me, for which I also should preMay the Lord of the world forgive pare: but by whom then must the the slave whom he has honoured, if Faithful be governed? by those only, Mirza presume again to lay the who have no fear of judgment? by bounty of Abbas at his feet. Thou those only, whose life is brutal, behast given me the dominion of a cause like brutes they do not consicountry, fruitful as the gardens of der that they shall die? Or who, inDamascus; and a city glorious above deed, are the Faithful? Are the busy all others, except that only which re- multitudes that crowd the city, in a flects the splendour of thy presence. state of perdition? and is the cell of But the longest life is a period scarce the Dervise alone the gate of Parasufficient to prepare for death: all dise? To all, the life of a Dervise is other business is vain and trivial, as not possible to all, therefore, it canthe toil of emmets in the path of the not be a duty. Depart to the house

which has in this city been prepared | "Under the instruction of the phyfor thy residence: I will meditate sician Aluzar, I obtained an early the reason of thy request; and may knowledge of his art. To those who He who illuminates the mind of the were smitten with disease, I could humble, enable me to determine with administer plants, which the sun has wisdom." impregnated with the spirit of health. Mirza departed; and on the third But the scenes of pain, languor, and day, having received no command, mortality, which were perpetually he again requested an audience, and rising before me, made me often it was granted. When he entered tremble for myself. I saw the grave the royal presence, his countenance open at my feet: I determined, thereappeared more cheerful; he drew a fore, to contemplate only the regions letter from his bosom, and having beyond it, and to despise every ackissed it, he presented it with his quisition which I could not keep. I right hand. My Lord!" said he, conceived an opinion, that as there "I have learned by this letter, which was no merit but in voluntary poverI received from Cosrou the Iman, ty and silent meditation, those who who stands now before thee, in what desired money were not proper obmanner life may be best improved. jects of bounty; and that by all who I am enabled to look back with plea- were proper objects of bounty money sure, and forward with hope; and I was despised. I, therefore, buried shall now rejoice still to be the sha- mine in the earth; and renouncing dow of thy power at Tauris, and to society, I wandered into a wild and keep those honours which I so lately sequestered part of the country: my wished to resign." The king, who dwelling was a cave by the side of a had listened to Mirza with a mixture hill; I drank the running water from of surprise and curiosity, immedi- the spring, and ate such fruits and ately gave the letter to Cosrou, and herbs as I could find. To increase commanded that it should be read. the austerity of my life, I frequently The eyes of the court were at once watched all night, sitting at the enturned upon the hoary sage, whose trance of the cave with my face to countenance was suffused with an the east, resigning myself to the sehonest blush; and it was not without cret influences of the Prophet, and some hesitation that he read these expecting illuminations from above. words. One morning after my nocturnal vi"To Mirza, whom the wisdom of gil, just as I perceived the horizon Abbas our mighty Lord has honour-glow at the approach of the sun, the ed with dominion, be everlasting power of sleep became irresistible, health! When I heard thy purpose and I sunk under it. I imagined to withdraw the blessings of thy go- myself still sitting at the entrance of vernment from the thousands of Tau- my cell; that the dawn increased; ris, my heart was wounded with the and that as I looked earnestly for the arrow of affliction, and my eyes be- first beam of day, a dark spot appearcame dim with sorrow. But who ed to intercept it. I perceived that it shall speak before the king when he was in motion; it increased in size is troubled; and who shall boast of as it drew near, and at length I disknowledge, when he is distressed by covered it to be an eagle. I still doubt? To thee will I relate the kept my eye fixed steadfastly upon it, events of my youth, which thou hast and saw it alight at a small distance, renewed before me; and those truths which they have taught me, may the Prophet multiply to thee!

where I now descried a fox whose two fore-legs appeared to be broken Before this fox the eagle laid part of

a kid, which she had brought in her to man as an evidence of thy love to talons, and then disappeared. When God, thy virtue will be exalted from I awaked, I laid my forehead upon moral to divine; and that happiness the ground, and blessed the Prophet which is the pledge of Paradise, will for the instruction of the morning. be thy reward upon earth.' I reviewed my dream, and said thus "At these words I was not less to myself: Cosrou, thou hast done astonished than if a mountain had well to renounce the tumult, the bu- been overturned at my feet. I humsiness, and vanities of life: but thou bled myself in the dust; I returned to hast as yet only done it in part; the city; I dug up my treasure ; I was thou art still every day busied in the liberal, yet I became rich. My skill in search of food, thy mind is not whol- restoring health to the body gave me ly at rest, neither is thy trust in Pro- frequent opportunities of curing the vidence complete. What art thou diseases of the soul. I put on the sataught by this vision? If thou hast cred vestments; I grew eminent beseen an eagle commissioned by Hea-yond my merit; and it was the pleaven to feed a fox that is lame, shall sure of the king that I should stand not the hand of Heaven also supply before him. Now, therefore, be not thee with food; when that which offended; I boast of no knowledge prevents thee from procuring it for that I have not received as the thyself, is not necessity but devo-sands of the desert drink up the drops tion? I was now so confident of a of rain, or the dew of the morning, miraculous supply, that I neglected so do I also, who am but dust, imto walk out for my repast, which, bibe the instructions of the Prophet. after the first day, I expected with Believe then that it is he who tells an impatience that left me little pow- thee, all knowledge is profane, which er of attending to any other object: terminates in thyself; and by a life this impatience, however, I laboured wasted in speculation, little even of to suppress, and persisted in my re- this can be gained. When the gates solution; but my eyes at length be- of Paradise are thrown open before gan to fail me, and my knees smote thee, thy mind shall be irradiated in each other; I threw myself back- a moment; here thou canst little ward, and hoped my weakness would more than pile error upon error; soon increase to insensibility. But there thou shalt build truth upon I was suddenly roused by the voice truth. Wait, therefore, for the gloof an invisible being, who pronounc-rious vision; and in the mean time ed these words: 'Cosrou, I am the emulate the Eagle. Much is in thy angel, who by the command of the Al- power; and, therefore, much is exmighty, have registered the thoughts pected of thee. Though the Alof thy heart, which I am now com- mighty only can give virtue, yet, as missioned to reprove. While thou a prince, thou mayest stimulate those wast attempting to become wise to beneficence, who act from no above that which is revealed, thy higher motive than immediate interfolly has perverted the instruction est: thou canst not produce the prinwhich was vouchsafed thee. Art ciple, but mayest enforce the practhou disabled as the Fox? hast thou tice. The relief of the poor is equal, not rather the powers of the Eagle? whether they receive it from ostentaArise, let the Eagle be the object of tion, or charity; and the effect of thy emulation. To pain and sick- example is the same, whether it be ness, be thou again the messenger intended to obtain the favour of Goc of ease and health. Virtue is not or man. Let thy virtue be thus difrest, but action. If thou dost good fused; and if thou believest with

reverence, thou shalt be accepted tures cast their eggs as chance di above. Farewell. May the smile of rects them, and think of them no Him who resides in the Heaven of farther, as insects, and several kinds Heavens be upon thee! and against of fish; others, of a nicer frame, find thy name, in the volume of His will, out proper beds to deposit them in, may happiness be written!" and there leave them, as the serpent,

The King, whose doubts like those the crocodile, and ostrich; others of Mirza, were now removed, looked hatch their eggs and tend the birth, up with a smile that communicated until it is able to shift for itself. the joy of his mind. He dismissed What can we call the principle the prince to his government; and which directs every different kind commanded these events to be re- of bird to observe a particular plan corded, to the end that posterity may in the structure of its nest, and diknow that no life is pleasing to rects all of the same species to work God, but that which is useful to after the same model? It cannot be mankind." Adventurer. imitation; for though you hatch a crow under a hen, and never let it see any of the works of its own kind, the nest it makes shall be the same, to the laying of a stick, with all the I must confess I am infinitely de- nests of the same species. It canlighted with those speculations of not be reason; for were animals ennature which are to be made in a dued with it to as great a degree as country life; and as my reading has man, their buildings would be as difvery much lain among books of na-ferent as ours, according to the differtural history, I cannot forbear recol-ent conveniences that they would lecting, upon this occasion, the seve- propose to themselves.

21. Providence proved from Animal Instinct.

ral remarks which I have met with Is it not remarkable that the same in authors, and comparing them with temper of weather which raises this what falls under my own observation; general warmth in animals, should the arguments for Providence, drawn cover the trees with leaves, and the from the natural history of animals, fields with grass, for their security being, in my opinion, demonstrative. and concealment, and produce such The make of every kind of animal infinite swarms of insects for the is different from that of every other support and sustenance of their rekind; and yet there is not the least spective broods?

turn in the muscles or twist in the Is it not wonderful, that the love fibres of any one, which does not of the parent should be so violent render them more proper for that while it lasts, and that it should last particular animal's way of life, than no longer than is necessary for the any other cast or texture of them preservation of the young?

would have been.

The violence of this natural love

The most violent appetites in all is exemplified by a very barbarous creatures are lust and hunger: the experiment; which I shall quote at first is a perpetual call upon them to length, as I find it in an excellent propagate their kind; the latter to author, and hope my readers will preserve themselves. pardon the mentioning such an in It is astonishing to consider the stance of cruelty, because there is different degrees of care that de- nothing can so effectually show the scend from the parent of the young, strength of that principle in animals so far as is absolutely necessary for of which I am here speaking. "A the leaving a posterity. Some crea-person, who was well skilled in dis