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But ignorant It is a barren every remove.

753. Age without Learning and Virtue.-If any thing hath power, it is Virtue and Knowledge, that can ransom us from the infirmities and reproaches of age. Without these, an old man is but the lame shadow of that which once he was. They honour him too far that say he is twice a child. There is something in children that carries a becoming prettiness, which is pleasant and of grateful relish. old age is the worst picture that Time can draw of man. vine in autumn, a leaky vessel ready to drop in pieces at His ignorance and imbecility condemn him to idleness, which to the active soul is more irksome than any employment. What can he do, whose strength and limbs shall fail: and the gust of pleasure, which helped him to misspend his youth, through time and languid age shall be blunted and dull? Abroad he cannot stir to partake the variation of the world; nor will others be fond of coming to him, when they shall find nothing but a cadaverous man, composed of diseases and complaints, that for want of knowledge hath not discourse to keep Reason company.-Feltham.

754. Solitude.

:

O sacred Solitude! divine retreat!

Choice of the prudent! envy of the great!
By thy pure stream, or in thy waving shade,
We court fair wisdom, that celestial maid:
The genuine offspring of her loved embrace
(Strangers on earth!) are Innocence and Peace:
There, from the ways of men laid safe on shore,
We smile to hear the distant tempest roar :

There, bless'd with health, with business unperplex'd,
This life we relish, and ensure the next.-Young.

755. Marriage.-Benevolence and prudence may make marriage happy but what can be expected but disappointment and repentance from a choice made in the immaturity of youth, in the ardour of desire, without judgment, without foresight, without inquiry into conformity of opinions, similarity of manners, rectitude of judgment, or purity of sentiment? Such is the common process of marriage. A youth and maiden meeting by chance, or brought together by artifice, exchange glances, reciprocate civilities, go home and dream of one another: and having little to divert attention or diversify thought, they find themselves uneasy when they are apart, and therefore conclude they shall be happy together. They marry and discover what nothing but voluntary blindness before had concealed. They wear out life with altercations, and charge nature with cruelty.-Dr Johnson.

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Materials for Thinking,

EXTRACTED FROM THE WORKS OF

ANCIENT AND MODERN AUTHORS.

WHATEVER CHARITY WE OWE TO MEN'S PERSONS, WE OWE NONE TO THEIR ERRORS."-Bishop Burnet.

No. XXX.

Published Weekly.

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756. Cards. Is it not a little surprising that these painted papers should possess such charms as to be able to captivate all hearts in civilized society? Is there some magical influence resident in the paper or coloring which is elicited by the dexterous motions of the players? Or are we to attribute the power which they possess over the minds of men to some extraneous cause connected with their movements ?

Being lately in a house where several parties were engaged at cards, we observed among the rest an old man, who, from his appearance, must be advancing rapidly to the end of his earthly pilgrimage. Although his hand trembled, we could not but take notice that he handled the instruments of his amusement with uncommon ease and dexterity. He generally appeared solicitously attentive to the operations in hand until he brought some favorite project to bear, when he would give for a few moments free way to his emotions of exultation and joy. When he had enjoyed his triumph, he always appeared eager to engage in a new contest, and again displayed the same restless anxiety for the victory that he had done before. There was always a small stake depending on the issue of the game, which he frequently eyed with solicitude, and, if successful in play, appropriated to himself with every appearance of gladness and triumph. If he failed in the contest, we could always discover an air of dissatisfaction in his countenance which he endeavored vainly to conceal; but he continually attributed the cause of his failure to something totally independent of himself the ungenerous play of his antagonist, or the unskilfulness of his partner. The pleasure of victory did not appear to result wholly from the pecuniary acquisition he had made; but to proceed also from the display of his own superiority and the discomfiture of his oppo

nent.

After the most of the players, weary of the diversion, had departed, the old man still continued at the table, holding the cards in his hand,

as if anxious for a fresh encounter.

We approached the veteran gamester, and endeavored to enter into conversation; but the only reply he made to our observations was to demand whether or no we were disposed to take a hand at cards. We assented; but as our unskilfulness at the game afforded him an easy victory, he soon became dissatisfied, and signified his inclination to discontinue the amusement. We readily acceded; and from this circumstance we drew the conclusion, that a great part of his enjoyment proceeded from a successful exertion of his powers; and that the more arduous the struggle, the greater the gratification resulting from the conquest.

We inquired of the old gentleman if he derived much entertainment from cards. "No,” said he, “not much : they serve to kill time.” “You are not then," we replied, "solicitous for the game on account of the money that is deposited?" "Damn the money!" said he in a passion, "I care not for the trash: I play for amusement." "Why then" we ventured to inquire, "should there be any stake at all, since it is an object beneath your attention ?" "Because," said he, with a supercilious smile, "there must be something betted to render the game interesting," Here, as if ashamed of holding a conversation with a person so ignorant of life as we appeared to be, he turned round to one who had just entered, and began a new game, to kill time-to win money—to exercise his powers-and to triumph over his adversary.

This occurrence led us to reflect that when we arrive even at the verge of life, time will still hang heavy on our hands, since we are reduced to such miserable expedients to while away the lingering hours, and shut out obtrusive thoughts. We were also led to draw the conclusion, that, whatever inclination men may discover for play, there is nothing will make the game interesting, but the avaricious hope of accumulating money: avarice is the ruling passion of civilized man.

The Savage.

757. Curiosity, says Hobbes, is a desire to know why and how; such as is in no living creature but man: so that man is distinguished, not only by his reason, but also by this singular passion, from other animals; in whom the appetite of food, and other pleasures of sense, by predominance, take away the care of knowing causes; which is a lust of the mind, that, by a perseverance of delight in the continual and indefatigable generation of knowledge, exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal pleasure.-Rochefoucault.

758. Envy, like a corroding plaister, lies gnawing at the heart, and indeed is founded in grief, that being the object of it, either in himself or others, through all the conditions that are. Either he grieves in himself when another is happy, or else, if ever he does rejoice, it is certainly because another does suffer; so calamity seems the centre that he points unto.--Feltham.

759. Church Revenues.-As to the argument that large or any permanent revenues are essential to the existence of a christian church, it is answered at once by the well-known fact, that during the primitive ages of the christian church it possessed no other revenues than the voluntary contributions of the faithful. As to tithes, they were wholly unknown for many centuries after the establishment of the christian church; they have, therefore, no connection with christianity; and it is worthy of remark that they have never formed any part of the temporal establishment of the eastern church.--Eagle.

760. The Glories of War.-The poets step forward to celebrate what they denominate warlike virtues. Let us reply to the poets by the howling of the wolves, and screams of the vultures, that gather the dreadful harvest of battles; or by the lamentations of widows and orphans, expiring with hunger on the tombs of their husbands and fathers. Writers have endeavoured to dazzle us with the glories of war: but unfortunate are the people who shine with the greatest splendour in the pages of history! Like the heroes of the drama, their celebrity is acquired at the expense of their happiness.-Volney.

761. On Precocity of Intellect. -The productions of precocious genius are sure at first to be overrated by the public; for whatever is unusual excites wonder;-an emotion, as is well known, which always obscures its own source and origin. Common sense resumes, 'tis true, its empire in the long run, and either consigns the marvel to oblivion, (the usual consummation), or, at least, by dissipating all factitious and temporary interest, reduces it to a very unimportant thing. It is, however, too much the custom, on all occasions, to value things, not according to their intrinsic excellence (the only thing for which they should be valued), but for some circumstance attending their production, or connected with their author. We are shown a novel or poem ; we read, and think it nothing extraordinary: but then some critic, or some friend to the author, starts up, and lets us know it was written by a ploughman; or by a very young boy or girl. We examine the work again, and immediately the case is altered. Thoughts and images which we carelessly overlooked when seeking merely for the pleasure arising from beauty of composition, now assume, as the politicians say, "an imposing attitude," and we exclaim, as we go along, "How wonderful this, considering by whom it was written!"

Mankind are doubtless very right in encouraging unfolding talent, in whatever shape it appears; but in estimating the value of precocity, the principle of utility should be diligently kept in sight. Were it put to us, whether we would have all the sunshine of the year, or the brightest of it, poured upon February and March, with the certainty or the risk of seeing June and July cold and gloomy, we should certainly vote for leaving things as they are. The spring of life should be like

that of the year, the season of seeds and blossoms, not of fruit. Genius would be indeed divine, if it could anticipate education and experience, and burst forth at once complete, like Minerva from the hand of Jupiter. But as such is not the fact, precocity appears in general to be a mortgaging the riches of mankind, to make a flash beforehand.—Anon.

762. Reason and Truth.—It is an old remark, that when reason is against a man, the man will be against reason; and so, too, when truth is against a man, the man is apt to be against truth, and to fly to revolution.-Examiner.

463. Economy is one of the chief duties of a state, as well as of an individual. It is not only a great virtue in itself, but it is the parent of many others. It preserves men and nations from the commission of crime, and the endurance of misery. The man that lives within his income can be just, humane, charitable, and independent. He who lives beyond it becomes almost necessarily rapacious, mean, faithless, contemptible. The economist is easy and comfortable; the prodigal harrassed with debts, and unable to obtain the necessary means of life. So it is with nations. National character, as well as national happiness, has, from the beginning of the world to the present day, been sacrificed on the altar of profusion.

Spectator's Key to Political Knowledge.

764. History, says the noble Baptista Nani, is sued as the witness or trust of those that went before, and the treasure of those that shall come after; not to be handled but as a religious thing, and with great caution. The historian, taking to himself an absolute dictatorship over times, persons, and actions, governs fame, measures deserts, penetrates intentions, discloses secrets; is, with an undistinguishing arbitrament over kings and people, the judge of ages past, and master of those to come; absolves or punishes, deceives or instructs. The pen of writers may be compared to lightning; because reputation is a thing so tender, that one dash makes illustrious, and a little blot infamous; and the censure of the world thereupon is so severe, that it consecrates to eternity or consigns to infamy.-Roger Coke.

765. Life Chequered. The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together: our virtues would be proud, if our faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues.-Shakspeare.

766. Physic is of little use to a temperate person; for a man's own observation on what he finds does him good, and what hurts him, is the best physic to preserve health.-Lord Bacon.

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