blind, others dumb, and what is yet more dreadful, some are idiots. When such misfortunes meet your sight, return thanks to God that your body. is healthy and clear from defects,-with compassion sooth the sufferings of your brother mortal, and by kindness convince him that you arrogate no pride to yourself in being more happily formed than he is.. If man makes use of his reason, he cannot conceal from himself the important truth that he is the peculiar object of his Creator's care, as it is evident he has granted him benefits beyond all other creatures, that he watches over him with paternal tenderness, and is ever extending his bounty in his favour throughout the whole order of the creation. If it be thus, my young friends, what a glorious reflection is ours, that we can claim the protection of a father who rules the whole universe, covers the face of the earth with all necessaries for our use, and even framed the Heavens for the reception of his children. ON ON RIDICULE. YE admirers of ridicule and fun, what have ye gained by your efforts, except contempt, disdain, and hatred. Can any of you produce one single instance, where those ebullitions have procured you either affection, esteem, or respect? Surely no! for they rend asunder the ties of friendship, and spread dissention and animosity. They never extend the olive branch of peace, but appear a perpetual challenge of defiance.-Wit, chastened by understanding and good nature, is indeed pleasant; but without these palliatives palliatives may be compared to a caustic,, which corrodes wherever it touches. Ridicule is ever the offspring of illnature, for no one would wish to render. those they truly love ridiculous; on the other hand, to exert so paltry a propensity against those indifferent to us, must be the effect of mere malevolence.. To use it. publicly against our superiors we dare not, it must, therefore, be gratified by our becoming tyrants to our equals or inferiors;: who, however they may appear to parry. the strokes of malice, yet, believe me, sink, too deep ever to be forgotten. Fun, as it is called, appears so vulgar a propensity, that, if possible, it sinks yet lower in the eye of reason. It is the wit of a drayman, or the clumsy efforts of a cow boy; which we consider with pity if harmless, harmless, but if too boisterous, wish punished with a horsewhip. - To these have lately been added a new species of malicious ridicule, called quizzing, and the fabricators quizzers, though I know not for what reason, unless from a corruption of the latin, quisquiliæ, which signifies, the scum of the people tools — understrappers. This foolery I have named last, as I regard it the lowest, and most despicable degradation of bankrupt wit, mixed with falshood and deception; as it assumes the voice of truth and friendship, in order to excite a laugh at the expence of the credulous person. Who, therefore, would not rather be the person so deceived, than one of those modern Judas's, called quizzers?-Crea tures |