omniscience can perceive the most beneficial mode of conduct, in any circumstances, but right intentions are always sufficient security for accomplishing some good. He that makes use of all the lights in his power, and whose purposes are tolerably pure, can never be very wide of the best path, and though he does not do as much, as would be done by the same means, guided by unerring wisdom, he cannot fail to do much. The true object of invective seems to be egregiously mistaken by such moralists: wealth and power ought, not to be reviled or deprecated, any more than bodily vigour or dexterity, or intellectual acuteness, or knowledge. The latter, like the former, may be abused or misapplied; may be enlisted in the cause of wickedness, and be instrumental only to the misery of the possessor, and the ruin of his neighbours. Hence the necessity, not of dreading, or renouncing, for ourselves, or our friends, a healthful person, or a strong mind, but of pointing out the happiness and glory of exerting these qualities for beneficial purposes. Hence the necessity of showing the value of power and riches, by describing the extensive benefits to mankind, which will be produced by the honest or wise employment of them. The rich should be taught, not to lament or despise their situation, but to glory in the means of so much genuine happiness. Among sensual enjoyments, their pursuit should be directed to sources of keener and higher pleasure than dogs, horses, prostitutes, and turtle soups can afford. If their system must be easy and luxurious, they should be allured by the blandishments of eloquence, from the bottle and the stews, from billiards and champaigne, from the stable and the horse-course, to the higher luxuries of pictures and books, music and conversation. These are much nearer to the true objects of human activity, than many others, though there are many nearer still. MY POCKET BOOK.—No. II. Quicquid agunt homines nostri farrago libelli. Heroism in low life. PROBABLY the annals of Greece and Rome cannot furnish a more extraordinary instance of heroism and disregard of death, than was displayed some years since, by two sailors, one a Turk, the other a Russian. The fact is recorded by Tooke, in his life of Catharine. In an engagement between the Russian and Turkish fleets, the Captain Pacha's ship took fire, and was rapidly consuming. A Turkish sailor, zealous for the national honour, ran across the flames to save the flag. A Russian beholding him, leaped on board a boat, climbed into the vessel, seized the Turk and the flag, and bore off both in triumph on board his own vessel. State of Shoe-making in Hindostan. Tennent, in his Indian Recreations, vol. 1, page 303, states that formerly in Hindostan, whoever wanted a pair of shoes, "had to pay the price in advance to the man who bought the animal whose hide was to furnish the material So ill-conducted was the whole process, that in a few days he prepared the leather, and delivered the shoes." Earthquake at Lisbon. Among the frightful and odious views under which human nature has sometimes exhibited itself, I know of none more shocking than what occurred during the Earthquake at Lisbon, anno 1755. By the convulsion, the walls of some of the prisons were thrown down, and the wretches therein confined, were thus liberated from durance. Bands of them paraded the streets, with torches in their hands, setting fire to the city, and robbing and murdering the inhabitants, during the very 、awful period, while the earth was rocking under their feet, ready to swallow them up, and land them on those awful shores, "from whose bourne no traveller returns." Horrible Refinement in Cruelty. Perhaps cruelty was never exhibited under a more hideous form, than in the case of a wretch condemned to death for murder, by one of the Emperor's officers in 1525. He was obliged to collect together a heap of firewood, round a stake fixed in the ground. As soon as he had performed this task, he was fastened to the stake by a chain that extended a very small distance beyond the pile, which was then set on fire. Trying to escape the flames, he ran round the pile, and was thus literally roasted alive. See Ferriar's Illustrations of Sterne, page 235. Pride and Poverty.. There is now before me a curious card, circulated in New-York, by a perfumer, in that city. After a long detail of the various articles he has for sale, such as, perfumery, tooth-powder, artificial flowers, hair-work, &c. &c. he adds a notice which has a large index prefixed to it Wigs and mounted combs to let day or night." If this do not indicate the hateful association of beggarly pride and groveling poverty, I know nothing that can indicate it. Industry miserably applied. Mr. Peirsol, a respectable iron-merchant in this city, was sometime since robbed of a stove, which, as is not uncommon here, lay at his door at night. By a fortunate accident he discovered it, and detected the thief, who was committed to jail. On being examined, he confessed the fact, and gave an account of all his marches and counter-marches in the theft, and in disposing of the property. And it appeared that he had spent so much time in the felonious employment, that the net proceeds of the sale of the stove, which he had disposed of at a low rate, did not afford him more than at the rate of about five shillings per day, for the whole number of hours employed in the business, although at his regular profession he could have carned a dollar! Voltaire. Men of great talents seem to think that they possess a privilege of playing the fool with impunity, and of passing on the world the most extravagant assertions, which are to be implicitly received as so many oracular verities. In the writings of Voltaire there are numerous instances in support of this position. I shall at present only instance one. He very gravely informs the world that there were but two things passable among the Egyptians: one, that those who adored a bull, sought not to make those who adored an ape, change their religion; the other, that they discovered the art of hatching eggs in ovens. The wildest maniac ever confined in the cells of Bedlam could not hazard a much more absurd assertion than this. Many of the laws and customs of this nation display profound sagacity, and are worthy of imitation among the most civilized nations. I shall just glance at a few of their salutary laws, which will not suffer by comparison with those of any other ancient nation: Every person in Egypt, the King as well as the lowest individual, was subject to trial after death. The inquest was conducted with great formality, and under the wisest rules. Every person who pleased might give testimony. If sufficient proofs of guilt appeared against the defunct, his corpse was debarred from burial, which was regarded as the greatest possible punishment, and an eternal disgrace. The dread of this posthumous condemnation operated as a most salutary and effectual check against the perpetration of crimes. Among most ancient nations, particularly the Romans, the life of a slave was, O mest horrible injustice! at the mercy of the master. And the murder of a slave by any other person, was not considered a capital crime. Whereas in Egypt there was no distinction between the murder of a slave and that of a freeman. He who refused or neglected, when in his power, to save a man's life from the dagger of an assassin, was liable to the same punishment as the assassin. No man was allowed to be useless to the State. Old age was held in as much reverence in Egypt as in any part of the world. The Spartans, observes Rollin, borrowed this just and wise custom from the Egyptians. False accusers, as among the Hebrews, were subject to the same punishment as would have awaited the objects of their accusation, had they been found guilty. The people were educated from their earliest age in the knowledge of the laws, and their observance was inculcated on them by every possible means. It were an endless task to go into a full examination. Enough has been said to prove, that to pass a general censure upon these and various other excellent laws and customs, and to eulogize the nation for discovering the art of hatching eggs in ovens, is the quintessence of folly. Biblical Note. It is a remarkable fact, that there are in this city two Bibles, each of which wants a verse. The one is an old quarto, published in Edinburg, anno, 1728, which wants the 23d verse of the 29th chapter of Genesis. The other is a pocket Bible, published in London, anno 1698, by Charles Bell, which wants the 32d verse of the 10th chapter of Luke. The first is in the possession of Mr. D. Humphreys; the other belongs to the Rev. Dr. Abercrombie. In the table of kindred and affinity annexed to the Scotch Bible, published anno 1795, by Mark and Charles Kerr, under royal patronage, is the following ludicrous prohibition-a man may not marry his wife's mother's brother. Young's Love of Fame. This beautiful poem has not had sufficient justice done to it. For strength of satire, and soundness of sentiment, I know no poem in the English language superior to it, and perhaps not many equal. I freely acknowledge, that for smoothness and melody, it cannot pretend to enter the lists with the Essay on Man. But divest the latter of its mere embellishments, and it will be found as far inferior in intrinsic worth, to the Love of Fame, as an elegant plated candlestick is inferior to virgin gold. Has the mind of man ever conceived more excellent sentiments than the following, which are among hundreds of lines all deserving of being committed to memory: "What though wit tickles, tickling is unsafe, The following lines will by some be thought to furnish too sombre a picture of human life. But unfortunately it is too frequently realized. "Not num'rous are our joys when life is new; We call for death, and shelter in a shroud." I have nowhere seen a more just satire than the following on the ridiculous pretensions made to sagacity and talents, by shallow men, who attempt to impose on the credulity of mankind by formality and solemnity of behaviour: What's the bent brow, or neck in thought reclin'd? A man of sense may artifice disdain ; As men of wealth may venture to go plain. I find the fool when I behold the screen For 'tis the wise man's interest to be seen." What an important lesson may Avarice find in these lines: Can gold calm passion, or make reason shine? |