THE OXFORD MAGAZINE: O R, UNIVERSAL MUSEUM, CALCULATED FOR General Inftruction and Amusement, O N A PLAN ENTIRELY NEW. Embellished with COPPER-PLATES, Satirical, Political, and Printed for the AUTHORS, and fold by S. BLADON, at No. 28, and M DCC LXXII. Fall the virtues which adorn the difmal confequences of prodigality and benevolence feems to excite the admi ration and applaufes of the world, One act of genuine benevolence cantels a thoufand faults; or, in other words, "covers a multitude of fins." In fact, the exercife of all other virtues appear to fpring from fome felfish motive, which depreciates the most meritorious conduct: But benevolence has its fource in philanthropy, and thofe who practice it, are fo far from deriving any temporary advantage from it, that they frequently expofe themfelves to a variety of inconveniences, from following the dictates of humanity and compaflion. Men may be pious and juft from the fear of thalent; they may be fober or challe, becaufe intemperance and debauchery are ii fuited to their conflitutions, and wil! bring on disease and angull; they may be frugal and economic, from the apprehenfions of the VOL. VIII. ry virtue recommended by moralifts, benevolence excepted, we fee the principle of felf-love predominant. In the emanations of a liberal mind, we can scarce difcern this common motive, allowed indeed to be a very proper ftimulative to laudable defigns. He who rifks his perfon, his fortune, his credit, or his fair fame, for the benefit of his neighbour, cannot, properly speaking, be fupposed to have self-love for his motive. As the generous, benevolent character undoubtedly exalts us above the level of the human fpecies, and affimulates us more than any other virtue, to beings of a celestial nature, befides gaining us the univerfal applaufe of all around us; it is no wonder that this character is aimed at by the majority of mankind, and that the greatest errors arife from the pursuit of it upon falfe principles. If I miftake not, there is an elegant paffage in fome part of that oldfashioned book, the Bible, which in a very few words, points out the diftinction between the man whom the world would call a man of ftri&t honour, of unfullied reputation, and the benevolent character the Cenfor has in view. It would be formal and uncourtly to cite chapter and verfe, and, perhaps, by avoiding this exploded cuftem, I may induce fome, who want fuch employment, to turn over the book till they find it-The tenor of the fenA 2 tense |