BEAUTY.

BEAUTY has fo many charms, one knows not

how to speak against it; and when it happens. that a graceful figure is the habitation of a virtuous foul, when the beauty of the face fpeaks out the modefty and humility of the mind, and the juftness of the proportion raises our thoughts up to the heart and wifdom of the great Creator, fomething may be allow ed it, and fomething to the embellishments which fet it off; and yet, when the whole apology is read,-it will be found at laft, that Beauty, like Truth, never is. fo glorious as when it goes the plainest.

SERM. XXIV. P. 187.

WISDOM.

LESSONS of Wisdom have never fuch power over

us, as when they are wrought into the heart through the ground-work of a ftory which engages the paffions: Is it that we are like iron, and must first be heated before we can be wrought upon? or,. is the

heart

heart fo in love with deceit, that where a true report will not reach it, we muft cheat it with a fable, in order to come at the truth?

SERM. XX. P. 93.

HUNG E R.

F all the terrors of nature, that of one day or

OF

other dying by hunger, is the greateft; and it is wifely wove into our frame to awaken man to induftry, and call forth his talents; and though we feem to go on carelessly, sporting with it as we do with other terrors,—yet, he that fees this enemy fairly, and in his moft frightful shape, will need no long remonftrance to make him turn out of the way to avoid him.

NOTHING fo powerfully calls home the mind

as diftrefs: the tenfe fibre then relaxes,the

foul retires to itself,fits penfive and fufceptible of

right

right impreffions: If we have a friend, 'tis then we think of him; if a benefactor, at that moment all his kindneffes prefs upon our mind.

SERM. XX. P. 97.

MR. SHANDY's LETTER TO HIS BROTHER ON LOVE.

My dear brother Toby,

HAT I am going to say to thee, is upon the

WHAT

nature of women, and of love-making to them; and perhaps it is as well for thee-though not fo well for me that thou haft occafion for a letter of instructions upon that head, and that I am able to write it to thee.

Had it been the good pleasure of him who difpofes of our lots-and thou no fufferer by the knowledge, I had been well content that thou fhould't have dipp'd the pen this moment into the ink, instead of myfelf; but that not being the cafe

-Mrs.

Shandy being now clofe befide me, preparing for bed -I have thrown together without order, and just as they have come into my mind, fuch hints and documents as I deem may be of use to thee; intending in this to give thee a token of my love; not doubting,

my

my dear Toby, of the manner in which it will be accepted.

In the first place, with regard to all which concerns religion in the affair-though I perceive, from a glow in my cheek, that I blush as I begin to speak to thee upon the fubject, as well knowing, notwithftanding thy unaffected fecrecy, how few of its offices thou neglectest-yet I would remind thee of one (during the continuance of thy courtship) in a particular manner, which I would not have omitted; and that is, never to go forth upon the enterprize, whether it be in the morning or the afternoon, without firft recommending thyfelf to the protection of Almighty God, that he may defend thee from the evil one.

Shave the whole top of thy crown clean once at leaft every four or five days, but oftener if convenient; left in taking off thy wig before her, through abfence of mind, the should be able to discover how much has been cut away by Time-how much by Trim.

-"Twere better to keep ideas of baldness out of her fancy.

Always carry it in thy mind, and act upon it, as a fure maxim, Toby

"That vsamen are timid:" And 'tis well they areelfe there would be no dealing with them.

Let not thy breeches be too tight, or hang too loofe about thy thighs, like the trunk hofe of our ancestors. A just medium prevents all conclufions.

Whatever

Whatever thou haft to say, be it more or less, forget not to utter it in a low, foft tone of voice. Silence, and whatever approaches it, weaves dreams of midFor this caufe, if thou night fecrecy into the brain.

can't help it, never throw down the tongs and poker.

Avoid all kinds of pleafantry and facetioufness in thy difcourfe with her, and do whatever lies in thy power at the fame time, to keep from her all books and writings which tend thereto : there are fome devotional tracts, which if thou canst entice her to read over-it will be well: but fuffer. her not to look Rabelais, or Scarron, or Don Quixote

-They are all books which excite laughter; and thou knowest, dear Toby, that there is no paffion fo serious as luft.

Stick a pin in the bofom of thy fhirt, before thou entereft her parlour.

And if thou art permitted to fit upon the fame fopha with her, and fhe gives thee occafion to lay thy hand upon hers-beware of taking it-thou canst not lay thy hand on hers, but she will feel the temper of thine. Leave that and as many other things as thou can'ft, quite undetermined; by fo doing, thou wilt have her curiofity on thy fide; and if she is not conquered by that, and thy AssE continues ftill kicking, which there is great reason to suppose-Thou must begin, with firft lofing a few ounces of blood below the ears, according to the practice of the ancient

Scythians,