kindness and hofpitality. Minds fo well afforted as thofe of Mofes and Jethro; and attracted to each other by mutual acts of bene ficence, would easily affimilate, and unite in friendship. And the pleafing recollection of protection given and received, the natural fenfibility of a female mind to perfonal accomplishments, but more efpecially to generofity and courage, on the one hand; and the irrefiftible charm of feminine beauty and modefty to a manly heart, on the other, would fpeedily and infenfibly between Mofes, and fome one of the Priest of Midian's fair daughters, ripen into love. What follows therefore, is all in the courfe of honeft Nature, which never fwerves from her purpose, "never fails to accomplish her end. But it was Providence that furnished the field, and the inftruments with which Nature should work. That Providence which faved him forty years before, from perishing in the Nile; that Providence which delivered him fo lately from the hands of an incenfed king; the fame Providence now, by a concourfe of circumftances equally beyond the reach of human power or forefight, fixes the bounds of his habitation, forms for him the most important connection of human life; and for another space of forty years, makes him forget the tumultuous pleasures of a court, in the more calm and rational de lights of difinterested friendship and virtuous affection.' On theological fubjects Dr. Hunter adopts the orthodox fyftem and language; but he never fuffers himself to fink down into the dull polemic. If it be not his talent to reafon closely, we find him, on every topic, haranguing fluently, and with no common share of popular eloquence. IN E. ART. IV. The Epiftles of Lucius Annæus Seneca; with large Annotations, wherein, particularly, the Tenets of the ancient Philofophers are contrafted with the divine Precepts of the Gospel, with regard to the moral Duties of Mankind. In Two Volumes. By Thomas Morell, D. D. 4to. 11. 10s. Boards. Robinsons. 1786. IN the prefent ftate of fcience, we perhaps pay too much respect to the ancients, when we make ufe of them as preceptors. The fubject of Ethics, particularly, after all the light which has been caft upon it by the New Teftament, and all the labour which has of late been bestowed upon it by divines and moralifts, may be allowed to be better understood, and more accurately taught, by the moderns than by the ancients. Neither Plato, nor Ariftotle, nor Cicero, nor Epictetus, nor Antoninus, nor Seneca, will inftruct a young man in the theory of morals, or enable him to understand it, as a science, fo perfectly as a Puffendorf, a Hutchefon, a Smith, or a Paley. Nevertheless, the ancient moralifts are ftill of great value; and their value is of a kind which will not diminish with the advancement of moral fcience, fince it chiefly confifts in a lively and beautiful difplay of thofe moral maxims and fentiments, which are felt by every one, and acknowledged in every fyftem. The perufal of the leffons of practical wifdom, preferved in the writings of the ancients, muft always give pleasure to a well cultivated mind, both on account of their correfpondence with the natural dictates of the human heart, and on account of the elegant and nervous manner in which they are commonly expreffed. In this view, the writings of Seneca have been always juftly held in high estimation. Whatever may be thought of the confiftency of this philofopher's conduct with his doctrine, it cannot be doubted, that his fyftem of philofophy required the strictest virtue, and that in all his writings, a variety of juft and noble fentiments are expreffed with great concilenefs and energy. Even the pointed and antithetical form of expreffion, which is the peculiar character of his ftyle, and which is, not without reafon, cenfured as a deviation from the fimplicity which diftinguished the writers of the preceding period, feems peculiarly adapted to the purpose of giving vivacity and ftrength to particular maxims and obfervations in morals. Dr. Morell, therefore, rendered an acceptable fervice to the Public, by clothing the best part of Seneca's works, his Epiftles, in a modern drefs, which has, we believe, never been attempted fince they were done into English by Thomas Lodge, and arrayed in a ruftic habit by that great mafter of the vulgar dialect, L'Eftge. Every one knows that Dr. Morell, the improver of Afworth Dictionary, and author of Thefaurus Græca Poejews, devoted a long life to claffical learning, and therefore, as might be expected, must have been well qualified to give a correct and faithful tranflation of Seneca. That our Readers may judge for themselves how far he was capable of imitating the peculiar manner of the original, we fhall felect two paffages. 1 Of Books. The Mind is to be employed on Things and not on Words. The happy Man. You complain, Lucilius, that, where you at prefent refide you want books: it matters not how many you have, but how good they are. Reading, with fome point in view, profits a man; but variety only amufeth. He that hath fixed upon the end of his journey, muft pursue one path, and not wander out of his way: this would not be called a journey, but rambling. You had rather, you fay, I fhould give you books than counfel. Such as I have I am ready to fend you, and even my whole ftock: nay, I would, if poffible, transport myfelf to you; and indeed did I not expect that you foon will have fulfilled your commiffion, old as I am, I fhould have undertaken the voyage: nor would Charybdis, Scylla, or any fabulous ftories relating to this fea, have deterred me from it. I would have swam over it, instead of being carried; to have enjoyed your prefence, and learned what progrefs you have made in the accomplishments of the mind. But as for your defiring me to fend you my books, I think myfelf not a whit the more ingenious, than I fhould think myself handfome, handfome, becaufe you defired my picture. I know you make this request more out of complaifance than judgment; but if it be from judgment, I must tell you, your complaifance hath imposed upon you. However, fuch as they are, I will fend them; and entreat you to read them, as the writings of one, who is ftill feeking after Truth; not prefuming to have found it; and feeking it with earnestness and refolution for I have not given myself up to any particular master; I have not enlisted myself folemnly in any fect: I truft indeed much to the judgment of great men, but at the fame time defpife not my own. They have ftill left us many things for future inveftigation; and perhaps might have fupplied us with many things neceffary, had they not attached themfelves to things vain and fuperfluous: they loft much time in cavilling about words, and in captious difputations, which ferve only to exercife and amufe vain minds. They start knotty questions, and then folve them, by the help of a few words of doubtful meaning: and have we ieifure for all this? do we yet know how to live, or how to die? Thither fhould our utmost care and difcretion be directed, in order to be provided against being deceived by things, as by words: what avails it to perplex yourself and me, with the diftinction of words of like found, when no one can be deceived by them but in fubtle difputations? Things themselves deceive us: let us learn to diftinguish them: we embrace evil for good; we with for things contrary to what we wifhed for before; our vows impugn our vows; and our purposes thwart and oppofe one another: how nearly does flattery refemble friendship? It not only imitates friendship, but feems to overcome and excel it ; it is fucked in with favourable ears; defcends into the heart; and is then moft grateful, when moft pernicious: teach me to distinguish this likenefs: a fawning enemy fometimes attacks me in the name of a friend: vice impofes upon us under the mask of virtue; temerity lies concealed, under the title of valour; indolence is taken for moderation; and the coward for a cautious man. Now, error in this refpe&t is very dangerous; fet therefore a particular mark on these things: but was you to afk a man if he has got horns, no one would be fo foolish as to rub his brow for conviction; nor fo dull and ftupid as not to know, he has not got that which, by the moft fubtle inferences you would perfuade him he has. Thefe then deceive without any detriment; like the cups and balls of jugglers ‡, in which the very fallacy delights us; make me to understand how the feat is done, and all the pleasure of it is loft: I may fay the same of all idle questions, properly called fophiftry; which to be ignorant Nullius addictus jurare in verba magiftri. Hor. Ep. I. 1. 14. Ut qui conducti plorant in funere, dicunt Et faciunt prope plura dolentibus ex animo. As hirelings, paid for the funereal tear, Outweep the forrows of a friend fincere. This rub on the logicians, comparing their trifling argumenta tion to the tricks of jugglers, was from Arcefilaus, who faid, res diaλικτικός εοικεναι τοις Ψηφοπαικίαις οἵτινες χαριέντως παραλογίζονται. of of is by no means prejudicial; nor is there any profit or delight in knowing them. Throw afide the ambiguity of words, and teach us this important truth; that he is not the happy man, whom the vulgar efteem fo, on account of his great wealth, but he whofe mind is all goodness; upright, and noble, trampling upon what the world holds in admiration; who fees no one, with whom he would change condition; who reckons a man happy, only in that he preferves the dignity of man; who takes Nature for his guide; conducts himself by her laws; and lives up to her prescriptions; whofe truly good poffeffions are fuch, as no external power can take away; who turns evil into good; fure and steady in point of judgment, without prejudice, without fear; whom no external force can disturb, though perchance it move him; whom, when Fortune hath pointed at him her sharpeft arrow, and with her whole ftrength, fhe only rakes, but cannot wound him; and that but feldom; for her other weapons, with which the affails mankind, rebound from him like the hailftones, which falling on our houses, without any inconvenience to the inhabitants, make a little rattling, and are diffolved *. • Here then exert yourself, for why should you detain me with fuch ftuff as you yourself call pfeudomenon (i. e. fallacious reasoning): and of which fo many idle books are compofed? Behold, the whole of life deceives me; reprove this; if you are so acute, reduce this to truth. We judge thofe things neceffary the greatest part of which are merely fuperfluous; and even thofe things, which are not fuperfluous, have not fufficient weight in them to make a man rich and happy nay, though a thing be neceffary, it is not immediately to be pronounced good: we prostitute this title if we give it to bread, or other viands, without which no one can fupport life: what is good, is neceffary; but not every thing that is neceffary is good; becaufe fome things are abject and mean, which however are abfolutely neceffary. • There is no one, I think, fo ill informed of the importance of good, as to apply this term to the neceffaries of the day: why then will you not rather transfer your care, to fhew to all men, that with great lofs of time they are ever feeking fuperfluities; and that many fpend their whole life in queft of the means to live. Confider the whole world; reconnoitre individuals; who is there, whofe life is not taken up with providing for to-morrow? Do you ask what harm there is in this? An infinite deal: for fuch men do not live, but are This is a moft admirable character or defcription of a good man: but how greatly it may be heightened under the Chriftian fcheme, we may fee exemplified in that incomparable fiction entitled Sir Charles Grandifon. Fiction did I fay? Be it fo. It seems to me fo replete with fentimental truths, and elegant diction, that I know no book, next to thofe of a religious tenour, that I would fooner recommend for perufal to a young man, and efpecially one of a fuperior rank. According to my firft plan, I had infcribed the following Epifle to Mr. Richardson; and defired his acceptance of my applica tion of it to his the faid hiftory, as coming from one of his many juft admirers.' about about to live: they defer every thing from day to day: however circumfpect we are, life will fill outrun us : but now, while we are fo dilatory, it paffeth away as if it did not belong to us; it ends indeed at its last day, but is lost every day. But that I may not exceed the bounds of an epiftle, and fill the reader's hand with a load of paper; I shall defer to another opportunity this difpute with the logicians; who generally fpin their reafonings fomewhat too fine, and are ftudious to exhibit little elfe than this and that †.' On Contentment and Magnanimity. Still, Lucilius, are you forgetful, and ftill complaining; and feem not to understand, that there is nothing evil in thefe worldly affairs, but what you make fo yourfelf; by being thus difpleafed and ever querulous. For my part, I think there is nothing that can be called miferable in man, unless he thinks there is fomething miferable in the nature of things. I would quarrel with myself, if I thought there was any thing that I could not endure. Am I fick ? It is part of my deftiny. Is my family afflicted? am I hard pressed by the ufurer does my houfe crack ? loffes, wounds, difficulties, fears, do they all affault me? It is nothing more than what is common in the world: nay, further, it must be fo. These things therefore cannot be faid to happen, they are decreed. If you will believe me, Lucilius, I will lay open to you my inmoft thoughts and affections. Thus then, when any thing feems adverfe or hard to me, do I behave myfelf: I obey not God forcibly, but willingly; I follow him, not from neceflity, but with all my mind and all my foul f. Nothing can befal me that I will receive, Life will fill outrun us] -Life fpeeds away, From point to point, tho' feeming to stand ftill; The cunning fugitive is fwift by ftealth: Too fubtle is the moment to be feen: Yet foon man's hour is up and we are gone. Too prone's our heart to whisper what we wish; The wifeft man goes flower than the fun; This and that] Hoc folum curantibus, non et hoc. Alluding to the ufual forms of their yllogifms; a thing must be either this or that; it cannot be this, therefore it must be that; or, it cannot be this and that; it is this, therefore not that. This puts me in mind of two lines, which a modern wit hath fet by way of moral to a burlefque tragedy: From fuch examples as of this and that, We all are taught to know-I know not what. Covent Garden Tragedy.' I This is true wifdom, the principal coctrine of the Stoics, and confirmed throughout the whole tenour of the Gófpel." He is but a bad foldier, who fighs and marches on with reluctancy; we must receive the orders with spirit and chearfulness, and not endeavour to Rev. July 1787. C flink |