succeed each other according to the varying seasons.9 9 Seasons, s division of the 7. View one of these trees bearing its branches to the ground, and year. bent under the weight of its excellent fruit, whose color and smell declare the taste. The quantity as well as the quality is astonishing. Methinks that tree says, Learn of me what is the goodness and magnificence of that God who has made me for you. Bless him and unload me. 8. From the fruitful orchard let us turn our attention to the feathered2 tribe. Who has commanded the swallow to come near man, and build her habitation3 immediately in his view? She uses cement4 and mortar, and makes her whole work so solid as not to be destroyed without some labor. 9. Her bill is her only instrumeut, and she has no other means of carrying her water, than by wetting her breast, while she expands5 her wings; it is with the dew she sprinkles the mortar, and with this only she dilutes and moistens her masonry, which she afterwards arranges and sets in order with her bill. 10. Who has taught her the knowledge of calculating time so exactly, as to break the shell6 at + Quality attibute; property; efficacy; rank; birth temper; disposition. 2 Feathe red a covered with feathers. 3 Habitation; & a place of abode; residence 4 Cement, s that which joins bodies. 5 Expand, spread, open; extend. 6 Shell, s a hard covering, superficial part the critical moment which they nerer fail to perform? 11. It is obvious7 that the design of our great benefactor in uniting in their nature so many rares qualities of which they are not sensible, was to direct our attention to him, and make us sensible of his infinite9 goodness. Think of these things, my young readers and do not fail to read the book of nature. 7 Obvious, a evident, clear, plain, open. 8 Rare, a uncommon,scarce fine, raw. 9 Infinite, a un bounded, endless, very great,, immense. The Importance of a good Education. 1. I consider a human soul, without education, like marble in the quarry; which shows none of its inherent2 beauties, until the skill of the polisher fetches out the colors, makes the surface shine, and discovers every ornamentals cloud, spot, and vein, that runs through the body of it. Education, after the same manner, when it works upon a noble mind, draws out to view every latent4 virtue and perfection, which, without such helps, are never able to make their appearance. 2. If my reader will give me leave to change the allusion so soon upon him, I shall make use of the saine instance to illustrates the force of to explais Illustrate education. which Aristotle has brought to explain his doctrine of substantial forms, when he tells us that a statue6 lies hid in a block of marble;7 and that the art of the statuary only clears away the superflous8 matter, and removes the rubbish. What The 3 The figure is in the stone, and the sculptor only finds it. sculpture9 is, to a block of marble, education is to a human soul. philosopher, the saint, or the hero, the wise, the good, or the great man very often lies hid and concealed in a plebeian, which a proper education might have disinterred2 and have brought to sight. + Plebeian, one of the lower people. 2 Disinterred, part-taken out of a grave. 3 Obstinacy, s 4. I am therefore much delighted with reading the accounts of savage nations; and with contemplating those virtues which are wild and uncultivated; to see courage exerting itself in fierceness, resolution in obstinacy,3 wisdom in cunning, stubbornness, patience in sullenness and despair. perverseness. 5. Men's passions operate variously, and appear in different kinds of actions, according as they are more or less rectified4 and swayed by reason. 6. When one hears of negrocs, who upon the death of their masters, or upon changing their ser vice, hang themselves upon the 4 Rectified. part made right, reformed, improved by repeated distilla, tion. 914930 5 Plantations, s the act or prac the places plant tice of planting, ed. 6 Cultivated, meliorated. next trce, as it sometimes happens in our American plantations,5 who can forbear admiring their fidelity, though it expresses itself in so dreadful a manner? What might not that savage greatness of soul, which appears in those poor wretches on many occasions, be raised. to, were it rightly cultivated?6 7. And what color of excuse part improved, can there be, for the contempt with which we treat this part of our species; that we should not put them upon the common foot of bu manity; that we should only set. an insignificant7 fine upon the an who murders them; nay that we should, as much as in us lies, cut them off from the prospects of happiness8 in another world, as well as in this; and deny them that which we look upon as the proper means for attaining it. 7 Insignificant a wanting mean ing, worthless. good luck, bles sedness. 8 Happinesss 9 Unspeakable, a not to be expressed. + Inhabitants e 8. It is therefore an unspeakable9 blessing, to be born in those parts of the world wherefwisdom and knowledge flourish; though it must be confessed, there are even in these parts, several poor, uniustructed persons who are but little above the inhabitants of those nations of which I have been here speaking; as those who have had the advantages of a more liberal2 education,3 rise above one another of children. persons who re side in a place. 2 Liberal, a bountiful, generous 3 Education, s the instruction by several different degrees of perfection.4 9. For, to return to our statue in the block of marble, we see it sometimes only just begun to be chipped, sometimes rough hewn, and but just sketched into a human figure; sometimes we see the man appearing distinctly in all his limbs and features; sometimes we find the figure wrought up to great elegancy ;5 but seldom meet with any to which the hand of a Phidias or a Praxiteles could not give several nice touches and finishings. 4 Perfection, s state of being perfect. 5 Elegancy, & beauty without grandeur. On Gratitude. + Gratitude, duty to benefactors. 2 Performance s. the act of 1. There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such inward satisfaction that the duty, is sufficiently rewarded by the performance.2 2. It is not, like the practice of performing. many other virtues,3 difficult and painful, but attended with so much pleasure that were there no positive command which enjoined it, nor any recompence laid up for it hereafter, a generous mind would 3 Virtue, 8: moral goodness |