216 shakspeare's writings. 



ception and thought will be more impressive and more 

 practicable than those which fall from the lips or 

 flow from the pen of the professed individual mo- 

 rahst. 



But, the best of us, can scarcely jostle long among 

 the real denizens of busy life, without, in some mea- 

 sure losing our moral delicacy. We may become, 

 not actually more vicious, but less generous, and that 

 care, which, in the first instance, was of a philanthro- 

 pic nature, may subsequently receive a dash of sel- 

 fish cunning. The leading and important decrees 

 of virtue may still have their full effect upon our o-e- 

 neral conduct ; but many of those softer liumanities, 

 which recommended the more substantial qualities 

 of mind, will most hkely be disturbed or entirely de- 

 faced. The butterfly may still sweep his airy round ; 

 but the beauty of his wings no longer claims our in- 

 voluntary notice. 



Since, then, that knowledge of the world, which 

 is obtained by an active commingling with men, be, 

 in some respects, injurious, it were desirable to seek 

 the same ends by different means : — and, what a 

 glorious thing would it be, if all nations possessed a 

 BOOK by the study of which they might acquaint 

 themselves with every variety of human nature, with- 

 out encountering the evils incident to collision, 

 wherein they might observe all the workings of the 

 good and evil passions, all the gradations of honour, 

 all the depths of sin, and, by the multifarious study 

 of which, sagacity must be necessarily awakened so 

 as to afford the full power of practical application. 

 Where the application of moral truth is not left to 

 ourselves, we are sufficiently careless as to whether 

 we do right or wrong. Flatter a man's wit: leave 

 him something to find out and he will oft times prove 

 marvellously tractable. When a little boy and girl 

 receive six-pence a piece from an old gentleman, with 

 an injunction to be "good children," they are much 

 more likely to spend the money than remember the 

 advice ; but, when they witness the punishment of 



