STUDY XII. 367 



death, but dying and reafoning no longer, flill, 

 however, feeling and fuffering *. 



* Thus, Religion has greatly the fuperiority over Phiiofophy, 

 in as much as it fupports us, not by our reafon, but by our refig- 

 nation. She would have us, not on foot, and ftirring about, 

 but ftretched on a bed of languiftiing : not on the theatre of the 

 World, but repofing at the footftool of the Throne of God ; not 

 tormented with folicitude about futurity, but confident and com- 

 pofed. When books, honours, fortune, and friends forfake us, 

 flie prefents us, as a pillow for our head, not the recollection of 

 our frivolous and theatrical virtues, but that of our infufficiency ; 

 and, inftead of the arrogant maxims of Philofophy, fhe demands 

 of us only calmnefs, peace, and filial confidence. 



I muft make one reflection more reflecting this reafon, or, 

 which amounts to the fame thing, reflecting this ingenuity of 

 which we are fo vain : namely this, that it appears to be the refult 

 of our miferies. It is very remarkable, that the Nations which 

 have been moft celebrated for their wit, their arts, and their in- 

 duftry, were the moft miferable on the face of the Earth, from 

 their government, their paffions, or their difcords. Read the 

 hiftory of the lives of moft men who have been diftinguifhed by 

 the fuperiority of their intellectual powers, and you will find 

 that they were extremely miferable, efpecially in their childhood. 

 One-eyed perfons, the lame, the hump-backed have, in general, 

 more wit than other men, becaufe, from being more difagreeably 

 conformed, they apply their reafoning powers toward obferving 

 with more attention the relations of Society, in the view of 

 fkreening themfelves againft it's oppreffion. Their humour, it 

 is true, is commonly of the farcaftic kind, but this character is 

 fufficiently applicable to what partes in the World for wit. Be- 

 sides, it was not Nature which rendered them malignant, but 

 the raillery, or the contempt, of thofe with whom they have 

 lived. 



What 



