502 
speculations, gaming transactions, expo- 
sure of valuable life for cheap conside- 
rations. Some men act wrong from sel- 
fishness, some from presumption, some 
from‘ vanity, enthusiasm, or mere de- 
sire Of strong excitement ; and, generally 
speaking, are perfectly aware of the risks 
they ran, “and the consequences of 
their actions. . 
“Again, much folly, vice and misery, 
may ‘be traced to youthful inexperience. 
No perfectability as to theory, or ame- 
lioration as to fact, will destroy the 
eternal ‘distinction between the pre- 
‘sumption of youth and thé caution of 
‘old age; and young men will be as 
ready to despise the experience and 
reject the counsels of their superiors 
in maturity, at any given future period 
as they are at the present time. To 
this it may be added, that the two great- 
est ‘sources of misery and contention, 
private and public, party spirit and 
warfare, are not likely to be diminished 
by the diffusion of intellectual power, 
but the contrary. That such conten- 
tions produce talent, sharpen sagacity, 
elicit judgment, and at once excite and 
satisfy the craving aspirations of the 
higher order of intellects, cannot be 
denied. The most enlightened men of 
all nations have been the leaders of 
their battles or the directors of their 
patties. Here, then, the highest refine- 
ment’ of ‘the mind yields no hopes of 
arly proportionate exaltation of enjoy- 
ment, or any co-ordinate diffusion of 
happiness. 
If we -turn from the plagues of war 
and faction to the other glittering cur- 
ses’ of life, miscalled enjoyments, 
which blast the splendid summit of 
human existence with perpetual barren- 
ness and discomfort, we shall find that 
the’ malady is rather augmented than 
diminished by the accumulation of 
wealth, knowledge, or refinement. In 
those high regions of society the great 
evil does not arise from ignorance, but 
want of stimulant—not from unsatis- 
fied’ desire, but ennui. The perfectabi- 
lians talk magniloquently about know- 
ledge being power, and on this principle 
look \to knowledge for an increase of 
the’ means of enjoyment. But what 
is its real operation on the affluent, 
the ‘thigh-born, and the powerful? To 
destroy, one by one, the pleasing dreams 
of more’ ‘ignorant enthusiasm—to dis- 
place; oni’ by one, each idol of youthful 
enehantmient—to depreciate the exer- 
tions ‘of talent, by weighing its trivial 
comiparative results “with the great 
- The Inquirer. —! Jas IV. 
stores of invaluable models, ancient 
and modern, from which refinement:se- 
lects, and. which |,wealth, eommands== 
and to. generate,/a\ coldy:seepticabode~ 
preciating, and ungenerouis spitit of/fase. 
tidiousness and derision, whichydJikevan\ 
evil, demon, justly, reyenges)on iithose 
whom it possesses) the -pahgsheficscern’ 
which it is eager. to inflict onjothersoe1 
So much; as to, the alleged-amelidras:: 
tion of man. in morals.and enjbymeénte” 
Even on. the score of -intellect;«weiare’ 
greatly, inclined ,to,| underrate; the pros), 
bability of any, material, progress: being: 
made. The, perfectabilians;build: very’ 
sanguine hopes on,the prospect of) ithe: 
scientific discoveries, of onéage: becom « 
ing the elementary, studies,of another: 
The hypothetical | truths of the «present!» 
time are to be axioms. for jour posterity. ' 
Propositions now, doubtful. will, after« 
being established by.experimental phi- 
losophy, become data for mew inferences, 
graduated steps by which the;apex of all 
moral truth may, finally, be}attained.» 
We doubt greatly the \benefit..of \con-" 
veying knowledge in this abstract form) 
supposing that there be any ground -for- 
a belief that it can be so administered ; - 
and certainly the astounding), multi-- 
plication of literary works is an augury, 
to the contrary. The healthy. enjoy-, 
ments of the chase for knowledge will 
be superseded, by the conviction that 
others have already provided the game: 
and the useful habits of sagacity, patience, * 
courage and alacrity, which emulation 
engenders, will be exchanged for the 
slumbering indolence of eastern kings, 
who survey the efforts of their inferior)’ 
sportsmen from their, palanquins, er) 
have the unresisting game |brough>|. 
within the easy range of their yshot:, 
Neither will the results. of this, projec- = 
ted short-cut to knowledge, by reducing», 
all science to an abstract form, be|more:.. 
advantageous. To skim, the surfate of;,, 
knowledge which has been provided by; 
others—to roll at ease. oyer-the, road 
which the energy of preceding genera=5+ 
tions has laboriously paved, is the cere» 
tain means_ of creating, shallow, t ds 
and superficial, intellects,,...Men willob 
learn, instead. of reasoning-—-instead |! 
of reflecting they will, remember; palso 
try accuracy will be united to.as paltnyiicd 
a fastidiousness, and.a sensibility; to 
minute faults will, be combined with ia=is 
capability of great _merits..; jo} bsaiioy 
It is in vain, for. the, pe Hianss 
to point to. the. improvements, dately |: 
made and constantly — ing in— 
the domestic and mechanical arts: We 
are 
