8 
Mr. Henry on the Confifiency of 
horrors of war itfelf are foftened : an enemy is 
treated with humanity and kindnefs: the milder 
virtues find admittance amongft the clafh of 
arms; and men, when compelled to hoftilities* 
feek victory, not to enflave or deftroy, but in the 
moment of triumph rejoice in opportunities to 
evince their clemency and generofity to the van- 
quifhed foe. 
That this pi&ure is not too ftrongly coloured 
will appear from an appeal to hiftory, In the 
earlier ages, we fee a conquering army hurling 
deftru&ion and defolation, murder and rapine 
around them, and, with unrelenting fury, fcarcely 
diftinguifhing between friends and enemies. In 
thefe more polilhed times, and the polifh may be 
fairly attributed to the diffufion of learning and 
philofophy, fuch cruel excefies are difcounte- 
nanced and prohibited by the general confent of 
every civilized people. 
Nor are thefe improvements confined to 
national manners: thofe of individuals have 
been equally benefited. The natural tendency 
of a cultivation of polite learning, is, to refine the 
underftanding, humanize the foul, enlarge the 
field of ufeful knowledge, and facilitate the at¬ 
tainment of the comforts and accommodations 
of life. 
How great is the contraft between the chara&ers 
of the elegant fcholar, and the man whofe uncul¬ 
tivated mind feels no reftraint, but thofe which 
the 
