in tie Exercife of its Faculties. 113 
fuch great and important fubjeft ? And yet, 
all this intenfenefs of thought is produced by 
the pofition of a fmall piece of ivory, which 
gives exercife to his mind, and procures him 
that pleafure in which he feems fo totally ab- 
forbed. Other instances might be adduced. 
The entertainment we receive from riddles t 
charades , and fuch other Jaix d'EJprit , pro¬ 
ceeds from the fame fource. Every reader, of 
acute underftanding and refined tafle, delights 
to meet in authors with fuch delicate thoughts, as 
not being immediately obvious, are juft concealed 
enough to give him the pleafure of finding them 
out, and as fuch, may be compared to Virgil's 
Galatea , 
“ Et fugit ad Salices, et fe cupit ante videri.” 
Vi r.g. Buc. Eel. 3. 
There have been fome men who have thought, 
that the exercife of the mind was only agreeable, 
by anticipating the reputation which it might 
give. But, however ftrongly the motive of fame 
may operate on the minds of fome, yet the 
proportion, when attempted to be made general, 
is confuted by daily experience. How often do 
we employ whole hours in reading and meditation, 
without the lead view to futurity, and merely, 
to gratify the prefent'moment ? Does not this 
prove, that, independent of any other incentive, 
there is a pleafure inherent in whatever exerciles 
the mind without fatiguing it ? 
VOL. I. I 
This 
