244 AN INTELLECTUAL MONSTROSITY. 



It also very often happens that an intellectual monstrosity is 

 not gifted with a fluency of speech, which causes him at times to 

 hesitate, and thus his communications may be inelegant and disor- 

 derly, but still intelligible. Some specimens of this species are 

 extremely modest, and they shrink from the gaze of the mere curi- 

 ous — the lovers of wonderful sights, and have a great repugnance 

 to receive applause, however they may feel assured that they have 

 merited it. But individuals of a common cast of mind can ill ap- 

 preciate such a nobility of sentiment. Vulgar persons, judging 

 from their own thoughts, cannot believe it possible that any one 

 can act from a refined benevolence — a species of high morality 

 which delights in communicating to others, without reward, the 

 information which labour may have enabled the philosopher to ob- 

 tain on those subjects of practical rather than speculative advantage, 

 and which are important from their usefulness. The true lover of 

 his species would use some effort to benefit, not only the unfortu- 

 nate, but also such persons as are the victims of the lower feel- 

 ings, whether they rank with the class of the jmeducated or the ill- 

 educated. 



Yet, in imparting mental wealth, there is as much delicacy re- 

 quired as in dispensing the money of our country to the needy : the 

 manner should be, in both instances, kind and ingenuous. For, if 

 pride and coarseness are substituted, more pain is inflicted and more 

 humiliation endured than even greater gifts could compensate. 



It also often occurs that an intellectual monstrosity is of so retir- 

 ing a nature that it is painful to him to be shewn up as a lion in any 

 company ; and if he is importuned to give the usual expected oral 

 lecture, his greatness of soul shrinks from an intercourse with per- 

 sons so devoid of moral delicacy. He therefore sits silent, chagrined 

 and uneasy, and reminds us of some humble but fragrant field -flower 

 transported to a gaudy bed of tulips ; it is more likely to stand the 

 severity of the storm and the tempest than its more showy compa- 

 nions, who were useless when perfect, and without the redeeming 

 fragrance which the less decorated one possessed. 



Among the instances of rather an amusing kind, we may relate 

 the following, as >.oiroborative of some of the above statements. 

 Mr. Stone was very fond of Natural History, and being an en- 

 thusiast, with a clear and easy mode of conveying his information to 

 others, he was in the habit of receiving very frequent invitations. 

 His love of talking was, however, quite a fault with him, and he 

 indulged in it to excess. He knew that he had the honour of a card 

 for the purpose of lecturing to the party, and therefore he engrossed 



