ii4 <'* modern and ancient ivriting. Jan. 25* 



well as the poet, has ever fhewn a prejudice in fa- 

 vour of remote antiquity. The actions and charac- 

 ters which are removed to a distant period, are ren- 

 dered venerable by the obscurity of tradition, and 

 are indebted, for their lustre, more to the darknefs 

 which surrounds them, than to their own intrinsic 

 value. When a character is placed at a- great di- 

 stance, its faults and failings, and even all the ordi- 

 nary and common circumstances of humanity, are 

 entirely unnoticed ; the imagination loves to dwell 

 upon what has rendered it illustrious ; and by per- 

 petual admiration of it, its dimensions are enlarged, 

 and its colours heightened beyond the standard of 

 nature. Every thing indeed concurs to dazzle with 

 false and illusory splendour ; the more the object is 

 magnified, our pleasure is proportionably increased ; 

 we are ever willing to allow a superior reputation to 

 those who are no more conscious of it, and the painful 

 animosity of envy and rivalfiiip extend not to the dead. 

 The progrefs of society may also be compared to 

 the different stages of human life ; in the ardour of 

 youth, pleasure is sought after without any regard 

 to profit or advantage ; but in the thoughtful sobri- 

 ety of manhood, we take a more cool and compre- 

 hensive view of our own nature, and the nature of 

 the things around us, — ^our pleasures do not consist 

 any 'otiger of the present moment : Plans of general 

 and extensive utility are formed, — we begin to think 

 seriously of our situation among mankind, and avail 

 ourselves of their erroi's or good conduct in regula- 

 ting our own. So it is in the first stages of society ; 

 the fire of the human mind begins to burn more 



