NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 345 



own part, at least, I have avoided that sort of reading which cherishes 

 evil passions, and all your metaphysical controversy, which ends but in dis- 

 appointment and dissatisfaction. 1 likewise despise the dreams of our 

 modern epicureans, who describe man as a sort of beast by nature, and 

 only superior to other beasts by being more prone to mischief than they 

 are; as well as your misanthropical scribblers, who represent human 

 nature as a vile composition of selfishness, malignity, and pride. What, 

 for example, did the satires of Swift do for society? I am unable, from 

 my own experience, to answer that question, as I was not born when 

 they appeared ; but in my humble opinion, their tendency was to set the 

 two sexes by the ears, if not to disunite society altogether, and to make 

 every man discontented with, if not suspicious of, his neighbour. The 

 writings of Professor Wilson have been of quite an opposite nature. 

 Their tendency has been to put mankind in good conceit with themselves 

 and with others, by amusing tales, from which instructive morals are 

 drawn; and the resources of wit, and the taste of the scholar, are all turned 

 to good account, when placed in array before the artless simplicity, and 

 unsophisticated logic of the various characters he draws. They have like- 

 wise other charms in my eyes. The stimulus of immediate sympathy is 

 present throughout all of them, which I have read, and the personal 

 character of the man may almost be known by the perusal of his works. 

 Then again, the Professor is a sportsman. His poem of "The Angler^s 

 Tent," confirms this fact ; and the scene it presents of the happy party, 

 assembled in it, as well as the beautiful descriptions of nature throughout 

 the whole, exhibits in a strong light the influence of that philanthropic 

 feeling, which I have unhesitatingly ventured to ascribe to him. 



But the " smile** — I had nearly forgotten to mention by what that 

 pleasing sensation was produced, during my visit to the Professor, in his 



2 Y 



