Romances and Novels. 179 



an interest in human happiness, without deep anx- 

 iety and pain. And to expect a wise choice to be 

 made by parents and instructors, is to suppose, what 

 was never the case in any state of society, that 

 they are generally enlightened and virtuous. 



On the whole, the answer of a wise preceptor 

 to the main question respecting the utility of novels, 

 would probably be something like this: — That, 

 wholly to condemn them, and rigidly to forbid the 

 perusal of any, in the present state of the literary 

 world, would be an indiscreet and dangerous ex- 

 treme; that reading a very few, therefore, of the 

 best is not unadviseable ^ that in selecting these, 

 however, great vigilance and caution should be 

 exercised by those to whom the delicate and diffi- 

 cult task is committed ; that the perusal of a large 

 number, even of the better sort, has a tendency too 

 much to engross the mind, to fill it with artificial 

 views, and to diminish the taste for more solid read- 

 ing; but that a young person habitually and indis- 

 criminately devoted to novels, is in a fair way to 

 dissipate his mind, to degrade his taste, and to 

 bring on himself intellectual and moral ruin. 



g The author has no hesitation in saying, that, if it were possible, he 

 would wholly prohibit the reading of novels. Not because there are none 

 worthy of being perused ; but because the hope that, out of the polluted 

 and mischievous mass continually presented to the youthful mind, a tole- 

 rably wise choice will, in many instances, be made, can scarcely be thought 

 a reasonable hope. As, however, those fictitious productions are strewed 

 around us in such profusion, and will more or less excite the curiosity of 

 youth, the plan of total exclusion is seldom practicable. In this case it is, 

 perhaps, the wisest course to endeavour to regulate the curiosity which 

 cannot be prevented, and to exercise the utmost vigilance in making a 

 proper choice for its gratification, and in restraining this gratification 

 within small bounds. For it may, with confidence, be pronounced, that 



NO ONE WAS EVER AN EXTENSIVE AND ESPECIALLY AN HABITUAL 

 READER OF NOVELS, EVEN SUPPOSING THEM ALL TO BE WELL SE- 

 LECTED, WITHOUT SUFFERING BOTH INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL 

 "INJURY, AND OF COURSE INCURRING A DIMINUTION OF HAPPINESS. 



