39$ Romances and Novels. [Chap. XIX. 



examplcd multiplication and the astonishing popu- 

 larity of this class of wiitings. 



The friend of novels will perhaps agree, that 

 the promiscuous perusal of them is dangerous, and 

 will plead for a discreet selection. But who is to 

 make this selection r On whom shall devolve the 

 perplexing task of separating the wheat from the 

 chaff, the food from the poison? If amidst the 

 mighty mass, those which are tolerably pure, and 

 especially those which are calculated to be useful^ 

 be only now and then to be found, as a few scat- 

 tered pearls in the ocean, shall the delicate and ar- 

 duous task of making the choice be committed to 

 minds '' unfurnished with ideas, and therefore ea- 

 sily susceptible of impressions ; not fixed by prm- 

 ciples, and therefore easily following the current 

 of fancy ; not informed by experience, and conse- 

 quently open to every false suggestion, and partial 

 account?" The imminent danger, and almost cer- 

 tain mischief, arising from a choice made by such 

 minds cannot be contem})lated by those who feel 

 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 ansv/er of ^ 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 ^///.y, in the j)resent state of the literary 

 woi 1(1, would be an indiscreet and dangerous ex- 

 treme ; tiuit reading a vry;// /erf, therefore, of the 



