PASSION. 



ly dignity of the human race, that we are 

 almost inclined lo hope the inflictors are a 

 rare of evil spirits, distinct and separate 

 from its. 



The indulgence of any of the preced- 

 ing passions may lead to cruelty : even 

 the coward indulges in this propensity 

 when he can get his enemy into Ins 

 power with safety to himself. But cruel- 

 ty is not merely confined to bodily suf- 

 fering ; a person may be violently cruel 

 by words, insinuations, and suggestions, 

 that will for ever destroy the peace of 

 individuals and families : those may be 

 classed under the terms prejudice and 

 censoriousness : the former is a perverse 

 determination to resist every attempt at 

 conciliation, where offence has been 

 given, and to confute every assertion in 

 favour of the victim by falsehoods and 

 prevarication ; the latter will suffer no- 

 thing in the conduct of his enemy to be 

 correct and proper ; he censures each 

 act and each word at every opportuni- 

 ty ; and surely nothing 1 can be more un- 

 justifiable and cruel. Desire is a natu- 

 ral but uneasy sensation ot the mind ; 

 in one point of view it is a necessary 

 means for the support of the Uuma.ii 

 species, and in others it may be com- 

 mendable and exactly the reverse. The 

 desire to injure either iu person or 

 property is criminal, but a desire to ef- 

 fect any commendable purpose deserves 

 all possible encouragement. 



Among the minor affections of the mind 

 which are vicious, though npt decidedly 

 criminal, we must include peevishness 

 or ill-nature. The person under the in- 

 fluence of this miserable feeling is sel- 

 dom mischievous, as all his friends and 

 associates are included in his fretful 

 comments, and their general tendency 

 disarms them of their sting. We read 

 the state of his soul in the half angry, 

 half sorrowful, turn of his features : and 

 we are inclined to pity him as under 

 the influence of an incurable disease : 

 and, in truth, peevishness often pro- 

 weeds from a morbid affection of the 

 body. 



Ingratitude is a species of apathy : he 

 that receives a benefit, and is not grate- 

 ful in return, must possess an insensibility 

 or apathy by no means to be envied. 

 The latter term, indeed, seems to im- 

 ply a total absence of feeling and pas- 

 sion, or a faculty of seeing 4 and hearing 

 every occurrence unmoved. It may, 

 however, admit of a doubt, whether the 

 appearance of apathy is not to be trac- 

 ed to a peiicct command of the external 



actions of the features and limbs, which 

 disguise the agitation of the mind to the 

 common observer, at the same time that 

 nature performs her operations in the soul 

 without effectual obstruction. 



There are other designations of the in- 

 temperate passions, or those which injure 

 us in i he present state of society, and wUl 

 certainly produce punishment; but as 

 they all refer, in some degree, to those: 

 already noticed, we shall turn our atten- 

 tion to a more pleasing portion of the sub- 

 ject. The benevolence of the Creator to- 

 wards mankind has been demonstrated 

 by the most unequivocal proofs. This 

 cannot be disputed or doubted for a 

 moment, when it is remembered, that the 

 first operation of the infant mind is love. 

 The infant recognises its parent, and 

 smiles with inexpressible delight upon 

 her face ; the smile is returned with ten- 

 fold interest, and thus commences life 

 and the passions. Were this fact held iu 

 constant recollection, the latter would be 

 kept in just subordination, instead of be- 

 ing encouraged to defeat the intentions of 

 the divinity. 



Upon examining the features of a hand- 

 some child a few weeks after its birth, 

 when in the act of fondling- its mother, 

 and that of the latter at the same instant, 

 it will be found that nature has made the 

 human species iu a most exquisite mould 

 indeed. On one hand, penect innocence 

 has full possession of the face ; on the 

 other, recent illness, a disregard of exter- 

 nal affairs, and present happiness, luis re- 

 stored perfect content- Exquisite pic- 

 ture of perfection ! how much is it to be 

 regretted, that perverseness has made it 

 transient. Encouraged as these our first 

 propensities sometimes are, we find the 

 parent attentive and anxious, instructing 

 with eagerness, correcting with gentle 

 ness ; the offspring venerating, admiring, 

 and emulating; and all is happiness, com- 

 placency, and content. Placid and regu- 

 lar lines throughout the countenance pom*. 

 out those happy mortals for imitation, the 

 muscles are never strained and distorted, 

 and tiie painter is at a loss how to express 

 the repose and benevolence he essays to 

 copy. 



Love, in another sense, descends oj;c 

 step from the above exalted station, and 

 becomes difficult to be defined. Youth 

 frequently feel a passion for their oppo- 

 site sexes, founded upon an inexplicable 

 emotion of the soul, which seems blind 

 ed, and incapable of discrimination, li. 

 this case it, is an impulse without atabili- 

 ty, as it frequently happens that the gra- 



