118 THE MANSE GARDEN. 



in furnishing such a motive to the diligence of your 

 boy you have some dependence on his truth; for 

 nothing could be more easy than, instead of killing 

 his hundreds, to make his work look well by repeat- 

 ing more notches in his stick. Nevertheless the 

 motive, true in nature, is calculated to work well ; 

 and if there be not truth, which remains to be con- 

 sidered in the Appendix, the want will be found in 

 more ways than one, and the bad working will not 

 be amended by any motive that either your head or 

 heart can devise. 



But whilst the writer is concerned for the morals 

 of the boy, he is reminded that he has some need of 

 looking after his own, lest he be judged somewhat 

 hard of feeling when the reader perceives that all 

 this stirring of motive to the youthful servant is for 

 the work of death. The smallest creature is won- 

 derfully made ; and the shortest life is the Creator's 

 boon, which, as man cannot give, he should be cau- 

 tious how he takes away, lest God inquire by what 

 right, and show the man that he is " crushed before 

 the moth." Yet viewing the devastation caused by 

 locust and caterpillar, it is plain, as it is humbling, 

 that the highest creature is placed in a field of strife 

 with the lowest, and obliged often to wage unequal 

 war for the bread that sustains him. And hence, 

 what mercy may not safely spare, justice may of ne- 

 cessity demand ; but the Maker of all stands between 

 the high and the low, arid will discern the motive, 

 whether wanton or needful, that inflicts either pain 

 or death upon any thing that lives. 



The philosophy as well as the right feeling and 

 piety proper to this theme are best given by one who 



