Cou] AND SYMBOLS. 63 



them by previous geological conditions. They resemble the 

 serene movement of conventional opinion as it flows through 

 society. It never cuts out for itself an independent course, 

 never invents a new turn or change, never removes any objec- 

 tionable impediment. It flows torpidly along the old channels 

 which superstition has made convenient for it. Its history is 

 altogether unlike that of the current of sincere thought, which, 

 bursting up from the deep wells of truth, carves its own way 

 through every obstruction, however mighty, and accomplishes 

 its destiny without any adventitious aid. Si. 



Evils Attendant on Convulsive Action. 



Convulsions, whether religious, political, or material, are 

 attended with alarming contingencies. For instance : Kivers 

 are stated to have sometimes run dry during earthquakes, and 

 again begun to flow after the shock. This is presumed to arise 

 either from the transit of an earth- wave along their courses up 

 stream, thus damming off their sources, or from sudden eleva- 

 tion of the land and as sudden depression. In like manner, in 

 times of religious revivals common-sense and reason are often 

 dammed completely up, and the wild tide of fanaticism rushes 

 over everything ; whilst in political convulsions the liberty of 

 the press and of the subject are either elevated in a manner 

 absolutely dangerous to any community, or crushed into depths 

 which plunge a country into despair. In point of fact, all sorts 

 of convulsions are attended with all sorts of inconveniences and 

 dangers ; and no sensible man, however anxious for any change, 

 would in the face of facts wish for it to be effected by that kind 

 of phenomena. MA. 



The Power of Counterfeiting-. 



Montaigne records some singular instances of counterfeits 

 which were followed by sad realities. "We have, on the other 

 hand, to notice very often in the present day counterfeits which 

 escape punishment. People counterfeit sickness and piety, and 

 are most successful. They are equal to the fox in their power 

 to sham. One of the most frequent stratagems of the fox, and 



