PASSION. 
eyes sparkle, and the voice is tuned to ridi- 
cule. Aversion shuns the presence of the 
wicked, and turns the back lo its presump- 
tuous folly. 
Cruelty, this perversion of our nature, 
for it cannot be innate, may be traced to 
its origin without a cirenitous or theoreti- 
cal process. Examine the domestic econo- 
my of most families, and the result will be 
that five out of six who have infants to in- 
struct and educate, possess some animals, 
entei tained for the sole purpose of amusing 
the tender years of their offspring, which 
are dragged by the neck and limbs from 
one to another, with the same indifference 
in the child and parents, and their attend- 
ants, as if they were inanimate representa- 
tions of dogs, cats, rabbits, or birds ; and 
should the injured animal complain or re- 
sist, the family is in arms to beat, nay, 
hang the innocent offender, while the child 
is soothed with execrations of the animal, 
and assurances of a cruel revenge. Can 
the unfortunate being thus tutored be sup- 
posed to respect the feelings of man, when 
opposed to his will, in the course of his fu- 
ture life, after having been taught to de- 
spise the cries of suffering from his earliest 
days.^ Impossible. To follow the aberra- 
tions of so hateful a disposition would l e- 
quire a relation of facts which are calcu- 
lated to excite horror, as the exercise of it 
extends into a variety of acts, decidedly 
opposite to each other in their motives. 
Instances have been known of the infliction 
of tortures both mental and corporeal, 
which could not be traced to any rational 
cause ; when it arises from revenge against 
real or imagined injuries, we are not at a 
loss for the reason why a wretch should ex- 
ult in the misery of his victim ; but it is 
shocking to reflect on the conduct of a 
fiend, who, after robbing an unresisting 
traveller, heats him almost to death. In 
this case, and in those cruelties frequently 
exercised on the brute creation, we find 
such a total rejection of the manly dignity 
of the human race, that we are almost in- 
clined to hope the inflictors are a race of 
evil spirits, distinct and separate from us. 
The indulgence of any of the preceding 
passions may lead to cruelty : even the 
coward indulges in this propensity when he 
can gethis enemy into his power with safety 
to himself. But cruelty is not merely con- 
fined to bodily suttering ; 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 per- 
verse determination to resist every attempt 
at conciliation, where offence lias been 
given, and to confute every assertion in fa- 
vour of the victim by falsehoods and preva- 
rication ; the latter will suffer notliing in the 
conduct of his enemy to be correct and 
proper ; he censures each act and each 
word at every opportunity ; and surely no- 
thing can be more unjustifiable and cruel. 
Desire is a natural hut uneasy sensation of 
the mind ; in one point of view it is a neces- 
sary means for the support of the human 
species, and in others it may he commend- 
able and exactly the reverse. The desire 
to injure either in person or property is cri- 
minal, hut a desire to effect any C9mmend- 
able purpose deserves all possible encou- 
ragement. 
Among the minor affections of the mind 
which are vicious though not decidedly cri- 
minal, we must include peevishness or ill- 
nature. The person under the influence of 
this miserable feeling is seldom 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 slate 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 ti uth, peevishness often proceeds from a 
morbid affection of tlie body. 
Ingratitude is a species of apathy; he 
that receives a benefit, and is not grateful 
in return, must possess an insensibility or 
apathy by no means to be envied. The lat- 
ter term, indeed, seems to imply a total 
absence of feeling and passion, or a faculty 
of seeing and hearing every occurrence un- 
moved. It may, however, admit of a 
doubt, wlietlier the appearance of apathy 
is not to be traced to a perfect 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 lier operations in 
the soul without effectual obstruction. 
There are other designations of the in- 
temperate passions, or those which injure 
us in the present state of society, and will 
certainly produce punishment ; but as they 
all refer, in some degree, to those already 
noticed, we shall turn our attention to a 
more pleasing portion of the subject. Tlie 
benevolence of the Creator towards man- 
kind has been demonstrated by the most 
unequivocal proofs. This cannot be dis- 
