17956 | 
The confeious merit of true ability, 
never goes farther than ‘‘ I too am a 
jainter.’’ : 
The hardeft trial of the heart, is whe- 
ther it can bear a rival’s failure without 
triumph. 
Him whom defcrying at a diftance, 
you turn out of the way to avoid, you 
may call your friend or benefactor, but 
you do not love. | 
~ He, who begins life with ‘MJ ad- 
mirart,’ will end it ‘* Epicurt de grege 
porcus.” 
The man who, improving in {kill or 
knowledge, improves in modefty, has an 
undeniable claim to greatnefs of mind. 
Bravely to contend for a good caufe is 
noble—filently to fuffer for it, is hercical. 
Would a man of rank eftimate his reai 
dignity, let him conceive himfelf in a 
ftate in which all rank is abolifhed. 
All profeffions, it is faid, have their 
mytfteries—thefe are precilely the points 
in which confifts their weaknefs or 
knavery. 
To choofe a good book, look in an in- 
quifitor’s prohibited lift—to choofe a 
good caufe, fee which interefted men 
diflike. 
A hereware three 
able :—-a proud priefi giving his bleffing, 
-~—a knavilh hypocrite faying his prayers, 
—anda falfe patriot making an harangue. 
Who fays bypocritical, {ays all that is 
_defpicable in morals—who fays affected, 
-fays all that 1s odious in manners. 
Columbus fteering fteadily weftward 
for a land feen only by the eye of his rea- 
fon, was one of the greateft of human 
characters—a projector obftinately ruin- 
ing himfelf in purfuit of a vifionary 
{cheme, may be one of the foolifheft, but 
certainly not of the lowe. : 
Thoroughly to try a man’s ‘patience, 
he muft have the labour of years con- 
fumed before his eyes in a moment :— 
thoroughly to prove it, he muft inftantly 
_begin to renew his labour. 
The woman of fenfibility, who pre- 
ferves ferenity and good temper, amid 
the infults of a faithlefs brutal hufband, 
wants nothing of an angel but immor- 
tality. 
The woman who rifes above ficknefs 
and poverty combined, may look down 
upon the noify heroifm of kings and ge- 
nerals. 
Better tobe moved by falfe glory, than 
‘not moved at all. | 
Nothing is fuch an obftacle to the 
production of excellence, as the power of 
3 
On the Words Republic and Commonwealth. 
fights moft deteft- 
producing what is (pretty good with eafe 
and rapidity. - | 
As reafonably expe&t oaks from a 
mufhroom bed, as great and durable pro- 
duéts from fmall and hafty efforts. 
Every work of greit genius, and every 
work of great care and induftry, will 
have its value; but mediocrity, with 
negligence, gives produéts of no value 
at all. 
March, : 7196. DEIN, 

ON THE woRDs REPUBLIC AND 
CoMMONWEALTH. 
WHEN a word has, by fmall grada- 
tions, deviated from its original 
and etymological meaning, nothing is 
‘More dificult than to-bring it back to its 
true fignification, or precifely to fix its 
prefent import. 
cafe, when the deviation has arifen from 
certain affociations, which differently 
affeét different minds, and which refer 
to facts and principles which fome admit 
and others rejeét. Suchare many terms 
made ufe of in party difputes; and I 
know not more ftriking examples than 
the words Commonwealth and Republic. 
The idea commonly in this country an- 
nexed them, is a form of conftitution 
capable indeed of many varieties, but 
uniform in its rejeétion of a kmg 5 and 
the appellation republican, as applied to 
a party, conveys the notion of abhorrence 
and enmity to kingiy government. It is 
eafy to fee from what events in our 
hiftory this affociation is derived; but as 
a temporary and local circumftance cught 
not to fix a perpetual ftamp upon words, 
common in their ufe to various ages and 
countries, it would be advantageous, in 
this cafe, to recur to the genuine and 
primitive fignification of thefe terms, 
and alfo to the mote extenfive application 
of them at the prefent day. 
The Greeks made ufe of the expref- 
fion Io koinon, or ta hoina, to denote the 
common or public concerns of every body 
of men affociated into a community; 
and they applied the term Politeza, to the 
adminiftration or form of government of 
the Pols ‘or fate. ‘In’ Eatin, ‘the ) 70 
koinon is very exactly rendered by re/- 
publica; the politeia 1s adminiftratio rei- 
publice or civiattis, andthe polis is civitas. 
As all thefe appellations were founded 
on the idea of a community of right and 
intereft among the members ofa ftate, 
they were not compatible with monarchy 
properly fo called, or tyranny, becaufe in 
,a 2 ". that, 
J 
79 
This is efpecially the. 
\ 
