380 
in “a word, that they are “ moft fubmif- 
five, moft devoted, moft grateful, moft 
humble, moft obedient, moft obliged, 
and moft faithful *.” 
Condefcending and affable, they ad- 
drefs the meaneft perfons with as much 
refpeét and kindnefs, and often indeed 
with more of thofe endearing qualities, 
than they would employ in addreffing a 
perfon of much higher rank. They 
vifit the pooreft cottage, and fpeak com- 
fort to the needy and diftreffed, not that 
comfort, however, which confifts in 
words only, but they adminifter that fub- 
ftantial relief which alone befpeaks a ge- 
nerous mind. And how dces it raife 
human nature in our opinion ; how much 
are we flattered in our idea of its dignity, 
to behold twa men, widely differing from 
each other in fentiment and intereft, yet 
eagerly contending who fhall moft libe- 
rally relieve the wants of the poor and 
needy; who fhall moft extenfively ftudy 
the diftreffes of human life ; who thal]! 
taoft opporiuncly feed the hungry, and 
clothe the naked! Glorious emulation ! 
Should no other confequence arife, let 
this alone convince the obftinate and the 
unbelieving, that a general election was 
not made in vain. 
But, thirdly, fir, while we admire 
‘this difplay of the Chriftian graces, let 
us not. be infenfible to the other happy 
~effeéts, which arife from the fame caufe. 
“Let us contemplate that ELEVATION of 
MIND, and that IMPROVEMENT of the 
INTELLECTUAL, FACULTIES which js 
openly declared and proncunced to an 
aftonifhed world. How many declare, 
that till now they never had ‘a per- 
fet fenfe’’—that till now they never had 
a“ ftrong fenfe”’—that till now they 
never acquired a “ Isfting fenfe >”? It is 
much, fir, when we find fome hundred 
perfons, of whom before we had but a 
mean opinion, if any, on a fudden be- 
coming ‘¢ perfecily fenfible’’—“ proud 
of our good opinion ’—and “ flattered by 
our generous fupport.’’ It is much to 
learn that the difident can “ rely with 
-confidence’-— that the humble are 
‘highly honoured’”—that the obfcure 
ré “fin a fituation to manifeft their 
eal”’—and that the hardeft hearts have 
8 
en “ penetrated with a lafting gratifi- 
z 
b 
cation.” 
Such are fome cf the advantsees which 
accompany a GENERAL ELECTION. 
Happy thould I be, could I ftop here, 

the Newfpapers for the laft fix weeks, 
* Con 
wee 
fijon, 
Similes of Homer, Virgil, and Milton. 
2.9 
[June 
and confider my fubjeét as finifhed : but 
as human affairs are conftituted, aothing 
is free from a mixture of bafe alloy, and 
it is the duty of a hiftorian to record 
faithfully what may te againft as well as 
for his fubject. With all the advantages 
we have recorded, it muft not be denied, 
that the perfons who are moft denefied 
on this occafion, are almoft immediately 
afterwards confiderable fufferers by the 
lofs of s1GHT and MEMORY, to fuch a 
degree, indeed, that they are not able 
to recognize any of their acquaintances, 
nor recolleét a twentieth part of the 
profeffions and promifes they made. Te 
what this is owing, I do not pretend to 
know ; whether to fome irregularity of 
diet (which, it muft be confeffed, is, at 
fuch times, not of the moft ‘temperate 
kind) or to femething faulty in the ori- 
ginal formation of the organs of fight, 
and the powers of memory. The whole, 
it is true, are not affected in this man- 
ner; but the few that efcape, bear, I am 
forry to fay, but a very fmall preportion 
to the others. On this fubjeét, however, 
I thall only obferve, that as it is a well- 
known diforder, it is rather fingular, 
that no remedy has been found, er rather 
made ufe ef, for 1 am certain a remedy 
might eafily be ufed, which, if it did not 
expel the difcrder altogether, might 
prevent the patient from having it a 
SECOND TIME. Iam, fir, 
Your humble fervant, 
Fune 8, 1796. 
=== _Z ae 
C: 
Fer the Monthly Magazine. 
SIMILES OF HOMER, VIRGIL, AND 
MILTON (CONTINUED). 
HE laft Paper infenfibly brought me 
into what I meant to make the fe- 
cond divifion of fimiles, thofe from 
METEORS, LIGHTNING, 
AND CLOUDS. 
THUNDER, 
To proceed with the firft of thefe ap- 
pearances: Milton has a ftriking and 
highly wrought fimile, derived from the 
ignis faiuus : 
As when a wand’ring fire 
Compact of unctuous vapour, which the night 
Condenfes, and the coid environs round, 
Kindled thro’ agitation toa flame, 
Which oft, they fav, fome evil {p’rit attends, 
Hovering and blazing with delufive light, 
Mifleads th’ amaz’d night wand’rer from his way 
To bogs and mires, and oft thro’ pond and poe!, 
There fwaliow’d up and loft, from fuccour far ; 
So gliiter’d the dire fhake. Par. L. ix. 634. 
3 
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