1795.3 
every great man to become his own bio- 
grapher, and to examine and ftate im- 
partially, to the beft of his recollection, 
‘the incidents of his life, the courte of his 
ftudies, the caufes by which he was Icd 
into them, the reflections and habits to 
which they gave birth, the rife, the 
change, the progrefs of his opinions, 
with the confequences produced by them 
on his affeétions and conduét, great light 
might be thrown on the moft intereiting 
of all &udies, that of moral caufes and the 
human mind. That man isthe creature 
of fenfation affords a fimple and a folid bafis 
for enquiries, which it has been a fathion 
to ridicule under the abftrufe and unde- 
finable terma metaphyfics. The jargon 
of the fchools, and the dreams of fana- 
ricifm, are very diftinét from this fimple 
method of analyfis, by which every ope- 
ration of the mind may be refolved into 
its original principles, and in given cir- 
cumftances might perhaps be traced with 
certain and mathematical precifion. 
“© Thofe (fays this opponent of Hel- 
yvetius) who have paid much attention to 
human charaéters, can hardly, I think, 
have avoided obferving, that in fome you 
difcover a greater quicknefs of conception 
than others, greater powers of diicrimi- 
nation, a more correct judgment, a more 
fertile imagination, and greater ftrength 
- of memory. Nor can the ftriking differ- 
ence which you fee in different men, in 
thefe refpeéts, ever be accounted for by 
the difference of their education, or the 
different fituations in which they are 
placed.” This is an affertion without 
proof ; an affertion perhaps incapable of 
proof. Surely nothing be “more mon- 
ftrous and hypothetical than the notion 
of a child, (whofe mind having received 
no impreffion is a total blank, without a 
fingle idea,) being born with a power 
of difcrimination, a correct judgment, 
&c. The wildeft dream of fupertftition 
are not more abfurd and incredible. To 
what fyftem of organs would this effayift 
attribute thefe myfterious powers ?—If to 
the exquifitely delicate and fufceptible, 
why donot women uniformly excel men in 
the perceptive and intellectual faculties ? 
If to mufcular ftrength, it is among our 
porters and chairmen we fhould fearch for 
men of genius. In faét, bodily as well 
as mental powers are principally attribu- 
table to education and habits, and are 
equally the refult of the circumftances 
in which the being may have been placed; 
fome of thefe circumftances may have 
been previous to birth, and poflibly may 
produce an effeét which we term heredi- 
tary temperament; but while the organs 
Laws relating te Corn. 
387 
are in a ftate fotender and duétile, they 
are fulceptible of almox infinite modif- 
cation. ‘‘ Ir is at the very inftant (fays 
Helvetius) when a child receives motion 
and life, that it receives its firft inftruc- 
tion.” : 
That virtue as well as talents are the 
produét of ‘education, the education of 
defign and accident, 1s a propofition for 
the truth of which we may appeal to 
univerfal experience. Who will look 
for integrity in the cabinets of modern 
ftate{men, for difintereftednefs on the 
ftock exchange, for honefty among law- 
yers, for the focial virtues in a monaftery, 
for humanity in defpots, for truth and 
candour in the {worn fupporters of a 
fyftem, for refinement of manners in the 
purlicus of St..Giles, or purity of morals 
and manners among the receivers of 
ftolen goods? ns ; 
The notion of natural powers, apti- 
tude and difpofitions, has been produc- 
tive of infinite mifchief: it has a ten- 
dency to produce habits of indolence, 
defpondency, and vicious indulgence.— 
We fhall never attempt to combat-an 
obftacle which we have previoufly per- 
fuaded ourfelves is infurmountable.— 
‘‘ The brave and active conquer difncul- 
ties by daring to oppofe them.” The 
true. method of generating talents is to 
roufe attention by a lively intereft, by a 
forcible addrefs to the paffions, the dprings 
of human aétion. Our attainments will be 
in an exaét proportion to our excitements. 
_ Before your correfpondent can over- 
turn this fyftem, and prove that ‘rhe 
opinions of Helvetiusare neither ground- 
ed upon nature, truth, nor reafon ’——he 
mutt bring forward much ftronger argu- 
ments than any which he has yer ad- 
duced. Writes 
June 6. INES IES, 
——Ee 5 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
On THE Laws RELATING TO CoRN, 
HE bounty on the exportation of corn, 
has generally been afligned as the 
principal caufe of the flourithing ftate of 
our agriculture; but it may with much 
greater reafon be afcribed to an act, pafled 
in 1663. By this aét, feveral laws were 
repealed, by which the dealers in corn 
had been laid under oppreflive and impe- 
litic reftri€tions; all the freedom which 
the inland trade in corn yet enjoys, was 
given to it by this aét, and permiliion was 
alfo granted by it, to export corn diy 
free, whenever wheat is under 48s. the 
quarter, and other grain in proportion. By 
this wife and fimple law, encouragement 
3D2 yaya SR, 
