¥I2 
perhaps nothing will engage more of their 
time than the infinite peculiarities of con- 
icience, its various fhapes, irregularities, 
anomalies, contradictions, turnings and 
twiltings, finaliy its great ftrength in fome, 
and its extreme weaknefs in others. For me 
to enter into thefe particulars would be te 
fill your Magazine. 
But there is one particular upon which 
T muft offer a few remarks. The inftu- 
ence of the foul upon the body is allowed 
by all philofophers; and phyfiognomifts, 
it is well known, have conftituted the 
face the complete and alphabetical index 
of the contents of the head, fo that you 
may at a glance of the eye difcover every 
article you want. You may find, fay 
they, whether a man has abilities to write 
a poem, or honefty to pay a bill; whether 
he moft inclines to a Delphin claffic, or a 
pretty girl: and with a little more per- 
feétibility, they will feon be able to tell 
us whether he writes a good hand, carves a 
fowl with dexterity, or can drive a curricle. 
The infallibility of thefe infpectors cannot 
be doubted, for they are fometimes guided 
by the eye, and fometimes led by the 
nofe. But if there be this facility in dif- 
covering the foul by the features ;-if the 
human face be this izdex locupletiffimus 
rerum ac verborum; I humbly prefume 
it will not be more difficult to find the 
contents of confcience in the fame quarter. 
It may with as much facility roll down 
the forehead, crofs the bridge of the nofe, 
and perch upon the chin, as the other. It 
is certain that its operations upon this 
part of the body are often more unfavour- 
able than its merely turning the face into 
a fcandalous chronicle. I have not leifure 
to mention every particular, but it is no- 
_ torious that fome people have loft their 
fight, fo as not to be able to fee a poor 
relation, or even thofe to whom they 
owed every thing: and others have be- 
come fo deaf, as to render it impoffible for 
their beft friends to make the fmalleft im- 
preflion on them. Molt of all, however, 
the effeéts of confcience on the memory are 
to be wondered at. That faculty becomes 
fo manageable that a man may open or 
firut it as he opens or fhiuts his eyes, and 
remember or forget at pleafure. This is 
a curious faét, and, befides other confe- 
quences, completely over-throws the opi- 
nion of our anceftors, who would have it 
that memory is involuntary. Whence 
they conceived fuch a notion, js not worth 
the inguiry. It may have fuited their 
times, but it would be of no fervice in our 
days, when it is fofrequently neceflary to 
forget or remember according: to circum- 
ftances, and when the utmoft ftretch of 
human ingenuity is to preduce that trate 
On Confeience. - 
[ March 8, 
able fort of memory which can, at a mo- 
ment’s notice, remember what to forget, 
and how to forget it. This effect of con- 
fcience upon memory is the confequence of 
many tedious and protratted difputes 
between them, and which were carried on 
with fuch equality of fuccefs, that fome 
perfons, even at this day, cannot afcer- 
tain, or at leaft affect to be ignorant, 
which came off conqueror. Since they 
compounded matters, however, and agreed 
to an armiftice, we have had time enough 
to difcover that both were fufferers by the 
ftruggle. 
Thefe reafons, Mr, Editor, have ine 
duced me to propofe CONSCIENCE as pro- 
per for the inveftigation of your ingenious 
Correfpondents. Many popular miftakes 
are daily committed for want of illumina- 
tion on this fubjeét. What, for example, 
is more frequent than a fhopkeeper fixing 
a price ‘¢ upon his con{cience,’® which is 
not to be found upon ‘* his bill of par- 
cels?”? And do we not hear of courts of 
confcience, as if there were any connec- 
tion betwixt a court and a confcience, . 
May it not alfo be a proper quef- 
tion, whether a man’s country has not 
fome effe&t on his confcience; whether, 
for example, an ~ Englifhman’s confci- 
ence be the fame with that of a Scotch- 
man? There were doubtson this fubgeét, EF 
well remember,in thedays of that confcien- 
tious faint John Wilkes. Or, whether 
the union that has juft taken place, will 
not have a tendency to form for the nation 
a confcience tripartite, when all our feet. 
ings are quartered: upon one fhield? 
Thefe inquiries teo, might be extended 
abroad, and embrace the vaft varieties of 
French, German, and Roffian conf{ciences, 
provided it be found that there are fuch 
things on the continent, which I know fome 
people, judging merely from fubfidies, have 
been inclined to doubt. We might alfo 
enquire whether, if confcience be a rule 
of life, we mean thereby high-life or low- 
life; whether, upon the whole, it is ne- 
ceflary to allow confcience its due opera- 
tion, or whether in extreme cafes of dan- 
ger we may not fulpend a part ta fave 
the whole? And laftly, whether it may 
not be entirely difpenfed with, as we have 
obferved feveral very worthy men rife ta 
high fituations, great opulence, and ex- 
tenfive patronage, who have neither em- 
ployed it aétively or paflively, neither asa 
matter nor a fervant ? 
But I muft not exceed the bounds of a 
moderate coramunication, and now there. 
fore take my leave, humbly recommend- 
ing thefe important matters to the confj- 
deration of your learned readers. | 
Tam, &c, CosciENzioso, . 
