acted agreeably to the infallible will of the most perfect of beings, as from that of having deserved the favour of the lord of the universe, and from the hopes of any happiness, which infinite goodness and power may bestow on In short it seems to me, as if to contribute, each in our inferior way, to the order and beauty of the universe, was at once the noblest, and the justest motive, and the highest reward of goodness.

us.

"Lucia is not old enough to enter into all "these abstracted reasonings," said Prudentia. "In our world, we must treat children, as "children, and convince them by their senses, "in default of their judgments. I do not "know what people may do in Fairy land. "I suppose, if you had a son, you would expect, he should be divinity Professor at five years old: but I am afraid, Lucy would "not be at all a fit wife for him."

Look ye, said I, you shall not laugh me out of my argument: and so arm yourself with patience, and hear me out. Your supposition is an excellent good one: but I am afraid, I shall be less mistaken, in supposing, that a child, who has been taught no other end in behaving itself well, than the gaining some favourite point, or some darling toy, will

5

never make a disinterested minister, will never regard the reality of virtue, and will be ready to throw off even the appearance of it, when it is contradictory to interest.

"But must one never give a poor child any encouragement then ?" cried Prudentia. You mistake me entirely, said I, let good behaviour be always attended by reward; but you make it the consequence of bad behaviour. As for the particular rewards of toys and sugar-plumbs, I confess myself, in general, no great friend to them. The approbation of friends is a better incentive to act right; and gives, even to such children, a pleasure of a much higher kind. These should be m xed, however, in a proper degree: and certainly even the last ought not to be too much insisted on. The notion of doing right, for the sake of doing right, should be gently inculcated, and strengthened by degrees, as they advance in age, and understanding. This will settle, in time, into a firm and stedfast rightness of mind, which interest shall never bias, which adversity shall never shake, which prosperity shall never enervate. From hence will proceed a calm and even cheerfulness of temper, a regular and uniform conduct, that shall make them for ever happy in themselves, and

respected by others. Not the wild gaiety of one hour, damped by uneasy reflections, the next: not a perpetual dispute, between reason and passion, which makes people good by fits and starts only. Miserable is the state of these and yet perhaps it is almost always the effect of their not knowing, from the first, what end to aim at. Interest and ambition attract them, by a thousand glittering temptations and yet, in spite of all these, in the midst of their pursuit, they feel themselves often checked by the secret monitor in the heart, who tells them, we were formed for something nobler than greatness, and that, neither riches nor pleasures are the chief end of life.

But what is this nobler end? Perhaps it is the applause of men, the immortality, which fame bestows, or at least, the pleasure of being well looked on, and esteemed by the people among whom we live.-Fatal imagination! Source of wild and mischievous exploits, of wars and desolations: and, in less noble minds, the origin of hypocrisy, and every hateful deceit. To look upon the respect and admiration of men, as the ultimate end of life, is, perhaps, one of the most dangerous errors, into which we can fall. While it is

the perfection of a character to pay a proper regard to it, to rejoice in it as the amiable attendant of real virtue: but to be willing to sacrifice the fairest appearance, to what is really right: and bear the contempt of mankind, rather than not deserve their esteem.

K

ESSAY XII.

On the Distinction between Cunning and Prudence.

LORD BACON has an Essay upon cunning, that if it falls into wrong hands, is more likely to teach people sleights and devices, than to furnish a warning against them*. And yet the Essay is, in itself, excellent; but methinks it were time well bestowed to make a just distinction between cunning and prudence, a blameable artfulness, and a laudable dexterity. To fix the bounds of these two borderers and determine the nice difference,

"Where ends the virtue, or begins the vice."

To exercise the authority of superior reason and understanding, to make use of their lawful advantages, can surely be no fault. On the contrary, it is making the best of our na

tion.

Swift's Advice to Servants is liable to the same objec