file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #ejjfd-;h4htm or #ejjfd-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#ejjfd_/pg#ejjfd-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#ej jfd_/ejjfd-;h4zip7 ,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,small capitals have been replaced by full capitals4 ,the illustrations sometimes include the title of a section of the poem1 lines from the section 7not reproduced71 text not forming part of the poem1 or the initial letter of the following stanza4 ,initial letters are placed in quotation marks4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,proverbial ,philosophy ,,proverbial ,,philosophy4 7,,the ,,first ,,and ,,second ,,series47 by ,,martin ,f4 ,,tupper1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,c4,l41 ,f4,r4,s41 ,of ,christchurch1 ,oxford4 ,illustrated4 ,a ,new ,edition4 ,illustration ,london3 ,edward ,moxon ,co41 ,dover ,street4 #ahfg4 ,london3 ,bradbury1 ,evans1 and ,co41 ,printers1 ,whitefriars4 ,,contents4 ,,first ,,series4 ,,page ,,prefatory #a ,,the ,,words ,,of ,,wisdom #d ,,of ,,truth ,,in ,,things ,,false #h ,,of ,,anticipation #ab ,,of ,,hidden ,,uses #ad ,,of ,,compensation #ba ,,of ,,indirect ,,influences #bg ,,of ,,memory #cc ,,the ,,dream ,,of ,,ambition #ch ,,of ,,subjection #da ,,of ,,rest #ea ,,of ,,humility #ee ,,of ,,pride #ei ,,of ,,experience #fb ,,of ,,estimating ,,character #fe ,,of ,,hatred ,,and ,,anger #gd ,,of ,,good ,,in ,,things ,,evil #gf ,,of ,,prayer #ha ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer #hf ,,of ,,discretion #hh ,,of ,,trifles #ib ,,of ,,recreation #ie ,,the ,,train ,,of ,,religion #ajj ,,of ,a ,,trinity #ajc ,,of ,,thinking #ajg ,,of ,,speaking #aae ,,of ,,reading #aai ,,of ,,writing #aba ,,of ,,wealth #abe ,,of ,,invention #acj ,,of ,,ridicule #acd ,,of ,,commendation #acg ,,of ,,self-,,acquaintance #adb ,,of ,,cruelty ,,to ,,animals #aej ,,of ,,friendship #aec ,,of ,,love #aeh ,,of ,,marriage #afa ,,of ,,education #afg ,,of ,,tolerance #agg ,,of ,,sorrow #aha ,,of ,,joy #ahd ,,second ,,series4 ,,introductory #ahi ,,of ,,cheerfulness #aib ,,of ,,yesterday #aig ,,of ,,to-,,day #bjc ,,of ,,to-,,morrow #bjg ,,of ,,authorship #baj ,,of ,,mystery #bai ,,of ,,gifts #bbg ,,of ,,beauty #bcc ,,of ,,fame #bej ,,of ,,flattery #beh ,,of ,,neglect #bff ,,of ,,contentment #bge ,,of ,,life #bha ,,of ,,death #bhh ,,of ,,immortality #big ,,of ,,ideas #cag ,,of ,,names #cba ,,of ,,things #cbg ,,of ,,faith #cca ,,of ,,honesty #cda ,,of ,,society #cdh ,,of ,,solitude #ceg ,,recapitulation #cfb ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,,first ,,series4 ,,designer4 ,,engraver4 ,,page ,title ,page ,,gustave ,,dor4 ,w4 ,j4 ,linton4 ,floral ,title ,h4 ,n4 ,,humphreys4 ,j4 ,swain4 ,prefatory ,j4 ,,tenniel4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #a #c ,the ,words of ,wisdom ,h4 ,n4 ,,humphreys4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #d ,memory and ,diligence ,m4 ,f4 ,,tupper4 ,w4 ,j4 ,green4 #e ,of ,truth in ,things ,false ,j4 ,,gilbert4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #g ,of ,anticipation ,t4 ,,dalziel4 #ab ,of ,hidden ,uses ,e4 ,,duncan4 #ad ,b4 ,,foster4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #ah ,of ,compensation ,j4 ,,tenniel4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #bj #be ,of ,indirect ,influences ,e4 ,h4 ,,corbould4 #bf ,g4 ,,dodgson4 #bi ,w4 ,,severn4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #cb ,of ,memory ,w4 ,l4 ,,leitch4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #cc ,b4 ,,foster4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #cf ,the ,dream of ,ambition ,m4 ,f4 ,,tupper4 ,w4 ,j4 ,green4 #ch ,of ,subjection ,e4 ,h4 ,,corbould4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #dh ,of ,subjection ,e4 ,h4 ,,corbould4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #di ,of ,rest ,m4 ,f4 ,,tupper4 ,w4 ,j4 ,green4 #ec ,of ,humility ,j4 ,c4 ,,horsley4 ,j4 ,thompson4 #ee ,of ,pride ,j4 ,,tenniel4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #ei #fa ,of ,experience ,t4 ,,dalziel4 #fb ,of ,estimating ,character ,j4 ,,tenniel4 #fe #ga ,of ,hatred and ,anger ,c4 ,w4 ,,cope1 ,r4,a4 ,s4 ,williams4 #gd ,of ,good in ,things ,evil ,j4 ,,gilbert4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #gf ,of ,prayer ,j4 ,c4 ,,horsley4 #ha ,the ,lord's ,prayer ,c4 ,w4 ,,cope1 ,r4,a4 ,s4 ,williams4 #hf ,of ,discretion ,e4 ,h4 ,,corbould4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #hh ,of ,recreation ,e4 ,,duncan4 #ie ,e4 ,h4 ,,corbould4 #ii ,the ,train of ,religion ,j4 ,,tenniel4 #ajj ,of ,thinking #ajg ,of ,speaking ,g4 ,,dodgson4 #aad ,of ,writing ,j4 ,,tenniel4 #aba ,of ,wealth ,j4 ,,gilbert4 #abe ,of ,invention ,b4 ,,foster4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #acb ,of ,ridicule ,j4 ,,godwin4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #acd ,of ,self-,acquaintance ,j4 ,,gilbert4 #adb ,of ,cruelty to ,animals ,w4 ,,harvey4 #adi ,of ,love ,h4 ,n4 ,,humphreys4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #aeh ,of ,marriage ,j4 ,,severn4 #afa ,of ,education ,j4 ,,tenniel4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #afg ,j4 ,,severn4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #agf ,of ,sorrow ,c4 ,w4 ,,cope1 ,r4,a4 ,w4 ,j4 ,green4 #aha ,of ,joy ,j4 ,,tenniel4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #ahd ,,second ,,series4 ,title ,page ,j4 ,,tenniel4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #ahg ,introductory ,h4 ,n4 ,,humphreys4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #ahi ,of ,yesterday ,b4 ,,foster4 #aih ,of ,to-morrow ,f4 ,r4 ,,pickersgill1 ,a4,r4,a4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #bjf ,of ,mystery ,j4 ,,gilbert4 #bah ,of ,beauty ,b4 ,,foster4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #bcg ,j4 ,,tenniel4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #bci ,of ,fame ,f4 ,r4 ,,pickersgill1 ,a4,r4,a4 #bdi ,of ,neglect ,e4 ,h4 ,,corbould4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #bff ,of ,contentment ,b4 ,,foster4 #bge ,of ,death ,j4 ,,tenniel4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #bhh ,j4 ,,severn4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #bia ,of ,names ,j4 ,,gilbert4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #cba ,of ,faith ,j4 ,,tenniel4 #cca ,w4 ,,severn4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #ccc ,of ,society ,e4 ,h4 ,,corbould4 ,dalziel ,brs4 #ceb ,of ,solitude ,j4 ,,severn4 ,h4 ,vizetelly4 #cei ,initial ,letters ,h4 ,n4 ,,humphreys4 ,h4 ,vizetelly and ,j4 ,swain4 ,,first ,,series4 ,illustration3 ,prefatory ,t ,,prefatory4 ,thoughts1 that have tarried in my mind1 and peopled its inner chambers1 ,the sober children of reason1 or desultory train of fancy2 ,clear running wine of conviction1 with the scum and the lees of speculation2 ,corn from the sheaves of science1 with stubble from mine own garner3 ,searchings after ,truth1 that have tracked her secret lodes1 ,and come up again to the surface-world1 with a knowledge grounded deeper2 ,arguments of high scope1 that have soared to the key-stone of heaven1 ,and thence have swooped to their certain mark1 as the falcon to its quarry2 ,the fruits ,i have gathered of prudence1 the ripened harvest of my musings1 ,these commend ,i unto thee1 ,o docile scholar of ,wisdom1 ,these ,i give to thy gentle heart1 thou lover of the right4 ,what1 though a guilty man renew that hallowed theme1 ,and strike with feebler hand the harp of ,sirach's son8 ,what1 though a youthful tongue take up that ancient parable1 ,and utter faintly forth dark sayings as of old8 ,sweet is the virgin honey1 though the wild bee have stored it in a reed1 ,and bright the jewelled band1 that circleth an ,ethiop's arm2 ,pure are the grains of gold in the turbid stream of ,ganges1 ,and fair the living flowers1 that spring from the dull cold sod4 ,wherefore1 thou gentle student1 bend thine ear to my speech1 ,for ,i also am as thou art2 our hearts can commune together3 ,to meanest matters will ,i stoop1 for mean is the lot of mortal2 ,i will rise to noblest themes1 for the soul hath an heritage of glory3 ,the passions of puny man2 the majestic characters of ,god2 ,the feverish shadows of time1 and the mighty substance of eternity4 ,commend thy mind unto candour1 and grudge not as though thou hadst a teacher1 ,nor scorn angelic ,truth for the sake of her evil herald2 ,heed not him1 but hear his words1 and care not whence they come2 ,the viewless winds might whisper them1 the billows roar them forth1 ,the mean unconscious sedge sigh them in the ear of evening1 ,or the mind of pride conceive1 and the mouth of folly speak them4 ,lo now1 ,i stand not forth laying hold on spear and buckler1 ,i come a man of peace1 to comfort1 not to combat2 ,with soft persuasive speech to charm thy patient ear1 ,giving the hand of fellowship1 acknowledging the heart of sympathy3 ,let us walk together as friends in the shaded paths of meditation1 ,nor ,judgment set his seal until he hath poised his balance2 ,that the chastenings of mild reproof may meet unwitting error1 ,and ,charity not be a stranger at the board that is spread for brothers4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,the ,words of ,wisdom ,,the ,,words ,,of ,,wisdom4 ,few and precious are the words which the lips of ,wisdom utter3 ,to what shall their rarity be likened8 ,what price shall count their worth8 ,perfect and much to be desired1 and giving joy with riches1 ,no lovely thing on earth can picture all their beauty4 ,they be chance pearls1 flung among the rocks by the sullen waters of ,oblivion1 ,which ,diligence loveth to gather1 and hang around the neck of ,memory2 ,they be white-winged seeds of happiness1 wafted from the islands of the blessed1 ,which ,thought carefully tendeth1 in the kindly garden of the heart2 ,they be sproutings of an harvest for eternity1 bursting through the tilth of time1 ,green promise of the golden wheat1 that yieldeth angels' food2 ,they be drops of the crystal dew1 which the wings of seraphs scatter1 ,when on some brighter sabbath1 their plumes quiver most with delight3 ,such1 and so precious1 are the words which the lips of ,wisdom utter4 ,illustration ,yet more1 for the half is not said1 of their might1 and dignity1 and value2 ,for life-giving be they and glorious1 redolent of sanctity and heaven3 ,as fumes of hallowed incense1 that veil the throne of the ,most ,high2 ,as beaded bubbles that sparkle on the rim of the cup of immortality2 ,as wreaths of the rainbow spray1 from the pure cataracts of truth3 ,such1 and so precious1 are the words which the lips of ,wisdom utter4 ,yet once again1 loving student1 suffer the praises of thy teacher1 ,for verily the sun of the mind1 and the life of the heart is ,wisdom3 ,she is pure and full of light1 crowning grey hairs with lustre1 ,and kindling the eye of youth with a fire not its own2 ,and her words1 whereunto canst thou liken them8 for earth cannot show their peers3 ,they be grains of the diamond sand1 the radiant floor of heaven1 ,rising in sunny dust behind the chariot of ,god2 ,they be flashes of the dayspring from on high1 shed from the windows of the skies2 ,they be streams of living waters1 fresh from the fountain of ,intelligence3 ,such1 and so precious1 are the words which the lips of ,wisdom utter4 ,for these shall guide thee well1 and guard thee on thy way2 ,and wanting all beside1 with these shalt thou be rich3 ,though all around be woe1 these shall make thee happy2 ,though all within be pain1 these shall bring thee health3 ,thy good shall grow into ripeness1 thine evil wither and decay1 ,and ,wisdom's words shall sweetly charm thy doubtful into virtues3 ,meanness shall then be frugal care2 where shame was1 thou art modest2 ,cowardice riseth into caution1 rashness is sobered into courage2 ,the wrathful spirit1 rendering a reason1 standeth justified in anger2 ,the idle hand hath fair excuse1 propping the thoughtful forehead4 ,life shall have no labyrinth but thy steps can track it1 ,for thou hast a silken clue1 to lead thee through the darkness3 ,the rampant ,minotaur of ignorance shall perish at thy coming1 ,and thine enfranchised fellows hail thy white victorious sails4 ,wherefore1 friend and scholar1 hear the words of ,wisdom2 ,whether she speaketh to thy soul in the full chords of revelation2 ,in the teaching earth1 or air1 or sea2 in the still melodies of thought2 ,or1 haply1 in the humbler strains that would detain thee here4 ,illustration ,,of ,,truth ,,in ,,things ,,false4 ,illustration3 ,e ,error is a hardy plant2 it flourisheth in every soil2 ,in the heart of the wise and good1 alike with the wicked and foolish4 ,for there is no error so crooked1 but it hath in it some lines of truth3 ,nor is any poison so deadly1 that it serveth not some wholesome use3 ,and the just man1 enamoured of the right1 is blinded by the speciousness of wrong2 ,and the prudent1 perceiving an advantage1 is content to overlook the harm4 ,on all things created remaineth the half-effaced signature of ,god1 ,somewhat of fair and good1 though blotted by the finger of corruption3 ,and if error cometh in like a flood1 it mixeth with streams of truth2 ,and the ,adversary loveth to have it so1 for thereby many are decoyed4 ,providence is dark in its permissions2 yet one day1 when all is known1 ,the universe of reason shall acknowledge how just and good were they2 ,for the wise man leaneth on his wisdom1 and the righteous trusteth to his righteousness1 ,and those1 who thirst for independence1 are suffered to drink of disappointment4 ,wherefore8--to prove and humble them2 and to teach the idolaters of ,truth1 ,that it is but the ladder unto ,him1 on whom only they should trust4 ,there is truth in the wildest scheme that imaginative heat hath engendered1 ,and a man may gather somewhat from the crudest theories of fancy3 ,the alchymist laboureth in folly1 but catcheth chance gleams of wisdom1 ,and findeth out many inventions1 though his crucible breed not gold2 ,the sinner1 toying with witchcraft1 thinketh to delude his fellows1 ,but there be very spirits of evil1 and what if they come at his bidding8 ,he is a bold bad man who dareth to tamper with the dead2 ,for their whereabout lieth in a mystery--that vestibule leading to ,eternity1 ,the waiting-room for unclad ghosts1 before the presence-chamber of their ,king3 ,mind may act upon mind1 though bodies be far divided2 ,for the life is in the blood1 but souls communicate unseen3 ,and the heat of an excited intellect1 radiating to its fellows1 ,doth kindle dry leaves afar off1 while the green wood around it is unwarmed4 ,the dog may have a spirit1 as well as his brutal master2 ,a spirit to live in happiness3 for why should he be robbed of his existence8 ,hath he not a conscience of evil1 a glimmer of moral sense1 ,love and hatred1 courage and fear1 and visible shame and pride8 ,there may be a future rest for the patient victims of the cruel2 ,and a season allotted for their bliss1 to compensate for unjust suffering4 ,spurn not at seeming error1 but dig below its surface for the truth2 ,and beware of seeming truths1 that grow on the roots of error3 ,for comely are the apples that spring from the ,dead ,sea's cursed shore1 ,but within are they dust and ashes1 and the hand that plucked them shall rue it4 ,a frequent similar effect argueth a constant cause3 ,yet who hath counted the links that bind an omen to its issue8 ,who hath expounded the law that rendereth calamities gregarious1 ,pressing down with yet more woes the heavy-laden mourner8 ,who knoweth wherefore a monsoon should swell the sails of the prosperous1 ,blithely speeding on their course the children of good luck8 ,who hath companied a vision from the horn or ivory gate8 ,or met another's mind in his1 and explained its presence8 ,there is a secret somewhat in antipathies2 and love is more than fancy2 ,yea1 and a palpable notice warneth of an instant danger2 ,for the soul hath its feelers1 cobwebs floating on the wind1 ,that catch events in their approach with sure and apt presentiment2 ,so that some halo of attraction heraldeth a coming friend1 ,investing in his likeness the stranger that passed on before2 ,and while the word is in thy mouth1 behold thy word fulfilled1 ,and he of whom we spake can answer for himself4 ,o man1 little hast thou learnt of truth in things most true1 ,how therefore shall thy blindness wot of truth in things most false8 ,thou hast not yet perceived the causes of life or motion1 ,how then canst thou define the subtle sympathies of mind8 ,for the spirit1 sharpest and strongest when disease hath rent the body1 ,hath welcomed kindred spirits in nightly visitations1 ,or learnt from restless ghosts dark secrets of the living1 ,and helped slow justice to her prey by the dreadful teaching of a dream4 ,verily1 there is nothing so true1 that the damps of error have not warped it2 ,verily1 there is nothing so false1 that a sparkle of truth is not in it4 ,for the enemy1 the father of lies1 the giant ,upas of creation1 ,whose deadly shade hath blasted this once green garden of the ,lord1 ,can but pervert the good1 but may not create the evil2 ,he destroyeth1 but cannot build2 for he is not antagonist deity3 ,mighty is his stolen power1 yet is he a creature and a subject2 ,not a maker of abstract wrong1 but a spoiler of concrete right3 ,the fiend hath not a royal crown2 he is but a prowling robber1 ,suffered1 for some mysterious end1 to haunt the ,king's highway2 ,and the keen sword he beareth1 once was a simple ploughshare2 ,yea1 and his panoply of error is but a distortion of the truth3 ,the sickle that once reaped righteousness1 beaten from its useful curve1 ,with axe1 and spike1 and bar1 headeth the marauder's halbert4 ,seek not further1 ,o man1 to solve the dark riddle of sin2 ,suffice it1 that thine own bad heart is to thee thine origin of evil4 ,illustration ,,of ,,anticipation4 ,thou hast seen many sorrows1 travel-stained pilgrim of the world1 ,but that which hath vexed thee most hath been the looking for evil2 ,and though calamities have crossed thee1 and misery been heaped on thy head1 ,yet ills1 that never happened1 have chiefly made thee wretched4 ,the sting of pain and the edge of pleasure are blunted by long expectation1 ,for the gall and the balm alike are diluted in the waters of patience3 ,and often thou sippest sweetness1 ere the cup is dashed from thy lip2 ,or drainest the gall of fear1 while evil is passing by thy dwelling4 ,a man too careful of danger liveth in continual torment1 ,but a cheerful expecter of the best hath a fountain of joy within him3 ,yea1 though the breath of disappointment should chill the sanguine heart1 ,speedily gloweth it again1 warmed by the live embers of hope2 ,though the black and heavy surge close above the head for a moment1 ,yet the happy buoyancy of ,confidence riseth superior to ,despair4 ,verily1 evils may be courted1 may be wooed and won by distrust3 ,for the wise ,physician of our weal loveth not an unbelieving spirit2 ,and to those giveth ,he good1 who rely on ,his hand for good2 ,and those leaveth ,he to evil1 who fear1 but trust ,him not4 ,ask for good1 and hope it1 for the ocean of good is fathomless2 ,ask for good1 and have it1 for thy ,friend would see thee happy2 ,but to the timid heart1 to the child of unbelief and dread1 ,that leaneth on his own weak staff1 and trusteth the sight of his eyes1 ,the evil he feared shall come1 for the soil is ready for the seed1 ,and suspicion hath coldly put aside the hand that was ready to help him4 ,therefore look up1 sad spirit2 be strong1 thou coward heart1 ,or fear will make thee wretched1 though evil follow not behind3 ,cease to anticipate misfortune2 there are still many chances of escape2 ,but if it come1 be courageous2 face it1 and conquer thy calamity4 ,there is not an enemy so stout1 as to storm and take the fortress of the mind1 ,unless its infirmity turn traitor1 and ,fear unbar the gates4 ,the valiant standeth as a rock1 and the billows break upon him2 ,the timorous is a skiff unmoored1 tost and mocked at by a ripple3 ,the valiant holdeth fast to good1 till evil wrench it from him2 ,the timorous casteth it aside1 to meet the worst half way3 ,yet oftentimes is evil but a braggart1 that provoketh and will not fight2 ,or the feint of a subtle fencer1 who measureth his thrust elsewhere3 ,or perchance a blessing in a masque1 sent to try thy trust1 ,the precious smiting of a friend1 whose frowns are all in love3 ,often the storm threateneth1 but is driven to other climes1 ,and the weak hath quailed in fear1 while the firm hath been glad in his confidence4 ,illustration ,,of ,,hidden ,,uses4 ,illustration3 ,t ,the sea-wort floating on the waves1 or rolled up high along the shore1 ,ye counted useless and vile1 heaping on it names of contempt3 ,yet hath it gloriously triumphed1 and man been humbled in his ignorance1 ,for health is in the freshness of its savour1 and it cumbereth the beach with wealth2 ,comforting the tossings of pain with its violet-tinctured essence1 ,and by its humbler ashes enriching many proud4 ,be this1 then1 a lesson to thy soul1 that thou reckon nothing worthless1 ,because thou heedest not its use1 nor knowest the virtues thereof4 ,and herein1 as thou walkest by the sea1 shall weeds be a type and an earnest ,of the stored and uncounted riches lying hid in all creatures of ,god3 ,there be flowers making glad the desert1 and roots fattening the soil1 ,and jewels in the secret deep1 scattered among groves of coral1 ,and comforts to crown all wishes1 and aids unto every need1 ,influences yet unthought1 and virtues1 and many inventions1 ,and uses above and around1 which man hath not yet regarded4 ,not long to charm away disease hath the crocus yielded up its bulb1 ,nor the willow lent its bark1 nor the nightshade its vanquished poison2 ,not long hath the twisted leaf1 the fragrant gift of ,china1 ,nor that nutritious root1 the boon of far ,peru1 ,nor the many-coloured dahlia1 nor the gorgeous flaunting cactus1 ,nor the multitude of fruits and flowers1 ministered to life and luxury3 ,even so1 there be virtues yet unknown in the wasted foliage of the elm1 ,in the sun-dried harebell of the downs1 and the hyacinth drinking in the meadow1 ,in the sycamore's winged fruit1 and the facet-cut cones of the cedar2 ,and the pansy and bright geranium live not alone for beauty1 ,nor the waxen flower of the arbute1 though it dieth in a day1 ,nor the sculptured crest of the fir1 unseen but by the stars2 ,and the meanest weed of the garden serveth unto many uses1 ,the salt tamarisk1 and juicy flag1 the freckled orchis1 and the daisy4 ,the world may laugh at famine1 when forest-trees yield bread1 ,when acorns give out fragrant drink1 and the sap of the linden is as fatness3 ,for every green herb1 from the lotus to the darnel1 ,is rich with delicate aids to help incurious man4 ,still1 ,mind is up and stirring1 and pryeth in the corners of contrivance1 ,often from the dark recesses picking out bright seeds of truth3 ,knowledge hath clipped the lightning's wings1 and mewed it up for a purpose1 ,training to some domestic task the fiery bird of heaven2 ,tamed is the spirit of the storm1 to slave in all peaceful arts1 ,to walk with husbandry and science2 to stand in the vanguard against death3 ,and the chemist balanceth his elements with more than magic skill1 ,commanding stones that they be bread1 and draining sweetness out of wormwood4 ,yet man1 heedless of a ,god1 counteth up vain reckonings1 ,fearing to be jostled and starved out1 by the too prolific increase of his kind2 ,and asketh1 in unbelieving dread1 for how few years to come ,will the black cellars of the world yield unto him fuel for his winter4 ,might not the wide waste sea be pent within narrower bounds8 ,might not the arm of diligence make the tangled wilderness a garden8 ,and for aught thou canst tell1 there may be a thousand methods ,of comforting thy limbs in warmth1 though thou kindle not a spark4 ,fear not1 son of man1 for thyself nor thy seed3--with a multitude is plenty2 ,god's blessing giveth increase1 and with it larger than enough4 ,search out the wisdom of nature1 there is depth in all her doings2 ,she seemeth prodigal of power1 yet her rules are the maxims of frugality3 ,the plant refresheth the air1 and the earth filtereth the water1 ,and dews are sucked into the cloud1 dropping fatness on the world3 ,she hath1 on a mighty scale1 a general use for all things2 ,yet hath she specially for each its microscopic purpose3 ,there is use in the prisoned air1 that swelleth the pods of the laburnum2 ,design in the venomed thorns1 that sentinel the leaves of the nettle2 ,a final cause for the aromatic gum1 that congealeth the moss around a rose3 ,a reason for each blade of grass1 that reareth its small spire4 ,how knoweth discontented man what a train of ills might follow1 ,if the lowest menial of nature knew not her secret office8 ,if the thistle never sprang up to mock the loose husbandry of indolence1 ,or the pestilence never swept away an unknown curse from among men8 ,would ye crush the buzzing myriads that float on the breath of evening8 ,would ye trample the creatures of ,god that people the rotting fruit8 ,would ye suffer no mildew forest to stain the unhealthy wall1 ,nor a noisome savour to exhale from the pool that breedeth disease8 ,pain is useful unto man1 for it teacheth him to guard his life1 ,and the fetid vapours of the fen warn him to fly from danger3 ,and the meditative mind1 looking on1 winneth good food for its hunger1 ,seeing the wholesome root bring forth a poisonous berry2 ,for otherwhile falleth it out that truth1 driven to extremities1 ,yieldeth bitter folly as the spoilt fruit of wisdom4 ,o1 blinded is thine eye1 if it see not just aptitude in all things3 ,o1 frozen is thy heart1 if it glow not with gratitude for all things3 ,in the perfect circle of creation not an atom could be spared1 ,from earth's magnetic zone to the bindweed round a hawthorn4 ,the sage1 and the beetle at his feet1 hath each a ministration to perform3 ,the briar and the palm have the wages of life1 rendering secret service4 ,neither is it thus alone with the definite existences of matter2 ,but motion and sound1 circumstance and quality1 yea1 all things have their office4 ,the zephyr playing with an aspen-leaf1--the earthquake that rendeth a continent2 ,the moon-beam silvering a ruined arch1--the desert-wave dashing up a pyramid2 ,the thunder of jarring icebergs1--the stops of a shepherd's pipe2 ,the howl of the tiger in the glen1--and the wood-dove calling to her mate2 ,the vulture's cruel rage1--the grace of the stately swan2 ,the fierceness looking from the lynx's eye1 and the dull stupor of the sloth3 ,to these1 and to all1 is there added each its ,,use1 though man considereth it lightly2 ,for ,power hath ordained nothing which ,economy saw not needful4 ,illustration ,all things being are in concord with the ubiquity of ,god2 ,neither is there one thing overmuch1 nor freed from honourable servitude4 ,were there not a need-be of wisdom1 nothing would be as it is2 ,for essence without necessity argueth a moral weakness4 ,we look through a glass darkly1 we catch but glimpses of truth2 ,but1 doubtless1 the sailing of a cloud hath ,providence to its pilot1 ,doubtless1 the root of an oak is gnarled for a special purpose1 ,the foreknown station of a rush is as fixed as the station of a king1 ,and chaff from the hand of the winnower1 steered as the stars in their courses4 ,man liveth only in himself1 but the ,lord liveth in all things2 ,and ,his pervading unity quickeneth the whole creation4 ,man doeth one thing at once1 nor can he think two thoughts together2 ,but ,god compasseth all things1 mantling the globe like air3 ,and we render homage to ,his wisdom1 seeing use in all ,his creatures1 ,for1 perchance1 the universe would die1 were not all things as they are4 ,illustration3 ,of ,compensation ,,of ,,compensation4 ,illustration3 ,e ,equal is the government of heaven in allotting pleasures among men1 ,and just the everlasting law1 that hath wedded happiness to virtue3 ,for verily on all things else broodeth disappointment with care1 ,that childish man may be taught the shallowness of earthly enjoyment4 ,wherefore1 ye that have enough1 envy ye the rich man his abundance8 ,wherefore1 daughters of affluence1 covet ye the cottager's content8 ,take the good with the evil1 for ye all are pensioners of ,god1 ,and none may choose or refuse the cup ,his wisdom mixeth4 ,the poor man rejoiceth at his toil1 and his daily bread is sweet to him3 ,content with present good1 he looketh not for evil to the future3 ,the rich man languisheth with sloth1 and findeth pleasure in nothing1 ,he locketh up care with his gold1 and feareth the fickleness of fortune4 ,can a cup contain within itself the measure of a bucket8 ,or the straitened appetites of man drink more than their fill of luxury8 ,there is a limit to enjoyment1 though the sources of wealth be boundless3 ,and the choicest pleasures of life lie within the ring of moderation4 ,also1 though penury and pain be real and bitter evils1 ,i would reason with the poor afflicted1 for he is not so wretched as he seemeth4 ,what right hath an offender to complain1 though others escape punishment1 ,if the stripes of earned misfortune overtake him in his sin8 ,wherefore not endure with resignation the evils thou canst not avert8 ,for the coward pain will flee1 if thou meet him as a man3 ,consider1 whatever be thy fate1 that it might and ought to have been worse1 ,and that it lieth in thy hand to gather even blessing from afflictions3 ,bethink thee1 wherefore were they sent8 and hath not use blunted their keenness8 ,need hope1 and patience1 and courage1 be strangers to the meanest hovel8 ,thou art in an evil case1 it were cruel to deny to thee compassion1 ,but there is not unmitigated ill in the sharpest of this world's sorrows3 ,i touch not the sore of thy guilt2 but of human griefs ,i counsel thee1 ,cast off the weakness of regret1 and gird thee to redeem thy loss3 ,thou hast gained1 in the furnace of affliction1 self-knowledge1 patience1 and humility1 ,and these be as precious ore1 that waiteth the skill of the coiner3 ,despise not the blessings of adversity1 nor the gain thou hast earned so hardly1 ,and now thou hast drained the bitter1 take heed that thou lose not the sweet4 ,power is seldom innocent1 and envy is the yoke-fellow of eminence2 ,and the rust of the miser's riches wasteth his soul as a canker4 ,the poor man counteth not the cost at which such wealth hath been purchased2 ,he would be on the mountain's top1 without the toil and travail of the climbing4 ,but equity demandeth recompense3 for high-place1 calumny and care2 ,for state1 comfortless splendour eating out the heart of home2 ,for warrior fame1 dangers and death2 for a name among the learned1 a spirit overstrained2 ,for honour of all kinds1 the goad of ambition2 on every acquirement1 the tax of anxiety4 ,he that would change with another1 must take the cup as it is mixed3 ,poverty1 with largeness of heart2 or a full purse1 with a sordid spirit2 ,wisdom1 in an ailing body2 or a common mind1 with health3 ,godliness1 with man's scorn2 or the welcome of the mighty1 with guilt3 ,beauty1 with a fickle heart2 or plainness of face1 with affection4 ,for so hath ,providence determined1 that a man shall not easily discover ,unmingled good or evil1 to quicken his envy or abhorrence4 ,a bold man or a fool must he be1 who would change his lot with another2 ,it were a fearful bargain1 and mercy hath lovingly refused it3 ,for we know the worst of ourselves1 but the secrets of another we see not1 ,and better is certain bad1 than the doubt and dread of worse4 ,just1 and strong1 and opportune is the moral rule of ,god2 ,ripe in its times1 firm in its judgments1 equal in the measure of its gifts3 ,yet men1 scanning the surface1 count the wicked happy1 ,nor heed the compensating peace1 which gladdeneth the good in his afflictions4 ,they see not the frightful dreams that crowd a bad man's pillow1 ,like wreathed adders crawling round his midnight conscience2 ,they hear not the terrible suggestions1 that knock at the portal of his will1 ,provoking to wipe away from life the one weak witness of the deed2 ,they know not the torturing suspicions that sting his panting breast1 ,when the clear eye of penetration quietly readeth off the truth4 ,likewise of the good what know they8 ,the memories bringing pleasure1 ,shrined in the heart of the benevolent1 and glistening from his eye2 ,the calm self-justifying reason that establisheth the upright in his purpose2 ,the warm and gushing bliss that floodeth all the thoughts of the religious4 ,many a beggar at the cross-way1 or grey-haired shepherd on the plain1 ,hath more of the end of all wealth1 than hundreds who multiply the means4 ,moreover1 a moral compensation reacheth to the secrecy of thought2 ,for if thou wilt think evil of thy neighbour1 soon shalt thou have him for thy foe3 ,and yet he may know nothing of the cause that maketh thee distasteful to his soul1-- ,the cause of unkind suspicion1 for which thou hast thy punishment3 ,and if thou think of him in charity1 wishing or praying for his weal1 ,he shall not guess the secret charm that lureth his soul to love thee4 ,for just is retributive ubiquity3 ,samson did sin with ,dalilah1 ,and his eyes and captive strength were forfeit to the ,philistine3 ,jacob robbed his brother1 and sorrow was his portion to the grave3 ,david must fly before his foes1 yea1 though his guilt is covered3 ,and ,he who1 seeming old in youth1 was marred for others' sin1 ,for every special crime must bear its special penalty3 ,by luxury1 or rashness1 or vice1 the member that hath erred suffereth1-- ,and therefore the ,sacrifice for all was pained at every pore4 ,alike to the slave and his oppressor cometh night with sweet refreshment1 ,and half of the life of the most wretched is gladdened by the soothings of sleep4 ,pain addeth zest unto pleasure1 and teacheth the luxury of health2 ,there is a joy in sorrow1 which none but a mourner can know3 ,madness hath imaginary bliss1 and most men have no more2 ,age hath its quiet calm1 and youth enjoyeth not for haste3 ,daily1 in the midst of its beatitude1 the righteous soul is vexed2 ,and even the misery of guilt doth attain to the bliss of pardon4 ,who1 in the face of the born-blind1 ever looked on other than content8 ,and the deaf ear listeneth within to the silent music of the heart4 ,there is evil poured upon the earth from the overflowings of corruption1-- ,sickness1 and poverty1 and pain1 and guilt1 and madness1 and sorrow2 ,but1 as the water from a fountain riseth and sinketh to its level1 ,ceaselessly toileth justice to equalize the lots of men3 ,for1 habit and hope and ignorance1 and the being but one of a multitude1 ,and strength of reason in the sage1 and dulness of feeling in the fool1 ,and the light elasticity of courage1 and the calm resignation of meekness1 ,and the stout endurance of decision1 and the weak carelessness of apathy1 ,and helps invisible but real1 and ministerings not unfelt1 ,angelic aid with worldly discomfiture1 bodily loss with the soul's gain1 ,secret griefs1 and silent joys1 thorns in the flesh1 and cordials for the spirit1 7--,short of the insuperable barrier dividing innocence from guilt1--7 ,go far to level all things1 by the gracious rule of ,compensation4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,of ,indirect ,influences ,,of ,,indirect ,,influences4 ,illustration3 ,f ,face thy foe in the field1 and perchance thou wilt meet thy master1 ,for the sword is chained to his wrist1 and his armour buckled for the battle2 ,but find him when he looketh not for thee1 aim between the joints of his harness1 ,and the crest of his pride will be humbled1 his cruelty will bite the dust4 ,beard not a lion in his den1 but fashion the secret pitfall2 ,so shall thou conquer the strong1 thyself triumphing in weakness4 ,the hurricane rageth fiercely1 and the promontory standeth in its might1 ,breasting the artillery of heaven1 as darts glance from the crocodile3 ,but the small continual creeping of the silent footsteps of the sea ,mineth the wall of adamant1 and stealthily compasseth its ruin4 ,the weakness of accident is strong1 where the strength of design is weak3 ,and a casual analogy convinceth1 when a mind beareth not argument4 ,will not a man listen8 be silent2 and prove thy maxim by example3 ,never fear1 thou losest not thy hold1 though thy mouth doth not render a reason4 ,contend not in wisdom with a fool1 for thy sense maketh much of his conceit2 ,and some errors never would have thriven1 had it not been for learned refutation3 ,yea1 much evil hath been caused by an honest wrestler for truth1 ,and much of unconscious good1 by the man that hated wisdom3 ,for the intellect judgeth closely1 and if thou overstep thy argument1 ,or seem not consistent with thyself1 or fail in thy direct purpose1 ,the mind that went along with thee1 shall stop and return without thee1 ,and thou shalt have raised a foe1 where thou mightest have won a friend4 ,hints1 shrewdly strown1 mightily disturb the spirit1 ,where a bare-faced accusation would be too ridiculous for calumny3 ,the sly suggestion toucheth nerves1 and nerves contract the fronds1 ,and the sensitive mimosa of affection trembleth to its root2 ,and friendships1 the growth of half a century1 those oaks that laugh at storms1 ,have been cankered in a night by a worm1 even as the prophet's gourd4 ,hast thou loved1 and not known jealousy8 for a sidelong look ,can please or pain thy heart more than the multitude of proofs3 ,hast thou hated1 and not learned that thy silent scorn ,doth deeper aggravate thy foe than loud-cursing malice8-- ,a wise man prevaileth in power1 for he screeneth his battering engine1 ,but a fool tilteth headlong1 and his adversary is aware4 ,behold those broken arches1 that oriel all unglazed1 ,that crippled line of columns bleaching in the sun1 ,the delicate shaft stricken midway1 and the flying buttress ,idly stretching forth to hold up tufted ivy3 ,thinkest thou the thousand eyes that shine with rapture on a ruin1 ,would have looked with half their wonder on the perfect pile8 ,and wherefore not--but that light hints1 suggesting unseen beauties1 ,fill the complacent gazer with self-grown conceits8 ,and so1 the rapid sketch winneth more praise to the painter1 ,than the consummate work elaborated on his easel3 ,and so1 the ,helvetic lion caverned in the living rock ,hath more of majesty and force1 than it upon a marble pedestal4 ,illustration ,tell me1 daughter of taste1 what hath charmed thine ear in music8 ,is it the laboured theme1 the curious fugue or cento1-- ,nor rather the sparkles of intelligence flashing from some strange chord1 ,or the soft melody of sounds far sweeter for simplicity8 ,tell me1 thou son of science1 what hath filled thy mind in reading8 ,is it the volume of detail where all is orderly set down1 ,and they that read may run1 nor need to stop and think2 ,the book carefully accurate1 that counteth thee no better than a fool1 ,gorging the passive mind with annotated notes2-- ,nor rather the half-suggested thoughts1 the riddles thou mayst solve1 ,the fair ideas1 coyly peeping like young loves out of roses1 ,the quaint arabesque conceptions1 half cherub and half flower1 ,the light analogy1 or deep allusion1 trusted to thy learning1 ,the confidence implied in thy skill to unravel meaning mysteries8 ,for ideas are ofttimes shy of the close furniture of words1 ,and thought1 wherein only is power1 may be best conveyed by a suggestion3 ,the flash that lighteth up a valley1 amid the dark midnight of a storm1 ,coineth the mind with that scene sharper than fifty summers4 ,a worldly man boasteth in his pride1 that there is no power but of money2 ,and he judgeth the characters of men by the differing measures of their means3 ,he stealeth all goodly names1 as worth1 and value1 and substance1 ,which be the ancient heritage of ,virtue1 but such an one ascribeth unto ,wealth3 ,he spurneth the needy sage1 whose wisdom hath enriched nations1 ,and the sons of poverty and learning1 without whom earth were a desert3 ,music1 the soother of cares1 the tuner of the dank discordant heart-strings1 ,it is nought unto such an one but sounds1 whereby some earn their living3 ,the poem1 and the picture1 and the statue1 to him seem idle baubles1 ,which wealth condescendeth to favour1 to gain him the name of patron4 ,but little wotteth he the might of the means his folly despiseth2 ,he considereth not that these be the wires which move the puppets of the world4 ,a sentence hath formed a character1 and a character subdued a kingdom2 ,a picture hath ruined souls1 or raised them to commerce with the skies3 ,the pen hath shaken nations1 and stablished the world in peace2 ,and the whole full horn of plenty been filled from the vial of science4 ,he regardeth man as sensual1 the monarch of created matter1 ,and careth not aught for mind1 that linketh him with spirits unseen2 ,he feedeth his carcase and is glad1 though his soul be faint and famished1 ,and the dull brute power of the body bindeth him a captive to himself4 ,man liveth from hour to hour1 and knoweth not what may happen2 ,influences circle him on all sides1 and yet must he answer for his actions3 ,for the being that is master of himself1 bendeth events to his will1 ,but a slave to selfish passion is the wavering creature of circumstance4 ,to this man temptation is a poison1 to that man it addeth vigour2 ,and each may render to himself influences good or evil4 ,as thou directest the power1 harm or advantage will follow1 ,and the torrent that swept the valley1 may be led to turn a mill2 ,the wild electric flash1 that could have kindled comets1 ,may by the ductile wire give ease to an ailing child4 ,for outward matter or event fashion not the character within1 ,but each man1 yielding or resisting1 fashioneth his mind for himself4 ,some have said1 ,what is in a name8--most potent plastic influence2 ,a name is a word of character1 and repetition stablisheth the fact3 ,a word of rebuke1 or of honour1 tending to obscurity or fame2 ,and greatest is the power of a name1 when its power is least suspected4 ,a low name is a thorn in the side1 that hindereth the footman in his running2 ,but a name of ancestral renown shall often put the racer to his speed4 ,few men have grown unto greatness whose names are allied to ridicule1 ,and many would never have been profligate1 but for the splendour of a name4 ,a wise man scorneth nothing1 be it never so small or homely1 ,for he knoweth not the secret laws that may bind it to great effects4 ,the world in its boyhood was credulous1 and dreaded the vengeance of the stars1 ,the world in its dotage is not wiser1 fearing not the influence of small things3 ,planets govern not the soul1 nor guide the destinies of man1 ,but trifles1 lighter than straws1 are levers in the building up of character4 ,a man hath the tiller in his hand1 and may steer against the current1 ,or may glide down idly with the stream1 till his vessel founder in the whirlpool4 ,illustration3 ,helvetiorum ,fidei ac ,virtuti ,die ,x ,augusti ,,ii et ,,iii ,septembris ,,mdccxcii ,illustration ,,of ,,memory4 ,where art thou1 storehouse of the mind1 garner of facts and fancies1-- ,in what strange firmament are laid the beams of thine airy chambers8 ,or art thou that small cavern1 the centre of the rolling brain1 ,where still one sandy morsel testifieth man's original8 ,or hast thou some grand globe1 some common hall of intellect1 ,some spacious market-place for thought1 where all do bring their wares1 ,and gladly rescued from the littleness1 the narrow closet of a self1 ,the privileged soul hath large access1 coming in the livery of learning8 ,live we as isolated worlds1 perfect in substance and spirit1 ,each a sphere1 with a special mind1 prisoned in its shell of matter8 ,or rather1 as converging radiations1 parts of one majestic whole1 ,beams of the ,sun1 streams from the ,river1 branches of the mighty ,tree1 ,some bearing fruit1 some bearing leaves1 and some diseased and barren1-- ,some for the feast1 some for the floor1 and some--how many--for the fire8 ,memory may be but a power of coming to the treasury of ,fact1 ,a momentary self-desertion1 an absence in spirit from the ,now1 ,an actual coursing hither and thither1 by the mind1 slipped from its leash1 ,a life1 as in the mystery of dreams1 spent within the limits of a moment4 ,a brutish man knoweth not this1 neither can a fool comprehend it1 ,but there be secrets of the ,memory1 deep1 wondrous1 and fearful4 ,were ,i at ,petra1 could ,i not declare1 ,my soul hath been here before me8 ,am ,i strange to the columned halls1 the calm dead grandeur of ,palmyra8 ,know ,i not thy mount1 ,o ,carmel6 ,have ,i not voyaged on the ,danube1 ,nor seen the glare of ,arctic snows1--nor the black tents of the ,tartar8 ,is it then a dream1 that ,i remember the faces of them of old1 ,while wandering in the grove with ,plato1 and listening to ,zeno in the porch8 ,paul have ,i seen1 and ,pythagoras1 and the ,stagyrite hath spoken me friendly1 ,and ,his meek eye looked also upon me1 standing with ,peter in the palace4 ,athens and ,rome1 ,persepolis and ,sparta1 am ,i not a freeman of you all8 ,and chiefly can my yearning heart forget thee1 ,o ,jerusalem8-- ,for the strong magic of conception1 mingled with the fumes of memory1 ,giveth me a life in all past time1 yea1 and addeth substance to the future4 ,be ye my judges1 imaginative minds1 full-fledged to soar into the sun1 ,whose grosser natural thoughts the chemistry of wisdom hath sublimed1 ,have ye not confessed to a feeling1 a consciousness strange and vague1 ,that ye have gone this way before1 and walk again your daily life1 ,tracking an old routine1 and on some foreign strand1 ,where bodily ye have never stood1 finding your own footsteps8 ,hath not at times some recent friend looked out an old familiar1 ,some newest circumstance or place teemed as with ancient memories8 ,a startling sudden flash lighteth up all for an instant1 ,and then it is quenched1 as in darkness1 and leaveth the cold spirit trembling4 ,illustration ,memory is not wisdom2 idiots can rote volumes3 ,yet1 what is wisdom without memory8 a babe that is strangled in its birth1 ,the path of the swallow in the air1 the path of the dolphin in the waters1 ,a cask running out1 a bottomless chasm3 such is wisdom without memory4 ,there be many wise1 who cannot store their knowledge2 ,yet from themselves are they satisfied1 for the fountain is within3 ,there be many who store1 but have no wisdom of their own1 ,lumbering their armoury with weapons their muscles cannot lift3 ,there be many thieves and robbers1 who glean and store unlawfully1 ,calling in to memory's help some cunningly devised ,cabala3 ,but to feed the mind with fatness1 to fill thy granary with corn1 ,nor clog with chaff and straw the threshing-floor of reason1 ,reap the ideas1 and house them well2 but leave the words high stubble3 ,strive to store up what was thought1 despising what was said4 ,for the mind is a spirit1 and drinketh in ideas1 as flame melteth into flame2 ,but for words it must pack them as on floors1 cumbrous and perishable merchandize4 ,to be pained for a minute1 to fear for an hour1 to hope for a week--how long and weary6 ,but to remember fourscore years1 is to look back upon a day4 ,an avenue seemeth to lengthen in the eyes of the wayfaring man1 ,but let him turn1 those stationed elms crowd up within a yard2 ,pace the lamp-lit streets of some sleeping city1 ,the multitude of cressets shall seem one1 in the false picture of perspective2 ,even so1 in sweet treachery1 dealeth the aged with himself1 ,he gazeth on the green hill-tops1 while the marshes beneath are hidden2 ,and the partial telescope of memory pierceth the blank between1 ,to look with lingering love at the fair star of childhood4 ,life is as the current spark on the miner's wheel of flints2 ,whiles it spinneth there is light2 stop it1 all is darkness3 ,life is as a morsel of frankincense burning in the hall of ,eternity2 ,it is gone1 but its odorous cloud curleth to the lofty roof3 ,life is as a lump of salt1 melting in the temple-laver2 ,it is gone1--yet its savour reacheth to the farthest atom3 ,even so1 for evil or for good1 is life the criterion of a man1 ,for its memories of sanctity or sin pervade all the firmament of being4 ,there is but the flitting moment1 wherein to hope or to enjoy1 ,but in the calendar of ,memory1 that moment is all time4 ,illustration ,,the ,,dream ,,of ,,ambition4 ,i left the happy fields that smile around the village of ,content1 ,and sought with wayward feet the torrid desert of ,ambition4 ,long time1 parched and weary1 ,i travelled that burning sand1 ,and the hooded basilisk and adder were strewed in my way for palms2 ,black scorpions thronged me round1 with sharp uplifted stings1 ,seeming to mock me as ,i ran2 7then ,i guessed it was a dream1-- ,but life is oft so like a dream1 we know not where we are47 ,so ,i toiled on1 doubting in myself1 up a steep gravel cliff1 ,whose yellow summit shot up far into the brazen sky2 ,and quickly1 ,i was wafted to the top1 as upon unseen wings ,carrying me upward like a leaf3 7then ,i thought it was a dream1-- ,yet life is oft so like a dream1 we know not where we are47 ,so ,i stood on the mountain1 and behold6 before me a giant pyramid1 ,and ,i clomb with eager haste its high and difficult steps2 ,for ,i longed1 like another ,belus1 to mount up1 yea1 to heaven1 ,nor sought ,i rest until my feet had spurned the crest of earth4 ,then ,i sat on my granite throne under the burning sun1 ,and the world lay smiling beneath me1 but ,i was wrapt in flames2 7,and ,i hoped1 in glimmering consciousness1 that all this torture was a dream1-- ,yet life is oft so like a dream1 we know not where we are47 ,and anon1 as ,i sat scorching1 the pyramid shuddered to its root1 ,and ,i felt the quarried mass leap from its sand foundations3 ,awhile it tottered and tilted1 as raised by invisible levers1-- 7,and now my reason spake with me2 ,i knew it was a dream3 ,yet ,i hushed that whisper into silence1 for ,i hoped to learn of wisdom1 ,by tracking up my truant thoughts1 whereunto they might lead47 ,and suddenly1 as rolling upon wheels1 adown the cliff it rushed1 ,and ,i thought1 in my hot brain1 of the ,muscovites' icy slope2 ,a thousand yards in a moment we ploughed the sandy seas1 ,and crushed those happy fields1 and that smiling village1 ,and onward1 as a living thing1 still rushed my mighty throne1 ,thundering along1 and pounding1 as it went1 the millions in my way3 ,before me all was life1 and joy1 and full-blown summer1 ,behind me death and woe1 the desert and simoom4 ,then ,i wept and shrieked aloud1 for pity and for fear2 ,but might not stop1 for1 comet-like1 flew on the maddened mass ,over the crashing cities1 and falling obelisks and towers1 ,and columns1 razed as by a scythe1 and high domes1 shivered as an egg-shell1 ,and deep embattled ranks1 and women1 crowded in the streets1 ,and children1 kneeling as for mercy1 and all ,i had ever loved1 ,yea1 over all1 mine awful throne rushed on with seeming instinct1-- ,and over the crackling forests1 and over the rugged beach1 ,and on with a terrible hiss through the foaming wild ,atlantic ,that roared around me as ,i sat1 but could not quench my spirit1-- ,still on1 through startled solitudes we shattered the pavement of the sea1 ,down1 down1 to that central vault1 the bolted doors of hell2 ,and these1 with horrid shock1 my huge throne battered in1 ,and on to the deepest deep1 where the fierce flames were hottest1 ,blazing tenfold as conquering furiously the seas that rushed in with me1-- ,and there ,i stopped3 and a fearful voice shouted in mine ear1 ,behold the home of ,discontent2 behold the rest of ,ambition6 ,,of ,,subjection4 ,illustration3 ,l ,law hath dominion over all things1 over universal mind and matter2 ,for there are reciprocities of right1 which no creature can gainsay4 ,unto each was there added by its ,maker1 in the perfect chain of being1 ,dependencies and sustentations1 accidents1 and qualities1 and powers3 ,and each must fly forward in the curve1 unto which it was forced from the beginning2 ,each must attract and repel1 or the monarchy of ,order is no more4 ,laws are essential emanations from the self-poised character of ,god1 ,and they radiate from that sun to the circling edges of creation4 ,verily1 the mighty ,lawgiver hath subjected ,himself unto ,laws1 ,and ,god is the primal grand example of free unstrained obedience2 ,his perfection is limited by right1 and cannot trespass into wrong1 ,because ,he hath established ,himself as the fountain of only good1 ,and in thus much is bounded1 that the evil hath ,he left unto another1 ,and that dark other hath usurped the evil which ,omnipotence laid down4 ,unto ,god there exist impossibilities2 for the ,true ,one cannot lie1 ,nor the ,wise ,one wander from the track which ,he hath determined for ,himself3 ,for ,his will was purposed from eternity1 strong in the love of order2 ,and that will altereth not1 as the law of the ,medes and ,persians4 ,god is the origin of order1 and the first exemplar of ,his precept2 ,for there is subordination of ,his ,essence1 self-guided unto holiness2 ,and there is subordination of ,his ,persons1 in due procession of dignity2 ,for the ,son1 as a son1 is subject2 and to ,him doth the ,spirit minister3 ,but these things be mysteries to man1 he cannot reach nor fathom them1 ,and ever must he speak in paradox1 when labouring to expound his ,god2 ,for1 behold1 ,god is alone1 mighty in unshackled freedom2 ,and with those wondrous ,persons abideth eternal equality4 ,so then1 start ye from the fountain1 and follow the river of existence2 ,for its current is bounded throughout by the banks of just subordination3 ,thrones1 and dominions1 and powers1 ,archangels1 ,cherubim1 and ,seraphim1 ,angels1 and flaming ministers1 and breathing chariots and harps4 ,for there are degrees in heaven1 and varied capabilities of bliss1 ,and steps in the ladder of ,intelligence1 and ranks in approaches to ,perfection3 ,doubtless1 reverence is given1 as their due1 to the masters in wisdom2 ,doubtless1 there are who serve2 or a throne would have small glory4 ,regard now the universe of matter1 the substance of visible creation1 ,which of old1 with well-observing truth1 the ,greek hath surnamed1 ,order3 ,where is there an atom out of place8 or a particle that yieldeth not obedience8 ,where is there a fragment that is free8 or one thing the equal of another8-- ,the chain is unbroken down to man1 and beyond him the links are perfect3 ,but he standeth solitary sin1 a marvel of permitted chaos4 ,and shall this seeming error in the scale of due subordination ,be a spot of desert unreclaimed1 in the midst of the vineyard of the ,lord8 ,shall his presumptuous pride snap the safe tether of connexion1 ,and his blind selfish folly refuse the burden of maintenance8 ,o man1 thou art a creature2 boast not thyself above the law3 ,think not of thyself as free3 thou art bound in the trammels of dependence4 ,what is the sum of thy duty1 but obedience to righteous rule2 ,to the great commanding ,oracle1 uttered by delegated organs8 ,thou canst not render homage to abstract ,omnipresent ,power1 ,save through the concrete symbol of visible ordained authority4 ,those who obey not man1 are oftenest found rebels against ,god2 ,and seldom is the delegate so bold1 as to order what he knoweth to be wrong4 ,yet mark me1 proud gainsayer6 ,i say not1 obey unto sin2 ,but1 where the ,principal is silent1 take heed thou despise not the ,deputy3 ,and ,he that loveth order1 will bless thee for thy faith1 ,if thou recognize ,his sanction in the powers that fashion human laws4 ,thou1 the vicegerent of the ,lord1 ,his high anointed image1 ,towards whom a good man's loyalty floweth from the heart of his religion1 ,thou1 whose deep responsibilities are fathomed by a nation's prayers1 ,whom wise men fear for while they love1 and envy thee nothing but thy virtues1 ,from thy dizzy pinnacle of greatness1 remember thou also art a subject1 ,and the throne of thine earthly glory is itself but the footstool of thy ,god4 ,the homage thy kingdoms yield thee1 regard thou as yielded unto ,him2 ,and while girt with all the majesty of state1 consider thee the ,lord's chief servant3 ,so shalt thou prosper1 and be strong1 grafted on the strength of ,another2 ,so shall thy royal heart be happy1 in being humble4 ,and thou shalt flourish as an oak1 the monarch of thine island forests1 ,whose deep-dug roots are twisted around the stout ribs of the globe1 ,that mocketh at the fury of the storm1 and rejoiceth in summer sunshine1 ,glad in the smiles of heaven1 and great in the stability of earth4 ,a ruler hath not power for himself1 neither is his pomp for his pride2 ,but beneath the ermine of his office should he wear the rough hair-cloth of humility4 ,nevertheless1 every way obey him1 so thou break not a higher commandment2 ,for ,nero was an evil king1 yet ,paul prescribeth subjection4 ,if the rulers of a nation be holy1 the ,lord hath blessed that nation2 ,if they be lewd and impious1 chastisement hath come upon that people3 ,for the bitterest scourge of a land is ungodliness in them that govern it1 ,and the guilt of the sons of ,josiah drove ,israel weeping into ,babylon4 ,yet be thou resolute against them1 if they change the mandates of thy ,god1 ,if they touch the ark of ,his covenant1 wherein all ,his mercies are enshrined3 ,be resolute1 but not rebellious2 lest thou be of the company of ,korah3 ,set thy face against them as a flint3 but be not numbered with ,abiram4 ,daniel nobly disobeyed2 but not from a spirit of sedition3 ,and ,azarias shouted from the furnace1--,i will not bow down1 ,o ,,king4 ,if truth must be sacrificed to unity1 then faithfulness were folly2 ,if man must be obeyed before ,god1 the martyrs have bled in vain3 ,yet none of that blessed army reviled the rulers of the land1 ,they were loud and bold against the sin1 but bent before the ensign of authority4 ,honesty1 scorning compromise1 walketh most suitably with ,reverence2 ,otherwise righteous daring may show but as obstinate rebellion3 ,therefore1 suffer not thy censure to lack the savour of courtesy1 ,and remember1 the mortal sinneth1 but the staff of his power is from ,god4 ,man1 thou hast a social spirit1 and art deeply indebted to thy kind3 ,therefore claim not all thy rights2 but yield1 for thine own advantage4 ,society is a chain of obligations1 and its links must support each other2 ,the branch can not but wither1 that is cut from the parent vine4 ,wouldst thou be a dweller in the woods1 and cast away the cords that bind thee1 ,seeking1 in thy bitterness or pride1 to be exiled from thy fellows8 ,behold1 the beasts shall hunt thee1 weak1 naked1 houseless outcast1 ,disease and ,death shall track thee out1 as bloodhounds in the wilderness3 ,better to be vilest of the vile1 in the hated company of men1 ,than to live a solitary wretch1 dreading and wanting all things2 ,better to be chained to thy labour1 in the dusky thoroughfares of life1 ,than to reign monarch of ,sloth1 in lonesome savage freedom4 ,whence then cometh the doctrine1 that all should be equal and free8-- ,it is the lie that crowded hell1 when ,seraphs flung away subjection4 ,no man is his neighbour's equal1 for no two minds are similar1 ,and accidents1 alike with qualities1 have every shade but sameness3 ,the lightest atom of difference shall destroy the nice balance of equality1 ,and all things1 from without and from within1 make one man to differ from another4 ,we are equal and free6 was the watchword that spirited the legions of ,satan2 ,we are equal and free6 is the double lie that entrappeth to him conscripts from earth3 ,the messengers of that dark despot will pander to thy licence and thy pride1 ,and draw thee from the crowd where thou art safe1 to seize thee in the solitary desert4 ,woe unto him whose heart the syren-song of ,liberty hath charmed2 ,woe unto him whose mind is bewitched by her treacherous beauty2 ,in mad zeal flingeth he away the fetters of duty and restraint1 ,and yieldeth up the holocaust of self to that fair ,idol of the ,damned4 ,no man hath freedom in aught1 save in that from which the wicked would be hindered1 ,he is free toward ,god and good2 but to all else a bondman4 ,thou art in a middle sphere1 to render and receive honour2 ,if thy king commandeth1 obey2 and stand not in the way with rebels3 ,but if need be1 lay thy hand upon thy sword1 and fear not to smite a traitor1 ,for the universe acquitteth thee with honour1 fighting in defence of thy king4 ,if a thief break thy dwelling1 and thou take him1 it were sin in thee to let him go2 ,yea1 though he pleadeth to thy mercy1 thou canst not spare him and be blameless3 ,for his guilt is not only against thee1 it is not thy moneys or thy merchandize1 ,but he hath done damage to the ,law1 which duty constraineth thee to sanction4 ,feast not thine appetite of vengeance1 remembering thou also art a man1 ,but weep for the sad compulsion1 in which the chain of ,providence hath bound thee3 ,mercy is not thine to give2 wilt thou steal another's privilege8 ,or send abroad1 among thy neighbours1 a felon whom impunity hath hardened8 ,remember the ,roman father1 strong in his stern integrity1 ,and let not thy slothful self-indulgence make thee a conniver at the crime4 ,also1 if the knife of the murderer be raised against thee or thine1 ,and through good providence and courage1 thou slay him that would have slain thee1 ,thou losest not a tittle of thy rectitude1 having executed sudden justice2 ,still mayst thou walk among the blessed1 though thy hands be red with blood4 ,for thyself1 thou art neither worse nor better2 but thy fellows should count thee their creditor3 ,thou hast manfully protected the right1 and the right is stronger for thy deed4 ,also1 in the rescuing of innocence1 fear not to smite the ravisher2 ,what though he die at thy hand8 for a good name is better than the life2 ,and if ,phineas had everlasting praise in the matter of ,salu's son1 ,with how much greater honour standeth such a rescuer acquitted8 ,uphold the laws of thy country1 and fear not to fight in their defence3 ,but first be convinced in thy mind2 for herein the doubter sinneth4 ,above all things1 look thou well around1 if indeed stern duty forceth thee ,to draw the sword of justice1 and stain it with the slaughter of thy fellows4 ,she1 that lieth in thy bosom1 the tender wife of thy affections1 ,must obey thee1 and be subject1 that evil drop not on thy dwelling4 ,the child that is used to constraint1 feareth not more than he loveth2 ,but give thy son his way1 he will hate thee and scorn thee together4 ,the master of a well-ordered home knoweth to be kind to his servants2 ,yet he exacteth reverence1 and each one feareth at his post4 ,there is nothing on earth so lowly1 but duty giveth it importance2 ,no station so degrading1 but it is ennobled by obedience3 ,yea1 break stones upon the highway1 acknowledging the ,lord in thy lot1 ,happy shalt thou be1 and honourable1 more than many children of the mighty4 ,thou that despisest the outward forms1 beware thou lose not the inward spirit2 ,for they are as words unto ideas1 as symbols to things unseen4 ,keep then the form that is good2 retain1 and do reverence to example2 ,and in all things observe subordination1 for that is the whole duty of man4 ,illustration ,a horse knoweth his rider1 be he confident or timid1 ,and the fierce spirit of ,bucephalus stoopeth unto none but ,alexander2 ,the tigress1 roused in the jungle by the prying spaniels of the fowler1 ,will quail at the eye of man1 so he assert his dignity2 ,nay1 the very ships1 those giant swans breasting the mighty waters1 ,roll in the trough1 or break the wave1 to the pilot's fear or courage3 ,how much more shall man1 discerning the ,fountain of authority1 ,bow to superior commands1 and make his own obeyed4 ,and yet1 in travelling the world1 hast thou not often known ,a gallant host led on to ruin by a feeble ,xerxes8 ,hast thou not often seen the wanton luxury of indolence ,sullying with its sleepy mist the tarnished crown of headship8 ,alas6 for a thousand fathers1 whose indulgent sloth ,hath emptied the vial of confusion over a thousand homes3 ,alas6 for the palaces and hovels1 that might have been nurseries for heaven1 ,by hot intestine broils blighted into schools for hell3 ,none knoweth his place1 yet all refuse to serve1 ,none weareth the crown1 yet all usurp the sceptre2 ,and perchance some fiercer spirit1 of natural nobility of mind1 ,that needed but the kindness of constraint to have grown up great and good1 ,now--the rich harvest of his heart choked by unweeded tares1-- ,all bold to dare and do1 unchecked by wholesome fear1 ,a scoffer about bigotry and priestcraft1 a rebel against government and ,god1 ,and standard-bearer of the turbulent1 leading on the sons of ,belial1 ,such an one is king of that small state1 head tyrant of the thirty1 ,brandishing the torch of discord in his village home3 ,and the timid ,eli of the house1 yon humble parish-priest1 ,liveth in shame and sorrow1 fearing his own handywork2 ,the mother1 heart-stricken years agone1 hath dropped into an early grave2 ,the silent sisters long to leave a home they cannot love2 ,the brothers1 casting off restraint1 follow their wayward wills2 ,and the chance-guest1 early departing1 blesseth his kind stars1 ,that on his humbler home hath brooded no domestic curse6 ,yet is that curse the fruit2 wouldest thou the root of the evil8 ,a kindness--most unkind1 that hath always spared the rod2 ,a weak and numbing indecision in the mind that should be master2 ,a foolish love1 pregnant of hate1 that never frowned on sin2 ,a moral cowardice of heart1 that never dared command4 ,illustration ,a kingdom is a nest of families1 and a family a small kingdom2 ,and the government of whole or part differeth in nothing but extent4 ,the house1 where the master ruleth1 is strong in united subjection1 ,and the only commandment with promise1 being honoured1 is a blessing to that house3 ,but and if he yieldeth up the reins1 it is weak in discordant anarchy1 ,and the bonds of love and union melt away1 as ropes of sand4 ,the realm1 that is ruled with vigour1 lacketh neither peace nor glory1 ,it dreadeth not foes from without1 nor the sons of riot from within3 ,but the meanness of temporizing fear robbeth a kingdom of its honour1 ,and the weakness of indulgent sloth ravageth its bowels with discord4 ,the best of human governments is the patriarchal rule2 ,the authorized supremacy of one1 the prescriptive subjection of many3 ,therefore1 the children of the ,east have thriven from age to age1 ,obeying1 even as a god1 the royal father of ,cathay3 ,therefore1 to this our day1 the ,rechabite wanteth not a man1 ,but they stand before the ,lord1 forsaking not the mandate of their sire3 ,therefore shall ,magog among nations arise from his northern lair1 ,and rend1 in the fury of his power1 the insurgent world beneath him3 ,for the thunderbolt of concentrated strength can be hurled by the will of one1 ,while the dissipated forces of many are harmless as summer lightning4 ,,of ,,rest4 ,illustration3 ,i ,in the silent watches of the night1 calm night that breedeth thoughts1 ,when the task-weary mind disporteth in the careless play-hours of sleep1 ,i dreamed2 and behold1 a valley1 green and sunny and well watered1 ,and thousands moving across it1 thousands and tens of thousands3 ,and though many seemed faint and toil-worn1 and stumbled often1 and fell1 ,yet moved they on unresting1 as the ever-flowing cataract4 ,then ,i noted adders in the grass1 and pitfalls under the flowers1 ,and chasms yawned among the hills1 and the ground was cracked and slippery3 ,but ,hope and her brother ,fear suffered not a foot to linger2 ,bright phantoms of false joys beckoned alluringly forward1 ,while yelling grisly shapes of dread came hunting on behind3 ,and ceaselessly1 like ,lapland swarms1 that miserable crowd sped along ,to the mist-involved banks of a dark and sullen river4 ,there saw ,i1 midway in the water1 standing a giant fisher1 ,and he held many lines in his hand1 and they called him ,iron ,destiny4 ,so ,i tracked those subtle chains1 and each held one among the multitude3 ,then ,i understood what hindered1 that they rested not in their path3 ,for the fisher had sport in his fishing1 and drew in his lines continually1 ,and the new-born babe1 and the aged man1 were dragged into that dark river3 ,and he pulled all those myriads along1 and none might rest by the way1 ,till many1 for sheer weariness1 were eager to plunge into the drowning stream4 ,so ,i knew that valley was ,life1 and it sloped to the waters of ,death4 ,but far on the thither side spread out a calm and silent shore1 ,where all was tranquil as a sleep1 and the crowded strand was quiet3 ,and ,i saw there many ,i had known1 but their eyes glared chillingly upon me1 ,as set in deepest slumber2 and they pressed their fingers to their lips4 ,then ,i knew that shore was the dwelling of ,rest1 where spirits held their ,sabbath1 ,and it seemed they would have told me much1 but they might not break that silence2 ,for the law of their being was mystery3 they glided on1 hushing as they went4 ,yet further1 under the sun1 at the roots of purple mountains1 ,i noted a blaze of glory1 as the night-fires on northern skies2 ,and ,i heard the hum of joy1 as it were a sea of melody2 ,and far as the eye could reach1 were millions of happy creatures ,basking in the golden light2 and ,i knew that land was ,heaven4 ,then the hill whereon ,i stood split asunder1 and a crater yawned at my feet1 ,black and deep and dreadful1 fenced round with ragged rocks2 ,dimly was the darkness lit up by spires of distant flame3 ,and ,i saw below a moving mass of life1 like reptiles bred in corruption1 ,where all was terrible unrest1 shrieks and groans and thunder4 ,illustration ,so ,i woke1 and ,i thought upon my dream2 for it seemed of ,wisdom's ministration4 ,what man is he that findeth ,rest1 though he hunt for it year after year8 ,as a child he had not yet been wearied1 and cared not then to court it2 ,as a youth he loved not to be quiet1 for excitement spurred him into strife2 ,as a man he tracketh rest in vain1 toiling painfully to catch it1 ,but still is he pulled from the pursuit1 by the strong compulsion of his fate3 ,so he hopeth to have peace in old age1 as he cannot rest in manhood1 ,but troubles thicken with his years1 till ,death hath dodged him to the grave4 ,there remaineth a rest for the spirit on the shadowy side of life2 ,but unto this world's pilgrim no rest for the sole of his foot4 ,ever1 from stage to stage1 he travelleth wearily forward1 ,and though he pluck flowers by the way1 he may not sleep among the flowers4 ,mind is the perpetual motion2 for it is a running stream ,from an unfathomable source1 the depth of the ,divine ,intelligence3 ,and though it be stopped in its flowing1 yet hath it a current within1 ,the surface may sleep unruffled1 but underneath are whirlpools of contention4 ,seekest thou rest1 ,o mortal8--seek it no more on earth1 ,for destiny will not cease from dragging thee through the rough wilderness of life2 ,seekest thou rest1 ,o immortal8--hope not to find it in heaven1 ,for sloth yieldeth not happiness3 the bliss of a spirit is action4 ,rest dwelleth only on an island in the midst of the ocean of existence1 ,where the world-weary soul for a while may fold its tired wings1 ,until1 after short sufficient slumber1 it is quickened unto deathless energy1 ,and speedeth in eagle flight to the ,sun of unapproachable ,perfection4 ,illustration3 ,of ,humility ,,of ,,humility4 ,vice is grown aweary of her gawds1 and donneth russet garments1 ,loving for change to walk as a nun1 beneath a modest veil3 ,for ,pride hath noted how all admire the fairness of ,humility1 ,and to clutch the praise he coveteth1 is content to be drest in hair-cloth2 ,and wily ,lust tempteth the young heart1 that is proof against the bravery of harlots1 ,with timid tears and retiring looks of an artful seeming maid2 ,and indolent ,apathy1 sleepily ashamed of his dull lack-lustre face1 ,is glad of the livery of meekness1 that charitable cloak and cowl2 ,and ,hatred hideth his demon frown beneath a gentle mask2 ,and ,slander1 snake-like1 creepeth in the dust1 thinking to escape recrimination4 ,but the world hath gained somewhat from its years1 and is quick to penetrate disguises1 ,neither in all these is it deceived1 but divideth the true from the false4 ,yet there is a meanness of spirit1 that is fair in the eyes of most men1 ,yea1 and seemeth fair unto itself1 loving to be thought ,humility4 ,its choler is not roused by insolence1 neither do injuries disturb it3 ,honest indignation is strange unto its breast1 and just reproof unto its lip4 ,it shrinketh1 looking fearfully on men1 fawning at the feet of the great2 ,the breath of calumny is sweet unto its ear1 and it courteth the rod of persecution4 ,but what6 art thou not a man1 deputed chief of the creation8 ,art thou not a soldier of the right1 militant for ,god and good8 ,shall virtue and truth be degraded1 because thou art too base to uphold them8 ,or ,goliath be bolder in blaspheming for want of a ,david in the camp8 ,i say not1 avenge injuries2 for the ministry of vengeance is not thine3 ,but wherefore rebuke not a liar8 wherefore do dishonour to thyself8 ,wherefore let the evil triumph1 when the just and the right are on thy side8 ,such ,humility is abject1 it lacketh the life of sensibility1 ,and that resignation is but mock1 where the burden is not felt3 ,suspect thyself and thy meekness3 thou art mean and indifferent to sin2 ,and the heart that should grieve and forgive1 is case-hardened and forgetteth4 ,humility mainly becometh the converse of man with his ,maker1 ,but oftentimes it seemeth out of place in the intercourse of man with man3 ,yea1 it is the cringer to his equal1 that is chiefly seen bold to his ,god1 ,while the martyr1 whom a world cannot brow-beat1 is humble as a child before ,him4 ,render unto all men their due1 but remember thou also art a man1 ,and cheat not thyself of the reverence which is owing to thy reasonable being4 ,be courteous1 and listen1 and learn3 but teach and answer if thou canst3 ,serve thee of thy neighbour's wisdom1 but be not enslaved as to a master4 ,where thou perceivest knowledge1 bend the ear of attention and respect2 ,but yield not further to the teaching1 than as thy mind is warranted by reasons4 ,better is an obstinate disputant1 that yieldeth inch by inch1 ,than the shallow traitor to himself1 who surrendereth to half an argument4 ,modesty winneth good report1 but scorn cometh close upon servility2 ,therefore1 use meekness with discretion1 casting not pearls before swine4 ,for a fool will tread upon thy neck1 if he seeth thee lying in the dust2 ,and there be companies and seasons where a resolute bearing is but duty4 ,if a good man discloseth his secret failings unto the view of the profane1 ,what doeth he but harm unto his brother1 confirming him in his sin8 ,there is a concealment that is right1 and an open-mouthed humility that erreth2 ,there is a candour near akin to folly1 and a meekness looking like shame4 ,masculine sentiments1 vigorously holden1 well become a man2 ,but a weak mind hath a timorous grasp1 and mistaketh it for tenderness of conscience4 ,many are despised for their folly1 who put it to the account of their religion1 ,and because men treat them with contempt1 they look to their ,god for glory2 ,but contempt shall still be their reward1 who betray their ,master unto ridicule1 ,reflecting on ,him in themselves1 meanness and ignorance and cowardice4 ,a ,christian hath a royal spirit1 and need not be ashamed but unto ,one3 ,among just men walketh he softly1 but the world should see him as a champion4 ,his humbleness is far unlike the shame that covereth the profligate and weak1 ,when the sober reproof of virtue hath touched their tingling ears2 ,it is born of love and wisdom1 and is worthy of all honour1 ,and the sweet persuasion of its smile changeth contempt into reverence4 ,a man of a haughty spirit is daily adding to his enemies3 ,he standeth as the ,arab in the desert1 and the hands of all men are against him3 ,a man of a base mind daily subtracteth from his friends1 ,for he holdeth himself so cheaply1 that others learn to despise him3 ,but where the meekness of self-knowledge veileth the front of self-respect1 ,there look thou for the man1 whom none can know but they will honour4 ,humility is the softening shadow before the stature of ,excellence1 ,and lieth lowly on the ground1 beloved and lovely as the violet3 ,humility is the fair-haired maid1 that calleth ,worth her brother1 ,the gentle silent nurse1 that fostereth infant virtues3 ,humility bringeth no excuse2 she is welcome to ,god and to man3 ,her countenance is needful unto all1 who would prosper in either world3 ,and the mild light of her sweet face is mirrored in the eyes of her companions1 ,and straightway stand they accepted1 children of penitence and love4 ,as when the blind man is nigh unto a rose1 its sweetness is the herald of its beauty1 ,so when thou savourest ,humility1 be sure thou art nigh unto merit4 ,a gift rejoiceth the covetous1 and praise fatteneth the vain1 ,and the pride of man delighteth in the humble bearing of his fellow2 ,but to the tender benevolence of the unthanked ,almoner of good1 ,humility is queen among the graces1 for she giveth ,him occasion to bestow4 ,illustration3 ,of ,pride ,,of ,,pride4 ,deep is the sea1 and deep is hell1 but ,pride mineth deeper2 ,it is coiled as a poisonous worm about the foundations of the soul4 ,if thou expose it in thy motives1 and track it in thy springs of thought1 ,complacent in its own detection1 it will seem indignant virtue2 ,smoothly will it gratulate thy skill1 ,o subtle anatomist of self1 ,and spurn at its very being1 while it nestleth the deeper in thy bosom4 ,pride is a double traitor1 and betrayeth itself to entrap thee1 ,making thee vain of thy self-knowledge2 proud of thy discoveries of ,pride4 ,fruitlessly thou strainest for humility1 by darkly diving into self2 ,rather look away from innate evil1 and gaze upon extraneous good3 ,for in sounding the deep things of the heart1 thou shalt learn to be vain of its capacities1 ,but in viewing the heights above thee1 thou shalt be taught thy littleness3 ,could an emmet pry into itself1 it might marvel at its own anatomy1 ,but let it look on eagles1 to discern how mean a thing it is4 ,and all things hang upon comparison2 to the greater1 great is small3 ,neither is there anything so vile1 but somewhat yet is viler3 ,on all sides is there an infinity3 the culprit at the gallows hath his worse1 ,and the virgin martyr at the stake need not look far for a better4 ,therefore see thou that thine aim reacheth unto higher than thyself3 ,beware that the standard of thy soul wave from the loftiest battlement3 ,for ,pride is a pestilent meteor1 flitting on the marshes of corruption1 ,that will lure thee forward to thy death1 if thou seek to track it to its source3 ,pride is a gloomy bow1 arching the infernal firmament1 ,that will lead thee on1 if thou wilt hunt it1 even to the dwelling of despair4 ,deep calleth unto deep1 and mountain overtoppeth mountain1 ,and still shalt thou fathom to no end the depth and the height of ,pride3 ,for it is the vast ambition of the soul1 warped to an idol object1 ,and nothing but a ,deity in ,self can quench its insatiable thirst4 ,be aware of the smiling enemy1 that openly sheatheth his weapon1 ,but mingleth poison in secret with the sacred salt of hospitality3 ,for ,pride will lie dormant in thy heart1 to snatch his secret opportunity1 ,watching1 as a lion-ant1 in the bottom of his toils4 ,stay not to parley with thy foe1 for his tongue is more potent than his arm2 ,but be wiser1 fighting against ,pride in the simple panoply of prayer4 ,as one also of the poets hath said1 let not the ,proteus escape thee2 ,for he will blaze forth as fire1 and quench himself in likeness of water2 ,he will fright thee as a roaring beast1 or charm thee as a subtle reptile4 ,mark1 amid all his transformations1 the complicate deceitfulness of ,pride1 ,and the more he striveth to elude thee1 bind him the closer in thy toils4 ,prayer is the net that snareth him2 prayer is the fetter that holdeth him3 ,thou canst not nourish ,pride1 while waiting as an almsman on thy ,god1-- ,waiting in sincerity and trust1 or ,pride shall meet thee even there2 ,yea1 from the palaces of ,heaven1 hath ,pride cast down his millions4 ,root up the mandrake from thy heart1 though it cost thee blood and groans1 ,or the cherished garden of thy graces will fade and perish utterly4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,of ,experience ,,of ,,experience4 ,i knew that age was enriched with the hard-earned wages of knowledge1 ,and ,i saw that hoary wisdom was bred in the school of disappointment3 ,i noted that the wisest of youth1 though provident and cautious of evil1 ,yet sailed along unsteadily1 as lacking some ballast of the mind3 ,and the cause seemed to lie in this1 that while they considered around them1 ,and warded off all dangers from without1 they forgat their own weakness within4 ,so steer they in self-confidence1 until1 from the multitude of perils1 ,they begin to be wary of themselves1 and learn the first lesson of ,experience4 ,i knew that in the morning of life1 before its wearisome journey1 ,the youthful soul doth expand1 in the simple luxury of being2 ,it hath not contracted its wishes1 nor set a limit to its hopes2 ,the wing of fancy is unclipt1 and sin hath not seared the feelings3 ,each feature is stamped with immortality1 for all its desires are infinite1 ,and it seeketh an ocean of happiness1 to fill the deep hollow within4 ,but the old and the grave look on1 pitying that generous youth1 ,for they also have tasted long ago the bitterness of hope destroyed3 ,they pity him1 and are sad1 remembering the days that are past1 ,but they know he must taste for himself1 or he will not give ear to their wisdom4 ,for ,experience hath another lesson1 which a man will do well if he learn1 ,by checking the flight of expectation1 to cheat disappointment of its pain4 ,experience teacheth many things1 and all men are his scholars3 ,yet is he a strange tutor1 unteaching that which he hath taught4 ,youth is confident1 manhood wary1 and old age confident again3 ,youth is kind1 manhood cold1 and age returneth unto kindness4 ,for youth suspecteth nought1 till manhood1 bitterly learned1 ,mistrusteth all1 overleaping the mark2 and age correcteth his excess4 ,suspicion is the scaffold unto faith1 a temporary needful eyesore1 ,by which the strong man's dwelling is slowly builded up behind2 ,but soon as the top-stone hath been set to the well-proved goodly edifice1 ,the scaffold is torn down1 and timely trust taketh its long leave of suspicion4 ,a thousand volumes in a thousand tongues enshrine the lessons of ,experience1 ,yet a man shall read them all1 and go forth none the wiser3 ,for self-love lendeth him a glass1 to colour all he conneth1 ,lest in the features of another he find his own complexion4 ,and we secretly judge of ourselves as differing greatly from all men1 ,and love to challenge causes to show how we can master their effects3 ,pride is pampered in expecting that we need not fear a common fate1 ,or wrong-headed prejudice exulteth1 in combating old ,experience2 ,or perchance caprice and discontent are the spurs that goad us into danger1 ,careless1 and half in hope to find there an enemy to joust with4 ,private ,experience is an unsafe teacher1 for we rarely learn both sides1 ,and from the gilt surface reckon not on steel beneath3 ,the torrid sons of ,guinea think scorn of icy seas1 ,and the frostbitten ,greenlander disbelieveth suns too hot4 ,but thou1 student of ,wisdom1 feed on the marrow of the matter3 ,if thou wilt suspect1 let it be thyself2 if thou wilt expect1 let it not be gladness4 ,illustration3 ,of ,estimating ,character ,,of ,,estimating ,,character4 ,rashly1 nor ofttimes truly1 doth man pass judgment on his brother2 ,for he seeth not the springs of the heart1 nor heareth the reasons of the mind4 ,and the world is not wiser than of old1 when justice was meted by the sword1 ,when the spear avenged the wrong1 and the lot decided the right1 ,when the footsteps of blinded innocence were tracked by burning plough-shares1 ,and the still condemning water delivered up the wizard to the stake3 ,for we wait1 like the sage of ,salamis1 to see what the end will be1 ,fixing the right or the wrong1 by the issues of failure or success4 ,judge not of things by their events3 neither of character by providence2 ,and count not a man more evil1 because he is more unfortunate3 ,for the blessings of a better covenant lie not in the sunshine of prosperity1 ,but pain and chastisement the rather show the wise ,father's love4 ,behold that daughter of the world3 she is full of gaiety and gladness2 ,the diadem of rank is on her brow1 uncounted wealth is in her coffers3 ,she tricketh out her beauty like ,jezebel1 and is welcome in the courts of kings3 ,she is queen of the fools of fashion1 and ruleth the revels of luxury3 ,and though she sitteth not as ,tamar1 nor standeth in the ways as ,rahab1 ,yet in the secret of her chamber1 she shrinketh not from dalliance and guilt4 ,she careth not if there be a ,god1 or a soul1 or a time of retribution2 ,pleasure is the idol of her heart3 she thirsteth for no purer heaven4 ,and she laugheth with light good humour1 and all men praise her gentleness2 ,they are glad in her lovely smile1 and the river of her bounty filleth them4 ,so she prospered in the world3 the worship and desire of thousands2 ,and she died even as she had lived1 careless and courteous and liberal4 ,the grave swallowed up her pomp1 the marble proclaimed her virtues1 ,for men esteemed her excellent1 and charities soundeth forth her praise3 ,but elsewhere far other judgment setteth her--with infidels and harlots6 ,she abused the trust of her splendour3 and the wages of her sin shall be hereafter4 ,look again on this fair girl1 the orphan of a village pastor ,who is dead1 and hath left her his all1--his blessing1 and a name unstained4 ,and friends1 with busy zeal1 that their purses be not taxed1 ,place the sad mourner in a home1 poor substitute for that she hath lost4 ,a stranger among strange faces she drinketh the wormwood of dependence2 ,she is marked as a child of want3 and the world hateth poverty4 ,prayer is not heard in that house2 the day she hath loved to hallow ,is noted but by deeper dissipation1 the riot of luxury and gaming3 ,and wantonness is in her master's eye1 and she hath nowhere to flee to2 ,she is cared for by none upon earth1 and her ,god seemeth to forsake her4 ,then cometh1 in fair show1 the promise and the feint of affection1 ,and her heart1 long unused to kindness1 remembereth her father1 and loveth4 ,and the villain hath wronged her trust1 and mocked1 and flung her from him1 ,and men point at her and laugh2 and women hate her as an outcast3 ,but elsewhere1 far other judgment seateth her--among the martyrs6 ,and the ,lord1 who seemed to forsake1 giveth double glory to the fallen4 ,once more1 in the matter of wealth3 if thou throw thine all on a chance1 ,men will come around thee1 and wait1 and watch the turning of the wheel3 ,and if1 in the lottery of life1 thou hast drawn a splendid prize1 ,what foresight hadst thou1 and skill6 yea1 what enterprize and wisdom6 ,but if it fall out against thee1 and thou fail in thy perilous endeavour1 ,behold1 the simple did sow1 and hath reaped the right harvest of his folly3 ,and the world will be gladly excused1 nor will reach out a finger to help2 ,for why should this speculative dullard be a whirlpool to all around him8 ,go to1 let him sink by himself3 we knew what the end of it would be3-- ,for the man hath missed his mark1 and his fellows look no further4 ,also1 touching guilt and innocence3 a man shall walk in his uprightness ,year after year without reproach1 in charity and honesty with all3 ,but in one evil hour the enemy shall come in like a flood2 ,shall track him1 and tempt him1 and hem him1--till he knoweth not whither to fly4 ,perchance his famishing little ones shall scream in his ears for bread1 ,and1 maddened by that fierce cry1 he rusheth as a thief upon the world2 ,the world that hath left him to starve1 itself wallowing in plenty1-- ,the world1 that denieth him his rights1--he daringly robbeth it of them4 ,i say not1 such an one is innocent2 but1 small is the measure of his guilt ,to that of his wealthy neighbour1 who would not help him at his need2 ,to that of the selfish epicure1 who turned away with coldness from his tale2 ,to that of unsuffering thousands1 who look with complacence on his fall4 ,or perchance the continual dropping of the venomed words of spite1 ,insult and injury and scorn1 have galled and pierced his heart2 ,yet1 with all long-suffering and meekness1 he forgiveth unto seventy times seven3 ,till1 in some weaker moment1 tempted beyond endurance1 ,he striketh1 more in anger than in hate2 and1 alas6 for his heavy chance1 ,he hath smitten unto instant death his spiteful life-long enemy6 ,and none was by to see it2 and all men knew of their contentions3 ,fierce voices shout for his blood1 and rude hands hurry him to judgment4 ,then man's verdict cometh1--,murderer1 with forethought malice2 ,and his name is a note of execration2 his guilt is too black for devils4 ,but to the ,righteous ,judge1 seemeth he the suffering victim2 ,for his anger was not unlawful1 but became him as a ,christian and a man2 ,and though his guilt was grievous when he struck that heavy bitter blow1 ,yet light is the sin of the smiter1 and verily kicketh the beam1 ,to the weight of that man's wickedness1 whose slow relentless hatred ,met him at every turn1 with patient continuance in evil4 ,doubtless1 eternal wrath shall be heaped upon that spiteful enemy4 ,it is vain1 it is vain1 saith the preacher2 there be none but the righteous and the wicked1 ,base rebels1 and staunch allies1 the true knight1 and the traitor3 ,and he beareth strong witness among men1 ,there is no neutral ground1 ,the broad highway and narrow path map out the whole domain2 ,sit here among the saints1 these holy chosen few1 ,or grovel there a wretched condemned1 to die among the million4 ,and verily for ultimate results1 there be but good and bad2 ,heaven hath no dusky twilight2 hell is not gladdened with a dawn4 ,yet looking round among his fellows1 who can pass righteous judgment1 ,such an one is holy and accepted1 and such an one reprobate and doomed8 ,there is so much of good among the worst1 so much of evil in the best1 ,such seeming partialities in providence1 so many things to lessen and expand1 ,yea1 and with all man's boast1 so little real freedom of his will1-- ,that1 to look a little lower than the surface1 garb or dialect or fashion1 ,thou shalt feebly pronounce for a saint1 and faintly condemn for a sinner4 ,over many a good heart and true1 fluttereth the ,great ,king's pennant2 ,by many an iron hand1 the pirate's black banner is unfurled3 ,but there be many more besides1 in the yacht and the trader and the fishing-boat1 ,in the feathered war-canoe1 and the quick mysterious gondola3 ,and the army of that ,great ,king hath no stated uniform2 ,of mingled characters and kinds goeth forth the countless host2 ,there is the turbaned ,damascene1 with his tattooed ,zealand brother1 ,there the slim bather in the ,ganges1 with the sturdy ,russian boor1 ,the sluggish inmate of a ,polar cave1 with the fire-souled daughter of ,brazil1 ,the embruted slave from ,cuba1 and the ,briton of gentle birth4 ,for all are ,his inheritance1 of all ,he taketh tithe3 ,and the church1 ,his mercy's ark1 hath some of every sort4 ,who art thou1 ,o man1 that art fixing the limits of the fold8 ,wherefore settest thou stakes to spread the tent of heaven8 ,lay not the plummet to the line3 religion hath no landmarks3 ,no human keenness can discern the subtle shades of faith3 ,in some it is as earliest dawn1 the scarce diluted darkness2 ,in some as dubious twilight1 cold and grey and gloomy3 ,in some the ebon east is streaked with flaming gold3 ,in some the dayspring from on high breaketh in all its praise4 ,and who hath determined the when1 separating light from darkness8 ,who shall pluck from earliest dawn the promise of the day8 ,leave that care to the ,husbandman1 lest thou garner tares2 ,help thou the ,shepherd in ,his seeking1 but to separate be ,his3 ,for ,i have often seen the noble erring spirit ,wrecked on the shoals of passion1 and numbered of the lost2 ,often the generous heart1 lit by unhallowed fire1 ,counted a brand among the burning1 and left uncared for in his sin3 ,yet ,i waited a little year1 and the mercy thou hadst forgotten ,hath purged that noble spirit1 washing it in waters of repentance2 ,that glowing generous heart1 having burnt out all its dross1 ,is as a golden censer1 ready for the aloes and cassia3 ,while thou1 hard-visaged man1 unlovely in thy strictness1 ,who turned from him thy sympathies with self-complacent pride1 ,how art thou shamed by him6 his heart is a spring of love1 ,while the dry well of thine affections is choked with secret mammon4 ,illustration ,sometimes at a glance thou judgest well2 years could add little to thy knowledge3 ,when charity gloweth on the cheek1 or malice is lowering in the eye1 ,when honesty's open brow1 or the weasel-face of cunning is before thee1 ,or the loose lip of wantonness1 or clear bright forehead of reflection4 ,but often1 by shrewd scrutiny1 thou judgest to the good man's harm3 ,for it may be his hour of trial1 or he slumbereth at his post1 ,or he hath slain his foe1 but not yet levelled the stronghold1 ,or barely recovered of the wounds1 that fleshed him in his fray with passion4 ,also1 of the worst1 through prejudice1 thou loosely shalt think well3 ,for none is altogether evil1 and thou mayst catch him at his prayers3 ,there may be one small prize1 though all beside be blanks2 ,a silver thread of goodness in the black serge-cloth of crime4 ,there is to whom all things are easy2 his mind1 as a master-key1 ,can open1 with intuitive address1 the treasuries of art and science3 ,there is to whom all things are hard2 but industry giveth him a crow-bar1 ,to force1 with groaning labour1 the stubborn lock of learning3 ,and often1 when thou lookest on an eye1 dim in native dulness1 ,little shalt thou wot of the wealth diligence hath gathered to its gaze2 ,often1 the brow that should be bright with the dormant fire of genius1 ,within its ample halls1 hath ignorance the tenant4 ,yet are not the sons of men cast as in moulds by the lot8 ,the like in frame and feature have much alike in spirit2 ,such a shape hath such a soul1 so that a deep discerner ,from his make will read the man1 and err not far in judgment3 ,yea1 and it holdeth in the converse1 that growing similarity of mind ,findeth or maketh for itself an apposite dwelling in the body3 ,accident may modify1 circumstance may bevil1 externals seem to change it1 ,but still the primitive crystal is latent in its many variations3 ,for the map of the face1 and the picture of the eye1 are traced by the pen of passion2 ,and the mind fashioneth a tabernacle suitable for itself4 ,a mean spirit boweth down the back1 and the bowing fostereth meanness2 ,a resolute purpose knitteth the knees1 and the firm tread nourisheth decision2 ,love looketh softly from the eye1 and kindleth love by looking2 ,hate furroweth the brow1 and a man may frown till he hateth3 ,for mind and body1 spirit and matter1 have reciprocities of power1 ,and each keepeth up the strife2 a man's works make or mar him4 ,there be deeper things than these1 lying in the twilight of truth2 ,but few can discern them aright1 from surrounding dimness of error4 ,for perchance1 if thou knewest the whole1 and largely with comprehensive mind ,couldst read the history of character1 the chequered story of a life1 ,and into the great account1 which summeth a mortal's destiny1 ,wert to add the forces from without1 dragging him this way and that1 ,and the secret qualities within1 grafted on the soul from the womb1 ,and the might of other men's example1 among whom his lot is cast1 ,and the influence of want or wealth1 of kindness or harsh ill-usage1 ,of ignorance he cannot help1 and knowledge found for him by others1 ,and first impressions1 hard to be effaced1 and leadings to right or to wrong1 ,and inheritance of likeness from a father1 and natural human frailty1 ,and the habit of health or disease1 and prejudices poured into his mind1 ,and the myriad little matters none but ,omniscience can know1 ,and accidents that steer the thoughts1 where none but ,ubiquity can trace them2-- ,if thou couldst compass all these1 and the consequents flowing from them1 ,and the scope to which they tend1 and the necessary fitness of all things1 ,then shouldst thou see as ,he seeth1 who judgeth all men equal1-- ,equal1 touching innocence and guilt2 and different alone in this1 ,that one acknowledged his evil1 and looketh to his ,god for mercy2 ,another boasteth of his good1 and calleth on his ,god for justice2 ,so ,he1 that sendeth none away1 is largely munificent to prayer1 ,but1 in the heart of presumption1 sheatheth the sword of vengeance4 ,illustration ,,of ,,hatred ,,and ,,anger4 ,blunted unto goodness is the heart which anger never stirreth1 ,but that which hatred swelleth1 is keen to carve out evil4 ,anger is a noble infirmity1 the generous failing of the just1 ,the one degree that riseth above zeal1 asserting the prerogatives of virtue3 ,but hatred is a slow continuing crime1 a fire in the bad man's breast1 ,a dull and hungry flame1 for ever craving insatiate4 ,hatred would harm another2 anger would indulge itself3 ,hatred is a simmering poison2 anger1 the opening of a valve3 ,hatred destroyeth as the upas-tree2 anger smiteth as a staff3 ,hatred is the atmosphere of hell2 but anger is known in heaven4 ,is there not a righteous wrath1 an anger just and holy1 ,when goodness is sitting in the dust1 and wickedness enthroned on ,babel8 ,doth pity condemn guilt8--is justice not a feeling but a law ,appealing to the line and to the plummet1 incognizant of moral sense8 ,thou that condemnest anger1 small is thy sympathy with angels1 ,thou that hast accounted it for sin1 cold is thy communion with heaven4 ,beware of the angry in his passion2 but fear not to approach him afterward2 ,for if thou acknowledge thine error1 he himself will be sorry for his wrath3 ,beware of the hater in his coolness2 for he meditateth evil against thee3 ,commending the resources of his mind calmly to work thy ruin4 ,deceit and treachery skulk with hatred1 but an honest spirit flieth with anger3 ,the one lieth secret1 as a serpent2 the other chaseth1 as a leopard4 ,speedily be reconciled in love1 and receive the returning offender1 ,for wittingly prolonging ,anger1 thou tamperest unconsciously with ,hatred4 ,patience is power in a man1 nerving him to rein his spirit3 ,passion is as palsy to his arm1 while it yelleth on the coursers to their speed3 ,patience keepeth counsel1 and standeth in solid self-possession1 ,but the weakness of sudden passion layeth bare the secrets of the soul4 ,the sentiment of anger is not ill1 when thou lookest on the impudence of vice1 ,or savourest the breath of calumny1 or hast earned the hard wages of injustice2 ,but see that thou curb it in expression1 rendering the mildness of rebuke1 ,so shall thou stand without reproach1 mailed in all the dignity of virtue4 ,illustration ,,of ,,good ,,in ,,things ,,evil4 ,illustration3 ,i ,i heard the man of sin reproaching the goodness of ,jehovah1 ,wherefore1 if ,he be ,almighty ,love1 permitteth ,he misery and pain8 ,i saw the child of hope vexed in the labyrinth of doubt1 ,wherefore1 ,o holy ,one and just1 is the horn of ,thy foul foe so high exalted8 ,and1 alas6 for this our groaning world1 for that grief and guilt are here2 ,alas6 for that ,earth is the battle-field1 where good must combat with evil3 ,angels look on and hold their breath1 burning to mingle in the conflict1 ,but the troops of the ,captain of ,salvation may be none but the soldiers of the cross3 ,and that slender band must fight alone1 and yet shall triumph gloriously1 ,enough shall they be for conquest1 and the motto of their standard is1 ,,enough4 ,thou art sad1 ,o denizen of earth1 for pains and diseases and death1 ,but remember1 thy hand hath earned them2 grudge not at the wages of thy doings3 ,thy guilt1 and thy fathers' guilt1 must bring many sorrows in their company1 ,and if thou wilt drink sweet poison1 doubtless it shall rot thee to the core4 ,what art thou but the heritor of evil1 with a right to nothing good8 ,the respite of an interval of ease were a boon which ,justice might deny thee3 ,therefore lay thy hand upon thy mouth1 ,o man much to be forgiven1 ,and wait1 thou child of hope1 for time shall teach thee all things4 ,yet hear1 for my speech shall comfort thee3 reverently1 but with boldness1 ,i would raise the sable curtain1 that hideth the symmetry of ,providence4 ,pain and sin are convicts1 and toil in their fetters for good2 ,the weapons of evil are turned against itself1 fighting under better banners3 ,the leech delighteth in stinging1 and the wicked loveth to do harm1 ,but the wise ,physician of the ,universe useth that ill tendency for health4 ,verily1 from others' griefs are gendered sympathy and kindness2 ,patience1 humility1 and faith1 spring not seldom from thine own3 ,an enemy1 humbled by his sorrows1 cannot be far from thy forgiveness2 ,a friend1 who hath tasted of calamity1 shall fan the dying incense of thy love3 ,and for thyself1 is it a small thing1 so to learn thy frailty1 ,that from an aching bone thou savest the whole body8 ,the furnace of affliction may be fierce1 but if it refineth thy soul1 ,the good of one meek thought shall outweigh years of torment4 ,nevertheless1 wretched man1 if thy bad heart be hardened in the flame1 ,being earth-born1 as of clay1 and not of moulded wax1 ,judge not the hand that smiteth1 as if thou wert visited in wrath3 ,reproach thyself1 for ,he is ,justice2 repent thee1 for ,he is ,mercy4 ,cease1 fond caviller at wisdom1 to be satisfied that everything is wrong3 ,be sure there is good necessity1 even for the flourishing of evil4 ,would the eye delight in perpetual noon8 or the ear in unqualified harmonics8 ,hath winter's frost no welcome1 contrasting sturdily with summer8 ,couldst thou discern benevolence1 if there were no sorrows to be soothed8 ,or discover the resources of contrivance1 if nothing stood opposed to the means8 ,what were power without an enemy8 or mercy without an object8 ,or truth1 where the false were impossible8 or love1 where love were a debt8 ,the characters of ,god were but idle1 if all things around ,him were perfection1 ,and virtues might slumber on like death1 if they lacked the opportunities of evil4 ,there is ,one all-perfect1 and but one2 man dare not reason of ,his essence3 ,but there must be deficiencies in heaven1 to leave room for progression in bliss3 ,a realm of unqualified ,,best were a stagnant pool of being1 ,and the circle of absolute perfection1 the abstract cipher of indolence4 ,sin is an awful shadow1 but it addeth new glories to the light2 ,sin is a black foil1 but it setteth off the jewelry of heaven3 ,sin is the traitor that hath dragged the majesty of mercy into action2 ,sin is the whelming argument1 to justify the attribute of vengeance4 ,it is a deep dark thought1 and needeth to be diligently studied1 ,but perchance evil was essential1 that ,god should be seen of ,his creatures3 ,for where perfection is not1 there lacketh possible good1 ,and the absence of better that might be1 taketh from the praise of it is well3 ,and creatures must be finite1 and finite cannot be perfect3 ,therefore1 though in small degree1 creation involveth evil1 ,he chargeth ,his angels with folly1 and the heavens are not clean in ,his sight3 ,for every existence in the universe hath either imperfection or ,godhead3 ,and the light that blazeth but in ,one1 must be softened with shadow for the many4 ,there is then good in evil2 or none could have known his ,maker2 ,no spiritual intellect or essence could have gazed on ,his high perfections1 ,no angel harps could have tuned the wonders of ,his wisdom1 ,no ransomed souls have praised the glories of ,his mercy1 ,no howling fiends have shown the terrors of ,his justice1 ,but ,god would have dwelt alone1 in the fearful solitude of holiness4 ,nevertheless1 ,o sinner1 harden not thine heart in evil2 ,nor plume thee in imaginary triumph1 because thou art not valueless as vile2 ,because thy dark abominations add lustre to the clarity of ,light2 ,because a wonder-working alchemy draineth elixir out of poisons2 ,because the same fiery volcano that scorcheth and ravageth a continent1 ,hath in the broad blue bay cast up some petty island2 ,because to the full demonstration of the qualities and accidents of good ,the swarthy legions of the ,devil have toiled as unwitting pioneers4 ,for sin is still sin2 so hateful ,love doth hate it2 ,a blot on the glory of creation1 which ,justice must wipe out4 ,sin is a loathsome leprosy1 fretting the white robe of innocence2 ,a rottenness1 eating out the heart of the royal cedars of ,lebanon2 ,a pestilential blast1 the terror of that holy pilgrimage2 ,a rent in the sacred veil1 whereby ,god left ,his temple4 ,therefore1 consider thyself1 thou that dost not sorrow for thy guilt3 ,fear evil1 or face its ,enemy3 dread sin1 or dare ,justice4 ,yea1 saith the ,spirit3 and their works do follow them2 ,habits1 and thoughts1 and deeds1 are shadows and satellites of self4 ,what6 shall the claimant to a throne stand forward with a rabble rout1-- ,meanness1 impiety1 and lust2 riot and indolence and vanity8 ,nay1 man6 the train wherewith thou comest attend whither thou shalt go3 ,a throne for a king's son1 but an inner dungeon for the felon4 ,for a man's works do follow him3 bodily1 standing in the judgment1 ,behold the false accuser1 behold the slandered saint2 ,the slave1 and his bloody driver2 the poor1 and his generous friend2 ,the simple dupe1 and the crafty knave3 the murderer1 and--his victim6 ,yet all are in many characters2 the best stand guilty at the bar2 ,and he that seemed the worst may have most of real excuse4 ,the talents unto which a man is born1 be they few or many1 ,are dropped into the balance of account1 working unlooked-for changes2 ,and perchance the convict from the galleys may stand above the hermit in his cell1 ,for that1 the obstacles in one outweigh the propensions in the other4 ,there be1 who have made themselves friends1 yea1 by unrighteous mammon1-- ,friends1 ready waiting as an escort to those everlasting habitations2 ,embodied in living witnesses1 thronging to meet them in a cloud1 ,charity1 meekness and truth1 zeal1 sincerity and patience1 ,there be1 who have made themselves foes1 yea1 by honest gain1 ,foes1 whose plaint must have its answer1 before the bright portal is unbarred3 ,pride1 and selfishness1 and sloth1 apathy1 wrath and falsehood1 ,bind to their everlasting toil many that must weary in the fires4 ,love hath a power and a longing to save the gathered world1 ,and rescue universal man from the hunting hell-hounds of his doings3 ,yet few1 here one and there one1 scanty as the gleaning after harvest1 ,are glad of the robes of praise which ,mercy would fling around the naked2 ,but wrapping closer to their skin the poisoned tunic of their works1 ,they stand in self-dependence1 to perish in abandonment of ,god4 ,illustration ,,of ,,prayer4 ,a wicked man scorneth prayer1 in the shallow sophistry of reason1 ,he derideth the silly hope that ,god can be moved by supplication3-- ,shall the ,unchangeable be changed1 or waver in ,his purpose8 ,can the weakness of pity affect ,him8 ,should ,he turn at the bidding of a man8 ,methought ,he ruled all things1 and ye called ,his decrees immutable1 ,but if thus ,he listeneth to words1 wherein is the firmness of ,his will8-- ,so ,i heard the speech of the wicked1 and1 lo1 it was smoother than oil2 ,but ,i knew that his reasonings were false1 for the promise of the ,scripture is true3 ,yet was my soul in darkness1 for his words were too hard for me2 ,till ,i turned to my ,god in prayer3 for ,i know ,he heareth always4 ,then ,i looked abroad on the earth1 and1 behold1 the ,lord was in all things2 ,yet saw ,i not ,his hand in aught1 but perceived that ,he worketh by means2 ,yea1 and the power of the mean proveth the wisdom that ordained it1 ,yea1 and no act is useless1 to the hurling of a stone through the air4 ,so ,i turned my thoughts to supplication1 and beheld the mercies of ,jehovah1 ,and ,i saw sound argument was still the faithful friend of godliness2 ,for as the rock of the affections is the solid approval of reason1 ,even so the temple of ,religion is founded on the basis of ,philosophy4 ,scorner1 thy thoughts are weak1 they reach not the summit of the matter2 ,go to1 for the mouth of a child might show thee the mystery of prayer3 ,verily1 there is no change in the counsels of the ,mighty ,ruler3 ,verily1 ,his purpose is strong1 and rooted in the depths of necessity3 ,but who hath shown thee ,his purpose1 who hath made known to thee ,his will8 ,when1 ,o gainsayer6 hast thou been schooled in the secrets of wisdom8 ,fate is a creature of ,god1 and all things move in their orbits1 ,and that which shall surely happen is known unto ,him from eternity2 ,but as1 in the field of nature1 ,he useth the sinews of the ox1 ,and commandeth diligence and toil1 ,himself giving the increase2 ,so1 in the kingdom of ,his grace1 granteth ,he omnipotence to prayer1 ,for ,he knoweth what thou wilt ask1 and what thou wilt ask aright4 ,no man can pray in faith1 whose prayer is not grounded on a promise3 ,yet a good man commendeth all things to the righteous wisdom of his ,god3 ,for those1 who pray in faith1 trust the immutable ,jehovah1 ,and they1 who ask blessings unpromised1 lean on uncovenanted mercy4 ,man1 regard thy prayers as a purpose of love to thy soul2 ,esteem the providence that led to them as an index of ,god's good will2 ,so shalt thou pray aright1 and thy words shall meet with acceptance4 ,also1 in pleading for others1 be thankful for the fulness of thy prayer3 ,for if thou art ready to ask1 the ,lord is more ready to bestow4 ,the salt preserveth the sea1 and the saints uphold the earth2 ,their prayers are the thousand pillars that prop the canopy of nature4 ,verily1 an hour without prayer1 from some terrestrial mind1 ,were a curse in the calendar of time1 a spot of the blackness of darkness4 ,perchance the terrible day1 when the world must rock into ruins1 ,will be one unwhitened by prayer1--shall ,he find faith on the earth8 ,for there is an economy of mercy1 as of wisdom1 and power1 and means2 ,neither is one blessing granted1 unbesought from the treasury of good3 ,and the charitable heart of the ,being1 to depend upon whom is happiness1 ,never withholdeth a bounty1 so long as ,his subject prayeth2 ,yea1 ask what thou wilt1 to the second throne in heaven1 ,it is thine1 for whom it was appointed2 there is no limit unto prayer3 ,but and if thou cease to ask1 tremble1 thou self-suspended creature1 ,for thy strength is cut off as was ,samson's3 and the hour of thy doom is come4 ,frail art thou1 ,o man1 as a bubble on the breaker1 ,weak and governed by externals1 like a poor bird caught in the storm2 ,yet thy momentary breath can still the raging waters1 ,thy hand can touch a lever that may move the world4 ,o ,merciful1 we strike eternal covenant with thee1 ,for man may take for his ally the ,king who ruleth kings3 ,how strong1 yet how most weak1 in utter poverty how rich1 ,what possible omnipotence to good is dormant in a man6 ,behold that fragile form of delicate transparent beauty1 ,whose light-blue eye and hectic cheek are lit by the bale-fires of decline3 ,all droopingly she lieth1 as a dew-laden lily1 ,her flaxen tresses1 rashly luxuriant1 dank with unhealthy moisture2 ,hath not thy heart said of her1 ,alas6 poor child of weakness8 ,thou hast erred2 ,goliah of ,gath stood not in half her strength3 ,terribly she fighteth in the van as the virgin daughter of ,orleans1 ,she beareth the banner of ,heaven1 her onset is the rushing cataract1 ,seraphim rally at her side1 and the captain of that host is ,god1 ,and the serried ranks of evil are routed by the lightning of her eye2 ,she is the ,king's remembrancer1 and steward of many blessings1 ,holding the buckler of security over her unthankful land3 ,for that weak fluttering heart is strong in faith assured1 ,dependence is her might1 and behold--she prayeth4 ,angels are round the good man1 to catch the incense of his prayers1 ,and they fly to minister kindness to those for whom he pleadeth2 ,for the altar of his heart is lighted1 and burneth before ,god continually1 ,and he breatheth1 conscious of his joy1 the native atmosphere of heaven3 ,yea1 though poor1 and contemned1 and ignorant of this world's wisdom1 ,ill can his fellows spare him1 though they know not of his value4 ,thousands bewail a hero1 and a nation mourneth for its king1 ,but the whole universe lamenteth the loss of a man of prayer4 ,verily1 were it not for ,one1 who sitteth on ,his rightful throne1 ,crowned with a rainbow of emerald1 the green memorial of earth1-- ,for ,one1 a mediating man1 that hath clad ,his ,godhead with mortality1 ,and offereth prayer without ceasing1 the royal priest of ,nature1 ,matter and life and mind had sunk into dark annihilation1 ,and the lightning frown of ,justice withered the world into nothing4 ,thus1 ,o worshipper of reason1 thou hast heard the sum of the matter3 ,and woe to his hairy scalp that restraineth prayer before ,god4 ,prayer is a creature's strength1 his very breath and being2 ,prayer is the golden key that can open the wicket of ,mercy3 ,prayer is the magic sound that saith to ,fate1 ,so be it2 ,prayer is the slender nerve that moveth the muscles of ,omnipotence4 ,wherefore1 pray1 ,o creature1 for many and great are thy wants2 ,thy mind1 thy conscience1 and thy being1 thy rights commend thee unto prayer1 ,the cure of all cares1 the grand panacea for all pains1 ,doubt's destroyer1 ruin's remedy1 the antidote to all anxieties4 ,so then1 ,god is true1 and yet ,he hath not changed3 ,it is ,he that sendeth the petition1 to answer it according to ,his will4 ,illustration ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer4 ,inquirest thou1 ,o man1 wherewithal may ,i come unto the ,lord8 ,and with what wonder-working sounds may ,i move the majesty of ,heaven8 ,there is a model to thy hand2 upon that do thou frame thy supplication2 ,wisdom hath measured its words2 and redemption urgeth thee to use them4 ,call thy ,god thy ,father1 and yet not thine alone1 ,for thou art but one of many1 thy brotherhood is with all3 ,remember ,his high estate1 that ,he dwelleth ,king of ,heaven2 ,so shall thy thoughts be humbled1 nor love be unmixed with reverence3 ,be thy first petition unselfish1 the honour of ,him who made thee1 ,and that in the depths of thy heart ,his memory be shrined in holiness3 ,pray for that blessed time1 when good shall triumph over evil1 ,and one universal temple echo the perfections of ,jehovah3 ,bend thou to ,his good will1 and subserve ,his holy purposes1 ,till in thee1 and those around thee1 grow a little heaven upon earth3 ,humbly1 as a grateful almsman1 beg thy bread of ,god1-- ,bread for thy triple estate1 for thou hast a trinity of nature3 ,humility smootheth the way1 and gratitude softeneth the heart1 ,be then thy prayer for pardon mingled with the tear of penitence2 ,yea1 and while1 all unworthy1 thou leanest on the hand that should smite1 ,thou canst not from thy fellows withhold thy less forgiveness4 ,to thy ,father thy weaknesses are known1 and thou hast not hid thy sin1 ,therefore ask ,him1 in all trust1 to lead thee from the dangers of temptation2 ,while the last petition of the soul1 that breatheth on the confines of prayer1 ,is deliverance from sin and the evil one1 the miseries of earth and hell4 ,and wherefore1 child of hope1 should the rock of thy confidence be sure8 ,thou knowest that ,god heareth and promiseth an answer of peace2 ,thou knowest that ,he is ,king1 and none can stay ,his hand2 ,thou knowest ,his power to be boundless1 for there is none other3 ,and to ,him thou givest glory1 as a creature of ,his workmanship and favour1 ,for the never-ending term of thy saved and bright existence4 ,illustration3 ,of ,discretion ,,of ,,discretion4 ,for what then was ,i born8--to fill the circling year ,with daily toil for daily bread1 with sordid pains and pleasures8-- ,to walk this chequered world1 alternate light and darkness1 ,the day-dreams of deep thought followed by the night-dreams of fancy8-- ,to be one in a full procession8--to dig my kindred clay8-- ,to decorate the gallery of art8--to clear a few acres of forest8 ,for more than these1 my soul1 thy ,god hath lent thee life4 ,is then that noble end to feed this mind with knowledge1 ,to mix for mine own thirst the sparkling wine of wisdom1 ,to light with many lamps the caverns of my heart1 ,to reap1 in the furrows of my brain1 good harvest of right reasons8-- ,for more than these1 my soul1 thy ,god hath lent thee life4 ,is it to grow stronger in self-government1 to check the chafing will1 ,to curb with tightening rein the mettled steeds of passion1 ,to welcome with calm heart1 far in the voiceless desert1 ,the gracious visitings of heaven that bless my single self8-- ,for more than these1 my soul1 thy ,god hath lent thee life4 ,to aim at thine own happiness1 is an end idolatrous and evil2 ,in earth1 yea in heaven1 if thou seek it for itself1 seeking thou shalt not find4 ,happiness is a road-side flower1 growing on the highway of ,usefulness2 ,plucked1 it shall wither in thy hand2 passed by1 it is fragrance to thy spirit3 ,love not thine own soul1 regard not thine own weal1 ,trample the thyme beneath thy feet2 be useful1 and be happy6 ,thus unto fair conclusions argueth generous youth1 ,and quickly he starteth on his course1 knight-errant to do good4 ,his sword is edged with arguments1 his vizor terrible with censures2 ,he goeth full mailed in faith1 and zeal is flaming at his heart4 ,yet one thing he lacketh1 the ,mentor of the mind1 ,the quiet whisper of ,discretion--,thy time is not yet come4 ,for he smiteth an oppressor2 and vengeance for that smiting ,is dealt in doubled stripes on the faint body of the victim3 ,he is glad to give and to distribute2 and clamorous pauperism feasteth1 ,while honest labour1 pining1 hideth his sharp ribs3 ,he challengeth to a fair field that subtle giant ,infidelity1 ,and1 worsted in the unequal fight1 strengtheneth the hands of error2 ,he hasteth to teach and preach1 as the war-horse rusheth to the battle1 ,and to pave a way for truth1 would break up the ,apennines of prejudice3 ,he wearieth by stale proofs1 where none looked for a reason1 ,and to the listening ear will urge the false argument of feeling4 ,so hath it often been1 that1 judging by results1 ,the hottest friends of truth have done her deadliest wrong4 ,alas6 for there are enemies without1 glad enough to parley with a traitor1 ,and a zealot will let down the drawbridge1 to prove his own prowess3 ,yea1 from within will he break away a breach in the citadel of truth1 ,that he may fill the gap1 for fame1 with his own weak body4 ,zeal without judgment is an evil1 though it be zeal unto good2 ,touch not the ark with unclean hand1 yea1 though it seem to totter4 ,there are evil who work good1 and there are good who work evil1 ,and foolish backers of wisdom have brought on her many reproaches4 ,truth hath more than enough to combat in the minds of all men1 ,for the mist of sense is a thick veil1 and sin hath warped their wills2 ,yet doth an officious helper awkwardly prevent her victory1-- ,these thy wounded hands were smitten in the house of friends3-- ,to point out a meaning in her words1 he will blot those words with his finger2 ,and winnow chaff into the eyes1 before he hath wheat to show3 ,he will heap sturdy logs on a faint expiring fire1 ,and with a room in flames1 will cast the casement open2 ,by a shoulder to the wheel down hill harasseth the labouring beast1 ,and where obstruction were needed1 will harm by an ill-judged thrusting-on4 ,a vessel foundereth at sea1 if a storm hath unshipped the rudder2 ,and a mind with much sail shall require heavy ballast4 ,take a lever by the middle1 thou shalt seem to prove it powerless1 ,argue for truth indiscreetly1 thou shalt toil for falsehood4 ,there is plenty of room for a peaceable man in the most thronged assembly2 ,but a quarrelsome spirit is straitened in the open field3 ,many a teacher1 lacking judgment1 hindereth his own lessons2 ,and the savoury mess of pottage is spoiled by a bitter herb3 ,the garment woven of a piece is rashly torn by schism1 ,because its unwise claimants will not cast lots for its possession4 ,discretion guide thee on thy way1 noble-minded youth1 ,help thee to humour infirmities1 to wink at innocent errors1 ,to take small count of forms1 to bear with prejudice and fancy3 ,discretion guard thine asking1 discretion aid thine answer1 ,teach thee that well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech1 ,whisper thee1 thou art ,weakness1 though thy cause be ,strength1 ,and tell thee1 the key-stone of an arch can be loosened with least labour from within4 ,the snows of ,hecla lie around its troubled smoking ,geysers2 ,let the cool streams of prudence temper the hot spring of zeal3 ,so shalt thou gain thine honourable end1 nor lose the midway prize3 ,so shall thy life be useful1 and thy young heart happy4 ,,of ,,trifles4 ,illustration3 ,y ,yet once more1 saith the fool1 yet once1 and is it not a little one8 ,spare me this folly yet an hour1 for what is one among so many8 ,and he blindeth his conscience with lies1 and stupifieth his heart with doubts2-- ,whom shall ,i harm in this matter8 and a little ill breedeth much good2 ,my thoughts1 are they not mine own8 and they leave no mark behind them2 ,and if ,god so pardoneth crime1 how should these petty sins affect ,him8-- ,so he transgresseth yet again1 and falleth by little and little1 ,till the ground crumble beneath him1 and he sinketh in the gulf despairing4 ,for there is nothing in the earth so small that it may not produce great things1 ,and no swerving from a right line1 that may not lead eternally astray4 ,a landmark tree was once a seed2 and the dust in the balance maketh a difference2 ,and the cairn is heaped high by each one flinging a pebble3 ,the dangerous bar in the harbour's mouth is only grains of sand2 ,and the shoal that hath wrecked a navy is the work of a colony of worms3 ,yea1 and a despicable gnat may madden the mighty elephant2 ,and the living rock is worn by the diligent flow of the brook4 ,little art thou1 ,o man1 and in trifles thou contendest with thine equals1 ,for atoms must crowd upon atoms1 ere crime groweth to be a giant4 ,what1 is thy servant a dog8--not yet wilt thou grasp the dagger1 ,not yet wilt thou laugh with the scoffers1 not yet betray the innocent2 ,but1 if thou nourish in thy heart the reveries of injury or passion1 ,and travel in mental heat the mazy labyrinths of guilt1 ,and then conceive it possible1 and then reflect on it as done1 ,and use1 by little and little1 thyself to regard thyself a villain1 ,not long will crime be absent from the voice that doth invoke him to thy heart1 ,and bitterly wilt thou grieve1 that the buds have ripened into poison4 ,a spark is a molecule of matter1 yet may it kindle the world3 ,vast is the mighty ocean1 but drops have made it vast4 ,despise not thou a small thing1 either for evil or for good2 ,for a look may work thy ruin1 or a word create thy wealth3 ,the walking this way or that1 the casual stopping or hastening1 ,hath saved life1 and destroyed it1 hath cast down and built up fortunes4 ,commit thy trifles unto ,god1 for to ,him is nothing trivial2 ,and it is but the littleness of man that seeth no greatness in a trifle4 ,all things are infinite in parts1 and the moral is as the material1 ,neither is anything vast1 but it is compacted of atoms4 ,thou art wise1 and shalt find comfort1 if thou study thy pleasure in trifles1 ,for slender joys1 often repeated1 fall as sunshine on the heart3 ,thou art wise1 if thou beat off petty troubles1 nor suffer their stinging to fret thee2 ,thrust not thine hand among the thorns1 but with a leathern glove4 ,regard nothing lightly which the wisdom of ,providence hath ordered2 ,and therefore1 consider all things that happen unto thee or unto others4 ,the warrior that stood against a host1 may be pierced unto death by a needle2 ,and the saint that feareth not the fire1 may perish the victim of a thought3 ,a mote in the gunner's eye is as bad as a spike in the gun2 ,and the cable of a furlong is lost through an ill-wrought inch4 ,the streams of small pleasures fill the lake of happiness3 ,and the deepest wretchedness of life is continuance of petty pains4 ,a fool observeth nothing1 and seemeth wise unto himself2 ,a wise man heedeth all things1 and in his own eyes is a fool3 ,he that wondereth at nothing hath no capabilities of bliss3 ,but he that scrutinizeth trifles hath a store of pleasure to his hand4 ,if pestilence stalk through the land1 ye say1 ,this is ,god's doing2 ,is it not also ,his doing when an aphis creepeth on a rosebud8 ,if an avalanche roll from its ,alp1 ye tremble at the will of ,providence3 ,is not that will concerned when the sear leaves fall from the poplar8-- ,a thing is great or little only to a mortal's thinking1 ,but abstracted from the body1 all things are alike important3 ,the ,ancient of ,days noteth in ,his book the idle converse of a creature1 ,and happy and wise is the man to whose thought existeth not a trifle4 ,illustration ,,of ,,recreation4 ,to join advantage to amusement1 to gather profit with pleasure1 ,is the wise man's necessary aim1 when he lieth in the shade of recreation4 ,for he cannot fling aside his mind1 nor bar up the flood-gates of his wisdom2 ,yea1 though he strain after folly1 his mental monitor shall check him3 ,for knowledge and ignorance alike have laws essential to their being1-- ,the sage studieth amusements1 and the simple laugheth in his studies4 ,few1 but full of understanding1 are the books of the library of ,god1 ,and fitting for all seasons are the gain and the gladness they bestow3 ,the volume of mystery and ,grace1 for the hour of deep communings1 ,when the soul considereth intensely the startling marvel of itself3 ,the book of destiny and ,providence1 for the time of sober study1 ,when the mind gleaneth wisdom from the olive grove of history3 ,and the cheerful pages of ,nature1 to gladden the pleasant holiday1 ,when the task of duty is complete1 and the heart swelleth high with satisfaction4 ,the soul may not safely dwell too long with the deep things of futurity2 ,the mind may not always be bent back1 like the ,parthian1 straining at the past2 ,and1 if thou art wearied with wrestling on the broad arena of science1 ,leave awhile thy friendly foe1 half vanquished in the dust1 ,refresh thy jaded limbs1 return with vigour to the strife1-- ,thou shalt easier find thyself his master1 for the vacant interval of leisure4 ,that which may profit and amuse is gathered from the volume of creation1 ,for every chapter therein teemeth with the playfulness of wisdom4 ,the elements of all things are the same1 though nature hath mixed them with a difference1 ,and ,learning delighteth to discover the affinity of seeming opposites3 ,so out of great things and small draweth he the secrets of the universe1 ,and argueth the cycles of the stars1 from a pebble flung by a child4 ,it is pleasant to note all plants1 from the rush to the spreading cedar1 ,from the giant king of palms1 to the lichen that staineth its stem2 ,to watch the workings of instinct1 that grosser reason of brutes1-- ,the river horse browsing in the jungle1 the plover screaming on the moor1 ,the cayman basking on a mud-bank1 and the walrus anchored to an iceberg1 ,the dog at his master's feet1 and the milch-kine lowing in the meadow2 ,to trace the consummate skill that hath modelled the anatomy of insects1 ,small fowls that sun their wings on the petals of wild flowers2 ,to learn a use in the beetle1 and more than a beauty in the butterfly2 ,to recognize affections in a moth1 and look with admiration on a spider4 ,it is glorious to gaze upon the firmament1 and see from far the mansions of the blest1 ,each distant shining world1 a kingdom for one of the redeemed2 ,to read the antique history of earth1 stamped upon those medals in the rocks ,which ,design hath rescued from decay1 to tell of the green infancy of time2 ,to gather from the unconsidered shingle mottled starlike agates1 ,full of unstoried flowers in the bubbling bloom-chalcedony3 ,or gay and curious shells1 fretted with microscopic carving1 ,corallines1 and fresh seaweeds1 spreading forth their delicate branches4 ,it is an admirable lore1 to learn the cause in the change1 ,to study the chemistry of ,nature1 her grand1 but simple secrets1 ,to search out all her wonders1 to track the resources of her skill1 ,to note her kind compensations1 her unobtrusive excellence4 ,in all it is wise happiness to see the well-ordained laws of ,jehovah1 ,the harmony that filleth all ,his mind1 the justice that tempereth ,his bounty1 ,the wonderful all-prevalent analogy that testifieth one ,creator1 ,the broad arrow of the ,great ,king1 carved on all the stores of ,his arsenal4 ,but beware1 ,o worshipper of ,god1 thou forget not ,him in ,his dealings1 ,though the bright emanations of ,his power hide ,him in created glory2 ,for if1 on the sea of knowledge1 thou regardest not the pole-star of religion1 ,thy bark will miss her port1 and run upon the sand-bar of folly3 ,and if1 enamoured of the means1 thou considerest not the scope to which they tend1 ,wherein art thou wiser than the child1 that is pleased with toys and baubles8 ,verily1 a trifling scholar1 thou heedest but the letter of instruction3 ,for1 as motive is spirit unto action1 as memory endeareth place1 ,as the sun doth fertilize the earth1 as affection quickeneth the heart1 ,so is the remembrance of ,god in the varied wonders of creation4 ,man hath found out inventions1 to cheat him of the weariness of life1 ,to help him to forget realities1 and hide the misery of guilt4 ,for love of praise1 and hope of gain1 for passion and delusive happiness1 ,he joineth the circle of folly1 and heapeth on the fire of excitement2 ,oftentimes sadly out of heart at the tiresome insipidity of pleasure1 ,oftentimes labouring in vain1 convinced of the palpable deceit3 ,yet a man speaketh to his brother1 in the voice of glad congratulation1 ,and thinketh others happy1 though he himself be wretched3 ,and hand joineth hand to help in the toil of amusement1 ,while the secret aching heart is vacant of all but disappointment4 ,the cheapest pleasures are the best2 and nothing is more costly than sin2 ,yet we mortgage futurity1 counting it but little loss3 ,neither can a man delight in that which breedeth sorrow1 ,yet do we hunt for joy even in the fires that consume it4 ,whoso would find gladness may meet her in the hovel of poverty1 ,where benevolence hath scattered around the gleanings of the horn of plenty2 ,whoso would sun himself in peace1 may be seen of her in deeds of mercy1 ,when the pale lean cheek of the destitute is wet with grateful tears4 ,if the mind is wearied by study1 or the body worn with sickness1 ,it is well to lie fallow for a while1 in the vacancy of sheer amusement2 ,but when thou prosperest in health1 and thine intellect can soar untired1 ,to seek uninstructive pleasure is to slumber on the couch of indolence4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,the ,train of ,religion4 ,the ,train of ,religion4 ,stay awhile1 thou blessed band6 be entreated1 daughters of heaven6 ,while the chance-met scholar of ,wisdom learneth your sacred names3 ,he is resting a little from his toil1 yet a little on the borders of earth1 ,and fain would he have you his friends1 to bid him glad welcome hereafter4 ,who among the glorious art thou1 that walkest a ,goddess and a ,queen1 ,thy crown of living stars1 and a golden cross thy sceptre8 ,who among flowers of loveliness is she1 thy seeming herald1 ,yet she boasteth not thee nor herself1 and her garments are plain in their neatness8 ,wherefore is there one among the train1 whose eyes are red with weeping1 ,yet is her open forehead beaming with the sun of ecstasy8 ,and who is that bloodstained warrior1 with glory sitting on his crest8 ,and who that solemn sage1 calm in majestic dignity8 ,also1 in the lengthening troop see ,i some clad in robes of triumph1 ,whose fair and sunny faces ,i have known and loved on earth3 ,welcome1 ye glorified ,loves1 ,graces1 and ,sciences1 and ,muses1 ,that1 like sisters of charity1 tended in this world's hospital2 ,welcome1 for verily ,i knew1 ye could not but be children of the light1 ,though earth hath soiled your robes1 and robbed you of half your glory2 ,welcome1 chiefly welcome1 for ,i find ,i have friends in heaven1 ,and some ,i might scarce have looked for1 as thou1 light-hearted ,mirth2 ,thou also1 star-robed ,urania2 and thou1 with the curious glass1 ,that rejoicedst in tracking wisdom where the eye was too dull to note it3 ,and art thou too among the blessed1 mild1 much-injured ,poetry8 ,who quickenest with light and beauty the leaden face of matter1 ,who not unheard1 though silent1 fillest earth's gardens with music1 ,and not unseen1 though a spirit1 dost look down upon us from the stars1-- ,that hast been to me for oil and for wine1 to cheer and uphold my soul1 ,when wearied1 battling with the surge1 the stunning surge of life3 ,of thee1 for well have ,i loved thee1 of thee may ,i ask in hope1 ,who among the glorious is she1 that walketh a ,goddess and a ,queen8 ,and who that fair-haired herald1 and who that weeping saint8 ,and who that mighty warrior1 and who that solemn sage8 ,son1 happy art thou that ,wisdom hath led thee hitherward3 ,for otherwise never hadst thou known the joy-giving name of our ,queen4 ,behold her1 the life of men1 the anchor of their shipwrecked hopes3 ,behold her1 the shepherdess of souls1 who bringeth back the wanderers to ,god4 ,and for that modest herald1 she is named on earth1 ,humility3 ,and hast thou not known1 my son1 the tearful face of ,repentance8 ,faith is yon time-scarred hero1 walking in the shade of his laurels3 ,and ,reason1 the serious sage1 who followeth the footsteps of ,faith3 ,and we1 all we1 are but handmaids1 ministers of minor bliss1 ,who rejoice to be counted servants in the train of a ,queen so glorious3 ,but for her name1 son of man1 it is strange to the language of heaven1 ,for those who have never fallen need not and may not learn it3 ,ligeance we swear to our ,god1 and ligeance well have we kept2 ,it is only the band of the redeemed who can tell thee the fulness of that name2 ,yet will ,i comfort thee1 my son1 for the love wherewith thou hast loved me1 ,and thou shalt touch for thyself the golden sceptre of ,religion4 ,so that blessed train passed by me2 but the vision was sealed upon my soul2 ,and its memory is shrined in fragrance1 for the promise of the ,spirit was true3 ,i learn from the silent poem of all creation round me1 ,how beautiful their feet1 who follow in that train4 ,,of ,a ,,trinity4 ,illustration3 ,d ,despise not1 shrewd reckoner1 the ,god of a good man's worship1 ,neither let thy calculating folly gainsay the unity of three3 ,nor scorn another's creed1 although he cannot solve thy doubts2 ,reason is the follower of faith1 where he may not be precursor3 ,it is written1 and so we believe1 waiting not for outward proof1 ,inasmuch as mysteries inscrutable are the clear prerogatives of godhead4 ,reason hath nothing positive1 faith hath nothing doubtful2 ,and the height of unbelieving wisdom is to question all things4 ,when there is marvel in a doctrine1 faith is joyful and adoreth2 ,but when all is clear1 what place is left for faith8 ,tell me the sum of thy knowledge1--is it yet assured of anything8 ,despise not what is wonderful1 when all things are wonderful around thee4 ,from the multitude of like effects1 thou sayest1 ,behold a law3 ,and the matter thou art baffled in unmaking1 is to thy mind an element4 ,then look abroad1 ,i pray thee1 for analogy holdeth everywhere1 ,and the ,maker hath stamped ,his name on every creature of ,his hand3 ,i know not of a matter or a spirit1 that is not three in one1 ,and truly should account it for a marvel1 a coin without the image of its ,csar4 ,man talketh of himself as ignorant1 but judgeth by himself as wise3 ,his own guess counteth he truth1 but the notions of another are his scorn2 ,but bear thou yet with a brother1 whose thought may be less subtle than thine own1 ,and suffer the passing speculation suggested by analogies to faith4 ,like begetteth like1 and the great sea of ,existence ,in each of its uncounted waves holdeth up a mirror to its ,maker3 ,like begetteth like1 and the spreading tree of being ,with each of its trefoil leaves pointeth at the ,trinity of ,god4 ,let him whose eyes have been unfilmed1 read this homily in all things1 ,and thou1 of duller sight1 despise not him that readeth3 ,there be three grand principles2 life1 generation1 and obedience2 ,shadowing in every creature1 the ,spirit1 and the ,father1 and the ,son4 ,there be three grand unities1 variously mixed in trinities1 ,three catholic divisors of the million sums of matter3 ,yea1 though science hath not seen it1 climbing the ladder of experiment1 ,let faith1 in the presence of her ,god1 promulgate the mighty truth2 ,of three sole elements all nature's works consist3 ,the pine1 and the rock to which it clingeth1 and the eagle sailing around it3 ,the lion1 and the northern whale1 and the deeps wherein he sporteth2 ,the lizard sleeping in the sun2 the lightning flashing from a cloud2 ,the rose1 and the ruby1 and the pearl2 each one is made of three2 ,and the three be the like ingredients1 mingled in diverse measures4 ,thyself hast within thyself body1 and life1 and mind3 ,matter1 and breath1 and instinct1 unite in all beasts of the field2 ,substance1 coherence1 and weight1 fashion the fabrics of the earth2 ,the will1 the doing1 and the deed1 combine to frame a fact3 ,the stem1 the leaf1 and the flower2 beginning1 middle1 and end2 ,cause1 circumstance1 consequent3 and every three is one4 ,yea1 the very breath of man's life consisteth of a trinity of vapours1 ,and the noonday light is a compound1 the triune shadow of ,jehovah4 ,shall all things else be in mystery1 and ,god alone be understood8 ,shall finite fathom infinity1 though it sound not the shallows of creation8 ,shall a man comprehend his ,maker1 being yet a riddle to himself8 ,or time teach the ,lesson that eternity cannot master8 ,if ,god be nothing more than one1 a child can compass the thought2 ,but seraphs fail to unravel the wondrous unity of three4 ,one verily ,he is1 for there can be but one who is all mighty2 ,yet the oracles of nature and religion proclaim ,him three in one4 ,and where were the value to thy soul1 ,o miserable denizen of earth1 ,of the idle pageant of the cross1 where hung no sacrifice for thee8 ,where the worth to thine impotent heart1 of that stirred ,bethesda1 ,all numbed and palsied as it is1 by the scorpion stings of sin8 ,no1 thy trinity of nature1 enchained by treble death1 ,helplessly craveth of its ,god1 ,himself for three salvations3 ,the soul to be reconciled in love1 the mind to be glorified in light1 ,while this poor dying body leapeth into life4 ,and if indeed for us all the costly ransom hath been paid1 ,bethink thee1 could less than ,deity have owned so vast a treasure8 ,could a man contend with ,god1 and stand against the bosses of ,his buckler1 ,rendering the balance for guilt1 atonement to the uttermost8 ,thou art subtle to thine own thinking1 but wisdom judgeth thee a fool1 ,resolving thou wilt not bow the knee to a ,being thou canst not comprehend3 ,the mind that could compass perfection were itself perfection's equal2 ,and reason refuseth its homage to a ,god who can be fully understood4 ,thou that despiseth mystery1 yet canst expound nothing1 ,wherefore rejectest thou the fact that solveth the enigma of all things8 ,wherefore veilest thou thine eyes1 lest the light of revelation sun them1 ,and puttest aside the key that would open the casket of truth8 ,the mind and the nature of ,god are shadowed in all ,his works1 ,and none could have guessed of ,his essence1 had ,he not uttered it ,himself4 ,therefore1 thou child of folly1 that scornest the record of ,his wisdom1 ,learn from the consistencies of nature the needful miracle of ,godhead3 ,yea1 let the heathen be thy teacher1 who adoreth many gods1 ,for there is no wide-spread error that hath not truth for its beginning4 ,be content2 thine eye cannot see all the sides of a cube at one view1 ,nor thy mind in the self-same moment follow two ideas3 ,there are now many marvels in thy creed1 believing what thou seest1 ,then let not the conceit of intellect hinder thee from worshipping mystery4 ,illustration3 ,of ,thinking4 ,,of ,,thinking4 ,reflection is a flower of the mind1 giving out wholesome fragrance1 ,but reverie is the same flower1 when rank and running to seed4 ,better to read little with thought1 than much with levity and quickness2 ,for mind is not as merchandize1 which decreaseth in the using1 ,but liker to the passions of man1 which rejoice and expand in exertion3 ,yet live not wholly on thine own ideas1 lest they lead thee astray2 ,for in spirit1 as in substance1 thou art a social creature2 ,and if thou leanest on thyself1 thou rejectest the guidance of thy betters1 ,yea1 thou contemnest all men1--,am ,i not wiser than they8-- ,foolish vanity hath blinded thee1 and warped thy weak judgment3 ,for1 though new ideas flow from new springs1 and enrich the treasury of knowledge1 ,yet listen often1 ere thou think much2 and look around thee ere thou judgest4 ,memory1 the daughter of ,attention1 is the teeming mother of ,wisdom1 ,and safer is he that storeth knowledge1 than he that would make it for himself4 ,imagination is not thought1 neither is fancy reflection3 ,thought paceth like a hoary sage1 but imagination hath wings as an eagle3 ,reflection sternly considereth1 nor is sparing to condemn evil1 ,but fancy lightly laugheth1 in the sun-clad gardens of amusement4 ,for the shy game of the fowler the quickest shot is the surest2 ,but with slow care and measured aim the gunner pointeth his cannon3 ,so for all less occasions1 the surface-thought is best1 ,but to be master of the great take thou heavier metal4 ,it is a good thing1 and a wholesome1 to search out bosom sins1 ,but to be the hero of selfish imaginings1 is the subtle poison of pride3 ,at night1 in the stillness of thy chamber1 guard and curb thy thoughts1 ,and in recounting the doings of the day1 beware that thou do it with prayer1 ,or thinking will be an idle pleasure1 and retrospect yield no fruit4 ,steer the bark of thy mind from the syren isle of reverie1 ,and let a watchful spirit mingle with the glance of recollection3 ,also1 in examining thine heart1 in sounding the fountain of thine actions1 ,be more careful of the evil than of the good2 and humble thyself in thy sin4 ,the root of all wholesome thought is knowledge of thyself1 ,for thus only canst thou learn the character of ,god toward thee4 ,he made thee1 and thou art2 ,he redeemed thee1 and thou wilt be3 ,thou art evil1 yet ,he loveth thee2 thou sinnest1 yet ,he pardoneth thee4 ,though thou canst not perceive ,him1 yet is ,he in all ,his works1 ,infinite in grand outline1 infinite in minute perfection3 ,nature is the chart of ,god1 mapping out all ,his attributes2 ,art is the shadow of ,his wisdom1 and copieth ,his resources4 ,thou knowest the laws of matter to be emanations of ,his will1 ,and thy best reason for aught is this1--,thou1 ,lord1 wouldst have it so4 ,yea1 what is any law but an absolute decree of ,god8 ,or the properties of matter and mind1 but the arbitrary fiats of ,jehovah8 ,he made and ordained necessity2 ,he forged the chain of reason2 ,and holdeth in ,his own right hand the first of the golden links4 ,a fool regardeth mind as the spiritual essence of matter1 ,and not rather matter as the gross accident of mind4 ,can finite govern infinite1 or a part exceed the whole1 ,or the wisdom of ,god sit down at the feet of innate necessity8 ,necessity is a creature of ,his hand3 for ,he can never change2 ,and chance hath no existence where everything is needful4 ,canst thou measure ,omnipotence1 canst thou conceive ,ubiquity1 ,which guideth the meanest reptile1 and quickeneth the brightest seraph1 ,which steereth the particle of dust1 and commandeth the path of the comet8 ,to ,him all things are equal1 for all things are necessary4 ,the smith was weary at his forge1 and welded the metal carelessly1 ,and the anchor breaketh in its bed2 and the vessel foundereth with her crew3 ,a word of anger is muttered1 engendering the midnight murder3 ,the sun bursteth from a cloud1 and maddeneth the toiling husbandman4 ,shall these things be1 and ,god not know it8 ,shall ,he know1 and not be in them8 shall ,he see1 and not be among them8 ,and how can they be otherwise than as ,he knoweth8 ,truly1 the ,lord is in all things2 verily1 ,he worketh in all4 ,think thus1 and thy thoughts are firm1 ascribing each circumstance to ,him2 ,yet know surely1 and believe the truth1 that ,god willeth not evil2 ,for adversities are blessings in disguise1 and wickedness the ,lord abhorreth3 ,that ,he is in all things is an axiom1 and that ,he is righteous in all3 ,ascribe holiness to ,him1 while thou musest on the mystery of sin1 ,for infinite can grasp that1 which finite cannot compass4 ,in works of art1 think justly3 what praise canst thou render unto man8 ,for he made not his own mind1 nor is he the source of contrivance4 ,if a cunning workman make an engine that fashioneth curious works1 ,which hath the praise1 the machine or its maker1--the engine1 or he that framed it8 ,and could he frame it so subtly as to give it a will and freedom1 ,endow it with complicated powers1 and a glorious living soul1 ,who1 while he admireth the wondrous understanding creature1 ,will not pay deeper homage to the ,maker of master minds8 ,otherwise1 thou art senseless as the pagan1 that adoreth his own handywork2 ,yea1 while thou boastest of thy wisdom1 thy mind is as the mind of the savage1 ,for he boweth down to his idols1 and thou art a worshipper of self1 ,giving to the reasoning machine the credit due to its creator4 ,the key-stone of thy mind1 to give thy thoughts solidity1 ,to bind them as in an arch1 to fix them as the world in its sphere1 ,is to learn from the book of the ,lord1 to drink from the well of ,his wisdom4 ,who can condense the sun1 or analyse the fulness of the ,bible1 ,so that its ideas be gathered1 and the harvest of its wisdom be brought in8 ,that book is easy to the man who setteth his heart to understand it1 ,but to the careless and profane it shall seem the foolishness of ,god2 ,and it is a delicate test to prove thy moral state2 ,to the humble disciple it is bread1 but a stone to the proud and unbelieving3 ,a scorner shall find nothing but the husks1 wherewith to feed his hunger1 ,but for the soul of the simple1 it is plenty of full-ripe wheat4 ,the ,scripture abideth the same1 in the sober majesty of truth2 ,and the differing aspects of its teaching proceed from diversity in minds4 ,he that would learn to think may gain that knowledge there2 ,for the living word1 as an angel1 standeth at the gate of wisdom1 ,and publisheth1 ,this is the way1 walk ye surely in it4 ,religion taketh by the hand the humble pupil of repentance1 ,and teacheth him lessons of mystery1 solving the questions of doubt2 ,she maketh man worthy of himself1 of his high prerogative of reason1 ,threadeth all the labyrinths of thought1 and leadeth him to his ,god4 ,come hither1 child of meditation1 upon whose high fair forehead ,glittereth the star of mind in its unearthly lustre3 ,hast thou nought to tell us of thine airy joys1-- ,when1 borne on sinewy pinions1 strong as the western condor1 ,the soul1 after soaring for a while round the cloud-capped ,andes of reflection1 ,glad in its conscious immortality1 leaveth a world behind1 ,to dare at one bold flight the broad ,atlantic to another8 ,hast thou no secret pangs to whisper common men1 ,no dread of thine own energies1 still active day and night1 ,lest too ecstatic heat sublime thyself away1 ,or vivid horrors1 sharp and clear1 madden thy tense fibres8 ,in half-shaped visions of sleep hast thou not feared thy flittings1 ,lest reason1 like a raking hawk1 return not to thy call3 ,nor waked to work-day life with throbbing head and heart1 ,nor welcomed early dawn to save thee from unrest8 ,for the wearied spirit lieth as a fainting maiden1 ,captive and borne away on the warrior's foam-covered steed1 ,and sinketh down wounded1 as a gladiator on the sand1 ,while the keen faulchion of ,intellect is cutting through the scabbard of the brain4 ,imagination1 like a shadowy giant looming on the twilight of the ,hartz1 ,shall overwhelm judgment with affright1 and scare him from his throne3 ,in a dream thou mayst be mad1 and feel the fire within thee2 ,in a dream thou mayst travel out of self1 and see thee with the eyes of another2 ,or sleep in thine own corpse3 or wake as in many bodies2 ,or swell1 as expanded to infinity2 or shrink1 as imprisoned to a point2 ,or among moss-grown ruins mayst wander with the sullen disembodied1 ,and gaze upon their glassy eyes until thy heart-blood freeze4 ,alone must thou stand1 ,o man6 alone at the bar of judgment2 ,alone must thou bear thy sentence1 alone must thou answer for thy deeds3 ,therefore it is well thou retirest often to secresy and solitude1 ,to feel that thou art accountable separately from thy fellows3 ,for a crowd hideth truth from the eyes1 society drowneth thought1 ,and being but one among many1 stifleth the chidings of conscience4 ,solitude bringeth woe to the wicked1 for his crimes are told out in his ear2 ,but addeth peace to the good1 for the mercies of his ,god are numbered4 ,thou mayst know if it be well with a man1--loveth he gaiety or solitude8 ,for the troubled river rusheth to the sea1 but the calm lake slumbereth among the mountains4 ,how dear to the mind of the sage are the thoughts that are bred in loneliness2 ,for there is as it were music at his heart1 and he talketh within him as with friends3 ,but guilt maddeneth the brain1 and terror glareth in the eye1 ,where1 in his solitary cell1 the malefactor wrestleth with remorse4 ,give me but a lodge in the wilderness1 drop me on an island in the desert1 ,and thought shall yield me happiness1 though ,i may not increase it by imparting3 ,for the soul never slumbereth1 but is as the eye of the ,eternal1 ,and mind1 the breath of ,god1 knoweth not ideal vacuity3 ,at night1 after weariness and watching1 the body sinketh into sleep1 ,but the mental eye is awake1 and thou reasonest in thy dreams3 ,in a dream1 thou mayst live a lifetime1 and all be forgotten in the morning3 ,even such is life1 and so soon perisheth its memory4 ,,of ,,speaking4 ,illustration3 ,s ,speech is the golden harvest that followeth the flowering of thought2 ,yet oftentimes runneth it to husk1 and the grains be withered and scanty3 ,speech is reason's brother1 and a kingly prerogative of man1 ,that likeneth him to his ,maker1 who spake1 and it was done3 ,spirit may mingle with spirit1 but sense requireth a symbol2 ,and speech is the body of a thought1 without which it were not seen4 ,when thou walkest1 musing with thyself1 in the green aisles of the forest1 ,utter thy thinkings aloud1 that they take a shape and being3 ,for he that pondereth in silence crowdeth the storehouse of his mind1 ,and though he hath heaped great riches1 yet is he hindered in the using4 ,a man that speaketh too little1 and thinketh much and deeply1 ,corrodeth his own heart-strings1 and keepeth back good from his fellows3 ,a man that speaketh too much1 and museth but little and lightly1 ,wasteth his mind in words1 and is counted a fool among men3 ,but thou1 when thou hast thought1 weave charily the web of meditation1 ,and clothe the ideal spirit in the suitable garments of speech4 ,illustration ,uttered out of time1 or concealed in its season1 good savoureth of evil2 ,to be secret looketh like guilt1 to speak out may breed contention3 ,often have ,i known the honest heart1 flaming with indignant virtue1 ,provoke unneeded war by its rash ambassador the tongue3 ,often have ,i seen the charitable man go so slily on his mission1 ,that those who met him in the twilight1 took him for a skulking thief3 ,i have heard the zealous youth telling out his holy secrets ,before a swinish throng1 who mocked him as he spake2 ,and ,i considered1 his openness was hardening them that mocked1 ,whereas a judicious keeping-back might have won their sympathy3 ,i have judged rashly and harshly the hand1 liberal in the dark1 ,because in the broad daylight1 it hath holden it a virtue to be close2 ,and the silent tongue have ,i condemned1 because reserve hath chained it1 ,that it hid1 yea from a brother1 the kindness it had done by comforting4 ,no need to sound a trumpet1 but less to hush a footfall3 ,do thou thy good openly1 not as though the doing were a crime4 ,secresy goeth cowled1 and ,honesty demandeth wherefore8 ,for he judgeth--judgeth he not well8--that nothing need be hid but guilt4 ,why should thy good be evil spoken of1 through thine unrighteous silence8 ,if thou art challenged1 speak1 and prove the good thou doest4 ,the free example of benevolence1 unobtruded1 yet unhidden1 ,soundeth in the ears of sloth1 ,go1 and do thou likewise3 ,and ,i wot the hypocrite's sin to be of darker dye1 ,because the good man1 fearing1 thereby hideth his light3 ,but neither ,god nor man hath bid thee cloak thy good1 ,when a seasonable word would set thee in thy sphere1 that all might see thy brightness4 ,ascribe the honour to thy ,lord1 but be thou jealous of that honour1 ,nor think it light and worthless1 because thou mayst not wear it for thyself3 ,remember1 thy grand prerogative is free unshackled utterance1 ,and suffer not the flood-gates of secresy to lock the full river of thy speech4 ,come1 ,i will show thee an affliction1 unnumbered among this world's sorrows1 ,yet real and wearisome and constant1 embittering the cup of life4 ,there be1 who can think within themselves1 and the fire burneth at their heart1 ,and eloquence waiteth at their lips1 yet they speak not with their tongue3 ,there be1 whom zeal quickeneth1 or slander stirreth to reply1 ,or need constraineth to ask1 or pity sendeth as her messengers1 ,but nervous dread and sensitive shame freeze the current of their speech2 ,the mouth is sealed as with lead1 a cold weight presseth on the heart1 ,the mocking promise of power is once more broken in performance1 ,and they stand impotent of words1 travailing with unborn thoughts2 ,courage is cowed at the portal2 wisdom is widowed of utterance2 ,he that went to comfort is pitied2 he that should rebuke1 is silent3 ,and fools who might listen and learn1 stand by to look and laugh2 ,while friends1 with kinder eyes1 wound deeper by compassion3 ,and thought1 finding not a vent1 smouldereth1 gnawing at the heart1 ,and the man sinketh in his sphere1 for lack of empty sounds4 ,there be many cares and sorrows thou hast not yet considered1 ,and well may thy soul rejoice in the fair privilege of speech2 ,for at every turn to want a word1--thou canst not guess that want2 ,it is as lack of breath or bread3 life hath no grief more galling4 ,come1 ,i will tell thee of a joy1 which the parasites of pleasure have not known1 ,though earth and air and sea have gorged all the appetites of sense4 ,behold1 what fire is in his eye1 what fervour on his cheek6 ,that glorious burst of winged words6 how bound they from his tongue6 ,the full expression of the mighty thought1 the strong triumphant argument1 ,the rush of native eloquence1 resistless as ,niagara1 ,the keen demand1 the clear reply1 the fine poetic image1 ,the nice analogy1 the clenching fact1 the metaphor bold and free1 ,the grasp of concentrated intellect wielding the omnipotence of truth1 ,the grandeur of his speech in his majesty of mind6 ,champion of the right1--patriot1 or priest1 or pleader of the innocent cause1 ,upon whose lips the mystic bee hath dropped the honey of persuasion1 ,whose heart and tongue have been touched1 as of old1 by the live coal from the altar1 ,how wide the spreading of thy peace1 how deep the draught of thy pleasures6 ,to hold the multitude as one1 breathing in measured cadence1 ,a thousand men with flashing eyes1 waiting upon thy will2 ,a thousand hearts kindled by thee with consecrated fire1 ,ten flaming spiritual hecatombs offered on the mount of ,god3 ,and now a pause1 a thrilling pause1--they live but in thy words1-- ,thou hast broken the bounds of self1 as the ,nile at its rising1 ,thou art expanded into them1 one faith1 one hope1 one spirit1 ,they breathe but in thy breath1 their minds are passive unto thine1 ,thou turnest the key of their love1 bending their affections to thy purpose1 ,and all1 in sympathy with thee1 tremble with tumultuous emotions3 ,verily1 ,o man1 with truth for thy theme1 eloquence shall throne thee with archangels4 ,,of ,,reading4 ,illustration3 ,o ,one drachma for a good book1 and a thousand talents for a true friend2-- ,so standeth the market1 where scarce is ever costly3 ,yea1 were the diamonds of ,golconda common as shingles on the shore1 ,a ripe apple would ransom kings before a shining stone3 ,and so1 were a wholesome book as rare as an honest friend1 ,to choose the book be mine3 the friend let another take4 ,for altered looks and jealousies and fears have none entrance there3 ,the silent volume listeneth well1 and speaketh when thou listest3 ,it praiseth thy good without envy1 it chideth thine evil without malice1 ,it is to thee thy waiting slave1 and thine unbending teacher4 ,need to humour no caprice1 need to bear with no infirmity2 ,thy sin1 thy slander1 or neglect1 chilleth not1 quencheth not1 its love3 ,unalterably speaketh it the truth1 warped nor by error nor interest2 ,for a good book is the best of friends1 the same to-day and for ever4 ,to draw thee out of self1 thy petty plans and cautions1 ,to teach thee what thou lackest1 to tell thee how largely thou art blest1 ,to lure thy thought from sorrow1 to feed thy famished mind1 ,to graft another's wisdom on thee1 pruning thine own folly1 ,choose discreetly1 and well digest the volume most suited to thy case1 ,touching not religion with levity1 nor deep things when thou art wearied4 ,thy mind is freshened by morning air1 grapple with science and philosophy2 ,noon hath unnerved thy thoughts1 dream for a while on fictions3 ,grey evening sobereth thy spirit1 walk thou then with worshippers3 ,but reason shall dig deepest in the night1 and fancy fly most free4 ,o books1 ye monuments of mind1 concrete wisdom of the wisest2 ,sweet solaces of daily life2 proofs and results of immortality2 ,trees yielding all fruits1 whose leaves are for the healing of the nations2 ,groves of knowledge1 where all may eat1 nor fear a flaming sword3 ,gentle comrades1 kind advisers2 friends1 comforts1 treasures3 ,helps1 governments1 diversities of tongues2 who can weigh your worth8-- ,to walk no longer with the just2 to be driven from the porch of science2 ,to bid long adieu to those intimate ones1 poets1 philosophers1 and teachers2 ,to see no record of the sympathies which bind thee in communion with the good2 ,to be thrust from the feet of ,him who spake as never man spake2 ,to have no avenue to heaven but the dim aisle of superstition2 ,to live as an ,esquimaux1 in lethargy2 to die as the ,mohawk1 in ignorance3 ,o what were life1 but a blank8 what were death1 but a terror8 ,what were man1 but a burden to himself8 what were mind1 but misery8 ,yea1 let another ,omar burn the full library of knowledge1 ,and the broad world may perish in the flames1 offered on the ashes of its wisdom6 ,illustration ,,of ,,writing4 ,illustration3 ,t ,the pen of a ready writer1 whereunto shall it be likened8 ,ask of the scholar1 he shall know1--to the chains that bind a ,proteus3 ,ask of the poet1 he shall say1--to the sun1 the lamp of heaven3 ,ask of thy neighbour1 he can answer1--to the friend that telleth my thought3 ,the merchant considereth it well1 as a ship freighted with wares2 ,the divine holdeth it a miracle1 giving utterance to the dumb4 ,it fixeth1 expoundeth1 and disseminateth sentiment2 ,chaining up a thought1 clearing it of mystery1 and sending it bright into the world4 ,to think rightly1 is of knowledge2 to speak fluently1 is of nature2 ,to read with profit1 is of care2 but to write aptly1 is of practice4 ,no talent among men hath more scholars1 and fewer masters3 ,for to write is to speak beyond hearing1 and none stand by to explain4 ,to be accurate1 write2 to remember1 write2 to know thine own mind1 write2 ,and a written prayer is a prayer of faith3 special1 sure1 and to be answered4 ,hast thou a thought upon thy brain1 catch it while thou canst2 ,or other thoughts shall settle there1 and this shall soon take wing3 ,thine uncompounded unity of soul1 which argueth and maketh it immortal1 ,yieldeth up its momentary self to every single thought2 ,therefore1 to husband thine ideas1 and give them stability and substance1 ,write often for thy secret eye2 so shalt thou grow wiser4 ,the commonest mind is full of thoughts2 some worthy of the rarest3 ,and could it see them fairly writ1 would wonder at its wealth4 ,o precious compensation to the dumb1 to write his wants and wishes2 ,o dear amends to the stammering tongue1 to pen his burning thoughts6 ,to be of the college of ,eloquence1 through these silent symbols2 ,to pour out all the flowing mind without the toil of speech2 ,to show the babbling world how it might discourse more sweetly2 ,to prove that merchandize of words bringeth no monopoly of wisdom2 ,to take sweet vengeance on a prating crew1 for the tongue's dishonour1 ,by the large triumph of the pen1 the homage rendered to a writing4 ,with such1 that telegraph of mind is dearer than wealth or wisdom1 ,enabling to please without pain1 to impart without humiliation4 ,fair girl1 whose eye hath caught the rustic penmanship of love1 ,let thy bright brow and blushing cheek confess in this sweet hour1-- ,let thy full heart1 poor guilty one1 whom the scroll of pardon hath just reached1-- ,thy wet glad face1 ,o mother1 with news of a far-off child1-- ,thy strong and manly delight1 pilgrim of other shores1 ,when the dear voice of thy betrothed speaketh in the letter of affection1-- ,let the young poet1 exulting in his lay1 and hope 7how false7 of fame1 ,while watching at deep midnight1 he buildeth up the verse1-- ,let the calm child of genius1 whose name shall never die1 ,for that the transcript of his mind hath made his thoughts immortal1-- ,let these1 let all1 with no faint praise1 with no light gratitude1 confess ,the blessings poured upon the earth from the pen of a ready writer4 ,moreover1 their preciousness in absence is proved by the desire of their presence3 ,when the despairing lover waiteth day after day1 ,looking for a word in reply1 one word writ by that hand1 ,and cursing bitterly the morn ushered in by blank disappointment3 ,or when the long-looked-for answer argueth a cooling friend1 ,and the mind is plied suspiciously with dark inexplicable doubts1 ,while thy wounded heart counteth its imaginary scars1 ,and thou art the innocent and injured1 that friend the capricious and in fault3 ,or when the earnest petition1 that craveth for thy needs1 ,unheeded1 yea1 unopened1 tortureth with starving delay3 ,or when the silence of a son1 who would have written of his welfare1 ,racketh a father's bosom with sharp-cutting fears4 ,for a letter1 timely writ1 is a rivet to the chain of affection1 ,and a letter1 untimely delayed1 is as rust to the solder4 ,the pen1 flowing with love1 or dipped black in hate1 ,or tipped with delicate courtesies1 or harshly edged with censure1 ,hath quickened more good than the sun1 more evil than the sword1 ,more joy than woman's smile1 more woe than frowning fortune2 ,and shouldst thou ask my judgment of that which hath most profit in the world1 ,for answer take thou this1 ,the prudent penning of a letter4 ,thou hast not lost an hour1 whereof there is a record2 ,a written thought at midnight shall redeem the livelong day4 ,idea is as a shadow that departeth1 speech is fleeting as the wind1 ,reading is an unremembered pastime2 but a writing is eternal3 ,for therein the dead heart liveth1 the clay-cold tongue is eloquent1 ,and the quick eye of the reader is cleared by the reed of the scribe4 ,as a fossil in the rock1 or a coin in the mortar of a ruin1 ,so the symbolled thoughts tell of a departed soul3 ,the plastic hand hath its witness in a statue1 and exactitude of vision in a picture1 ,and so1 the mind that was among us1 in its writings is embalmed4 ,illustration ,,of ,,wealth4 ,prodigality hath a sister ,meanness1 his fixed antagonist heart-fellow1 ,who often outliveth the short career of the brother she despiseth3 ,she hath lean lips and a sharp look1 and her eyes are red and hungry2 ,but he sloucheth in his gait1 and his mouth speaketh loosely and maudlin4 ,let a spendthrift grow to be old1 he will set his heart on saving1 ,and labour to build up by penury that which extravagance threw down3 ,even so1 with most men1 do riches earn themselves a double curse2 ,they are ill-got by tight dealing3 they are ill-spent by loose squandering4 ,give me enough1 saith ,wisdom2--for he feareth to ask for more2 ,and that by the sweat of my brow1 addeth stout-hearted ,independence3 ,give me enough1 and not less1 for want is leagued with the tempter2 ,poverty shall make a man desperate1 and hurry him ruthless into crime3 ,give me enough1 and not more1 saving for the children of distress2 ,wealth ofttimes killeth1 where want but hindereth the budding3 ,there is green glad summer near the pole1 though brief and after long winter1 ,but the burnt breasts of the torrid zone yield never kindly nourishment4 ,wouldst thou be poor1 scatter to the rich1--and reap the tares of ingratitude2 ,wouldst thou be rich1 give unto the poor2 thou shalt have thine own with usury3 ,for the secret hand of ,providence prospereth the charitable all ways1 ,good luck shall he have in his pursuits1 and his heart shall be glad within him2 ,yet perchance he never shall perceive1 that1 even as to earthly gains1 ,the cause of his weal as of his joy1 hath been small givings to the poor4 ,in the plain of ,benares is there found a root that fathereth a forest1 ,where round the parent banian-tree drop its living scions2 ,thirstily they strain to the earth1 like stalactites in a grotto1 ,and strike broad roots1 and branch again1 lengthening their cool arcades3 ,and the dervish madly danceth there1 and the faquir is torturing his flesh1 ,and the calm brahmin worshippeth the sleek and pampered bull3 ,at the base lean jackals coil1 while from above depending ,with dull malignant stare watcheth the branch-like boa4 ,even so1 in man's heart is a sin that is the root of all evil2 ,whose fibres strangle the affections1 whose branches overgrow the mind3 ,and oftenest beneath its shadow thou shalt meet distorted piety1-- ,the clenched and rigid fist1 with the eyes upturned to heaven1 ,fanatic zeal with miserly severity1 a mixture of gain with godliness1 ,and him1 against whom passion hath no power1 kneeling to a golden calf3 ,the hungry hounds of extortion are there1 the bond1 and the mortgage1 and the writ1 ,while the appetite for gold1 unslumbering1 watcheth to glut its maw3-- ,and the heart1 so tenanted and shaded1 is cold to all things else2 ,it seeth not the sunshine of heaven1 nor is warmed by the light of charity4 ,for covetousness disbelieveth ,god1 and laugheth at the rights of men2 ,spurring unto theft and lying1 and tempting to the poison and the knife2 ,it sundereth the bonds of love1 and quickeneth the flames of hate2 ,a curse that shall wither the brain1 and case the heart with iron4 ,content is the true riches1 for without it there is no satisfying1 ,but a ravenous all-devouring hunger gnaweth the vitals of the soul4 ,the wise man knoweth where to stop1 as he runneth in the race of fortune1 ,for experience of old hath taught him1 that happiness lingereth midway2 ,and many in hot pursuit have hasted to the goal of wealth1 ,but have lost1 as they ran1 those apples of gold1--the mind and the power to enjoy it4 ,there is no greater evil among men than a testament framed with injustice3 ,where caprice hath guided the boon1 or dishonesty refused what was due4 ,generous is the robber on the highway1 in the open daring of his guilt1 ,to the secret coward1 whose malice liveth and harmeth after him2 ,who smoothly sank into the tomb1 with the smile of fraud upon his face1 ,and the last black deed of his existence was injury without redress3 ,for deaf is the ear of the dead1 and can hear no palliating reasons2 ,the smiter is not among the living1 and ,right pleadeth but in vain4 ,yet shall the curse of the oppressed be as blight upon the grave of the unjust2 ,yea1 bitterly shall that handwriting testify against him at the judgment4 ,i saw the humble relation that tended the peevishness of wealth1 ,and ministered1 with kind hand1 to the wailings of disease and discontent3 ,i noted how watchfulness and care were feeding on the marrow of her youth1 ,how heavy was the yoke of dependence1 loaded by petty tyranny2 ,yet ,i heard the frequent suggestion1--,it can be but a little longer1 ,patience and mute submission shall one day reap a rich reward4 ,so1 tacitly enduring much1 waited that humble friend1 ,putting off the lover of her youth until the dawn of wealth3 ,and it came1 that day of release1 and the freed heart could not sorrow1 ,for now were the years of promise to yield their golden harvest3 ,hope1 so long deferred1 sickly sparkled in her eye1 ,the miserable past was forgotten1 as she looked for the happier future1 ,and she checked1 as unworthy and ungrateful1 the dark suspicious thought ,that perchance her right had been the safer1 if not left alone with honour3 ,but1 alas1 the sad knowledge soon came1 that her stern task-master's will ,hath rewarded her toil with a jibe1 her patience with utter destitution6-- ,shall not the scourge of justice lash that cruel coward1 ,who mingled the gall of ingratitude with the bitterness of disappointment8 ,shall not the hate of men1 and vengeance1 fiercely pursuing1 ,hunt down the wretched being that sinneth in his grave8 ,he fancied his idol self safe from the wrath of his fellows1 ,but ,hades rose as he came in1 to point at him the finger of scorn2 ,and again must he meet that orphan-maid to answer her face to face1 ,and her wrongs shall cling around his neck1 to hinder him from rising with the just3 ,for his last most solemn act hath linked his name with liar1 ,and the crime of ,ananias is branded on his brow6 ,a good man commendeth his cause to the one great ,patron of innocence1 ,convinced of justice to the last1 and sure of good meanwhile4 ,he knoweth he hath a ,guardian1 wise and kind and strong1 ,and can thank ,him for giving1 or refusing1 the trust or the curse of riches3 ,his confidence standeth as a rock2 he dreadeth not malice nor caprice1 ,nor the whisperings of artful men1 nor envious secret influence2 ,he scorneth servile compromise1 and the pliant mouthings of deceit2 ,he maketh not a show of love1 where he cannot concede esteem2 ,he regardeth ill-got wealth1 as the root most fruitful of wretchedness1 ,so he walketh in straight integrity1 leaning on ,god and his right4 ,no gain1 but by its price3 labour1 for the poor man's meal1 ,ofttimes heart-sickening toil1 to win him a morsel for his hunger3 ,labour1 for the chapman at his trade1 a dull unvaried round1 ,year after year1 unto death2 yea1 what a weariness is it6 ,labour1 for the pale-faced scribe1 drudging at his hated desk1 ,who bartereth for needful pittance the untold gold of health2 ,labour1 with fear1 for the merchant1 whose hopes are ventured on the sea2 ,labour1 with care1 for the man of law1 responsible in his gains2 ,labour1 with envy and annoyance1 where strangers will thee wealth2 ,labour1 with indolence and gloom1 where wealth falleth from a father2 ,labour unto all1 whether aching thews1 or aching head1 or spirit1-- ,the curse on the sons of men1 in all their states1 is labour4 ,nevertheless1 to the diligent1 labour bringeth blessing3 ,the thought of duty sweeteneth toil1 and travail is as pleasure2 ,and time spent in doing hath a comfort that is not for the idle1 ,the hardship is transmuted into joy by the dear alchemy of ,mercy4 ,labour is good for a man1 bracing up his energies to conquest1 ,and without it life is dull1 the man perceiving himself useless3 ,for wearily the body groaneth1 like a door on rusty hinges1 ,and the grasp of the mind is weakened1 as the talons of a caged vulture4 ,wealth hath never given happiness1 but often hastened misery3 ,enough hath never caused misery1 but often quickened happiness3 ,enough is less than thy thought1 ,o pampered creature of society1 ,and he that hath more than enough1 is a thief of the rights of his brother4 ,,of ,,invention4 ,illustration3 ,m ,man is proud of his mind1 boasting that it giveth him divinity1 ,yet with all its powers can it originate nothing2 ,for the ,great ,god into all ,his works hath largely poured out ,himself1 ,saving one special property1 the grand prerogative1--,creation4 ,to improve and expand is ours1 as well as to limit and defeat2 ,but to create a thought or a thing is hopeless and impossible4 ,can a man make matter8--and yet this would-be god ,thinketh to make mind1 and form original idea3 ,the potter must have his clay1 and the mason his quarry1 ,and mind must drain ideas from everything around it4 ,doth the soil generate herbs1 or the torrid air breed flies1 ,or the water frame its monads1 or the mist its swarming blight8-- ,mediately1 through thousand generations1 having seed within themselves1 ,all things1 rare or gross1 own one common ,father4 ,truly spake ,wisdom1 ,there is nothing new under the sun3 ,we only arrange and combine the ancient elements of all things4 ,invention is activity of mind1 as fire is air in motion2 ,a sharpening of the spiritual sight1 to discern hidden aptitudes3 ,from the basket and acanthus1 is modelled the graceful capital2 ,the shadowed profile on the wall helpeth the limner to his likeness2 ,the footmarks1 stamped in clay1 lead on the thoughts to printing2 ,the strange skin garments cast upon the shore suggest another hemisphere3 ,a falling apple taught the sage pervading gravitation2 ,the ,huron is certain of his prey1 from tracks upon the grass3 ,and shrewdness1 guessing out the hint1 followeth on the trail2 ,but the hint must be given1 the trail must be there1 or the keenest sight is as blindness4 ,illustration ,behold the barren reef1 which an earthquake hath just left dry2 ,it hath no beauty to boast of1 no harvest of fair fruits3 ,but soon the lichen fixeth there1 and1 dying1 diggeth its own grave1 ,and softening suns and splitting frosts crumble the reluctant surface2 ,and cormorants roost there1 and the snail addeth its slime1 ,and efts1 with muddy feet1 bring their welcome tribute2 ,and the sea casteth out her dead1 wrapped in a shroud of weeds2 ,and orderly nature arrangeth again the disunited atoms2 ,anon1 the cold smooth stone is warm with feathery grass1 ,and the light sporules of the fern are dropt by the passing wind1 ,the wood-pigeon1 on swift wing1 leaveth its crop-full of grain1 ,the squirrel's jealous care planteth the fir-cone and the filbert3 ,years pass1 and the sterile rock is rank with tangled herbage2 ,the wild-vine clingeth to the briar1 and ivy runneth green among the corn1 ,lordly beeches are studded on the down1 and willows crowd around the rivulet1 ,and the tall pine and hazel-thicket shade the rambling hunter4 ,shall the rock boast of its fertility8 shall it lift the head in pride8-- ,shall the mind of man be vain of the harvest of its thoughts8 ,the savage is that rock2 and a million chances from without1 ,by little and little acting on the mind1 heap up the hot-bed of society2 ,and the soul1 fed and fattened on the thoughts and things around it1 ,groweth to perfection1 full of fruit1 the fruit of foreign seeds4 ,for we learn upon a hint1 we find upon a clue1 ,we yield an hundred-fold2 but the great sower is ,analogy4 ,there must be an acrid sloe before a luscious peach1 ,a boll of rotting flax before the bridal veil1 ,an egg before an eagle1 a thought before a thing1 ,a spark struck into tinder to light the lamp of knowledge1 ,a slight suggestive nod to guide the watching mind1 ,a half-seen hand upon the wall1 pointing to the balance of ,comparison4 ,by culture man may do all things1 short of the miracle1--,creation2 ,here is the limit of thy power1--here let thy pride be stayed3 ,the soil may be rich1 and the mind may be active1 but neither yield unsown2 ,the eye cannot make light1 nor the mind make spirit4 ,therefore it is wise in man to name all novelty ,invention2 ,for it is to find out things that are1 not to create the unexisting3 ,it is to cling to contiguities1 to be keen in catching likeness1 ,and with energetic elasticity to leap the gulphs of contrast4 ,the globe knoweth not increase1 either of matter or spirit2 ,atoms and thoughts are used again1 mixing in varied combinations2 ,and though1 by moulding them anew1 thou makest them thine own1 ,yet have they served thousands1 and all their merit is of ,god4 ,illustration ,,of ,,ridicule4 ,seams of thought for the sage's brow1 and laughing lines for the fool's face2 ,for all things leave their track in the mind2 and the glass of the mind is faithful4 ,seest thou much mirth upon the cheek8 there is then little exercise of virtue2 ,for he that looketh on the world1 cannot be glad and good3 ,seest thou much gravity in the eye8 be not assured of finding wisdom2 ,for she hath too great praise1 not to get many mimics4 ,there is a grave-faced folly2 and verily1 a laughter-loving wisdom2 ,and what1 if surface-judges account it vain frivolity8 ,there is indeed an evil in excess1 and a field may lie fallow too long2 ,yet merriment is often as a froth1 that mantleth on the strong mind3 ,and note thou this for a verity1--the subtlest thinker when alone1 ,from ease of thoughts unbent1 will laugh the loudest with his fellows3 ,and well is the loveliness of wisdom mirrored in a cheerful countenance1 ,justly the deepest pools are proved by dimpling eddies2 ,for that1 a true philosophy commandeth an innocent life1 ,and the unguilty spirit is lighter than a linnet's heart3 ,yea1 there is no cosmetic like a holy conscience2 ,the eye is bright with trust1 the cheek bloomed over with affection1 ,the brow unwrinkled by a care1 and the lip triumphant in its gladness4 ,and for yon grave-faced folly1 need not far to look for her2 ,how seriously on trifles dote those leaden eyes1 ,how ruefully she sigheth after chances long gone by1 ,how sulkily she moaneth over evils without cure6 ,i have known a true-born mirth1 the child of innocence and wisdom1 ,i have seen a base-born gravity1 mingled of ignorance and guilt3 ,and again1 a base-born mirth1 springing out of carelessness and folly2 ,and again1 a true-born gravity1 the product of reflection and right fear4 ,the wounded partridge hideth in a furrow1 and a stricken conscience would be left alone2 ,but when its breast is healed1 it runneth gladly with its fellows3 ,whereas the solitary heron1 standing in the sedgy fen1 ,holdeth aloof from the social world1 intent on wiles and death4 ,need but of light philosophy to dare the world's dread laugh2 ,for a little mind courteth notoriety1 to illustrate its puny self3 ,but the sneer of a man's own comrades trieth the muscles of courage1 ,and to be derided in his home is as a viper in the nest3 ,the laugh of a hooting world hath in it a notion of sublimity1 ,but the tittering private circle stingeth as a hive of wasps4 ,some have commended ridicule1 counting it the test of truth1 ,but neither wittily nor wisely2 for truth must prove ridicule3 ,otherwise a blunt bulrush is to pierce the proof armour of argument1 ,because the stolidity of ignorance took it for a barbed shaft4 ,softer is the hide of the rhinoceros1 than the heart of deriding unbelief1 ,and truth is idler there1 than the ,bushman's feathered reed3 ,a droll conceit parrieth a thrust1 that should have hit the conscience1 ,and the leering looks of humour tickle the childish mind2 ,for that the matter of a man is mingled most with folly1 ,neither can he long endure the searching gaze of wisdom4 ,it is pleasanter to see a laughing cheek than a serious forehead1 ,and there liveth not one among a thousand whose idol is not pleasure4 ,ridicule is a weak weapon1 when levelled at a strong mind3 ,but common men are cowards1 and dread an empty laugh4 ,fear a nettle1 and touch it tenderly1 its poison shall burn thee to the shoulder2 ,but grasp it with a bold hand1--is it not a bundle of myrrh8 ,betray mean terror of ridicule1 thou shalt find fools enough to mock thee2 ,but answer thou their laughter with contempt1 and the scoffers will lick thy feet4 ,,of ,,commendation4 ,illustration3 ,t ,the praise of holy men is a promise of praise from their ,master2 ,a fore-running earnest of thy welcome1--,well done1 faithful servant2 ,a rich preludious note1 that droppeth softly on thine ear1 ,to tell thee the chords of thy heart are in tune with the choirs of heaven4 ,yet is it a dangerous hearing1 for the sweetness may lull thee into slumber1 ,and the cordial quaffed with thirst may generate the fumes of presumption4 ,so seek it not for itself1 but taste1 and go gladly on thy way1 ,for the mariner slacketh not his sail1 though the sandal-groves of ,araby allure him2 ,and the fragrance of that incense would harm thee1 as when1 on a summer evening1 ,the honied yellow flowers of the gorse oppress thy charmed sense3 ,and a man hath too much of praise1 for he praiseth himself continually2 ,neither lacketh he at any time self-commendation or excuse4 ,praise a fool1 and slay him3 for the canvas of his vanity is spread2 ,his bark is shallow in the water1 and a sudden gust shall sink it3 ,praise a wise man1 and speed him on his way2 for he carrieth the ballast of humility1 ,and is glad when his course is cheered by the sympathy of brethren ashore4 ,the praise of a good man is good1 for he holdeth up the mirror of ,truth1 ,that ,virtue may see her own beauty1 and delight in her own fair face3 ,the praise of a bad man is evil1 for he hideth the deformity of ,vice1 ,casting the mantle of a queen around the limbs of a leper4 ,praise is rebuke to the man whose conscience alloweth it not3 ,and where conscience feeleth it her due1 no praise is better than a little4 ,he that despiseth the outward appearance1 despiseth the esteem of his fellows2 ,and he that overmuch regardeth it1 shall earn only their contempt3 ,the honest commendation of an equal no one can scorn1 and be blameless1 ,yet even that fair fame no one can hunt for1 and be honoured3 ,if it come1 accept it and be thankful1 and be thou humble in accepting2 ,if it tarry1 be not thou cast down2 the bee can gather honey out of rue3 ,and is thine aim so low1 that the breath of those around thee ,can speed thy feathered arrow1 or retard its flight8 ,the child shooteth at a butterfly1 but the man's mark is an eagle2 ,and while his fellows talk1 he hath conquered in the clouds4 ,ally thee to truth and godliness1 and use the talents in thy charge2 ,so shall thou walk in peace1 deserving1 if not having4 ,with a friend1 praise him when thou canst2 for many a friendship hath decayed1 ,like a plant in a crowded corner1 for want of sunshine on its leaves3 ,with another1 praise him not often--otherwise he shall despise thee2 ,but be thou frugal in commending2 so will he give honour to thy judgment3 ,for thou that dost so zealously commend1 art acknowledging thine own inferiority1 ,and he1 thou so highly hast exalted1 shall proudly look down on thy esteem4 ,wilt thou that one remember a thing8--praise him in the midst of thy advice2 ,never yet forgat man the word whereby he hath been praised4 ,better to be censured by a thousand fools1 than approved but by one man that is wise2 ,for the pious are slower to help right1 than the profane to hinder it3 ,so1 where the world rebuketh1 there look thou for the excellent1 ,and be suspicious of the good1 which wicked men can praise4 ,the captain bindeth his troop1 not more by severity than kindness1 ,and justly1 should recompense well doing1 as well as be strict with an offender2 ,the laurel is cheap to the giver1 but precious in his sight who hath won it1 ,and the heart of the soldier rejoiceth in the approving glance of his chief4 ,timely given praise is even better than the merited rebuke of censure1 ,for the sun is more needful to the plant than the knife that cutteth out a canker4 ,many a father hath erred1 in that he hath withheld reproof1 ,but more have mostly sinned1 in withholding praise where it was due3 ,there be many such as ,eli among men2 but these be more culpable than ,eli1 ,who chill the fountain of exertion by the freezing looks of indifference3 ,ye call a man easy and good1 yet he is as a two-edged sword2 ,he rebuketh not vice1 and it is strong3 he comforteth not virtue1 and it fainteth4 ,there is nothing more potent among men than a gift timely bestowed2 ,and a gift kept back where it was hoped1 separateth chief friends3 ,for what is a gift but a symbol1 giving substance to praise and esteem8 ,and where is a sharper arrow than the sting of unmerited neglect8 ,expect not praise from the mean1 neither gratitude from the selfish2 ,and to keep the proud thy friend1 see thou do him not a service3 ,for1 behold1 he will hate thee for his debt3 thou hast humbled him by giving2 ,and his stubbornness never shall acknowledge the good he hath taken from thy hand3 ,yea1 rather will he turn and be thy foe1 lest thou gather from his friendship ,that he doth account thee creditor1 and standeth in the second place4 ,still1 ,o kindly feeling heart1 be not thou chilled by the thankless1 ,neither let the breath of gratitude fan thee into momentary heat3 ,do good for good's own sake1 looking not to worthiness nor love2 ,fling thy grain among the rocks1 cast thy bread upon the waters1 ,his claim be strongest to thy help1 who is thrown most helplessly upon thee1-- ,so shalt thou have a better praise1 and reap a richer harvest of reward4 ,if a man hold fast to thy creed1 and fit his thinkings to thy notions1 ,thou shalt take him for a man right-minded1 yea1 and excuse his evil3 ,but seest thou not1 ,o bigot1 that thy zeal is but a hunting after praise1 ,and the full pleasure of a proselyte lieth in the flattering of self8 ,a man of many praises meeteth many welcomes1 ,but he1 who blameth often1 shall not keep a friend2 ,the velvet-coated apricot is one thing1 and the spiked horse-chestnut is another1 ,a handle of smooth amber is pleasanter than rough buck-horn4 ,show me a popular man2 ,i can tell thee the secret of his power2 ,he hath soothed them with glozing words1 lulling their ears with flattery1 ,the smile of seeming approbation is ever the companion of his presence1 ,and courteous looks1 and warm regards1 earn him all their hearts4 ,nothing but may be better1 and every better might be best2 ,the blind may discern1 and the simple prove1 fault or want in all things2 ,and a little mind looketh on the lily with a microscopic eye1 ,eager and glad to pry out specks on its robe of purity2 ,but a great mind gazeth on the sun1 glorying in his brightness1 ,and taking large knowledge of his good1 in the broad prairie of creation3 ,what1 though he hatch basilisks8 what1 though spots are on the sun8 ,in fulness is his worth1 in fulness be his praise6 ,illustration ,,of ,,self-,,acquaintance4 ,illustration3 ,k ,knowledge holdeth by the hilt1 and heweth out a road to conquest2 ,ignorance graspeth the blade1 and is wounded by its own good sword3 ,knowledge distilleth health from the virulence of opposite poisons2 ,ignorance mixeth wholesomes1 unto the breeding of disease3 ,knowledge is leagued with the universe1 and findeth a friend in all things2 ,but ignorance is everywhere a stranger2 unwelcome1 ill at ease1 and out of place4 ,a man is helpless and unsafe up to the measure of his ignorance1 ,for he lacketh perception of the aptitudes commending such a matter to his use1 ,clutching at the horn of danger1 while he judgeth it the handle of security1 ,or casting his anchor so widely1 that the granite reef is just within the tether4 ,untaught in science1 he is but half alive1 stupidly taking note of nothing1 ,or listening with dull wonder to the crafty saws of an empiric3 ,simple in the world1 he trusteth unto knaves2 and then to make amends for folly1 ,dealeth so shrewdly with the honest1 they cannot but suspect him for a thief2 ,with an unknown ,god1 he maketh mock of reason1 fathering contrivance on chance1 ,or doting with superstitious dread on some crooked image of his fancy3 ,but ignorant of ,self1 he is weakness at heart2 the key-stone crumbleth into sand1 ,there is panic in the general's tent1 the oak is hollow as hemlock2 ,though the warm sap creepeth up its bark1 filling out the sheaf of leaves1 ,though knowledge of all things beside add proofs of seeming vigour1 ,though the master-mind of the royal sage feast on the mysteries of wisdom1 ,yet ignorance of self shall bow down the spirit of a ,solomon to idols2 ,the storm of temptation1 sweeping by1 shall snap that oak like a reed1 ,and the proud luxuriance of its tufted crown drag it the sooner to the dust4 ,youth1 confident in self1 tampereth with dangerous dalliance1 ,till the vice his heart once hated hath locked him in her foul embrace3 ,manhood1 through zeal of doing good1 seeketh high place for its occasions1 ,unwitting that the bleak mountain-air will nip the tender budding of his motives3 ,or painfully1 for love of truth1 he climbeth the ladder of science1 ,till pride of intellect heating his heart1 warpeth it aside to delusion3 ,the maiden1 to give shadow to her fairness1 plaiteth her raven hair1 ,heedlessly weaving for her soul the silken net of vanity3 ,the grey-beard looketh on his gold1 till he loveth its yellow smile1 ,unconscious of the bright decoy which is luring his heart unto avarice3 ,wrath avoideth no quarrel1 jealousy counteth its suspicions1 ,pining envy gazeth still1 and melancholy seeketh solitude1 ,the sensitive broodeth on his slights1 the fearful poreth over horrors1 ,the train of wantonness is fired1 the nerves of indecision are unstrung2 ,each special proneness unto harm is pampered by ignorant indulgence1 ,and the man1 for want of warning1 yieldeth to the apt temptation4 ,a smith at the loom1 and a weaver at the forge1 were but sorry craftsmen2 ,and a ship that saileth on every wind never shall reach her port3 ,yet there be thousands among men who heed not the leaning of their talents1 ,but cutting against the grain1 toil on to no good end2 ,and the light of a thoughtful spirit is quenched beneath the bushel of commerce1 ,while meaner plodding minds are driven up the mountain of philosophy3 ,the cedar withereth on a wall1 while the house-leek is fattening in a hot-bed1 ,and the dock with its rank leaves hideth the sun from violets4 ,to everything a fitting place1 a proper honourable use2 ,the humblest measure of mind is bright in its humble sphere3 ,the glow-worm1 creeping in the hedge1 lighteth her evening torch1 ,and her far-off mate1 on gossamer sail1 steereth his course by that star3 ,but ignorance mocketh at proprieties1 bringing out the glow-worm at noon2 ,and setteth the faults of mediocrity in the full blaze of wisdom4 ,ravens croaking in darkness1 and a skylark trilling to the sun1 ,the voice of a screech-owl from a ruin1 and the blackbird's whistle in a wood1 ,a cushion-footed camel for the sands1 and a swift rein-deer for the snows1 ,a naked skin for ,ethiopia1 and rich soft furs for the ,pole3 ,in all things is there a fitness3 discord with discord hath its music2 ,and the harmony of nature is preserved by each one knowing his place4 ,the blind at an easel1 the palsied with a graver1 the halt making for the goal1 ,the deaf ear tuning psaltery1 the stammerer discoursing eloquence1-- ,what wonder if all fail8 the shaft flieth wide of the mark ,alike if itself be crooked1 or the bow be strung awry2 ,and the mind which were excellent in one way1 but foolishly toileth in another1 ,what is it but an ill-strung bow1 and its aim a crooked arrow8 ,by knowledge of self1 thou provest thy powers3 put not the racer to the plough1 ,nor goad the toilsome ox to wager his slowness with the fleet3 ,consider thy failings1 heed thy propensities1 search out thy latent virtues1 ,analyze the doubtful1 cultivate the good1 and crush the head of evil2 ,so shalt thou catch with quick hand the golden ball of opportunity1 ,the warrior armed shall be ready for the fray1 beside his bridled steed2 ,thou shall ward off special harms1 and have the sway of circumstance1 ,and turn to thy special good the common current of events2 ,choosing from the wardrobe of the world1 thou shalt suitably clothe thy spirit1 ,nor thrust the white hand of peace into the gauntlet of defiance3 ,the shepherd shall go with a staff1 and conquer by sling and stone2 ,the soldier shall let alone the distaff1 and the scribe lay down the sword2 ,the man unlearned shall keep silence1 and earn one attribute of wisdom1 ,the sage be sparing of his lessons before unhearing ears3 ,calm shalt thou be1 as a lion in repose1 conscious of passive strength1 ,and the shock that splitteth the globe1 shall not unthrone thy self-possession4 ,acquaint thee with thyself1 ,o man6 so shalt thou be humble3 ,the hard hot desert of thy heart shall blossom with the lily and the rose2 ,the frozen cliffs of pride shall melt1 as an iceberg in the tropics2 ,the bitter fountains of self-seeking be sweeter than the waters of the ,nile4 ,but if thou lack that wisdom1--thy frail skiff is doomed1 ,on stronger eddy whirling to the dreadful gorge2 ,untaught in that grand lore1 thou standest1 cased in steel1 ,to dare with mocking unbelief the thunderbolts of heaven4 ,for look now around thee on the universe1 behold how all things serve thee2 ,the teeming soil1 and the buoyant sea1 and undulating air1 ,golden crops1 and bloomy fruits1 and flowers1 and precious gems1 ,choice perfumes and fair sights1 soft touches and sweet music3 ,for thee1 shoaling up the bay1 crowd the finny nations1 ,for thee1 the cattle on a thousand hills live1 and labour1 and die3 ,light is thy daily slave1 darkness inviteth thee to slumber2 ,thou art served by the hands of ,beauty1 and ,sublimity kneeleth at thy feet3 ,arise1 thou sovereign of creation1 and behold thy glory6 ,yet more1 thou hast a mind2 intellect wingeth thee to heaven1 ,tendeth thy state on earth1 and by it thou divest down to hell2 ,thou hast measured the belts of ,saturn1 thou hast weighed the moons of ,jupiter1 ,and seen1 by reason's eye1 the centre of thy globe2 ,subtly hast thou numbered by billions the leagues between sun and sun1 ,and noted in thy book the coming of their shadows2 ,with marvellous unerring truth1 thou knowest to an inch and to an instant1 ,the where and the when of the comet's path that shall seem to rush by at thy command3 ,arise1 thou king of mind1 and survey thy dignity6 ,yet more1--for once believe religion's flattering tale2 ,thou hast a soul1 yea1 and a ,god1--but be not therefore humbled2 ,thy ,maker's self was glad to live and die--a man2 ,the brightest jewel in ,his crown is voluntary manhood3 ,by deep dishonour1 and great price1 bought ,he that envied freedom1 ,but thou wast born an heir of all1 thy ,master scarce could earn4 ,o climax unto pride1 ,o triumph of humanity1 ,o triple crown upon thy brow1 most high and mighty ,self6 ,arise1 thou ,lord of all1 thou greater than a ,god6-- ,how saidst thou1 wretched being8--cast thy glance within2 ,regard that painted sepulchre1 the hovel of thy heart3 ,ha6 with what fearful imagery swarmeth that small chamber2 ,the horrid eye of murder1 scowling in the dark1 ,the bony hand of avarice1 filching from the poor1 ,the lurid fires of lust1 the idiot face of folly1 ,the sickening deed of cruelty1 the foul fierce orgies of the drunken1 ,weak contemptible vanity1 stubborn stolid unbelief1 ,envy's devilish sneer1 and the vile features of ingratitude1-- ,man1 hast thou seen enough8 or are these full proof ,that thou art a miracle of mercy1 and all thy dignity is dross8 ,well1 said the wisdom of earth1 ,o mortal1 know thyself2 ,but better the wisdom of heaven1 ,o man1 learn thou thy ,god3 ,by knowledge of self thou art conusant of evil1 and mailed in panoply to meet it2 ,by knowledge of ,god cometh knowledge of good1 and universal love is at thy heart4 ,every creature knoweth its capacities1 running in the road of instinct1 ,and reason must not lag behind1 but serve itself of all proprieties3 ,the swift to the race1 and the strong to the burden1 and the wise for right direction2 ,for self-knowledge filleth with acceptance its niche in the temple of utility3 ,but vainly wilt thou look for that knowledge1 till the clue of all truth is in thy hand1 ,for the labyrinth of man's heart windeth in complicate deceivings3 ,thou canst not sound its depths with the shallow plumb-line of reason1 ,till religion1 the pilot of the soul1 have lent thee her unfathomable coil3 ,therefore1 for this grand knowledge1 and knowledge is the parent of dominion1 ,learn ,god1 thou shalt know thyself2 yea1 and shalt have mastery of all things4 ,illustration3 ,of ,cruelty to ,animals ,,of ,,cruelty ,,to ,,animals4 ,illustration3 ,s ,shame upon thee1 savage ,monarch-,man1 proud monopolist of reason2 ,shame upon ,creation's lord1 the fierce ensanguined despot3 ,what1 man6 are there not enough1 hunger1 and diseases1 and fatigue1-- ,and yet must thy goad or thy thong add another sorrow to existence8 ,what6 art thou not content thy sin hath dragged down suffering and death ,on the poor dumb servants of thy comfort1 and yet must thou rack them with thy spite8 ,the prodigal heir of creation hath gambled away his all1-- ,shall he add torment to the bondage that is galling his forfeit serfs8 ,the leader in nature's pan himself hath marred her psaltery1 ,shall he multiply the din of discord by overstraining all the strings8 ,the rebel hath fortified his stronghold1 shutting in his vassals with him1-- ,shall he aggravate the woes of the besieged by oppression from within8 ,thou twice deformed image of thy ,maker1 thou hateful representative of ,love1 ,for very shame be merciful1 be kind unto the creatures thou hast ruined2 ,earth and her million tribes are cursed for thy sake1 ,earth and her million tribes still writhe beneath thy cruelty3 ,liveth there but one among the million that shall not bear witness against thee1 ,a pensioner of land or air or sea1 that hath not whereof it will accuse thee8 ,from the elephant toiling at a launch1 to the shrew-mouse in the harvest-field1 ,from the whale which the harpooner hath stricken1 to the minnow caught upon a pin1 ,from the albatross wearied in its flight1 to the wren in her covered nest1 ,from the death-moth and lace-winged dragon-fly1 to the lady-bird and the gnat1 ,the verdict of all things is unanimous1 finding their master cruel3 ,the dog1 thy humble friend1 thy trusting1 honest friend2 ,the ass1 thine uncomplaining slave1 drudging from morn to even2 ,the lamb1 and the timorous hare1 and the labouring ox at plough2 ,the speckled trout1 basking in the shallow1 and the partridge1 gleaning in the stubble1 ,and the stag at bay1 and the worm in thy path1 and the wild bird pining in captivity1 ,and all things that minister alike to thy life and thy comfort and thy pride1 ,testify with one sad voice that man is a cruel master4 ,verily1 they are all thine3 freely mayst thou serve thee of them all3 ,they are thine by gift for thy needs1 to be used in all gratitude and kindness2 ,gratitude to their ,god and thine1--their ,father and thy ,father1 ,kindness to them who toil for thee1 and help thee with their all3 ,for meat1 but not by wantonness of slaying3 for burden1 but with limits of humanity2 ,for luxury1 but not through torture2 for draught1 but according to the strength3 ,for a dog cannot plead his own right1 nor render a reason for exemption1 ,nor give a soft answer unto wrath1 to turn aside the undeserved lash2 ,the galled ox cannot complain1 nor supplicate a moment's respite2 ,the spent horse hideth his distress1 till he panteth out his spirit at the goal2 ,also1 in the winter of life1 when worn by constant toil1 ,if ingratitude forget his services1 he cannot bring them to remembrance2 ,behold1 he is faint with hunger2 the big tear standeth in his eye2 ,his skin is sore with stripes1 and he tottereth beneath his burden2 ,his limbs are stiff with age1 his sinews have lost their vigour1 ,and pain is stamped upon his face1 while he wrestleth unequally with toil2 ,yet once more mutely and meekly endureth he the crushing blow2 ,that struggle hath cracked his heart-strings1--the generous brute is dead6 ,liveth there no advocate for him8 no judge to avenge his wrongs8 ,no voice that shall be heard in his defence8 no sentence to be passed on his oppressor8 ,yea1 the sad eye of the tortured pleadeth pathetically for him2 ,yea1 all the justice in heaven is roused in indignation at his woes2 ,yea1 all the pity upon earth shall call down a curse upon the cruel2 ,yea1 the burning malice of the wicked is their own exceeding punishment4 ,the ,angel of ,mercy stoppeth not to comfort1 but passeth by on the other side1 ,and hath no tear to shed1 when a cruel man is damned4 ,,of ,,friendship4 ,illustration3 ,a ,as frost to the bud1 and blight to the blossom1 even such is self-interest to ,friendship3 ,for ,confidence cannot dwell where ,selfishness is porter at the gate4 ,if thou see thy friend to be selfish1 thou canst not be sure of his honesty2 ,and in seeking thine own weal1 thou hast wronged the reliance of thy friend4 ,flattery hideth her varnished face when ,friendship sitteth at his board3 ,and the door is shut upon ,suspicion1 but ,candour is bid glad welcome4 ,for ,friendship abhorreth doubt1 its life is in mutual trust1 ,and perisheth1 when artful praise proveth it is sought for a purpose4 ,a man may be good to thee at times1 and render thee mighty service1 ,whom yet thy secret soul could not desire as a friend2 ,for the sum of life is in trifles1 and though1 in the weightier masses1 ,a man refuse thee not his purse1 nay his all in thine utmost need1 ,yet if thou canst not feel that his character agreeth with thine own1 ,thou never wilt call him friend1 though thou render him a heartful of gratitude4 ,a coarse man grindeth harshly the finer feelings of his brother2 ,a common mind will soon depart from the dull companionship of wisdom2 ,a weak soul dareth not to follow in the track of vigour and decision2 ,and the worldly regardeth with scorn the seeming foolishness of faith4 ,a mountain is made up of atoms1 and friendship of little matters1 ,and if the atoms hold not together1 the mountain is crumbled into dust4 ,come1 ,i will show thee a friend2 ,i will paint one worthy of thy trust3 ,thine heart shall not weary of him3 thou shalt not secretly despise him4 ,thou art long in learning him1 in unravelling all his worth2 ,and he dazzleth not thine eyes at first1 to be darkened in thy sight afterward1 ,but riseth from small beginnings1 and reacheth the height of thine esteem4 ,he remembereth that thou art only man2 he expecteth not great things from thee3 ,and his forbearance toward thee silently teacheth thee to be considerate unto him4 ,he despiseth not courtesy of manner1 nor neglecteth the decencies of life3 ,nor mocketh the failings of others1 nor is harsh in his censures before thee3 ,for so1 how couldst thou tell1 if he talketh not of thee in ridicule8 ,he withholdeth no secret from thee1 and rejecteth not thine in turn2 ,he shareth his joys with thee1 and is glad to bear part in thy sorrows4 ,yet one thing1 he loveth thee too well to show thee the corruptions of his heart3 ,for as an ill example strengthened the hands of the wicked1 ,so to put forward thy guilt1 is a secret poison to thy friend3 ,for the evil in his nature is comforted1 and he warreth more weakly against it1 ,if he find that the friend whom he honoureth1 is a man more sinful than himself4 ,i hear the communing of friends2 ye speak out the fulness of your souls1 ,and being but men1 as men1 ye own to all the sympathies of manhood3 ,confidence openeth the lips1 indulgence beameth from the eye1 ,the tongue loveth not boasting1 the heart is made glad with kindness3 ,and one standeth not as on a hill1 beckoning to the other to follow1 ,but ye toil up hand in hand1 and carry each other's burdens4 ,ye commune of hopes and aspirations1 the fervent breathings of the heart1 ,ye speak with pleasant interchange the treasured secrets of affection1 ,ye listen to the voice of complaint1 and whisper the language of comfort1 ,and as in a double solitude1 ye think in each other's hearing4 ,choose thy friend discreetly1 and see thou consider his station1 ,for the graduated scale of ranks accordeth with the ordinance of ,heaven4 ,if a low companion ripen to a friend1 in the full sunshine of thy confidence1 ,know1 that for old age thou hast heaped up sorrow2 ,for thou sinkest to that level1 and thy kin shall scorn thee1 ,yea1 and the menial thou hast pampered haply shall neglect thee in thy death3 ,and if thou reachest up to high estates1 thinking to herd with princes1 ,what art thou but a footstool1 though so near a throne8 ,o rush among the lilies1 be taught thou art a weed1 ,o briar among the cedars1 hot contempt shall burn thee4 ,but thou1 friend and scholar1 select from thine own caste1 ,and make not an intimate of one1 thy servant or thy master2 ,for only friendship among men is the true republic1 ,where all have equality of service1 and all have freedom of command4 ,and yet1 if thou wilt take my judgment1 be shy of too much openness with any1 ,lest thou repent hereafter1 should he turn and rend thee3 ,for many an apostate friend hath abused unguarded confidence1 ,and bent to selfish ends the secret of the soul4 ,absence strengthened friendship1 where the last recollections were kindly2 ,but it must be good wine at the last1 or absence shall weaken it daily4 ,a rare thing is faith1 and friendship is a marvel among men1 ,yet strange faces call they friends1 and say they believe when they doubt4 ,those hours are not lost that are spent in cementing affection2 ,for a friend is above gold1 precious as the stores of the mind4 ,be sparing of advice by words1 but teach thy lesson by example3 ,for the vanity of man may be wounded1 and retort unkindly upon thee4 ,there be some that never had a friend1 because they were gross and selfish2 ,worldliness1 and apathy1 and pride1 leave not many that are worthy3 ,but one who meriteth esteem1 need never lack a friend3 ,for as thistle-down flieth abroad1 and casteth its anchor in the soil1 ,so philanthropy yearneth for a heart1 where it may take root and blossom4 ,yet ,i hear the child of sensibility moaning at the wintry cold1 ,wherein the mists of selfishness have wrapped the society of men3 ,he grieveth1 and hath deep reasons2 for falsehood hath wronged his trust1 ,and the breaches in his bleeding heart have been filled with the briars of suspicion4 ,for1 alas1 how few be friends1 of whom charity hath hoped well6 ,how few there be among men who forget themselves for other6 ,each one seeketh his own1 and looketh on his brethren as rivals1 ,masking envy with friendship1 to serve his secret ends4 ,and the world1 that corrupteth all good1 hath wronged that sacred name1 ,for it calleth any man friend1 who is not known for an enemy3 ,and such be as the flies of summer1 while plenty sitteth at thy board3 ,but who can wonder at their flight from the cold denials of want8 ,such be as vultures round a carcase1 assembled together for the feast2 ,but a sudden noise scareth them1 and forthwith are they specks among the clouds4 ,there be few1 ,o child of sensibility1 who deserve to have thy confidence2 ,yet weep not1 for there are some1 and such some live for thee3 ,to them is the chilling world a drear and barren scene1 ,and gladly seek they such as thou art1 for seldom find they the occasion3 ,for1 though no man excludeth himself from the high capability of friendship1 ,yet verily the man is a marvel whom truth can write a friend4 ,illustration3 ,of ,love ,of ,love4 ,there is a fragrant blossom1 that maketh glad the garden of the heart2 ,its root lieth deep3 it is delicate1 yet lasting1 as the lilac crocus of autumn3 ,loneliness and thought are the dews that water it morn and even2 ,memory and ,absence cherish it1 as the balmy breathings of the south3 ,its sun is the brightness of ,affection1 and it bloometh in the borders of ,hope2 ,its companions are gentle flowers1 and the briar withereth by its side4 ,i saw it budding in beauty2 ,i felt the magic of its smile2 ,the violet rejoiced beneath it1 the rose stooped down and kissed it2 ,and ,i thought some cherub had planted there a truant flower of ,eden1 ,as a bird bringeth foreign seeds1 that they may flourish in a kindly soil4 ,i saw1 and asked not its name2 ,i knew no language was so wealthy1 ,though every heart of every clime findeth its echo within4 ,and yet what shall ,i say8 ,is a sordid man capable of ,love8 ,hath a seducer known it8 ,can an adulterer perceive it8 ,or he that seeketh strange women1 can he feel its purity8 ,or he that changeth often1 can he know its truth8 ,longing for another's happiness1 yet often destroying its own2 ,chaste1 and looking up to ,god1 as the fountain of tenderness and joy3 ,quiet1 yet flowing deep1 as the ,rhine among rivers2 ,lasting1 and knowing not change--it walketh with ,truth and ,sincerity4 ,love3--what a volume in a word1 an ocean in a tear1 ,a seventh heaven in a glance1 a whirlwind in a sigh1 ,the lightning in a touch1 a millennium in a moment1 ,what concentrated joy or woe in blest or blighted love6 ,for it is that native poetry springing up indigenous to ,mind1 ,the heart's own-country music thrilling all its chords1 ,the story without an end that angels throng to hear1 ,the word1 the king of words1 carved on ,jehovah's heart6 ,go1 call thou snake-eyed malice mercy1 call envy honest praise1 ,count selfish craft for wisdom1 and coward treachery for prudence1 ,do homage to blaspheming unbelief as to bold and free philosophy1 ,and estimate the recklessness of license as the right attribute of liberty1-- ,but with the world1 thou friend and scholar1 stain not this pure name2 ,nor suffer the majesty of ,love to be likened to the meanness of desire3 ,for love is no more such1 than seraphs' hymns are discord1 ,and such is no more ,love1 than ,etna's breath is summer4 ,love is a sweet idolatry enslaving all the soul1 ,a mighty spiritual force1 warring with the dulness of matter1 ,an angel-mind breathed into a mortal1 though fallen yet how beautiful6 ,all the devotion of the heart in all its depth and grandeur4 ,behold that pale geranium1 pent within the cottage window2 ,how yearningly it stretcheth to the light its sickly long-stalked leaves1 ,how it straineth upward to the sun1 coveting his sweet influences1 ,how real a living sacrifice to the god of all its worship6 ,such is the soul that loveth2 and so the rose-tree of affection ,bendeth its every leaf to look on those dear eyes1 ,its every blushing petal basketh in their light1 ,and all its gladness1 all its life1 is hanging on their love4 ,if the love of the heart is blighted1 it buddeth not again3 ,if that pleasant song is forgotten1 it is to be learnt no more3 ,yet often will thought look back1 and weep over early affection2 ,and the dim notes of that pleasant song will be heard as a reproachful spirit1 ,moaning in olian strains over the desert of the heart1 ,where the hot siroccos of the world have withered its one oasis4 ,illustration ,,of ,,marriage4 ,seek a good wife of thy ,god1 for she is the best gift of ,his providence2 ,yet ask not in bold confidence that which ,he hath not promised3 ,thou knowest not ,his good will3--be thy prayer then submissive there-unto2 ,and leave thy petition to ,his mercy1 assured that ,he will deal well with thee4 ,if thou art to have a wife of thy youth1 she is now living on the earth2 ,therefore think of her1 and pray for her weal2 yea1 though thou hast not seen her4 ,they that love early become like-minded1 and the tempter toucheth them not3 ,they grow up leaning on each other1 as the olive and the vine4 ,youth longeth for a kindred spirit1 and yearneth for a heart that can commune with his own2 ,he meditateth night and day1 doting on the image of his fancy4 ,take heed that what charmeth thee is real1 nor springeth of thine own imagination2 ,and suffer not trifles to win thy love2 for a wife is thine unto death4 ,the harp and the voice may thrill thee1--sound may enchant thine ear1 ,but consider thou1 the hand will wither1 and the sweet notes turn discord3 ,the eye1 so brilliant at even1 may be red with sorrow in the morning2 ,and the sylph-like form of elegance must writhe in the crampings of pain4 ,o happy lot1 and hallowed1 even as the joy of angels1 ,where the golden chain of godliness is entwined with the roses of love3 ,but beware thou seem not to be holy1 to win favour in the eyes of a creature1 ,for the guilt of the hypocrite is deadly1 and winneth thee wrath elsewhere4 ,the idol of thy heart is1 as thou1 a probationary sojourner on earth2 ,therefore be chary of her soul1 for that is the jewel in her casket3 ,let her be a child of ,god1 that she bring with her a blessing to thy house1-- ,a blessing above riches1 and leading contentment in its train3 ,let her be an heir of ,heaven2 so shall she help thee on thy way3 ,for those who are one in faith1 fight double-handed against evil4 ,take heed lest she love thee before ,god2 that she be not an idolater3 ,yet see thou that she love thee well3 for her heart is the heart of woman2 ,and the triple nature of humanity must be bound by a triple chain1 ,for soul and mind and body--godliness1 esteem1 and affection4 ,how beautiful is modesty6 it winneth upon all beholders3 ,but a word or a glance may destroy the pure love that should have been for thee4 ,affect not to despise beauty3 no one is freed from its dominion2 ,but regard it not a pearl of price3--it is fleeting as the bow in the clouds4 ,if the character within be gentle1 it often hath its index in the countenance3 ,the soft smile of a loving face is better than splendour that fadeth quickly4 ,when thou choosest a wife1 think not only of thyself1 ,but of those ,god may give thee of her1 that they reproach thee not for their being3 ,see that ,he hath given her health1 lest thou lose her early and weep3 ,see that she springeth of a wholesome stock1 that thy little ones perish not before thee3 ,for many a fair skin hath covered a mining disease1 ,and many a laughing cheek been bright with the glare of madness4 ,mark the converse of one thou lovest1 that it be simple and sincere2 ,for an artful or false woman shall set thy pillow with thorns4 ,observe her deportment with others1 when she thinketh not that thou art nigh1 ,for with thee will the blushes of love conceal the true colour of her mind4 ,hath she learning8 it is good1 so that modesty go with it3 ,hath she wisdom8 it is precious1 but beware that thou exceed2 ,for woman must be subject1 and the true mastery is of the mind4 ,be joined to thine equal in rank1 or the foot of pride will kick at thee2 ,and look not only for riches1 lest thou be mated with misery3 ,marry not without means2 for so shouldst thou tempt ,providence2 ,but wait not for more than enough2 for ,marriage is the ,,duty of most men3 ,grievous indeed must be the burden that shall outweigh innocence and health1 ,and a well-assorted marriage hath not many cares4 ,in the day of thy joy consider the poor2 thou shall reap a rich harvest of blessing2 ,for these be the pensioners of ,one who filleth thy cup with pleasures3 ,in the day of thy joy be thankful3 ,he hath well deserved thy praise3 ,mean and selfish is the heart that seeketh ,him only in sorrow4 ,for her sake who leaneth on thine arm1 court not the notice of the world1 ,and remember that sober privacy is comelier than public display4 ,if thou marriest1 thou art allied unto strangers2 see they be not such as shame thee3 ,if thou marriest1 thou leavest thine own2 see that it be not done in anger4 ,bride and bridegroom1 pilgrims of life1 henceforward to travel together1 ,in this the beginning of your journey1 neglect not the favour of ,heaven3 ,let the day of hopes fulfilled be blest by many prayers1 ,and at eventide kneel ye together1 that your joy be not unhallowed3 ,angels that are round you shall be glad1 those loving ministers of mercy1 ,and the richest blessings of your ,god shall be poured on ,his favoured children4 ,marriage is a figure and an earnest of holier things unseen1 ,and reverence well becometh the symbol of dignity and glory4 ,keep thy heart pure1 lest thou do dishonour to thy state2 ,selfishness is base and hateful2 but love considereth not itself4 ,the wicked turneth good into evil1 for his mind is warped within him2 ,but the heart of the righteous is chaste3 his conscience casteth off sin4 ,if thou wilt be loved1 render implicit confidence2 ,if thou wouldst not suspect1 receive full confidence in turn3 ,for where trust is not reciprocal1 the love that trusted withereth4 ,hide not your grief nor your gladness2 be open one with the other2 ,let bitterness be strange unto your tongues1 but sympathy a dweller in your hearts3 ,imparting halveth the evils1 while it doubleth the pleasures of life1 ,but sorrows breed and thicken in the gloomy bosom of ,reserve4 ,young wife1 be not froward1 nor forget that modesty becometh thee3 ,if it be discarded now1 who will not hold it feigned before8 ,but be not as a timid girl1--there is honour due to thine estate2 ,a matron's modesty is dignified3 she blusheth not1 neither is she bold4 ,be kind to the friends of thine husband1 for the love they have to him3 ,and gently bear with his infirmities3 hast thou no need of his forbearance8 ,be not always in each other's company2 it is often good to be alone2 ,and if there be too much sameness1 ye cannot but grow weary of each other3 ,ye have each a soul to be nourished1 and a mind to be taught in wisdom1 ,therefore1 as accountable for time1 help one another to improve it4 ,if ye feel love to decline1 track out quickly the secret cause2 ,let it not rankle for a day1 but confess and bewail it together3 ,speedily seek to be reconciled1 for love is the life of marriage2 ,and be ye co-partners in triumph1 conquering the peevishness of self4 ,let no one have thy confidence1 ,o wife1 saving thine husband3 ,have not a friend more intimate1 ,o husband1 than thy wife4 ,in the joy of a well-ordered home be warned that this is not your rest2 ,for the substance to come may be forgotten in the present beauty of the shadow4 ,if ye are blessed with children1 ye have a fearful pleasure1 ,a deeper care and a higher joy1 and the range of your existence is widened3 ,if ,god in wisdom refuse them1 thank ,him for an unknown mercy3 ,for how can ye tell if they might be a blessing or a curse8 ,yet ye may pray1 like ,hannah1 simply dependent on ,his will3 ,resignation sweeteneth the cup1 but impatience dasheth it with vinegar4 ,now this is the sum of the matter3--if ye will be happy in marriage1 ,confide1 love1 and be patient3 be faithful1 firm1 and holy4 ,illustration ,,of ,,education4 ,a babe in a house is a well-spring of pleasure1 a messenger of peace and love3 ,a resting place for innocence on earth2 a link between angels and men3 ,yet is it a talent of trust1 a loan to be rendered back with interest2 ,a delight1 but redolent of care2 honey-sweet1 but lacking not the bitter4 ,for character groweth day by day1 and all things aid it in unfolding1 ,and the bent unto good or evil may be given in the hours of infancy3 ,scratch the green rind of a sapling1 or wantonly twist it in the soil1 ,the scarred and crooked oak will tell of thee for centuries to come2 ,even so mayst thou guide the mind to good1 or lead it to the marrings of evil1 ,for disposition is builded up by the fashioning of first impressions3 ,wherefore1 though the voice of instruction waiteth for the ear of reason1 ,yet with his mother's milk the young child drinketh ,education4 ,patience is the first great lesson2 he may learn it at the breast3 ,and the habit of obedience and trust may be grafted on his mind in the cradle3 ,hold the little hands in prayer1 teach the weak knees their kneeling2 ,let him see thee speaking to thy ,god2 he will not forget it afterward3 ,when old and grey will he feelingly remember a mother's tender piety1 ,and the touching recollection of her prayers shall arrest the strong man in his sin4 ,select not to nurse thy darling one that may taint his innocence1 ,for example is a constant monitor1 and good seed will die among the tares4 ,the arts of a strange servant have spoiled a gentle disposition3 ,mother1 let him learn of thy lips1 and be nourished at thy breast4 ,character is mainly moulded by the cast of the minds that surround it3 ,let then the playmates of thy little one be not other than thy judgment shall approve3 ,for a child is in a new world1 and learneth somewhat every moment1 ,his eye is quick to observe1 his memory storeth in secret1 ,his ear is greedy of knowledge1 and his mind is plastic as soft wax4 ,beware then that he heareth what is good1 that he feedeth not on evil maxims1 ,for the seeds of first instructions are dropped into the deepest furrows4 ,that which immemorial use hath sanctioned1 seemeth to be right and true2 ,therefore1 let him never have to recollect the time when good things were strangers to his thought4 ,strive not to centre in thyself1 fond mother1 all his love2 ,nay1 do not thou so selfishly1 but enlarge his heart for others2 ,use him to sympathy betimes1 that he learn to be sad with the afflicted2 ,and check not a child in his merriment1--should not his morning be sunny8 ,give him not all his desire1 so shalt thou strengthen him in hope2 ,neither stop with indulgence the fountain of his tears1 so shall he fear thy firmness4 ,above all things graft on him subjection1 yea1 in the veriest trifle2 ,courtesy to all1 reverence to some1 and to thee unanswering obedience4 ,read thou first1 and well approve1 the books thou givest to thy child2 ,but remember the weakness of his thought1 and that wisdom for him must be diluted3 ,in the honied waters of infant tales1 let him taste the strong wine of truth3 ,pathetic stories soften the heart2 but legends of terror breed midnight misery2 ,fairy fictions cram the mind with folly1 and knowledge of evil tempteth to like evil3 ,be not loth to curb imagination1 nor be fearful that truths will depress it2 ,and for evil1 he will learn it soon enough2 be not thou the devil's envoy4 ,induce not precocity of intellect1 for so shouldst thou nourish vanity2 ,neither can a plant1 forced in the hot-bed1 stand against the frozen breath of winter4 ,the mind is made wealthy by ideas1 but the multitude of words is a clogging weight3 ,therefore be understood in thy teaching1 and instruct to the measure of capacity4 ,analogy is milk for babes1 but abstract truths are strong meat2 ,precepts and rules are repulsive to a child1 but happy illustration winneth him3 ,in vain shalt thou preach of industry and prudence1 till he learn of the bee and the ant2 ,dimly will he think of his soul1 till the acorn and the chrysalis have taught him2 ,he will fear ,god in thunder1 and worship ,his loveliness in flowers2 ,and parables shall charm his heart1 while doctrines seem dead mystery3 ,faith shall he learn of the husbandman casting good corn into the soil2 ,and if thou train him to trust thee1 he will not withhold his reliance from the ,lord4 ,fearest thou the dark1 poor child8 ,i would not have thee left to thy terrors2 ,darkness is the semblance of evil1 and nature regardeth it with dread3 ,yet know thy father's ,god is with thee still1 to guard thee3 ,it is a simple lesson of dependence2 let thy tost mind anchor upon ,him4 ,did a sudden noise affright thee8 lo1 this or that hath caused it3 ,things undefined are full of dread1 and stagger stouter nerves4 ,the seeds of misery and madness have been sowed in the nights of infancy2 ,therefore be careful that ghastly fears be not the night companions of thy child4 ,lo1 thou art a landmark on a hill2 thy little ones copy thee in all things3 ,let1 then1 thy religion be perfect3 so shalt thou be honoured in thy house4 ,be instructed in all wisdom1 and communicate that thou knowest1 ,otherwise thy learning is hidden1 and thus thou seemest unwise4 ,a sluggard hath no respect2 an epicure commandeth not reverence2 ,meanness is always despicable1 and folly provoketh contempt4 ,those parents are best honoured whose characters best deserve it2 ,show me a child undutiful1 ,i shall know where to look for a foolish father3 ,never hath a father done his duty1 and lived to be despised of his son3 ,but how can that son reverence an example he dare not follow8 ,should he imitate thee in thine evil8 his scorn is thy rebuke4 ,nay1 but bring him up aright1 in obedience to ,god and to thee2 ,begin betimes1 lest thou fail of his fear2 and with judgment1 that thou lose not his love3 ,herein use good discretion1 and govern not all alike1 ,yet1 perhaps1 the fault will be in thee1 if kindness prove not all sufficient3 ,by kindness1 the wolf and the zebra become docile as the spaniel and the horse2 ,the kite feedeth with the starling1 under the law of kindness3 ,that law shall tame the fiercest1 bring down the battlements of pride1 ,cherish the weak1 control the strong1 and win the fearful spirit4 ,be obeyed when thou commandest2 but command not often3 ,let thy carriage be the gentleness of love1 not the stern front of tyranny4 ,make not one child a warning to another2 but chide the offender apart3 ,for self-conceit and wounded pride rankle like poisons in the soul4 ,a mild rebuke in the season of calmness1 is better than a rod in the heat of passion2 ,nevertheless1 spare not1 if thy word hath passed for punishment2 ,let not thy child see thee humbled1 nor learn to think thee false2 ,suffer none to reprove thee before him1 and reprove not thine own purposes by change2 ,yet speedily turn thou again1 and reward him where thou canst1 ,for kind encouragement in good cutteth at the roots of evil4 ,drive not a timid infant from his home1 in the early spring-time of his life1 ,commit not that treasure to an hireling1 nor wrench the young heart's fibres3 ,in his helplessness leave him not alone1 a stranger among strange children1 ,where affection longeth for thy love1 counting the dreary hours2 ,where religion is made a terror1 and innocence weepeth unheard2 ,where oppression grindeth without remedy1 and cruelty delighteth in smiting4 ,wherefore comply with an evil fashion8 ,is it not to spare thee trouble8 ,can he gather no knowledge at thy mouth8 ,wilt thou yield thine honour to another8 ,what can he gain in learning1 to equal what he loseth in innocence8 ,alas6 for the price above gold1 by which such learning cometh6 ,for emulative pride and envy are the specious idols of the diligent1 ,oaths and foul-mouthed sin burn in the language of the idle3 ,bolder in that mimic world of boys stareth brazen-fronted vice1 ,than thereafter in the haunts of men1 where society doth shame her into corners4 ,my soul1 look well around thee1 ere thou give thy timid infant unto sorrows4 ,there be many that say1 ,we were happiest in days long past1 ,when our deepest care was an ill-conned book1 ,and when we sported in that merry sunshine of our life1 ,sadness a stranger to the heart1 and cheerfulness its gay inhabitant4 ,true1 ye are now less pure1 and therefore are more wretched3 ,but have ye quite forgotten how sorely ye travailed at your tasks1 ,how childish griefs and disappointments bowed down the childish mind8 ,how sorrow sat upon your pillow1 and terror hath waked you up betimes1 ,dreading the strict hand of justice1 that would not wait for a reason1 ,or the whims of petty tyrants1 children like yourselves1 ,or the pestilent extract of evil poured into the ear of innocence8 ,behold the coral island1 fresh from the floor of the ,atlantic1 ,it is dinted by every ripple1 and a soft wave can smooth its surface2 ,but soon its substance hardeneth in the winds and tropic sun1 ,and weakly the foaming billows break against its adamantine wall3 ,even thus1 though sin and care dash upon the firmness of manhood1 ,the timid child is wasted most by his petty troubles2 ,and seldom1 when life is mature1 and the strength proportioned to the burden1 ,will the feeling mind1 that can remember1 acknowledge to deeper anguish1 ,than when1 as a stranger and a little one1 the heart first ached with anxiety1 ,and the sprouting buds of sensibility were bruised by the harshness of a school4 ,my soul1 look well around thee1 ere thou give thine infant unto sorrows4 ,yet there be boisterous tempers1 stout nerves1 and stubborn hearts1 ,and there is a riper season1 when the mind is well disciplined in good1 ,and a time1 when youth may be bettered by the wholesome occasions of knowledge1 ,which rarely will he meet with so well1 as among the congregation of his fellows4 ,only for infancy1 fond mother1 rend not those first affections2 ,only for the sensitive and timorous1 consign not thy darling unto misery4 ,a man looketh on his little one1 as a being of better hope2 ,in himself ambition is dead1 but it hath a resurrection in his son3 ,that vein is yet untried1--and who can tell if it be not golden8 ,while his1 well nigh worked out1 never yielded aught but lead3 ,and thus is he hurt more sorely1 if his wishes are defeated there1 ,he has staked his all upon a throw1 and lo6 the dice have foiled him4 ,all ways1 and at all times1 men follow on in flocks1 ,and the rife epidemic of the day shall tincture the stream of education4 ,fashion is a foolish watcher posted at the tree of knowledge1 ,who plucketh its unripe fruit to pelt away the birds2 ,but1 for its golden apples1--they dry upon the boughs1 ,and few have the courage or the wisdom to eat in spite of fashion4 ,one while1 the fever is to learn1 what none will be wiser for knowing1 ,exploded errors in extinct tongues1 and occasions for their use are small2 ,and the bright morning of life1 for years of misspent time1 ,wasted in following sounds1 hath tracked up little sense1 ,till at noon a man is thrown upon the world1 with a mind expert in trifles1 ,having yet everything to learn that can make him good or useful3 ,the curious spirit of youth is crammed with unwholesome garbage1 ,while starving for the mother's milk the breasts of nature yield2 ,and high-coloured fables of depravity lure with their classic varnish1 ,while truth is holding out in vain her mirror much despised4 ,of olden time1 the fashion was for arms1 to make an accomplished slayer1 ,and set gregarious man a-tilting with his fellows2 ,thereafter1 occult sciences1 and mystic arts1 and symbols1 ,how to exorcise a wizard1 and how to lay a ghost2 ,anon1 all for gallantry and presence1 the minuet1 the palfrey1 and the foil1 ,and the grand aim of education was to produce a coxcomb2 ,soon came scholastical dispute with hydra-headed argument1 ,and the true philosophy of mind confounded in a labyrinth of words2 ,then the ,pantheon1 and its orgies1 initiating docile childhood1 ,while diligent youth strove hard to render his all unto ,csar2 ,and now is seen the passion for utility1 when all things are accounted by their price1 ,and the wisdom of the wise is busied in hatching golden eggs3 ,perchance1 not many moons to come1 and all will again be for abstrusity1 ,unravelling the figured veil that hideth ,egypt's gods2 ,or in those strange ,avatars seeking benignant ,vishnu1 ,kali1 and ,kamala the fair1 and much invoked ,ganesa4 ,the mines of knowledge are oft laid bare through the forked hazel wand of chance1 ,and in a mountain of quartz we find a grain of gold4 ,of a truth1 it were well to know all things1 and to learn them all at once1 ,and what1 though mortal insufficiency attain to small knowledge of any8 ,man loveth exclusions1 delighting in the sterile trodden path1 ,while the broad green meadow is jewelled with wild flowers3 ,and whether is it better with the many to follow a beaten track1 ,or by eccentric wanderings to cull unheeded sweets8 ,when his reason yieldeth fruit1 make thy child thy friend2 ,for a filial friend is a double gain1 a diamond set in gold4 ,as an infant1 thy mandate was enough1 but now let him see thy reasons2 ,confide in him1 but with discretion3 and bend a willing ear to his questions4 ,more to thee than to all beside1 let him owe good counsel and good guidance2 ,let him feel his pursuits have an interest1 more to thee than to all beside4 ,watch his native capacities2 nourish that which suiteth him the readiest2 ,and cultivate early those good inclinations wherein thou fearest he is most lacking3 ,is he phlegmatic and desponding8 let small successes comfort his hope3 ,is he obstinate and sanguine8 let petty crosses accustom him to life3 ,showeth he a sordid spirit8 be quick1 and teach him generosity3 ,inclineth he to liberal excess8 prove to him how hard it is to earn4 ,gather to thy hearth such friends as are worthy of honour and attention2 ,for the company a man chooseth is a visible index of his heart3 ,but let not the pastor whom thou hearest be too much a familiar in thy house1 ,for thy children may see his infirmities1 and learn to cavil at his teaching4 ,it is well to take hold on occasions1 and render indirect instruction2 ,it is better to teach upon a system1 and reap the wisdom of books3 ,the history of nations yieldeth grand outlines3 of persons1 minute details3 ,poetry is polish to the mind1 and high abstractions cleanse it4 ,consider the station of thy son1 and breed him to his fortune with judgment3 ,the rich may profit in much which would bring small advantage to the poor4 ,but with all thy care for thy son1 with all thy strivings for his welfare1 ,expect disappointment1 and look for pain3 for he is of an evil stock1 and will grieve thee4 ,illustration ,,of ,,tolerance4 ,illustration3 ,a ,a wise man in a crowded street winneth his way with gentleness1 ,nor rudely pusheth aside the stranger that standeth in his path2 ,he knoweth that blind hurry will but hinder1 stirring up contention against him1 ,yet holdeth he steadily right on1 with his face to the scope of his pursuit3 ,even so1 in the congress of opinions1 the bustling highway of intelligence1 ,each man should ask of his neighbour1 and yield to him again1 concession4 ,terms ill-defined1 and forms misunderstood1 and customs1 where their reasons are unknown1 ,have stirred up many zealous souls to fight against imaginary giants3 ,but wisdom will hear the matter out1 and often1 by keenness of perception1 ,will find in strange disguise the precious truth he seeketh2 ,so he leaveth unto prejudice or taste the garb and the manner of her presence1 ,content to see so nigh the mistress of his love4 ,there is no similitude in nature that owneth not also to a difference1 ,yea1 no two berries are alike1 though twins upon one stem2 ,no drop in the ocean1 no pebble on the beach1 no leaf in the forest1 hath its counterpart1 ,no mind in its dwelling of mortality1 no spirit in the world unseen3 ,and therefore1 since capacity and essence differ alike with accident1 ,none but a bigot partizan will hope for impossible unity4 ,wilt thou ensue peace1 nor buffet with the waters of contention1 ,wilt thou be counted wise and gain the love of men1 ,let unobtruded error escape the frown of censure1 ,nor lift the glass of truth alway before thy fellows3 ,i say not1 compromise the right1 ,i would not have thee countenance the wrong1 ,but hear with charitable heart the reasons of an honest judgment2 ,for thou also hast erred1 and knowest not when thou art most right1 ,nor whether to-morrow's wisdom may not prove thee simple to-day3 ,perchance thou art chiding in another what once thou wast thyself2 ,perchance thou sharply reprovest what thou wilt be hereafter4 ,a man that can render a reason1 is a man worthy of an answer2 ,but he that argueth for victory1 deserveth not the tenderness of ,truth4 ,whiles a man liveth he may mend3 count not thy brother reprobate2 ,when he is dead his chance is gone3 remember not his faults in bitterness4 ,a man1 till he dieth1 is immortal in thy sight2 and then he is as nothing3 ,make not the living thy foe1 nor take weak vengeance of the dead4 ,for life is as a game of chess1 where least causeth greatest1 ,and an ill move bringeth loss1 and a pawn may ensure victory4 ,dost thou suspect8 seek out certainty3 for now1 by self-inflicted pain1 ,or ill-directed wrath1 thou wrongest thyself or thy neighbour3 ,suspicion is an early lesson1 taught in the school of experience1 ,neither shalt thou easily unlearn it1 though charity ply thee with her preaching2 ,yet look thou well for reasons1 or ever mistrust hath marred thee1 ,or fear curdled thy blood1 or jealousy goaded thee to madness2 ,for a look1 or a word1 or an act1 may be taken well or ill ,as construed by the latitude of love1 or the closeness of cold suspicion4 ,better is the wrong with sincerity1 rather than the right with falsehood3 ,and a prudent man will not lay siege to the stronghold of ignorant bigotry4 ,to unsettle a weak mind were an easy inglorious triumph1 ,and a strong cause taketh little count of the worthless suffrage of a fool3 ,lightly he held to the wrong1 loosely will he cling to the right2 ,weakness is the essence of his mind1 and the reed cannot yield an acorn4 ,dogged obstinacy is oftentimes the buttress that proppeth an unstable spirit1 ,but a candid man blusheth not to own1 he is wiser to-day than yesterday4 ,a man of a little wisdom is a sage among fools2 ,but himself is chief among the fools1 if he look for admiration from them4 ,a heresy is an evil thing1 for its shame is its pride3 ,its necessary difference of error is the character it most esteemeth3 ,give a man all things short of liberty1 thou shalt have no thanks1 ,and little wilt thou speed with thine opponent1 by proving points he will concede4 ,the tost sand darkeneth the waves2 and clear had been the pages of truth1 ,had not the glosses of men obscured the simplicity of faith4 ,in all things consider thine own ignorance1 and gladly take occasion to be taught2 ,but suffer not excess of liberality to neutralize thy mental independence4 ,the faults and follies of most men make their deaths a gain3 ,but thou also art a man1 full of faults and follies3 ,therefore sorrow for the dead1 or none shall weep for thee1 ,for the measure of charity thou dealest1 shall be poured into thine own bosom4 ,that which vexeth thee now1 provoking thee to hate thy brother1 ,bear with it2 the annoyance passeth1 and may not return for ever3 ,the same combinations and results which aggravate thy soul to-day1 ,may not meet again for centuries in the kaleidoscope of circumstance2 ,for men and matters change1 new elements mixing in continually1 ,and1 as with chemical magic1 the sour is transmuted into sweetness3 ,a little explained1 a little endured1 a little passed over as a foible1 ,and lo1 the jagged atoms fit like smooth mosaic4 ,thou canst not shape another's mind to suit thine own body1 ,think not1 then1 to be furnishing his brain with thy special notions4 ,charity walketh with a high step1 and stumbleth not at a trifle3 ,charity hath keen eyes1 but the lashes half conceal them3 ,charity is praised of all1 and fear not thou that praise1 ,god will not love thee less1 because men love thee more4 ,illustration ,,of ,,sorrow4 ,i said1 ,i will seek out ,sorrow1 and minister the balm of pity2 ,so ,i sought her in the house of mourning2 but peace followed in her train4 ,then ,i marked her brooding silently in the gloomy cavern of ,regret2 ,but a sunbeam of heavenly hope gleamed on her folded wing4 ,so ,i turned to the cabin of the poor1 where famine dwelt with disease3 ,but the bed of the sick was smoothed1 and the ploughman whistled at his labour4 ,so ,i stopt1 and mused within myself1 to remember where ,sorrow dwelt1 ,for ,i sought to see her alone1 uncomforted1 uncompanioned4 ,i went to the prison1 but penitence was there1 and promise of better times2 ,i listened at the madman's cell1 but it echoed with deluded laughter4 ,then ,i turned me to the rich and noble2 ,i noted the sons of fashion3 ,a smile was on the languid cheek1 that had no commerce with the heart2 ,unhallowed thoughts1 like fires1 gleamed from the window of the eye2 ,and sorrow lived with those whose pleasures add unto their sins4 ,his infancy wanted not guilt2 his life was continued evil3 ,he drew in pride with his mother's milk1 and a father's lips taught him cursing4 ,i marked him as the wayward boy2 ,i traced the dissolute youth3 ,i saw him betray the innocent1 and sacrifice affection to his lust2 ,i saw him the companion of knaves1 and a squanderer of ill-got gain2 ,i heard him curse his own misery1 while he hugged the chains that galled him3 ,for well had experience declared the bitterness of guilty pleasure1 ,but habit1 with its iron net1 involved him in its folds4 ,behind him lowered the thunder-storm1 which the caldron of his wickedness had brewed2 ,before him was the smooth steep cliff1 whose base is ruin and despair4 ,so he rushed madly on1 and tried to forget his being3 ,the noisy revel and the low debauch1 and fierce excitement of play1 ,with dreary interchange of palling pleasures1 filled the dull round of existence3 ,memory was to him as a foe1 so he flew for false solace to the wine-cup1 ,and stunned his enemy at even2 but she rent him as a giant in the morning4 ,i turned aside to weep2 ,i lost him a little while3 ,i looked1 and years had past2 he was hoar with the winter of his age4 ,and what was now his hope8 where was the balm for his sadness8 ,the memory of the past was guilt3 the feeling of the present1 remorse4 ,then he set his affections on gold1 he worshipped the shrine of ,mammon1 ,and to lay richer gifts before his idol1 he starved his own bowels2 ,so1 the youth spent in profligacy ended in the gripings of want3 ,the miser grudged himself husks to take deeper vengeance of the prodigal4 ,and ,i said1 this is ,sorrow1 but pity cannot reach it2 ,this is to be wretched indeed1 to be guilty without repentance4 ,illustration3 ,of ,joy ,,of ,,joy4 ,my soul was sickened within me1 so ,i sought the dwelling place of ,joy3 ,and ,i met it not in laughter2 ,i found it not in wealth or power2 ,but ,i saw it in the pleasant home1 where religion smiled upon content1 ,and the satisfied ambition of the heart rejoiced in the favour of its ,god4 ,behold the happy man1 his face is rayed with pleasure1 ,his thoughts are of calm delight1 and none can know his blessedness4 ,i have watched him from his infancy1 and seen him in the grasp of death1 ,yet1 never have ,i noted on his brow the cloud of desponding sorrow4 ,he hath knelt beside his cradle2 his mother's hymn lulled him to sleep3 ,in childhood he hath loved holiness1 and drank from that fountain-head of peace4 ,wisdom took him for her scholar1 guiding his steps in purity3 ,he lived unpolluted by the world2 and his young heart hated sin4 ,but he owned not the spurious religion engendered of faction and moroseness1 ,neither were the sproutings of his soul seared by the brand of superstition4 ,his love is pure and single1 sincere1 and knoweth not change2 ,for his manhood hath been blest with the pleasant choice of his youth3 ,behold his one beloved1 she leaneth on his arm1 ,and he looketh on the years that are past1 to review the dawn of her affection4 ,memory is sweet unto him1 as a perfect landscape to the sight2 ,each object is lovely in itself1 but the whole is the harmony of nature4 ,behold his little ones around him1 they bask in the warmth of his smile1 ,and infant innocence and joy lighten their happy faces2 ,he is holy1 and they honour him3 he is loving1 and they love him3 ,he is consistent1 and they esteem him3 he is firm1 and they fear him4 ,his friends are the excellent among men2 and the bands of their friendship are strong3 ,his house is the palace of peace3 for the ,prince of ,peace is there4 ,as the wearied man to his couch1 as the thoughtful man to his musings1 ,even so1 from the bustle of life1 he goeth to his well-ordered home4 ,and though he often sin1 he returneth with weeping eyes3 ,for he feeleth the mercies of forgiveness1 and gloweth with warmer gratitude4 ,thus did he walk in happiness1 and sorrow was a stranger to his soul2 ,the light of affection sunned his heart1 the tear of the grateful bedewed his feet1 ,he put his hand with constancy to good1 and angels knew him as a brother1 ,and the busy satellites of evil trembled as at ,god's ally3 ,he used his wealth as a wise steward1 making him friends for futurity3 ,he bent his learning to religion1 and religion was with him at the last3 ,for ,i saw him after many days1 when the time of his release was come1 ,and ,i longed for a congregated world1 to behold that dying saint4 ,as the aloe is green and well-liking1 till the last best summer of its age1 ,and then hangeth out its golden bells1 to mingle glory with corruption2 ,as a meteor travelleth in splendour1 but bursteth in dazzling light2 ,such was the end of the righteous3 his death was the sun at its setting4 ,look on this picture of joy1 and remember that portrait of sorrow3 ,behold the beauty of holiness1 behold the deformity of sin6 ,how long1 ye sons of men1 will ye scorn the words of wisdom8 ,how long will ye hunt for happiness in the caverns that breed despair8 ,will ye comfort yourselves in misery1 by denying the existence of delight1 ,and from experience in woe1 will ye reason that none are happy8 ,joy is not in your path1 for it loveth not that bleak broad road1 ,but its flowers are hung upon the hedges that line a narrower way2 ,and there the faint travellers of earth may wander and gather for themselves1 ,to soothe their wounded hearts with balm from the amaranths of heaven4 ,illustration3 ,proverbial philosophy2 ,second series4 ,,second ,,series4 ,,introductory4 ,illustration3 ,introductory ,c ,come again1 and greet me as a friend1 fellow-pilgrim upon life's highway1 ,leave awhile the hot and dusty road1 to loiter in the greenwood of ,reflection4 ,come unto my cool dim grotto1 that is watered by the rivulet of truth1 ,and over whose time-stained rock climb the fairy flowers of content2 ,here1 upon this mossy bank of leisure fling thy load of cares1 ,taste my simple store1 and rest one soothing hour4 ,behold1 ,i would count thee for a brother1 and commune with thy charitable soul2 ,though wrapt within the mantle of a prophet1 ,i stand mine own weak scholar4 ,heed no disciple for a teacher1 if knowledge be not found upon his tongue2 ,for vanity and folly were the lessons these lips untaught could give3 ,the precious staple of my merchandise cometh from a better country1 ,the harvest of my reaping sprang of foreign seed3 ,and this poor pensioner of ,mercy--should he boast of merit8 ,the grafted stock1--should that be proud of apples not its own8 ,into the bubbling brook ,i dip my hermit shell2 ,man receiveth as a cup1 but ,wisdom is the river4 ,moreover1 for this fillagree of fancy1 this ,oriental garnish of similitude1 ,alas1 the world is old1--and all things old within it3 ,i walk a trodden path1 ,i love the good old ways2 ,prophets1 and priests1 and kings have tuned the harp ,i faintly touch4 ,truth1 in a garment of the past1 is my choice and simple theme2 ,no truth is new to-day3 and the mantle was another's4 ,still1 there is an insect swarm1 the buzzing cloud of imagery1 ,mote-like steaming on my sight1 and thronging my reluctant mind2 ,the memories of studious culling1 and multiplied analogies of nature1 ,fresh feelings unrepressed1 welling from the heart spontaneous1 ,facts1 and comparisons1 and meditative atoms1 gathered on the heap of combination1 ,mingle in the fashion of my speech with gossamer dreams of ,reverie4 ,i need not beat the underwood for game2 my pheasants flock upon the lawn1 ,and gamboling hares disport fearless in my dewy field2 ,i roam no heath-empurpled hills1 wearily watching for a covey1 ,but thoughts fly swift to my decoy1 eager to be caught2 ,i sit no quiet angler1 lingering patiently for sport1 ,but spread my nets for a draught1 and take the glittering shoal2 ,i chase no solitary stag1 tracking it with breathless toil1 ,but hunt with ,aurung-zebe1 and spear surrounded thousands4 ,what then1--count ye this a boast8--sweet charity1 think it other1 ,for the dog-fish and poisonous ray are captured in the mullet-haul3 ,the crane and the kite are of my thoughts1 alike with the partridge and the quail1 ,and unclean meats as of the clean hang upon my ,seric shambles4 --,how saith he8 shall a man deceive1 dressing up his jackal as a lion8 ,or colour in staid hues of fact the changing vest of falsehood8-- ,brother1 unwittingly he may2 doubtless1 unwillingly he doth3 ,for men are full of fault1 and how should he be righteous8 ,carefully my garden hath been weeded1 yet shall it be foul with thistle2 ,my grapery is diligently thinned1 and yet many berries will be sour3 ,from my nets have ,i flung the bad away1 to my small skill and caution2 ,yet may some slimy snake have counted for an eel4 ,the rudder of ,man's best hope cannot always steer himself from error2 ,the arrow of ,man's straightest aim flieth short of truth4 ,thus1 the confession of sincerity visit not as if it were presumption3 ,nor own me for a leader1 where thy reason is not guide4 ,,of ,,cheerfulness4 ,illustration3 ,t ,take courage1 prisoner of time1 for there be many comforts1 ,cease thy labour in the pit1 and bask awhile with truants in the sun2 ,be cheerful1 man of care1 for great is the multitude of chances1 ,burst thy fetters of anxiety1 and walk among the citizens of ease3 ,wherefore dost thou doubt8 if present good is round thee1 ,it may be well to look for change1 but to trust in a continuance is better2 ,whilst1 at the crisis of adversity1 to hope for some amends were wisdom1 ,and cheerfully to bear thy cross in patient strength is duty4 ,i speak of common troubles1 and the petty plagues of life1 ,the phantom-spies of ,unbelief1 that lurk about his outposts3 ,sharp suspicion1 dull distrust1 and sullen stern moroseness ,are captains in that locust swarm to lead the cloudy host4 ,thou hast need of fortitude and faith1 for the adversaries come on thickly1 ,and he that fled hath added wings to his pursuing foes2 ,fight them1 and the cravens flee2 thy boldness is their panic2 ,fear them1 and thy treacherous heart hath lent the ranks a legion3 ,among their shouts of victory resoundeth the wail of ,heraclitus1 ,while ,democrite1 confident and cheerful1 hath plucked up the standard of their camp4 ,not few nor light are the burdens of life2 then load it not with heaviness of spirit2 ,sicknesses1 and penury1 and travail1--there be real ills enow3 ,we are wandering benighted1 with a waning moon2 plunge not rashly into jungles1 ,where cold and poisonous damps will quench the torch of hope3 ,the tide is strong against us2 good oarsmen1 pull or perish1-- ,if your arms be slack for fear1 ye shall not stem the torrent4 ,a wise traveller goeth on cheerily1 through fair weather or foul2 ,he knoweth that his journey must be sped1 so he carrieth his sunshine with him4 ,calamities come not as a curse1--nor prosperity for other than a trial2 ,struggle1--thou art better for the strife1 and the very energy shall hearten thee4 ,good is taught in a ,spartan school1--hard lessons and a rough discipline2 ,but evil cometh idly of itself1 in the luxury of ,capuan holidays3 ,and ,wisdom will go bravely forth to meet the chastening scourge1 ,enduring with a thankful heart that punishment of ,love4 ,there be three chief rivers of despondency3 sin1 sorrow1 fear2 ,sin is the deepest1 sorrow hath its shallows1 and fear is a noisy rapid3 ,but even to the darkest holes in guilt's profoundest river ,hope can pierce with quickening ray1 and all those depths are lightened4 ,so long as there is mercy in a ,god1 hope is the privilege of creatures1 ,and so soon as there is penitence in creatures1 that hope is exalted into duty4 ,verily1 consider this for courage2 that the fearful and the unbelieving ,are classed with idolaters and liars1 because they trusted not in ,god3 ,for it is none other than selfish sin1 a hard and proud ingratitude1 ,where seeming repentance is herald of despair1 instead of hope's forerunner4 ,moreover1 in thy day of grief1--for friends1 or fame1 or fortune1 ,well ,i wot the heart shall ache1 and mind be numbed in torpor2 ,let nature weep2 leave her alone2 the freshet of her sorrow must run off2 ,and sooner will the lake be clear1 relieved of turbid floodings4 ,yet see that her license hath a limit2 with the novelty her agony is over2 ,hasten in that earliest calm1 to tie her in the leash with ,reason4 ,for regrets are an enervating folly1 and the season for energy is come1 ,yea rather1 that the future may repair with diligence the ruins of the past4 ,again1 for empty fears1 the harassings of possible calamity1 ,pray1 and thou shalt prosper2 trust in ,god1 and tread them down4 ,yield to the phantasy1--thou sinnest2 resist it1 ,he will aid thee3 ,out of ,him there is no help1 nor any sober courage4 ,feeble is the comfort of the faithless1 a man without a ,god2 ,who dare counsel such an one to fling away his fears8 ,fear is the heritage of him1 a portion wise and merciful1 ,to drive the trembler into safety1 if haply he may turn and flee3 ,nevertheless1 let him reckon an he will1 that all be counteth casual ,may as well be for him as against him2 dice have many sides3 ,and1 even as in ailments of the body1 diseases follow closely upon dreads1 ,so1 with infirmities of mind1 is fear the pallid harbinger of failure4 ,it were wise to walk undaunted even in an accidental chaos1 ,for the brave man is at peace1 and free to get the mastery of circumstance4 ,the stoutest armour of defence is that which is worn within the bosom1 ,and the weapon that no enemy can parry1 is a bold and cheerful spirit3 ,catapults in old war worked like ,titans1 crushing foes with rocks2 ,so doth a strong-springed heart throw back every load on its assailants4 ,i went heavily for cares1 and fell into the trance of sorrow2 ,and behold1 a vision in my trance1 and my ministering angel brought it4 ,there stood a mountain huge and steep1 the awful ,rock of ,ages2 ,the sun upon its summit1 and storms midway1 and deep ravines at foot4 ,and1 as ,i looked1 a dense black cloud1 suddenly dropping from the thunder1 ,filled1 like a cataract with yeasty foam1 a narrow smiling valley3 ,close and hard that vaporous mass seemed to press the ground1 ,and lamentable sounds came up1 as of some that were smothering beneath4 ,then1 as ,i walked upon the mountain1 clear in summer's noon1 ,for charity ,i called aloud1 ,ho6 climb up hither to the sunshine4 ,and even like a stream of light my voice had pierced the mist2 ,i saw below two families of men1 and knew their names of old3 ,courage1 struggling through the darkness1 stout of heart and gladsome1 ,ran up the shining ladder which the voice of ,hope had made2 ,and tripping lightly by his side1 a sweet-eyed helpmate with him1 ,i looked upon her face to welcome pleasant ,cheerfulness2 ,and a babe was cradled in her bosom1 a laughing little prattler1 ,the child of ,cheerfulness and ,courage1--could his name be other than ,success8 ,so1 from his happy wife1 when they both stood beside me on the mountain1 ,the fond father took that babe1 and set him on his shoulder in the sunshine4 ,again ,i peered into the valley1 for ,i heard a gasping moan1 ,a desolate weak cry1 as muffled in the vapours4 ,so down that crystal shaft into the poisonous mine ,i sped for charity to seek and save1--and those ,i sought fled from me4 ,at length1 ,i spied1 far distant1 a trembling withered dwarf ,who crouched beneath the cloak of a tall and spectral mourner3 ,then ,i knew ,cowardice and ,gloom1 and followed them on in darkness1 ,guided by their rustling robes and moans and muffled cries1 ,until in a suffocating pit the wretched pair had perished1-- ,and lo1 their whitening bones were shaping out an epitaph of ,failure4 ,so ,i saw that despondency was death1 and flung my burdens from me1 ,and1 lightened by that effort1 ,i was raised above the world2 ,yea1 in the strangeness of my vision1 ,i seemed to soar on wings1 ,and the names they called my wings were ,cheerfulness and ,wisdom4 ,,of ,,yesterday4 ,speak1 poor almsman of to-day1 whom none can assure of a to-morrow1 ,tell out1 with honest heart1 the price thou settest upon yesterday4 ,is it then a writing in the dust1 traced by the finger of idleness1 ,which ,industry1 clean housewife1 can wipe away for ever8 ,is it as a furrow on the sand1 fashioned by the toying waves1 ,quickly to be trampled then again by the feet of the returning tide8 ,is it as the pale blue smoke1 rising from a peasant's hovel1 ,that melted into limpid air1 before it topped the larches8 ,is it but a vision1 unstable and unreal1 which wise men soon forget8 ,is it as the stranger of a night1--gone1 we heed not whither8 ,alas6 thou foolish heart1 whose thoughts are but as these1 ,alas6 deluded soul1 that hopeth thus of ,yesterday4 ,for1 behold1--those temples of ,ellora1 the ,brahmin's rock-built shrine1 ,behold--yon granite cliff1 which the ,north ,sea buffeteth in vain1-- ,that stout old forest fir1--these waking verities of life1 ,this guest abiding ever1 not strange1 nor a servant1 but a son1-- ,such1 ,o man1 are vanity and dreams1 transient as a rainbow on the cloud1 ,weighed against that solid fact1 thine ill-remembered ,yesterday4 ,come1 let me show thee an ensample1 where ,nature shall instruct us2 ,luxuriantly the arguments for truth spring native in her gardens4 ,seek we yonder woodman of the plain2 he is measuring his axe to the elm1 ,and anon the sturdy strokes ring upon the wintry air3 ,eagerly the village school-boys cluster on the tightened rope1 ,shouting1 and bending to the pull1 or lifted from the ground elastic2 ,the huge tree boweth like ,sisera1 boweth to its foes with faintness1-- ,its sinews crack1--deep groans declare the reeling anguish of ,goliath1 ,the wedge is driven home1--and the saw is at its heart1--and lo1 with solemn slowness1 ,the shuddering monarch riseth from his throne1--toppled with a crash1--and is fallen6 ,illustration ,now shall the mangled stump teach proud man a lesson3 ,now1 can we from that elm-tree's sap distil the wine of ,truth4 ,heed ye those hundred rings1 concentric from the core1 ,eddying in various waves to the red bark's shore-like rim8 ,these be the gatherings of yesterdays1 present all to-day1 ,this is the tree's judgment1 self-history that cannot be gainsaid3 ,seven years agone there was a drought1--and the seventh ring is narrowed2 ,the fifth from hence was half a deluge1--the fifth is cellular and broad4 ,thus1 ,man1 thou art a result1 the growth of many yesterdays1 ,that stamp thy secret soul with marks of weal or woe3 ,thou art an almanack of self1 the living record of thy deeds2 ,spirit hath its scars as well as body1 sore and aching in their season3 ,here is a knot1--it was a crime2 there is a canker1--selfishness2 ,lo1 here1 the heart-wood rotten2 lo1 there1 perchance1 the sap-wood sound4 ,nature teacheth not in vain2 thy works are in thee1 of thee2 ,some present evil bent hath grown of older errors3 ,and what if thou be walking now uprightly8 ,salve not thy wounds with poison1 ,as if a petty goodness of to-day hath blotted out the sin of yesterday3 ,it is well1 thou hast life and light2 and the ,hewer showeth mercy1 ,dressing the root1 pruning the branch1 and looking for thy tardy fruits2 ,but1 even here as thou standest1 cheerful belike and careless1 ,the stains of ancient evil are upon thee1 the record of thy wrong is in thee3 ,for1 a curse of many yesterdays is thine1 many yesterdays of sin1 ,that1 haply heeded little now1 shall blast thy many morrows4 ,shall then a man reck nothing1 but hurl mad defiance at his ,judge1 ,knowing that less than an ,omnipotent cannot make the has been1 not been8 ,he ought1--so ,satan spake2 he must1--so ,atheism urgeth2 ,he may1--it was the libertine's thought2 he doth1--the bad world said it4 ,but thou of humbler heart1 thou student wiser for simplicity1 ,while ,nature warneth thee betimes1 heed the loving counsel of ,religion4 ,true1 this change is good1 and penitence most precious2 ,but trust not thou thy change1 nor rest upon repentance3 ,for all we are corrupted at the core1 smooth as surface seemeth2 ,what health can bloom in a beautiful skin1 when rottenness hath fed upon the bones8 ,and guilt is parcel of us all2 not thou1 sweet nursling of affection1 ,art spotless1 though so passing fair1--nor thou1 mild patriarch of virtue4 ,behold then the better ,tree of ,life1 free unto us all for grafting1 ,cut thee from the hollow root of self1 to be budded on a richer ,vine4 ,be desperate1 ,o man1 as of evil1 so of good2 tear that tunic from thee2 ,the past can never be retrieved1 be the present what it may4 ,vain is the penance and the scourge1 vain the fast and vigil3 ,the fencer's cautious skill to-day1 can this erase his scars8 ,it is ,man's to famish as a faquir1 it is ,man's to die a devotee1 ,light is the torture and the toil1 balanced with the wages of ,eternity3 ,but1 it is ,god's to yearn in love1 on the humblest1 the poorest1 and the worst1 ,for ,he giveth freely1 as a king1 asking only thanks for mercy4 ,look upon this noble-hearted ,substitute2 seeing thy woes1 ,he pitied thee1 ,bowed beneath the mountain of thy sin1 and perished1--but for ,godhead2 ,there stood the ,atlas in his power1 and ,prometheus in his love is there1 ,emptying on wretched men the blessings earned from ,heaven3 ,put them not away1 hide them in thy heart1 poor and penitent receiver1 ,be gratitude thy counseller to good1 and wholesome fear unto obedience2 ,remember1 the pruning-knife is keen1 cutting cankers even from the vine2 ,remember1 twelve were chosen1 and one among them liveth--in perdition4 ,yea1--for standing unatoned1 the soul is a bison on the prairie1 ,hunted by those trooping wolves1 the many sinful yesterdays3 ,and it speedeth a terrified ,deucalion1 flinging back the pebble in his flight1 ,the pebble that must add one more to those pursuing ghosts4 ,o man1 there is a storm behind should drive thy bark to haven2 ,the foe1 the foe is on thy track1 patient1 certain1 and avenging2 ,day by day1 solemnly1 and silently1 followeth the fearful past1-- ,his step is lame1 but sure2 for he catcheth the present in eternity3 ,and how to escape that foe1 the present-past in future8 ,how to avert that fate1 living consequence of causes unexistent8-- ,boldly we must overleap his birth1 and date above his memories1 ,grafted on the living ,tree1 that ,,was before a yesterday3 ,no refuge of a younger birth than one that saw creation ,can hide the child of time from still condemning ,yesterday4 ,there1 is the ,sanctuary-city1 mocking at the wrath of thine ,avenger1 ,close at hand1 with the wicket on the latch2 haste for thy life1 poor hunted one6 ,the gladiator1 ,guilt1 fighteth as of old1 armed with net and dagger2 ,snaring in the mesh of yesterdays1 stabbing with the poignard of to-day3 ,fly1 thy sword is broken at the hilt2 fly1 thy shield is shivered2 ,leap the barriers1 and baffle him3 the arena of the past is his4 ,the bounds of ,guilt are the cycles of ,time3 thou must be safe within ,eternity2 ,the arms of ,god alone shall rescue thee from ,yesterday4 ,illustration ,,of ,,to-,,day4 ,illustration3 ,n ,now1 is the constant syllable ticking from the clock of time1 ,now1 is the watchword of the wise1 ,now1 is on the banner of the prudent4 ,cherish thy to-day and prize it well1 or ever it be gulphed into the past1 ,husband it1 for who can promise1 if it shall have a morrow8 ,behold1 thou art1--it is enough2 that present care be thine2 ,leave thou the past to thy ,redeemer1 entrust the future to thy ,friend2 ,but for ,to-day1 child of man1 tend thou charily the minutes1 ,the harvest of thy yesterday1 the seed-corn of thy morrow4 ,last night died its day2 and the deeds thereof were judged3 ,thou didst lay thee down as in a shroud1 in darkness and death-like slumber3 ,but at the trumpet of this morn1 waking the world to resurrection1 ,thou didst arise1 like others1 to live a new day's life3 ,fear1 lest folly give thee cause to mourn its passing presence1 ,fear1 that to-morrow's sigh be not1 would ,god it had not dawned6 ,for1 ,to-day the lists are set1 and thou must bear thee bravely1 ,tilting for honour1 duty1 life1 or death without reproach3 ,to-day1 is the trial of thy fortitude1 ,o dauntless ,mandan chief2 ,to-day1 is thy watch1 ,o sentinel2 ,to-day1 thy reprieve1 ,o captive3 ,what more8 ,to-day is the golden chance wherewith to snatch fruition1-- ,be glad1 grateful1 temperate3 there are asps among the figs4 ,for the potter's clay is in thy hands1--to mould it or to mar it at thy will1 ,or idly to leave it in the sun1 an uncouth lump to harden4 ,o bright presence of ,to-day1 let me wrestle with thee1 gracious angel1 ,i will not let thee go1 except thou bless me2 bless me1 then1 ,to-day3 ,o sweet garden of ,to-day1 let me gather of thee1 precious ,eden2 ,i have stolen bitter knowledge1 give me fruits of life ,to-day3 ,o true temple of ,to-day1 let me worship in thee1 glorious ,zion2 ,i find none other place nor time1 than where ,i am ,to-day3 ,o living rescue of ,to-day1 let me run into thee1 ark of refuge3 ,i see none other hope nor chance1 but standeth in ,to-day3 ,o rich banquet of ,to-day1 let me feast upon thee1 saving manna2 ,i have none other food nor store1 but daily bread ,to-day6 ,behold1 thou art pilot of the ship1 and owner of that freighted galleon1 ,competent1 with all thy weakness1 to steer into safety or be lost3 ,compass and chart are in thy hand3 roadstead and rocks thou knowest2 ,thou art warned of reefs and shallows2 thou beholdest the harbour and its lights4 ,what8 shall thy wantonness or sloth drive the gallant vessel on the breakers8 ,what8 shall the helmsman's hand wear upon the black lee shore8 ,vain is that excuse2 thou canst escape3 thy mind is responsible for wrong3 ,vain that murmur2 thou mayst live3 thy soul is debtor for the right4 ,to-day1 in the voyage of thy life down the dark tide of time1 ,stand boldly to thy tiller1 guide thee by the pole-star1 and be safe2 ,to-day1 passing near the sunken rocks1 the quicksands and whirlpools of probation1 ,leave awhile the rudder to swing round1 give the wind its heading1 and be wrecked4 ,the crisis of man's destiny is ,now1 a still recurring danger2 ,who can tell the trials and temptations coming with the coming hour8 ,thou standest a target-like ,sebastian1 and the arrows whistle near thee2 ,who knoweth when he may be hit8 for great is the company of archers4 ,each breath is burdened with a bidding1 and every minute hath its mission2 ,for spirits1 good and bad1 cluster on the thickly-peopled air3 ,sin may blast thee1 grace may bless thee1 good or ill this hour3 ,chance1 and change1 and doubt1 and fear1 are parasites of all4 ,a man's life is a tower1 with a staircase of many steps1 ,that1 as he toileth upward1 crumble successively behind him3 ,no going back2 the past is an abyss2 no stopping1 for the present perisheth2 ,but ever hasting on1 precarious on the foothold of ,to-day2 ,our cares are all ,to-day2 our joys are all ,to-day2 ,and in one little word1 our life1 what is it1 but--,to-day8 ,illustration3 ,of ,to-morrow ,,of ,,to-,,morrow4 ,illustration3 ,t ,there is a floating island1 forward on the stream of time1 ,buoyant with fermenting air1 and borne along the rapids2 ,and on that island is a siren1 singing sweetly as she goeth1 ,her eyes are bright with invitation1 and allurement lurketh in her cheeks2 ,many lovers1 vainly pursuing1 follow her beckoning finger1 ,many lovers seek her still1 even to the cataract of death4 ,to-morrow is that island1 a vain and foolish heritage1 ,and1 laughing with seductive lips1 ,delusion hideth there3 ,often the precious present is wasted in visions of the future1 ,and coy ,to-morrow cometh not with prophecies fulfilled4 ,there is a fairy skiff1 plying on the sea of life1 ,and charitably toiling still to save the shipwrecked crews2 ,within1 kindly patient1 sitteth a gentle mariner1 ,piloting1 through surf and strait1 the fragile barks of men3 ,how cheering is her voice1 how skilfully she guideth1 ,how nobly leading onward yet1 defying even death6 ,to-morrow is that skiff1 a wise and welcome rescue1 ,and1 full of gladdening words and looks1 that mariner is ,hope3 ,often1 the painful present is comforted by flattering the future1 ,and kind ,to-morrow beareth half the burdens of ,to-day4 ,to-morrow1 whispereth weakness3 and ,to-morrow findeth him the weaker2 ,to-morrow1 promiseth conscience2 and behold1 no ,to-day for a fulfilment4 ,o name of happy omen unto youth1 ,o bitter word of terror to the dotard1 ,goal of folly's lazy wish1 and sorrow's ever-coming friend2 ,fraud's loophole1--caution's hint1--and trap to catch the honest1-- ,thou wealth to many poor1 disgrace to many noble1 ,thou hope and fear1 thou weal and woe1 thou remedy1 thou ruin1 ,how thickly swarms of thought are clustering round ,to-morrow6 ,the hive of memory increaseth1 to every day its cell2 ,there is the labour stored1 the honey or corruption2 ,each morn the bees fly forth1 to fill the growing comb1 ,and levy golden tribute of the uncomplaining flowers3 ,to-morrow is their care2 they toil for rest to-morrow2 ,but man deferreth duty's task1 and loveth ease to-day4 ,to-morrow1 is that lamp upon the marsh1 which a traveller never reacheth2 ,to-morrow1 the rainbow's cup1 coveted prize of ignorance2 ,to-morrow1 the shifting anchorage1 dangerous trust of mariners2 ,to-morrow1 the wrecker's beacon1 wily snare of the destroyer4 ,reconcile convictions with delay1 and ,to-morrow is a fatal lie2 ,frighten resolutions into action1 ,to-morrow is a wholesome truth3 ,i must1 for ,i fear ,to-morrow2 this is the ,cassava's food2 ,why should ,i8 let me trust ,to-morrow1--this is the ,cassava's poison4 ,lo1 it is the even of ,to-day1--a day so lately a ,to-morrow2 ,where are those high resolves1 those hopes of yesternight8 ,o faint fond heart1 still shall thy whisper be1 ,to-morrow1 ,and must the growing avalanche of sin roll down that easy slope8 ,alas1 it is ponderous1 and moving on in might1 that a ,sisyphus may not stop it2 ,but haste thee with the lever of a prayer1 and stem its strength ,to-day3 ,for its race may speedily be run1 and this poor hut1 thyself1 ,be whelmed in death and suffocating guilt1 that dreary ,alpine snow-wreath4 ,pensioner of life1 be wise1 and heed a brother's counsel2 ,i also am a beadsman1 with scrip and staff as thou3 ,wouldest thou be bold against the past1 and all its evil memories1 ,wouldest thou be safe amid the present1 its dangers and temptations1 ,wouldest thou be hopeful of the future1 vague though it be and endless8 ,haste thee1 repent1 believe1 obey6 thou standest in the courage of a legion4 ,commend the ,past to ,god1 with all its irrevocable harm1 ,humbly1 but in cheerful trust1 and banish vain regrets2 ,come to ,him1 continually come1 casting all the ,present at ,his feet1 ,boldly1 but in prayerful love1 and fling off selfish cares2 ,commit the ,future to ,his will1 the viewless fated future2 ,zealously go forward with integrity1 and ,god will bless thy faith4 ,for that1 feeble as thou art1 there is with thee a mighty ,conqueror1 ,thy ,friend1 the same for ever1 yesterday1 to-day1 and to-morrow2 ,that ,friend1 changeless as eternity1 ,himself shall make thee friends ,of those thy foes transformed1 yesterday1 to-day1 and to-morrow4 ,,of ,,authorship4 ,illustration3 ,g ,great is the dignity of ,authorship3 ,i magnify mine office2 ,albeit in much feebleness ,i hold it thus unworthily4 ,for it is to be one of a noble band1 the welfare of the world1 ,whose haunt is on the lips of men1 whose dwelling in their hearts1 ,who are precious in the retrospect of ,memory1 and walk among the visions of ,hope1 ,who commune with the good for everlasting1 and call the wisest1 brother1 ,whose voice hath burst the ,silence1 and whose light is flung upon the ,darkness1 --,flashing jewels on a robe of black1 and harmony bounding out of chaos1-- ,who gladden empires with their wisdom1 and bless to the farthest generation1 ,doers of illimitable good1 gainers of inestimable glory6-- ,we speak but of the ,magnates1 we heed none humbler than the highest1 ,we take no count of sorry scribes1 nor waste one thought upon the groundlings2 ,our eyes are lifted from the multitude1 groping in the dark with candles1 ,to gaze upon that firmament of praise1 the constellated lamps of learning4 ,ever-during witnesses of ,mind1 undisputed evidence of ,power1 ,goodly volumes1 living stones1 build up their author's temple2 ,though of low estate1 his rank is above princes1--though needy1 he hath worship of the rich1 ,when ,genius unfurleth on the winds his banner as a mighty leader4 ,just in purpose1 and self-possessed in soul1 lord of many talents1 ,the mental ,crsus goeth forth1 rejoicing in his wealth2 ,keen and clear perception gloweth on his forehead like a sunbeam1 ,he readeth men at a glance1 and mists roll away before him2 ,the wise have set him as their captain1 the foolish are rebuked at his presence1 ,the excellent bless him with their prayers1 and the wicked praise him by their curses2 ,his voice1 mighty in operation1 stirreth up the world as a trumpet1 ,and kings account it honour to be numbered of his friends4 ,rare is the worthiness of authorship3 ,i justify mine office2 ,albeit fancies weak as mine credit not the calling4 ,for it addeth immortality to dying facts1 that are ready to vanish away1 ,embalming as in amber the poor insects of an hour2 ,shedding upon stocks and stones the tender light of interest1 ,and illumining dark places of the earth1 with radiance of classic lustre4 ,it hath power to make past things present1 and availeth for the present in the future1 ,delivering thoughts1 and words1 and deeds1 from the outer darkness of oblivion4 ,where are the sages and the heroes1 giants of old time8-- ,where are the mighty kings1 that reigned before ,agamemnon8-- ,alas they lie unwept1 unhonoured1 hidden in the midnight3 ,alas1 for they died unchronicled3 their memorial perished with them4 ,where are the nobles of ,nineveh1 and mitred rulers of ,babylon8 ,where are the lords of ,edom1 and the royal pontiffs of ,thebais8 ,the golden ,satrap1 and the ,tetrarch1--the ,hun1 and the ,druid1 and the ,celt8 ,the merchant princes of ,phnicia1 and the minds that fashioned ,elephanta8 ,alas1 for the poet hath forgotten them2 and lo6 they are outcasts of ,memory2 ,alas1 that they are withered leaves1 sapless and fallen from the chaplet of fame4 ,speak1 ,etruria1 whose bones be these1 entombed with costly care1-- ,tell out1 ,herculaneum1 the titles that have sounded in those thy palaces1-- ,lycian ,xanthus1 thy citadels are mute1 and the honour of their architects hath died2 ,copan and ,palenque1 dreamy ruins in the ,west1 the forest hath swallowed up your sculptures2 ,syracuse1--how silent of the past6--,carthage1 thou art blotted from remembrance6 ,egypt1 wondrous shores1 ye are buried in the sand-hills of forgetfulness6 ,alas1--for in your glorious youth ,time himself was young1 ,and none durst wrestle with that ,angel1 iron-sinewed bridegroom of ,space2 ,so he flew by1 strong upon the wing1 nor dropped one failing feather1 ,wherewith some hoary scribe might register your honour and renown4 ,beyond the broad ,atlantic1 in the regions of the setting sun1 ,ask of the plume-crowned ,incas1 that ruled in old ,peru1-- ,ask of grand ,caziques1 and priests of the pyramids in ,mexico1-- ,ask of a thousand painted tribes1 high nobility of ,nature1 ,who1 once1 could roam their own ,elysian plains1 free1 generous1 and happy1 ,who1 now1 degraded and in exile1 having sold their fatherland for nought1 ,sink and are extinguished in the western seas1 even as the sun they follow1-- ,where is the record of their deeds1 their prowess worthy of ,achilles1 ,nestor's wisdom1 the chivalry of ,manlius1 the native eloquence of ,cicero1 ,the skill of ,xenophon1 the spirit of ,alcibiades1 the firmness of a ,maccaban mother1 ,brotherly love that ,antigone might envy1 the honour and the fortitude of ,regulus8 ,alas1 their glory and their praise have vanished like a summer cloud2 ,alas6 that they are dead indeed2 they are not written down in the ,book of the living4 ,high is the privilege of ,authorship3 ,i purify mine office2 ,albeit earthy stains pollute it in my hands4 ,for it is to the world a teacher and a guide1 ,mentor of that gay ,telemachus2 ,warning1 comforting1 and helping1--a lover and friend of ,man4 ,heaven's almoner1 ,earth's health1 patient minister of goodness1 ,with kind and zealous pen1 the wise religious blesseth3 ,nature's worshipper1 and neophyte of grace1 rich in tender sympathies1 ,with kindled soul and flashing eye1 the poet poureth out his heartful3 ,priest of truth1 champion of innocence1 warder of the gates of praise1 ,carefully with sifting search laboureth the pale historian3 ,error's enemy1 and acolyte of science1 firm in sober argument1 ,the calm philosopher marshalleth his facts1 noting on his page their principles4 ,these pour mercies upon men2 and others1 little less in honour1 ,by cheerful wit and graphic tale refreshening the harassed spirit4 ,but1 there be other some beside1 buyers and sellers in the temple1 ,who shame their high vocation1 greedy of inglorious gain2 ,there be1 who fabricating books1 heed of them meanly as of merchandise2 ,and seek nor use1 nor truth1 nor fame1 but sell their minds for lucre3 ,o false brethren6 ye wot indeed the labour1 but are witless of the love2 ,o lying prophets1 chilled in soul1 unquickened by the life of inspiration6-- ,and there be1 who1 frivolous and vain1 seek to make others foolish1 ,snaring youth by loose sweet song1 and age by selfish maxim2 ,cleverly heartless1 and wittily profane1 they swell the river of corruption3 ,brilliant satellites of sin1--my soul1 be not found among their company4 ,and there be1 who1 haters of religion1 toil to prove it priestcraft1 ,owning none other aim nor hope1 but to confound the good3 ,woe unto them6 for their works shall live2 yea1 to their utter condemnation3 ,woe6 for their own handwriting shall testify against them for ever4 ,pure is the happiness of ,authorship3 ,i glorify mine office2 ,albeit lightly having sipped the cup of its lower pleasures4 ,for it is to feel with a father's heart1 when he yearneth on the child of his affections2 ,to rejoice in a man's own miniature world1 gladdened by its rare arrangement4 ,the poem1 is it not a fabric of mind8 we love what we create3 ,that choice and musical order1--how pleasant is the toil of composition6 ,yea1 when the volume of the universe was blazoned out in beauty by its ,author1 ,god was glad1 and blessed ,his work2 for it was very good4 ,and shall not the image of his ,maker be happy in his own mind's doing1 ,looking on the structure he hath reared1 gratefully with sweet complacence8 ,shall not the ,minerva of his brain1 panoplied and perfect in proportions1 ,gladden the soul and give light unto the eyes1 of him the travailing parent8 ,go to the sculptor1 and ask him of his dreams1--wherefore are his nights so moonlit8 ,angel faces1 and beautiful shapes1 fascinate the pale ,pygmalion3 ,go to the painter1 and trace his reveries1--wherefore are his days so sunny8 ,choice design1 and skilful colouring1 charm the flitting hours of ,parrhasius3 ,even so1 walking in his buoyancy1 intoxicate with fairy fancies1 ,the young enthusiast of authorship goeth on his way rejoicing3 ,behold1--he is gallantly attended2 legions of thrilling thoughts ,throng about the standard of his mind1 and call his ,will their captain2 ,behold1--his court is as a monarch's2 ideas1 and grand imaginations ,swell1 with gorgeous cavalcade1 the splendour of his ,spiritual ,state2 ,behold1--he is delicately served3 for oftentimes1 in solitary calmness1 ,some mental fair ,egeria smileth on her ,numa's worship2 ,behold1--he is happy2 there is gladness in his eye1 and his heart is a sealed fountain1 ,bounding secretly with joys unseen1 and keeping down its ecstasy of pleasure6 ,yea3 how dignified1 and worthy1 full of privilege and happiness1 ,standeth in majestic independence the self-ennobled ,author6 ,for ,god hath blessed him with a mind1 and cherished it in tenderness and purity1 ,hath taught it in the whisperings of wisdom1 and added all the riches of content3 ,therefore1 leaning on his ,god1 a pensioner for soul and body1 ,his spirit is the subject of none other1 calling no man ,master4 ,his hopes are mighty and eternal1 scorning small ambitions3 ,he hideth from the pettiness of praise1 and pitieth the feebleness of envy4 ,if he meet honours1 well2 it may be his humility to take them3 ,if he be rebuked1 better2 his veriest enemy shall teach him4 ,for the master-mind hath a birthright of eminence2 his cradle is an eagle's eyrie3 ,need but to wait till his wings are grown1 and ,genius soareth to the sun3 ,to creeping things upon the mountain leaveth he the gradual ascent1 ,resting his swiftness on the summit only for a higher flight4 ,glad in clear good-conscience1 lightly doth he look for commendation2 ,what1 if the prophet lacketh honour8 for he can spare that praise3 ,the honest giant careth not to be patted on the back by pigmies2 ,flatter greatness1 he brooketh it good-humouredly3 blame him1--thou tiltest at a pyramid3 ,yet1 just censure of the good never can he hear without contrition2 ,neither would he miss one wise man's praise1 for scarce is that jewel and costly3 ,only for the herd of common minds1 and the vulgar trumpetings of fame1 ,if aught he heedeth in the matter1 his honour is sought in their neglect4 ,slender is the marvel1 and little is the glory1 when round his luscious fruits ,the worm and the wasp and the multitude of flies are gathered as to banquet2 ,fashion's freak1 and the critical sting1 and the flood of flatteries he scorneth2 ,cheerfully asking of the crowd the favour to forget him3 ,the while his blooming fruits ripen in richer fragrance1 ,a feast for the few1--and the many yet unborn1--who still shall love their savour4 ,so then1 humbly with his ,god1 and proudly independent of his fellows1 ,walketh1 in pleasures multitudinous1 the man ennobled by his pen3 ,he hath built up1 glorious architect1 a monument more durable than brass2 ,his children's children shall talk of him in love1 and teach their sons his honour3 ,his dignity hath set him among princes1 the universe is debtor to his worth1 ,his privilege is blessing for ever1 his happiness shineth now1 ,for he standeth of that grand ,election1 each man one among a thousand1 ,whose sound is gone out into all lands1 and their words to the end of the world6 ,illustration3 ,of ,mystery4 ,,of ,,mystery4 ,illustration3 ,a ,all things being are in mystery2 we expound mysteries by mysteries2 ,and yet the secret of them all is one in simple grandeur3 ,all intricate1 yet each path plain1 to those who know the way2 ,all unapproachable1 yet easy of access1 to them that hold the key3 ,we walk among labyrinths of wonder1 but thread the mazes with a clue2 ,we sail in chartless seas1 but behold6 the pole-star is above us4 ,for1 counting down from ,god's good will1 thou meltest every riddle into ,him1 ,the axiom of reason is an undiscovered ,god1 and all things live in ,his ubiquity3 ,there is only one great secret2 but that one hideth everywhere2 ,how should the infinite be understood in ,time1 when it stretcheth on ungrasped for ever8 ,can a halting dipus of earth guess that enigma of the universe8 ,not one3 the sword of faith must cut the ,gordian knot of nature4 ,god1 pervading all1 is in all things the mystery of each2 ,the wherefore of its character and essence1 the fountain of its virtues and its beauties4 ,the child asketh of its mother1--,wherefore is the violet so sweet8 ,the mother answereth her babe1--,darling1 ,god hath willed it4 ,and sages1 diving into science1 have but a profundity of words2 ,they track for some few links the circling chain of consequence1 ,and then1 after doubts and disputations1 are left where they began1 ,at the bald conclusion of a clown1 things are because they are4 ,wherefore are the meadows green1 is it not to gratify the eye8 ,but why should greenness charm the eye8 such is ,god's good will4 ,wherefore is the ear attuned to a pleasure in musical sounds1 ,and who set a number to those sounds1 and fixed the laws of harmony8 ,who taught the bird to build its nest1 or lent the shrub its life1 ,or poised in the balances of order the power to attract and to repel8 ,who continueth the worlds1 and the sea1 and the heart1 in motion8 ,who commanded gravitation to tie down all upon its sphere8-- ,for1 even as a limestone cliff is an aggregate of countless shells1 ,one riddle concrete of many1 a mystery compact of mysteries1 ,so ,god1 cloud-capped in immensity1 standeth the cohesion of all things1 ,and secrets1 sublimely indistinct1 permeate that ,universe1 ,himself2 ,as is the whole1 so are the parts1 whether they be mighty or minute1 ,the sun is not more unexplained than the tissue of an emmet's wing4 ,thus then1 omnipresent ,deity worketh ,his unbiassed mind1 ,a mind1 one in moral1 but infinitely multiplied in means3 ,and the uniform prudence of ,his will cometh to be counted law1 ,till mutable man fancieth volition stirring in the potter's clay3 ,god1 a wise father1 showeth not ,his reasons to ,his babes2 ,but willeth in secresy and goodness3 for causes generate dispute3 ,then we1 ,his darkling children1 watch that invariable purpose1 ,and invest the passive creature with its ,maker's energy and skill3 ,therefore1 they of old time stopped short of ,god in idols1 ,therefore1 in these latter days1 we heed not the ,jehovah in ,his works4 ,mystery is ,god's great name2 ,he is the mystery of goodness3 ,some other1 from the hierarchs of heaven1 usurped the mystery of sin4 ,god is the ,king1 yea even of ,himself2 ,he crowned ,himself with holiness2 ,the burning circlet of iniquity another found and wore4 ,god is separate1 even from ,his attributes2 but ,he willed eternally the good2 ,therefore freely1 though unchangeably1 is wise1 righteous1 and loving3 ,but ambition1 open unto angels1 saw the evil1 flung aside from the beginning1 ,it was ,lucifer that saw1 and nothing loathed those black unclaimed regalia1 ,so he coveted and stole1 to be counted for a king1 antagonist of ,god1 ,but when he touched the leprous robes1 behold6 a cheated traitor4 ,for self-existence1 charactered with love1 with power1 wisdom1 and ubiquity1 ,could not dwell alone1 but willed and worked creation4 ,thus1 in continual exhalation1 darkening the void with matter1 ,sprang from prolific ,deity the creatures of ,his skill4 ,and beings living on ,his breath1 were needfully less perfect than ,himself1 ,therefore less capable of bliss1 whereat ,his benevolence was bounded2 ,so1 to make the capability expand1 intensely progressive to eternity1 ,he suffered darkness to illustrate the light1 and pain to heighten pleasure3 ,to heap up happiness on souls ,he loved1 allowed ,he sin and sorrow1 ,and then to guilt and grief and shame1 ,he brought unbidden amnesty3 ,sinless1 none had been redeemed1 nor wrapt again in ,god3 ,sorrowless1 no conflict had been known1 and ,heaven had been mulcted of its comfort3 ,yea1 with evil unexhibited1 probationary toils unfelt1 ,men had not appreciated good1 nor angels valued their security4 ,herein1 to reason's eye1 is revealed the mystery of goodness1 ,blessing through permitted woe1 and teaching by the mystery of sin4 ,o ,christian1 whose chastened curiosity loveth things mysterious1 ,accounting them shadows and eclipses of ,him the one great light1 ,look now1 satisfied with faith1 on minds that judge by sense1 ,and1 dull from contemplating matter1 take small heed of spirit4 ,toiling feebly upward1 their argument tracketh from below1 ,they catch the latest consequent1 and prove the nearest cause3 ,what is this8 that a seed produced a seed1 and so for a thousand seasons2 ,ascend a thousand steps1 thy ladder leaveth thee in air3 ,thou canst not climb to ,god1 and short of ,him is nothing2 ,there is no cause for aught we see1 but in ,his present will4 ,begin from the ,maker1 thou carriest down ,his attributes to reptiles1 ,the sharded beetle and the lizard live and move in ,him3 ,begin from the creature1 corruption and infirmity mar thy foolish toil1 ,heap ,ossa on ,olympus1 how much art thou nearer to the stars8 ,it is easy running from a mountain's top down to the valleys at its foot1 ,but difficult and steep the laborious ascent1 and feebly shalt thou reach it3 ,yet man1 beginning from himself1 that first deluding mystery1 ,hopeth from the pit of lies to struggle up to truth2 ,so1 taxing knowledge to its strength1 he pusheth one step further1 ,and fancieth complacently that much is done by reaching a remote effect3 ,then he maketh answer to himself1 as a silly nurse to her little one1 ,evading1 in a mist of words1 hard things he cannot solve2 ,till1 like an ostrich in the desert1 he burieth his head in atoms1 ,thinking that1 if he is blind1 no sun can shine in heaven4 ,therefore cometh it to pass1 that an atheist is ever the most credulous1 ,snatching at any foolish cause1 that may dispel his doubts2 ,and1 even as it were for ridicule1 a spectacle for men and angels1 ,the captious and cautious unbeliever is of all men weakest to believe3 ,cut from the anchorage of ,god1 his bark is a plaything of the billows2 ,the compass of his principle is broken1 the rudder of his faith unshipped3 ,chance and ,fate1 in a stultified antagonism1 govern all for him2 ,truth sprang from the conflict of falsities1 and the multitude of accidents hath bred design6 ,where is the imposture so gross1 that shall not entrap his curiosity8 ,what superstition is so abject1 that it doth not blanch his cheek8 ,whereof can he be sure1 with whom ,chaos is substitute for ,order8 ,how should his silly structure stand1 a pyramid built upon its apex8-- ,yea1 ,i have seen grey-headed men1 the bastard slips of science1 ,go for light to glow-worms1 while they scorn the sun at noon3 ,men1 who fear no ,god1 trembling at a gipsy's curse1 ,men1 who jest at revelation1 clinging to a madman's prophecy6 ,there is a pleasing dread in the fashion of all mysteries1 ,for hope is mixed therein and fear2 who shall divine their issues8 ,even the orphan1 wandering by night1 lost on dreary moors1 ,is sensible of some vague bliss amidst his shapeless terrors2 ,the buoyancy of instant expectation1 spurring on the mind to venture1 ,overbeareth1 in its energy1 the cramp and the chill of apprehension4 ,there is a solitary pride1 when the heart1 in new importance1 ,writeth gladly on its archives1 the secrets none other men have seen3 ,and there is a caged terror1 evermore wrestling with the mind1 ,when crime hath whispered his confession1 and the secrets are written there in blood3 ,the village maiden is elated at the tenderly confided tale3 ,the bandit's wife with sickening fear guessed the premeditated murder3 ,the sage1 with triumph on his brow1 hideth up his deep discovery2 ,the idlest clown shall delve all day1 to find a hidden treasure4 ,for mystery is man's life2 we wake to the whisperings of novelty3 ,and what1 though we lie down disappointed8 we sleep1 to wake in hope4 ,the letter1 or the news1 the chances and the changes1 matters that may happen1 ,sweeten or embitter daily life with the honey-gall of mystery4 ,for we walk blindfold1--and a minute may be much1--a step may reach the precipice2 ,what earthly loss1 what heavenly gain1 may not this day produce8 ,levelled of ,alps and ,andes1 without its valleys and ravines1 ,how dull the face of earth1 unfeatured of both beauty and sublimity3 ,and so1 shorn of mystery1 beggared in its hopes and fears1 ,how flat the prospect of existence1 mapped by intuitive foreknowledge4 ,praise ,god1 creature of earth1 for the mercies linked with secresy1 ,that spices of uncertainty enrich the cup of life2 ,praise ,god1 ,his hosts on high1 for the mysteries that make all joy2 ,what were intelligence with nothing more to learn1 or heaven1 in eternity of sameness8 ,to number every mystery were to sum the sum of all things3 ,none can exhaust a theme1 whereof ,god is example and similitude4 ,nevertheless1 take a garland from the garden1 a handful from the harvest1 ,some scattered drops of spray from the ceaseless mighty cataract4 ,whence are we1--whither do we tend1--how do we feel1 and reason8 ,how strange a thing is man1 a spirit saturating clay6 ,when doth soul make embryos immortal1--how do they rank hereafter1-- ,and will the unconscious idiot be quenched in death as nothing8 ,in essence immaterial1 are these minds1 as it were1 thinking machines8 ,for1 to understand may but rightly be to use a mechanism all possess1 ,so that in reading or hearing of another1 a man shall seem unto himself ,to be recollecting images or arguments1 native and congenial to his mind3 ,and yet1 what shall we say1--who can arede the riddle8 ,the brain may be clockwork1 and mind its spring1 mechanism quickened by a spirit4 ,who so shrewd as rightly to divide life1 instinct1 reason2 ,trees1 zoophytes1 creatures of the plain1 and savage men among them8 ,hath the mimosa instinct1--or the scallop more than life1-- ,or the dog less than reason1--or the brute-man more than instinct8 ,what is the cause of health1--and the gendering of disease8 ,why should arsenic kill1 and whence is the potency of antidotes8 ,behold1 a morsel1--eat and die2 the term of thy probation is expired3 ,behold1 a potion1--drink and be alive2 the limit of thy trial is enlarged4 ,who can expound beauty8 or explain the character of nations8 ,who will furnish a cause for the epidemic force of fashion8 ,is there a moral magnetism living in the light of example8 ,is practice electricity8--,yet all these are but names4 ,doth normal ,art imprison1 in its works1 spirit translated into substance1 ,so that the statue1 the picture1 or the poem1 are crystals of the mind8 ,and doth ,philosophy with sublimating skill shred away the matter1 ,till rarefied intelligence exudeth even out of stocks and stones8 ,o ,mysteries1 ye all are one1 the mind of an inexplicable ,architect ,dwelleth alike in each1 quickening and moving in them all4 ,fields1 and forests1 and cities of men1 their woes and wealth and works1 ,and customs1 and contrivances of life1 with all we see and know1 ,for a little way1 a little while1 ye hang dependent on each other1 ,but all are held in one right-hand1 and by ,his will ye are4 ,here is an answer unto mystery1 an unintelligible ,god1 ,this is the end and the beginning1 it is reason that ,he be not understood4 ,therefore it were probable and just1 even to a man's weak thinking1 ,to have one for ,god who always may be learnt1 yet never fully known3 ,that ,he1 from whom all mysteries spring1 in whom they all converge1 ,throned in ,his sublimity beyond the grovellings of lower intellect1 ,should claim to be truer than man's truest1 the boasted certainty of numbers1 ,should baffle his arithmetic1 confound his demonstrations1 and paralyse the might of his necessity1 ,standing supreme as the mystery of mysteries1 everywhere1 yet impersonate1 ,essential ,one in three1 essential ,three in one6 ,,of ,,gifts4 ,illustration3 ,i ,i had a seeming friend2--,i gave him gifts1 and he was gone3 ,i had an open enemy2--,i gave him gifts1 and won him3 ,common friendship standeth on equalities1 and cannot bear a debt2 ,but the very heart of hate melteth at a good man's love3 ,go to1 then1 thou that sayest1--,i will give and rivet the links3 ,for pride shall kick at obligation1 and push the giver from him4 ,the covetous spirit may rejoice1 revelling in thy largess1 ,but chilling selfishness will mutter1--,i must give again3 ,the vain heart may be glad1 in this new proof of man's esteem1 ,but the same idolatry of self abhorreth thoughts of thanking4 ,nevertheless1 give2 for it shall be a discriminating test ,separating honesty from falsehood1 weeding insincerity from friendship4 ,give1 it is like ,god2 thou weariest the bad with benefits3 ,give1 it is like ,god2 thou gladdenest the good by gratitude4 ,give to thy near of kin1 for providence hath stationed thee his helper3 ,yet see that he claim not1 as his right1 thy freewill offering of duty4 ,give to the young1 they love it2 neither hath the poison of suspicion ,spoilt the flavour of their thanks1 to look for latent motives4 ,give to merit1 largely give2 his conscious heart will bless thee3 ,it is not flattery1 but love1--the sympathy of men his brethren4 ,give1 for encouragement in good2 the weak desponding mind ,hath many foes1 and much to do1 and leaneth on its friends4 ,yet heed thou wisely these2 give seldom to thy better2 ,for such obtrusive boon shall savour of presumption2 ,or1 if his courteous bearing greet thy proffered kindness1 ,shall not thine independent honesty be vexed at the semblance of a bribe8 ,moreover1 heed thou this2 give to thine equal charily1 ,the occasion fair and fitting1 the gift well chosen and desired3 ,hath he been prosperous and blest8 a flower may show thy gladness2 ,is he in need8 with liberal love1 tender him the well-filled purse3 ,disease shall welcome friendly care in grapes and precious unguents2 ,and where a darling child hath died1 give praise1 and hope1 and sympathy4 ,yet once more1 heed thou this2 give to the poor discreetly1 ,nor suffer idle sloth to lean upon thy charitable arm3 ,to diligence give1 as to an equal1 on just and fit occasion2 ,or he bartereth his hard-earned self-reliance for the casual lottery of gifts4 ,the timely loan hath added nerve1 where easy liberality would palsy2 ,work and wages make a light heart2 but the mendicant asked with a heavy spirit4 ,a man's own self-respect is worth unto him more than money1 ,and evil is the charity that humbleth1 and maketh man less happy4 ,there are who sow liberalities1 to reap the like again2 ,but men accept his boon1 scorning the shallow usurer3 ,i have known many such a fisherman lose his golden baits3 ,and oftentimes the tame decoy escapeth with the flock4 ,yea1 there are who give unto the poor1 to gain large interest of ,god1-- ,fool1--to think ,his wealth is money1 and not mind3 ,and haply after thine alms1 thy calculated givings1 ,the hurricane shall blast thy crops1 and sink the homeward ship2 ,then shall thy worldly soul murmur that the balances were false1 ,thy trader's mind shall think of ,god1--,he stood not to ,his bargain6 ,give1 saith the preacher1 be large in liberality1 yield to the holy impulse1 ,tarry not for cold consideration1 but cheerfully and freely scatter4 ,so1 for complacency of conscience1 in a gush of counterfeited charity1 ,he that hath not wherewith to be just1 selfishly presumeth to be generous3 ,the debtor1 and the rich by wrong1 are known among the band of the benevolent2 ,and men extol the noble hearts1 who rob that they may give4 ,receivers are but little prone to challenge rights of giving1 ,nor stop to test1 for conscience-sake1 the righteousness of mammon3 ,and the zealot in a cause is a receiver1 at the hand which bettereth his cause2 ,and thus an unsuspected bribe shall blind the good man's judgment3 ,it is easy to excuse greatness1 and the rich are readily forgiven3 ,what1 if his gains were evil1 sanctified by using them aright8 ,o shallow flatterer1 self-interest is thy thought1 ,hopeless of partaking in the like1 thou too wouldst scorn the giver4 ,money hath its value2 and the scatterer thereof his thanks3 ,few men1 drinking at a rivulet1 stop to consider its source4 ,the hand that closeth on an alm1 be it for necessities or zeal1 ,hath small scruple whence it came3 ,vespasian rejoiceth in his tribute4 ,therefore have colleges and hospitals risen upon orphans' wrongs1 ,chapels and cathedrals have thriven on the welcome wages of iniquity1 ,and fraud1 in evil compensation1 hath salved his guilty conscience1 ,not by restoring to the cheated1 but by ostentatious giving to the grateful4 ,so1 those who reap rejoice2 and reaping1 bless the sower3 ,no one is eager to discover1 where discovery tendeth unto loss3 ,yet1 if knowledge of a theft make gainers thereby guilty1 ,can he be altogether innocent1 who never asked the honesty of gain8 ,therefore1 ,o preacher1 zealous for charity1 temper thy warm appeal1-- ,warning the debtor and unjustly rich1 they may not dare to give3 ,to do good is a privilege and guerdon3 how shouldst thou rejoice ,if ill-got gifts of presumptuous fraud be offered on the altar8 ,the question is not of degrees2 unhallowed alms are evil2 ,discourage and reject alike the obolus or talent of iniquity4 ,yet more1 be careful that1 unworthily1 thou gain not an advantage over weakness1 ,unstable souls1 fervent and profuse1 fluttered by the feeling of the moment2 ,for eloquence swayeth to its will the feeble and the conscious of defect3 ,rashly give they1 and afterward are sad1--a gift that doubly erred4 ,it was the worldliness of priestcraft that accounted alms-giving for charity2 ,and many a father's penitence hath steeped his son in penury2 ,yet1 considered he lightly the guilt of a death-bed selfishness ,that strove to take with him1 for gain1 the gold no longer his2 ,so he died in a false peace1 and dying robbed his kindred2 ,the cunning friar at his side having cheated both the living and the dead4 ,charity sitteth on a fair hill-top1 blessing far and near1 ,but her garments drop ambrosia1 chiefly1 on the violets around her3 ,she gladdeneth indeed the map-like scene1 stretching to the verge of the horizon1 ,for her angel face is lustrous and beloved1 even as the moon in heaven3 ,but the light of that beatific vision gloweth in serener concentration ,the nearer to her heart1 and nearer to her home1--that hill-top where she sitteth3 ,therefore is she kind unto her kin1 yearning in affection on her neighbours1 ,giving gifts to those around1 who know and love her well4 ,but the counterfeit of charity1 an hypocrite of earth1 not a grace of heaven1 ,seeketh not to bless at home1 for her nearer aspect is ill-favoured3 ,therefore hideth she for shame1 counting that pride humility1 ,and none of those around her hearth are gladdened by her gifts3 ,rather1 with an overreaching zeal1 flingeth she her bounty to the stranger1 ,and scattered prodigalities abroad compensate for meanness in her home3 ,for benefits showered on the distant shine in unmixed beauty1 ,so that even she may reap their undiscerning praise3 ,therefore native want hath pined1 where foreign need was fattened2 ,woman been crushed by the tyrannous hand that upheld the flag of liberality2 ,poverty been prisoned up and starved1 by hearts that are maudlin upon crime2 ,and freeborn babes been manacled by men1 who liberate the sturdy slave4 ,policy counselleth a gift1 given wisely and in season1 ,and policy afterwards approveth it1 for great is the influence of gifts4 ,the lover1 unsmiled upon before1 is welcome for his jewelled bauble2 ,the righteous cause without a fee1 must yield to bounteous guilt3 ,how fair is a man in thine esteem1 whose just discrimination seeketh thee1 ,and so1 discerning merit1 honoureth it with gifts6 ,yea1 let the cause appear sufficient1 and the motive clear and unsuspicious1 ,as given to one who cannot help1 or proving honest thanks1 ,there liveth not one among a million1 who is proof against the charm of liberality1 ,and flattery1 that boon of praise1 hath power with the wisest4 ,man is of three natures1 craving all for charity2 ,it is not enough to give him meats1 withholding other comfort3 ,for the mind starveth1 and the soul is scorned1 and so the human animal ,eateth his unsatisfying pittance1 a thankless heartless pauper3 ,yet would he bless thee and be grateful1 didst thou feed his spirit1 ,and teach him that thine alms-givings are charities1 are loves3 --,i saw a beggar in the street1 and another beggar pitied him2 ,sympathy sank into his soul1 and the pitied one felt happier3 ,anon passed by a cavalcade1 children of wealth and gaiety2 ,they laughed1 and looked upon the beggar1 and the gallants flung him gold2 ,he1 poor spirit-humbled wretch1 gathered up their givings with a curse1 ,and went--to share it with his brother1 the beggar who had pitied him6 ,,of ,,beauty4 ,illustration3 ,t ,thou mightier than ,manoah's son1 whence is thy great strength1 ,and wherein the secret of thy craft1 ,o charmer charming wisely8-- ,for thou art strong in weakness1 and in artlessness well skilled1 ,constant in the multitude of change1 and simple amidst intricate complexity4 ,folly's shallow lip can ask the deepest question1 ,and many wise in many words should answer1 what is beauty8-- ,who shall separate the hues that flicker on a dying dolphin1 ,or analyse the jewelled lights that deck the peacock's train1 ,or shrewdly mix upon a palette the tints of an iridescent spar1 ,or set in rank the wandering shades about a watered silk8 ,for beauty is intangible1 vague1 ill to be defined2 ,she hath the coat of a chameleon1 changing while we watch it4 ,strangely woven is the web1 disorderly yet harmonious1 ,a glistering robe of mingled mesh1 that may not be unravelled4 ,it is shot with heaven's blue1 the soul of summer skies1 ,and twisted strings of light1 the mind of noonday suns1 ,and ruddy gleams of life1 that roll along the veins1 ,a coat of many colours1 running curiously together4 ,there is threefold beauty for man2 twofold beauty for the animal2 ,and the beauty of inanimates is single3 body1 temper1 spirit4 ,multiplied in endless combination1 issue the changeable results2 ,each class verging on the other twain1 with imperceptible gradation2 ,and every individual in each having his propriety of difference1 ,so that the meanest of creation bringeth in a tribute of the beautiful4 ,yea1 from the worst in favour shineth out a fitness of design1 ,the patent mark of beauty1 its ,maker's name imprest4 ,for the great ,creator's seal is set to all ,his works2 ,its quarterings are ,attributes of praise1 and all the shield is ,beauty3 ,so1 that heraldic blazon is ,creation's common signet2 ,and the universal family of life goeth in the colours of its ,lord3 ,but each one1 as a several son1 shall bear those arms with a difference2 ,beauty1 various in phase1 and similar in seeming oppositions4 ,the coins of old ,rome were struck with a diversity for each1 ,barely two be found alike1 in every ,csar's image3 ,so1 note thou the seals1 ranged round the charters of the ,universe1 ,the finger of ,god is the stamp upon them all1 but each hath its separate variety4 ,beauty1 theme of innocence1 how may guilt discourse thee8 ,let holy angels sing thy praise1 for man hath marred thy visage4 ,still the maimed torso of a ,theseus can gladden taste with its proportions2 ,though sin hath shattered every limb1 how comely are the fragments6 ,and music leaveth on the ear a memory of sweet sounds2 ,and broken arches charm the sight with hints of fair completeness4 ,so1 while humbled at the ruin1 be thou grateful for the relics2 ,go forth1 and look on all around with kind uncaptious eye3 ,freely let us wander through these unfrequented ways1 ,and talk of glorious beauty1 filling all the world4 ,for beauty hideth everywhere1 that ,reason's child may seek her1 ,and having found the gem of price1 may set it in ,god's crown4 ,beauty nestleth in the rosebud1 or walketh the firmament with planets1 ,she is heard in the beetle's evening hymn1 and shouteth in the matins of the sun2 ,the cheek of the peach is glowing with her smile1 her splendour blazeth in the lightning1 ,she is the dryad of the woods1 the naiad of the streams2 ,her golden hair hath tapestried the silkworm's silent chamber1 ,and to her measured harmonies the wild waves beat in time2 ,with tinkling feet at eventide she danceth in the meadow1 ,or1 like a ,titan1 lieth stretched athwart the ridgy ,alps2 ,she is rising1 in her veil of mist1 a ,venus from the waters1-- ,men gaze upon the loveliness1--and lo1 it is beautiful exceedingly2 ,she1 with the might of a ,briareus1 is dragging down the clouds upon the mountain1-- ,men look upon the grandeur1--and lo1 it is excellent in glory4 ,for ,i judge that beauty and sublimity be but the lesser and the great1 ,sublime1 as magnified to giants1 and beautiful1 diminished into fairies4 ,it were a false fancy to solve all beauty by desire1 ,it were a lowering thought to expound sublimity by dread4 ,cowardly men with trembling hearts have feared the furious storm1 ,nor felt its thrilling beauty2 but is it then not beautiful8 ,and careless men1 at summer's eve1 have loved the dimpled waves2 ,o that smile upon the seas1--hath it no sublimity8 ,dost thou nothing know of this1--to be awed at woman's beauty8 ,nor1 with exhilarated heart1 to hail the crashing thunder8 ,thou hast much to learn1 that never found a fearfulness in flowers2 ,thou hast missed of joy1 that never basked in beauties of the terrible4 ,show me an enthusiast in aught2 he hath noted one thing narrowly1 ,and lo1 his keenness hath detected the one dear hiding place of beauty3 ,then he boasteth1 simple soul1 flattered by discovery1 ,fancying that no science else can show so fair and precious3 ,he hath found a ray of light1 and cherisheth the treasure in his closet1 ,mocking at those larger minds1 that bathe in floods of noon2 ,lo1 what a jewel hath he gotten1--this is the monopolist of beauty1-- ,and lightly heeding all beside1 he poured his yearnings thitherward3 ,be it for love1 or for learning1 habit1 art1 or nature1 ,exclusive thought is all the cause of this particular zeal4 ,but like intensity of fitness1 kind and skilful beauty1 ,so pleasant to his mind in one thing1 filleth all beside3 ,from the waking minute of a chrysalis1 to the perfect cycle of chronology1 ,from the centipede's jointed armour to the mammoth's fossil ribs1 ,from the kingfisher's shrill note1 to the cataract's thundering bass1 ,from the greensward's grateful hues1 to the fascinating eye of woman1 ,beauty1 various in all things1 setteth up her home in each1 ,shedding graciously around an omnipresent smile4 ,there is beauty in the rolling clouds1 and placid shingle beach1 ,in feathery snows1 and whistling winds1 and dun electric skies2 ,there is beauty in the rounded woods1 dank with heavy foliage1 ,in laughing fields1 and dinted hills1 the valley and its lake2 ,there is beauty in the gullies1 beauty on the cliffs1 beauty in sun and shade1 ,in rocks and rivers1 seas and plains1--the earth is drowned in beauty4 ,illustration ,beauty coileth with the watersnake1 and is cradled in the shrewmouse's nest1 ,she flitteth out with evening bats1 and the soft mole hid her in his tunnel2 ,the limpet is encamped upon the shore1 and beauty not a stranger to his tent2 ,the silvery dace and golden carp thread the rushes with her3 ,she saileth into clouds with an eagle1 she fluttereth into tulips with a humming bird2 ,the pasturing kine are of her company1 and she prowleth with the leopard in his jungle4 ,moreover1 for the reasonable world1 its words1 and acts1 and speculations1 ,for frail and fallen manhood1 in his every work and way1 ,beauty1 wrecked and stricken1 lingereth still among us1 ,and morsels of that shattered sun are dropt upon the darkness4 ,yea1 with savages and boors1 the mean1 the cruel1 and besotted1 ,ever in extenuating grace hide some relics of the beautiful4 ,gleams of kindness1 deeds of courage1 patience1 justice1 generosity1 ,truth welcomed1 knowledge prized1 rebukes taken with contrition1 ,all1 in various measure1 have been blest with some of these1 ,and never yet hath lived the man1 utterly beggared of the beautiful4 ,beauty is as crystal in the torchlight1 sparkling on the poet's page2 ,virgin honey of ,hymettus1 distilled from the lips of the orator2 ,a savour of sweet spikenard1 anointing the hands of liberality2 ,a feast of angels' food set upon the tables of religion4 ,she is seen in the tear of sorrow1 and heard in the exuberance of mirth2 ,she goeth out early with the huntsman1 and watcheth at the pillow of disease4 ,science in his secret laws hath found out latent beauty1 ,sphere and square1 and cone and curve1 are fashioned by her rules3 ,mechanism met her in his forces1 fancy caught her in its flittings1 ,day is lightened by her eyes1 and her eyelids close upon the night4 ,illustration ,beauty is dependence in the babe1 a toothless tender nurseling2 ,beauty is boldness in the boy1 a curly rosy truant2 ,beauty is modesty and grace in fair retiring girlhood2 ,beauty is openness and strength in pure high-minded youth3 ,man1 the noble and intelligent1 gladdeneth earth with beauty1 ,and woman's beauty sunneth him1 as with a smile from heaven4 ,there is none enchantment against beauty1 ,magician for all time1 ,whose potent spells of sympathy have charmed the passive world3 ,verily1 she reigneth a ,semiramis2 there is no might against her2 ,the lords of every land are harnessed to her triumph4 ,beauty is conqueror of all1 nor ever yet was found among the nations ,that iron-moulded mind1 full proof against her power4 ,beauty1 like a summer's day1 subdueth by sweet influences2 ,who can wrestle against ,sleep8--yet is that giant1 very gentleness4 ,ajax may rout a phalanx1 but beauty shall enslave him single-handed2 ,pericles ruled ,athens1 yet he is the servant of ,aspasia3 ,light were the labour1 and often-told the tale1 to count the victories of beauty1-- ,helen1 and ,judith1 and ,omphale1 and ,thais1 many a trophied name4 ,at a glance the misanthrope was softened1 and repented of his vows1 ,when ,beauty asked1 he gave1 and banned her--with a blessing2 ,the cold ascetic loved the smile that lit his dismal cell1 ,and kindly stayed her step1 and wept when she departed2 ,the bigot abbess felt her heart gush with a mother's feeling1 ,when looking on some lovely face beneath the cloister's shade2 ,usury freed her without ransom2 the buccaneer was gentle in her presence2 ,madness kissed her on the cheek1 and ,idiotcy brightened at her coming3 ,yea1 the very cattle in the field1 and hungry prowlers of the forest ,with fawning homage greeted her1 as ,beauty glided by4 ,a welcome guest unbidden1 she is dear to every hearth2 ,a glad spontaneous growth of friends is springing round her rest3 ,learning sitteth at her feet1 and ,idleness laboureth to please her1 ,folly hath flung aside his bells1 and leaden ,dulness gloweth2 ,prudence is rash in her defence2 ,frugality filleth her with riches2 ,despair came to her for counsel2 and ,bereavement was glad when she consoled2 ,justice putteth up his sword at the tear of supplicating beauty1 ,and ,mercy1 with indulgent haste1 hath pardoned beauty's sin4 ,for beauty is the substitute for all things1 satisfying every absence1 ,the rich delirious cup to make all else forgotten3 ,she also is the zest unto all things1 enhancing every presence1 ,the rare and precious ambergris1 to quicken each perfume4 ,o beauty1 thou art eloquent2 yea1 though slow of tongue1 ,thy breast1 fair ,phryne1 pleaded well before the dazzled judge3 ,o beauty1 thou art wise2 yea1 though teaching falsely1 ,sages listen1 sweet ,corinna1 to commend thy lips2 ,o beauty1 thou art ruler2 yea1 though lowly as a slave1 ,myrrha1 that imperial brow is monarch of thy lord2 ,o beauty1 thou art winner2 yea1 though halting in the race1 ,hippodame1 ,camilla1 ,atalanta1--in gracefulness ye fascinate your umpires2 ,o beauty1 thou art rich2 yea1 though clad in russet1 ,attalus cannot boast his gold against the wealth of beauty2 ,o beauty1 thou art noble2 yea1 though ,esther be an exile1 ,set her up on high1 ye kings1 and bow before the majesty of beauty6 ,friend and scholar1 who1 in charity1 hast walked with me thus far1 ,we have wandered in a wilderness of sweets1 tracking beauty's footsteps3 ,and ever as we rambled on among the tangled thicket1 ,many a startled thought hath tempted further roaming3 ,passion1 sympathetic influence1 might of imaginary haloes1-- ,many the like would lure aside1 to hunt their wayward themes4 ,and1 look you6--from his ferny bed in yonder hazel coppice1 ,a dappled hart hath flung aside the boughs and broke away2 ,he is fleet and capricious as the zephyr1 and with exulting bounds ,hieth down a turfy lane between the sounding woods2 ,his neck is garlanded with flowers1 his antlers hung with chaplets1 ,and rainbow-coloured ribbons stream adown his mottled flanks3 ,should we follow8--foolish hunters1 thus to chase afoot1-- ,who can track the airy speed and doubling wiles of ,taste8 ,for the estimates of human beauty1 dependent upon time and clime1 ,manifold and changeable1 are multiplied the more by strange gregarious fashion3 ,and notable ensamples in the great turn to epidemics in the lower1 ,so that a nation's taste shall vary with its rulers4 ,stern ,egypt1 humbled to the ,greek1 fancied softer idols2 ,greece1 the ,roman province1 nigh forgat her classic sculpture2 ,rome1 crushed beneath the ,goth1 loved his barbarian habits2 ,and ,alaric1 with his ruffian horde1 is tamed by silken ,rome4 ,columbia's flattened head1 and ,china's crumpled feet1-- ,the civilized tapering waist1--and the pendulous ears of the savage1-- ,the swollen throat among the mountains1 and an ebon skin beneath the tropics1-- ,these shall all be reckoned beauty3 and for weighty cause4 ,first1 for the latter3 ,providence in mercy tempereth taste by circumstance1 ,so that ,nature's must shall hit her creature's liking2 ,second1 for the middle3 though the foolishness of vanity seek to mar proportion1 ,still1 defects in those we love shall soon be counted praise2 ,third1 for the first3 a chief1 and a princess1 maimed or distorted from the cradle ,shall coax the flattery of slaves to imitate the great in their deformity3 ,hence groweth habit3 and habits make a taste1 ,and so shall servile zeal deface the types of beauty4 ,whiles ,alexander conquered1 crookedness was comely3 ,and followers learn to praise the scars upon their leader's brow4 ,youth hath sought to flatter age by mimicking grey hairs2 ,age plastereth her wrinkles1 and is painted in the ruddiness of ,youth4 ,fashion1 the parasite of ,rank1 apeth faults and failings1 ,until the general ,taste depraved hath warped its sense of beauty4 ,each man hath a measure for himself1 yet all shall coincide in much2 ,a perfect form of human grace would captivate the world3 ,be it manhood's lustre1 or the loveliness of woman1 all would own its beauty1 ,the ,caffre and ,circassian1 ,russians and ,hindoos1 the ,briton1 the ,turk and ,japanese4 ,not all alike1 nor all at once1 but each in proportion to intelligence1 ,his purer state in morals1 and a lesser grade in guilt3 ,for the high standard of the beautiful is fixed in ,reason's forum1 ,and sins1 and customs1 and caprice1 have failed to break it down3 ,and reason's standard for the creature pointeth three perfections1 ,frame1 knowledge1 and the feeling heart1 well and kindly mingled2 ,a fair dwelling1 furnished wisely1 with a gentle tenant in it1-- ,this is the glory of humanity3 thou hast seen it seldom4 ,there is a beauty for the body2 the superficial polish of a statue1 ,the symmetry of form and feature delicately carved and painted4 ,how bright in early bloom the ,georgian sitteth at her lattice1 ,how softened off in graceful curves her young and gentle shape3 ,those dark eyes1 lit by curiosity1 flash beneath the lashes1 ,and still her velvet cheek is dimpled with a smile4 ,dost thou count her beautiful8--even as a mere fair figure1 ,a plastic image1 little more1--the outer garb of woman3 ,yea1--and thus far it is well2 but ,reason's hopes are higher1-- ,can he sate his soul on a scantling third of beauty8 ,yet is this the pleasing trickery1 that cheateth half the world1 ,nature's wise deceit to make up waste in life2 ,and few be they that rest uncaught1 for many a twig is limed2 ,where is the wise among a million1 that took not form for beauty8 ,but watch it well2 for vanity and sin1 malice1 hate1 suspicion1 ,louring as clouds upon the countenance1 will disenchant its charms4 ,the needful complexity of beauty claimeth mind and soul1 ,though many coins of foul alloy pass current for the true3 ,and albeit fairness in the creature shall often co-exist with excellence1 ,yet hath many an angel shape been tenanted by fiends4 ,a man1 spiritually keen1 shall detect in surface beauty ,those marring specks of evil which the sensual cannot see2 ,therefore is he proof against a face1 unlovely to his likings1 ,and common minds shall scorn the taste1 that shrunk from sin's distortion4 ,there is a beauty for the reason2 grandly independent of externals1 ,it looketh from the windows of the house1 shining in the man triumphant4 ,i have seen the broad blank face of some misshapen dwarf ,lit on a sudden as with glory1 the brilliant light of mind3 ,who then imagined him deformed8 intelligence is blazing on his forehead1 ,there is empire in his eye1 and sweetness on his lip1 and his brown cheek glittereth with beauty3 ,and ,i have known some ,nireus of the camp1 a varnished paragon of chamberers1 ,fine1 elegant1 and shapely1 moulded as the master-piece of ,phidias1-- ,such an one1 with intellects abased1 have ,i noted crouching to the dwarf1 ,whilst his lovers scorn the fool1 whose beauty hath departed6 ,and there is a beauty for the spirit2 mind in its perfect flowering1 ,fragrant1 expanded into soul1 full of love and blessed4 ,go to some squalid couch1 some famishing death-bed of the poor2 ,he is shrunken1 cadaverous1 diseased2--there is here no beauty of the body3 ,never hath he fed on knowledge1 nor drank at the streams of science1 ,he is of the common herd1 illiterate2--there is here no beauty of the reason3 ,but lo6 his filming eye is bright with love from heaven1 ,in every look it beameth praise1 as worshipping with seraphs2 ,what honeycomb is hived upon his lips1 eloquent of gratitude and prayer1-- ,what triumph shrined serene upon that clammy brow1 ,what glory flickering transparent under those thin cheeks1-- ,what beauty in his face6--,is it not the face of an angel8 ,now1 of these three1 infinitely mingled and combined1 ,consisteth human beauty1 in all the marvels of its mightiness3 ,and forth from human beauty springeth the intensity of ,love2 ,feeling1 thought1 desire1 the three deep fountains of affection4 ,son of ,adam1 or daughter of ,eve1 art thou trapped by nature1 ,and is thy young eye dazzled with the pleasant form of beauty8 ,this is but a lower love2 still it hath its honour2 ,what ,god hath made and meant to charm1 let not man despise4 ,nevertheless1 as reason's child1 look thou wisely farther1 ,for age1 disease1 and care1 and sin1 shall tarnish all the surface3 ,reach a loftier love3 be lured by the comeliness of mind1-- ,gentle1 kind1 and calm1 or lustrous in the livery of knowledge4 ,and more1 there is a higher grade2 force the mind to its perfection-- ,win those golden trophies of consummate love3 ,add unto riches of the reason1 and a beauty moulded to thy liking1 ,the precious things of nobler grace that well adorn a soul2 ,thus1 be thou owner of a treasure1 great in earth and heaven1 ,beauty1 wisdom1 goodness1 in a creature like its ,god4 ,so then1 draw we to an end2 with feeble step and faltering1 ,i follow beauty through the universe1 and find her home ,ubiquity3 ,in all that ,god hath made1 in all that man hath marred1 ,lingereth beauty1 or its wreck1 a broken mould and castings4 ,and now1 having wandered long time1 freely and with desultory feet1 ,to gather in the garden of the world a few fair sample flowers1 ,with patient scrutinizing care let us cull the conclusion of their essence1 ,and answer to the riddle of ,zorobabel1 ,whence the might of beauty8 ,ugliness is native unto nothing1 but an attribute of concrete evil2 ,in everything created1 at its worst1 lurk the dregs of loveliness3 ,we be fallen into utter depths1 yet once we stood sublime1 ,for man was made in perfect praise1 his ,maker's comely image3 ,and so his new-born ill is spiced with older good1 ,he carrieth with him1 yea to crime1 the withered limbs of beauty4 ,passions may be crooked generosities2 the robber stealeth for his children2 ,murder was avenger of the innocent1 or wiped out shame with blood4 ,many virtues1 weighted by excess1 sink among the vices2 ,many vices1 amicably buoyed1 float among the virtues4 ,for1 albeit sin is hate1 a foul and bitter turpitude1 ,as hurling back against the ,giver all ,his gifts with insult1 ,still when concrete in the sinner1 it will seem to partake of his attractions1 ,and in seductive masquerade shall cloak its leprous skin2 ,his broken lights of beauty shall illumine its utter black1 ,and those refracted rays glitter on the hunch of its deformity4 ,verily the fancy may be false1 yet hath it met me in my musings1 7,as expounding the pleasantness of pleasure1 but no ways extenuating licence17 ,that even those yearnings after beauty1 in wayward wanton youth1 ,when1 guileless of ulterior end1 it craveth but to look upon the lovely1 ,seem like struggles of the soul1 dimly remembering pre-existence1 ,and feeling in its blindness for a long-lost god1 to satisfy its longing2 ,as if the sucking babe1 tenderly mindful of his mother1 ,should pull a dragon's dugs1 and drain the teats of poison4 ,our primal source was beauty1 and we pant for it ever and again2 ,but sin hath stopped the way with thorns2 we turn aside1 wander1 and are lost4 ,god1 the undiluted good1 is root and stock of beauty1 ,and every child of reason drew his essence from that stem4 ,therefore1 it is of intuition1 an innate hankering for home1 ,a sweet returning to the well1 from which our spirit flowed1 ,that we1 unconscious of a cause1 should bask these darkened souls ,in some poor relics of the light that blazed in primal beauty1 ,and1 even like as exiles of idolatry1 should quaff from the cisterns of creation ,stagnant draughts1 for those fresh springs that rise in the ,creator4 ,only1 being burdened with the body1 spiritual appetite is warped1 ,and sensual man1 with taste corrupted1 drinketh of pollutions3 ,impulse is left1 but indiscriminate2 his hunger feasteth upon carrion2 ,his natural love of beauty doateth over beauty in decay4 ,he still thirsteth for the beautiful2 but his delicate ideal hath grown gross1 ,and the very sense of thirst hath been fevered from affection into passion4 ,he remembereth the blessedness of light1 but it is with an old man's memory1 ,a blind old man from infancy1 that once hath seen the sun1 ,whom long experience of night hath darkened in his cradle recollections1 ,until his brightest thought of noon is but a shade of black4 ,this then is thy charm1 ,o beauty all pervading2 ,and this thy wondrous strength1 ,o beauty1 conqueror of all3 ,the outline of our shadowy best1 the pure and comely creature1 ,that winneth on the conscience with a saddening admiration3 ,and some untutored thirst for ,god1 the root of every pleasure1 ,native to creatures1 yea in ruin1 and dating from the birthday of the soul4 ,for ,god sealeth up the sum1 confirmed exemplar of proportions1 ,rich in love1 full of wisdom1 and perfect in the plenitude of ,beauty4 ,illustration3 ,of ,fame4 ,,of ,,fame4 ,illustration3 ,b ,blow the trumpet1 spread the wing1 fling thy scroll upon the sky1 ,rouse the slumbering world1 ,o ,fame1 and fill the sphere with echo6 --,beneath thy blast they wake1 and murmurs come hoarsely on the wind1 ,and flashing eyes and bristling hands proclaim they hear thy message3 ,rolling and surging as a sea1 that upturned flood of faces ,hasteneth with its million tongues to spread the wondrous tale2 ,the hum of added voices groweth to the roaring of a cataract1 ,and rapidly from wave to wave is tossed that exaggerated story1 ,until those stunning clamours1 gradually diluted in the distance1 ,sink ashamed1 and shrink afraid of noise1 and die away4 ,then brooding ,silence1 forth from his hollow caverns1 ,cloaked and cowled1 and gliding along1 a cold and stealthy shadow1 ,once more is mingled with the multitude1 whispering as he walketh1 ,and hushing all their eager ears1 to hear some newer ,fame4 ,so all is still again2 but nothing of the past hath been forgotten2 ,a stirring recollection of the trumpet ringeth in the hearts of men3 ,and each one1 either envious or admiring1 hath wished the chance were his ,to fill as thus the startled world with fame1 or fear1 or wonder4 ,this lit thy torch of sacrilege1 ,ephesian ,eratostratus2 ,this dug thy living grave1 ,pythagoras1 the traveller from ,hads2 ,for this1 dived ,empedocles into ,etna's fiery whirlpool2 ,for this1 conquerors1 regicides1 and rebels1 have dared their perilous crimes4 ,in all men1 from the monarch to the menial1 lurketh lust of fame3 ,the savage and the sage alike regard their labours proudly3 ,yea1 in death1 the glazing eye is illumined by the hope of reputation1 ,and the stricken warrior is glad1 that his wounds are salved with glory4 ,for fame is a sweet self-homage1 an offering grateful to the idol1 ,a spiritual nectar for the spiritual thirst1 a mental food for mind1 ,a pregnant evidence to all of an after immaterial existence1 ,a proof that soul is scatheless1 when its dwelling is dissolved4 ,and the manifold pleasures of fame are sought by the guilty and the good3 ,pleasures1 various in kind1 and spiced to every palate3 ,the thoughtful loveth fame as an earnest of better immortality1 ,the industrious and deserving1 as a symbol of just appreciation1 ,the selfish1 as a promise of advancement1 at least to a man's own kin1 ,and common minds1 as a flattering fact that men have been told of their existence4 ,there is a blameless love of fame1 springing from desire of justice1 ,when a man hath featly won and fairly claimed his honours3 ,and then fame cometh as encouragement to the inward consciousness of merit1 ,gladdening by the kindliness and thanks1 wherewithal his labours are rewarded4 ,but there is a sordid imitation1 a feverish thirst for notoriety1 ,waiting upon vanity and sloth1 and utterly regardless of deserving3 ,and then fame cometh as a curse2 the fire-damp is gathered in the mine3 ,the soul is swelled with poisonous air1 and a spark of temptation shall explode it4 ,idle causes1 noised awhile1 shall yield most active consequents1 ,and therefore it were ill upon occasion to scorn the voice of rumour4 ,ye have seen the chemist in his art mingle invisible gases2 ,and lo1 the product is a substance1 a heavy dark precipitate3 ,even so fame1 hurtling on the quiet with many meeting tongues1 ,can out of nothing bring forth fruits1 and blossom on a nourishment of air4 ,for many have earned honour1 and thereby rank and riches1 ,from false and fleeting tales1 some casual mere mistake2 ,and many have been wrecked upon disgrace1 and have struggled with poverty and scorn1 ,from envious hints and ill reports1 the slanders cast on innocence4 ,whom may not scandal hit8 those shafts are shot at a venture3 ,who standeth not in danger of suspicion8 that net hath caught the noblest4 ,csar's wife was spotless1 but a martyr to false fame2 ,and ,rumour1 in temporary things1 is gigantic as a ruin or a remedy3 ,many poor and many rich have testified its popular omnipotence1 ,and many a panic-stricken army hath perished with the host of the ,assyrians4 ,nevertheless1 if opportunity be nought1 let a man bide his time2 ,so the matter be not merchandise nor conquest1 fear thou less for character4 ,if a liar accuseth thee of evil1 be not swift to answer2 ,yea1 rather give him license for awhile2 it shall help thine honour afterward3 ,never yet was calumny engendered1 but good men speedily discerned it1 ,and innocence hath burst from its injustice1 as the green world rolling out of ,chaos4 ,what1 though still the wicked scoff1--this also turneth to his praise2 ,did ye never hear that censure of the bad is buttress to a good man's glory8 ,what1 if the ignorant still hold out1 obstinate in unkind judgment1-- ,ignorance and calumny are paired2 we affirm by two negations3 ,let them stand round about1 pushing at the column in a circle1 ,for all their toil and wasted strength1 the foolish do but prop it4 ,and note thou this2 in the secret of their hearts1 they feel the taunt is false1 ,and cannot help but reverence the courage1 that walketh amid calumnies unanswering3 ,he standeth as a gallant chief1 unheeding shot or shell2 ,he trusteth in ,god his ,judge3 neither arrows nor the pestilence shall harm him4 ,a high heart is a sacrifice to ,heaven3 should it stoop among the creepers in the dust1 ,to tell them that what ,god approved1 is worthy of their praise8 ,never shall it heed the thought2 but flaming on in triumph to the skies1 ,and quite forgetting fame1 shall find it added as a trophy4 ,a great mind is an altar on a hill3 should the priest descend from his altitude1 ,to canvass offerings and worship from dwellers on the plain8 ,rather1 with majestic perseverance will he minister in solitary grandeur1 ,confident the time will come1 when pilgrims shall be flocking to the shrine4 ,for fame is the birthright of genius2 and he recketh not how long it be delayed2 ,the heir need not hasten to his heritage1 when he knoweth that his tenure is eternal4 ,the careless poet of ,avon1 was he troubled for his fame1 ,or the deep-mouthed chronicler of ,paradise1 heeded he the suffrage of his equals8 ,monides took no thought1 committing all his honours to the future1 ,and ,flaccus1 standing on his watch-tower1 spied the praise of ages4 ,smoking flax will breed a flame1 and the flame may illuminate a world2 ,where is he who scorned that smoke as foul and murky vapour8 ,the village stream swelled to a river1 and the river was a kingdom's wealth1 ,where is he who boasted he could step across that stream8 ,such are the beginnings of the famous3 little in the judgment of their peers1 ,the juster verdict of posterity shall fix them in the orbits of the ,great4 ,therefore dull ,zoilus1 clamouring ascendant of the hour1 ,will soon be fain to hide his hate1 and bury up his bitterness for shame3 ,therefore mocking ,momus1 offended at the footsteps of ,beauty1 ,shall win the prize of his presumption1 and be hooted from his throne among the stars4 ,for1 as the shadow of a mountain lengtheneth before the setting sun1 ,until that screening ,alp have darkened all the canton1-- ,so1 ,fame groweth to its great ones2 their images loom longer in departing2 ,but the shadow of mind is light1 and earth is filled with its glory4 ,and thou1 student of the truth1 commended to the praise of ,god1 ,wouldst thou find applause with men8--seek it not1 nor shun it4 ,ancient fame is roofed in cedar1 and her walls are marble2 ,modern fame lodgeth in a hut1 a slight and temporary dwelling3 ,lay not up the treasures of thy soul within so damp a chamber1 ,for the moth of detraction shall fret thy robe1 and drop its eggs upon thy motive2 ,or the rust of disheartening reserve shall spoil the lustre of thy gold1 ,until its burnished beauty shall be dim as tarnished brass2 ,or thieves1 breaking through to steal1 shall claim thy jewelled thoughts1 ,and turn to charge the theft on thee1 a pilferer from them6 ,there is a magnanimity in recklessness of fame1 so fame be well deserving1 ,that rusheth on in fearless might1 the conscious sense of merit3 ,and there is a littleness in jealousy of fame1 looking as aware of weakness1 ,that creepeth cautiously along1 afraid that its title will be challenged4 ,the wild boar1 full of beechmast1 flingeth him down among the brambles2 ,secure in bristly strength1 without a watch1 he sleepeth3 ,but the hare1 afraid to feed1 croucheth in its own soft form2 ,wakefully with timid eyes1 and quivering ears1 he listeneth4 ,even so1 a giant's might is bound up in the soul of ,genius1 ,his neck is strong with confidence1 and he goeth tusked with power3 ,sturdily he roameth in the forest1 or sunneth him in fen and field1 ,and scareth from his marshy lair a host of fearful foes4 ,but there is a mimic ,talent1 whose safety lieth in its quickness1 ,a timorous thing of doubling guile1 that scarce can face a friend3 ,this one is captious of reproof1 provident to snatch occasion1 ,greedy of applause1 and vexed to lose one tittle of the glory4 ,he is a poor warder of his fame1 who is ever on the watch to keep it spotless2 ,such care argueth debility1 a garrison relying on its sentinel4 ,passive strength shall scorn excuses1 patiently waiting a re-action1 ,he wotteth well that truth is great1 and must prevail at last2 ,but fretful weakness hasteth to explain1 anxiously dreading prejudice1 ,and ignorant that perishable falsehood dieth as a branch cut off4 ,purity of motive and nobility of mind shall rarely condescend ,to prove its rights1 and prate of wrongs1 or evidence its worth to others4 ,and it shall be small care to the high and happy conscience ,what jealous friends1 or envious foes1 or common fools may judge4 ,should the lion turn and rend every snarling jackal1 ,or an eagle be stopt in his career to punish the petulance of sparrows8 ,should the palm-tree bend his crown to chide the briar at his feet1 ,nor kindly help its climbing1 if it hope1 and be ambitious8 ,should the nightingale account it worth her pains to vindicate her music1 ,before some sorry finches1 that affect to judge of song8 ,no3 many an injustice1 many a sneer1 and slur1 ,is passed aside with noble scorn by lovers of true fame3 ,for well they wot that glory shall be tinctured good or evil1 ,by the character of those who give it1 as wine is flavoured by the wineskin3 ,so that worthy fame floweth only from a worthy fountain1 ,but from an ill-conditioned troop the best report is worthless4 ,and if the sensibility of genius count his injuries in secret1 ,wisely will he hide the pains a hardened herd would mock3 ,for the great mind well may be sad to note such littleness in brethren1 ,the while he is comforted and happy in the firmest assurance of desert4 ,cease awhile1 gentle scholar2--seek other thoughts and themes2 ,or dazzling ,fame with wildfire light shall lure us on for ever4 ,for look1 all subjects of the mind may range beneath its banner1 ,and time would fail and patience droop1 to count that numerous host4 ,the mine is deep1 and branching wide1--and who can work it out8 ,years of thought would leave untold the boundless topic1 ,fame4 ,every matter in the universe is linked in suchwise unto others1 ,that a deep full treatise upon one thing might reach to the history of all things3 ,and before some single thesis had been followed out in all its branches1 ,the wandering thinker would be lost in the pathless forest of existence4 ,what were the matter or the spirit1 that hath no part in ,fame8 ,where were the fact irrelevant1 or the fancy out of place8 ,for the handling of that mighty theme should stretch from past to future1 ,catching up the present on its way1 as a traveller burdened with time4 ,all manner of men1 their deeds1 hopes1 fortunes1 and ambitions1 ,all manner of events and things1 climate1 circumstance1 and custom1 ,wealth and war1 fear and hope1 contentment1 jealousy1 devotion1 ,skill and learning1 truth1 falsehood1 knowledge of things gone and things to come1 ,pride and praise1 honour and dishonour1 warnings1 ensamples1 emulations1 ,the excellent in virtues1 and the reprobate in vice1 with the cloud of indifferent spectators1-- ,wave on wave with flooding force throng the shoals of thought1 ,filling that immeasurable theme1 the height and depth of ,fame4 ,with soul unsatisfied and mind dismayed1 my feet have touched the threshold1 ,fain to pour these flowers and fruits an offering on that altar3 ,lo1 how vast the temple1--there are clouds within the dome6 ,yet might the huge expanse be filled1 with volumes writ on ,fame4 ,,of ,,flattery4 ,illustration3 ,m ,music is commended of the deaf3--but is that praise despised8 ,i trow not3 with flattered soul the musician heard him gladly4 ,beauty is commended of the blind3--but is that compliment misliking8 ,i trow not3 though false and insincere1 woman listened greedily4 ,vacant ,folly talketh high of ,learning's deepest reason3 ,is she hated for her hollowness8--learning held her wiser for the nonce4 ,the worldly and the sensual1 to gain some end1 did homage to religion3 ,and the good man gave thanks as for a convert1 where others saw the hypocrite4 ,yet none of these were cheated at the heart1 nor steadily believed those flatteries2 ,they feared the core was rotten1 while they hoped the skin was sound3 ,but the fruits have so sweet fragrance1 and are verily so pleasant to the eyes1 ,it were an ungracious disenchantment to find them apples of ,sodom4 ,so they laboured to think all honest1 winking hard with both their eyes2 ,and hushed up every whisper that could prove that praise absurd3 ,they willingly regard not the infirmities that make such worship vain1 ,and palliate to their own fond hearts the faults they will not see4 ,for the idol rejoiceth in his incense1 and loveth not to shame his suppliants1 ,should he seek to find them false1 his honours die with theirs3 ,an offering is welcome for its own sake1 set aside the giver1 ,and praise is precious to a man1 though uttered by the parrot or the mocking-bird4 ,the world is full of fools2 and sycophancy liveth on the foolish3 ,so he groweth great and rich1 that fawning supple parasite4 ,sometimes he boweth like a reed1 cringing to the pompousness of pride1 ,sometimes he strutteth as a gallant1 pampering the fickleness of vanity2 ,i have known him listen with the humble1 enacting silent marveller1 ,to hear some purse-proud dunce expose his poverty of mind2 ,i have heard him wrangle with the obstinate1 vowing that he will not be convinced1 ,when some weak youth hath wisely feared the chance of ill success3 ,now1 he will barely be a winner1--to magnify thy triumphs afterward2 ,now1 he will hardly be a loser1--but cannot cease to wonder at thy skill3 ,he laudeth his own worth1 that the leader may have glory in his follower2 ,he meekly confesseth his unworthiness1 that the leader may have glory in himself4 ,many wiles hath he1 and many modes of catching1 ,but every trap is selfishness1 and every bait is praise4 ,come1 ,i would forewarn thee and forearm thee2 for keen are the weapons of his warfare2 ,and1 while my soul hath scorned him1 ,i have watched his skill from far4 ,his thoughts are full of guile1 deceitfully combining contrarieties1 ,and when he doeth battle in a man1 he is leagued with traitorous ,self-love4 ,strange things have ,i noted1 and opposite to common fancy2 ,we leave the open surface1 and would plumb the secret depths4 ,for he will magnify a lover1 even to disparaging his mistress2 ,so much wisdom1 goodness1 grace1--and all to be enslaved8 ,till the ,narcissus1 self-enamoured1 whelmed in floods of flattery1 ,is cheated from the constancy and fervency of love by friendship's subtle praise4 ,moreover1 he will glorify a parent1 even to the censure of his child1-- ,o degenerate scion1 of a stock so excellent and noble6 ,scant will he be in well-earned praise of a son before his father2 ,and rarely commendeth to a mother her daughter's budding beauty3 ,yet shall he extol the daughter to her father1 and be warm about the son before his mother2 ,knowing that self-love entereth not1 to resist applause with jealousies4 ,wisely is he sparing of hyperbole where vehemence of praise would humble1 ,for many a father liketh ill to be counted second to his son3 ,and shrewdly the flatterer hath reckoned on a self still lurking in the mother1 ,when his tongue was slow to speak of graces in the daughter4 ,but if he descend a generation1 to the grandsire his talk is of the grandson1 ,because in such high praise he hideth the honours of the son2 ,and the daughter of a daughter may well exceed1 in beauty1 love1 and learning1 ,for unconsciously old age perceived--she cannot be my rival4 ,these are of the deep things of flattery3 and many a shallow sycophant ,hath marvelled ill that praise of children seldom won their parents4 ,this therefore note1 unto detection3 flattery can sneer as well as smile2 ,and a master in the craft wotteth well1 that his oblique thrust is surest4 ,flattery sticketh like a burr1 holding to the soil with anchors1 ,a vital1 natural1 subtle seed1 everywhere hardy and indigenous4 ,go to the storehouse of thy memory1 and take what is readiest to thy hand1-- ,the noble deed1 the clever phrase1 for which thy pride was flattered3 ,oh1 it hath been dwelt upon in solitude1 and comforted thy heart in crowds1 ,it hath made thee walk as in a dream1 and lifted up the head above thy fellows2 ,it hath compensated months of gloom1 that minute of sweet sunshine1 ,drying up the pools of apathy1 and kindling the fire of ambition3 ,yea1 the flavour of that spice1 mingled in the cup of life1 ,shall linger even to the dregs1 and still be tasted with a welcome2 ,the dame shall tell her grandchild of her coy and courted youth1 ,and the grey-beard prateth of a stranger1 who praised his task at school4 ,oftimes to the sluggard and the dull1 flattery hath done good service1 ,quickening the mind to emulation1 and encouraging the heart that failed4 ,even so1 a stimulating poison1 wisely tendered by the leech1 ,shall speed the pulse1 and rally life1 and cheat astonished death4 ,for1 as a timid swimmer ventureth afloat with bladders1 ,until self-confidence and growth of skill have made him spurn their aid1 ,thus commendation may be prudent1 where a child hath ill deserved it2 ,but praise unmerited is flattery1 and the cure will bring its cares3 ,for thy son may find thee out1 and thou shalt rue the remedy3 ,yea1 rather1 where thou canst not praise1 be honest in rebuke4 ,i have seen the objects of a flatterer mirrored clearly on the surface1 ,where self-love scattereth praise1 to gather praise again4 ,this is a commodity of merchandize1 words put out at interest3 ,a scheme for canvassing opinions1 and tinging them all with partiality4 ,he is but a harmless fool2 humour him with pitiful good-nature3 ,if a poetaster quote thy song1 be thou tender to his poem3 ,did the painter praise thy sketch8 be kind1 commend his picture2 ,he looketh for a like return2 then thank him with thy praise4 ,in these small things with these small minds count thou the sycophant a courtier1 ,and pay back1 as blindly as ye may1 the too transparent honour4 ,also1 where the flattery is delicate1 coming unobtrusive and in season1 ,though thou be suspicious of its truth1 be generous at least to its gentility4 ,the skilful thief of ,lacedmon had praise before his judges1 ,and many caitiffs win applause for genius in their callings4 ,moreover1 his meaning may be kind1--and thou art a debtor to his tongue2 ,hasten well to pay the debt1 with charity and shrewdness3 ,he must not think thee caught1 nor feel himself discovered1 ,nor find thine answering compliment as hollow as his own4 ,though he be a smiling enemy1 let him heed thee as the fearless and the friendly2 ,a searching look1 a poignant word1 may prove thou art aware3 ,still1 with compassion to the frail1 though keen to see his soul1 ,let him not fear for thy discretion3 see thou keep his secret1 and thine own4 ,however1 where the flattery is gross1 a falsehood clear and fulsome1 ,crush the venomous toad1 and spare not for a jewel in its head4 ,tell the presumptuous in flattery1 that or ever he bespatter thee with praise1 ,it might be well to stop and ask how little it were worth3 ,thou hast not solicited his suffrage1--let him not force thee to refuse it2 ,look to it1 man1 thy fence is foiled1--and thus we spoil the plot4 ,self-knowledge goeth armed1 girt with many weapons1 ,but carrieth whips for flattery1 to lash it like a slave3 ,but the dunce in that great science goeth as a greedy tunny1 ,to gorge both bait and hook1 unheeding all but appetite3 ,he smelleth praise and swalloweth1--yea1 though it be palpable and plain1 ,say unto him1 ,folly1 thou art ,wisdom1--he will bless thee for thy lie4 ,flatterer1 thou shalt rue thy trade1 though it have many present gains2 ,those varnished wares may sell apace1 yet shall they spoil thy credit4 ,thine is the intoxicating cup1 which whoso drinketh it shall nauseate3 ,thine is trickery and cheating2 but deception never pleased for long4 ,and though while fresh thy fragrance seemed even as the dews of charity1 ,yet afterward it fouled thy censer1 as with savour of stale smoke4 ,for the great mind detected thee at once1 answering thine emptiness with pity1 ,he saw thy self-interested zeal1 and was not cozened by vain-glory3 ,and the little mind is bloated with the praise1 scorning him who gave it1 ,a fool shall turn to be thy tyrant1 an thou hast dubbed him great3 ,and the medium mind of common men1 loving first thy music1 ,after1 when the harmonies are done1 shall feel small comfort in their echoes2 ,for either he shall know thee false1 conscious of contrary deservings1 ,and1 hating thee for falsehood1 soon will scorn himself for truth1 ,or1 if in aught to toilsome merit honest praise be due1 ,though for a season1 belike1 his weakness hath been raptured at thy witching1 ,shall he not speedily perceive1 to the vexing of his disappointed spirit1 ,that thine exaggerated tongue hath robbed him of fair fame8 ,thou hast paid in forger's coins1 and he had earned true money3 ,for the substance of just praise1 thou hast put him off with shadows of the sycophant3 ,thou art all things to all men1 for ends false and selfish1 ,therefore shalt be nothing unto any one1 when those thine ends are seen4 ,turn aside1 young scholar1 turn from the song of ,flattery6 ,she hath the ,siren's musical voice1 to ravish and betray4 ,her tongue droppeth honey1 but it is the honey of ,anticyra2 ,her face is a mask of fascination1 but there hideth deformity behind2 ,her coming is the presence of a queen1 heralded by courtesy and beauty1 ,but1 going away1 her train is held by the hideous dwarf1 ,disgust4 ,know thyself1 thine evil as thy good1 and flattery shall not harm thee3 ,yea1 her speech shall be a warning1 a humbling and a guide4 ,for wherein thou lackest most1 there chiefly will the sycophant commend thee1 ,and then most warmly will congratulate1 when a man hath least deserved4 ,behold1 she is doubly a traitor2 and will underrate her victim's best1 ,that1 to the comforting of conscience1 she may plead his worse for better4 ,therefore1 is she dangerous1--as every lie is dangerous3 ,believe her tales1 and perish3 if thou act upon such counsel4 ,her aims are thine not thee1 thy wealth and not thy welfare1 ,thy suffrage not thy safety1 thine aid and not thine honour4 ,moreover1 with those aims insured1 ceaseth all her glozing2 ,she hath used thee as a handle1--but her hand was wise to turn it2 ,thus will she glorify her skill1 that it deftly caught thy kindness1 ,thus will she scorn thy kindness1 so pliable and easy to her skill4 ,and then1 the flatterer will turn to be thy foe1 the bitterest and hottest1 ,because he oweth thee much hate to pay off many humblings4 ,thinkest thou now that he is high1 he loveth the remembrance of his lowliness1 ,the servile manner1 the dependent smile1 the conscience self-abased8 ,no1 this hour is his own1 and the flatterer will be found a busy mocker2 ,he that hath salved thee with his tongue1 shall now gnash upon thee with his teeth2 ,yea1 he will be leader in the laugh1--silly one1 to listen to thy loss1 ,we scarce had hoped to lime and take another of the fools of flattery4 ,at the last2 have charity1 young scholar1--yea1 to the sycophant convicted2 ,be not a ,brutus to thyself1 nor stern in thine own cause4 ,pardon exaggerated praise2 for there is a natural impulse1 ,spurring on the nobler mind1 to colour facts by feelings3 ,take an indulgent view of each man's interest in self1 ,be large and liberal in excuses2 is not that infirmity thine own8 ,search thy soul and be humble2 and mercy abideth with humility2 ,so that1 yea1 the insincere may find thee pitiful1 and love thee4 ,mildly put aside1 without rudeness of repulse1 the pampering hand of flattery1 ,for courtesy and kindness have gone beneath its guise1 and ill shouldst thou rebuke them4 ,thou art incapable of theft3 but flowers in the garden of a friend ,are thine to pluck with confidence1 and it were unfriendliness to hesitate3 ,thou abhorrest flattery3 but a generous excess in praise ,is thine to yield with honest heart1 and false were the charity to doubt it3 ,the difference lieth in thine aim2 kindliness and good are of charity1 ,but selfish1 harmful1 vile1 and bad1 is ,flattery's evil end4 ,illustration ,,of ,,neglect4 ,generous and righteous is thy grief1 slighted child of sensibility2 ,for kindliness enkindleth love1 but the waters of indifference quench it3 ,thy soul is athirst for sympathy1 and hungereth to find affection1 ,the tender scions of thy heart yearn for the sunshine of good feeling2 ,and it is an evil thing and bitter1 when the cheerful face of ,charity1 ,going forth gaily in the morning to woo the world with smiles1 ,is met by those wayfaring men with coldness1 suspicion1 and repulse1 ,and turneth into hard dead stone at the ,gorgon visage of ,neglect4 ,o brother1 warm and young1 covetous of other's favour1 ,i see thee checked and chilled1 sorrowing for censure or forgetfulness3 ,let coarse and common minds despise--that wounding of thy vanity1 ,alas1 ,i note a sorer cause1 the blighting of thy love2 ,let the callous sensual deride thee1--disappointed of thy praise1 ,alas1 thou hast a juster grief1 defrauded of their kindness3 ,it is a theme for tears to feel the soft heart hardening1 ,the frozen breath of apathy sealing up the fountain of affection2 ,it is a pang1 keen only to the best1 to be injured well-deserving1 ,and slumbering ,neglect is injury1--,could ye not watch one hour8 ,when ,god ,himself complained1 it was that none regarded1 ,and indifference bowed to the rebuke1 ,thou gavest ,me no kiss when ,i came in4 ,moreover1 praise is good2 honour is a treasure to be hoarded2 ,a good man's praise foreshadoweth ,god's1 and in ,his smile is heaven3 ,but men walk on in hardihood1 steeling their sinfulness to censure1 ,and when rebuke is ridiculed1 the love of praise were an infirmity2 ,the judge thou heedest not in fear1 cannot have deep homage of thy hope1 ,and who then is the wise of this world1 that will own he trembleth at his fellows8 ,calm1 careless1 and insensible1 he mocketh blame or calumny1 ,neither should his dignity be humbled to some pittance of their praise3 ,the rather1 let false pride affect to trample on the treasure ,which evermore in secret strength unconquered ,nature prizeth2 ,rather1 shall ye stifle now the rising bliss of triumph1 ,lest after1 in the world's ,neglect1 he must acknowledge bitterness4 ,for lo1 that world is wide1 a huge and crowded continent1 ,its brazen sun is mammon1 and its iron soil is care3 ,a world full of men1 where each man clingeth to his idol2 ,a world full of men1 where each man cherisheth his sorrow2 ,a world full of men1 multitude shoaling upon multitude2 ,a surging sea1 where every wave is burdened with an argosy of self2 ,a boundless beach1 where every stone is a separate microscopic world3 ,a forest of innumerable trees1 where every root is independent4 ,what then is the marvel or the shame1 if units be lost among the million8 ,canst thou reasonably murmur1 if a leaf drop off unnoticed8 ,wondrous in architecture1 intricate and beautiful1 delicately tinged and scented1 ,exquisite of feeling and mysterious in life1 none cared for its growth1 or its decay3 ,none8 yea1--no one of its fellows1--nor cedar1 palm1 nor bramble1-- ,none8 its twin-born brother scarcely missed it from the spray3 ,none8--if none indeed1 then man's neglect were bitterness2 ,and ,life a land without a sun1 a globe without a ,god6 ,yea1 flowers in the desert1 there be that love your beauty2 ,yea1 jewels in the sea1 there be that prize your brightness2 ,children of unmerited oblivion1 there be that watch and woo you1 ,and many tend your sweets1 with gentle ministering care3 ,thronging spirits of the happy1 and the ever-present ,good ,one ,yearning seek those precious things1 man hath not heart to love1 ,gems of the humblest or the highest1 pure and patient in their kind1 ,the souls unhardened by ill usage1 and uncorrupt by luxury4 ,and ye1 poor desolates unsunned1 toilers in the dark damp mine1 ,wearied daughters of oppression1 crushed beneath the car of avarice1 ,there be that count your tears1--,he hath numbered the hairs of thy head1-- ,there be that can forgive your ill1 with kind considerate pity3 ,count ye this for comfort1 ,justice hath her balances1 ,and yet another world can compensate for all3 ,the daily martyrdom of patience shall not be wanting of reward2 ,duty is a prickly shrub1 but its flower will be happiness and glory4 ,ye too1 the friendless1 yet dependent1 that find nor home nor lover1 ,sad imprisoned hearts1 captive to the net of circumstance1-- ,and ye1 too harshly judged1 noble unappreciated intellects1 ,who1 capable of highest1 lowlier fix your just ambition in content1-- ,and chiefest1 ye1 famished infants of the poor1 toiling for your parents' bread1 ,tired1 and sore1 and uncomforted the while1 for want of love and learning1 ,who struggle with the pitiless machine in dull continuous conflict1 ,tasked by iron men1 who care for nothing but your labour1-- ,be ye long-suffering and courageous3 abide the will of ,heaven2 ,god is on your side2 all things are tenderly remembered3 ,his servants here shall help you2 and where those fail you through ,neglect1 ,his kingdom still hath time and space for ample discriminative ,justice3 ,yea1 though utterly on this bad earth ye lose both right and mercy1 ,the tears that we forgat to note1 our ,god shall wipe away4 ,nevertheless1 kind spirit1 susceptible and guileless1 ,meek uncherished dove1 in a carrion flock of fowls1 ,sensitive mimosa1 shrinking from the winds that help to root the fir1 ,fragile nautilus1 shipwrecked in the gale whereat the conch is glad1 ,thy sharp peculiar grief is uncomforted by hope of compensation1 ,for it is a delicate and spiritual wound1 which the probe of pity bruiseth3 ,yet hear how many thoughts extenuate its pain2 ,even while a kindred heart can sorrow for its presence4 ,for the sting of neglect is in this1--that such as we are all1 forget us1 ,that men and women1 kith and kin1 so lightly heed of other3 ,sympathy is lacking from the guilty such as we1 even where angels minister1 ,and souls of fine accord must prize a fellow-sinner's love2 ,for the worst love those who love them1 and the best claim heart for heart1 ,and it is a holy thirst to long for love's requital3 ,hard it will be1 hard and sad1 to love and be unloved2 ,and many a thorn is thrust into the side of him that is forgotten4 ,the oppressive silence of reserve1 the frost of failing friendship1 ,affection blighted by repulse1 or chilled by shallow courtesy1 ,the unaided struggle1 the unconsidered grief1 the unesteemed self-sacrifice1 ,the gift1 dear evidence of kindness1 long due1 but never offered1 ,the glance estranged1 the letter flung aside1 the greeting ill received1 ,the services of unobtrusive care unthanked1 perchance unheeded1 ,these things1 which hard men mock at1 rend the feelings of the tender1 ,for the delicate tissue of a spiritual mind is torn by those sharp barbs2 ,the coldness of a trusted friend1 a plenitude ending in vacuity1 ,is as if the stable world had burst a hollow bubble4 ,but consider1 child of sensibility2 the lot of men is labour1 ,labour for the mouth1 or labour in the spirit1 labour stern and individual4 ,worldly cares and worldly hopes exact the thoughts of all1 ,and there is a necessary selfishness1 rooted in each mortal breast4 ,the plans of prudence1 or the whisperings of pride1 or all-absorbing reveries of love1 ,ambition1 grief1 or fear1 or joy1 set each man for himself2 ,therefore1 the centre of a circle1 whereunto all the universe convergeth1 ,is seen in fallen solitude1 the naked selfish heart3 ,stripped of conventional deceptions1 untrammelled from the harness of society1 ,we all may read one little word engraved on all we do2 ,other men1 what are they unto us8 the age1 the mass1 the million1-- ,we segregate1 distinct from generalities1 that isolated particle1 a self3 ,it is the very law of our life1 a law for soul and body1 ,an earthly law for earthly men1 toiling in responsible probation4 ,for each is the all unto himself1 disguise it as we may1 ,each infinite1 each most precious2 yet even as a nothing to his neighbour4 ,o consider1 we be crowding up an avenue1 trapped in the decoy of time1 ,behind us the irrevocable past1 before us the illimitable future3 ,what wonder is there1 if the traveller1 wayworn1 hopeful1 fearful1 ,burdened himself1 so lightly heed the burden of his brother8 ,how shouldst thou marvel and be sad1 that the pilgrims trouble not to learn thee1 ,when each hath to master for himself the lessons of life and immortality8 ,moreover1 what art thou1--so vainly impatient of ,neglect1 ,where then is thy worthiness1 that so thou claimest honour8 ,let the true judgment of humility reckon up thine ill deserts1 ,how little is there to be loved1 how much to stir up scorn6 ,the double heart1 the bitter tongue1 the rash and erring spirit1 ,be these1 ye purest among men1 your passports unto favour8 ,it is mercy in the ,merciful1 and justice in the ,just1 to be jealous of ,his creature's love1 ,but how should evil or duplicity arrogate affection to itself8 ,where love is happiness and duty1 to be jealous of that love is godlike1 ,but who can reverence the guilty8 who findeth pleasure in the mean8 ,check the presumption of thy hopes3 thankfully take refuge in obscurity1 ,or1 if thou claimest merit1 thy sin shall be proclaimed upon the housetops4 ,yet again3 consider them of old1 the good1 the great1 the learned1 ,who have blessed the world by wisdom1 and glorified their ,god by purity4 ,did those speed in favour8 were they the loved and the admired8 ,was every prophet had in honour8 and every deserving one remembered to his praise8 ,what shall ,i say of yonder band1 a glorious cloud of witnesses1 ,the scorned1 defamed1 insulted1--but the excellent of earth8 ,it were weariness to count up noble names1 neglected in their lives1 ,whom none esteemed1 nor cared to love1 till death had sealed them his4 ,for good men are the health of the world1 valued only when it perisheth1 ,like water1 light1 and air1 all precious in their absence4 ,who hath considered the blessing of his breath1 till the poison of an asthma struck him8 ,who hath regarded the just pulses of his heart1 till spasm or paralysis have stopped them8 ,even thus1 an unobserved routine of daily grace and wisdom1 ,when no more here1 had worship of a world1 whose penitence atoned for its neglect4 ,and living genius is seen among infirmities1 wherefrom the commoner are free2 ,and other rival men of mind crowd this arena of contention2 ,and there be many cares2 and a man knoweth little of his brother2 ,feebly we appreciate a motive1 and slowly keep pace with a feeling3 ,and social difference is much2 and experience teacheth sadly1 ,how great the treachery of friends1 how dangerous the courtesy of enemies4 ,so1 the sum of all these things operateth largely upon all men1 ,hedging us about with thorns1 to cramp our yearning sympathies1 ,and we grow materialized in mind1 forgetting what we see not1 ,but1 immersed in perceptions of the present1 keep things absent out of thought3 ,thus1 where ingratitude1 and guilt1 and labour1 and selfishness would harden1 ,humbly will the good man bow1 unmurmuring1 to ,neglect4 ,yet once more1 griever at ,neglect1 hear me to thy comfort1 or rebuke3 ,for1 after all thy just complaint1 the world is full of love4 ,o heart of childhood1 tender1 trusting1 and affectionate1 ,o youth1 warm youth1 full of generous attentions1 ,o woman1 self-forgetting woman1 poetry of human life1 ,and not less thou1 ,o man1 so often the disinterested brother1 ,many a smile of love1 many a tear of pity1 ,many a word of comfort1 many a deed of magnanimity1 ,many a stream of milk and honey pour ye freely on the earth1 ,and many a rosebud of love rejoiceth in the dew of your affection4 ,neglect8 ,o liberal world1 for thine are many prizes3 ,neglect8 ,o charitable world1 where thousands feed on bounty2 ,neglect8 ,o just world1 for thy judgments err not often2 ,neglect8 ,o libel on a world where half that world is woman6 ,where is the afflicted1 whose voice1 once heard1 stirreth not a host of comforters8 ,where is the sick untended1 or in prison1 and they visited him not8 ,the hungry is fed1 and the thirsty satisfied1 till ability set limits to the will1 ,and those who did it unto them1 have done it unto ,god6 ,for human benevolence is large1 though many matters dwarf it1 ,prudence1 ignorance1 imposture1 and the straitenings of circumstance and time4 ,and if to the body1 so to the mind1 the mass of men are generous2 ,their estimate1 who know us best1 is seldom seen to err2 ,be sure the fault is thine1 as pride1 or shallowness1 or vanity1 ,if all around thee1 good and bad1 neglect thy seeming merit3 ,no man yet deserved1 who found not some to love him2 ,and he1 that never kept a friend1 need only blame himself3 ,many for unworthiness will droop and die1 but all are not unworthy2 ,it must indeed be cold clay soil1 that killeth every seed4 ,therefore1 examine thy state1 ,o self-accounted martyr of ,neglect1 ,it may be1 thy merit is a cubit1 and thy measure thereof a furlong2 ,but grant it greater than thy thoughts1 and grant that men thy fellows1 ,for pleasure1 business1 or interest1 misuse1 forget1 neglect thee1-- ,still be thou conqueror in this1 the consciousness of high deservings2 ,let it suffice thee to be worthy2 faint not thou for praise2 ,for that thou art1 be grateful2 go humbly even in thy confidence2 ,and set thy foot upon the neck of an enemy so harmless as ,neglect4 ,illustration ,,of ,,contentment4 ,godliness with ,contentment1--these be the pillars of felicity1 ,jachin1 wherewithal it is established1 and ,boaz1 in the which is strength2 ,and upon their capitals is lily-work1 the lotus fruit and flower1 ,those fair and fragrant types of holiness1 innocence1 and beauty2 ,great gain pertaineth to the pillars1 nets and chains of wreathen gold1 ,and they stand up straight in the temple porch1 the house where ,glory dwelleth4 ,the body craveth meats1 and the spirit is athirst for peacefulness1 ,he that hath these1 hath enough2 for all beyond is vanity4 ,surfeit vaulteth over pleasure1 to light upon the hither side of pain2 ,and great store is great care1 the rather if it mightily increaseth4 ,albeit too little is a trouble1 yet too much shall swell into an evil1 ,if wisdom stand not nigh to moderate the wishes3 ,for covetousness never had enough1 but moaneth at its wants for ever1 ,and rich men have commonly more need to be taught contentment than the poor4 ,that hungry chasm in their market-place gapeth still unsatisfied1 ,yea1 fling in all the wealth of ,rome1--it asketh higher victims2 ,so1 when the miser's gold cannot fill the measure of his lust1 ,curtius must leap into the pit1 and avarice shall close upon his life4 ,behold ,independence in his rags1 all too easily contented1 ,careful for nothing1 thankful for much1 and uncomplaining in his poverty3 ,such an one have ,i somewhile seen earn his crust with gladness2 ,he is a gatherer of simples1 culling wild herbs upon the hills2 ,and now1 as he sitteth on the beach1 with his motherless child beside him1 ,to rest them in the cheerful sun1 and sort their mints and horehound1-- ,tell me1 can ye find upon his forehead the cloud of covetous anxiety1 ,or note the dull unkindled eyes of sated sons of pleasure8-- ,for there is more joy of life with that poor picker of the ditches1 ,than among the multitude of wealthy who wed their gains to discontent4 ,i have seen many rich1 burdened with the fear of poverty1 ,i have seen many poor1 buoyed with all the carelessness of wealth3 ,for the rich had the spirit of a pauper1 and the moneyless a liberal heart2 ,the first enjoyeth not for having1 and the latter hath nothing but enjoyment4 ,none is poor but the mean in mind1 the timorous1 the weak1 and unbelieving2 ,none is wealthy but the affluent in soul1 who is satisfied and floweth over4 ,the poor-rich is attenuate for fears1 the rich-poor is fattened upon hopes2 ,cheerfulness is one man's welcome1 and the other warneth from him by his gloom4 ,many poor have the pleasures of the rich1 even in their own possessions2 ,and many rich miss the poor man's comforts1 and yet feel all his cares4 ,liberty is affluence1 and the ,helots of anxiety never can be counted wealthy2 ,but he that is disenthralled from fear1 goeth for the time a king2 ,he is royal1 great1 and opulent1 living free of fortune1 ,and looking on the world as owner of its good1 the ,maker's child and heir3 ,whereas1 the covetous is slavish1 a very ,midas in his avarice1 ,full of dismal dreams1 and starved amongst his treasures3 ,the ceaseless spur of discontent goaded him with instant apprehension1 ,and his thirst for gold could never be quenched1 for he drank with the throat of ,crassus4 ,vanity1 and dreary disappointment1 care1 and weariness1 and envy2 ,vanity is graven upon all things2 wisely spake the preacher4 ,for ambition is a burning mountain1 thrown up amid the turbid sea1 ,a ,stromboli in sullen pride above the hissing waves2 ,and the statesman climbing there1 forgetful of his patriot intentions1 ,shall hate the strife of each rough step1 or ever he hath toiled midway3 ,and every truant from his home1 the happy home of duty1 ,shall live to loathe his eminence of cares1 that seething smoke and lava4 ,contentment is the temperate repast1 flowing with milk and honey3 ,ambition is the drunken orgy1 fed by liquid flames3 ,a black and bitter frown is stamped upon the forehead of ,ambition1 ,but fair ,contentment's angel-face is rayed with winning smiles4 ,there was in ,tyre a merchant1 the favourite child of fortune1 ,an opulent man with many ships1 to trade in many climes2 ,and he rose up early to his merchandize1 after feverish dreaming1 ,and lay down late to his hot unrest1 overwhelmed with calculated cares4 ,so1 day by day1 and month by month1 and year by year1 he gained2 ,and grew grey1 and waxed great3 for money brought him all things4 ,all things8--verily1 not all2 the kernel of the nut is lacking1-- ,his mind was a stranger to content1 and as for ,peace1 he knew her not3 ,luxuries palled upon his palate1 and his eyes were satiate with purple2 ,he could coin much gold1 but buy no happiness with it4 ,and on a day1 a day of dread1 in the heat of inordinate ambition1 ,when he threw with a gambler's hand1 to lose or to double his possessions1 ,the chance hit him1--he had speculated ill1--and men began to whisper2-- ,those he trusted1 failed2 and their usuries had bribed him deeply2 ,one ship foundered out at sea1--and another met the pirate1-- ,and so1 with broken fortunes1 men discreetly shunned him4 ,he was a stricken stag1 and went to hide away in solitude1 ,and there in humility1 he thought1--he resolved1 and promptly acted3 ,from the wreck of all his splendours1 from the dregs of the goblet of affluence1 ,he saved with management a morsel and a drop1 for his daily cup and platter3 ,and lo1 that little was enough1 and in enough was competence2 ,his cares were gone1--he slept by night1 and lived at peace by day2 ,cured of his guilty selfishness1--money's love1 envy1 competition1-- ,he lived to be thankful in a cottage that he had lost a palace3 ,for he found in his abasement what he vainly had sought in high estate1 ,both mind and body well at ease1 though robed in the russet of the lowly4 ,once more2 a certain priest1 happy in his high vocation1 ,with faith1 and hope1 and charity1 well served his village altar2 ,as men count riches1 he was poor2 but great were his treasures in heaven1 ,and great his joys on earth1 for ,god's sake doing good3 ,he had few cares and many consolations1 one of the welcome everywhere2 ,the labourer accounted him his friend1 and magnates did him honour at their table3 ,with a large heart and little means he still made many grateful1 ,and felt as the centre of a circle1 of comfort1 calmness1 and content4 ,but1 on a weaker sabbath1--for he preached both well and wisely1-- ,some casual hearer loudly praised his great neglected talents3 ,why should he be buried in obscurity1 and throw these pearls to swine8 ,could he not still be doing good1--the whilst he pushed his fortunes8 ,then came temptation1 even on the spark of discontent2 ,the neighbouring town had a pulpit to be filled2 hotly did he canvass1 and won it3 ,now was he popular and courted1 and listened to the spell of admiration1 ,and toiled to please the taste1 rather than to pierce the conscience4 ,greedily he sought1 and seeking found1 the patronizing notice of the great2 ,he thirsted for emoluments and honours1 and counted rich men happy3 ,so he flattered1 so he preached2 and gold and fame flowed in2 ,they flowed in1--he was reaping his reward1 and felt himself a fool4 ,alas1 what a shadow was he following1--how precious was the substance he had left6 ,man for ,god1 gold for good1 this was his miserable bargain4 ,the village church1 its humble flock1 and humbler parish priest1 ,zeal1 devotion1 and approving ,heaven1--his books1 and simple life1 ,his little farm and flower-beds1--his recreative rambles with a friend1 ,and haply1 at eventide1 the leaping trouts1 to help their humble fare1 ,all these wretchedly exchanged for what the world called fortune1 ,with the harrowing conscience of a state relapsed to vain ambitions4 ,then1--for ,god was gracious to his soul1--his better thoughts returned1 ,and better aims with better thoughts1 his holy walk of old4 ,sickened of style1 and ostentation1 and the dissipative fashions of society1 ,he deserted from the ranks of ,mammon1 and renewed his allegiance to ,god3 ,for he found that the praises of men1 and all that gold can give1 ,are not worthy to be named1 against godliness and calm contentment4 ,,of ,,life4 ,illustration3 ,a ,a child was playing in a garden1 a merry little child1 ,bounding with triumphant health1 and full of happy fancies2 ,his kite was floating in the sunshine1--but he tied the string to a twig ,and ran among the roses to catch a new-born butterfly2 ,his horn-book lay upon a bank1 but the pretty truant hid it1 ,buried up in gathered grass1 and moss1 and sweet wild-thyme2 ,he launched a paper boat upon the fountain1 then wayward turned aside1 ,to twine some fragrant jessamines about the dripping marble3 ,so1 in various pastime shadowing the schemes of manhood1 ,that curly-headed boy consumed the golden hours3 ,and ,i blessed his glowing face1 envying the merry little child1 ,as he shouted with the ecstasy of being1 clapping his hands for joyfulness3 ,for ,i said1 ,surely1 ,o ,life1 thy name is happiness and hope1 ,thy days are bright1 thy flowers are sweet1 and pleasure the condition of thy gift4 ,a youth was walking in the moonlight1 walking not alone1 ,for a fair and gentle maid leant on his trembling arm3 ,their whispering was still of beauty1 and the light of love was in their eyes1 ,their twin young hearts had not a thought unvowed to love and beauty2 ,the stars and the sleeping world1 and the guardian eye of ,god1 ,the murmur of the distant waterfall1 and nightingales warbling in the thicket1 ,sweet speech of years to come1 and promises of fondest hope1 ,and more1 a present gladness in each other's trust1 ,all these fed their souls with the hidden manna of affection1 ,while their faces shone beatified in the radiance of reflected ,eden3 ,i gazed on that fond youth1 and coveted his heart1 ,attuned to holiest symphonies1 with music in its strings3 ,for ,i said1 ,surely1 ,o ,life1 thy name is love and beauty1 ,thy joys are full1 thy looks most fair1 thy feelings pure and sensitive4 ,a man sat beside his merchandize1 a careworn altered man1 ,his waking hope1 his nightly fear1 were money1 and its losses3 ,rarely was the laugh upon his cheek1 except in bitter scorn ,for his foolishness of heart1 and the lie of its romance1 counting ,love a treasure4 ,his talk is of stern ,reality1 chilling unimaginative facts1 ,the dull material accidents of this sensual body2 ,lucreless honour were contemptible1 impoverished affection but a pauper's riches1 ,duty1 struggling unrewarded1 the bargain of a cheated fool3 ,the market value of a fancy must be measured by the gain it bringeth1 ,no man is fed or clothed by fame1 or love1 or duty3-- ,so toiled he day by day1 that cold and joyless man1 ,i gazed upon his haggard face1 and sorrowed for the change3 ,for ,i said1 ,surely1 ,o ,life1 thy name is care and weariness1 ,thy soil is parched1 thy winds are fierce1 and the suns above thee hardening4 ,a withered elder lay upon his bed1 a desolate man and feeble3 ,his thoughts were of the past1 the early past1 the bygone days of youth3 ,bitterly repented he the years stolen by the god of this world3 ,remembering the maiden of his love1 and the heart-stricken wife of his selfishness4 ,for the sunshiny morning of life came again to him a vivid truth1 ,but the years of toil as a long dim dream1 a cloudy blighted noon3 ,he saw the nutting schoolboy1 but forgat the speculative merchant2 ,the callous calculating husband was shamed by the generous lover3 ,he knew that the weeds of worldliness1 and the smoky breath of ,mammon ,had choked and killed those tender shoots1 his yearnings after honour and affection2 ,so was he sick at heart1 and my pity strove to cheer him1 ,but a deep and dismal gulf lay between comfort and his soul4 ,then ,i said1 ,surely1 ,o ,life1 thy name is vanity and sorrow1 ,thy storms at noon are many1 and thine eventide is clouded by remorse4 ,now1 when ,i thought upon these things1 my heart was grieved within me3 ,i wept1 with bitterness of speech1 and these were the words of my complaining3 ,wherefore then must happiness and love wither into care and vanity1-- ,wherefore is the bud so beautiful1 but flower and fruit so blighted8 ,hard is the lot of man2 to be lured by the meteor of romance1 ,only to be snared1 and to sink1 in the turbid mudpool of reality4 ,suddenly1 a light1--and a rushing presence1--and a consciousness of ,something near me1-- ,i trembled1 and listened1 and prayed3 then ,i knew the ,angel of ,life3 ,vague1 and dimly visible1 mine eye could not behold ,him1 ,as1 calmly unimpassioned1 ,he looked upon an erring creature2 ,unseen1 my spirit apprehended ,him2 though ,he spake not1 yet ,i heard3 ,for a sympathetic communing with ,him flashed upon my mind electric4 ,pensioner of ,god1 be grateful2 the gift of ,life is good3 ,the life of heart1 and life of soul1 mingled with life for the body4 ,gladness and beauty are its just inheritance1--the beauty thou hast counted for romance3 ,and guardian spirits weep that selfishness and sorrow should destroy it4 ,thou hast seen the natural blessing marred into a curse by man2 ,come then1 in favour will ,i show thee the proper excellence of life4 ,keep thou purity1 and watch against suspicion1--love shall never perish2 ,guard thine innocency spotless1 and the buoyancy of childhood shall remain4 ,sweet ideals feed the soul1 thoughts of loveliness delight it1 ,the chivalrous affection of uncalculating youth lacketh not honourable wisdom4 ,charge not folly on invisibles1 that render thee happier and purer1 ,the fair frail visions of ,romance have a use beyond the maxims of the ,real4 ,behold a patriarch of years1 who leaneth on the staff of religion2 ,his heart is fresh1 quick to feel1 a bursting fount of generosity3 ,he1 playful in his wisdom1 is gladdened in his children's gladness1 ,he1 pure in his experience1 loveth in his son's first love3 ,lofty aspirations1 deep affections1 holy hopes are his delight2 ,his abhorrence is to strip from ,life its charitable garment of ,idea4 ,the cold and callous sneerer1 who heedeth of the merely practical1 ,and mocketh at good uses in imaginary things1 that man is his scorn3 ,the hard unsympathizing modern1 filled with facts and figures1 ,cautious1 and coarse1 and materialized in mind1 that man is his pity4 ,passionate thirst for gain never hath burnt within his bosom1 ,the leaden chains of that dull lust have not bound him prisoner3 ,the shrewd world laughed at him for honesty1 the vain world mouthed at him for honour1 ,the false world hated him for truth1 the cold world despised him for affection3 ,still1 he kept his treasure1 the warm and noble heart1 ,and in that happy wise old man survive the child and lover4 ,for human ,life is as ,chian wine1 flavoured unto him who drinketh it1 ,delicate fragrance comforting the soul1 as needful substance for the body3 ,therefore1 see thou art pure and guileless2 so shall thy ,realities of ,life ,be sweetened1 and tempered1 and gladdened by the wholesome spirit of ,romance4 ,dost thou live1 man1 dost thou live1--or only breathe and labour8 ,art thou free1 or enslaved to a routine1 the daily machinery of habit8 ,for1 one man is quickened into life1 where thousands exist as in a torpor1 ,feeding1 toiling1 sleeping1 an insensate weary round3 ,the plough1 or the ledger1 or the trade1 with animal cares and indolence1 ,make the mass of vital years a heavy lump unleavened4 ,drowsily lie down in thy dulness1 fettered with the irons of circumstance1 ,thou wilt not wake to think and feel a minute in a month4 ,the epitome of common life is seen in the common epitaph1 ,born on such a day1 and dead on such another1 with an interval of threescore years4 ,for time hath been wasted on the senses1 to the hourly diminishing of spirit3 ,lean is the soul and pineth1 in the midst of abundance for the body3 ,he forgat the worlds to which he tended1 and a creature's true nobility1 ,nor wished that hope and wholesome fear should stir him from his hardened satisfaction4 ,and this is death in life2 to be sunk beneath the waters of the ,actual1 ,without one feebly-struggling sense of an airier spiritual realm3 ,affection1 fancy1 feeling--dead2 imagination1 conscience1 faith1 ,all wilfully expunged1 till they leave the man mere carcase4 ,see thou livest1 whiles thou art3 for heart must live1 and soul1 ,but care and sloth and sin and self1 combine to kill that life4 ,a man will grow to an automaton1 an appendage to the counter or the desk1 ,if mind and spirit be not roused1 to raise the plodding groveller3 ,then praise ,god for sabbaths1 for books1 and dreams1 and pains1 ,for the recreative face of nature1 and the kindling charities of home2 ,and remember1 thou that labourest1--thy leisure is not loss1 ,if it help to expose and undermine that solid falsehood1 the ,material4 ,life is a strange avenue of various trees and flowers2 ,lightsome at commencement1 but darkening to its end1 in a distant massy portal4 ,it beginneth as a little path1 edged with the violet and primrose1 ,a little path of lawny grass1 and soft to tiny feet3 ,soon1 spring thistles in the way1 those early griefs of school1 ,and fruit-trees ranged on either hand show holiday delights3 ,anon1 the rose and the mimosa hint at sensitive affection1 ,and vipers hide among the grass1 and briars are woven in the hedges3 ,shortly1 staked along in order1 stand the tender saplings1 ,while hollow hemlock and tall ferns fill the frequent interval3 ,so advancing1 quaintly mixed1 majestic line the way ,sturdy oaks1 and vigorous elms1 the beech and forest-pine3 ,and here the road is rough with rocks1 wide1 and scant of herbage1 ,the sun is hot in heaven1 and the ground is cleft and parched3 ,and many-times a hollow trunk1 decayed1 or lightning-scathed1 ,or in its deadly solitude1 the melancholy upas3 ,but soon1 with closer ranks1 are set the sentinel trees1 ,and darker shadows hover amongst ,autumn's mellow tints2 ,ever and anon1 a holly1--junipers1 and cypresses1 and yews2 ,the soil is damp2 the air is chill2 night cometh on apace3 ,speed to the portal1 traveller1--lo1 there is a moon1 ,with smiling light to guide thee safely through the dreadful shade3 ,hark1--that hollow knock1--behold1 the warder openeth1 ,the gate is gaping1 and for thee2--those are the jaws of ,death6 ,illustration ,,of ,,death4 ,illustration3 ,k ,keep silence1 daughter of frivolity1--for ,death is in that chamber6 ,startle not with echoing sound the strangely solemn peace4 ,death is here in spirit1 watcher of a marble corpse1-- ,that eye is fixed1 that heart is still1--how dreadful in its stillness6 ,death1 new tenant of the house1 pervadeth all the fabric2 ,he waiteth at the head1 and he standeth at the feet1 and hideth in the caverns of the breast3 ,death1 subtle leech1 hath anatomized soul from body1 ,dissecting well in every nerve its spirit from its substance3 ,death1 rigid lord1 hath claimed the heriot clay1 ,while joyously the youthful soul hath gone to take his heritage3 ,death1 cold usurer1 hath seized his bonded debtor2 ,death1 savage despot1 hath caught his forfeit serf2 ,death1 blind foe1 wreaketh petty vengeance on the flesh2 ,death1 fell cannibal1 gloateth on his victim1 ,and carrieth it with him to the grave1 that dismal banquet-hall1 ,where in foul state the ,royal ,goul holdeth secret orgies4 ,hide it up1 hide it up1 draw the decent curtain3 ,hence6 curious fool1 and pry not on corruption3 ,for the fearful mysteries of change are being there enacted1 ,and many actors play their part on that small stage1 the tomb4 ,leave the clay1 that leprous thing1 touch not the fleshly garment3 ,dust to dust1 it mingleth well among the sacred soil3 ,it is scattered by the winds1 it is wafted by the waves1 it mixeth with herbs and cattle1 ,but ,god hath watched those morsels1 and hath guided them in care3 ,each waiting soul must claim his own1 when the archangel soundeth1 ,and all the fields1 and all the hills1 shall move a mass of life2 ,bodies numberless crowding on the land1 and covering the trampled sea1 ,darkening the air precipitate1 and gathered scatheless from the fire2 ,the ,himalayan peaks shall yield their charge1 and the desolate steppes of ,siberia1 ,the ,maelstrm disengulph its spoil1 and the iceberg manumit its captive3 ,all shall teem with life1 the converging fragments of humanity1 ,till every conscious essence greet his individual frame2 ,for in some dignified similitude1 alike1 yet different in glory1 ,this body shall be shaped anew1 fit dwelling for the soul3 ,the hovel hath grown to a palace1 the bulb hath burst into the flower1 ,matter hath put on incorruption1 and is at peace with spirit4 ,amen1--and so it shall be3--but now1 the scene is drear1-- ,yea1 though promises and hope strive to cheat its sadness2 ,full of grief1 though faith herself is strong to speed the soul1 ,for the partner of its toil is left behind to endure an ordeal of change4 ,dear partner1 dear and frail1 my loved though humble home1-- ,should ,i cast thee off without a pang1 as a garment flung aside8 ,many years1 for joy and sorrow1 have ,i dwelt in thee1 ,how shall ,i be reckless of thy weal1 nor hope for thy perfection8-- ,this also1 ,he that lent thee for my uses in mortality1 ,shall well fulfil with boundless praise on that returning day3 ,behold1 thou shalt be glorified3 thou1 mine abject friend1 ,and should ,i meanly scorn thy state1 until it rise to greatness8 ,far be it1 ,o my soul1 from thine expectant essence1 ,to be heedless1 if indignity or folly desecrate those thine ashes3 ,keep them safe with careful love2 and let the mound be holy2 ,and1 thou that passest by1 revere the waiting dead4 ,illustration ,naples sitteth by the sea1 key-stone of an arch of azure1 ,crowned by consenting nations peerless queen of gaiety3 ,she laugheth at the wrath of ,ocean1 she mocketh the fury of ,vesuvius1 ,she spurneth disease and misery and famine1 that crowd her sunny streets3 ,the giddy dance1 the merry song1 the festal glad procession1 ,the noonday slumber and the midnight serenade1--all these make up her ,life3 ,her ,life8--and what her ,death8--look we to the end of life1-- ,solon1 and ,tellus the ,athenian1 wisely have ye pointed to the grave4 ,for behold yon dreary precinct1--those hundreds of stone wells1 ,a pit for a day1 a pit for a day1--a pit to be sealed for a year3 ,and in the gloom of night1 they raise the year-closed lid1-- ,look in1--for gnawing lime hath half consumed the carcases2 ,thus they hurl the daily dead into that horrible pit1 ,the dead that only died this day1--as unconsidered offal6 ,there1 a stark white heap1 unwept1 unloved1 uncared for1 ,old men and maidens1 young men and infants1 mingle in hideous corruption2 ,fling in the gnawing lime1--seal up the charnel for a year2 ,for lo1 a morrow's dawn hath tinged the mountain summit4 ,o fair false city1 thou gay and gilded harlot1 ,woe1 for thy wanton heart1 woe1 for thy wicked hardness3 ,woe unto thee1 that the lightsomeness of ,life1 beneath ,italian suns1 ,should meet the solemnity of ,death1 in a sepulchre so foul and fearful4 ,for that1 even to the best1 the wise and pure and pious1 ,death1 repulsive king1 thine iron rule is terrible3 ,yea1 and even at the best1 in company of buried kindred1 ,with hallowing rites1 and friendly tears1 and the dear old country church1 ,death1 cold and lonely1 thy frigid face is hateful1 ,the bravest look on thee with dread1 the humblest curse thy coming4 ,still1 ye unwise among mankind1 your foolishness hath added fears2 ,the crowded cemetery1 the catacomb of bones1 the pestilential vault1 ,with fancy's gliding ghost at eve1 her moans and flaky footfalls1 ,and the gibbering train of terror to fright your coward hearts4 ,we speak not here of sin1 nor the phantoms of a bloody conscience1 ,nor of solaces1 and merciful pardon3 we heed but the inevitable grave2 ,the grave1 that wage of guilt1 that due return to dust1 ,the grave1 that goal of earth1 and starting-post for ,heaven4 ,plant it with laurels1 sprinkle it with lilies1 set it upon yonder dewy hill ,midst holy prayers1 and generous griefs1 and consecrating blessings3 ,let ,sophocles sleep among his ivy1 green perennial garlands1 ,let olives shade their ,virgil1 and roses bloom above ,corinne2 ,to his foster-mother1 ,ocean1 entrust the mariner in hope2 ,the warrior's spirit1 let it rise on high from the flaming fragrant pyre4 ,but heap not coffins and corruption to infect the mass of living1 ,nor steal from odious realities the charitable poetry of ,death3 ,it is wise to gild uncomeliness1 it is wise to mask necessity1 ,it is wise from cheerful sights and sounds to draw their gentle uses3 ,hide the facts1 the bitter facts1 the foul1 and fearful facts1 ,tend the body well in hope1 this were praise and wisdom3 ,but to plunge in gloom the parting soul1 that hath loved its clay tenement so long1 ,this were vanity and folly1 the counsel of moroseness and despair4 ,not thus1 the ,scythian of old time welcomed ,death with songs2 ,not thus1 the shrewd ,egyptian decorated ,death with braveries2 ,not thus1 on his funeral tower sleepeth the sun-worshipping ,parsee2 ,not thus1 the ,moslem saint lieth in his arabesque mausoleum2 ,not thus1 the wild red ,indian1 hunter of the far ,missouri1 ,in flowering trees hath nested up his forest-loving ancestry2 ,not thus1 the ,switzer mountaineer scattereth ribboned garlands ,about the rustic cross that halloweth the bed of his beloved2 ,not thus1 the village maiden wisheth she may die in spring1 ,with store of violets and cowslips to be sprinkled on her snow-white shroud2 ,not thus1 the dying poet asketh a cheerful grave1-- ,lay him in the sunshine1 friends1 nor sorrow that a ,christian hath departed6 ,yea2 it is the poetry of ,death1 an ,orpheus gladdening ,hads1 ,to care with mindful love for all so dear--and dead2 ,to think of them in hope1 to look for them in joy1 and--but for its simple vanity1-- ,to pray with all the earnestness of nature for souls who cannot change4 ,for the tree is felled1 and boughed1 and bare1 and the ,measurer standeth with ,his line2 ,the chance is gone for ever1 and is past the reach of prayer3 ,for men and angels1 good and ill1 have rendered all their witness2 ,the trial is over1 the jury are gone in1 and none can now be heard2 ,well are they agreed upon the verdict1 just1 and fixt1 and final1 ,and the sentence showeth clear1 before the ,judge hath spoken3 ,now1--while resting matter is at peace within the tomb1 ,the conscious spirit watcheth in unspeakable suspense2 ,racked with a fearful looking-forward1 or blissfully feeding on the foretaste1 ,waiting souls in eager expectation pass the solemn interval3 ,they slumber not at death1 but awaken1 quickened to the terrors of the judgment2 ,they lie not insensate among darkness1 but exult1 looking forward to the light3 ,idiotcy1 brightening on the instant1 when that veil is torn1 ,is grateful that his torpor here hath left him as an innocent3 ,the young child1 stricken as he played1 and guileless babes unborn1 ,freed from fetters of the flesh1 burst into mind immediate3 ,madness judgeth wisely1 and the visions of the lunatic are gone1 ,and each hasteneth to praise the mercy that made him irresponsible4 ,for the soul is one1 though manifold in act1 working the machinery of brain1 ,reason1 fancy1 conscience1 passion1 are but varying phases2 ,if1 in ,god's wise purpose1 the machine were shattered or confused1 ,still is soul the same1 though it exhibit with a difference3 ,therefore1 dissipate the brain1 and set its inmate free1 ,behold1 the maniacs and embryos stand in their place intelligent4 ,that solvent eateth away all dross1 leaving the gold intact3 ,matter lingereth in the retort1 spirit hath flown to the receiver3 ,and lo1 that recipient of the spirits1 it is some aerial world1 ,an oasis midway on the desert space1 separating earth from heaven1 ,a prison-house for essences incorporate1 a limbus vague and wide1 ,tartarus for evil1 and ,paradise for good1 that intermediate ,hads4 ,o ,death1 what art thou8 a ,lawgiver that never altereth1 ,fixing the consummating seal1 whereby the deeds of life become established3 ,o ,death1 what art thou8 a stern and silent usher1 ,leading to the judgment for ,eternity1 after the trial-scene of ,time3 ,o ,death1 what art thou8 an ,husbandman1 that reapeth always1 ,out of season1 as in season1 with the sickle in his hand3 ,o ,death1 what art thou8 the shadow unto every substance1 ,in the bower as in the battle1 haunting night and day3 ,o ,death1 what art thou8 ,nurse of dreamless slumbers ,freshening the fevered flesh to a wakefulness eternal3 ,o ,death1 what art thou8 strange and solemn ,alchymist1 ,elaborating life's elixir from these clayey crucibles3 ,o ,death1 what art thou8 ,antitype of ,nature's marvels1 ,the seed and dormant chrysalis bursting into energy and glory4 ,thou calm safe anchorage for the shattered hulls of men1-- ,thou spot of gelid shade1 after the hot-breathed desert1-- ,thou silent waiting-hall1 where ,adam meeteth with his children1-- ,how full of dread1 how full of hope1 loometh inevitable ,death3 ,of dread1 for all have sinned2 of hope1 for ,one hath saved2 ,the dread is drowned in joy1 the hope is filled with immortality6 --,pass along1 pilgrim of life1 go to thy grave unfearing1 ,the terrors are but shadows now1 that haunt the vale of ,death4 ,illustration ,,of ,,immortality4 ,illustration3 ,g ,gird up thy mind to contemplation1 trembling inhabitant of earth2 ,tenant of a hovel for a day1--thou art heir of the universe for ever6 ,for1 neither congealing of the grave1 nor gulphing waters of the firmament1 ,nor expansive airs of heaven1 nor dissipative fires of ,gehenna1 ,nor rust of rest1 nor wear1 nor waste1 nor loss1 nor chance1 nor change1 ,shall avail to quench or overwhelm the spark of soul within thee6 ,thou art an imperishable leaf on the evergreen bay-tree of ,existence2 ,a word from ,wisdom's mouth1 that cannot be unspoken2 ,a ray of ,love's own light2 a drop in ,mercy's sea2 ,a creature1 marvellous and fearful1 begotten by the fiat of ,omnipotence4 ,i1 that speak in weakness1 and ye1 that hear in charity1 ,shall not cease to live and feel1 though flesh must see corruption2 ,for the prison-gates of matter shall be broken1 and the shackled soul go free1 ,free1 for good or ill1 to satisfy its appetence for ever3 ,for ever1--dreadful doom1 to be hurried on eternally to evil1-- ,for ever1--happy fate1 to ripen into perfectness--for ever6 ,and is there a thought within thy heart1 ,o slave of sin and fear1 ,a black and harmful hope1 that erring spirit dieth8 ,that primal disobedience hath ensured the death of soul1 ,and separate evil sealed it thine--thy curse1 ,annihilation8 ,heed thou this2 there is a ,sacrifice2 the ,maker is ,redeemer of ,his creature2 ,freely unto each1 universally to all1 is restored the privilege of essence3 ,whether unto grace or guilt1 all must live through ,him1 ,live in vital joy1 or live in dying woe3 ,death in ,adam1 ,life in ,christ2 the curse hung upon the cross3 ,who art thou that heedest of redemption1 as narrower than the fall8 ,all were dead1--,he died for all2 that living1 they might love2 ,if living souls withhold their love1--still1 ,he hath died for them4 ,eve stole the knowledge2 ,christ gave the life3 ,knowledge and life are the perquisites of soul1 the privilege of ,man3 ,mercy stepped between1 and stayed the double theft2 ,god gave2 and giving1 bought2 and buying1 asketh love3 ,and in such asking rendereth bliss1 to all that hear and answer1 ,for love with life is heaven2 and life unloving1 hell4 ,creature of ,god1 ,his will is for thy weal1 eternally progressing2 ,fear not to trust a ,maker's love1 nor a ,saviour's ransom3 ,he drank for all1--for thee1 and me1--the poison of our deeds2 ,we shall not die1 but live1--and1 of ,his grace1 we love4 ,for1 in the mysteries of ,mercy1 the ,one fore-knowing ,spirit ,outstrippeth reason's halting choice1 and winneth men to ,him3 ,who shall sound the depths8 who shall reach the heights8 ,freedom1 in the gyves of fate2 and sovereignty1 reconciled with justice4 ,if then1 as annihilate by sin1 the soul was ever forfeit1 ,godhead paid the mighty price1 the pledge hath been redeemed3 ,he from the waters of ,oblivion raised the drowning race1 ,lifting them even to ,himself1 the baseless ,rock of ,ages4 ,none can escape from ,adam's guilt1 or second ,adam's guerdon3 ,sin and death are thine2 thine also is interminable being3 ,let it be even as thou wilt1 still are we ransomed from nonentity1 ,the worlds of bliss and woe are peopled with immortals3 ,and ruin is thy blame2 for thou1 the worst1 art free ,to take from ,heaven the grace of love1 as the gift of life3 ,yet is not remedy thy praise2 for thou1 the best1 art bound ,in self1 and sin1 and darkling sloth1 until ,he break the chain3 ,none can tell1 without a struggle1 if that chain be broken2 ,strive to-day1--one effort more may prove that thou art free6 ,here is faith and prayer1 here is the ,grace and the ,atonement1 ,here is the creature feeling for its ,god1 and the prodigal returning to his ,father4 ,but1 behold1 ,his reasonable children1 standing in just probation1 ,with ears to hear1 neglect2 with eyes to see1 refuse3 ,they will not have the blessing with the life1 the blessing that enricheth ,immortality2 ,and look for pleasures out of ,god1 for heaven in life alone3 ,so1 they snatch that awful prize1 existence void of love1 ,and in their darkening exile make a needful hell of self4 ,therefore fear1 thou sinner1 lest the huge blessing1 ,immortality1 ,be blighted in thine evil to a curse1--it were better he had not been born3 ,therefore hope1 thou saint1 for the gift of ,immortality is free2 ,take and live1 and live in love2 fear not1 thou art redeemed6 ,the happy life1 that height of hope1 the knowledge of all good1 ,this is the blessing on obedience1 obedience the child of faith3 ,the miserable life1 that depth of all despair1 the knowledge of all evil1 ,this is the curse upon impenitence1 impenitence that sprung of unbelief4 ,god1 from a beautiful necessity1 is ,love in all ,he doeth1 ,love1 a brilliant fire1 to gladden or consume3 ,the wicked work their woe by looking upon love1 and hating it3 ,the righteous find their joys in yearning on its loveliness for ever4 ,who shall imagine ,immortality1 or picture its illimitable prospect8 ,how feebly can a faltering tongue express the vast idea6 ,for consider the primval woods that bristle over broad ,australia1 ,and count their autumn leaves1 millions multiplied by millions2 ,thence look up to a moonless sky from a sleeping isle of the gan1 ,and add to these leaves yon starry host1 sparkling on the midnight numberless2 ,thence traverse an ,arabia1 some continent of eddying sand1 ,gather each grain1 let none escape1 add them to the leaves and to the stars2 ,afterward gaze upon the sea1 the thousand leagues of an ,atlantic1 ,take drop by drop1 and add their sum1 to the grains1 and leaves1 and stars2 ,the drops of ocean1 the desert sands1 the leaves1 and stars innumerable1 7,albeit1 in that multitude of multitudes1 each small unit were an age17 ,all might reckon for an instant1 a transient flash of ,time1 ,compared with this intolerable blaze1 the measureless enduring of ,eternity6 ,o grandest gift of the ,creator1--,o largess worthy of a ,god1-- ,who shall grasp that thrilling thought1 life and joy for ever8 ,for the sun in heaven's heaven is ,love that cannot change1 ,and the shining of that sun is life1 to all beneath its beams3 ,who shall arrest it in the firmament1--or drag it from its sphere8 ,or bid its beauty smile no more1 but be extinct for ever8 ,yea1 where ,god hath given1 none shall take away1 ,nor build up limits to ,his love1 nor bid ,his bounty cease2 ,wide1 as space is peopled1 endless as the empire of heaven1 ,the river of the water of life floweth on in majesty for ever6 ,why should it seem a thing impossible to thee1 ,o man of many doubts1 ,that ,god shall wake the dead1 and give this mortal immortality8 ,is it that such riches are unsearchable1 the bounty too profuse8 ,and yet1 what gift1 to cease or change1 is worthy of the ,king ,almighty8 ,for remember the moment thou art not1 thou mightest as well not have been2 ,a millennium and an hour are equal in the gulph of that desolate abyss1 annihilation3 ,if ,adam had existed till to-day1 and to-day had perished utterly1 ,what were his gain in length of a life1 that hath passed away for ever8 ,no tribute of thanks can exhale from the empty censer of nonentity2 ,the ,giver1 with ,his gift reclaimed1 is mulcted of all praise4 ,tell me1 ye that strive in vain to cramp and dwarf the soul1 ,wherefore should it cease to be1 and when shall essence die8 ,it is1--and therefore shall be1 till just obstacle opposeth3 ,show no cause for change1 and reason leaneth to continuance4 ,the body verily shall change2 this curious house we live in ,never had continuing stay1 but changeth every instant3 ,but the spiritual tenant of the house abideth in unalterable consciousness1 ,he may fly to many lands1 but cannot flee himself4 ,the soil wherein ye drop the seed1 by suns or rains may vary2 ,but the seed is the same2 and soul is the seed2 and flesh but its anchorage to earth4 ,the machine may be broken1 and rust corrode the springs3 but can rust feed on motion8 ,worms may batten on the brain3 but can worms gnaw the mind8 ,dynamics are1 and dwell apart1 though matter be not made2 ,spirit is1 and can be separate1 though a body were not3 ,power is one1 be it lever1 screw1 or wedge2 but it needeth these for illustration3 ,mind is one1 be it casual or ideal2 but it is shown in these4 ,the creature is constructed individual1 for trial of his reasonable will1 ,clay and soul1 commingled wisely1 mingled not confused3 ,as power is not in the spring1 till somewhat give it action1 ,so1 until spirit be infused1 the organism lieth inergetic4 ,or shalt thou say that mind is the delicate offspring of matter1 ,the bright consummate flower that must perish with its leaf8 ,go to3 doth weight breed lightness8 is freedom the atmosphere of prisons8 ,when did the body elevate1 expand1 and bud the mind8 ,lo1 a red-hot cinder flung from the furnaces of tna1-- ,there is fire in that ash2 but did the pumice make it8 ,nay1 cold clod1 never canst thou generate a flame1 ,nay1 most exquisite machinery1 nevermore elaborate a mind3 ,rather do ye battle and contend1 opposite the one to the other2 ,till ,god shall stop the strife1 and call the body colleague4 ,garment of flesh1 and art thou then a vest1 so tinged with subtle poison1 7,maddening tunic of the centaur17 as to kill the soul8 ,not so3 fruit of disobedience1 rot in dissolution1 as thou must1-- ,the seed is in the core1 its germ is safe1 and life is in that germ3 ,moreover1 ,marah shall be sweetened2 and a ,good ,physician ,yet shall heal those gangrene wounds1 the spotted plague of sin3 ,he1 through worldly trials1 and the separative cleansing of the grave1 ,shall change its corruptible to glory1 and wash that garment white4 ,still1 is the whisper in thy heart1 that oftenest the bed of death ,seemeth but a sluggish ebb1 of sinking soul and body8 ,mind dwelling1 long-time1 sensual in the chambers of the flesh1 ,may slumber on in conscious sloth1 and wilfully be dulled3 ,but is it therefore nigh to dissolution1 even as the body of this death8 ,ask the stricken conscience1 gasping out its terrors2 ,ask the dying miser1 loth to leave his gold2 ,ask the widowed poor1 confiding her fatherless to strangers2 ,ask the martyr-maid1 a broken reed so strong1 ,that weak and tortured frame1 with triumph on its brow6-- ,o thou gainsayer1 the finger of disease may seem to reach the soul1 ,but it is a spiritual touch1 sympathy with that which aileth3 ,pain or fear may dislocate and shatter this delicate machinery of nerves2 ,but madness proveth mind3 the fault is in the engine1 not the impetus3 ,dissipate the mists of matter1 lo1 the soul is clear3 ,timour's cage bowed it in the dust2 but now it goeth forth a freedman4 ,yet more1 there is reason in moralities1 that the soul must live2 ,if ,god be king in heaven1 or have care for earth4 ,can wickedness have triumphed with impunity1 or virtue toiled unseen8 ,shall cruelty torture unavenged1 and the innocent complain unheard8 ,is there no recompense for woe1 must there be no other world for justice1-- ,no hope in setting suns of good1 nor terror for the evil at its zenith8 ,how shall ye make answer unto this2 a just ,god prospering iniquity1 ,wisdom encouraging the foolish1 and goodness abetting the depraved6 ,yet again2 mine erring brother1 pardon this abundance of my speech1 ,yield me thy candour and thy charity1 listening with a welcome3 ,for1 even now1 a thousand thoughts are trooping to my theme2 ,o mighty theme1 ,o feeble thoughts6 ,alas6 who is sufficient8 ,judge not so high a cause by these poor words alone1 ,for lo1 the advocate hath little skill3 pardon and pass on3 ,certify thyself with surer proofs2 fledge thine own mind for flight2 ,think1 and pray2 those better proofs shall follow on with holy aspiration4 ,yet in my humbler grade to help thy weal and comfort1 ,thy weal for this and higher worlds1 and comfort in thy sickness1 ,suffer the multitude of fancies1 walking with me still in love2 ,but tread in fear1 it is holy ground1--remember1 ,immortality6 ,wilt thou argue from infirmities1 thine abject evil state1 ,as how should stricken wretched man indeed exist for ever3 ,the brutal and besotted1 the savage and the slave1 the sucking infant and the idiot1 ,the mass of mean and common minds1 and all to be immortal8-- ,consider every beginning1 how small it is and feeble3 ,ganges1 and the rolling ,mississippi sprung of brooks among the mountains2 ,the ,yew-tree of a thousand years was once a little seed1 ,and ,nero's marble ,rome1 a shepherd's mud-built hovel3 ,a speck is on the tropic sky1 and it groweth to the terrible tornado2 ,an apple1 all too fair to see1 destroyed a world of souls3 ,a tender babe is born1--it is ,attila1 scourge of the nations6 ,a seeming malefactor dieth1--it is ,jesus1 the ,saviour of men6 ,and hive not in thy thoughts the vain and wordy notion ,that nothing which was born in ,time can tire out the footsteps of ,infinity3 ,reckon up a sum in numbers2 where shall progression stop8 ,the starting-post is definite and fixed1 but what is the goal of numeration8 ,so1 begin upon a moment1 and when shall being end8 ,souls emanate from ,god1 to travel with ,him equally for ever4 ,moreover1 thou that objectest the unenterable circle of eternity1 ,that none but ,he from everlasting can endure1 as to a future everlasting1 ,consider1 may it be impossible that creatures were counted in their ,maker1 ,and so1 that the confines of ,eternity are filled by ,god alone8 ,trust not thy soul upon a fancy3 who would freight a bubble with a diamond1 ,and launch that priceless gem on the boiling rapids of a cataract8 ,if then we perish not at death1 but walk in spirit through the darkness1 ,waiting for a mansion incorruptible1 whereof this body is the seed1 ,tell me1 when shall be the period8 time and its ordeals are done3 ,the storms are passed1 the night is at end1 behold the ,sabbath morning4 ,is death to be conqueror again1 and claim once more the victory1-- ,can the enemy's corpse awaken into life1 and bruise the ,champion's head8 ,evil1 terrible ensample1 that foil to the attributes of ,good1 ,is banished to its own black world1 weeded out of earth and heaven3 ,shall that great gulf be passed1 and sin be sown again8-- ,we know but this1 the book of truth proclaimeth gladly1 ,never6 ,there remaineth the will of our ,god3 when ,he repenteth of ,his creature1 ,made by self-suggested mercy1 ransomed by self-sacrificing justice1-- ,when ,truth1 that swore unto his neighbour1 disappointeth him1 and cleaveth to a lie1-- ,when the counsels of ,wisdom are confounded1 and ,love warreth with itself1-- ,when the ,unchangeable is changed1 and the arm of ,omnipotence is broken1-- ,then1--thy quenchless soul shall have reached the goal of its existence4 ,but it seemeth to thy notions of the merciful and just1 a false and fearful thing1 ,to lay such a burden upon time1 that eternity be built on its foundation3 ,as if so casual good or ill should colour all the future1 ,and the vanity of accident1 or sternness of necessity1 save or wreck a soul4 ,were it casual1 vain1 or stern1 this might pass for truth3 ,but all things are marshalled by ,design1 and carefully tended by ,benevolence4 ,o man1 thy ,judge is righteous1--noting1 remembering1 and weighing2-- ,want1 ignorance1 diversities of state1 are cast into the balance of advantage3 ,the poisonous example of a parent asketh for allowance in the child2 ,care1 diseases1 toils1 and frailties1--all things are considered4 ,and again1 a mysterious ,omniscience knoweth the spirits that are ,his1 ,while the delicate tissues of ,event are woven by the fingers of ,ubiquity4 ,should ,providence be taken by surprise from the possible impinging of an accident1 ,one fortuitous grain might dislocate the banded universe3 ,the merest seeming trifle is ordered as the morning light2 ,and ,he1 that rideth on the hurricane1 is pilot of the bubble on the breaker4 ,once more1 consider ,matter1 how small a thing is father to the greatest2 ,thou that lightly hast regarded the results of so-called accident4 ,a blade of grass took fire in the sun1--and the prairies are burnt to the horizon3 ,a grain of sand may blind the eye1 and madden the brain to murder3 ,a careful fly deposited its egg in the swelling bud of an acorn1-- ,the sapling grew1--cankrous and gnarled1--it is yonder hollow oak3 ,a child touched a spring1 and the spring closed a valve1 and the labouring engine burst1-- ,a thousand lives were in that ship1--wrecked by an infant's finger6 ,shall nature preach in vain8 thy casualty1 guided in its orbit1 ,though less than a mote upon the sunbeam1 saileth in a fleet of worlds2 ,that trivial cause1 watered and observed of the ,husbandman day by day1-- ,in calm undeviating strength doth work its large effect4 ,thus1 in the pettiness of life note thou seeds of grandeur1 ,and watch the hour-glass of ,time with the eyes of an heir of ,immortality4 ,there still be clouds of witnesses1--if thou art not weary of my speech1-- ,flocks of thoughts adding lustre to the light1 and pointing on to ,life4 ,for reflect how ,truth and ,goodness1 well and wisely put1 ,commend themselves to every mind with wondrous intuition3 ,what is this8 the recognition of a standard1 unwritten1 natural1 uniform2 ,telling of one common source1 the root of ,good and ,true4 ,and if thus present soul can trace descent from ,deity1 ,being1 as it standeth1 individual1 a separate reasonable thing1 ,what should hinder that its hope may not trace gladly forward1 ,and1 in astounding parallel1 like ,enoch walk with ,god8 ,yea1 the genealogy of soul1 that vivifying breath of a ,creator1 ,breath1 no transient air1 but essence1 energy1 and reason1 ,is looming on the past1 and shadowing the future1 sublimely as ,melchisedek of old1 ,having not beginning1 nor end of days1 but present in the majesty of ,peace6 ,o false scholar1 credulous in vanities1 and only sceptical of truth1 ,wherefore toil to cheat thy soul of its birthright1 ,immortality8 ,is it for thy guilt8 ,he pardoneth3 ,is it for thy frailty8 ,he will help3 ,though thou fearest1 ,he is love2 and ,mercy shall be deeper than ,despair3 ,even for thy full-blown pride1 is it much to be receiver of a ,god8 ,and lo1 thy rights1 ,he made thee2 thy claims1 ,he hath redeemed4 ,hath the fair aspect of affection no beauty that thou shouldst desire it8 ,and are those sorrows nothing1 to thee that passest by8 ,for it is ,fact1 immutable1 that ,god hath dwelt in ,man3 ,with gentle generous love ennobling while ,he bought us4 ,what1 though thou art false1 ignorant1 weak and daring1-- ,can the sun be quenched in heaven--or only ,belisarius be blind8 ,but1 even stooping to thy folly1 grant all these hopes are vain2 ,stultify reason1 wrestle against conscience1 and wither up the heart3 ,where is thy vast advantage8--,i have all that thou hast1 ,the buoyancy of life as strong1 and term of days no shorter2 ,my cup is full with gladness1 my griefs are not more galling3 ,and thus1 we walk together1 even to the gates of death3 ,there1 7if not also on my journey1 blessing every step1 ,gladdening with light1 and quickening with love1 and killing all my cares17 ,there1--while thou art quailing1 or sullenly expecting to be nothing1-- ,there1--is found my gain2 ,i triumph1 where thou tremblest4 ,grant all my solace is a lie1 yet it is a fountain of delight1 ,a spice in every pleasure1 and a balm for every pain3 ,o precious wise delusion1 scattering both misery and sin1-- ,o vile and silly truth1 depraving while it curseth6 ,darkling child of knowledge1 commune with ,socrates and ,cicero1 ,they had no prejudice of birth1 no dull parental warpings2 ,see1 those lustrous minds anticipate the dawning day1-- ,whilst thou1 poor mole1 art burrowing back to darkness from the light4 ,i will not urge a revelation1 mercies1 miracles1 and martyrs1 ,but1 after twice a thousand years1 go1 learn thou of the pagan3 ,it were happier and wiser even among fools1 to cling to the shadow of a hope1 ,than1 in the company of sages1 to win the substance of despair2 ,but here1 the sages hope2 despair is with the fools1 ,the base bad hearts1 the stolid heads1 the sensual and the selfish4 ,and wilt thou1 sorry scorner1 mock the phrase1 despair8 ,despair for those who die and live1--for me1 ,i live and die3 ,what have ,i to do with dread8--my taper must go out2-- ,i nurse no silly hopes1 and therefore feel no fears3 ,i am hastening to an end4--,o false and feeble answer3 ,for hope is in thee still1 and fear1 a racking deep anxiety4 ,erring brother1 listen3 and take thine answer from the ancients3 ,consider every end1 that it is but the end of a beginning4 ,all things work in circles2 weariness induceth unto rest1 ,rest invigorateth labour1 and labour causeth weariness3 ,war produceth peace1 and peace is wanton unto war3 ,light dieth into darkness1 and night dawneth into day3 ,the rotting jungle reeds scatter fertility around2 ,the buffalo's dead carcase hath quickened life in millions3 ,the end of toil is gain1 the end of gain is pleasure1 ,pleasure tendeth unto waste1 and waste commandeth toil4 ,so1 is death an end1--but it breedeth an infinite beginning2 ,limits are for time1 and death killed time3 ,eternity's beginning is for ever4 ,ambition1 hath it any goal indeed8 is not all fruition1 disappointment8 ,a step upon the ladder1 and another1 and another1--we start from every end8 ,look to the eras of mortality1 babe1 student1 man1 ,the husband1 the father1 the death-bed of a saint1--and is it then an end8 ,that common climax1 ,death1 shall it lead to nothing8 ,how strong a root of causes flowering a consequence of vapour3 ,that solid chain of facts1 is it to be snapped for ever8 ,how stout a show of figures1 weakly summing to nonentity4 ,or haply1 ,death1 in the doublings of thy thought1 shall seem continuous ending2 ,a dull eternal slumber1 not an end abrupt4 ,o most futile chrysalis1 wherefore dost thou sleep8 ,dreamless1 unconscious1 never to awake1--what object in such slumber8 ,if thou art still to live1 it may as well be wakefully as sleeping3 ,how grovelling must that spirit be1 to need eternal sleep6 ,or was indeed the toil of life so heavy and so long1 ,that nevermore can rest refresh thine overburdened soul8-- ,sleep is a recreance to body1 but when was mind asleep8 ,even in a swoon it dreameth1 though all be forgotten afterward3 ,the muscles seek relaxing1 and the irritable nerves ask peace2 ,but life is a constant force1 spirit an unquietable impetus3 ,the eye may wear out as a telescope1 and the brain work slow as a machine1 ,but soul unwearied1 and for ever1 is capable of effort unimpaired4 ,i live1 move1 am conscious3 what shall bar my being8 ,where is the rude hand1 to rend this tissue of existence8 ,not thine1 shadowy ,death1 what art thou but a phantom8 ,not thine1 foul ,corruption1 what art thou but a fear8 ,for death is merely absent life1 as darkness absent light2 ,not even a suspension1 for the life hath sailed away1 steering gladly somewhere4 ,and corruption1 closely noted1 is but a dissolving of the parts1 ,the parts remain1 and nothing lost1 to build a better whole4 ,moreover1 mind is unity1 however versatile and rapid2 ,thou canst not entertain two coincident ideas1 although they quickly follow3 ,and ,unity hath no parts1 so that there is nothing to dissolve3 ,an element is still unchanged in every searching solvent4 ,who then shall bid me be annulled1--,he that gave me being8 ,amen1 if ,god so will2 ,i know that will is love3 ,but love hath promised life1 and therefore ,i shall live2 ,so long as ,he is ,god1 ,i shall be ,his ,creature6 ,and here1 shrewd reasoner1 so eager to prove that thou must perish1 ,i note a sneer upon thy lip1 and ridicule is haply on thy tongue3 ,how1 said he1--creature of a ,god1 and are not all ,his creatures1-- ,the lion1 and the gnat1--yea1 the mushroom1 and the crystal1--have all these a soul8 ,thy fancies tend to prove too much1 and overshoot the mark3 ,if ,i die not with brutes1 then brutes must live with me8-- ,i dare not tell thee that they will1 for the word is not in my commission2 ,but of the twain it is the likelier2 continuance is the chance3 ,men1 dying in their sins1 are likened unto beasts that perish2 ,they are dark1 animal1 insensate1 but have they not a lurking soul8 ,the spirit of a man goeth upward1 reasonable1 apprehending ,god2 ,the spirit of a beast goeth downward1 sensual1 doting on the creature3 ,who told thee they die at dissolution8--boldly think it out1-- ,the multitude of flies1 and the multitude of herbs1 the world with all its beings3 ,is ,infinity too narrow1 ,omnipotence too weak1 and ,love so anxious to destroy1 ,doth ,wisdom change its plan1 and a ,maker cancel ,his created8 ,god's will may compass all things1 to fashion and to nullify at pleasure3 ,yet are there many thoughts of hope1 that all which are shall live4 ,true1 there is no conscience in the brute1 beyond some educated habit1 ,they lay them down without a fear1 and wake without a hope3 ,hunger and pain is of the animal3 but when did they reckon or compare8 ,they live1 idealess1 in instinct2 and while they breathe they gain3 ,the master is an idol to his dog1 who cannot rise beyond him2 ,and void of capability for ,god1 there would seem small cause for an infinity4 ,therefore1 caviller1 my poor thoughts dare not grant they live3 ,but is it not a great thing to assume their annihilation--and thine own8 ,would it be much if a speck on space1 this globe with all its millions1 ,verily1 after its pollution1 were suffered to exist in purity8 ,or much1 if guiltless creatures1 that were cruelly entreated upon earth1 ,found some commensurate reward in lower joys hereafter8 ,or much1 if a ,creator1 prodigal of life1 and filled with the profundity of love1 ,rejoice in all creatures of ,his skill1 and lead them to perfection in their kind8 ,o man1 there are many marvels2 yet life is more a mystery than death3 ,for death may be some stagnant life1--but life is present ,god6 ,many are the lurking-holes of evil2 who shall search them out8 ,who so skilled to cut away the cancer with its fibres8 ,for wily minds with sinuous ease escape from lie to lie2 ,and cowards driven from the trench steal back to hide again4 ,vain were the battle1 if a warrior1 having slain his foes1 ,shall turn and find them vital still1 unharmed1 yea1 unashamed3 ,for ,error1 dark magician1 daily cast out killed1 ,quickeneth animate anew beneath the midnight moon3 ,once and again1 once and again1 hath reason answered wisely2 ,but not the less with brazen front doth folly urge her questions4 ,it were but unprofitable toil1 a stand-up fight with unbelief3 ,when was there candour in a caviller1 and who can satisfy the faithless8 ,too long1 ,o truant from the fold1 have ,i tracked thy devious paths2 ,too long1 treacherous deserter1 fought thee as a noble foeman3 ,haply1 my small art1 and an arm too weakly for its weapon1 ,hath failed to pierce thine iron coat1 and reach thy stricken soul3 ,haply1 the fervour of my speech1 and too patient sifting of thy fancies1 ,shall tend to make thee prize them more1 as worthier and wiser3 ,go to3 be mine the gain3 we measure swords no more2 ,go1--and a word go with thee1--,man1 thou ,,art ,immortal6 ,child of light1 and student in the truth1 too long have ,i forgotten thee3 ,lo1 after parley with an alien1 let me hold sweet converse with a brother4 ,glorious hopes and ineffable imaginings1 crowd our holy theme1 ,fear hath been slaughtered on the portal1 and ,doubt driven back to darkness3 ,for ,christ hath died1 and we in ,him2 by faith ,his ,all is ours2 ,cross and crown1 and love1 and life2 and we shall reign in ,him6 ,yea1 there is a fitness and a beauty in ascribing immortality to mind1 ,that its energies and lofty aspirations may have scope for indefinite expansion4 ,to learn all things is privilege of reason1 and that with a growing capability1 ,but in this age of toil and time we scarce attain to alphabets3 ,how hardly in the midst of our hurry1 and jostled by the cares of life1 ,shall a man turn and stop to consider mighty secrets2 ,with barely hours1 and barely powers1 to fill up daily duties1 ,how small the glimpse of knowledge his wondering eye can catch6 ,and knowledge is a noting of the order wherein ,god's attributes evolve1 ,therefore worthy of the creature1 worthy of an angel's seeking2 ,yea1 and human knowledge1 meagre though the harvest1 ,hath its roots1 both deep and strong2 but the plants are exotic to the climate2 ,all we seem to know demand a longer learning1 ,history and science1 and prophecy and art1 are workings all of ,god3 ,and there are galaxies of globes1 millions of unimagined beings1 ,other senses1 wondrous sounds1 and thoughts of thrilling fire1 ,powers of strange might1 quickening unknown elements1 ,and attributes and energies of ,god which man may never guess4 ,not in vain1 ,o brother1 hath soul the spurs of enterprize1 ,nor aimlessly panteth for adventure1 waiting at the cave of mystery3 ,not in vain the cup of curiosity1 sweet and richly spiced1 ,is ruby to the sight1 and ambrosia to the taste1 and redolent with all fragrance3 ,thou shalt drink1 and deeply1 filling the mind with marvels2 ,thou shalt watch no more1 lingering1 disappointed of thy hope2 ,thou shalt roam where road is none1 a traveller untrammelled1 ,speeding at a wish1 emancipate1 to where the stars are suns6 ,count1 count your hopes1 heirs of immortality and love2 ,and hear my kindred faith1 and turn again to bless me4 ,for lo1 my trust is strong to dwell in many worlds1 ,and cull of many brethren there1 sweet knowledge ever new3 ,i yearn for realms where fancy shall be filled1 and the ecstasies of freedom shall be felt1 ,and the soul reign gloriously1 risen to its royal destinies3 ,i look to recognize again1 through the beautiful mask of their perfection1 ,the dear familiar faces ,i have somewhile loved on earth3 ,i long to talk with grateful tongue of storms and perils past1 ,and praise the mighty ,pilot that hath steered us through the rapids3 ,he shall be the focus of it all1 the very heart of gladness1-- ,my soul is athirst for ,god1 the ,god who dwelt in ,man6 ,prophet1 priest1 and king1 the sacrifice1 the substitute1 the ,saviour1 ,rapture of the blessed in the hunted ,one of earth1 the ,pardoner in the victim2 ,how many centuries of joy concentrate in that theme1 ,how often a ,methusalem might count his thousand years1 and leave it unexhausted6 ,and lo1 the heavenly ,jerusalem1 with all its gates one pearl1 ,that pearl of countless price1 the door by which we entered1-- ,come1 tread the golden streets1 and join that glorious throng1 ,the happy ones of heaven and earth1 ten thousand times ten thousand2 ,hark1 they sing that song1--and cast their crowns before ,him2 ,their souls alight with love1--,glory1 and ,praise1 and ,immortality6-- ,veil thine eyes3 no son of time may see that holy vision1 ,and even the seraph at thy side hath covered his face with wings4 ,doth he not speak parables8--each one goeth on his way1 ,ye that hear1 and ,i that counsel1 go on our ways forgetful4 ,for the terrible realities whereto we tend1 are hidden from our eyes1 ,we know1 but heed them not1 and walk as if the temporal were all things4 ,vanities1 buzzing on the ear1 fill its drowsy chambers1 ,slow to dread those coming fears1 the thunder and the trumpet2 ,motes1 steaming on the sight1 dim our purblind eyes1 ,dark to see the ponderous orb of nearing ,immortality3 ,hemmed in by hostile foes1 the trifler is busied on an epigram2 ,the dull ox1 driven to slaughter1 careth but for pasture by the way4 ,alas1 that the precious things of truth1 and the everlasting hills1 ,the mighty hopes we spake of1 and the consciousness we feel1-- ,alas1 that all the future1 and its adamantine facts1 ,clouded by the present with intoxicating fumes1-- ,should seem even to us1 the great expectant heirs1 ,to us1 the responsible and free1 fearful sons of reason1 ,only as a lovely song1 sweet sounds of solemn music1 ,a pleasant voice1 and nothing more1--doth he not speak parables8 ,look to thy soul1 ,o man1 for none can be surety for his brother3 ,behold1 for heaven--or for hell1--thou canst not escape from ,immortality6 ,,of ,,ideas4 ,illustration3 ,m ,mind is like a volatile essence1 flitting hither and thither1 ,a solitary sentinel of the fortress body1 to show himself everywhere by turns3 ,mind is indivisible and instant1 with neither parts nor organs1 ,that it doeth1 it doth quickly1 but the whole mind doth it3 ,an active versatile agent1 untiring in the principle of energy1 ,nor space1 nor time1 nor rest1 nor toil1 can affect the tenant of the brain2 ,his dwelling may verily be shattered1 and the furniture thereof be disarranged1 ,but the particle of ,deity in man slumbereth not1 neither can be wearied3 ,however swift to change1 even as the field of a kaleidoscope1 ,it taketh in but one idea at once1 moulded for the moment to its likeness3 ,mind is as the quicksilver1 which1 poured from vessel to vessel1 ,instantly seizeth on a shape1 and as instantly again discardeth it2 ,for it is an apprehensive power1 closing on the properties of ,matter1 ,expanding to enwrap a world1 collapsing to prison up an atom3 ,as1 by night1 thine irritable eyes may have seen strange changing figures1 ,now a wheel1 now suddenly a point1 a line1 a curve1 a zigzag1 ,a maze ever altering1 as the dance of gnats upon a sunbeam1 ,swift1 intricate1 neither to be prophesied1 nor to be remembered in succession1 ,so1 the mind of a man1 single1 and perpetually moving1 ,flickereth about from thought to thought1 changed with each idea2 ,for the passing second metamorphosed to the image of that within its ken1 ,and throwing its immediate perceptions into each cause of contemplation4 ,it shall regard a tree2 and unconsciously1 in separate review1 ,embrace its colour1 shape1 and use1 whole and individual conceptions2 ,it shall read or hear of crime1 and cast itself into the commission2 ,it shall note a generous deed1 and glow for a moment as the doer2 ,it shall imagine pride or pleasure1 treading on the edges of temptation2 ,or heed of ,god and of ,his ,christ1 and grow transformed to glory4 ,therefore1 it is wise and well to guide the mind aright1 ,that its aptness may be sensitive to good1 and shrink with antipathy from evil3 ,for use will mould and mark it1 or nonusage dull and blunt it2-- ,so to talk of spirit by analogy with substance2 ,and analogy is a truer guide1 than many teachers tell of1 ,similitudes are scattered round1 to help us1 not to hurt us2 ,moses1 in his every type1 and the ,greater than ,moses1 in ,his parables1 ,preach1 in terms that all may learn1 the philosophic lessons of analogy3 ,and here1 in a topic immaterial1 the likeness of analogy is just2 ,by habits1 knit the nerves of mind1 and train the gladiator shrewdly3 ,for thought shall strengthen thinking1 and imagery speed imagination1 ,until thy spiritual inmate shall have swelled to the giant of ,otranto4 ,nevertheless1 heed well1 that this ,athlete1 growing in thy brain1 ,be a wholesome ,genius1 not a cursed ,afrite3 ,and see thou discipline his strength1 and point his aim discreetly2 ,feed him on humility and holy things1 weaned from covetous desires2 ,hour by hour and day by day1 ply him with ideas of excellence1 ,dragging forth the evil but to loathe1 as a ,spartan's drunken ,helot3 ,and win1 by gradual allurements1 the still expanding soul1 ,to rise from a contemplated universe1 even to the ,hand that made it4 ,a common mind perceiveth not beyond his eyes and ears3 ,the palings of the park of sense enthral this captured roebuck3 ,and still1 though fettered in the flesh1 he doth not feel his chains1 ,externals are the world to him1 and circumstance his atmosphere4 ,therefore tangible pleasures are enough for the animal man2 ,he is swift to speak and slow to think1 dreading his own dim conscience2 ,and solitude is terrible1 and exile worse than death1 ,he cannot dwell apart1 nor breathe at a distance from the crowd4 ,but minds of nobler stamp1 and chiefest the mint-marked of heaven1 ,walk independent1 by themselves1 freely manumitted of externals3 ,they carry viands with them1 and need no refreshment by the way1 ,nor drink of other wells than their own inner fountain4 ,strange shall it seem how little such a man will lean upon the accidents of life1 ,he is winged and needeth not a staff2 if it break1 he shall not fall3 ,and lightly perchance doth he remember the stale trivialities around him1 ,he liveth in the realm of thought1 beyond the world of things2 ,these are but transient ,matter1 and himself enduring ,spirit3 ,and worldliness will laugh to scorn that sublimated wisdom4 ,his eyes may open on a prison-cell1 but the bare walls glow with imagery2 ,his ears may be filled with execration1 but are listening to the music of sweet thoughts2 ,he may dwell in a hovel with a hero's heart1 and canopy his penury with peace1 ,for mind is a kingdom to the man1 who gathereth his pleasure from ,ideas4 ,illustration ,,of ,,names4 ,adam gave the name1 when the ,lord had made ,his creature1 ,for ,god led them in review1 to see what man would call them4 ,as they struck his senses1 he proclaimed their sounds1 ,a name for the distinguishing of each1 a numeral by which it should be known3 ,he specified the partridge by her cry1 and the forest prowler by his roaring1 ,the tree by its use1 and the flower by its beauty1 and everything according to its truth4 ,there is an arbitrary name2 whereunto the idea attacheth2 ,and there is a reasonable name1 linking its fitness to idea3 ,yet shall these twain run in parallel courses1 ,neither shall thou readily discern the habit from the nature4 ,for mind is apt and quick to wed ideas and names together1 ,nor stoppeth its perception to be curious of priorities2 ,and there is but little in the sound1 as some have vainly fancied1 ,the same tone in different tongues shall be suitable to opposite ideas3 ,yea1 take an ensample in thine own2 consider similar words3 ,how various and contrary the thoughts those kindred names produce3 ,a house shall seem a fitting word to call a roomy dwelling1 ,yet there is a like propriety in the small smooth sound1 a mouse3 ,mountain1 as if of a necessity1 is a word both mighty and majestic1-- ,what heed ye then of ,fountain8--flowing silver in the sun4 ,many a fair flower is burdened with preposterous appellatives1 ,which the wiser simplicity of rustics entitled by its beauties2 ,and often the conceit of science1 loving to be thought cosmopolite1 ,shall mingle names of every clime1 alike obscure to each4 ,there is wisdom in calling a thing fitly2 name should note particulars ,through a character obvious to all men1 and worthy of their instant acceptation4 ,the herbalist had a simple cause for every word upon his catalogue1 ,but now the mouth of ,botany is filled with empty sound2 ,and many a peasant hath an answer on his tongue1 concerning some vexed flower1 ,shrewder than the centipede phrase1 wherewithal philosophers invest it4 ,for that1 the foolishness of pride1 and flatteries of cringing homage1 ,strew with chaff the threshing-floors of science2 names perplex them all3 ,the entomologist1 who hath pried upon an insect1 straightway shall endow it with his name2 ,it had many qualities and marks of note1--but in chief1 a vain observer3 ,the geographer shall journey to the pole1 through biting frost and desolation1 ,and1 for some simple patron's sake1 shall name that land1 the happy3 ,the fossilist hath found a bone1 the rib of some huge lizard1 ,and forthwith standeth to it sponsor1 to tack himself on reptile immortalities3 ,the sportsman1 hunting at the ,cape1 found some strange-horned antelope1 ,the spots are new1 the fame is cheap1 and so his name is added4 ,thus1 obscurities encumber knowledge1 even by the vanity of men ,who play into each other's hand the game of giving names4 ,various are the names of men1 and drawn from different wells2 ,aspects of body1 or characters of mind1 the creature's first idea3 ,and some have sprung of trades1 and some of dignities or office2 ,other some added to a father's1 and yet more growing from a place3 ,animal creation1 with sciences1 and things1--their composites1 and near associations1 ,contributed their symbollings of old1 wherewith to title men3 ,and heraldry set upon its cresture the figured attributes as ensigns ,by which1 as by a name concrete1 its bearer should be known4 ,egypt opened on the theme1 dressing up her gods in qualities2 ,horns of power1 feathers of the swift1 mitres of catholic dominion1 ,the sovereign asp1 the circle everlasting1 the crook and thong of justice1 ,by many mystic shapes and sounds displayed the idol's name4 ,thereafter1 high-plumed warriors1 the chieftains of ,etruria and ,troy1 ,and ,xerxes1 urging on his millions to the tomb of pride1 ,thermopyl1 ,and ,hiero with his bounding ships1 all figured at the prow1 ,and ,rome's ,prtorian standards1 piled with strange devices1 ,and stout crusaders pressing to the battle1 clad in sable mail2 ,these all in their speaking symbols1 earned1 or wore1 a name4 ,eve2 the mother of all living1 and ,abraham1 father of a multitude1 ,jacob1 the supplanter1 and ,david1 the beloved1 and all the worthies of old time1 ,noah1 who came for consolation1 and ,benoni1 son of sorrow1 ,kings and prophets1 children of the ,east1 owned each his title of significance4 ,there be names of high descent1 and thereby storied honours2 ,names of fair renown1 and therein characters of merit3 ,but to lend the lowborn noble names1 is to shed upon them ridicule and evil2 ,yea1 many weeds run rank in pride1 if men have dubbed them cedars4 ,and to herald common mediocrity with the noisy notes of fame1 ,tendeth to its deeper scorn2 as if it were to call the mole a mammoth4 ,yet shall ye find the trader's babe dignified with sounding titles1 ,and little hath the father guessed the harm he did his child3 ,for either may they breed him discontent1 a peevish repining at his station1 ,or point the finger of despite at the mule in the trappings of an elephant3 ,and it is a kind of theft to filch appellations from the famous1 ,a soiling of the shrines of praise with folly's vulgar herd4 ,prudence hath often gone ashamed for the name they added to his father's1 ,if minds of mark and great achievements bore it well before2 ,for he walketh as the jay in the fable1 though not by his own folly1 ,another's fault hath compassed his misfortune1 making him a martyr to his name4 ,who would call the tench a whale1 or style a torch1 ,orion8 ,yet many a silly parent hath dealt likewise with his nurseling4 ,give thy child a fit distinguishment1 making him sole tenant of a name1 ,for it were a sore hindrance to hold it in common with a hundred3 ,in the ,babel of confused identities fame is little feasible1 ,the felon shall detract from the philanthropist1 and the sage share honours with the simple3 ,still1 in thy title of distinguishment1 fall not into arrogant assumption1 ,steering from caprice and affectations2 and for all thou doest1 have a reason4 ,he that is ambitious for his son1 should give him untried names1 ,for those that have served other men1 haply may injure by their evils2 ,or otherwise may hinder by their glories2 therefore1 set him by himself1 ,to win for his individual name some clear specific praise4 ,there were nine ,homers1 all goodly sons of song1 but where is any record of the eight8 ,one grew to fame1 an ,aaron's rod1 and swallowed up his brethren3 ,who knoweth8 more distinctly titled1 those dead eight had lived2 ,but the censers were ranged in a circle to mingle their sweets without a difference4 ,art thou named of a common crowd1 and sensible of high aspirings8 ,it is hard for thee to rise1--yet strive3 thou mayest be among them a ,musus4 ,art thou named of a family1 the same in successive generations8 ,it is open to thee still to earn for epithets1 such an one1 the good or great4 ,art thou named foolishly8 ,show that thou art wiser than thy fathers2 ,live to shame their vanity or sin by dutiful devotion to thy sphere4 ,art thou named discreetly8 ,it is well1 the course is free2 ,no competitor shall claim thy colours1 neither fix his faults upon thee3 ,hasten to the goal of fame between the posts of duty1 ,and win a blessing from the world1 that men may love thy name3 ,yea1 that the unction of its praise1 in fragrance well deserving1 ,may float adown the stream of time1 like ambergris at sea2 ,so thy sons may tell their sons1 and those may teach their children1 ,he died in goodness1 as he lived2--and left us his good name4 ,and more than these3 there is a roll whereon thy name is written2 ,see that1 in the ,book of ,doom1 that name is fixed in light3 ,then1 safe within a better home1 where time and its titles are not found1 ,god will give thee ,his new ,name1 and write it on thy heart3 ,a ,name better than of sons1 a ,name dearer than of daughters1 ,a ,name of union1 peace1 and praise1 as numbered in thy ,god4 ,,of ,,things4 ,illustration3 ,t ,taken separately from all substance1 and flying with the feathered flock of thoughts1 ,the idea of a thing hath the nature of its ,soul1 a separate seeming essence3 ,intimately linked to the idea1 suggesting many qualities1 ,the name of a thing hath the nature of its ,mind1 an intellectual recorder3 ,and the matter of a thing1 concrete1 is a ,body to the perfect creature1 ,compacted three in one1 as all things else within the universe4 ,nothing canst thou add to them1 and nothing take away1 for all have these proportions1 ,the thought1 the word1 the form1 combining in the ,thing3 ,all separate1 yet harmonizing well1 and mingled each with other1 ,one whole in several parts1 yet each part spreading to a whole3 ,the idea is a whole2 and the meaning phrase that spake idea1 a whole2 ,and the matter1 as ye see it1 is a whole2 the mystery of true triunity3 ,yea1 there is even a deeper mystery1--which none1 ,i wot1 can fathom1 ,matter1 different from properties whereby the solid substance is described2 ,for1 size and weight1 cohesion and the like1 live distinct from matter1 ,yet who can imagine matter1 unendowed with size and weight8 ,as in the spiritual1 so in the material1 man must rest with patience1 ,and wait for other eyes wherewith to read the books of ,god4 ,men have talked learnedly of atoms1 as if matter could be ever indivisible2 ,they talk1 but ill are skilled to teach1 and darken truth by fancies3 ,an atom by our grosser sense was never yet conceived1 ,and nothing can be thought so small1 as not to be divided3 ,for an atom runneth to infinity1 and never shall be caught in space1 ,and a molecule is no more indivisible than ,saturn's belted orb4 ,things intangible1 multiplied by multitudes1 never will amass to substance1 ,neither can a thing which may be touched1 be made of impalpable proportions2 ,the sum of indivisibles must needs be indivisible1 as adding many nothings1 ,and the building up of atoms into matter is but a silly sophism2 ,lucretius1 and keen ,anaximander1 and many that have followed in their thoughts1 7,for error hath a long black shadow1 dimming light for ages17 ,in the foolishness of men without a ,god fancied to fashion ,matter ,of intangibles1 and therefore uncohering1 indivisibles1 and therefore ,spirit4 ,things breed thoughts2 therefore at ,thebes and ,heliopolis1 ,in hieroglyphic sculptures are the priestly secrets written3 ,things breed thoughts2 therefore was the ,athens of idolatry ,set with carved images1 frequent as the trees of ,academus3 ,things breed thoughts2 therefore the ,brahmin and the ,burman ,with mythologic shapes adorn their coarse pantheon3 ,things breed thoughts2 therefore the statue and the picture1 ,relics1 rosaries1 and miracles in act1 quicken the ,papist in his worship3 ,things breed thoughts2 therefore the lovers at their parting1 ,interchanged with tearful smiles the dear reminding tokens3 ,things breed thoughts2 therefore when the clansman met his foe1 ,the bloodstained claymore in his hand revived the memories of vengeance4 ,things teach with double force2 through the animal eye1 and through the mind1 ,and the eye catcheth in an instant1 what the ear shall not learn within an hour4 ,thence is the potency of travel1 the precious might of its advantages ,to compensate its dissipative harm1 its toil and cost and danger4 ,ulysses1 wandering to many shores1 lived in many cities1 ,and thereby learnt the minds of men1 and stored his own more richly3 ,herodotus1 the accurate and kindly1 spake of that he saw1 ,and reaped his knowledge on the spot1 in fertile fields of ,egypt3 ,lycurgus culled from every clime the golden fruits of justice2 ,and ,plato roamed through foreign lands1 to feed on truth in all4 ,for travel1 conversant with ,things1 bringeth them in contact with the mind2 ,we breathe the wholesome atmosphere about ungarbled truth3 ,pictures of fact are painted on the eye1 to decorate the house of intellect1 ,rather than visions of fancy1 filling all the chambers with a vapour4 ,for1 in ,ideas1 the great mind will exaggerate1 and the lesser extenuate truth2 ,but in ,things the one is chastened1 and the other quickened1 to equality3 ,and in ,names1--though a property be told1 rather than some arbitrary accident1 ,still shall the thought be vague or false1 if none have seen the ,thing3 ,for in ,things the property with accident standeth in a mass concrete1 ,these cannot cheat the sense1 nor elude the vigilance of spirit4 ,travel is a ceaseless fount of surface education1 ,but its wisdom will be simply superficial1 if thou add not thoughts to things3 ,yet1 aided by the varnish of society1 things may serve for thoughts1 ,till many dullards that have seen the world shall pass for scholars3 ,because one single glance will conquer all descriptions1 ,though graphic1 these left some unsaid1 though true1 these tended to some error2 ,and the most witless eye that saw1 had a juster notion of its object1 ,than the shrewdest mind that heard and shaped its gathered thoughts of ,things4 ,illustration3 of faith ,,of ,,faith4 ,confidence was bearer of the palm2 for it looked like conviction of desert3 ,and where the strong is well assured1 the weaker soon allow it4 ,majesty and ,beauty are commingled1 in moving with immutable decision1 ,and well may charm the coward hearts that turn and hide for fear4 ,faith1 firmness1 confidence1 consistency1--these are well allied2 ,yea1 let a man press on in aught1 he shall not lack of honour3 ,for such an one seemeth as superior to the native instability of creatures2 ,that he doeth1 he doeth as a god1 and men will marvel at his courage4 ,even in crimes1 a partial praise cannot be denied to daring1 ,and many fearless chiefs have won the friendship of a foe4 ,confidence is conqueror of men2 victorious both over them and in them2 ,the iron will of one stout heart shall make a thousand quail3 ,a feeble dwarf1 dauntlessly resolved1 will turn the tide of battle1 ,and rally to a nobler strife the giants that had fled2 ,the tenderest child1 unconscious of a fear1 will shame the man to danger1 ,and when he dared it1 danger died1 and faith had vanquished fear4 ,boldness is akin to power3 yea1 because ignorance is weakness1 ,knowledge with unshrinking might will nerve the vigorous hand3 ,boldness hath a startling strength2 the mouse may fright a lion1 ,and oftentimes the horned herd is scared by some brave cur4 ,courage hath analogy with faith1 for it standeth both in animal and moral2 ,the true is mindful of a ,god1 the false is stout in self3 ,but true or false1 the twain are faith2 and faith worketh wonders3 ,never was a marvel done upon the earth1 but it had sprung of faith3 ,nothing noble1 generous1 or great1 but faith was the root of the achievement2 ,nothing comely1 nothing famous1 but its praise is faith4 ,leonidas fought in human faith1 as ,joshua in divine3 ,xenophon trusted to his skill1 and the sons of ,mattathias to their cause3 ,in faith ,columbus found a path across those untried waters2 ,the heroines of ,arc and ,saragossa fought in earthly faith3 ,tell was strong1 and ,alfred great1 and ,luther wise1 by faith2 ,margaret by faith was valiant for her son1 and ,wallace mighty for his people3 ,faith in his reason made ,socrates sublime1 as faith in his science1 ,galileo3 ,ambassadors in faith are bold1 and unreproved for boldness3 ,faith urged ,fabius to delays1 and sent forth ,hannibal to ,cann3 ,csar at the ,rubicon1 ,miltiades at ,marathon2 both were sped by faith4 ,i set not all in equal spheres3 ,i number not the martyr with the patriot2 ,i class not the hero with his horse1 because the twain have courage2 ,but only for ensample and instruction1 that all things stand by faith2 ,albeit faith of divers kinds1 and varying in degree4 ,there is a faith towards men1 and there is a faith towards ,god2 ,the latter is the gold and the former is the brass2 but both are sturdy metal3 ,and the brass mingled with the gold floweth into rich ,corinthian2 ,a substance bright and hard and keen1 to point ,achilles' spear3 ,so shall thou stop the way against the foes that hem thee2 ,trust in ,god to strengthen man2--be bold1 for ,he doth help4 ,illustration ,yet more3 for confidence in man1 even to the worst and meanest1 ,hath power to overcome his ill1 by charitable good4 ,fling thine unreserving trust even on the conscience of a culprit1 ,soon wilt thou shame him by thy faith1 and he will melt and mend3 ,the nest of thieves will harm thee not1 if thou dost bear thee boldly2 ,boldly1 yea and kindly1 as relying on their honour3 ,for the hand so stout against aggression1 is quite disarmed by charity2 ,and that warm sun will thaw the heart case-hardened by long frost4 ,treat men gently1 trust them strongly1 if thou wish their weal2 ,or cautious doubt and bitter thoughts will tempt the best to foil thee4 ,believe the well in sanguine hope1 and thou shall reap the better2 ,but if thou deal with men so ill1 thy dealings make them worse2 ,despair not of some gleams of good still lingering in the darkest1 ,and among veterans in crime1 plead thou as with their children3 ,so1 astonied at humanities1 the bad heart long estranged1 ,shall even weep to feel himself so little worth thy love2 ,in wholesome sorrow will he bless thee2 yea1 and in that spirit may repent2 ,thus wilt thou gain a soul1 in mercy given to thy ,faith4 ,look aside to lack of faith1 the mass of ills it bringeth3 ,all things treacherous1 base1 and vile1 dissolving the brotherhood of men4 ,bonds break2 the cement hath lost its hold2 and each is separate from other2 ,that which should be neighbourly and good1 is cankered into bitterness and evil4 ,o thou serpent1 fell ,suspicion1 coiling coldly round the heart1-- ,o thou asp of subtle ,jealousy1 stinging hotly to the soul1-- ,o distrust1 reserve1 and doubt1--what reptile shapes are here1 ,poisoning the garden of a world with death among its flowers6 ,no need of many words1 the tale is easy to be told2 ,a point will touch the truth1 a line suggest the picture4 ,for if1 in thine own home1 a cautious man and captious1 ,thou hintest at suspicion of a servant1 thou soon wilt make a thief2 ,or if1 too keen in care1 thou dost evidently disbelieve thy child1 ,thou hast injured the texture of his honour1 and smoothed to him the way of lying3 ,or if thou observest upon friends1 as seeking thee selfishly for interest1 ,thou hast hurt their kindliness to thee1 and shalt be paid with scorn2 ,or if1 ,o silly ones of marriage1 your foul and foolish thoughts1 ,harshly misinterpreting in each the levity of innocence for sin1 ,shall pour upon the lap of home pain where once was pleasure1 ,and mix contentions in the cup1 that mantled once with comforts1 ,bitterly and justly shall ye rue the punishment due to unbelief2 ,ye trust not each the other1 nor the mutual vows of ,god2 ,take heed1 for the pit may now be near1 a pit of your own digging1-- ,faith abused tempteth unto crime1 and doubt may make its monster4 ,man verily is vile1 but more in capability than action2 ,his sinfulness is deep1 but his transgressions may be few1 even from the absence of temptation3 ,he is hanging in a gulf midway1 but the air is breathable about him3 ,thrust him not from that slight hold1 to perish in the vapours underneath4 ,for1 ,god pleadeth with the deaf1 as having ears to hear1 ,christ speaketh to the dead1 as those that are capable of living2 ,and an evil teacher is that man1 a tempter to much sin1 ,who looketh on his hearers with distrust1 and hath no confidence in brethren4 ,all may mend2 and sympathies are healing3 and reason hath its influence with the worst2 ,and in those worst is ample hope1 if only thou hast charity1 and faith4 ,somewhiles have ,i watched a man exchanging the sobriety of faith1 ,old lamps for new1--even for fanatical excitements4 ,he gained surface1 but lost solidity2 heat1 in lieu of health2 ,and still with swelling words and thoughts he scorned his ancient coldness3 ,but1 his strength was shorn as ,samson's2 he walked he knew not whither2 ,doubt was on his daily path2 and duties shewed not certain3 ,until1 in an hour of enthusiasm1 stung with secret fears1 ,he pinned the safety of his soul on some false prophet's sleeve4 ,and then1 that sure word failed2 and with it1 failed his faith2 ,it failed1 and fell2 ,o deep and dreadful was his fall in faith6 ,he could not stop1 with reason's rein1 his coursers on the slope1 ,and so they dashed him down the cliff of hardened unbelief4 ,with overreaching grasp he had strained for visionary treasures1 ,but a fiend had cheated his presumption1 and hurled him to despair4 ,so he lay in his blood1 the victim of a credulous false faith1 ,and many nights1 and night-like days1 he dwelt in outer darkness4 ,but1 within a while1 his variable mind caught a new impression1 ,a new impression of the good old stamp1 that sealed him when a child3 ,he was softened1 and abjured his infidelity2 he was wiser1 and despised his credulity2 ,and turned again to simple faith more simply than before4 ,experience had declared too well his mind was built of water1 ,and so1 renouncing strength in self1 he fixed his faith in ,god4 ,it is not for me to stipulate for creeds2 ,bible1 ,church1 and ,reason1 ,these three shall lead the mind1 if any can1 to truth4 ,but ,i must stipulate for faith3 both ,god and man demand it3 ,trust is great in either world1 if any would be well4 ,verily1 the sceptical propensity is an universal foe2 ,sneering ,pyrrho never found1 nor cared to find1 a friend3 ,how could he trust another8 and himself1 whom would he not deceive8 ,his proper gains were all his aim1 and interests clash with kindness4 ,so1 the ,bedouin goeth armed1 an enemy to all1 ,the spear is stuck beside his couch1 the dagger hid beneath his pillow4 ,for society1 void of mutual trust1 of credit1 and of faith1 ,would fall asunder as a waterspout1 snapped from the cloud's attraction4 ,faith may rise into miracles of might1 as some few wise have shown3 ,faith may sink into credulities of weakness1 as the mass of fools have witnessed4 ,therefore1 in the first1 saints and martyrs have fulfilled their mission1 ,conquering dangers1 courting deaths1 and triumphing in all4 ,therefore1 in the last1 the magician and the witch1 victims of their own delusion1 ,have gained the bitter wages of impracticable sins4 ,they believed in allegiance with ,satan2 they worked in that belief1 ,and thereby earned the loss and harm of guilt that might not be4 ,for1 faith hath two hands2 with the one it addeth virtue to indifferents2 ,yea1 it sanctified a ,judith and a ,jael1 for what otherwise were treachery and murder3 ,with the other hand it heapeth crime even on impossibles or simples1 ,and many a wizard well deserved the faggot for his faith3 ,he trusted in his intercourse with evil1 he sacrificed heartily to fiends1 ,he withered up with curses to the limit of his will1 and was vile1 because he thought himself a villain4 ,a great mind is ready to believe1 for he hungereth to feed on facts1 ,and the gnawing stomach of his ignorance craveth unceasing to be filled3 ,a little mind is boastful and incredulous1 for he fancieth all knowledge is his own1 ,so will he cavil at a truth2 how should it be true1 and he not know it8-- ,there is an easy scheme1 to solve all riddles by the sensual1 ,and thus1 despising mysteries1 to feel the more sufficient2 ,for it comforteth the foul hard heart1 to reject the pure unseen1 ,and relieveth the dull soft head1 to hinder one from gazing upon vacancy4 ,true wisdom1 labouring to expound1 heareth others readily2 ,false wisdom1 sturdy to deny1 closeth up her mind to argument4 ,the sum of certainties is found so small1 their field so wide an universe1 ,that many things may truly be1 which man hath not conceived3 ,the characters revealed of ,god are a strong mind's sole assurance ,that any strangeness may not stand a sober theme for faith4 ,ignorance being light denied1 this ought to show the stronger in its view1 ,but ignorance is commonly a double negative1 both of light and morals3 ,so1 adding vanity to blindness1 for ease1 it taketh refuge in a doubt1 ,and aching soon with ceaseless doubt1 it finisheth the strife by misbelieving4 ,faith1 by its very nature1 shall embrace both credence and obedience3 ,yea1 the word for both is one1 and cannot be divided4 ,for1 work void of faith1 wherein can it be counted for a duty2 ,and faith not seen in work1--whereby can the doctrine be discovered8 ,faith in religion is an instrument2 a handle1 and the hand to turn it3 ,less a condition than a mean1 and more an operation than a virtue4 ,a moral sickness1 like to sin1 must have a moral cure2 ,and faith alone can heal the mind1 whose malady is sense4 ,ye are told of ,god's deep love3 they that believe will love ,him3 ,they that love ,him1 will obey3 and obedience hath its blessing4 ,ye are taught of the soul's great price2 they that believe will prize it1 ,and1 prizing soul1 will cherish well the hopes that make it happy4 ,effects spring from feelings2 and feelings grow of faith3 ,if a man conceive himself insulted1 will not his anger smite8 ,thus1 let a soul believe his state1 his danger1 destiny1 redemption1 ,will he not feel eager to be safe1 like him that kept the prison at ,philippi8 ,a mother had an only son1 and sent him out to sea3 ,she was a widow1 and in penury2 and he must seek his fortunes4 ,how often in the wintry nights1 when waves and winds were howling1 ,her heart was torn with sickening dread1 and bled to see her boy4 ,and on one sunny morn1 when all around was comfort1 ,news came1 that weeks agone1 the vessel had been wrecked2 ,yea1 wrecked1 and he was dead6 they had seen him perish in his agony3 ,oh then1 what agony was like to her's1--for she believed the tale4 ,she was bowed and broken down with sorrow1 and uncomforted in prayer2 ,many nights she mourned1 and pined1 and had no hope but death4 ,but on a day1 while sorely she was weeping1 a stranger broke upon her loneliness1-- ,he had news to tell1 that weather-beaten man1 and must not be denied3 ,and what were the wonder-working words that made this mourner joyous1 ,that swept her heaviness away1 and filled her world with praise8 ,her son was saved1--is alive1--is near6--,o did she stop to question8 ,no1 rushing in the force of faith1 she met him at the door6 ,,of ,,honesty4 ,illustration3 ,a ,all is vanity that is not honesty2--thus is it graven on the tomb3 ,and there is no wisdom but in piety2--so the dead man preacheth3 ,for1 in a simple village church1 among those classic shades ,which sylvan ,evelyn loved to rear1 7his praise1 and my delight17 ,these1 the words of truth1 are writ upon his sepulchre ,who learnt much lore1 and knew all trees1 from the cedar to the hyssop on the wall4 ,a just conjunction1 godliness and honesty2 ministering to both worlds1 ,well wed1 and ill to be divided1 a pair that ,god hath joined together4 ,i touch not now the vulgar thought1 as of tricks and cheateries in trade2 ,i speak of honest purpose1 character1 speech and action4 ,for an honest man hath special need of charity1 and prudence1 ,of a deep and humbling self-acquaintance1 and of blessed commerce with his ,god1 ,so that the keennesses of truth may be freed from asperities of censure1 ,and the just but vacillating mind be not made the pendulum of arguments3 ,for a false reason1 shrewdly put1 can often not be answered on the instant1 ,and prudence looketh unto faith1 content to wait solutions2 ,yea1 it looketh1 yea1 it waiteth1 still holding honesty in leash1 ,lest1 as a hot young hound1 it track not game1 but vermin4 ,many a man of honest heart1 but ignorant of self and ,god1 ,hath followed the marsh-fires of pestilence1 esteeming them the lights of truth2 ,he heard a cause1 which he had not skill to solve1--and so received it gladly2 ,and that cause brought its consequence1 of harm to an unstable soul4 ,prudence1 for a man's own sake1 never should be separate from honesty2 ,and charity1 for other's good1 and his1 must still be joined therewith3 ,for the harshly chiding tongue hath neither pleasuring nor profit1 ,and the cold unsympathizing heart never gained a good4 ,sin is a sore1 and folly is a fever2 touch them tenderly for healing2 ,the bad chirurgeon's awkward knife harmeth1 spite of honesty4 ,still1 a rough diamond is better than the polished paste1-- ,that courteous flattering fool1 who spake of vice as virtue3 ,and honesty1 even by itself1 though making many adversaries ,whom prudence might have set aside1 or charity have softened1 ,evermore will prosper at the last1 and gain a man great honour ,by giving others many goods1 to his own cost and hindrance4 ,freedom is father of the honest1 and sturdy ,independence is his brother2 ,these three1 with heart and hand1 dwell together in unity4 ,the blunt yeoman1 stout and true1 will speak unto princes unabashed3 ,his mind is loyal1 just and free1 a crystal in its plain integrity2 ,what should make such an one ashamed8 where courtiers kneel1 he standeth2-- ,i will indeed bow before the king1 but knees were knit for ,god4 ,and many such there be1 of a high and noble conscience1 ,honourable1 generous1 and kind1 though blest with little light3 ,what should he barter for his ,freedom8 some petty gain of gold8 ,free of speech1 and free in act1 magnates honour him for boldness3 ,long may he flourish in his peace1 and a stalwarth race around him1 ,rooted in the soil like oaks1 and hardy as the pine upon the mountains6 ,yet1 there be others1 that will truckle to a lie1 selling honesty for interest3 ,and do they gain8--they gain but loss2 a little cash1 with scorn4 ,behold1 the sorrowful change wrought upon a fallen nature3 ,he hath lost his own esteem1 and other men's respect2 ,for the buoyancy of upright faith1 he is clothed in the heaviness of cringing2 ,for plain truth where none could err1 he hath chosen tortuous paths2 ,in lieu of his majesty of countenance--the timorous glances of servility2 ,instead of ,freedom's honest pride1--the spirit of a slave4 ,nevertheless1 there is something to be pleaded1 even for a necessary guile1 ,whilst the world1 and all that is therein1 lieth deep in evil4 ,who can be altogether honest1--a champion never out of mail1 ,ready to break a lance for truth with every crowding error8 ,who can be altogether honest1--dragging out the secresies of life1 ,and risking to be lashed and loathed for each unkind disclosure8 ,who can be altogether honest1--living in perpetual contentions1 ,and prying out the petty cheats that swell the social scheme8 ,for he must speak his instant mind1--a mind corrupt and sinful1 ,exhibiting to other men's disgust its undisguised deformities3 ,he must utter all the hatred of his heart1 and add to it the venom of his tongue2 ,shall he feel1 and hide his feelings8 that were the meanness of a hypocrite3-- ,still1 ,o man1 such hypocrisy is better1 than this bold honesty to sin3 ,kill the feeling1 or conceal it3 let shame at least do the work of charity4 ,o charity1 thou livest not in warnings1 meddling among men1 ,rebuking every foolish word1 and censuring small sins2 ,this is not thy secret1--rather wilt thou hide their multitude1 ,and silence the condemning tongue1 and wearisome exhortation4 ,but for thee1 thy strength and zeal shine in encouragement to good1 ,lifting up the lantern of ensample1 that wanderers may find the way3 ,that lantern is not lit to gaze on all the hatefulness of evil1 ,but set on high for life and light1 the loveliness of good4 ,the hard censorious mind sitteth as a keen anatomist ,tracking up the fibres in corruption1 and prying on a fearful corpse3 ,but the charitable soul is a young lover1 enamoured little wisely1 ,that saw no fault in her he loved1 and sought to see one less2 ,so1 in his kind and genial light1 she grew more worthy of his love2 ,won to good by gentle suns1 and not by frowning tempest4 ,verily1 infirm thyself1--be slow to chide a brother's imperfections2 ,for many times the decent veil must hang on faults of nature3 ,and the rude hands1 that rend it1 offend against the modesty of right1 ,while seeming zeal1 and its effort to do good1 is only feigned self-praise3 ,often will the meannesses of life1 hidden away in corners1 ,prove wisdom2 and the generous is glad to leave them unregarded in the shade4 ,the follies none are found to praise1 let them die unblamed2 ,thine honest strife will only tend to make some think them wise3 ,and small conventional deceits1 let them live uncensured3 ,or if thou war with pigmies1 thou shalt haply help the cranes4 ,where to be blind was safety1 ,ovid had been wise for winking3 ,and when a tell-tale might do harm1 be sure it is prudent to be dumb2 ,that which is just and fit is often found combating with honesty3 ,in the cause of good1 be wise2 and in a case indifferent1 keep silence4 ,let honesty's unblushing face be shaded by the mantle of humility1 ,so shall it shine a lamp of love1 and not the torch of strife3 ,otherwise the lantern of ,diogenes1 presumptuously thrust before the face1 ,if it never find an honest man1 shall often make an angered4 ,let honesty be companied by charity of heart1 lest it walk unwelcome2 ,or the mouthing censor of others and himself1 soon shall sink to scorn4 ,let honesty be added unto innocence of life3 then a man may only be its martyr2 ,but if openness of speech be found with secresy of guilt1 the martyr will be seen a malefactor4 ,there is a cunning scheme1 to put on surface bluntness1 ,and cover still deep water1 with the clamorous ripples of a shallow4 ,for a man1 to gain his selfish ends1 will make a stalking-horse of honesty2 ,and hide his poaching limbs behind1 that he may cheat the quicker4 ,such an one is loud and ostentatious1 full of oaths for argument1 ,boastful of honour and sincerity1 and not to be put down by facts3 ,he is obstinate1 and sheweth it for firmness2 he is rude1 displaying it for truth2 ,and glorieth in doggedness of temper1 as if it were uncompromising justice4 ,be aware of such a man2 his brawling covereth designs2 ,this specious show of honesty cometh as the herald of a thief3 ,his feint is made with awkward clashing on the buckler's boss1 ,but meanwhile doth his secret skill ensure its fatal aim4 ,this is the hypocrite of honesty2 ye may know him by an overacted part2 ,taking pains to turn and twist1 where other men walk straight2 ,or walking straight1 he will not step aside to let another pass1 ,but roughly pusheth on1 provoking opposition on the way2 ,he is full of disquietude for calmness1 full of intriguing for simplicity1 ,valorous with those who cannot fight1 and humble to the brave3 ,where brotherly advice were good1 this man rudely blameth1 ,and on some small occasion1 flattereth with coarse praise4 ,the craven in a lion's skin hath conquered by his character for courage2 ,sheep's clothing helped the wolf1 till he slew by his character for kindness4 ,for honesty hath many gains1 and well the wise have known ,this will prosper to the end1 and fill their house with gold4 ,the phosphorus of cheatery will fade1 and all its profits perish1 ,while honesty with growing light endureth as the moon4 ,yea1 it would be wise in a world of thieves1 where cheating were a virtue1 ,to dare the vice of honesty1 if any would be rich4 ,for that which by the laws of ,god is heightened into duty1 ,ever1 in the practice of a man1 will be seen both policy and privilege4 ,thank ,god1 ye toilers for your bread1 in that1 daily labouring1 ,he hath suffered the bubbles of self-interest to float upon the stream of duty3 ,for honesty1 of every kind1 approved by ,god and man1 ,of wealth and better weal is found the richest cornucopia4 ,tempered by humbleness and charity1 honesty of speech hath honour2 ,and mingled well with prudence1 honesty of purpose hath its praise3 ,trust payeth homage unto truth1 rewarding honesty of action3 ,and all men love to lean on him1 who never failed nor fainted4 ,freedom gloweth in his eyes1 and ,nobleness of nature at his heart1 ,and ,independence took a crown and fixed it on his head3 ,so1 he stood in his integrity1 just and firm of purpose1 ,aiding many1 fearing none1 a spectacle to angels1 and to men3 ,yea1--when the shattered globe shall rock in the throes of dissolution1 ,still1 will he stand in his integrity1 sublime--an honest man4 ,,of ,,society4 ,illustration3 ,b ,better is the mass of men1 ,suspicion1 than thy fears1 ,kinder than thy thoughts1 ,o chilling heart of ,prudence1 ,purer than thy judgments1 ascetic tongue of ,censure1 ,in all things worthier to love1 if not also wiser to esteem4 ,yea1 let the moralist condemn1 there be large extenuations of his verdict1 ,let the misanthrope shun men and abjure1 the most are rather loveable than hateful4 ,how many pleasant faces shed their light on every side1 ,how many angels unawares have crossed thy casual way6 ,how often1 in thy journeyings1 hast thou made thee instant friends1 ,found1 to be loved a little while1 and lost1 to meet no more2 ,friends of happy reminiscence1 although so transient in their converse1 ,liberal1 cheerful1 and sincere1 a crowd of kindly traits4 ,i have sped by land and sea1 and mingled with much people1 ,but never yet could find a spot1 unsunned by human kindness2 ,some more1 and some less1--but truly all can claim a little2 ,and a man may travel through the world1 and sow it thick with friendships4 ,there be indeed1 to say it in all sorrow1 bad apostate souls1 ,deserted of their ministering angels1 and given up to liberty of sin1-- ,and other some1 the miserly and mean1 whose eyes are keen and greedy1 ,with stony hearts1 and iron fists1 to filch and scrape and clutch1-- ,and others yet again1 the coarse in mind1 selfish1 sensual1 brutish1 ,seeming as incapable of softer thoughts1 and dead to better deeds2 ,such1 no lover of the good1 no follower of the generous and gentle1 ,can nearer grow to love1 than may consist with pity4 ,few verily are these among the mass1 and cast in fouler moulds1 ,few and poor in friends1 and well-deserving of their poverty3 ,yet1 or ever thou hast harshly judged1 and linked their presence to disgust1 ,consider well the thousand things that made them all they are4 ,thou hast not thought upon the causes1 ranged in consecutive necessity1 ,which tended long to these effects1 with sure constraining power4 ,for each of those unlovely ones1 if thou couldst hear his story1 ,hath much to urge of just excuse1 at least as men count justice3 ,foolish education1 thwarted opportunities1 natural propensities unchecked1-- ,thus were they discouraged from all good1 and pampered in their evil2 ,and1 if thou wilt apprehend them well1 tenderly looking on temptations1 ,bearing the base indulgently1 and liberally dealing with the froward1 ,thou shalt discern a few fair fruits even upon trees so withered1 ,thou shalt understand how some may praise1 and some be found to love them4 ,nevertheless for these1 my counsel is1 ,avoid them if thou canst2 ,for the finer edges of thy virtues will be dulled by attrition with their vice4 ,and there is an enemy within thee2 either to palliate their sin1 ,until1 for surface-sweetness1 thou too art drawn adown the vortex2 ,or1 even unto fatal pride1 to glorify thy purity by contrast1 ,until the publican and harlot stand nearer heaven than the ,pharisee3 ,or daily strife against their ill1 in subtleness may irritate thy soul1 ,and in that struggle thou shall fail1 even through infirmity of goodness2 ,or1 callous by continuance of injuries1 thou wilt cease to pardon1 ,cease to feel1 and cease to care1 a cold case-hardened man4 ,beware of their example1--and thine own2 beware the hazards of the battle2 ,but chiefly be thou ware of this1 an unforgiving spirit4 ,many are the dangers and temptations compassing a bad man's presence2 ,the upas hath a poisonous shade1 and who would slumber there8 ,wherefore1 avoid them if thou canst2 only1 under providence and duty1 ,if thy lot be cast with ,kedar1 patiently and silently live to their rebuke4 ,how beautiful thy feet1 and full of grace thy coming1 ,o better kind companion1 that art well for either world6 ,there is an atmosphere of happiness floating round that man1 ,love is throned upon his heart1 and light is found within his dwelling3 ,his eyes are rayed with peacefulness1 and wisdom waiteth on his tongue2 ,seek him out1 cherish him well1 walking in the halo of his influence3 ,for he shall be fragrance to thy soul1 as a garden of sweet lilies1 ,hedged and apart from the outer world1 an island of the blest among the seas4 ,there is an outer world1 and there is an inner centre2 ,and many varying rings concentric round the self4 ,for1 first1 about a man1--after his communion with ,heaven1-- ,is found the helpmate even as himself1 the wife of his vows and his affections3 ,see then that ye love in faith1 scorning petty jealousies1 ,for ,satan spoileth too much love1 by souring it with doubts2 ,see that intimacy die not to indifference1 nor anxiety sink into moroseness1 ,and tend ye well the mutual minds bound in a copartnership for life4 ,next of those concentric circles1 radiating widely in circumference1 ,wheel in wheel1 and world in world1--come the band of children3 ,a tender nest of soft young hearts1 each to be separately studied1 ,a curious eager flock of minds1 to be severally tamed and tutored4 ,and a man1 blest with these1 hath made his own society1 ,he is independent of the world1 hanging on his friends more loosely3 ,for the little faces round his hearth are friends enow for him1 ,if he seek others1 it is for sake of these1 and less for his own pleasure4 ,what companionship so sweet1 yea1 who can teach so well ,as these pure budding intellects1 and bright unsullied hearts8 ,what voice so musical as theirs1 what visions of elegance so comely1 ,what thoughts and hopes and holy prayers1 can others cause like these8 ,if ye count society for pastime1--what happier recreation than a nurseling1 ,its winning ways1 its prattling tongue1 its innocence and mirth8 ,if ye count society for good1--how fair a field is here1 ,to guide these souls to ,god1 and multiply thyself for heaven6 ,and this sweet social commerce with thy children groweth as their growth1 ,unless thou fail of duty1 or have weaned them by thine absence4 ,keep them near thee1 rear them well1 guide1 correct1 instruct them2 ,and be the playmate of their games1 the judge in their complainings4 ,so shall the maiden and the youth love thee as their sympathizing friend1 ,and bring their joys to share with thee1 their sorrows for consoling3 ,yea1 their inmost hopes shall yearn to thee for counsel1 ,they will not hide their very loves1 if thou hast won their trust2 ,but1 even as man and woman1 shall they gladly seek their father1 ,feeling yet as children feel1 though void of fear in honour3 ,and thou shall be a ,nestor in the camp1 the just and good old man1 ,hearty still1 though full of years1 and held the friend of all2 ,no secret shall be kept from thee2 for if ill1 thy wisdom may repair it2 ,if well1 thy praise is precious2 and they would not miss that prize4 ,o the blessing of a home1 where old and young mix kindly1 ,the young unawed1 the old unchilled1 in unreserved communion6 ,o that refuge from the world1 when a stricken son or daughter ,may seek1 with confidence of love1 a father's hearth and heart2 ,sure of a welcome1 though others cast them out2 of kindness1 though men scorn them2 ,and finding there the last to blame1 the earliest to commend4 ,come unto me1 my son1 if sin shall have tempted thee astray1 ,i will not chide thee like the rest1 but help thee to return2 ,come unto me1 my son1 if men rebuke and mock thee1 ,there always shall be one to bless1--for ,i am on thy side6 ,illustration ,alas1--and bitter is their loss1 the parents1 and the children1 ,who1 loving up and down the world1 have missed each other's friendship4 ,haply1 it had grown of careless life1 for years go swiftly by2 ,or sprang of too much carefulness1 that drank up all the streams3 ,haply1 sullen disappointment came and quenched the fire2 ,haply1 sternness1 or misrule1 crushed or warped the feelings4 ,then1 ill-combined in tempers1 they learnt not each the other2 ,the growing child grew out of love1 and drew the breath of fear2 ,the youth1 ill-trained1 renounced his fears1 and made a league with cunning2 ,and so those hardened men were foes1 that should have been chief friends4 ,where was the cause1 the mutual cause8 ,o hunt it out to kill it3 ,and what the cure1 the simple cure8--,a mutual flash of love4 ,for dull estrangement's daily air froze up those early sympathies ,by cold continuance in apathy1 or cutting winds of censure2 ,it was a slow process1 which any fleeting hour could have melted2 ,but every hour duly came1 and passed without the sun4 ,caution1 care1 and dry distrust1 obscured each other's minds1 ,till both those gardens1 rich to yield1 were rank with many weeds3 ,and doubt1 a hidden worm1 gnawed at the root of their ,society1 ,they lacked of mutual confidence1 and lived in mutual dread4 ,judge me1 many fathers2 and hearken to my counsel1 many sons2 ,i come with good in either hand1 to reconcile contentions2 ,for better friends can no man have1 than those whom ,god hath given1 ,and he that hath despised the gift1 thought ill of that he knew not4 ,be ye wiser1--7,i speak unto the sons17--and win paternal friendships1 ,cultivate their kindness1 seek them out with honour1 and be the screening ,japhet to their failings3 ,and be ye wiser1--7,i speak unto the fathers7--gain those filial comrades1 ,cherish their reasonable converse1 and look not with coldness on your children4 ,for the friendship of a child is the brightest gem set upon the circlet of ,society1 ,a jewel worth a world of pains--a jewel seldom seen4 ,the third cycle on the waters1 another of those rings upon the onyx1 ,a further definite broad zone1 holdeth kith and kin3 ,a motley band of many tribes1 and under various banners2 ,the intimate and strangers1 the known and loved1 or only seen for loathing3 ,some1 dear for their deserts1 shall honour and have honour of relationship1 ,some1 despising duties1 will add to it both burden and disgrace4 ,a man's nearest kin are oftentimes far other than his dearest1 ,yet in the season of affliction those will haste to help him4 ,for1 note thou this1 the providence of ,god hath bound up families together1 ,to mutual aid and patient trial2 yea1 those ties are strong4 ,friends are ever dearer in thy wealth1 but relations to be trusted in thy need1 ,for these are ,god's appointed way1 and those the choice of man3 ,there is lower warmth in kin1 but smaller truth in friends1 ,the latter show more surface1 and the first have more of depth3 ,relations rally to the rescue1 even in estrangement and neglect1 ,where friends will have fled at thy defeat1 even after promises and kindness2 ,for friends come and go1 the whim that bound may loose them1 ,but none can dissever a relationship1 and ,fate hath tied the knot4 ,wide1 and edged with shadowy bounds1 a distant boulevard to the city1 ,the common crowd of social life is buzzing round about3 ,that is as the outer court1 with all defences levelled1 ,ranged around a man's own fortress1 and his father's house4 ,for many friends go in and out1 and praise thee1 finding pasture1 ,and some are honeycomb to-day1 who turn to gall to-morrow3 ,and many a garrulous acquaintance with his frequent visit ,will spend his leisure to thy cost1 selling dulness dearly3 ,for the idle call is a heavy tax1 where time is counted gold1 ,and even in the day of relaxation1 haply he may spare his presence1-- ,he found himself alone1 and came to talk1--till they that hear are tired2 ,let the man bethink him of an errand1 that his face be not unwelcome4 ,but many friends there be1 both well and wisely greeted1 ,gladly are they hailed upon the hills1 and are chidden that they come so seldom4 ,of such are the early recollections1 school friendships that have thriven to grey hairs1 ,and veteran men are young once more1 and talk of boyish pranks3 ,and such1 yet older on the list1 are those who loved thy father1 ,thy father's friend1 and thine1 who tendereth thee tried love3 ,such also1 many gentle hearts1 whom thou hast known too lately1 ,hastening now to learn their worth1 and chary of those minutes3 ,and such1 thy faithful pastor1 coming to thy home with peace2-- ,greet the good man heartily1--and bid thy children bless him6 ,many thoughts1 many thoughts1--who can catch them all8 ,the best are ever swiftest winged1 the duller lag behind3 ,for1 behold1 in these vast themes1 my mind is as a forest of the ,west1 ,and flocking pigeons come in clouds1 and bend the groaning branches2 ,here for a rest1 then off and away1--they have sped to other climes1 ,and leave me to my peace once more1 a holiday from thoughts4 ,i dare not lure them back1 for the mighty subject of ,society ,would tempt to many a hackneyed note in many a weary key3 ,sage warnings1 stout advice1 experiences ever to be learned1 ,the foolish floatiness of vanity1 and solemn trumperies of pride1-- ,economy1 the poor man's mint1--extravagance1 the rich man's pitfall1 ,harmful copings with the better1 and empty-headed apings of the worse1 ,circumstance and custom1 sympathies1 antipathies1 diverse kinds of conversation1 ,vapid pleasures1 the weariness of gaiety1 the strife and bustle of the world1 ,home comforts1 the miseries of style1 the cobweb lines of etiquette1 ,the hollowness of courtesies1 and substance of deceits1--idleness1 business1 and pastime1-- ,the multitude of matters to be done1 the when1 and where1 and how1 ,and varying shades of character1 to do1 undo1 or miss them1-- ,all these1 and many more alike1 thick converging fancies1 ,flit in throngs about my theme1 as honey-bees at even to their hive4 ,find an end1 or make one3 these seeds are dragon's teeth3 ,sown thoughts grow to things1 and fill that field1 the world3 ,many wise have gone before1 and used the sickle well2 ,who can find a corner now1 where none have bound the sheaves8 ,so1 other some may reap3 ,i do but glean and gather3 ,my sorry handful hath been culled after the ripe harvest of ,society4 ,,of ,,solitude4 ,illustration3 ,w ,who hath known his brother1--or found him in his freedom unrestrained8 ,even he1 whose hidden glance hath watched his deepest ,solitude4 ,for we walk the world in domino1 putting on characters and habits1 ,and wear a social ,janus mask1 while others stand around3 ,i speak not of the hypocrite1 nor dream of meant deceptions1 ,but of that quick unconscious change1 whereof the best know most4 ,for mind hath its influence on mind2 and no man is free but when alone2 ,yea1 let a dog be watching thee1 its eye will tend to thy restraint3 ,self-possession cannot be so perfect1 with another intellect beside thee1 ,it is not as a natural result1 but rather the educated produce3 ,the presence of a second spirit must control thine own1 ,and throw it off its equipoise of peace1 to balance by an effort4 ,the common minds of common men know of this but little2 ,what then8 they know nothing of themselves3 ,i speak to those who know4 ,the consciousness that some are hearing1 cometh as a care1 ,the sense that some are watching near1 bindeth thee to caution2 ,and the tree of tender nerves shrinketh as a touched mimosa1 ,drooping like a plant in drought1 with half its strength decayed4 ,there are antipathies warning from the many1 and sympathies drawing to the few1 ,but merchant-minds have crushed the first1 and cannot feel the latter3 ,whereas to the quickened apprehension of a keen and spiritual intellect1 ,antipathies are galling1 and sympathies oppress1 and solitude is quiet4 ,he that dwelleth mainly by himself1 heedeth most of others1 ,but they that live in crowds1 think chiefly of themselves4 ,there is indeed a selfish seeming1 where the anchorite liveth alone1 ,but probe his thoughts1--they travel far1 dreaming for ever of the world3 ,and there is an apparent generosity1 when a man mixeth freely with his fellows2 ,but prove his mind1 by day and night1 his thoughts are all of self3 ,the world1 inciting him to pleasures1 or relentlessly provoking him to toil1 ,is full of anxious rivals1 each with a difference of interest2 ,so must he plan and practise for himself1 even as his own best friend2 ,and the gay soul of dissipation never had a thought unselfish4 ,the hermit standeth out of strife1 abiding in a contemplative calmness2 ,what shall he contemplate1--himself8 a meagre theme for musing3 ,he hath cast off follies1 and kept aloof from cares2 a man of simple wants2 ,god and the soul1 these are his excuse1 a just excuse1 for solitude3 ,but he carried with him to his cell the half-dead feelings of humanity2 ,there were they rested and refreshed2 and he yearned once more on men4 ,illustration ,where is the wise1 or the learned1 or the good1 that sought not solitude for thinking1 ,and from seclusion's secret vale brought forth his precious fruits8 ,forests of ,aricia1 your deep shade mellowed ,numa's wisdom1 ,peaceful gardens of ,vaucluse1 ye nourished ,petrarch's love2 ,solitude made a ,cincinnatus1 ripening the hero and the patriot1 ,and taught ,de ,stal self-knowledge1 even in the damp ,bastile2 ,it fostered the piety of ,jerome1 matured the labours of ,augustine1 ,and gave imperial ,charles religion for ambition3 ,that which ,scipio praised1 that which ,alfred practised1 ,which fired ,demosthenes to eloquence1 and fed the mind of ,milton1 ,which quickened zeal1 nurtured genius1 found out the secret things of science1 ,helped repentance1 shamed folly1 and comforted the good with peace1-- ,by all men just and wise1 by all things pure and perfect1 ,how truly1 ,solitude1 art thou the fostering nurse of greatness6 ,enough2--the theme is vast2 sear me these necks of ,hydra3 ,what shall drive away the thoughts flocking to this carcase8 ,yea1--that all which man may think1 hath long been said of ,solitude3 ,for many wise have proved and preached its evils and its good4 ,i cannot add1--,i will not steal2 enough1 for all is spoken3 ,yet heed thou these for practice1 and discernment among men4 ,there are pompous talkers1 solemn1 oracular1 and dull3 ,track them from society to solitude2 and there ye find them fools4 ,there are light-hearted jesters1 taking up with company for pastime2 ,how speed they when alone8--serious1 wise1 and thoughtful4 ,and wherefore8 both are actors1 saving when in solitude1 ,there they live their truest life1 and all things show sincere3 ,but the fool by pomposity of speech striveth to be counted wise1 ,and the wise1 for holiday and pleasance1 playeth with the fool's best bauble4 ,the solemn seemer1 as a rule1 will be found more ignorant and shallow ,than those who laugh both loud and long1 content to hide their knowledge4 ,for thee2 seek thou ,solitude1 but neither in excess1 nor morosely2 ,seek her for her precious things1 and not of thine own pride4 ,for there1 separate from a crowd1 the still small voice will talk with thee1 ,truth's whisper1 heard and echoed by responding conscience2 ,there1 shalt thou gather up the ravelled skeins of feeling1 ,and mend the nets of usefulness1 and rest awhile for duties2 ,there1 thou shalt hive thy lore1 and eat the fruits of study1 ,for ,solitude delighteth well to feed on many thoughts3 ,there1 as thou sittest peaceful1 communing with fancy1 ,the precious poetry of life shall gild its leaden cares3 ,there1 as thou walkest by the sea1 beneath the gentle stars1 ,many kindling seeds of good will sprout within thy soul2 ,thou shalt weep in ,solitude1--thou shalt pray in ,solitude1 ,thou shalt sing for joy of heart1 and praise the grace of ,solitude4 ,pass on1 pass on6--for this is the path of wisdom3 ,god make thee prosper on the way2 ,i leave thee well with ,solitude4 ,,recapitulation4 ,illustration3 ,e ,every beginning is shrouded in a mist1 those vague ideas beyond1 ,and the traveller setteth on his journey1 oppressed with many thoughts1 ,balancing his hopes and fears1 and looking for some order in the chaos1 ,some secret path between the cliffs1 that seem to bar his way3 ,so1 he commenceth at a clue1 unravelling its tangled skein1 ,and boldly speedeth on to thread the labyrinth before him4 ,then as he gropeth in the darkness1 light is attendant on his steps1 ,he walketh straight in fervent faith1 and difficulties vanish at his presence2 ,the very flashing of his sword scattereth those shadowy foes2 ,confident and sanguine of success1 he goeth forth conquering and to conquer4 ,every middle is burdened with a weariness1--to have to go as far again1-- ,and ,diligence is sick at heart1 and ,enterprise foot-sore3 ,that which began in zeal1 bursting as a fresh-dug spring1 ,goeth on doggedly in toil1 and hath no help of nature3 ,then1 is need of moral might1 to wrestle with the animal re-action1 ,still to fight1 with few men left1 and still though faint pursuing4 ,the middle is a marshy flat1 whereon the wheels go heavily1 ,with clouds of doubt above1 and ruts of discouragement below3 ,press on1 sturdy traveller1 yet a league1 and yet a league6 ,while every step is binding wings on thy victorious feet4 ,every end is happiness1 the glorious consummation of design1 ,the perils past1 the fears annulled1 the journey at its close3 ,and the traveller resteth in complacency1 home-returned at last3 ,work done may claim its wages1 the goal gained hath won its prize3 ,while the labour lasted1 while the race was running1 ,many-times the sinews ached1 and half refused the struggle3 ,but now1 all is quietness1 a pleasant hour given to repose2 ,calmness in the retrospect of good1 and calmness in the prospect of a blessing4 ,hope was glad in the beginning1 and fear was sad midway1 ,but sweet fruition cometh in the end1 a harvest safe and sure4 ,that which is1 can never not have been3 facts are solid as the pyramids3 ,a thing done is written in the rock1 yea1 with a pen of iron4 ,uncertainty no more can scare1 the proof is seen complete1 ,nor accident render unaccomplished1 for the deed is finished4 ,thus the end shall crown the work1 with grace1 grace1 unto the top-stone1 ,and the work shall triumph in its crown1 with peace1 peace1 unto the builder4 ,i have written1 as other some of old1 in quaint and meaning phrase1 ,of many things for either world1 a crowd of facts and fancies3 ,and will ye judge me1 men of mind8--judge in kindly calmness2 ,for bitter words of haste or hate have often been repented4 ,deep dreaming upon surface reading2 imagery crowded over argument2 ,order less considered in the multitude of thoughts3 this witnessing is just4 ,scripture gave the holier themes1 the well-turned words and wisdom2 ,while ,fancy on her swallow's wing skimmed those deeper waters4 ,and wilt thou say with shrewdness1--,he hath burnished up old truths1 ,but where he seemed to fashion new1 the novelty was false8 ,alas1 for us in these last days1 our elders reaped the harvest3 ,alas1 for all men in all times1 who glean so many tares6 ,that which is true1 how should it be new8 for time is old in years3 ,that which is new1 how should it be true8 for ,i am young in wisdom3 ,nevertheless1 ,i have spoken at my best1 according to the mercies given me1 ,of high1 and deep1 and famous things1 of ,evil1 or of ,good4 ,i have told of ,errors near akin to ,truth1 and wholesomes linked with poison2 ,of subtle ,uses in the humblest1 and the deep laid plots of ,pride3 ,i have praised ,wisdom1 comforted thy ,hope1 and proved to thee the folly of ,complainings2 ,hinted at the hazard of an ,influence1 and turned thee from the terrors of ,ambition4 ,i have shown thee thy captivity to ,law3 yet bade thee hide ,humilities2 ,i have lifted the curtains of ,memory2 and smoothed the soft pillow of ,rest4 ,experience had his sober hour2 and ,character its keen appreciation2 ,and holy ,anger stood sublime1 where ,hatred fell condemned4 ,prayer spake the mind of ,god1 even in ,his own good words3 ,and ,zeal1 with kindness warmly mixt1 allied him to ,discretion4 ,i taught thee that nothing is a ,trifle1 even to the laugh of ,recreation2 ,i led thee with the ,train of ,religion1 to be dazzled at the name of the ,triune4 ,thought confessed his unseen fears2 and ,speech declared his triumphs2 ,i sang the blessedness of books2 and commended the prudence of a letter3 ,riches found their room1 either unto honour--or despising3 ,inventions took their lower place1 for all things come of ,god4 ,i scorned ,ridicule2 nor would humble me for ,praise2 for ,i had gained ,self-knowledge2 ,and pleaded fervently for ,brutes1 who suffer for man's sin4 ,then1 ,i rose to ,friendship2 and bathed in all the tenderness of ,love2 ,knew the purity of ,marriage2 and blest the face of ,children4 ,and whereas1 by petulance or pride1 ,i had haply said some evil1 ,mine after-thought was ,tolerance1 to bear the faults of all3 ,many faults1 ill to bear1 bred the theme of ,sorrow2 ,many virtues1 dear to see1 induced the gush of ,joy4 ,thus1 for awhile1 as leaving thee in joy1 was ,i loth to break that spell2 ,i roamed to other things and thoughts1 and fashioned other books4 ,but in a season of reflection1 after many days1 ,a thought stood before me in its garment of the past1--and lo1 a legion with it6 ,they came in thronging bands1--,i could not fight nor fly them1-- ,and so they took me to their tent1 the prisoner of thoughts4 ,then1 ,i bade thee greet me well1 and heed my cheerful counsels2 ,for every day we have a ,friend1 who changeth not with time4 ,gladly did ,i speak of my commission1 for ,i felt it graven on my heart1 ,and could not hold my wiser peace1 but magnified mine office4 ,mystery had left her echoes in my mind1 and ,i discoursed her secret3 ,and thence ,i turned aside to man1 and judged him for his ,gifts4 ,beauty1 noble thesis1 had a world of sweets to sing of1 ,and dated all her praise from ,god1 the birthday of the soul4 ,thence grew ,fame2 and ,flattery came like ,agag2 ,but this was as the nauseous dregs1 of that inspiring cup3 ,forth from ,flattery sprang in opposition harsh and dull ,neglect2 ,and kind ,contentment's gentle face to smile away the sadness4 ,life1 all buoyancy and light1 and ,death1 that sullen silence1 ,sped the soul to ,immortality1 the final home of man4 ,then1 in metaphysical review1 passed a triple troop1 ,swift ,ideas1 sounding ,names1 and heavily armed ,things3 ,faith spake of her achievements even among men her brethren2 ,and ,honesty1 with open mouth1 would vindicate himself3 ,the retrospect of ,social life had many truths to tell of1 ,and then ,i left thee to thy ,solitude1 learning there of ,wisdom4 ,friend and scholar1 lover of the right1 mine equal kind companion1-- ,i prize indeed thy favour1 and these sympathies are dear3 ,still1 if thy heart be little with me1 wot thou well1 my brother1 ,i canvass not the smiles of praise1 nor dread the frowns of censure4 ,through many themes in many thoughts1 have we held sweet converse2 ,but ,god alone be praised for mind6 ,he only is sufficient1 ,and every thought in every theme by prayer had been established3 ,who then should fear the face of man1 when ,god hath answered prayer8-- ,i speak it not in arrogance of heart1 but humbly as of justice1 ,i think it not in vanity of soul1 but tenderly1 for gratitude1-- ,god hath blest my mind1 and taught it many truths3 ,and ,i have echoed some to thee1 in weakness1 yet sincerely3 ,yea1 though ignorance and error shall have marred those lessons of ,his teaching1 ,i stand in mine own ,master's praise1 or fall to ,his reproof4 ,if thou lovest1 help me with thy blessing2 if otherwise1 mine shall be for thee2 ,if thou approvest1 heed my words2 if otherwise1 in kindness be my teacher4 ,many mingled thoughts for self have warped my better aim2 ,many motives tempted still1 to toil for pride or praise3 ,alas1 ,i have loved pride and praise1 like others worse or worthier2 ,but hate and fear them now1 as snakes that fastened on my hand3 ,scvola burnt both hand and crime2 but ,paul flung the viper on the fire3 ,he shook it off1 and felt no harm3 so be it6 ,i renounce them4 ,rebuke then1 if thou wilt rebuke1--but neither hastily nor harshly2 ,or1 if thou wilt commend1 be it honestly1 of right3 ,i work for ,god and good4 ,illustration3 ,the ,end of the ,second ,series ,,bradbury1 ,,evans1 ,,and ,,co41 ,,printers1 ,,whitefriars4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note3 ,apparent typographical errors have been corrected4 ,hyphenation has been made consistent4