119 history of any of those heroes of the moral scene, whose life has been one continued deed of generosity to mankind, without feeling that, if there be virtue on earth, there has been virtue in that bosom which has suffered much, or dared much, that the world might be free from any of the ills which disgraced it. The strong lines, with which the author of the "Botanic Garden" concludes his praise of one of the most illustrious of these heroes of benevolence, scarcely express more than we truly feel on the contemplation of such a character. It does seem as if man, when he acts as man should act, is a being of some higher order than the frail, erring creature among whom we ourselves pass a life, that, with all its occasional acts of generosity and self-command, is still, like theirs, a life of frailty and error: CHARACTER OF HOWARD. And now, Philanthropy! thy rays divine Dart round the globe, from Zembla to the Line; Power's rigid heart, and opes his clenching hands; Or guides awaken'd Mercy through the gloom, To her fond husband liberty and life. The spirits of the good, who bend from high And ask'd what seraph foot the earth imprest. Disease and death retire And murmuring demons hate him and admire.1 The benevolent spirit, as its object is the happiness of all who are capable of feeling happiness, is as universal in its efforts as are the miseries which are capable of being relieved, or the enjoyments which it is possible to extend to a single human being, within the 'Darwin's Botanic Garden. 120 Consola reach of its efforts, or almost of its wishes. When we speak of benefactions, indeed, we think only of one species of good action; and charity itself, so comprehensive in its etymological meaning, is used as if it were nearly synonymous with the mere opening of the purse. But "it is not money only which the unfortunate need; and they are but sluggards in well-doing," as Rousseau strikingly expresses the character of this indolent benevolence, "who know to do good only when they have a purse in their hand." tions, counsels, cares, friendship, protection, are so many resources which pity leaves us for the assistance of the indigent, even though wealth should be wanting. The oppressed-often continue to be oppressed, merely because they are without an organ to render their complaints known to those who have the power of succor. requires sometimes but a word which they cannot say; a reason which they know not how to state; the opening of a single door of a great man, through which they are not permitted to pass, to obtain The intrepid support of a for them all of which they are in need. disinterested virtue is, in such cases, able to remove an infinity of obstacles and the eloquence of a single good man, in the cause of the injured, can appal tyranny itself in the midst of its power. THE GOODNESS OF GOD. It The goodness of God is, of all subjects of inquiry, that which is It is the goodness of him to whom we owe, most interesting to us. not merely that we exist, but that we are happy or miserable now, and according to which we are to hope or fear for a future, that is not limited to a few years, but extends through all the ages of immortality. Have we, then, reason to believe that God is good? that the designing power, which it is impossible for us not to perceive and admit, is a power of cruelty or kindness? Of whom is this the question? of those whose whole life has been a continued display of the bountiful provision of Heaven from the first moment at which life began. to man. But we are not to think that the goodness of God extends only The humblest life, which man despises, is not despised by Him who made man of nothing, and all things of nothing, and "whose tender mercies are over all his works." "Has God, thou fool, work'd solely for thy good, Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain? The birds of Heaven shall vindicate their grain."1 In vain do we strive to represent to ourselves all nature as our own, and only our own. The happiness which we see the other races around us enjoying is a proof that it is theirs as well as ours; and that he, who has given us the dominion of all things that live on earth, has not forgotten the creatures which he has intrusted to our sway. Even in the deserts, in which our sway is not acknowledged, where the lion, if man approached, would see no lord before whom to tremble, but a creature far feebler than the ordinary victims of his hunger, or his wrath-in the dens and the wildernesses, there are pleasures which owe nothing to us, but which are not the less felt by the fierce hearts that inhabit the dreadful recesses. They, too, have their happiness; because they too were created by a Power that is good-and of whose beneficent design, in forming the world, with all its myriads of myriads of varied races of inhabitants, the happiness of these was a part. So also is the seemingly happy existence of that minute species of life which is so abundant in every part of the great scene in which we dwell. I shall not attempt to trace the happiness upward, through all the alacrity and seeming delight in existence, of the larger animals—an ever-flowing pleasure, of which those who have had the best opportunities of witnessing multitudes of gregarious animals feeding together, and rejoicing in their common pasture, will be the best able to appreciate the amount. All have means of enjoyment within themselves; and, if man be the happy sovereign of the creation, he is not the sovereign of miserable subjects. "Ask for what end the heavenly bodies shine, Earth for whose use? Pride answers, 'Tis for mine: The juice nectareous, and the balmy dew; For me, health gushes from a thousand springs; All these sources of blessings, that are infinite as the living beings that enjoy them, were made, indeed, for man, whose pride makes the arrogant exclusive assumption; but they were made also for innumerable beings whose very existence is unknown to man, and who know not, in their turn, the existence of him who supposes that all these means of happiness are for himself alone. There is, at every moment, an amount of happiness on the earth, of which the happiness of all mankind is an element indeed, but only one 2 Ibid. Ep. I. 131-140. 1 Pope's Essay on Man, Ep. III. 27-38. 122 of many elements, that perhaps bears but a small proportion to the rest; and it is not of this single element that we are to think, when we consider the benevolence of that God who has willed the whole. Of Dr. Brown's poetry, "The Paradise of Coquettes" has been by far the most popular, though it is now but little read. Of it, the "Edinburgh Review" thus speaks: "It is by far the best and most brilliant imitation of Pope that has appeared since the time of that great writer; with all his point, polish, and nicely-balanced versification, as well as his sarcasm and witty malice: deficient, indeed, in the strong sense and compressed reasoning by which he is distinguished, but possessing all the brightness and elegance and vivacity of his lighter and more exquisite productions; and almost entitled, if it were not for its injudicious diffuseness and the defect of its machinery, to take its place by the side of the Rape of the Lock."" The poem is in nine parts. The first part is prefatory, and has not much connection with the rest of the poem. The second part discovers to us "Zephyra," just returned at daybreak from an evening party; mortified at having been eclipsed by the charms of a late-arriving rival; and weighing in her bosom the pleasures of a coquette's life against the endless inquietudes and disappointments with which it is attended. The latter, she finds, vastly preponderate; and just as she has passed a solemn vow of abjuration of coquetry, a person called the Genius of Coquetry appears-pardons her hasty resolve-and, by dint of flattery, wins her back to her pristine allegiance. With true feminine curiosity, she implores the deity to make use of his omniscient faculties in disclosing to her all the conquests she is to make: this he declines to do, but hints to her that they will be all that the most inordinate ambition could desire. The following is a part of the coquette's repining : SOLILOQUY AFTER THE BALL. How did I hope to vex a thousand eyes! Oh glorious malice, dearer than the prize! Yet well was taught my brow that pride serene Which looks no triumph where no doubt had been; That easy scorn, all tranquil as before, Which speaks no insult, and insults the more; Steals angry Spite's last torment, to resent. Why was the triumph given? Too flattering joy! I saw, and almost dream'd him at my feet, Close by my side a gay attendant slave; The glance, which thousands sought, to none he gave; Smiled when I smiled, and talk'd, and laugh'd, and talk'd; 1 Vol. xxiv. p. 397. Held my light fan with more than woman's grace, As if no fan he e'er had broke but mine! Ah, simple fool-yet wherefore nurse the smart? The bubble he may break, but not my heart. The third canto begins in an ambiguous tone, somewhat between raillery, sareasm, and apology for THE CHANGEFULNESS OF WOMAN. Ye watchful sprites, who make e'en man your care, Who grave on adamant all changeless things, The smiles of courtiers and the frowns of kings! Say to what softer texture ye impart The quick resolves of woman's trusting heart; The short eternity of Passion's power, Breathed in vain oaths that pledge with generous zeal Ah! find not falsehood in an angel's voice! ANNE HUNTER, 1742-1821. ANNE HUNTER, the wife of the celebrated anatomist, John Hunter, and the daughter of Mr. Robert Home, was born in the year 1742. She enjoyed the friendship of Mrs. Elizabeth Carter and Mrs. Montagu, and was no inconsiderable member of that circle of literary ladies who composed their society. She excelled in lyric poetry, and two of her songs, "My mother bids me braid my hair," and "The Mermaid's Song," are embalmed in the undying melodies of Haydn. She died in London on the 7th of January, 1821. Her poetry displays much elegance and feeling, of which the following are fair specimens:— |