covered with a vitreous substance, the basis of which is lead, and baked to hardness in kilns. It is said, the substances generally used for glazing, are white sand, red lead, pearl ashes, and common salt.

117. The finer sorts of earthen ware are called porcelain. This ware was first made in China, of two kinds of earth, called petunse and kaolin, with a species of oil, or varnish. Of these is made a paste, which is fashioned on a wheel. The pieces are then painted, and each is inclosed in a case, the bottom of which is covered with fine sand; one case is set in another, forming a nest, and thus they are placed in a furnace and baked. Similar ware is now made in various parts of Europe; and from these manufactories we are supplied with tablefurniture, of various forms and elegance.

118. Lime-stone, carbonate of lime, one of the most useful materials for buildings, abounds in almost every part of the United States. By being subjected to a strong heat, in kilns, it is deprived of its cementing principle, the carbonic acid, and reduced to a calx, or oxyd, which is easily pulverized. Of this is made mortar, the substance which, when dry, binds together the stones and bricks which are used for walls. The finer sorts of lime-stone are called marble, and when polished, form most beautiful slabs for tables, chimney-pieces, busts, statues, pillars, and ornaments.

119. Cocoa is a nut, the fruit of a tree cultivated in both the Indies. The tree often rises sixty feet high. The stem resembles an apothecary's iron pestle, the ends being larger than the middle. The nuts hang at the top of a stem, in clusters of a dozen each. The shell consists of strong, tough filaments, inclosing a quantity of liquor, and the kernel, which is white, and is an agreeable food. The shells may be used for cups; the bark of the tree may be wrought into cordage, and the leaves into mats, nets, baskets, and other utensils.

120. Chocolate is a cake made of a paste, the basis of which is the fruit of the cacao, a tree that grows in the West Indies, to the hight of twenty feet. The seeds, or nuts, are produced in pods, in a white, pithy substance. These being roasted in an iron pot, the external covering is easily separated. The kernel is pounded in a mortar, or otherwise bruised, and made into a paste; sometimes a little cinnamon, sugar, or vanilla, is added.

121. It is the fortunate lot of the farmers, in most of the United States, and particularly in the northern and middle States, to be able to raise, on their farms, all the principal articles of food necessary for their subsistence. The modes of tillage are somewhat different in different States, and in various situations; but probably farmers in the north, and planters in the south,

have found, by experiments, the modes of cultivation most profitable in their respective situations.

122. The high price of wages in the United States, restrains the farmer from bestowing as much labor on his land, as the farmers in Europe can afford. But the modes of tillage will improve, in proportion as the population increases, and the prices of grain will justify the expense. Good prices are the best bounties that can be offered for improvement.

123. It is our happiness to have grains so cheap, that all industrious persons may obtain what they need, for their labor, and the poor may enjoy abundance. We have the finest flour for bread, or, if we choose, we may consume the coarser grains. The finest wheat flour is not the most healthful. On the other hand, meal unbolted, or the coarser part of the flour, is probably better adapted to the digestive powers, than the finest flour. Meslin, a mixture of wheat and rye, or coarse bread of rye and Indian meal, makes a sweet and healthful food.

124. Thus our lot is cast in a land of plenty; industry gives us all an abundance of the essential articles of life; and these rich blessings, with a free government, with the means of knowledge, and the revelations of God's will, to instruct us how to live in this world, and how to obtain a better portion in the life to come, should make us grateful to the Being from whose kindness we derive these blessings, and contented with the allotments of his providence.

CHAPTER V.

125. As the farmers and mechanics, constituting a great portion of our citizens, are the persons from whom proceed all legislative authority, it is all-important, that they should well understand their rights and their duties. They should understand the characters of the men whom they are to elect to offices, and exercise their rights with prudence, and with a sole regard to the greatest good of the community. A departure from this principle, and a selection of men to support a party, or faction, is the bane of a republic; it must end in loss of liberty,-in ruin.

126. To avoid the evil of party spirit, our intelligent yeomen should adopt it, as a strict principle, to make the constitution and laws of the State, and of the federal government, the polestars of their public conduct. Let them never attach themselves to a man, or to men, so strongly, as to follow him, or them, whether right or wrong. To support a man, in transgressing the constitution and laws, because he is of a particular party, is to violate the oath of a citizen, to break the laws of moral duty, and to betray our country's rights. The consti

tution and laws are the will of the whole state, or nation; that will binds all parties to obedience; and citizens have no right to promote the interests of one part of the community, at the expense of another. If a public officer breaks over the constitution and laws, in pursuit of his own interest, or the interest of a party, he is no republican, and should be abandoned.

127. In free governments, there will be diversities of opinions and of interests; and men without principle, and for selfish views, will almost always be found seeking office by illegal or improper means. To effect their object, they sometimes establish printing-presses to support their views. In this case, it often happens, that the presses propagate the foulest misrepresentations of facts and of characters, and mislead the people. There is no one point in which our citizens ought to be more on their guard against deception, than in giving credit to party

statements.

128. One of the best rules for judging what characters are most trust-worthy, is, to observe whether men steadily and quietly pursue their own business, with diligence and fidelity; whether they sustain, among their neighbors, the reputation of sound integrity; whether they uniformly obey and support the laws; and whether they appear to have no particular selfish views to accomplish. From fifty years' observation, the writer has found such men to be the most faithful in public offices. On the other hand, idle, dissipated men, who are always busy in clamoring against others, and boasting of their own patriotism, are found, when in office, to regard the public interest less than their own. As a general rule, the man who takes the best care of his own business, will, in public life, be most faithful to the community.

129. In the war of the revolution, and for some years after, the practice in New England was, to choose to offices men who were never known to solicit or seek them. The patriotic men who conducted the revolution, never established printing-presses to proclaim their merits, and decry their competitors; they never employed agents to travel from place to place, and make interest for them. They would not have attempted to bribe public opinion, or gain votes by promising offices to their supporters, or boast of their superior patriotism; nor would they remove a man from office, because he had not voted for them, any sooner than they would have cut off a right hand, or plucked out a right eye. Such were the principles of the independent men, to whom, under Providence, we are indebted for our liberties.

CHAPTER VI.

In the following lessons, there are many examples of antithesis, or opposition in the sense. For the benefit of the learner, some of these examples are distinguished by italic letters; and the words so marked are emphatical.

PITH AND MARROW OF GOOD SENTIMENTS.

To be very active in laudable pursuits, is the distinguishing characteristic of a man of merit.

There is an heroic innocence, as well an heroic courage. There is a mean in all things. Even virtue itself has its stated limits, which not being strictly observed, it ceases to be virtue.

It is wiser to prevent a quarrel beforehand, than to revenge it afterwards.

It is much better to reprove, than to be angry secretly.

No revenge is more heroic than that which torments envy by doing good.

The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

Money, like manure, does no good till it is spread.

There is no real use of riches, except in the distribution; the rest is all conceit.

A wise man will desire no more than what he may get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and live upon contentedly.

A contented mind, and a good conscience, will make a man happy in all conditions. He knows not how to fear, who dares to die.

There is but one way of fortifying the soul against all gloomy presages and terrors of the mind; and that is, by securing to ourselves the friendship and protection of that Being who disposes of events and governs futurity. Philosophy is then only valuable when it serves for the law of life, and not for the ostentation of science.

Without a friend, the world is but a wilderness.

A man may have a thousand intimate acquaintances, and not a friend amongst them all. If you have one friend, think yourself happy.

When once you profess yourself a friend, endeavor to be always such. He can never have any true friends, who is always changing them.

Prosperity gains friends, and adversity tries them.

Nothing more engages the affections of men, than a handsome address and graceful conversation.

Complaisance renders a superior amiable, an equal agreeable, and an inferior acceptable.

Excess of ceremony shows want of breeding. That civility is best, which excludes all superfluous formality.

Ingratitude is a crime so shameful, that the man was never yet found who would acknowledge himself to be guilty of it. Few things are impossible to industry and skill.

There cannot be a greater treachery, than first to raise a confidence, and then deceive it.

By the faults of others, wise men correct their own.

No man has a thorough taste of prosperity, to whom adversity never happened.

When our vices leave us, we flatter ourselves that we leave them.

It is as great a point of wisdom to hide ignorance, as to discover knowledge.

Pitch upon that course of life which is the most excellent, and habit will render it most delightful.

Custom is the plague of wise men, and the idol of fools.

As to be perfectly just, is an attribute of the divine nature, to be so to the utmost of our abilities, is the glory of man.

No man was ever cast down with the injuries of fortune, unless he had before suffered himself to be deceived by her favors. Anger may glance into the breast of a wise man, but rests only in the bosom of fools.

None more impatiently suffer injuries, than those that are most forward in doing them.

By revenging an injury, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.

To err is human; to forgive, divine.

A more glorious victory cannot be gained over another man than this, that when the injury began on his part, the kindness should begin on ours.

The prodigal robs his heir, the miser robs himself.

We should take a prudent care for the future, but so as to enjoy the present. It is no part of wisdom to be miserable today, because we may happen to be more so to-morrow.

To mourn without measure, is folly; not to mourn at all, insensibility.

Some would be thought to do great things, who are but tools and instruments; like the fool, who fancied he played upon the organ, when he only blew the bellows.

Though a man may become learned by another's learning, he never can be wise but by his own wisdom.

He who wants good sense, is unhappy in having learning; he has thereby more ways of exposing himself.

It is ungenerous to give a man occasion to blush at his own ignorance in one thing, who perhaps may excel us in many.

No object is more pleasing to the eye, than the sight of a man