Imatges de pàgina
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THE BIGOTED SCEPTIC.

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be consistent in their conduct, and perfectly free from those faults which they so liberally impute to others.

Ignorance, bigotry, and illiberality, are bad enough in a simple state; but when men of slender information, narrow views, and obstinate dispositions, insult the feelings of such of their fellow-creatures as have fixed their faith on an amiable and benevolent religion, we are called upon by common sense, and by common spirit, to resist and extinguish this dynasty of fools.

To those great men, on whom God has breathed a larger portion of his spirit, and sent into the world to enlarge the empire of talents and of truth, mankind will ever pay a loyal obedience. They are our natural leaders; they are the pillars of fire which brighten the darkness of night, and make straight the paths of the wilderness. They must move on before us. But while we give loose to our natural veneration for great talents, let us not mistake laxity for liberality; the indelicate boldness of a froward disposition for the grasping strength and impulsive curiosity of an original mind. Let us steadily discountenance the efforts of bad men and of shallow men to darken the distinctions between right and wrong, to bring into ridicule and contempt the religion of their country, and to gratify some popular talent, at the expense of the dearest interests of mankind.

Bigotry and intolerance are their terms of alarm; and some foundation for alarm, in truth, there may be: but the danger is not, that the world should again fall under the dominion of men who will dictate a peculiar belief, but of men who will prohibit all belief; who will enforce incredulity with monastic rigour, and annex a papal infallibility to the decisions of the sceptical school. The danger is, that having escaped from one age of darkness, where nothing was called in question, we shall fall into another where everything is discussed; that, having reduced the power of one order of men, who would have hindered us from doubting, we shall have to struggle with another who would hinder us from deciding; that the fires of persecution may be lighted up to support an orthodox scepticism, and to check the heresy of piety.

1. What is the very essence of obstinacy and pride?

2. For what object are we to discountenance the efforts of bad and shallow men?

3. In what danger is the world at present as regards belief and unbelief?

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EARTHQUAKE AT LISBON.

LESSON CCCV.-NOVEMBER THE FIRST.

Earthquake at Lisbon.

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On this day, in 1755, a most dreadful earthquake happened at Lisbon. Early in the morning, a thick fog arose, which was soon dissipated by the heat of the sun; no wind was stirring, the sea was calm, and the weather was as warm as in June or July in Britain. At thirty-five minutes after nine, without the least warning, except a rumbling noise like the artificial thunder in our theatres, a most dreadful earthquake shook, by quick but short vibrations, the foundations of all the city, so that many buildings instantly fell. Then, with a pause scarcely perceptible, the nature of the motions was changed, and the houses were tossed from side to side with a motion like that of a stage waggon violently driven over rough stones. This second shock laid almost the whole city in ruins, with a prodigious slaughter of the people. The earthquake lasted in all about six minutes.

About noon there was another shock; when the walls of several houses that yet remained, opened from top to bottom more than a quarter of a yard, and afterwards closed again so exactly that scarce any mark of the injury was left. By an act of humanity and generosity which conferred the highest honour on the British parliament and nation, the sum of 100,000l. was voted for the use of the distressed inhabitants of the Portuguese metropolis, and supplies to this amount in corn, flour, and rice, with other necessaries, were shipped without delay for Portugal, and proved a most welcome and seasonable relief.

"Towers, temples, palaces,

Flung from their deep foundations, roof on roof
Crush'd horrible, and pile on pile o'erturn'd,
Fall total.

How greatly terrible, how dark and deep,

The purposes of Heaven! At once o'erthrown,
White age and youth, the guilty and the just,
Oh, seemingly severe ! promiscuous fall.
Reason, whose daring eye in vain explores
The fearful providence, confused, subdued
To silence and amazement, with due praise
Acknowledges th' Almighty, and adores

His will unerring, wisest, justest, best!"- MALLET.

1. What happened on this day, in 1755?

2. What did the British parliament and nation?

LESSON CCCVI.- -NOVEMBER THE SECOND.

Fugitive Nature of Political Writings.

SUCH is the nature of political opposition and animosity, that writings in support of party opinion are interesting only to the country and period to which they relate. There is generally so much rancour, violence, and exaggeration to be found in them, that they rather disgust than please the wise and the moderate, and afford but little entertainment to the general reader. It is no wonder, therefore, that the most masterly performances in this way should, like meteors, blaze only for a short space, and then vanish into "thin air." In spite of the fine language, the brilliant metaphors, and the lofty periods, with which they may be embellished-in spite of the neat type and elegant binding with which they may be ushered into the world, still they are generally doomed soon to perish, and,

"Like the baseless fabric of a vision,
Leave not a wreck behind."

One of the very few productions of this kind that have escaped oblivion, is the far-famed "Letters of Junius,” which have been preserved, not for the subject-matter they contain, but for the pure, classical, and energetic style in which they are written, and partly, perhaps, on account of the impenetrable mystery which, to this day, envelopes the author of these wonderful letters.

While posterity continue to admire the masterly and eloquent writings of a Swift, an Addison, a Steele, a Johnson, &c., which are calculated for general entertainment and instruction, it is seldom we inquire for their political tracts, the subjects of which are grown out of date, and are, besides, with some exceptions, of a nature which does little honour to the writers, as they rather exhibit the prejudices, the selfishness, and bitterness of human nature, than its noble and generous feelings. Not that we mean to say, that a well-timed and well-written political warning, or even philippic, which advances nothing but truth, and has no other object in view than the public good, is not deserving of praise. But how few are there of such a description! Instead of candour, moderation, and liberality, do we not much oftener find the very opposite qualities characterize our political productions-hatred,

THE ART OF PERSPECTIVE.

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rancour, unsparing abuse, and the most malignant aspersion of private character?

1. What work is an exception to the general rule in respect to political writings? and on what account is it so?

2. What do we generally find instead of candour, &c., in these writings?

LESSON CCCVII.

-NOVEMBER THE THIRD.

The Art of Perspective.

PERSPECTIVE is that branch of optics which teaches the art of representing objects on a plane surface, in the manner they appear under the peculiarities incident to distance and height. It is consequently a science of the first importance to the painter.

In a practical sense, perspective is the art of drawing, according to the principles of geometry, the true representations of real objects; and is divided into lineal perspective, which relates to the position, form, magnitude, &c., of the several lines or contours of objects, and aerial perspective, which has principally a reference to the colouring and shading of distant objects.

Suppose we view a point situated beyond an upright transparent plane, as a glass window, the spot where a straight line from the eye to this point will go through the window is the perspective representation of it; for the eye views all objects by means of rays of light, which proceed from it, to the different points of the object, in straight lines.

Let us then imagine a spectator to be looking at a prospect without doors, from within, through a glass window; he will perceive not only the vast extent which so small an aperture will admit to be seen by his eye, but also the shapes, size, and situation of every object upon the glass. If the objects are near the window, the spaces which they take upon the glass will be proportionably larger than when they are at a greater distance; if they are parallel to the window, then their shapes upon the glass will be parallel also; but if they are oblique, then their shapes will be oblique, and so on. And he will always perceive, that as he alters the situation of his eye, the situation of the objects upon the window will be altered also: if he raises his eye, the objects will seem to keep pace with it, and rise higher upon the window; and

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