"fuffering wrong was greater than the plea"fure of doing it; and mankind, by a ge"neral compact, fubmitted to the restraint "of laws, and refigned the pleasure to escape "the pain."

OF Charity it is fuperfluous to obferve, that it could have no place if there were no want; for of a virtue which could not be practifed, the omiffion could not be culpable. Evil is not only the occafional but the efficient cause of Charity; we are incited to the relief of mifery by the consciousness that we have the fame nature with the fufferer, that we are in danger of the fame diftreffes, and may sometime implore the fame affiftance.

GODLINESS, or Piety, is elevation of the mind towards the fupreme Being, and extenfion of the thoughts to another life. The other life is future, and the fupreme Being is invifible. None would have recourse to an invifible Power, but that all other fubjects had eluded their hopes. None would fix their attention upon the future, but that they are discontented with the prefent. If the fenfes were feafted with per

petual Pleasure, they would always keep the mind in fubjection. Reason has no authority over us, but by its power to warn us against Evil.

IN Childhood, while our minds are yet unoccupied, Religion is impressed upon them, and the first years of almost all who have been well educated are paffed in a regular discharge of the duties of Piety. But as we advance forward into the crouds of life, innumerable delights follicit our inclinations, and innumerable cares diftract our attention; the time of youth is paffed in noify frolicks; Manhood is led on from hope to hope, and from project to project; the diffoluteness of pleasure, the inebriation of fuccefs, the ardour of expectation, and the vehemence of competition, chain down the mind alike to the present scene, nor is it remembered how foon this mift of trifles must be fcattered, and the bubbles that float upon the rivulet of life be loft for ever in the gulph of eternity. To this confideration scarce any man is awakened but by fome preffing and refiftless evil. The death of those from whom he derived his pleasures, or to whom he de

ftined his poffeffions, fome difeafe which shews him the vanity of all external acquifitions, or the gloom of age, which intercepts his profpects of long enjoyment, forces him to fix his hopes upon another state; and when he has contended with the tempefts of life till his ftrength fails him, he flies at laft to the fhelter of religion.

THAT mifery does not make all virtuous, experience too certainly informs us; but it is no lefs certain that of what Virtue there is, Mifery produces far the greater part. Phyfical Evil may be therefore endured with patience, fince it is the cause of moral Good; and Patience itself is one Virtue by which we are prepared for that ftate in which Evil fhall be no more..

N° 90.

N°

90. Saturday, January 5. 1760.

T is a complaint which has been made

from time to time, and which feems to have lately become more frequent, that English Oratory, however forcible in argument, or elegant in expreffion, is deficient and inefficacious, because our speakers want the Grace and Energy of Action.

AMONG the numerous Projectors who are defirous to refine our manners, and improve our Faculties, fome are willing to supply the deficiency of our Speakers. We have had more than one exhortation to study the neglected Art of moving the paffions, and have been encouraged to believe that our tongues, however feeble in themselves, may, by the help of our hands and legs, obtain an uncontrolable dominion over the most stubborn audience, animate the infenfible, engage the careless, force tears from the obdurate, and money from the avaricious.

IF

IF by flight of hand, or nimbleness of foot, all these wonders can be performed, he that shall neglect to attain the free use of his limbs may be justly cenfured as criminally lazy. But I am afraid that no fpecimen of fuch effects will eafily be shewn. If I could once find a speaker in Change-Alley raising the price of stocks by the power of persuasive gestures, I should very zealously recommend the ftudy of his art; but having never seen any action by which language was much affifted, I have been hitherto inclined to doubt whether my countrymen are not blamed too haftily for their calm and motionless utterance.

FOREIGNERS of many nations accompany their speech with action; but why should their example have more influence upon us than ours upon them? Customs are not to be changed but for better.

Let those who defire benefits of the change

to reform us fhew the proposed. When the Frenchman waves his hands and writhes his body in recounting the revolutions of a game at cards, or the Neapolitan, who tells the hour of the day, shews upon his fingers the number which he mentions, I do not perceive that their manual ex