common or unavoidable. 12. CHASTITY; and 13. HUMILITY.' In this last, Franklin speaks of making Christ an example for imitation.

Proceeding on the plan of acquiring 'the habitude of all these virtues,' he considered it necessary to establish a system of daily self-examination. For this purpose, he says: 'I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues. I ruled each page with red ink, so as to have seven columns, one for each day of the week, marking each column with a letter for the day. I crossed these columns with thirteen red lines, marking the beginning of each line with the first syllable of one of the virtues; on which line, and in its proper column, I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found, upon examination, to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day.

'I determined to give a week's strict attention to each of the virtues successively. Thus, in the first week, my great guard was to avoid every the least offence against Temperance, leaving the other virtues to their ordinary chance, only marking every evening the faults of the day. Thus, if in the first week I could keep my first line, marked Tem., clear of spots, I supposed the habit of that virtue so much strengthened, and its opposite weakened, that I might venture extending my attention to include the next, and for the following week keep both lines clear of spots. Proceeding thus to the last, I could get through a course complete in thirteen weeks, and four courses in a year. And like him who, having a garden to weed, does not attempt to eradicate all the bad herbs at once-which would exceed his reach and his strength-but works on one of the beds at a time, and having accomplished the first, proceeds to a second; so I should have, I hoped, the encouraging pleasure of seeing on my pages the progress made in virtue, by clearing successively my lines of their spots; till in the end, by a number of courses, I should be happy in viewing a clean book, after a thirteen

To this little book, Franklin attached as a motto some lines from Addison, and inscribed, as a pious aspiration or prayer, the passage from Thomson's Poems:

"Father of light and life, thou God supreme!

O teach me what is good; teach me thyself!

Save me from folly, vanity, and vice,

From every low pursuit; and fill my soul

With knowledge, conscious peace, and virtue pure;

Sacred, substantial, never-fading bliss!'

As the precept of Order required that every part of the day should have its allotted duties, he appended to his book a scheme of employment and self-questioning, at the various hours respectively. This we condense as follows:

MORNING.-Hours, 5, 6, 7. Rise, wash, devotional exercise; contrive day's business, and take the resolution of the day; prosecute the present study, and breakfast. Question.-What

good shall I do this day?

MORNING CONTINUED.-Hours, 8, 9, 10, 11. Work.

NOON.-Hours, 12, 1. Read and look over any accounts, and

dine.

AFTERNOON.-Hours, 2, 3, 4, 5. Work.

EVENING.-Hours, 6, 7, 8, 9. Put things in their places. Supper. Music or diversion, or conversation. Examination of the day. Question.-What good have I done to-day? NIGHT.-Hours, 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3, 4.

Sleep.

'I entered,' says Franklin, 'upon the execution of this plan for self-examination, and continued it with occasional intermissions for some time. I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish.' Order gave him most trouble, in consequence of not being early accustomed to method; and till the end of his days, he confesses to being incorrigible on this point. But on the whole,' he says, in concluding this remarkable record, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been, if I had not attempted it; as those who aim at perfect writing by imitating the engraved copies, though they never reach the wished-for excellence of those copies, their hand is mended by the endeavour, and is tolerable while it continues fair and legible. It may be well my posterity should be informed that to this little artifice, with the blessing of God, their ancestor owed the constant

felicity of his life down to his seventy-ninth year, in which this is written. What reverses may attend the remainder, is in the hand of Providence; but if they arrive, the reflection on past happiness enjoyed, ought to help his bearing them with more resignation. To Temperance he ascribes his long-continued health, and what is still left to him of a good constitution: to Industry and Frugality, the early easiness of his circumstances, and acquisition of his fortune, with all that knowledge that enabled him to be a useful citizen, and obtained for him some degree of reputation among the learned to Sincerity and Justice, the confidence of his country, and the honourable employs it conferred upon him: and to the joint influence of the whole mass of the virtues, even in the imperfect state he was able to acquire them, all that evenness of temper and that cheerfulness in conversation which makes his company still sought for, and agreeable even to his young acquaintance. I hope, therefore, that some of my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit.'

We need hardly say that posterity has largely benefited by Franklin's example; and that if you follow his method of selfimprovement, adding growth in religious sentiment to his catalogue of obligations, you will scarcely fail to participate in the satisfaction which attends a well-regulated conduct.

THE ART OF REASONING.

IB

T may seem strange to say so, but it is well known that few persons reason correctly. Some scarcely reason at all, but go through life with a dependence on general notions gathered from those about them. The most prevalent error, is that of reasoning from what is a mere supposition or a mistake. A circumstance is related, no matter how improbable, and being accepted as true, it is forthwith reasoned upon as if it were really so, whereas it may be an entire fancy. Much of the reasoning we hear every day has little better foundation than the ludicrous story of the three black crows. A person was condoled with on the fact of his having vomited three black crows; for such was said to be the rumour. Amazed at such a ridiculous report, he traces it to its source, and finds it had been magnified at every stage. The last who spoke of it, had said three black crows; he who told the story to him had said only two black crows; he who reported it to him had said only one black crow; and last of all, he who set the story afloat, had said only something as black as a crow.

This story affords a humorous exemplification of the universal tendency to exaggerate in relating incidents. Each person who repeats an account of any particular circumstance, enhances its character, with the view to excite an emotion of wonder. This may be done unconsciously, or without any deliberate intention to tell a falsehood, but the effect is the same. Few incidents, however trifling, are related with an exact attention to truth. The mass of hearsay evidence is generally corrupt. We can