and as you have not spirit to assert the dignity of virtue, be wise enough not to forgo the emoluments of vice.

"I much admire the spirit of the ancient philosophers, in that they never attempted, as our moralists often do, to lower the tone of philosophy, and make it consistent with all the indulgences of indolence and sensuality. They never thought of having the bulk of mankind for their disciples; but kept themselves as distinct as possible from a worldly life. They plainly told men what sacrifices were required, and what advantages they were which might be expected.

'Si virtus hoc una potest dare, fortis omissis

Hoc age deliciis.

You

If you would be a philosopher these are the terms. must do thus and thus: there is no other way. If not, go and be one of the vulgar.

“There is no one quality gives so much dignity to a character as consistency of conduct. Even if a man's pursuits be wrong and unjustifiable, yet if they are prosecuted with steadiness and vigour, we cannot withhold our admiration. The most characteristic mark of a great mind is to choose some one important object, and pursue it through life. It was this made Cæsar a great man. His object was ambition; he pursued it steadily, and was always ready to sacrifice to it every interfering passion or inclination.

"There is a pretty passage in one of Lucian's dialogues, where Jupiter complains to Cupid that though he has had so many intrigues, he was never sincerely beloved. In order to be loved, says Cupid, you must lay aside your ægis and your thunder-bolts, and you must curl and perfume your hair, and place a garland on your head, and walk with a soft step, and assume a winning, obsequious deportment. But, replied Jupiter, I am not willing to resign so much of so much of my dignity. Then, returns Cupid, leave off desiring to be loved: — He wanted to be Jupiter and Adonis at the same time.

"It must be confessed, that men of genius are of all others most inclined to make these unreasonable claims. As their

relish for enjoyment is strong, their views large and comprehensive, and they feel themselves lifted above the common bulk of mankind, they are apt to slight that natural reward of praise and admiration which is ever largely paid to distinguished abilities; and to expect to be called forth to public notice and favour: without considering that their talents are commonly very unfit for active life; that their eccentricity and turn for speculation disqualifies them for the business of the world, which is best carried on by men of moderate genius; and that society is not obliged to reward any one who is not useful to it. The poets have been a very unreasonable race, and have often complained loudly of the neglect of genius and the ingratitude of the age. The tender and pensive Cowley, and the elegant Shenstone, had their minds tinctured by this discontent; and even the sublime melancholy of Young was too much owing to the stings of disappointed ambition.

"The moderation we have been endeavouring to inculcaté will likewise prevent much mortification and disgust in our commerce with mankind. As we ought not to wish in ourselves, so neither should we expect in our friends contrary qualifications. Young and sanguine when we enter the world, and feel our affections drawn forth by any particular excellence in a character, we immediately give it credit for all others; and are beyond measure disgusted when we come to discover, as we soon must discover, the defects in the other side of the balance. But nature is much more frugal than to heap together all manner of shining qualities in one glaring mass. Like a judicious painter she endeavours to preserve a certain unity of style and colouring in her pieces. Models of absolute perfection are only to be met with in romance; where exquisite beauty, and brilliant wit, and profound judgment, and immaculate virtue are all blended together to adorn some favourite character. As an anatomist knows that the racer cannot have the strength and muscles of the draught-horse; and that winged men, griffins, and mermaids must be mere creatures of the imagination; so the

philosopher is sensible that there are combinations of moral qualities which never can take place but in idea. There is a different air and complexion in characters as well as in faces, though perhaps each equally beautiful; and the excellencies of one cannot be transferred to the other. Thus if one man possesses a stoical apathy of soul, acts independent of the opinion of the world, and fulfils every duty with mathematical exactness, you must not expect that man to be greatly influenced by the weakness of pity, or the partialities of friendship: you must not be offended that he does not fly to meet you after a short absence; or require from him the convivial spirit and honest effusions of a warm, open, susceptible heart. If another is remarkable for a lively active zeal, inflexible integrity, a strong indignation against vice, and freedom in reproving it, he will probably have some little bluntness in his address not altogether suitable to polished life; he will want the winning arts of conversation; he will disgust by a kind of haughtiness and negligence in his manner, and often hurt the delicacy of his acquaintance with harsh and disagreeable truths.

"We usually say that man is a genius, but he has some whims and oddities; such a one has a very general knowledge, but he is superficial; &c. Now, in all such cases, we should speak more rationally did we substitute therefore for but. He is a genius, therefore he is whimsical; and the like.

"It is the fault of the present age, owing to the freer commerce that different ranks and professions now enjoy with each other, that characters are not marked with sufficient strength: the several classes run too much into one another. We have fewer pedants, it is true, but we have fewer striking originals. Every one is expected to have such a tincture of general knowledge as is incompatible with going deep into any science; and such a conformity to fashionable manners as checks the free workings of the ruling passion, and gives an insipid sameness to the face of society, under the idea of polish and regularity.

"There is a cast of manners peculiar and becoming to each age, sex, and profession; one, therefore, should not throw out illiberal and common-place censures against another. Each is perfect in its kind. A woman as a woman: a tradesman as a tradesman. We are often hurt by the brutality and sluggish conceptions of the vulgar; not considering that some there must be to be hewers of wood and drawers of water, and that cultivated genius, or even any great refinement and delicacy in their moral feelings, would be a real misfortune to them.

"Let us then study the philosophy of the human mind. The man who is master of this science, will know what to expect from every one. From this man, wise advice; from that, cordial sympathy; from another, casual entertainment. The passions and inclinations of others are his tools, which he can use with as much precision as he would the mechanical powers; and he can as readily make allowance for the workings of vanity, or the bias of self-interest in his friends, as for the power of friction, or the irregularities of the needle."

63

No. IV.

THE REV. CHARLES WOLFE, A. B.

CURATE OF DONOUGHMORE, DIOCESE OF ARMAGH, IRELAND.

ALTHOUGH the period of Mr. Wolfe's death places him rather beyond the usual limits of our work, yet we prefer the slight relaxation of a general rule, to the omission, in the “Annual Biography," of all notice of an individual who was esteemed and beloved by every person to whom he was known; and who has left behind him more than one production of his genius, "which the world will not willingly let die." To an interesting publication, in two volumes, by the Rev. John A.Russell, M.A., chaplain to his excellency the lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and curate of St. Werburgh's, Dublin, entitled "Remains of the late Rev. Charles Wolfe," we are indebted for the greater part of the materials of which the following memoir is composed. Another little work, called "College Recollections," in which the friends of the author are designated under various fictitious names, and, among the rest, Wolfe, under that of "Waller," has also afforded us much aid, We have still further to express our acknowledgments to one of Mr. Wolfe's most intimate college friends; by whom we have been kindly favoured with some very valuable communications.

The Wolfes came originally from Oughtarard, in the county of Kildare. The military achievements of the illustrious hero of Quebec, render the name conspicuous in the annals of British renown; but we do not believe that General Wolfe was related to the subject of this memoir, whose family, however, has certainly to boast of the late eminent and muchlamented judge, Lord Kilwarden.