ECSTASY, RAPTURE, &c. 464. EcSTASY, RAPTURE, TRANS PORT, express an extraor dinary elevation of the spirits, an excessive tension of mind: they signify to be out of one's self, out of or.e's mind, carried away beyond one's self. ECSTACY-benumbs the faculties, takes away the power of speech, and sometimes of thought; it is generally occasioned by sudden and unexpected events: but RAPTURE often invigorates the powers and calls them into action. The former, is common to all persons of ardent feelings; especially, children, &c., the illiterate: the latter is common to persons of superior minds, and circumstances of peculiar importance. What followed, was all ecstasy, and frances: We feel the present Deity. Scorns the base earth and crowd below, And, with a peering wing, still mounts on high. He play'd so sweetly, and so sweetly rung, That on each note the enraptur'd audience hung. 465. GARRICK. It is believed, that this tragedian greatly surpassed his predecessors, in his genius for acting, in the sweetness and variety of his tones, the irresistible magic of his eye, the fire and vivacity of his action, the elegance of his attitudes, and the whole pathos of expression. The cause of which success was, his intimate and practical knowledge of human nature. Example. A certain gentleman, on returning from the theatre, asked his postillion, (who sat in his private box,) what he thought of the great Mr. Garrick. Not much, my lord," was his reply, for he talked and acted just like John and I in the stable." When this was repeated to the tragedian, he declared it the greatest compliment ever paid him: for, said he, if nature's own children can't distinguish me from themselves, it is a pretty sure indication that I am about right. RAPTURES. But, in her temple's last recess inclos'd, How dost thou wear, and weary out thy days, Maxims. 1. His not wise, who is not wise for himself. 2. If you wish a thing done, go; if not, send. 3. The silence of the tongue is often the elo. quence of the heart. 4. The perfection of art is, to conceal art. 5. Every day is a little life; and a whole life but a day repeated. 6. We find it hard to forgive those, whom we have injured. 7. Fashionable women are articles manufactured by mil iners; They want but little-here below, And want that little-for a show. 8. Do nothing you would wish to conceal. 9. Ap pearances are often deceiving. 10. Riches cannot purchase mental endowments. Anecdote. Look at Home. The advice of a girl, to Thales, a Milesian astronomer, was strong and practical. Seeing him gazing at the heavens, as he walked along, and perhaps piqued, because he did not cast an eye on her attractions, she put a stool in his path, over which he tumbled and broke his shins. Her excuse was, that she wanted to teach him, before he indulged himself in star-gazing, to "look at home." VARIETIES. A proper judge-will read each work of wit, It comes o'er the ear, like the sweet so a wins. Th't mind and body- often sympathize That sat on her seven hills, and from her thror Of beauty-ruled the world. Beware of desperate steps; the darkest day, With pleasure-let us own our errors past, And make each day-a critic-on the last. Thinking-leads man to knowledge. He may see and hear, and read and learn whatever he pleases, and as much as he pleases: he will never know any thing of it, except that which he has thought over; that which, by thinking, he has made the property of his mind. Is it then saying too much, that man, by thinking only, becomes truly man. Take away thought from man'e life, and what remains? 'T was the bow of Omnipotence: bent in His haud, LOVE, &c. S and enlarged; 407. To the above may be added, Shakspeare's description of this affection, as given by the Good Shepherd, who was requested to tell a certain youth, what 'tis to love: It is to be all made of sighs and tears: Come hither boy; if ever thou shalt love O fellow, come, the song we had last night: Hail, wedded love, mysterious law, true source of father, son, and brother, first were known. Maxims. 1. We must strike while the iron is hot; but we must sometimes make the iron bot by striking. 2. Books are to the young, what capital is to the man of business. 3. It is not good husbandry, to make a child's fortune-great, and his mind-poor. 4. Some-excuse their ignorance, by pretending, that their taste lies in another direction. 5. Reading, makes a full man, and thinking, a correct man. 6. Not the pain, but the cause-makes the martyr. 7. Learn some useful art or trade, that you may be independent of the caprice of fortune. 8. Nothing is harder for konest people, than to be denied the privilege of speaking their minds. 9. Some-are penny-wise, and pound-foolish. 10. A true friend sometimes ventures to be offensive. Anecdote. Tuo Lawyers. A wealthy farmer, being engaged in a law-suit against one of his opulent neighbors, applied to a lawyer, who happened to be engaged on the opposite side; but, who told him he would give him a recommendation to a professional friend; which he did in the following lines: "Here are two fat wethers, fallen out together, If you'll fleece one, I'll fleece the other, And make them agree like brother and brother." The letter being unsealed, the farmer had the curiosity to open and read it; he did so, and instead of carrying it to the other lawyer, he took it to the person, with whom he was at variance. Its perusal cured both parties, and ended the dispute. Inference-Lawyers live by the violation of the laws of goodness and truth. Conversation. When five or six men are together, it is curious to observe the anxiety every one has to speak. No one wishes to hear; all he desires, is-an auditor. Rather than defer telling their respective stories, they frequently all speak at the same time. Varieties. The United States-is on a conspicuous stage; and the WORLD-marks her demeanor. 2. If a parent-withhold from his children-the light, and influence of Divine Truth, is he not, in part, responsible for their crimes? 3. Eloquence-is the lan guage of Nature,-of the soul; it cannot be acquired in the schools, though it may be cultivated there. 4. What is the object of courtship? to get acquainted; to show off; to take in; or, to marry? 5. What a dreadful thing it is to be "cut out,"-and to "get the mitten!" They know not my heart, who belive there can be PITY, COMPASSION. 468. PITY, Denevolence to the afflicted; & mixture of love for an object which suffers, whether human er animal, and a grief that we are unable to renove those sufferings. It is seen an a compassionate tenderness of voice, a feeling of pain in the countenance; features drawn ogether, e y e brows drawn down, mouth open, and a gentle raising and falling of the hands and eyes; as if mourning over the unhappy object. Hadst thou but seen, as I did, how at last, bl'd PITY. How many bleed, By shameless variances, between man and man! The quality of merey is not strain'd; But from the mountain's grassy side, A scrip, with fruits and herbs supplied, Thou great, thou best prerogative of power! Maxims. 1. He that feels as he ought, will be polite without knowing it. 2. Comon sense is the growth of all countries and all ages, but it is very rare. 3. Modesty is one of the chief ornaments of youth. 4. In every condition be humble; the loftier the condition, the greater the danger. 5. Feelings and thoughts are the parents of language. 6. Tɔ gain a good reputation, be, what you desire to ap pear. 7. In prosperity, we need consideration; 17 adversity-patience. 8. Kindness is more binding than a loan. 9. Right should be preferred to kind. red. 10. A wise man adapts himself to circum stances, as water does to the vessel that contains it. Anecdote. When Woodward first acted Sir John Brute, Garrick was induced, either by curiosity or jealousy, to be present. A few days afterward, they happened to meet, when Woodward asked Garrick, how he liked him in the part; adding, I think I struck out some beauties in it. Garrick replied, "I think you struck out all the beauties in it." Discretion. At the same time, that 1 think discretion-the most useful talent a man can be master of, I look upon cunning to be the accomplishment of little, mean, ungenerous minds. Discretion-points out the noblest ends to us, and pursues the most proper and laudable methods of attaining them, cunning-has only private, selfish aims, and sticks at nothing which may make them succeed. Discretion-has large and extensive views, and, like a well-formed eye, commands a whole horizon; cunning-is a kind of short-sightedness, that discovers the minutest objects, which are near at hand, but is not able to discern things at a distance. Varieties. 1. Said an Indian chief to the President, "May the Great Spirit bear up the weight of thy gray hairs, and blunt the arrow, that brings them rest. 2. The great truth has finally gone forth to the ends of the earth, that man shall no more render account to man, for his belief, over which he himself has no control. 3. Let every one feel, think, act and say whatever he pleases; provided, he does not infringe upon like privileges of others. 4. Virtue-promotes worldly prosperity; vice destroys it. 5. Who can fully realize the strength of parental affection, without experiencing it? and even then, who can escribe it. 6. Grief, smothered, preys upon the vitals; give it vent into the bosom of a friend. 7. Nothing is of any service, Justice may guard the throne, but, join'd with thee, that does not help to re-unite the soul to God. On rocks of adamant it stands secure, Mercy-is the becoming smile of justice; But, whate'er you are, That in this desert inaccessible, Under the shade of melancholy boughs, If ever been where bells have knoll'd to church! 469. HOPE Ts a mixture of joy and desire, agitating the mind, and anticipating it enjoyment; it ever gives pleasure; which is not always the case with wish and desire; as they may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety. Hope erects and brightens the countenance, opens the mouth to half a smile, arches the eye-brows, gives the eyes an eager and wistful look; spreads the arms with the hands open, ready to receive the object of its wishes, towards which it leans a little; the voice is somewhat plaintive, and manner inclining to eagerness, but colored by doubt and anxiety; the breath drawn inward more forcibly than usual, in order to express our desires more strongly, and our earenest expectation of receiving the object of them. But thou, O HOPE! with eyes so fair, She called an echo still thro' all her song; A soft responsive voice was heard, at every close, And HOPE, enchanted, smail'd, and wav'd her golden hair. [health! Thou captive's freedom, and thou sick man's The captive, bending under the weight of bonds, Anecdote. A traveler in a stage-coach, not famous for its swiftness, inquired the name of the coach. A fel'ow passenger replied, "I think it is the Regulator, for I observe that all the other coaches go by it." Hast thou power?-the weak defend; A disputable point-is no man's ground. Maxims. 1. It is one thing to know how give, and another to know how to keep. 2. Every thing perfected by art, has its source in nature 3. He who tells you the faults of others, intends to tell others your faults. 4. Opinion is free, and conduct alone amenable to the law. 5. Extravagant praise is more mortifying than the keenest satire. 6. Love all beauty, and you will love all goodness. 7. A foolish friend does more harm than a wise enemy. 8. When our hatred is violent, it sinks us below those we hate. 9. There should be no delay in a benefit, but in the modesty of the receiver. 10. A cup of cold water, in time of need, may save a man's life. Acquaintance with Human Nature. He, who has acquired a competent know!edge of the views, that occupy the generality of men; who has studied a great variety of characters, and attentivly observed the force and violence of human passions; together with the infirmities and contradictions they produce in the conduct of life, will find in this knowledge, a key to the secret reasons and motives which gave rise to many of the most important events of ancient times. Varieties. 1. Some people will do almost anything, rather than own a fault; tho' everything depends on it: thus, Seneca's wife, to conceal her blindness, declared that the whole world was in darkness, and none could see. 2. What is the difference between pleasure and happiness? 3. There is, in all things, a threefold principle, by which they exist; an inmost, middle, and outermost; and in human beings, there is a soul, mind, and body; will, understanding, and act; af fection, thought and speech; intellectual, rational, and scientific; end, cause, and effect, all essentially distinct. 4. Our Lord does not say-if a man see a miracle, he shall know that my doctrine is from God; but, "if any man will do my will." The flower-soon dies, but hope's soft ray The only verdant part. True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings; A beacon shining o'er a stormy sea; A fifth-shall close the drama with the day; HATRED, AVERSION. 470. When, by frequent reflections on a disagreeable object, our disapprobation of it is attended with a strong disinclination of mind towards it, it is called hatred; and when this 1 accompanied with a painful sensation upon the apprehension of its presence and approach, there follows an inclination to avoid it, called aversion; extreme hatred is abhorrence, or detestation. Hatred, or aversion expressed to, or of any person, or any thing, that is odious, draws back the body to avoid the hated object, and the hands, at the same time, thrown out and spread, as if to keep it off; the face is turned away from that side, which the hands are thrown out; the eyes looking angrily and obliquely, or asquint, the way the hands are directed; the eyebrows are contracted, the upper lip disdainfully drawn up; the teeth set; the pitch of the voice is loud, surly, chiding, languid and vehement; the sentences are short and abrupt. HATRED-CURSING THE OBJECT HATED. The mortal coldness of the soul, like death itself comes down; Maxims. 1. One true friend is worth a hundred relations. 2. Happiness is to be found every where, if you possess a well regulated mind. 3. Between good sense and good taste, there is the same difference as between cause and effect. 4. He, who profits by the mistakes or oversights of others, learns a lesson of great importance. 5. The flight of a person accused, is a tacit acknowledgment of his guilt. 6. He is wise, who does every thing at the proper time. 7. Confession is as a medicine-to him who has gone astray. 8. The love of liberty makes even an old man brave. 9. Children are heirs to the diseases of their parents, as well as to their possessions. 10. A man, who cannot forgive, breaks the bridge over which he might pass to Heaven. Thoughts. A man would do well to carry a pencil in his pocket, and write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for, are commonly the most valu able, and should be secured, because they seldom return. Varieties. 1. What do you think of one, who gives away ten dollars, when he owes a hundred more than he can pay? 2. Let us follow nature, who has given shame to man for a scourge; and let the heaviest part of the punishment be-the infamy attending it. 3. Can we perceive any quality in an object without an act of comparison? 4. Falsehood often decks herself in the cuter garments of truth, that she may succeed the better in her wily deceits. 5. The thing, which has been done, it is that which shall be; and that which is, it is that which shall be done; and there is no NEW thing under the sun. 6. Society cannot be held together without morals; nor can morals maintain their station in the human heart, without religion; and no religion Thro' midnight hours, that yield no more their former hope of rest; is worth having, unless it is founded on truth, "Tis but as ivy leaves-around the ruin'd turret wreath, All green and wildly fresh without, but worn and gray beneath. On Adam last thus judgment he pronounc'd: "Because thou hast hearken'd to the voice of thy And eaten of the tree, concerning which [wife, I charg'd thee, saying, "Thou shalt not eat thereof,' Curs'd is the ground for thy sake; thou, in sorrow, Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life; Thorns, also, and thistles it shall bring thee forth Unbid; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, Ti.l thou return unto the ground; for thou Out of the ground wast taken: know thy birth, For dust thou art, and shalt to dust return." Anecdote. SATISFACTION. A ruined debtor, having done every thing in his power to satisfy his creditors, said to them, "Gentlemen,-I have been extremely perplexed, till now, how to satisfy you: and having done my utmost to do so, I shall leave you to satisfy yourselves." He, whose mind Is virtuous, is alone-of noble kind; And he commits a crime, who calls ni base. which is the corner-stone of the fabric of human nature. 7. How far have moral perceptions been influenced by physical phenomena? How very precious-praise Is-to a young genius, like sunlight-on flowers, Ripening them into fruit. One hour Of thoughtful solitude-may nerve the heart For days of conflict,-girding up its armorTo meet the most insidious foe, and lending The courage-sprung alone from innocenceAnd good intent. There is not, in this life of ours, One bliss-unmixed with fears; The hope, that wakes our deepest powers, And the dew, that show'rs o'er dearest flow'rs. A face of sadness wears; Is the bitter dew-of tears. In all our strictures-placid we will be, As Halcyons-brooding on a summer sea No man-is born into the world, whose workIs not born with him; there is always work,And tools-tc work withal, for those who will |