The Wisdom of Providence has given no man ability to do much, that something might be left for every Providence man to do.-Adventurer, No. 137. Raising Price It is of no consequence how high the wages of Provisions of manufacturers are; but it would be of very bad consequence to raise the wages of those who procure the immediate necessaries of life, for that would raise the price of provisions.-Journal. September 28. Prudence Prudence is of more frequent use than any other intellectual quality; it is exerted on slight occasions, and called into act by the cursory business of common life. The great end of prudence is to give Prudence cheerfulness to those hours which splendour cannot gild and acclamation cannot exhilarate.Rambler, No. 68. The province of prudence lies between the Prudence greatest things and the least.-Rambler, No. 112. Vicarious There is no nation that has not used the Punishments practice of sacrifices. Whoever, therefore, denies the propriety of vicarious punishments, holds an opinion which the sentiments and practice of mankind. have contradicted from the beginning of the world.Life. June 3, 1781. Power of the There are few doors through which Purse liberality, joined with good humour, cannot find its way. Rasselas, ch. xxv. The Pyramids The Pyramids The greatest work of man ; except the wall of China.-Rasselas, ch. xxxi. For the pyramids no reason has ever been given adequate to the cost and labour of the work. I consider this mighty structure as a monument of the insufficiency of human enjoyments.-Rasselas, ch. xxxi. Qualifications of a Wife The companion of an evening, and the companion for life, require very different qualifications.-Rambler, No. 97. Negative and A man will please more upon the whole by Positive Qualities negative qualities than by positive; by never offending, than by giving a great deal of delight.September 15, 1777. a Wife Quarrelling with All quarrels ought to be avoided studiously, particularly conjugal ones, as no one can possibly tell where they may end.—Piozzi's Anecdotes, p. 145. Popping the Whenever I shall seek a wife, it shall be my first question, whether she be willing to be led by reason.-Rasselas, ch. xxix. Questioning not Questioning is not the mode of conversaPolite tion among gentlemen. It is assuming a superiority, and it is particularly wrong to question a man concerning himself. There may be parts of his former life which he may not wish to be made known to other persons, or even brought to his own recollection.Life. March 25, 1776. Alas! how few books are there of which Don Quixote one ever can possibly arrive at the last page. Was there ever yet any thing written by mere man that was wished longer by its readers, excepting Don Quixote, Robinson Crusoe, and the Pilgrim's Progress ?-Piozzi's Anecdotes, p. 281. of Rank Subordination Your levellers wish to level down as far as themselves; but they cannot bear levelling up to themselves. They would all have some people under them; why not then have some people above them ?— Life. July 21, 1763. By the consultation of books, whether of Reading dead or living authors, many temptations to petulance and opposition, which occur in oral conferences are avoided. Rambler, No. 87. Reading A man ought to read just as inclination leads him; for what he reads as a task will do him little good.-Life. Reading You can never be wise unless you love reading.-Life. Letter to his Servant. Sep tember 25, 1770. Reading with No man will read with advantage, who is Advantage not able, at pleasure, to evacuate his mind, or who brings not to his author an intellect neither turbid with care nor agitated with pleasure.-Idler, No. 74. Reading and The foundation must be laid by reading. Conversation General principles must be had from books, which, however, must be brought to the test of real life. In conversation you never get a system. What is said upon a subject is to be gathered from a hundred people. The parts of a truth which a man gets thus, are at such a distance from each other that he never attains to a full view.-Life. April 16, 1775 Reading What is read with delight is commonly with Delight retained because pleasure always secures attention.-Idler, No. 74. with Reading If a man begins to read in the middle of a Inclination book, and feels an inclination to go on, let him not quit it to go to the beginning. He may perhaps not feel again the inclination.-Life. April 12, 1776. Rebellion Pardoning of Rebels Recklessness Rebellion is natural to man.-Journal, November II. All mankind applaud the pardoning of rebels. Journal. November 11. There is an irrational contempt of danger, which approaches nearly to the folly, if not the guilt of suicide.-Rambler, No. 129. The Recluse The solitary mortal is certainly luxurious, probably superstitious, and possibly mad.— Piozzi's Anecdotes, p. 106. There are few higher gratifications than that Reflection of reflection on surmounted evils, when they were not incurred nor protracted by our fault. But this felicity is almost always abated by the reflection that they with whom we should be most pleased to share it are now in the grave.-Rambler, No. 203. A Mortifying It is a most mortifying reflection for any Reflection man to consider what he has done, compared with what he might have done.—Life. Maxwell's Collectanea, 1770. Life will not bear refinement; you must do Refinement as other people do.-Life. September 19, 1777. Dangers of Over 200. Refinement of Taste Waste of Reformation He that too much refines his delicacy will always endanger his quiet.-Rambler, No. Endeavour to be as perfect as you can in every respect.-Life. June 30, 1784. The ruins of the cathedral of Elgin afforded us another proof of the waste of Reformation. Journey to the Western Islands, p. 17. Our first Reformers Were not burnt for not believing bread and wine to be Christ, but for insulting those who did believe it.-Life. |