as it were, united to it, and gravitates towards it with a fpontaneous velocity. There is, indeed, no ftudy fo dry, but by fixing our attention upon it, we may at laft find it capable of affording great delight. Metaphyfics and mathematics, even in their abftrufeft parts, are known to give the attentive ftudent a very exalted fatisfaction. Thofe parts then of human learning, which in their nature are more entertaining, cannot fail of being beloved in a high degree, when the mind is closely and conftantly applied to them.

In order to acquire the power and habit of fixing the attention, it will at firft be neceffary to fummon a very confiderable degree of refolution, In beginning the ftudy of a new language, or any book or fcience, which prefents ideas totally ftrange, the mind cannot but feel fome degree of reluctance or difguft. But perfevere; and, in a very fhort time, the difguft will vanish, and you will be rewarded with entertainment. Till this takes place, make it an inviolable rule, however difagreeable, to read a certain quantity, or for a certain time, and you will infallibly find, that what you began as a task, you will continue as an amufement.

There are many ftudents who fpend their days in extracting paffages from authors, and fairly tranferibing them in their common-place book; a mode of study truly wretched, which feldom repays the ftudent either with profit or pleasure, which waftes his time, and wears out his eyes and his conftitution. I molt ferioufly advise all thofe unhappy students, who have been led to think, that the exercife of the hand can imprefs ideas on the brain, who interrupt their attention by copying; who torture themfelves in abridging, and who think, by filling their pocket-books, that they fhall enrich their understandings, to ftop while they have eyes to fee, or fingers to write. They have totally mistaken the road to learning; and, if they proceed in the way too long a time, they may fuffer fuch injuries in it as fhall disable them from returning, or fecking a better. After many years spent in this wretched labour, it is no wonder that they clofe their books, and make the old complaint of vanity and vexation. Nothing really ferves us in reading, but what the mind

B 2

makes

makes its own by reflection and memory. That which is transcribed is not in the leaft more appropriated than when it ftood in the printed page. It is an error, if any fuppofe, that by the act of marking the words on paper with a pen, the ideas are more clearly marked on the brain than by attentive reading.

The best method of extracting and epitomizing, is to exprefs the author's ideas, after fhutting his book, in our own words. In this exercife, the memory is exerted, and the ftyle improved. We make what we write our own; we think, we are active, and we do not condemn our felves to an employment merely ma nual and mechanical. But, after all, whatever a few may fay, write, or think, it is certain, that the greateft fcholars were content with reading, without making either extracts or epitomes. They were fatisfied with what remained in their minds after a diligent perufal, and when they wrote, they wrote their own. Reading is, indeed, moft juftly called the food of the mind. Like food, it must be digested and affimilated; it must fhew its nutritive power by promoting growth and ftrength, and by enabling the mind to bring forth found and vigorous productions. It must be converted in fuccum et fanguinem, into juice and blood, and not make its appearance again in the form in which it was originally imbibed. It is indeed true, and the inftance may be brought in oppofition to my doctriné, that Demofthenes tranfcribed Thucydides eight times with his own hand; but it should be remembered, that Demofthenes flourished before printing was discovered, and that he was induced to tranfcribe Thucydides, not only for the fake of improvement, but alfo for the fake of multiplying copies of a favourite author.

A due degree of variety will contribute greatly to render reading agreeable. For though it is true, that not more than one or two books fhould be read at once, yet, when they are finished, it will be proper, if any weariness is felt, to take up an author who writes in a different ftyle, or on a different fubject; to change from poetry to profe, and from profe to poetry; to intermix the moderns with the ancients; alternately to ky down the book and to take up the pen; and fome

times to lay them both down, and enter with alacrity into agreeable company and public diverfions. The mind, after a little ceffation, returns to books with all the voracious eagerness of a literary hunger. The intermiffions must not be long, or frequent enough to form a habit of idleness or diffipation.

He who would read with pleasure (and I repeat, that all who read with real profit muft read with pleafure), will attend to the times of the day, and the feafons of the year. The morning has been univerfally approved as the best time for ftudy; the afternoon may be moft advantageously spent in improving converfation. Thofe faculties, which before dinner are capable of engaging in the acuteft and fublimeft difquifitions, are found, by general experience, to be comparatively dull and ftupid after it. "I know not how it is," faid a celebrated writer," but all my philofophy, in which I was "fo warmly engaged in the morning, appears like non"fenfe as foon as I have dined."

Very hot weather is particularly unfavourable to reading. The months of July, Auguft, and September, are by no means the feafons in which the fruits of the mind arrive at maturity, A rigid philofopher will perhaps maintain, that the mental faculties are not to be affected by the viciffitudes of cold and heat; but who will liften to philofophy, who is already convinced by actual experience? It is indeed remarkable, that thefe months are felected for vacation in the houses of legiflature, in the courts of law, and in the feats of learning. In cold and inclement weather, when we are driven to the fire-fide for comfort, we find that delight in our books, which, in the vernal and autumnal feason, we fought in the funshine, and in the sweets of rural scenery. We no longer roam, we collect our fcattered ideas, and find, in the exercife of our facul ties, that delight, which is the confequence and reward of exerting, in a proper method, the natural energies of the divine particle which breathes within

But at all hours, and in all feafons, if we can retrain the licentious rovings of the fancy, footh the paffions of the heart, and command our attention, fo

as

as to concentre it on the subject we examine, we fhall be fure to find our attention amply rewarded. Attend closely, and close attention to almoft any worthy object will always produce folid fatisfaction. Particularly in reading, it may be depended upon as an approved truth, that the degree of profit, as well as pleasure, will ever be proportioned to the degree of attention.

No. LXXXIII.

A DORNING

ON THE PROPRIETY OF

LIFE, AND SERVING SO

CIETY, BY LAUDABLE EXERTION.

Nan age of opulence and luxury, when the native

bits of indolence are fuperinduced by univerfal indulgence, the moralift can feldom expect to fee examples of that unwearied perfeverance, of that generous exertion, which has fumetimes appeared in the world, and has been called heroic virtue. Indeed, it must be allowed, that in the early periods of fociety there is greater occafion, as well as greater fcope, for this exalted fpecies of public fpirit, than when all its real wants are fupplied, and all its fecurities established.

Under thefe difadvantages there is, indeed, little opportunity for that uncommon heroifin, which leads an individual to defert_his fphere, and to act in contradiction to the maxims of perfonal intereft and safety, with a view to reform the manners, or to promote the honour and advantage of the community. Patriotifm, as it was understood and practifed by a Brutus, a Curtius, a Scævola, or a Socrates, appears in modern times fo eccentric a virtue, and so abhorrent from the dictates of common fenfe, that he who fhould imitate it would draw upon himself the ridicule of mankind, and would be efteemed a madman. Moral and political knight errantry would now appear in fcarcely a lefs ludicrous light than the extravagancies of chivalry.

But to do good in an effectual and extenfive manner within the limits of profeffional influence, and by per

forming

forming the business of a station, whatever it may be, not only with regular fidelity, but with warm and active diligence, is in the power, as it is the duty, of every individual who poffeffes the ufe of his faculties. It is furely an unfatisfactory idea, to live and die without purfuing any other purpofe than the low one of perfonal gratification. A thousand pleasures and advantages we have received from the difinterefted efforts. of those who have gone before us, and it is incumbent on every generation to do fomething for the benefit of contemporaries and of those who are to follow.

To be born, as Horace fays, merely to confume the fruits of the earth; to live, as Juvenal obferves of some of his countrymen, with no other purpose than to gratify the palate, though they may in reality be the fole ends of many, are yet too inglorious and difgraceful to be avowed by the baseft of mankind.

There is little doubt, but that many, whofe lives have glided away in an ufelefs tenor, would have been glad of opportunities, if they could have difcovered them, for laudable exertion. It is certainly true, that to qualify for political, military, literary, and patriotic efforts, peculiar preparations, accomplishments, occafions, and fortuitous contingencies are neceffary. Civil wisdom without civil employment, valour without an enemy, learning without opportunities for its difplay, the love of our country without power, muft terminate in abortive withes, in defigns unfupported by execution. They who form great fchemes, and perform great exploits, muft neceffarily be few. But the exertions which benevolence points out, are extended to a great compafs, are infinitely varied in kind and degree, and con-fequently adapted, in fome modę or other, to the ability of every individual.

To the diftinguished honour of our times and of our country, it must be afferted, that there is no fpecies of diftrefs which is not relieved; no laudable institution which is not encouraged with an emulative ardour of liberality. No fooner is a proper object of beneficence prefented to the public view, than fubfcriptions are raifed by all ranks, who crowd with impatience to the contribution. Not only the infirmities of age and fick

nefs