will be found particularly to be the case, whereever morality is concerned, unless all distinctions between virtue and vice are set at nought. No tradesman, for instance, who is not totally devoid of principle, will have recourse to swindling, or endeavour to increase his wealth by open violence or dishonesty; but many will feel no qualms of conscience in attempting to overreach a customer in the way of business, or in puffing off their merchandize with eulogiums, of the falsity of which they must be thoroughly convinced. The man whose detestation of the crime of adultery is so great that no inducement would lead him to commit it, will yet treat the wife of his bosom with coldness and disrespect; he would scorn to use such conduct towards her, as, in the estimation of the world, would rank him as a bad husband; but he will harass her with repeated bursts of petulance and querulousness, and thus, with the greatest indifference, plant daggers in the heart of her whom he has sworn to love and cherish. Many wives also, would be shocked at the idea of defiling the marriage bed, who are, notwithstanding, too careless about preserving the good opinion of their husbands, and think complacency and readiness to oblige, trifles scarcely deserving of their attention. Should what they have been taught to consider as inno

cent freedoms, unfortunately kindle suspicion and jealousy, they will hold themselves acquitted to the world and their own consciences, if no act of gross criminality has been committed. Extravagance, idleness, or a want of cleanliness, are evils which a good housewife will view with becoming abhorrence; but to ward off those little vexations which are continually occurring,-to maintain that habitual cheerfulness, that equanimity of temper, which is so conducive to comfort and happiness,-these are the pence which require to be taken care of; the more important objects, the pounds, will take care of themselves. Indeed if we examine closely the evils of social life, I believe it will appear, that they commonly originate in things which were at first thought to be beneath notice. An anecdote is related of a Count of Flanders, who was accustomed to amuse himself in playing at chess with his wife; the latter frequently beat him. This circumstance was suffered to irritate his temper,-which, by degrees, was productive of a similar irritation on her part; a mutual hatred arose between them, insomuch that when he was taken prisoner in battle, she let him remain a long time in confinement, though she could easily have procured his release. Many instances of connubial unhappiness, I am persuaded, have originated in

causes equally trivial, when more serious provocations would have been effectually guarded against.

In the other branches of family connexions, the same necessity for attending to objects of a secondary nature exists. Many parents consider themselves guilty of a gross breach of duty, if they neglect any means of acquiring wealth for their children; and yet, whilst intent upon what is considered the main chance, pay little regard to their personal feelings, or to those peculiar circumstances with which the happiness of the individual is intimately connected. On the other hand, too, many children may be found, who would not willingly, in any important point, contravene the opinion of their parents, nor act in determined opposition thereto, who are notwithstanding, very indifferent whether they please or not, in things which they themselves deem of little moment. Masters and mistresses, also, are frequently inattentive to the spirit of the precept I am enforcing. Their minds would revolt at the gross infringement of those rights and privileges which even servants are allowed to possess. To treat them with brutal ferocity, or harass them by requiring more at their hands than can be reasonably expected, would be justly considered as a breach of duty. But that kind familiar treatment, that attention to their comfort

and happiness, that forgiveness of involuntary error, which alleviates the hardships of a subordinate situation, is administered with a sparing hand, if not totally forgotten.

In addition to what has already been said, I shall only at present observe, that in our general intercourse with mankind we shall find, that our favourable reception will commonly be found to depend less upon the possession of pre-eminent acquirements, than upon the operation of quali ties of a more humble nature. Few persons, for instance, are capable of procuring universal esteem by the extent of their learning, the brilliancy of their wit, or the superiority of their understanding. These indeed will always excite a portion of respect; but if they are not combined with what have been denominated the lesser morals, if humility, good nature, and affability are wanting, aversion and disgust will in general succeed; whilst the possessor of the latter qualities, although inferior in wit, in learning, or even in wisdom, finds a ready passport into every company. The consciousness of superior talents will, for the most part, induce the owner to cultivate the influence naturally resulting from them; though often at the expense of every other accomplishment. The pounds will thus be taken care of, but the pence will be left to take care of themselves.

NUMBER 23.

He stands upon a dangerous brink,
Who totters o'er the sea of ink;
Where reputation runs aground,
The author cast away, and drown'd!
Not such alone who understand,
Whose book and memory are at hand;
Who scientific skill profess,

And are great adepts, more or less;
Not these alone in judgment rise,
And shoot at genius as it flies;
But those who cannot spell will talk;
As women scold who cannot walk.

-LLOYD.

SINCE the commencement of these my periodical labours, I have had occasion to admire the profound sagacity of Walter Shandy, Esq. and am almost a convert to his opinion, that a large portion of our good or bad fortune in the world depends upon the assumption of a propitious or unpropitious name. Not that my own choice was either made without giving the subject all due and solemn consideration, or that it was not perfectly consonant to the nature of the objects I had in view. Several of my readers, however, declare, that under a different appellation, they