more gratitude than is in our weak capacities to pay?—Those most defended from hurts by the afliuence of fortune and an indolent life,--- those who loll in coaches, and fcarce lift their hands to their head, are every moment liable to fome inward fraction, which may throw into disorder their whole frame. I have heard anatomifts fay, that did we know the delicacy of the human iyftem, the thousand and ten thousand fibres, which like threads run through every part of the body, and which, if any one should be cracked or removed out of its place, would prejudice, if not bring total deftruction to the whole, we fhould tremble at moving even a finger, for fear of hurting their claftic quality, and cry out with the royal Pfalmift, "Lord, I am fearfully and wonderfully made !" YET how are all our motions fo guided and directed by an Invifible Power, that very rarely any accident of this kind happens, even to those who are continually employing themselves in the moft robuft exercifes ? WHEN we look around the amazing scenes which this wide world affords, and confider the various produce of the earth and air, the unfathomable deep, and the rivers iffuing from it, all created for our use, and abounding with every thing neceffary for our fupport and pleasure; how can we sufficiently teftify our gratitude to the Dispenser of these bleffings !---But if we lift up our eyes to the immenfe expanfe above, where miriads of miriads of orbs, infinitely larger than that wherein we are placed, roll over our heads, felf-poifed in æther, and at the fame time reflect, that fhould one of these start from its sphere, its fall would crush this globe to atoms; how muft our whole fouls diffolve. in in grateful contemplation on that Almighty Power, whofe fingle fiat regulates their motions, fo as: to be of no prejudice to each other, or to us! THOSE Who difbelieve, or affect to difbelieve, all other obligations, readily acknowledge themfelves bound by these, and are ashamed and angry. if but fufpected guilty of ingratitude on this fcore, OUR parents, as next to Heaven the authors of: our being, and protectors of our helpless infancy, certainly claim the firft and greatest fhare of our love and gratitude.---Never is it in our power to recompenfe those tender cares they feel for us ;yet what we can we ought :-love and respect to them are duties fo known and univerfally confeffed, that where a perfon is vifibly wanting in either of thefe, he is defervedly looked upon as a monster. Most people, therefore, especially of the better fort, endeavour to maintain an exterior fhew of this gratitude, though too many have little of it in their hearts.. THOSE alfo who under our parents have the care of our education, fuch as tutors, governors, or governeffes, if they have discharged the truft repofed in them, by infpiring us with true notions of honour and virtue, juftly demand our gratitude; and we ought not only to acknowledge the obligations we owe to their integrity, but recompenfe it by all the acts of friendship in our power. NOR ought we to deny fome gratitude due to our menial servants, when the refpect they pay us is accompanied with love; and we perceive, as we eafily may, that what they do for us proceeds. from fomething more than mere duty. Such a fervant is indeed a jewel rare to be found, and de C 5 ferves ferves to be used with all the indulgence we can fhew, without leffening our authority. IF, according to the different relations they ftand in to us, we treat any of these in an unbecoming manner, we are guilty of an ingratitude, which no excufe can fhadow over : the obligations I have mentioned are plain, convincing, and when not acknowledged, though no human law exist against the unnatural propenfity, "Heaven seldom fails to punish it in kind, THERE are alfo others more diftant, tho' not lefs binding debts of gratitude owing from us, fuch as that to a king when he is truly the father of his people, when he places his chief glory in the happiness of the commonwealth, when he exerts his power only for our protection, when he feeks no pretences to opprefs us with taxations, nor permits a haughty o er-grown minifter to infult and ruin us ;---to all the members of a wife and uncorrupt fenate, who fpeak the fenfe of thofe whose representatives they are, who defpife not our inftructions, but make their firft bufinefs the redrefs of our grievances, and by their upright behaviour and steady adherence to the conftitution, preferve the balance of power between the king and people; -to every civil magiftrate, who is diligent in his office for executing juftice, and maintaining peace; ---to those of the clergy, whofe piety, charity, temperance, and humility of manners, are a proof that they them felves are convinced of the truth of the doctrine they preach ;---and laftly, tho' not leaft worthy our confideration and regard, to the gallant failors, who are the guardians of our commerce abroad, and the true and fole bulwark of our illands iflands from all foreign force, who dare every dan ger, endure every hardship, that we may fleep fecurely and at eafe. WHOEVER feels not a due portion of love and veneration for thefe, or any of thefe, is unworthy to share the benefits derived from them, and ought to be banished to fome other country, where the very reverse of all thefe excellent qualities are practifed, and no fuch perfons as I have defcribed be found. I HAD wrote thus far the fenfe of our Society at our last meeting, as near as I remember, and was proceeding with fomething of my own, when MIRA and EUPHROSINE came into the room, and looking over my papers, "You have forgot, faid the former of these ladies, to make any mention "of authors in your detail of those to whom the "public is obliged :---pray, is laying out the brain "in an endeavour to improve or to divert the "world, of no more eftimation with you, than "to be paffed over in filence ?” EUPHROSINE feconded this reproof, which I could not but allow the juftice of, and heartily afk pardon for fo palpable an omiffion. IT is indeed to books we owe all that which diftinguishes us from favages; and it would be extremely ungrateful to refufe our good-will to the compofers of what afford us the greatest of all benefits, that of informing the mind, correcting the manners, and enlarging the understanding. WHAT clods of earth fhould we have been but. for reading!--- how ignorant of every thing but the spot we tread upon! ---Books are the channel through C 6 through which all useful arts and fciences are con- . veyed. By the help of books we fit at eafe, and travel to the most diftant parts; behold the cuftoms and manners of all the different nations in the habitable globe; may take a view of Heaven itself, and traverse all the wonders of the fkies.---. By books we learn to fuftain calamity with patience, and bear profperity with moderation.---By books we are enabled to compare paft ages with the prefent; to difcover what in our fore-fathers was worthy imitation, and what should be avoided; to improve upon their virtues, and take warning by their errors.---It is books which dispel that gloomy melancholy our climate but too much inclines us to, and in its room diffufes an enlivening chearfulness.---In fine, we are indebted to books for every thing that can profit or delight us. AUTHORS, therefore, can never be too much. cherished and encouraged, when what they write is calculated for public utility, whether it be for inftruction or innocent amufement; and it must be confeffed it would be a proof of the most fordid and ungrateful fpirit to deny the recompence of their labour, yet enjoy all the advantages of it. It may, indeed, be objected, that many of them deserve little thanks for occafioning that wafte of time the reading of them takes up; but the fame may with equal juftice be alledged againft all thofe others in public ftations I have mentioned, fince it is not to a bad king, a corrupt parliament, an indolent magiftrate, a haughty, ambitious, or intemperate clergyman, or an unfkilful failor, any more than a weak, illiterate, or vicious author, I pretend our gratitude is due. CN |