and glorious" days of the last half century of Britain's history would have been treated with merciless scorn by any one of all those who had lived in those days, and had seen the many "bright and glorious" things by which they were characterized?-or can there be a more unequivocal symptom of something essentially bad and perverse in the present state of the public mind than that, not in solitary instances only-but generally-and throughout the whole extent of society, this strain of vituperation should be either indulged or permitted-and that the most fashionable of all topics should be, a comparison of the light, and happiness, and progressive tendencies of the present times, with the error and despotism and folly of the preceding, accompanied with every bitter feeling that might have been expected to arise only on the recollection of a period of unmitigated folly ?

This is indeed a son spurning the quiet home --the peaceful affections--the steadfast virtue-the bright example of those to whom he was indebted for all that he now is-and because he feels himself to be in an imaginary condition of superiority to his parents, not only tearing out from his heart all his natural and becoming sentiments of reverence, but supplanting these by the indulgence

of all bitter, and unnatural, and unwholesome affections.

And when, in the whole history of human communities, was there ever a period so filled, as that to which we have now alluded, by "bright, and glorious," and prosperous, and unrivalled occurrences?

The heart of the country was then sound to its inmost core ;—if there were any disaffected or disappointed persons, smarting under exclusion from political distinction-they were at least forced to hide their ill-will amidst the general burst of loyalty that was heard every where around them;multitudes of armed citizens covered the entire face of the country, burning with patriotic zeal to repress any attempts which foreign ambition or foreign hatred might make to do one disgraceful act to the unsullied glory of our land ;—and as all hearts were thus united, they also felt that their union was in the most sacred and justifiable of all causes-because they were in fact leagued together to defend the noblest specimen of human policy and human skill that had ever existed among the communities of men.

The prosperity of the country kept pace with this overpowering sentiment of affection in the breasts of its inhabitants-commerce was extended-arts flourished-cities were carried to their highest pitch

of adornment-the country was becoming like one vast and perfectly cultivated garden-riches flowed through the land in ten thousand living streams-and wherever there was talent or skill or capacity for labour of any kind, there were numberless opportunities for their employment, and no heart knew what it was to waste its best and most healthful hours in hopeless looking for something on which its labour might be expended.

The glory of the country during these fortunate years surpassed every thing that either history had recorded, or that human imagination even could have anticipated ;—wherever either the navy or the army of Britain went forth, victory in her most splendid achievements, never failed to attend them ; ---and a name of renown was gained for her among men, which impressed all nations with the conviction that, as she was the most fortunate in her internal arrangements, and had in fact the noblest of all prizes to defend, she was, also, equally fortunate in the character of her defenders-and was at once the most prosperous-the most glorious-and the most energetic, and happy of kingdoms.

And how fared it during that animated time with science and knowledge and all the arts that beautify and bless life, throughout all their forms?

Legislative wisdom and senatorial eloquence were

then confessedly characterized by a grandeur and brilliancy which no former age of the world—not even the most renowned ages of antiquity-had surpassed.

Religion partook of the same grave, and dignified, and rational character-and while it bound to its altars the hearts and the deepest reverence of its votaries—was at once divested of all unbecom

ing extravagance, and diffused a peaceful and beautifying light over all the relations of private— of domestic and of social life.

Philosophy continued to be busied with her magnificent researches respecting the nature—the duties and the destiny of man-and speculations were poured forth from her shrines-and models of eloquence exhibited by her ministers, which had the happiest effect in at once withdrawing men from the agitation of party passions—and in lifting them to boundless and beautiful anticipations of what the vast kingdom of God is yet destined to become.

Literature, throughout its ten thousand departments, had nothing of the extravagance or the false excitement which it has recently assumed-but every literary man felt himself, however poor might be his remuneration, to sustain a high character, and to occupy an important and responsible place among his fellow-men-and he wrought accord

ingly in the sphere which he had chosen for himself, with a feeling that his reward would be great if he succeeded in his toils-and that infamy of the deepest kind would be his portion, if, in any respect, he expressed himself in a spirit unsuited to the high moral character of the vocation which he pursued.

And from all of this there resulted as the necessary effect, a state of social life and manners, at once grave—graceful—moral—and dignified. The gradations of rank were carefully maintained—but with each grade, folly and extravagance were put in utter abeyance—and that outpouring of vague sentiments-that ceaseless chatter of senseless tongues, which has since occurred, was a thing as far from the prevailing customs of society—and as little likely even to have been conceived as a matter of possible occurrence, as any one of the changes which have since happened with such portentous and startling rapidity.

In a word, great men arose in those days-and great events signalized them-the reign of this prosperity too was long, and seemed as if it would never be broken-nor will any one of those who are now but entering on the scene of life, ever be able to form any such idea of what society, and the condition of a community and of the human race may be, as must have been familiar to those whose early