PRUDENCE AND JUSTICE. ARISTOTLE is praised for naming fortitude, first of the cardinal virtues, as that without which no other virtue can fteadily be practifed; but he might, with equal propriety, have placed prudence and justice before it; fince without prudence, fortitude is mad, without justice it is mischievous. Life of Pope. PREJUDICE. TO be prejudiced is always to be weak, yet there are prejudices so near to being laudable, that they have been often praised, and are always pardoned. Taxation no Tyranny, p. 3. PRACTICE. IN every art, practice is much; in arts manual, practice is almoft the whole; precept can at moft but warn against error, it can never beftow excellence. Life of Roger Afcham, p. 240. PIET Y. PIETY is elevation of mind towards the Supreme Being, and extenfion of the thought to another life. The other life is future, and the Supreme Being is invifible. None would have recourfe to an invisible power, but that all other fubjects had eluded their hopes. None would fix their attention upon the future, but that they are discontented with the prefent. If the fenfes were feafted with perpetual pleasure, they would always keep the niind in fubjection. Reafon has no authority over us, but by its power to warn us against evil. Idler, vol. 2, p. 209. PERFECTION. TO pursue perfection in any science, where rerfection is unattainable, is like the firft inha bitants bitants of Arcadia to chace the fun, which when they had reached the hill, where he seemed to reft, was still beheld at the fame distance from them. Life of Waller It feldom happens that all the neceffary causes concur to any great effect. Will is wanting to power, or power to will, or both are impeded by external obstructions. Life of Dryden. An imperial crown cannot be one continued diamond, the gems must be held together byì fome lefs valuable matter... ว COMBINATIONS of wickedness, would overwhelm the world, by the advantage which licentious principles afford, did not those who have long practifed perfidy, grow faithlefs to each other. PERSEVERANCE. NO terrestrial greatness is more than an aggregate of little things, and to inculcate after the Arabian proverb "drops added to drops, conftitute the ocean." 1. Plan of an English Dictionary, p. 49. All the performances of human art, at which we look with praife, or wonder, are inftances of the refiftless force of perfeverance. It is by this that the quarry becomes a pyramid, and that distant countries are united with canals; it is thereføre of the utmost importance that those who have any intention of deviating from the beaten roads of life, and acquiring a reputation superior to names hourly fwept away by time among the refufe of fame, fhould add to their reason and their fpirit, the power of perfifting in their purposes, acquire the art of fapping what they cannot batter, and the habit of vanquishing obftinate refiftance by obftinate attacks.escitno.i or delitint worg on Rambler, vol. 8. 261 and 367. | to Hos PRODIGALITY. HE feldom lives frugally, who lives by chance. Hope is always liberal, and they that truft her promises, make little fcruple of revelling to-day, on the profits of to-morrow. Life of Dryden. PA PATIENCE. IF what we fuffer has been brought on us by ourselves, it is obferved by an antient poet, that patience is eminently our duty, fince no one ought to be angry at feeling that which he has deserved. If we are confcious that we have not contributed to our own fufferings, if punishment falls upon innocence, or difappointment happens to industry and prudence, patience, whether more neceffary or not, is much eafier, fince our pain is then without aggravation, and we have not the bitterness of remorse to add to the afperity of misfortune. Rambler, vol. 1.pl 195led སཱ་ ་ ཚ་ are allotted In thofe evils which arness by Pro 20 vidence, fuch as deformity, privation of any of the fenfes, or old age, it is always to be remembered, that impatience can have no present effect, but to deprive us of the confolations which our condition admits, by driving away from us those, by whose converfation, or advice, we might be amufed, or helped; and that with regard to futurity, it is yet less to be FALtified; fifice without leffening the pain, it cuts off the hope of that reward, which he, by whom állat moit poitqr9.9 bas 2101191 quslisɔɔnje |