On abstemiousness and excess. The disadvantage and advantage of fasting.- A moderate gratification of - Page 70 The wandering of the mind in sleep.- The cause of dreams.- Prophetic dreams.— Superstitious dreams. - The fulfilment of dreams. — The cause of unplea- sant dreams. — Talking and walking in sleep. — An The inequality of worldly possessions. - Exaltation to wealth and honours.— Degradation and loss of worldly good. — The advantages and disadvantages of wealth. The evils arising from large and rapid accumu- lations of property. - Various methods of obtaining wealth.— On commerce. — Professional engagements. Manufactures and agriculture.— The benefit and disadvantage of machinery.— The choice of a busi- Rules for the successful pursuit of a mainte- ON EXTRAVAGANCE AND PENURIOUSNESS. Extravagance among the ancients. — The disadvantage arising from extravagance. — The evil of incurring Page 165 CHAP. III. ON INDUSTRY AND IDLENESS. Reflections on the flight of time. The advantages of industry. - Instances of diligence in eminent men.The evils of idleness. Laziness a disease. Instances of idleness 179 PART IV. CHAP. I. THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN MIND. The dissimilar opinions which have arisen respecting the mind. — Wisdom and wit. — The capability of the human intellect. — Intelligent and learned ladies. The probable powers of the mind in a future state. The influence of climate and food on the human intellect. -- Insanity. — The hypochondriac, and the absent man. - The retention of the mental powers until old age 190 CHAP. II. ON GENIUS. nence. Various opinions of genius.— Accidental causes of emi - Instances of dulness in youth and talent in manhood. Instances of early genius. - Instances of persons who have arisen under great disadvantages, and others who have done nothing, though surrounded by advantages. - Eminent examples of learning. - ON THE ADVANTAGE OF KNOWLEDGE. The evils arising from ignorance. - The pleasures of knowledge. — Knowledge a durable possession. - Knowledge a relief in trouble. — Knowledge adapts a man for any condition in society.- Knowledge raises the possessor. – An injudicious pursuit of learning unfavourable to happiness. — Peculiarities among PART V. CHAP. I. THE NATURE OF SENSATIONS, EMOTIONS, PASSIONS, HABITS, AND ASSOCIATIONS. The capabilities of the senses. The difference be tween emotions and passions. — The cause of emotions and passions. — A difference in the dispositions of men accounted for. The effects of habit. The powerful influence of association Page 287 CHAP. II. THE PLEASURES RECEIVED BY THE SENSES. On rural and other senery. The remains of antiquity. - Modern productions.—Blindness.— The sensations received by hearing. - On musical and other sounds. · On a taste for music. Natural and unnatural music. On taste, smell, and touch. — On pain 295 CHAP. III. ON LAUGHTER AND WEEPING. The physical cause of laughter. — The subjects which excite laughter. - The difficulty of refraining, on some occasions, from laughter. — The effects of laughter. – Objections to laughter considered. — The physical cause of weeping. — Influences which excite weeping . 312 |