tion of justice as the present, requires with your lordships but very little support. sober SECTION V. a Se-ri-ous, sé'-ré-us, grave, important,( Cor-re-spond, kor-rè-spond, to suit, keep up commerce by letters b Per-ceive, per-seve', to discover, m Pli-ant, pli'-ånt, bending, flexible, know limber e Vic-ious, vish'-us, devoted to vice n Pre-oc-cu-py,pré-ôk'-ku-pi, to prepos d Ir-re-trie-va-ble, fr-rè-trèè'-vå-bl, ir- sess recoverable, not to be regained o In-va-ri-a-ble,în-vå'-rè-å-bl, unchangee In-dis-cret-ion, in-dis-kresh'-ån, im- able prudence, rashness, inconsideration p Veg-e-ta-ble, vêd'-jè-tå-bl, belonging f En-join, en-join', to direct, to order to all sorts of plants, a plant g Ad-mo-nit-ion,ád-mò-nish'-ån, coun-b Pre-sump-tu-ous, pré-zům'-tshů-ůs, sel, gentle reproof confident, irreverent Vi-vac-i-ty, vè-vás'-è-tè, sprightli-r Dis-as-ter, Diz-ás'-tår, misfortune, ness, griety i Pre-vi-ous, prè'-vè-is, antecedent, be-s fore Prob-i-ty.proh'-e-tè, honesty, sincerity k Av-o-ca-tion, áv-vò-kå'-shẳn, the act of calling aside grief Con-stan-cy, kôn'-stân-sé, resolution, firmness Or-phan, or'-fán, a child who has lost. father or mother or both An address to young persons. 1. 1 INTEND, in this address, to show you the importance of beginning early to give serious attention to your conduct. As soon as you are capable of reflection, you must perceive that there is a right and a wrong in human actions. You see, that those who are born with the same advantages of fortune, are not all equally prosperous in the course of life. 2. While some of them, by wise and steady conduct, attain distinction in the world, and pass their days with comfort and honour; others of the same rank, by mean and vicious behaviour, forfeit the advantages of their birth; involve themselves in much misery; and end in being a disgrace to their friends, and a burden on society. 3. Early, then, may you learn, that it is not on the external condition in which you find yourselves placed, but on the part which you are to act, that your welfare or unhappiness, your honour or infamy, depends. Now, when beginning to act that part, what can be of greater moment, than to regulate your plan of conduct with the most serious attention, before you have yet committed any fatal or irretrievabled errors? 4. If instead of exerting reflection for this valuable purpose, you deliver yourselves up, at so critical a time, to sloth and pleasures; if you refuse to listen to any counsellor but humour, or attend to any pursuit except that of amusement; if you allow yourselves to float loose and careless on the tide of life, ready to receive any direction which the current of fashion may chance to give you; what can you expect to follow from such beginnings? 5. While so many around you are undergoing the sad consequences of a like indiscretion, for what reason shall not those consequences extend to you? Shall you attain success without that preparation, and escape dangers without that precaution, which are required of others? Shall happiness grow up to you, of its own accord, and solicit your acceptance, when to the rest of mankind, it is the fruit of long cultivation, and the acquisition of la-bour and care? 6. Deceive not yourselves with those arrogant hopes. Whatever be your rank, Providence will not, for your sake. reverse its established order. The author of your being hath enjoined you to "take heed to your ways; to ponder the paths of your feet; to remember your Creator in the days of your youth." 7. He hath decreed, that they only "who seek after wisdom, shall find it; that fools shall be afflicted, because of their transgressions; and that whoever refuseth instruction, shall destroy his own soul." By listening to these admonitions,g and tempering the vivacity of youth with a proper mixture of serious thought, you may ensure cheerfulness for the rest of life; but by delivering yourselves up at present to giddiness and levity, you lay the foundation of lasting heaviness of heart. 8. When you look forward to those plans of life, which either your circumstances have suggested, or your friends have proposed, you will not hesitate to acknowledge, that in order to pursue them with advantage, some previous discipline is requisite. Be assured, that whatever is to be your profession, no education is more necessary to your success, than the acquirement of virtuous dispositions and habits. This is the universal preparation for every character, and every station in life. 9. Bad as the world is, respect is always paid to virtue. In the usual course of human affairs, it will be found that a plain understanding, joined with acknowledged worth, contributes more to prosperity, than the brightest parts without probity or honour, Whether science, or business, or public life, be your aim, virtue still enters, for a principal share, into all those great departments of society. It is connected with eminence, in every liberal art; with reputation in every branch of fair and useful business; with distinction in every public station. 10. The vigour which it gives the mind, and the weight. which it adds to character; the generous sentiments which it breathes; the undaunted spirit which it inspires; the ardour of diligence which it quickens; the freedom which it procures from pernicious and dishonourable avocations; are the foundations of all that is highly honourable, or greatly successful among men. 11. Whatever ornamental or engaging endowments you now possess, virtue is a necessary requisite, in order to their shining with proper lustre. Feeble are the attractions of the fairest form, if it be suspected that nothing within corresponds to the pleasing appearance without. Short are the triumphs of wit, when it is supposed to be the vehicle of malice. 12. By whatever means you may at first attract the attention, you can hold the esteem, and secure the hearts of others, only by amiable dispositions, and the accomplishments of the mind. These are the qualities whose influence will last, when the lustre of all that once sparkled and dazzled has passed away. 13. Let not then the season of youth be barren of improvements, so essential to your future felicity and honour. Now is the seed-time of life; and according to "what you sow, you shall reap." Your character is now, under Divine Assistance, of your own forming; your fate is, in some measure, put into your own hands. 14. Your nature is as yet pliant" and soft. Habits have not established their dominion. Prejudices have not preoccupied" your understanding. The world has not had time to contract and debase your affections. Al, your powers are more vigorous, disembarrassed, and freel than they will be at any future period. 15. Whatever impulse you now give to your desires and passions, the direction is likely to continue. It will form the channel in which your life is to run; nay, it may determine its everlasting issue. Consider then the employment of this important period, as the highest trust which shall ever be committed to you; as in a great measure, decisive of your happiness, in time, and in eternity. 16. As in the succession of the seasons, each, by the invariable laws of nature, affects the productions of what is next in course; so, in human life, every period of our age, according as it is well or ill spent, influences the hap piness of that which is to follow. Virtuous youth gradually brings forward accomplished and flourishing manhood; and such manhood passes off itself without uneasiness, into respectable and tranquil old age. 66 17. But when nature is turned out of its regular course, disorder takes place in the moral, just as in the vegetabler world. If the spring put forth no blossoms, in summer there will be no beauty, and in autumn, no fruit; so, if youth be trifled away without improvement, manhood will probably be contemptible, and old age miserable.If the beginnings of life have been vanity," its latter end can scarcely be any other than "vexation of spirit." 18. 1 shall finish this address, with calling your attention to that dependence on the blessing of Heaven, which, amidst all your endeavours after improvement, you ought continually to preserve. It is too common with the young, even when they resolve to tread the path of virtue and honour, to set out with presumptuous confidence in themselves. 19. Trusting to their own abilities for carrying them successfully through life, they are careless of applying to God, or of deriving any assistance from what they are apt to reckon the gloomy discipline of religion. Alas! how little do they know the dangers which awaits them? Neither human wisdom, nor human virtue unsupported by religion, is equal to the trying situations which often occur in life. 20. By the shock of temptation, how frequently have the most virtuous intentions been overthrown? Under the pressure of disaster," how often has the greatest constancy sunk?" Every good, and every perfect gift, is from above." Wisdom and virtue, as well as "riches and honour, come from God." Destitute of his favour, you are in no better situation, with all your boasted abilities, than orphans left to wander in a trackless desert, without any guide to conduct them, or any shelter to cover them from the gathering storm. 21. Correct, then, this ill-founded arrogance. Expect not, that your happiness can be independent of Him who made you. By faith and repentance, apply to the Redeemer of the world. By piety and prayer, seek the protection of the God of heaven. I conclude with the solemn words, in which a great prince, delivered bis dying charge to his son: words, which every young person ought to consider as addressed to himself, and to engrave deeply on his heart: 22. "Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy fathers; and serve him with a perfect heart, and a wisling mind. For the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou for sake him, he will east thee off forever." BLAIR. CHAPTER IX. Promiscuous Pieces. SECTION I Earth-quake, êrth'-kwake, tremour of sulphur the earth b Ca-la-bri-a, ka-là'-bré-a, a country of Italy In Stench, stênsh, a violent stink, a bad smell g Thong, thông, a strap of leather c Kir-cher, kêr'-tshůr, a celebrated tra-p veller and writer d Prod-i-gy, prod ́-dè-jè, a thing astonsihing for good or bad e Fri-ar, fri'-or, a monk Sub-lu-nar-y, sub-lù-nár-é, terrestrial g Thresh-old, thresh'-hold, a step under the door, entrance r f Sec u-lar, sek'-ků-lår, not spirituals u Eu-pha-mi-a, yù-fè'-mê-å, a city of Calabria i Trans-act, tráns-åkt', to manage, perform Cha-ryb-dis, ká-rib'-dis, a dangerous le Verge, verje, to tend, a rod, the edgez a Con-cus-sion, kón-kåsb'-ån, shock of an earthquake, Lo-piz-i-um, ld-pizh'-è-ům, a castle near Euphemia Belch, balsh, to eject wind from the stomach, the act of eructation Re-mote, re-mote', distant, foreign Con-tig-u-ous, kon-tig-u-ds, meeting so as to touch Par-ox-yem, pár-rók-sizm, a fit, pe Pen-sive-ly, pen'-siv-lè, sorrowfully, Loath, lothe, to hate, abhor Sul-phur-ous, sål'fôr-ôs, containing b Per-sist, pêr-sist', to persevere, go on Earthquake at Calabria, in the year 1638. 1. AN account of this dreadful earthquake, is given by the celebrated father Kircher. It happened whilst he was on his journey to visit Mount Etna, and the rest of |