ment's sake, of pointing out an analogy which exists between the race of fools and the lower animals.

They are both remarkable for a certain want of sense-for a greater or less deficiency of reason. Now it is to the lack of sense and reason in the brutes, that their utility is in a great measure owing. Were the elephant a wholly rational, instead of a half-reasoning quadruped, would he be such a booby as to become a beast of burden-such a zany as to exhibit himself at a fair? Would the dog, with a little more sagacity, be such a simpleton as to submit to be kennelled, and to be persuaded to hunt on our account, when he might remain at large and hunt on his own? Would he toil and slave as a turnspit, a scout, or a go-fetch? If the equine skull were not a num-skull, where would be the dray-horse, or the hack? If the intellect of the barb were equal to his mettle, where the high-mettled racer? It is mighty fine, forsooth, to call the donkey a stupid ass; but for his stupidity would he carry panniers? Not he; nor would any of the tribe of asses put up with the impositions that are laid upon them. The monkey, according to the Negroes, has the wit to hold his tongue; not, as an old philosopher suggested, because he has nothing to say, which still would have been sensible enough, but lest he should be set to work. Thus Jacko-if we must credit Sambo-by the wisdom through which he is allied to man, exempts himself from man's dominion.

Nature has wisely implanted certain instincts in brutes, and we make use of them by directing their instincts. As wisely has Nature implanted certain propensities in fools, and they make themselves useful, by obeying their natural propensities.

And here, not impertinently, it may be asked "Whom do you call fools, we should like to know?" Fools, beloved reader, are the unreasoning portion of mankind. It is a peculiarity of all fools that they act from their mere impulses. The uncommon fool, the madman who jumps out of window, is but an exaggeration of the common fool. He obeys his impulse without looking to consequences. So does every fool, more or less, in his degree. Needs must, with him, when a certain personage drives, and his driver is his uppermost passion for the time being away he goes, no matter what will happen during his course; still less where it will lead to in the long run. Perhaps as good a picture of a fool as any portrait of a gentleman that ever appeared at the Royal Academy's Exhibition, is a gallant young sportsman riding a

steeple-chase,-yoicks-yoho! (we speak in character,) over hedge, ditch, spiked railing, chevaux-de-frise, and glass bottles; through river, streamlet, pond, pool, brook, puddle, gutter, thicket, bush, brake, bramble; helter-skelter, pell-mell, neck or nothing! Does he set no store by his life, and limbs, and precious eyesight? Quite the reverse; perhaps he values his brains at a higher rate than other people do; but this fine young English gentleman, with his high animal spirits, is not highly gifted with reflection; and in the noble ardour of sport he has blinked personal considerations. He is but a slight caricature of fools in general. They agree with him in the peculiarity of not thinking; and they therefore pursue their pleasure irrespectively of unpleasant results. Now, there are many parts in the great drama of life, whose performance is attended with much that is disagreeable. Most people are actuated by their worldly self-interest: were they wise enough to know it, they would never undertake these characters. But fools, happily, adopt them from inclination; and herein lies their utility. They are just as fond of themselves, and of the good things of this life, as wiser people are. Being, however, fortunately deficient in the powers of comparison, judgment, forethought, imagination, as well as in perceptive faculties and knowledge, they are unable to see and indisposed to consider the damage, hazard, trouble and annoyance, which are likely to beset the vocations they have chosen. What a fine thing is this for the worldly-wise! They have thus all their dirty and disagreeable work done for them. Were it otherwise, it would be as though there were no scavengers or chimney-sweeps. Who would become a coal-heaver, or even a footman, from a mere conviction of his fitness for the office? England may expect every man to do his duty; but if England relied solely on his sense of duty, we fear she would be wofully disappointed. Some men may act well their parts from a principle of right; but the monsters of morality who would choose them from such a motive, are much too scarce for practical purposes. Glory, then, to the fools who supply the place of patriots and philanthropists!

To a commercial country like England, one very great advantage of fools is, the immense benefit which various descriptions of them confer on trade. Trade is promoted by the spending of money. There are many fools who are as loath as the wisest people to part with their cash, except for value received. Thanks, however, to their foolish ideas of value, they distribute thousands, which otherwise would rust in their coffers. JEMMY WOODS at

heart, they are GEORGE-THE-FOURTHS in deed. They are splendidly vain and royally fond of display. Reason would catechise them to the effect following:

Could

What solid advantage did they derive from outward show? Were they such geese as to admire it in other people? other people be such asses as to admire it in them? What pleasure could they take in the approbation of asses? What good could they get from approbation at all, except in as far as it served their interests? But were they not rich? Need they care for anybody? Why spend money upon anything but solid pudding? Why not save it for a rainy day? Such would be their reflections, provided they could reflect. And what then? Why, they would jingle their purses, put them up, slap their pockets, chuckle, and hug themselves in their self-complacency, and laugh at the extravagance of their neighbours. But, their folly be praised, they cannot abstract or generalise, or perform any of those dangerous processes which reduce humbug to its nakedness. They love ostentation; they dote, in their folly, upon praise; and to this idol they sacrifice their hoards. Ye jewellers, milliners, tailors, haberdashers, perfumers, coachmakers, and all ye purveyors to the court of fashion, bear witness to the utility of these magnificent fools.

The medical faculty, which, in its present state, may well be ranked amongst trades, is also largely indebted to those who are deficient in the faculty of reason. What a blessed thing it is for the body-tinkers, that men's bodies require so much tinkering, which they would not want if men knew how to manage them! How fortunate it is for them that there are so many fools in the world who know not, or do not reflect, that diseases arise from breaking the natural laws! How much, especially, does it profit them, that such fools, whom we may call Fools of the Stomach, will eat, and stuff, and gormandise, and swill, and guzzle, till they get gout, the bile, indigestion, and nine-tenths of all other diseases! Suppose Wisdom would only whisper to the aldermanic, and kindred fools, "Why, you stupid pig, do you go on cramming yourself with turtle and venison, and drinking ale, and wine, and punch, in quantities sufficient for a dozen people? Don't you see, dolt that you are, that you are overloading your stomach, contaminating your blood, and will have to pay, both in purse and person, for your folly?" Suppose Wisdom, thus crying, though with the voice of a clown, " Stop! What are ye about?" were listened to. Sons of Esculapius, what would become of the

"profession?" And what would ye do, gentlemen, but for nervous old women, and whimsical young ones, and melancholy and hypochondriacal fools in general? Could all your patients distinguish between a remedy and a placebo; were they aware of the real limits of your art; did they know how many of their complaints could be cured by temperance and exercise alone, how could you keep your carriages? Had they the prudence to eat and drink a little less, do you think you would get your bread and cheese?

From medicine, by a not unnatural transition, we pass to another trade, which is largely supported by fools. The undertaker succeeds the physician in our thoughts, almost in the relation of cause and effect. It is he who has the last to do with that on which the doctor has done his best-or worst. Ashes, any one but a fool would think, might be consigned to ashes, and dust to dust, with small ado and little cost. Fools, however, to the undertaker's emolument, think otherwise. Hence the pomp and the paraphernalia attendant on funerals. Now, what would be the consequence to the poor undertaker, if all his customers were able to reason? Most of them believe that man is an immortal spirit, and that a disembodied soul is in a higher state of existence. They do not suppose such a being is capable of feeling honoured by outward show still less can they imagine that it has any regard for an ostentation of fripperies from a shop in Regent-street or Oxford street. They cannot but conceive it as looking with supreme contempt on the trumpery of crape, and scarfs, and hat-bands, and plumes of feathers, and mutes, either full, or thinking, of Barclay and Perkins's Entire,-and hearses and mourning coaches from Long Acre, and horses with topknots of feathers; the animals being stained black for the occasion with lunar caustic. Still less can they fancy that it could be pleased that these ceremonies should attend the consignment of its former clothing, its mere leftoff tatters, to the earth. They cannot think that it regards its deserted hull otherwise than as any intelligent chicken would value its shell, any wise serpent its cast skin, any clear-headed butterfly its chrysalis-case. They know that the "mortal coil" once shuffled off, has no feeling in itself, and can therefore derive no benefit from a demonstration in its honour. They might know, with the least research, that by the laws of Nature it is destined to be resolved into its elements, and will not even remain in the place where it is deposited, but must, sooner or later, mingle with

the material universe. A very little science would tell them that it is a compound of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, lime, potash, soda, and other salts, derived from various eatables and drinkables; from transmuted beef, pudding, mutton, veal and ham, potatoes, bottled stout and other liquors. They would esteem it highly absurd to pay ante-sepulchral honours to a mutton chop. And yet, with very expensive rites, they worship the result of eating. Wherefore? Because instinct prompts them to show a respect for the deceased, and common sense does not prescribe the mode of showing it; because their heads can contemplate but one idea, or are incapable of putting a few ideas together. Reason with these worthy folks, and they will tell you, truly, that it is of no use to reason with them. If rationality were general, the obsequies, both of rich and poor, would be simply plain and decent. Grief would seem mocked by association with drapery; solemnity outraged by connexion with upholstery. The now plump and jolly undertaker would be reduced to a mere starveling. No more would funerals be furnished at the outlay of a little fortune, and evil would be the plight of those who by this craft get their living. Let those sleek, well-fed citizens, then, among others, bethink them, as they sip their port and crack their walnuts, of the vast obligations which they are under towards fools.

We may almost seem to assert what every fool knows, in merely alluding to the employment which fools afford the lawyers. Herein, however, they do the state a service which has never as yet been 'estimated. Of course the law would be of no use if nobody could be found to take it. Rogues and swindlers might then prey with impunity. Now, when a man is injured or cheated, the probabilities and chances are, that if he seek legal redress, he will, even should he gain his cause, find himself out of pocket on the whole. This consideration would deter nearly all reflecting persons, except the very few who are actuated by public spirit, from ever having recourse to law. They would rather put up with wrong, and allow themselves to be defrauded, than go to the expense of justice. Offenders of all kinds would go unpunished. Moral and religious obligation would be the only inducement to prosecute. A pretty state, indeed, society would be in! But folly supplies prosecutors and plaintiffs. The vindictive, irascible, and litigious fools, in gratifying their own humours, effect, thus, the ends of justice; and whilst they feed and fatten the attorney and barrister, promote the welfare of the nation.