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draw his mind from idle fpeculations, and, instead of watching motions which he has no power to regulate, to employ his faculties upon nearer and more interesting objects, the furvey of his paffions, the knowledge of duties which must daily be performed, and the detection of dangers which muft daily be incurred.

This angelic counsel every man of letters fhould always have before him. He that devotes himself wholly to retired ftudy, naturally sinks from omiffion to forgetfulness of social duties, and from which he must be fometimes awakened, and recalled to the general condition of mankind.

So many hindrances may obftruct the acquifition of knowledge, that there is little reafon for wondering that it is in a few hands. To the greater part of mankind the duties of life are inconfiftent with much study, and the hours which they would fpend upon letters must be ftolen from their occupations and their families. Many fuffer themselves to be lured by more fprightly and luxuriant pleasures from the fhades of contemplation, where they find seldom more than a calm delight, fuch as, though greater than all others, if its certainty and its duration be reckoned with its power of gratification, is yet eafily quitted for fome extemporary joy, which the prefent moment offers, and another perhaps will put out of reach.

It is the great excellence of learning that it borrows very little from time or place; it is not confined to feafon or climate, to cities or to the country, but may be cultivated and enjoyed where no other pleasure can be obtained. But this quality, which conftitutes much of its value, is one occafion of neglect; what may be done at all times with equal propriety, is deferred from day to day, till the mind is gradually reconciled to the omiffion, and the attention is turned to other objects. This habitual idleness gains too much power to be conquered, and the foul finks from the idea of intellectual labour and intenseness of meditation.

That thofe who profefs to advance learning fome

times obftruct it, cannot be denied; the continual multiplication of books not only diftracts choice, but difappoints enquiry. To him that has moderately stored his mind with images, few writers afford any novelty; or what little they have to add to the common ftock of learning is fo buried in the mafs of general notions, that, like filver mingled with the ore of lead, it is too little to pay for the labour of feparation; and he that has often been deceived by the promise of a title, at last grows weary of examining, and is tempted to confider all as equally fallacious.

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-THE

HEY were the sweetest notes I ever heard; and I inftantly let down the fore-glafs to hear them more diftinctly-'Tis Maria, faid the poftillion, obferving I was liftening-Poor Maria, continued he, (leaning his body on one fide to let me fee her, for he was in a line betwixt us) is fitting upon a bank playing her vefpers upon her pipe, with her little goat befide her.

The young fellow uttered this with an accent and a look fo perfectly in tune to a feeling heart, that I instantly made a vow, I would give him a four-and-twenty fous piece, when I got to Moulins

-And who is poor Maria? faid I.

The love and pity of the villages around us; faid the poftillion-it is but three years ago, that the fun did not fhine upon fo fair, fo quick-witted, and amiable a maid; and better fate did Maria deferve, than to have her banns forbid by the intrigues of the curate of the parish who publifhed them

He was going on, when Maria, who had made a fhort paufe, put the pipe to her mouth, and began the air a

gain-they were the fame notes,-yet were ten times fweeter: it is the evening service to the virgin, faid the young man but who has taught her to play itor how the came by her pipe, no one knows; we think that Heaven has affifted her in both; for ever fince the has been unsettled in her mind, it seems her only confolation-she has never once had the pipe out of her hand, but plays that fervice upon it almost night and day.

The postillion delivered this with fo much difcretion and natural eloquence, that I could not help decyphering fomething in his face above his condition, and fhould have fifted out his hiftory, had not poor Maria's taken fo full poffeffion of me.

We had got up by this time almost to the bank where Maria was fitting: the was in a thin white jacket, with her hair, all but two treffes, drawn up into a filk net, with a few olive leaves twisted a little fantastically on one fide-she was beautiful; and if ever I felt the full force of an honeft heart-ache, it was the moment I faw her

-God help her! poor damfel! above a hundred maffes, faid the poftillion, have been faid in the feveral parish churches and convents around, for her, but without effect; we have ftill hopes, as fhe is sensible for fhort intervals, that the virgin at laft will restore her to herself; but her parents, who know her beft, are hopeless upon that score, and think her fenfes are loft for ever.

As the postillion spoke this, Maria made a cadence fo melancholy, fo tender and querulous, that I fprung out of the chaise to help her, and found myself fitting betwixt her and her goat before I relapfed from my enthusiasm.

Maria looked wifhfully for fome time at me, and then at her goat-and then at me-and then at the goat again; and fo on, alternately

-Well, Maria, faid I foftly-What resemblance do you find?

I do intreat the candid reader to believe me, that it was from the humbleft conviction of what a beast man is, that I asked the question; and that I would not have let fallen an unfeasonable pleasantry in the venerable prefence of Mifery, to be entitled to all the wit that ever Rabelais fcattered-and yet I own my heart fmote me, and that I fo fmarted at the very idea of it, that I fwore I would fet up for wisdom, and utter grave fentences the rest of my days-and never-never attempt again to commit mirth with man, woman, or child, the longest day I had to live.

As for writing nonfenfe to them-I believe, there was a referve-but that I leave to the world.

Adieu, Maria! adieu, poor hapless damfel! fome time, but not now, I may hear thy forrows from thy own lips-but I was deceived; for that moment fhe took her pipe, and told me fuch a tale of wỏe with it, that I rofe up, and, with broken and irregular steps, walked foftly to my chaise.

In my next journey I was prompted to go half a league out of my road to the village where her parents dwelt to enquire after her.

-The old mother came to the door, her looks told me the story before the opened her mouth-She had loft her husband; he had died, she said, of anguish, for the lofs of Maria's fenfes about a month before-She had feared at first, she added, that it would have plundered her poor girl of what little understanding was left-but, on the contrary, it had brought her more to herself-still fhe could not reft-her poor daughter, fhe faid, crying, was wandering fome where about the road

-Why does my pulse beat languid as I write this? and what made La Fleur, whofe heart feemed only to be tuned to joy, to pass the back of his hand twice acrofs his eyes, as the woman ftood and told it? I beckoned to the postillion to turn back into the road.

When

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