antediluvian, grows strangely supportable as we approach it; and Lysis, in an airy dress, no longer ridicules people that go without hoods after thirty. -I grow trifling. This subject of self-love affords matter of serious reflection and gratitude. It is surely one of the greatest marks of infinite wisdom, that what, at first sight, may seem only to regard ourselves, is one of the strongest ties to social virtue; and that the very attention to others, which should seem most contrary to our first notions of self-love, is, indeed, the truest support and most rational pursuit of it, and which alone can preserve it from degenerating into miserable weakness and folly.

Man, like the generous vine, supported lives:

The strength he gains is from the embrace he gives.
On their own axis as the planets run,

Yet make at once their circle round the sun;

So two consistent motions act the soul,
And one regards itself, and one the whole.

Thus God and nature link'd the general frame,

Pope.

And bade self-love and social be the same.

XI.

On the principle of Self-interest as applied to Educution.

I WAS making a visit, the other day, to people that pass for what are called your very sensible clever folks: they have a large family of children, of whom they seem fond without indulgence; and to be sure they educate them mighty well. Who is more capable of doing it? They are prudent, have good sense, and know a great deal of the world : but, alas, it is this knowledge of the world, as they call it, that spoils every thing! "Come hither, my dear," said the lady of the house to a little girl about five years old, who was crying to go out of the room almost as soon as she came in; "Come hither, Lucy. Look ye, my dear, if you will behave yourself prettily, and go and talk to all the company, papa will give you a fine, new doll to-morrow." This, you may be sure, stopped the crying for the present but what will be the effect of it? Every time Miss Lucy wants a new play-thing, she has only to misbehave herself, and she is sure of being bribed into good humour again. Thus, by an excess of good management in her mamma, the little gipsy will be taught to be artful and peevish, at an

age, whose greatest ornament is innocence and good humour.

'Two or three instances more of the same kind of prudence had quite awakened my sincerity, and I could not forbear speaking of it, with the freedom of an old acquaintance, as soon as the more formal part of the circle was dispersed. "My dear," replied Prudentia, with a compassionate kind of smile, "6 you have lived in the clouds all your days, and I am sorry to see you are not out of them yet. For my part, who have long been sensible that it is upon this earth, and not up in the air, that I am to act my part in life, I confess, nothing seems more natural to me than that children should be taught to follow the same motive by which they are sure to be actuated all the rest of their lives." "Can you possibly mean so low a motive as interest?" said I. "I certainly do: for, as low as you think it, you must be sensible, if you reflect a moment, that it is what we all of us pursue. Those who give up their happiness in the present state, with the most disinterested air, do it ouly to entitle themselves to the blessings of a future one."

"Supposing that this was the case," interrupted I, the nature of the rewards, in these two instances, is so very different, that it would hinder you from drawing any inferences from them in favour of your own scheme. If the greatness or gaieties of this world were to be our recompence, I should think, that to reward a child with a doll or a hobby-horse, were framing its mind to proper ex

pectations and desires; but-will you let me talk a little upon subjects that are certainly above my reach ?" "O, by all means," answered Prudentia: "Clemene was not to call upon me till eight, and I shall be mighty glad to hear your romance of education in the mean time: I dare say it will be pretty; but you will find it a mere romance, I am persuaded, ten years hence, when you have a family of your own.” "Well, be that as it will, you have given me leave to talk, and this is all I have to do at present.

"I was going to say," continued I," that I can. not help imagining that a great part of our happiness in a future state may arise from a sense of right, abstractedly from all other considerations: that, at least, as much of it will proceed from the thought of having acted agreeably to the infallible will of the most perfect of Beings, as from that of having deserved the favour of the Lord of the uni verse, and from the hopes of any happiness which infinite goodness and power may bestow on us. In short, it seems to me, as if to contribute, each in our inferior way, to the order and beauty of the universe, was at once the noblest and the justest motive, and the highest reward of goodness."

"Lucia is not old enough to enter into all these abstracted reasonings," said Prudentia. "In our world we must treat children as children, and convince them by their senses, in default of their judgments: I do not know what people may do in