manner of Rochefoucauld, that the less we see of people the more we like them; but there are certain limits of sociality; and prudent reserve and absence may find a place in the management of the tenderest relations.

DUNSFORD. Yes, all this is true enough I do not see anything hard in this. But then there is the other side. Custom is a great aid to affection.

MILVERTON. Yes. All I say is, do not fancy that the general laws are suspended for the sake of any one affection.

DUNSFORD. Still this does not go to the question, whether there is not something more of will in affection than you make out. You would speak of inducements and counter-inducements, aids and hindrances; but I cannot but think you are limiting the power of will, and therefore limiting duty. Such views tend to make people easily discontented with each other, and prevent their making efforts to get over offences, and to find out what is lovable in those about them.

ELLESMERE. Here we are in the deep places again. I see you are pondering, Milverton. It is a question, as a minister would say when parliament perplexes him, that we must go to the country upon; each man's heart will, perhaps, tell him best about it. For my own part, I think that the continuance of affection, as the rise of it, depends more on the taste being satisfied, or at least not disgusted, than upon any other single thing. Our hearts may be touched at our being loved by people essentially dis

tasteful to us, whose modes of talking and acting are a continual offence to us: but whether we can love them in return is a question.

MILVERTON. Yes we can, I think. I begin to see that it is a question of degree. The word love includes many shades of meaning. When it includes admiration, of course we cannot be said to love those in whom we see nothing to admire. But this seldom happens in the mixed characters of real life. The upshot of it all seems to me to be, that, as Guizot says of civilization, every impulse has room; so in the affections, every inducement and counter-inducement has its influence; and the result is not a simple one, which can be spoken of as if it were alike on all occasions and with all men.

DUNSFORD. I am still unanswered, I think, Milverton. What you say is still wholly built upon inducements, and does not touch the power of will. MILVERTON. No: it does not.

ELLESMERE. We must leave that alone. Infinite piles of books have not as yet lifted us up to a clear view of that matter.

DUNSFORD. Well then, we must leave it as a vexed question; but let it be seen that there is such a question. Now, as to another thing; you speak, Milverton, of men's not making allowance enough for the unpleasant weight of obligation. I think that weight seems to have increased in modern times. Essex could give Bacon a small estate, and Bacon could take it comfortably, I have no doubt.

That is a much more wholesome state of things among friends than the present.

MILVERTON. Yes, undoubtedly. An extreme notion about independence has made men much less generous in receiving.

DUNSFORD. It is a falling off then. There was another comment I had to make. I think, when you speak about the exorbitant demands of neglected merit, you should say more upon the neglect of the just demands of merit.

MILVERTON. I would have the government and the public in general try by all means to understand and reward merit, especially in those matters wherein excellence cannot, otherwise, meet with large present reward. But, to say the truth, I would have this done, not with the view of fostering genius so much as of fulfilling duty: I would say to a minister

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it is becoming in you—it is well for the nation, to reward, as far as you can, and dignify, men of genius. Whether you will do them any good, or bring forth more of them, I do not know.

ELLESMERE. Men of great genius are often such a sensitive race, so apt to be miserable in many other than pecuniary ways and want of public estimation, that I am not sure that distress and neglect do not take their minds off worse discomforts. It is a kind of grievance, too, that they like to have.

DUNSFORD. Really, Ellesmere, that is a most unfeeling speech.

MILVERTON. At any rate, it is right for us to honour and serve a great man. It is our nature to

do so, if we are worth anything. We may put aside the question whether our honour will do him more good than our neglect. That is a question for him to look to. The world has not yet so largely honoured deserving men in their own time, that we can exactly pronounce what effect it would have upon them.

ELLESMERE. Come, Rollo, let us leave the men of sentiment. O, you will not go, as your master does not move. Look how he wags his tail, and almost says "I should dearly like to have a hunt after the "water rat we saw in the pond the other day, but "master is talking philosophy, and requires an intel66 ligent audience." These dogs are dear creatures it must be owned. Come, Milverton, let us have a walk.

CHAPTER X.

AFTER the reading in the last chapter my friends walked homewards with me as far as Durley Wood, which is about half way between Worth Ashton and my house. As we rested there, we bethought ourselves that it would be a pleasant spot for us to come to sometimes and read our essays. So we agreed to name a day for meeting there. The day. was favorable, we met as we had appointed, and, finding some beech logs lying very opportunely, took possession of them for our council. We seated Ellesmere on one that we called the woolsack, but which he said he felt himself unworthy to occupy in the presence of King Log, pointing to mine. These nice points of etiquette being at last settled, Milverton drew out his papers and was about to begin reading, when Ellesmere thus interrupted him.

ELLESMERE. You were not in earnest, Milverton, about giving us an essay on population; because if