profuse bodily activity, and exuberance of animal spirits, as may be attended with serious consequences.

Too much mental exercise, as in study, withdraws nervous power from the stomach. For while mental exercises or emotions require a large proportion of the nervous energy, they do not absorb the secretions provided by nature for the supply of muscular action, and for those excretions through the skin which are always retarded by much study and those sedentary pursuits which occupy the mind more than the body.

The mind, like the body, should never be taxed to its full power. Length of days is not attainable with unrelaxed powers of mind.

From these facts we readily arrive at the conclusion that a life of mental excitement-a life of anxiety, fear, grief, excessive study, &c. -has a dangerously depressing influence upon the whole animal economy, while, on the contrary, pleasurable emotions generally have a tendency to stimulate the functions of life, and revive the powers of nature.

INSTANCES OF THE EFFECTS OF MENTAL EXCITEMENT ON THE BODY OBSERVABLE IN DAILY LIFE.

It would be easy to adduce an abundance of instances from our various social relations, showing the violent effects of strong and sud

den mental emotions upon the body, and to illustrate the effect of those more frequent and less violent emotions to which we are all more or less subject. But our space will only admit of a reference to a few of those cases which every observant person must have noticed daily in common life.

Take a case of what is termed mental anxiety-a continued exercise of the mind upon some trouble in business, such as we see arising from the numerous failures in the commercial world. What a difference do we find sometimes a few weeks of anxiety will produce upon a man in such a position, especially if he be an honest man-one possessing strong moral principles. His health and personal appearance, we observe, are changed as a consequence of this anxiety; and if we follow him until he is released of his cares, we discover immediately the reviving effect upon him of such a relief-his spirits again become buoyant, and his health is restored.

As another example, we may notice the case of persons who have sustained calamity. A misfortune happened to a person, say a year ago; observe him some time afterwards he is wasted, worn, the miserable shadow of himself; inquire about him at the distance of a few months, and you will probably hear that death has terminated his troubles. If this be not the case, and the mind has recovered its elasticity,

the bodily effects will be seen to remain often during life, frequently terminating in melancholy and mania.

It is not unusual to see a strong man, who may scarcely have had a day's illness in his life, entirely broken down by a sudden bereavement or misfortune. He bows his head with an inward feeling that he shall never rise again. In some instances such is the result; in other cases time and pious resignation temper the anguish, and the body recovers, if not its former strength, a condition somewhat approaching it.

To these examples may be added those of men who have spent their lives, or a portion of their lives, in vicious courses. How often it occurs that such persons, feeling that they have violated their moral nature, and disregarded the emotions of conscience, suffer severely in their bodily health, and as a consequence are driven to madness, or even to suicide.

With such facts as these before us, surely we cannot fail to see the importance, if we regard our health and happiness, of diligently keeping watch over our thoughts and our feelings, not allowing our passions to become

our masters.

Let us, then, in order to attain this end, cultivate a humble, contented, and pious frame of mind, under all the changes and vicissitudes of life, and health and happiness will not fail to be our reward.

ON HEALTH IN ITS RELATION TO THE INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL CHARACTER.

O blessed health! thou art above all gold and treasure; 'tis thou who enlargest the soul, and openest all its powers to receive instruction, and to relish virtue.

THE influence of the body on the intellectual and moral character is so well known, and of such vast importance as affecting a man's welfare and happiness in the world, that, although it would be a superfluous task to enter minutely into details upon the subject here, it demands our general consideration.

First, as to the relation of health and physical strength to the intellectual character, it has been observed that the virtues of courage and fortitude depend greatly on bodily vigour. Courageous and high-minded men are generally found to be physically strong and well formed. Dr. Johnson remarks that: 'Courage results from a consciousness of physical strength, and cowardice from a consciousness of physical weakness. The strong will not shun danger, because he feels himself competent to resist and repel it.

The weak man, knowing himself unable to surmount danger by an exercise of strength which he does not possess, will resort to other means of preservation-to petty cun

ning, wily stratagem, mean subterfuge, lying, and circumvention; thus the virtues which are directly opposed to these vices all depend to a very considerable extent on courage, and courage depends on physical strength-on the liveliness and energy with which the functions. of our animalization are performed.'

'Take the brave and hardy mountaineer from his hills,' says the same writer, 'lap him in luxury, let him be fed on dainties, and couched on down, let his lullaby be sounded by the "soft breathing of the lascivious lute," instead of the wild music of the whistling wind; and he will be reduced, first physically, and then intellectually, to the helpless condition of the voluptuary. In a few years replace him on his mountain-top, set him beside his former companions, show him the aggressor against his rights, the oppressor of his race-bid him meet and repel the common enemy. Behold! his courage has fled, the love of liberty and independence is dead within him, the spirit of freedom sleeps; he trembles and yields, preferring the indolence of slavery to the toil necessary to preserve him free.'

Now, these remarks are equally true whether applied to men or to the animal creation. It is remarkable that animals, as well as men, whose conduct is courageous and noble, are generally found to possess physical strength and wellof oportioned bodies, while, on the contrary, to be