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though it was a leading feature in that of the Saviour of the world, and is still the leading characteristic of his religion; while there is no vice, on the contrary, against which the denunciations are so frequent as pride. conduct, in this instance, is certainly rather extraordinary, both in what we have embraced, and in what we have re6 jected; and it will surely be confessed, we are somewhat unfortunate in having selected that vice, as the particular object of approbation, which God has already selected as the especial mark at which he aims the thunderbolts of his vengeance. Robert Hall.

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SEC. CLX. THE DESIGN OF THE BUNKER HILL MONUMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES AND PUREST FEELINGS OF OUR NATURE.

Such a spot is the field of battle on Bunker-Hill, already rescued from impending desecration. It is now proposed to enclose this memorable spot; to restore it, as near as possible, to its condition on the 17th of June, 1775, so that all who shall make their pilgrimage to it, may be able 2 to retrace, as on a map, each incident of the eventful day; to plant around its borders a few trees from our native forests; and to complete the erection of the monumental shaft already begun, simple in its taste, grand in its dimensions and height, and of a solidity of structure, which shall defy the power of time.

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And now, I appeal to you, Mr. Chairman and fellow 3 citizens, that such a work, on such a spot, is in accordance 4 with the principles and purest feelings of our nature. 5 speaks to the heart. The American, who can gaze on it with indifference, does not deserve the name of American. I would say of such a one, if one could be found so cold 6 and heartless, in the language of the great genius of the age, of a fancied being of kindred apathy,

Breathes there a man of soul so dead?
7 If such there breathe, go, mark him well:
For him, no minstrel raptures swell.
Proud though his title, high his fame,
Boundless his wealth, as wish could claim;
In spite of title, power, and pelf,
8 The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down

To the vile earth, from whence he sprung,

Unwept, unhonored, and unsung.

9 I think I can bring this to a practical issue in every man's mind. Is there any one who hears me, and will figure to himself the aspect of the work, as it will appear when completed who will place himself, in imagination, on the summit of the beautiful hill where the battle was fought ; look out upon the prospect of unsurpassed loveliness, that spreads before him, by land and by sea; the united features of town and country; the long rows of buildings and streets in the city, rising one above another, upon the sides of her triple hills; the surrounding sweep of country, checkered with villages; on one side, the towers of city churches, on the other the long succession of rural spires; the rivers that flow on either side to the sea; the broad expanse of the harbor and bay, spotted with verdant islands, with a hundred ships, dancing in every direction over the waves; the vessels of war, keeping guard with 10 their sleeping thunders, at the foot of the hill; and on its top, within the shade of venerable trees, over the ashes of the great and good, the noble obelisk, rising to the heavens and crowning the magnificent scene;-is there any one who will look at this picture, with his mind's eye, and not be willing to contribute, in proportion to his means, to do the little which remains to be done, to realize it?

Everett.

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SEC. CLXI. THE BEAUTIES OF STANDARD AUTHORS NOT
ALWAYS OBVIOUS AT FIRST.

The hidden beauties of standard authors, break upon the 2 mind by surprise. It is like discovering a hidden spring in an old jewel. You take up the book in an idle moment, as you have done a thousand times before, perhaps wondering, 3 as you turn over the leaves, what the world finds in it to admire, when suddenly, as you read, your fingers press close upon the covers, your frame thrills, and the passage you have chanced upon chains you like a spell it is so 4 vividly true and beautiful. Milton's Comus flashed upon 5 me in this way. I never could read the "Rape of the Lock" till a friend quoted some passages from it during a walk.

I know no more exquisite sensation than this warming of the heart to an old author; and it seems to me, that the 6 most delicious portion of intellectual existence, is the brief

period in which, one by one, the great minds of old are admitted with all their time-mellowed worth to the affections. With what delight I read, for the first time, the "kind7 hearted plays" of Beaumont and Fletcher! how I doated on Burton! what treasures to me were the "Fairy Queen" and the Lyrics of Milton! Willis.

SEC. CLXII. EQUALITY OF HUMAN CONDITION.

"Believe me, Prince, there was not one who did not I dread the moment when solitude should deliver him to the tyranny of reflection."

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This," said the Prince," may be true of others, since it 2 is true of me; yet, whatever be the general infelicity of man, one condition is happier than another; and wisdom, surely, directs us to take the least evil in the choice of life ?"

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"The causes of good and evil," answered Imlac, are so various and uncertain, so often entangled with each other, 3 so diversified by various relations, and so much subject to accidents which cannot be foreseen, that he who would fix his condition upon incontestable reasons of preference, must live and die inquiring and deliberating."

"But surely," said Rasselas, "the wise men to whom 4 we listen with reverence and wonder, chose that mode of life for themselves, which they thought most likely to make them happy?"

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"Very few," said the poet, "live by choice. Every man is placed in the present condition by causes which acted 6 without his foresight, and with which he did not always willingly co-operate; and therefore you will rarely meet one who does not think the lot of his neighbor better than his own." Dr. Johnson.

SEC. CLXIII. THE RUINED ARCHANGEL.

He above the rest

In shape and gesture proudly eminent,
Stood like a tower: his form had yet not lost
All her original brightness, nor appeared
Less than an arch-angel ruined, and the excess
Of glory obscured; as when the sun new-risen
Looks through the horizontal misty air,
Shorn of his beams; or from behind the moon,
In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds

On half the nations, and with fear of change
Perplexes monarchs: darkened so, yet shone
Above them all, the arch-angel.

Milton.

SEC. CLXIV. THE ONLY SUFFICIENT CAUSE OF WAR.

1 What are sufficient causes of war, let no man say, let no legislator say, until the question of war is directly and inevitably before him. Jurists may be permitted with comparative safety to pile tome upon tome of interminable disquisition, upon the motives, reasons and causes of just and unjust war; metaphysicians may be suffered with impunity to spin the thread of their speculations until it is attenuated 2 to a cobweb; but for a body created for the government of a great nation, and for the adjustment and protection of its infinitely diversified interests, it is worse than folly to speculate upon the causes of war, until the great question shall be presented for immediate action: until they shall hold the united question of cause, motive, and present expediency, 3 in the very palms of their hands. War is a tremendous evil. Come when it will, unless it shall come in the necessary defence of our national security, or of that honor under 4 whose protection national security reposes, it will come too soon: too soon for our national prosperity: too soon for our individual happiness: too soon for the frugal, industrious and virtuous habits of our citizens: too soon, perhaps, for our most precious institutions. The man, who, for any cause, save the sacred cause of public security, which makes all wars defensive, the man who for any cause but 5 this, shall promote or compel this final and terrible resort, assumes a responsibility second to none, (nay, transcendently deeper and higher than any,) which man can assume before his fellow-men, or in the presence of God, his creBirney.

ator.

Sentence 2d-The two members in the first part of this sentence, which I need scarcely say is a single compact, should be delivered with very large emphatic sweeps.

SEC. CLXV. SATAN'S FAREWELL AND SALUTATION.

Farewell! happy fields!

Where joy forever dwells!-Hail! horrors!-Hail!
Infernal world!—and thou profoundest hell
Receive thy new possessor: one who brings
A mind not to be changed by place or time

The mind is its own place; and of itself

Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.

SEC. CLXVI.

WHAT IS GOOD?

Milton.

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But I am met with the objection, What GOOD wil the monument do? I beg leave, sir, to exercise my birthright 2 as a Yankee, and answer this question, by asking two or three more; to which I believe it will be quite as difficult 3 to furnish a satisfactory reply. I am asked, What good 4 will the monument do? And, I ask, What good does any5 thing do? What is good? 6 Does anything do any good?

The persons who suggest this objection, of course think 7 that there are some projects and undertakings that do good; and I should therefore like to have the idea of good, explained, and analyzed, and run out to its elements. When this is done, if I do not demonstrate, in about two minutes, 8 that the monument does the same kind of good that anything else does, I will consent that the huge blocks of granite, already laid, should be reduced to gravel, and carted off to fill up the mill-pond; for that I suppose is one of the good 9 things. Does a rail-road or a canal do good? 10 Answer: 11 Yes; and how ?-It facilitates intercourse, opens markets,

and increases the wealth of the country;-but what is this 12 good for?-Why, individuals prosper and get rich;—and 13 what good does that do? Is mere wealth, as an ultimate

end; gold and silver, without an inquiry as to their use ;are these a good? Certainly not? I should insult this au14 dience by attempting to prove that a rich man, as such, is 15 neither better nor happier, than a poor one?—But as men

grow rich, they live better.-Is there any good in this, stop16 ping here? is mere animal life, feeding, working and sleep17 ing like an ox, entitled to be called good? Certainly not? 18 But these improvements increase the population ;—and what good does that do? where is the good in counting twelve millions, instead of six, of mere feeding, working, sleeping animals? There is then no good in the mere animal life, except that it is the physical basis of that higher moral existence, which resides in the soul; the heart; the 19 mind; the conscience: in good principles; good feelings; and the good actions, (and the more disinterested, the more entitled to be called good,) which flow from them. Now, sir, I say, that generous and patriotic sentiments, (senti20 ments, which prepare us to serve our country, to live for

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