dictate As a man may be a good judge of colours, and of the other visible qualities of objects, without any knowledge of the anatomy of the eye, and of the theory of vision; so a man may have a very clear and comprehensive knowledge of what is right, and of what is wrong in human conduct, who never studied the structure of our moral powers.-A good ear in music.may be much improved by attention and practice in that art; but very little by studying the anatomy of the ear, and the theory of sound. In order to acquire a good eye, or a good ear, in the arts that require them, the theory of vision, and the theory of sound, are by no means necessary, and indeed of very little use. Of as little necessity or use is what we call the theory of morals, in order to improve our moral judgment." REID, "On the Active Powers," Essay v. chap. .2 To a man who is familiar with the Scriptures, and whose mind has acquired a relish for the simplicity and excellence of the Christian code of morals, how cold, and frigid, and uninteresting, do the laboured disquisitions of our most celebrated ethical writers appear! There is little to be found in such writings to kindle the fire of holy love, and to inspire the soul with a noble ardour, in carrying forward the plan of divine benevolence. What powerful stimulus to exalted virtue can be expected from abstract discussions on active power, on liberty and necessity, on theories of moral action, on the reason and fitness of things, on self-love, on public and private interests, on the law of honour, and the like; and of how little practical utility are the results of such disquisitions ; since every principle of action, every motive, and every duty conducive to the happiness of the intelligent system, is laid down in the Scriptures, with a plainness and perspicuity, which render them level to the meanest understanding? And what shall we say of those moralists who teach us, that "modesty, humility, and forgiveness of injuries," belong to the class of vices; and, by consequence, that pride, impudence, and revenge, are to be ranked among the virtues? Such virtue, alas! has too long prevailed in our degenerate world; but were it uni * This sentiment is taught by Mr. Hume and his followers. versally to prevail, it would transform creation into a chaos, and banish happiness from the universe. What beneficial practical effects have ever been produced by all the systems of ethics which have hitherto been published to the world? Let us look back on the nations of antiquity, on the schools of Plato, Socrates, Epicurus, and Zeno; let us survey the conduct of our modern sceptical philosophers, and the practices of our youths who attend courses of ethical lectures in our Universities and academies, and say, whether the general depravity of human nature has been counteracted, and a spirit of universal benevolence has been cherished and promoted by such instructions. I venture to affirm, that we are far more indebted to our Saviour's sermon on the mount, and to the practical writings of the apostle Paul, for that portion of morality which has given a polish to the manners of modern society, than to all the systems of ethics, detached from Christianity, that have ever been published by the philosophers either of Greece or Rome, or of the British empire and that it is only by following out the instructions. of these divine teachers, that we can expect to see the world regenerated, and vice and iniquity banished from our streets. In throwing out the preceding hints, I have confined my attention chiefly to the intelligent creation. But it is evident, that where a principle of genuine love actuates the mind, it will extend its benevolent regards even to the lower orders of animated existence. Towards them the Creator has displayed his benevolence, as well as towards man. He has framed their bodies in as curious and admirable a manner, as the bodies of mankind. He has bestowed upon them organs of sensation exactly adapted to the situations they occupy, and to their various modes of subsistence. He has formed them with instincts which enable them to construct their habitations, to select their food, to protect themselves from danger, and to choose the fittest places for bringing forth their young. He has provided, in the different departments of nature, all that variety of food which is requisite to supply the wants of the whole of that immense assemblage of living beings which traverse the air, the waters, and the earth. "These all wait upon Him, and he giveth them their meat in due season." Their sportive motions, their varied movements, and the delight with which they seem to exercise their faculties, testify, that they are the objects of the beneficence of their Almighty, though unknown Maker. So that God not only takes care of men, but of the fishes of the sea, the creeping insects, and the fowls of heaven, for " a sparrow cannot fall to the ground" without his providential permission. : This benevolent care of the Creator, which extends to the lowest order of his creatures, instructs us, that our benevolence also should be displayed towards the inferior ranks of sensitive existence-that we should not only abstain from vexing, and torturing, and unnecessarily depriving them of existence; but should endeavour to promote their comfort and enjoyment. It was the object of several of the laws delivered to the Jews, to inculcate compassion and humanity towards their domestic animals and Solomon lays it down as a moral maxim, that "the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast." Benevolence will display itself, in the shape of tenderness and humanity, towards every creature that is endowed with feeling and sensation; but it cannot be supposed to have a powerful influence over that man who can wantonly torture a poor fly, lash a feeble old horse, wound a bird or a hare for mere sport, twirl a cockchaffer on a crooked pin, or even intentionally trample under foot a snail or a worm, that is doing him no injury. The benevolent man rejoices in the happiness of all creation around him; and, were this disposition universally prevalent, not only should we see cock-fighting, dog-fighting, bull-baiting, and other cruel and degrading sports, forever abolished, but should form a more delightful intercourse with many of the lower animals than we have ever yet enjoyed.-The Arabians never beat their horses; they never cut their tails; they treat them gently; they speak to them, and seem to hold a discourse; they use them as friends; they never attempt to increase their speed by the whip, nor spur them, but in cases of great necessity. They never fix them to a stake in the fields, but suffer them to pasture at large around their habitations; and they come running the moment that they hear the sound of their master's voice. In consequence of such treatment, these animals become do cile and tractable in the highest degree. They resort at night to their tents, and lie down in the midst of the children, without ever hurting them in the slightest degree. The little boys and girls are often seen upon the body or the neck of the mare, while the beasts continue inoffensive and harmless, permitting them to play with and caress them without injury.-Several species of birds have a natural attachment to the habitations of man; but his malevolence prevents them from entering into any intimate and friendly association for they seem to be fully aware of his guns, and snares, and other arts of destruction, which make them shy, even in cases of necessity, of trusting themselves to his generosity and protection. How many amusing and instructive associations might be formed with this class of animals, if the kindness and benevolence of man were to secure their confidence! Even the beasts of the forest, the elephant, the lion, and the tiger, * have had their ferocious dispositions softened by kindness and attention, and have become the protectors and the friends of man. Although the lower animals seem to be incapable of making improvement when left to themselves, yet experience has proved, that, under the tuition of man, they are capable of making considerable advancement in knowledge, and in the exercise of the benevolent affections. Kindness and affection will frequently soften the most savage and obdurate dispositions among mankind; and, it is not improbable, that a judicious and universal display of friendly attentions towards those animals which occasionally associate with man, would go far to counteract their malevolent propensities, and to promote their harmony and affection. I never was more delighted with an exhibition of animals than on a late occasion, when I beheld a cat, a bird, and a mouse, living in the same cage, in the most cordial harmony and peace-a fact, which demonstrates that the strongest antipathies of the animal tribes may be overcome by the care and attention of man. * An experiment was lately exhibited by the keeper of the animals in the Tower of London, which demonstrates, that even the tiger is capable of being tamed, and rendered susceptible of friendly feelings towards man. And as such an experiment could not have been attempted with success, except when these animals were very young, it shows us the immense importance of an early attention to the training of our youth in habits of kindness and affection towards each other, and of humanity towards every sensitive being; and that it ought to be the great care of parents, nurses, and servants, to counteract the first appearance of malevolent dispositions in very early life, however trivial the circumstances in which such dispositions are manifested. The famous Baron Trenck, when confined in his dungeon in Magdeburg, had so tamed a mouse, that it would play round him, and eat round him, and eat from his mouth. When he whistled, it would come and jump upon his shoulder. After his cruel keepers had given orders that he should be deprived of its society, and had actually taken it away blindfolded, it found its way back again to the door of his dungeon, waited the hour of visitation, when the door would be opened, and immediately testified its joy by its antic leaping between his legs. This mouse was afterwards carried off, and put into a cage, where it pined, refused all sustenance, and, in a few days, I was found dead. "In this small animal," says the Baron, "I discovered proofs of intelligence too great to easily gain belief. Were I to write them, such philosophers as suppose man alone endowed with the power of thought, allowing nothing but what they call instinct in animals, would proclaim me a fabulous writer, and my opinions heterodox to what they suppose sound philosophy."-A nobleman of France, a count of Lauzun, was condemned to a rigid imprisonment. Cut off from all human society, and allowed no means of diverting his solitude, he made a companion of a spider, who had spun her web in the corner of his cell. He at length familiarized her so far, that she would come upon his hand, and eat from it a portion of his food which he gave her. The jailer, totally devoid of feeling, thought this too great an indulgence for the unfortunate prisoner, and crushed the spider to death. Many such instances could be brought forward to illustrate the affection of the inferior tribes, and their capability of improvement. But although they were entirely destitute of mental qualities and affections, as they are |