When virtue like the fummer warms, When vices fpring without controul, Let youth to virtue's fhrine repair, Borne upwards on feraphic wing, T ANECDOTE. OF SIR ISAAC NEWTON. HE mildness of Sir Ifaac Newton's temper, through the courfe of his life, commanded admiration from all who knew him, but in one inftance, perhaps, more than the following: Sir Ifaac had a favourite little dog, which he called Diamond; and being one day called out of his study into the next room, Diamond was left behind, When Sir Ifaac returned, having been abfent but a few minutes, he had the mortification to to find, that Diamond had thrown down a lighted candle among fome papers, the nearly finished labour of many years, which was in flames, and almost confumed to afhes.-This lofs, as Sir Ifaac was then very far advanced in years, was irre trievable; yet without once ftriking the dog, he only rebuk'd him with this exclamation, Oh! Diamond! Diamond! thou little knowest the mischief thou haft done! ANECDOTE OF Dr. Busby and one of his Scholars. ASCHOLAR of Dr. Bulby's coming into the parlour where the doctor had laid a fine bunch of grapes for his own eating, takes it up, and fays aloud, "I publifh the banns between these grapes and my mouth; if any one knows any juft caufe or impediment why these two should not be joined together, let them declare it." The doctor being in the next room, overheard all that was said, and coming into the fchool, he ordered the boy who had eaten the grapes to be taken up, or as they call'd it, horfed on another boy's boy's back; but before he proceeded to the ufual difcipline, he cried out aloud as the delinquent had done; "I publifh the banns between my rod and this boy's breech, if any one knows any juft caufe or impediment why thefe two fhould not be joined together, let them declare it." "I forbid the banns," cried the boy, "why fo," fays the doctor, "because the parties are not agreed," replied the boy; which answer fo well pleafed the doctor, who loved to find any readiness of wit in his fcholars, that he ordered the boy to be fet down. GENTLENESS of ADDRESS, Successful in convincing our Opponents. HE fofteft and gentleft addrefs to the erro THE neous, is the best way to convince them of their mistake. Sometimes 'tis neceffary to reprefent to your opponent, that he is not far off from the truth, and that you would fain draw him a little nearer to it; commend and establish whatever he says that is juft and true, as our bleffed Saviour treated the young fcribe, when he anfwered well concerning the two great commandments; "Thou art not far," fays our Lord, "from the kingdom of heaven," Mark xii. 34. Imitate the the mildness and conduct of the bleffed Jesus. Come as near to your opponent as you can in all your propofitions, and yield to him as much as you dare, in a confiftence with truth and juftice. 'Tis a very great and fatal mistake in perfons who attempt to convince or reconcile others to their party, when they make the difference appear as wide as poffible: this is fhocking to any perfon. who is to be convinced: he will choose rather to keep and maintain his own opinions, if he cannot come into yours without renouncing and abandoning every thing that he believed before. Human nature must be flattered a little as well as reafoned with, that fo the argument may be able to come at his understanding, which otherwife will be thruft off at a diftance. If you charge a man with nonfenfe and abfurdities, with herefy and felf contradiction, you take a very wrong ftep towards convincing him. Remember that error is not to be rooted out of the mind of man by reproaches and railings, by flashes of wit and biting jefts, by loud exclamations or fharp ridicule: long declamations and triumph over our neighbour's mistake, will not prove the way to convince him; these are figns either of a bad caufe, or of want of ar- . guments, or capacity for the defence of a good one. AN AN ESSAY ON CARD-PLAYING. HAVING been prefent at many card parties during the Christmas feftivities, I cannot forbear giving my thoughts upon that amusement: don't imagine I am going to condemn cards, I affure you I am not, for I think them not only innocent, but often useful. Of the number of both fexes who meet together, how few, how very few, are qualified for converfation! The weather, the fashion, the tale of the day, exhaust their whole fund: no one dares attempt to introduce a serious fubject. The appellation of Methodist would certainly enfue. I am speaking of the Ladies' converfation you may be fure; though, to speak the truth, when I have been in a mixed company, and many of the wifer fex among us, I have obferved with furprize, that it very little conduced to the improvement of our difcourfe; whether the gentlemen think our levity incorrigible, or that they defpife us too much to attempt our improvement; or as I fometimes am charitably led to think, they are now and then glad of an excuse to talk nonfense themselves. From which foever of thefe caufes it proceeds is of little confequence; the ladies, |