In lieu of his majesty of countenance · the timorous glances of servility;

Instead of Freedom's honest pride,—the spirit of a slave,

Nevertheless, there is something to be pleaded, even for a necessary guile,

Whilst the world, and all that is therein, lieth deep in evil. Who can be altogether honest,- —a champion never out of mail,

Ready to break a lance for truth with every crowding error ?

Who can be altogether honest,

sies of life,

draging out the secre→

And risking to be lashed and loathed for each unkind

disclosure?

Who can be altogether honest, — living in perpetual con

tentions,

And prying out the petty cheats that swell the social scheme?

For he must speak his instant mind,-a mind corrupt and sinful,

Exhibiting to other men's disgust its undisguised deformities:

He must utter all the hatred of his heart, and add to it the venom of his tongue;

Shall he feel, and hide his feelings? that were the meanness of a hypocrite.

Still, O man, such hypocrisy is better, than this bold honesty to sin:

Kill the feeling, or conceal it: let shame at least do the work of charity.

charity, thou livest not in warnings, meddling among

men,

Rebuking every foolish word, and censuring small sins; This is not thy secret,- rather wilt thou hide their mul

titude,

And silence the condemning tongue, and wearisome exhortation.

But for thee, thy strength and zeal shine in encouragement to good,

Lifting up the lantern of ensample, that wanderers may find the way:

That lantern is not lit to gaze on all the hatefulness of evil,

But set on high for life and light, the loveliness of good. The hard censorious mind sitteth as a keen anatomist Tracking up the fibres in corruption, and prying on a fearful corpse :

But the charitable soul is a young lover, enamored little wisely,

That saw no fault in her he loved, and sought to see one less,

So, in his kind and genial light, she grew more worthy of his love;

Won to good by gentle suns, and not by frowning tempest.

Vectly, infirm thyself,

imperfections;

For many times the decent veil must hang on faults of

nature;

And the rude hands, that rend it, offend against the modesty of right,

While seeming zeal, and its effort to do good, is only feigned self-praise :

Often will the meannesses of life, hidden away in corners, Prove wisdom; and the generous is glad to leave them unregarded in the shade.

The follies none are found to praise, let them die unblamed;

Thine honest strife will only tend to make some think them wise:

And small conventional deceits, let them live uncensured: Or if thou war with pigmies, thou shalt haply help the

cranes.

Where to be blind was safety, Ovid had been wise for winking :

And when a tell-tale might do harm, be sure it is pru dent to be dumb:

That which is just and fit is often found combating with honesty:

In the cause of good, be wise; and in a case indifferent, keep silence.

Let honesty's unblushing face be shaded by the mantle of humility,

So shall it shine a lamp of love, and not the torch of strife: Otherwise the lantern of Diogenes, presumptuously thrust before the face,

If it never find an honest man, shall often make an angered.

Let honesty be companied by charity of heart, lest it walk unwelcome;

Or the mouthing censor of others and himself, soon shall sink to scorn.

Let honesty be added unto innocence of life: then a man may only be its martyr;

But if openness of speech be found with secrecy of guilt, the martyr will be seen a malefactor.

There is a cunning scheme, to put on surface bluntness, And cover still deep water, with the clamorous ripples of a shallow.

For a man, to gain his selfish ends, will make a stalkinghorse of honesty;

And hide his poaching limbs behind, that he may cheat the quicker.

Such an one is loud and ostentatious, full of oaths for argument,

Boastful of honor and sincerity, and not to be put down by facts:

He is obstinate, and showeth it for firmness: he is rude, displaying it for truth;

And glorieth in doggedness of temper, as if it were uncompromising justice.

Be aware of such a man: his brawling covereth designs;

This specious show of honesty cometh as the herald of a

thief:

His feint is made with awkward clashing on the buckler's

boss,

But meanwhile doth his secret skill ensure its fatal aim. This is the hypocrite of honesty; ye may know him by an overacted part;

Taking pains to turn and twist, where other men walk straight;

Or walking straight, he will not step aside to let another pass,

But roughly pusheth on, provoking opposition on the way; He is full of disquietude for calmess, full of intriguing for simplicity,

Valorous with those who cannot fight, and humble to the brave:

Where brotherly advice were good, this man rudely blameth,

And on some small occasion, flattereth with coarse praise. The craven in a lion's skin hath conquered by his character for courage;

Sheep's clothing helped the wolf, till he slew by his character for kindness.

For honesty hath many gains, and well the wise have known

This will prosper to the end, and fill their house with gold.

The phosphorus of cheatery will fade, and all its profits

perish,

While honesty with growing light endureth as the moon. Yea, it would be wise in a world of thieves, where cheating were a virtue,

To dare the vice of honesty, if any would be rich. For that which by the laws of God is heightened into duty,

Ever, in the practice of a man, will be seen both policy and privilege.

Thank God, ye toilers for your bread, in that, daily la

boring,

He hath suffered the bubbles of self-interest to float upon the stream of duty:

For honesty, of every kind, approved by God and man, Of wealth and better weal is found the richest cornucopia.

Tempered by humbleness and charity, honesty of speech hath honor;

And mingled well with prudence, honesty of purpose hath its praise:

Trust payeth homage unto truth, rewarding honesty of action:

And all men love to lean on him, who never failed nor fainted.

Freedom gloweth in his eyes, and Nobleness of nature at his heart,

And Independence took a crown and fixed it on his head: So, he stood in his integrity, just and firm of purpose, Aiding many, fearing none, a spectacle to angels, and to

men:

Yea, when the shattered globe shall rock in the throes of dissolution,

Still, will he stand in his integrity, sublime—an honest

man.

Of Society.

Better is the mass of men, Suspicion, than thy fears,
Kinder than thy thoughts, O chilling heart of Prudence,
Purer than thy judgments, ascetic tongue of Censure,
In all things worthier to love, if not also wiser to esteem.