which has from age to age been favourable to the progrefs of that true Liberty, which in ancient times fhewed, and only fhewed, herself for a fhort period to the nations of the fouth of Europe. Short was her influence in polifhed Athens, fhort in martial Rome. Invifible to the world for ages, during the baleful prevalence of general tyranny, fuperftition, and barbarity, the at laft appeared upon the fhores of Britain; and finding the character and the genius of the people favourable to her great defigns, here fhe fixed her abode, and developed her matchlefs plan. Here the feats a King upon the throne, whofe happiness is centered in that of his fubjects. She establishes the members of the Houfes of Parliament, loyal, enlightened, and magnanimous. The expreffion of their united will is equal law, juftice, toleration, fecurity, order, and happiness. The monarch, the houses of parliament, and the people, both thofe who give, and thofe to whom this happinets is imparted, deferve it the more, as it is their ardent with and uniform endeavour to communicate the fame bleffings to others, which they enjoy themfelves. In whatever regions of the globe our commerce flourishes, are alfo felt the happy effects of our polity. From the bleak mountains of Scotland, to the funny fhores of Malabar, is diffufed its benign influence; and no place attefts the power of Britain, which does not equally witnefs the mildnefs of her government, and the excellence of her laws.

And if more confiderations can be wanted to en

dear our country and its political inftitutions to us, they may arife from the recollection of the great and extraordinary events, which have taken place fince the French revolution. Upon the Continent of Europe, ever fince the beginning of the French revolution, we have feen the Genius of Innovation plying his deftructive work, overturning fome governments by open war, and undermining others by fecret plots. Whilft our conftitution, as "rocks refift the billows and the fky," has remained firm and uninjured. The ftorms which have affaulted it, have ferved to prove its unalterable stability, as well as its ineftimable value.

The Youth of the British Empire will beft show their conviction of thefe important truths by their perfevering obedience to the laws, and their judicious ufe of the bleffings conferred by their native country. But to defend this venerable edifice of liberty from the machinations of domeftic, and the affaults of foreign enemies, is a charge which devolves more immediately upon the nobility, and upon thofe who are deputed to reprefent their countrymen in parliament. The confcientious and careful exercife of this moft honourable truft is a duty which they owe to their ancestors, to themfelves, and to their defcendants; and what labour can be too unremitting, what vigilance too active, what public fpirit too exalted and ardent, to preferve a CONSTITUTION unfullied and unimpaired, which is the brightest ornament, the moft glorious privilege,

E 2

privilege, and the most valuable inheritance ever enjoyed by mankind.

Hail facred Polity, by Freedom rear'd!
Hail facred Freedom, when by law reftrain'd!
Without you what were men? a grov❜ling herd,
In darkness, wretchednefs, and want enchain'd.
Sublim'd by you, the Greek and Roman reign'd
In arts unrivall'd: O to latest days,

In Albion may your influence unprofan'd

To godlike worth the gen'rous bofom raise,
And prompt the fage's lore, and fire the poet's lays',

Beattie's Minstrel,

END OF THE HISTORICAL CLASS.

CLASS

PHILOSOPHY.

CHAPTER I.

Logic, or the right Ufe of Reafon.

IT is a very great error for any one to suppose, that Logic confifts only in thofe formal debates and verbal difputations, in which the schoolmen and their followers confumed fo much time in the dark ages, previous to the revival of claffical learning. It is equally erroneous to imagine, that it is merely intended to teach the method of difputing by rules, and to inftruct a young man to converfe, not from a love of truth, but a defire of victory. As there is nothing more difingenuous than fuch a conduct as this, nothing more unbecoming a rational being, than to oppofe fophiftry to good fenfe, and evafion to found argument, the logician difclaims this abuse of the principles of his art, and vindicates its rights by difplaying its true and proper office. It is in reality capable of affording the moft important affiftance to the understanding in its inquiries after truth; it is eminently useful in the common affairs of life, and renders the greateft fervice to science, learning, virtue, and religion.

Logic is the art of making a proper use of the faculties of the mind in the difcovery of truth by reafon, and the communication of truth by language. Logic traces the progrefs of all our information, from our first notions of things to thofe numerous conclufions which refult from comparing them together. It diftinguithes the different kinds of our ideas, difcovers the caufes of our intellectual mistakes, and fhows us how we may corre&t them. It teaches us thofe rules which we follow, although imperceptibly, whenever we think in a manner conformable to truth.

By truth is meant the agreement of our ideas with the real ftate of things. "It is the offspring of unbroken meditations, and of thoughts often revifed and corrected." The love of truth is the pureft principle of our nature, and prompts us to the moft noble exercife of the understanding. It frees us from the mifts of prejudice, the fluctuations of doubt, and the perplexities of error. nothing influences, nothing agitates, nothing dazzles us in comparifon with this love, we become gradually more eager for ftrong and clear evidence, and we leave no method untried, which can conduct us to right conclufions."

When

In the definition of logic, when we fpeak of the Faculties of the mind, we include under those terms, the memory, the fancy, and the judgment.

Wollafton.

The