HINTS.
1.
Indolence is the ſource of nervous complaints, and a whole hoſt of cares. This devil might ſay that his name was legion.
2.
It ſhould be one of the employments of women of fortune, to viſit hoſpitals, and ſuperintend the conduct of inferiors.
3.
It is generally ſuppoſed, that the imagination of women is particularly active, and leads them aſtray. Why then do we ſeek by education only to exerciſe their imagination and feeling, till the underſtanding, grown rigid by diſuſe, is unable to exerciſe itſelf—and the ſuperfluous nouriſhment the imagination and feeling have received, renders the former romantic, and the latter weak?
4.
Few men have riſen to any great eminence in learning, who have not received ſomething like a regular education. Why are women expected to ſurmount difficulties that men are not equal to?
5.
Nothing can be more abſurd than the ridicule of the critic, that the heroine of his mock-tragedy was in love with the very man whom ſhe ought leaſt to have loved; he could not have given a better reaſon. How can paſſion gain ſtrength any other way? In Otaheite, love cannot be known, where the obſtacles to irritate an indiſcriminate appetite, and ſublimate the ſimple ſenſations of deſire till they mount to paſſion, are never known. There a man or woman cannot love the very perſon they ought not to have loved—nor does jealouſy ever fan the flame.
6.
It has frequently been obſerved, that, when women have an object in view, they purſue it with more ſteadineſs than men, particularly love. This is not a compliment. Paſſion purſues with more heat than reaſon, and with moſt ardour during the abſence of reaſon.
7.
Men are more ſubject to the phyſical love than women. The confined education of women makes them more ſubject to jealouſy.
8.
Simplicity ſeems, in general, the conſequence of ignorance, as I have obſerved in the characters of women and ſailors—the being confined to one track of impreſſions.
9.
I know of no other way of preſerving the chaſtity of mankind, than that of rendering women rather objects of love than deſire. The difference is great. Yet, while women are encouraged to ornament their perſons at the expence of their minds, while indolence renders them helpleſs and laſcivious (for what other name can be given to the common intercourſe between the ſexes?) they will be, generally ſpeaking, only objects of deſire; and, to ſuch women, men cannot be conſtant. Men, accuſtomed only to have their ſenſes moved, merely ſeek for a ſelfiſh gratification in the ſociety of women, and their ſexual inſtinct, being neither ſupported by the underſtanding nor the heart, muſt be excited by variety.
10.
We ought to reſpect old opinions; though prejudices, blindly adopted, lead to error, and preclude all exerciſe of the reaſon.
The emulation which often makes a boy miſchievous, is a generous ſpur; and the old remark, that unlucky, turbulent boys, make the wiſeſt and beſt men, is true, ſpite of Mr. Knox's arguments. It has been obſerved, that the moſt adventurous horſes, when tamed or domeſticated, are the moſt mild and tractable.
11.
The children who ſtart up ſuddenly at twelve or fourteen, and fall into decays, in conſequence, as it is termed, of outgrowing their ſtrength, are in general, I believe, thoſe children, who have been bred up with miſtaken tenderneſs, and not allowed to ſport and take exerciſe in the open air. This is analogous to plants: for it is found that they run up ſickly, long ſtalks, when confined.
12.
Children ſhould be taught to feel deference, not to practiſe ſubmiſſion.
13.
It is always a proof of falſe refinement, when a faſtidious taſte overpowers ſympathy.
14.
Luſt appears to be the moſt natural companion of wild ambition; and love of human praiſe, of that dominion erected by cunning.
15.
"Genius decays as judgment increaſes." Of courſe, thoſe who have the leaſt genius, have the earlieſt appearance of wiſdom.
16.
A knowledge of the fine arts, is ſeldom ſubſervient to the promotion of either religion or virtue. Elegance is often indecency; witneſs our prints.
17.
There does not appear to be any evil in the world, but what is neceſſary. The doctrine of rewards and puniſhments, not conſidered as a means of reformation, appears to me an infamous libel on divine goodneſs.
18.
Whether virtue is founded on reaſon or revelation, virtue is wiſdom, and vice is folly. Why are poſitive puniſhments?
19.
Few can walk alone. The ſtaff of Chriſtianity is the neceſſary ſupport of human weakneſs. But an acquaintance with the nature of man and virtue, with juſt ſentiments on the attributes, would be ſufficient, without a voice from heaven, to lead ſome to virtue, but not the mob.
20.
I only expect the natural reward of virtue, whatever it may be. I rely not on a poſitive reward.
The juſtice of God can be vindicated by a belief in a future ſtate—but a continuation of being vindicates it as clearly, as the poſitive ſyſtem of rewards and puniſhments—by evil educing good for the individual, and not for an imaginary whole. The happineſs of the whole muſt ariſe from the happineſs of the conſtituent parts, or this world is not a ſtate of trial, but a ſchool.
21.
The vices acquired by Auguſtus to retain his power, muſt have tainted his ſoul, and prevented that increaſe of happineſs a good man expects in the next ſtage of exiſtence. This was a natural puniſhment.
22.
The lover is ever moſt deeply enamoured, when it is with he knows not what—and the devotion of a myſtic has a rude Gothic grandeur in it, which the reſpectful adoration of a philoſopher will never reach. I may be thought fanciful; but it has continually occurred to me, that, though, I allow, reaſon in this world is the mother of wiſdom—yet ſome flights of the imagination ſeem to reach what wiſdom cannot teach—and, while they delude us here, afford a glorious hope, if not a foretaſte, of what we may expect hereafter. He that created us, did not mean to mark us with ideal images of grandeur, the baſeleſs fabric of a viſion—No—that perfection we follow with hopeleſs ardour when the whiſperings of reaſon are heard, may be found, when not incompatible with our ſtate, in the round of eternity. Perfection indeed muſt, even then, be a comparative idea—but the wiſdom, the happineſs of a ſuperior ſtate, has been ſuppoſed to be intuitive, and the happieſt effuſions of human genius have ſeemed like inſpiration—the deductions of reaſon deſtroy ſublimity.
23.
I am more and more convinced, that poetry is the firſt efferveſcence of the imagination, and the forerunner of civilization.
24.
When the Arabs had no trace of literature or ſcience, they compoſed beautiful verſes on the ſubjects of love and war. The flights of the imagination, and the laboured deductions of reaſon, appear almoſt incompatible.
25.
Poetry certainly flouriſhes moſt in the firſt rude ſtate of ſociety. The paſſions ſpeak moſt eloquently, when they are not ſhackled by reaſon. The ſublime expreſſion, which has been ſo often quoted, [Geneſis, ch. 1, ver. 3.] is perhaps a barbarous flight; or rather the grand conception of an uncultivated mind; for it is contrary to nature and experience, to ſuppoſe that this account is founded on facts—It is doubtleſs a ſublime allegory. But a cultivated mind would not thus have deſcribed the creation—for, arguing from analogy, it appears that creation muſt have been a comprehenſive plan, and that the Supreme Being always uſes ſecond cauſes, ſlowly and ſilently to fulfil his purpoſe. This is, in reality, a more ſublime view of that power which wiſdom ſupports: but it is not the ſublimity that would ſtrike the impaſſioned mind, in which the imagination took place of intellect. Tell a being, whoſe affections and paſſions have been more exerciſed than his reaſon, that God ſaid, Let there be light! and there was light; and he would proſtrate himſelf before the Being who could thus call things out of nothing, as if they were: but a man in whom reaſon had taken place of paſſion, would not adore, till wiſdom was conſpicuous as well as power, for his admiration muſt be founded on principle.
26.
Individuality is ever conſpicuous in thoſe enthuſiaſtic flights of fancy, in which reaſon is left behind, without being loſt ſight of.
27.
The mind has been too often brought to the teſt of enquiries which only reach to matter—put into the crucible, though the magnetic and electric fluid eſcapes from the experimental philoſopher.
28.
Mr. Kant has obſerved, that the underſtanding is ſublime, the imagination beautiful—yet it is evident, that poets, and men who undoubtedly poſſeſs the livelieſt imagination, are moſt touched by the ſublime, while men who have cold, enquiring minds, have not this exquiſite feeling in any great degree, and indeed ſeem to loſe it as they cultivate their reaſon.
29.
The Grecian buildings are graceful—they fill the mind with all thoſe pleaſing emotions, which elegance and beauty never fail to excite in a cultivated mind—utility and grace ſtrike us in uniſon—the mind is ſatiſfied—things appear juſt what they ought to be: a calm ſatiſfaction is felt, but the imagination has nothing to do—no obſcurity darkens the gloom—like reaſonable content, we can ſay why we are pleaſed—and this kind of pleaſure may be laſting, but it is never great.
30.
When we ſay that a perſon is an original, it is only to ſay in other words that he thinks. "The leſs a man has cultivated his rational faculties, the more powerful is the principle of imitation, over his actions, and his habits of thinking. Moſt women, of courſe, are more influenced by the behaviour, the faſhions, and the opinions of thoſe with whom they aſſociate, than men." (Smellie.)
When we read a book which ſupports our favourite opinions, how eagerly do we ſuck in the doctrines, and ſuffer our minds placidly to reflect the images which illuſtrate the tenets we have embraced? We indolently or quietly acquieſce in the concluſion, and our ſpirit animates and connects the various ſubjects. But, on the contrary, when we peruſe a ſkilful writer, who does not coincide in opinion with us, how is the mind on the watch to detect fallacy? And this coolneſs often prevents our being carried away by a ſtream of eloquence, which the prejudiced mind terms declamation—a pomp of words.—We never allow ourſelves to be warmed; and, after contending with the writer, are more confirmed in our own opinion, as much perhaps from a ſpirit of contradiction as from reaſon.—Such is the ſtrength of man!
31.
It is the individual manner of ſeeing and feeling, pourtrayed by a ſtrong imagination in bold images that have ſtruck the ſenſes, which creates all the charms of poetry. A great reader is always quoting the deſcription of another's emotions; a ſtrong imagination delights to paint its own. A writer of genius makes us feel; an inferior author reaſon.
32.
Some principle prior to ſelf-love muſt have exiſted: the feeling which produced the pleaſure, muſt have exiſted before the experience.