MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 371 gospel. What a dismal spectacle is it to see this engine of scan- dal set on work so successfully among christians, to drive out the deaf and dumb spirit ! to see Satan employed to cast out Satan, and one evil spirit dispossessed by another ! O the shameful gust and relish that some people find in reproach and slander ! The great apostle says, " Speak evil of no man ;" and he excludes railers and revilers from the kingdom of heaven : Yet Latris-sa performs the dirties of the church and the closet, rails daily at some of her neighbours, and thinks herself a christian of the first rank still ; nor will she see nor believe the iniquity of her temper or the guilt of her conversation. XL. Excellencies and Defects compensated. FAME cloth not always belong to the active and the sprightly, nor immortal memory to the sons of wit. Gravonius was a person of prudence and virtue, but rather of a slow conception, and a very moderate share of natural vivacity ; a man of little dis- course, but much thought. He would sometimes bring forth very valuable sentences, and furnish the company with wise observa- tions that he had collected by many years reading, and long ac- quaintance with men and books. He travelled on daily in a regular round of life and duty to a good old age : lie passed off the stage with honour amongst his friends, and was remembered twenty years after his death. Lycidas was a gentleman of great parts, sprightly wit, far superior to Gravonius in the powers of the mind, and at least equal to him in virtue ; he shone bright in every 'company, and put a lustre upon all his religion ; he -was the wonder and love of his friends while he lived. He was summoned away from the world in the bloom of life, deep lamentations were made at his grave, but in a few years time ire was for- gotten. How came this to pass, that what blazed so bright should vanish so soon, and be lost at once ? Ttie reason is not far to seek. Gravonins kept his hours and his rounds as constant as the sun, and his track of life was drawn to a great length, and was well known to the world : He said over his apophthegms and lessons of prudence, till his acquaintance had learnt them by heart. Lycidas was active and ready in all'the varieties of life, but never tied himself down to rules, and forms, and sentences, nor could he teach another to act as lie did : Ile always enter- tained his friend with a rich profusion of new sentiments. Nei- ther his wit nor his wisdom had any common places : His man- ner and his way was like an eagle in the air, that leaves no track behind. 1Iis conversation and his life had a thousand beauties in them, but they were neither to be imitated, or scarce rehears- ed by another. 1 d
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