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but would not prevent the Athenians from visiting their coasts with a retaliation which would be much more severely felt, because they depended entirely on their territories, while Athens could draw supplies from numberless quarters. To imagine that they could put their navy on a footing which would enable it to rival that of Athens, was contrary to all experience and probability. The nautical skill of the Athenians, which had not yet attained its full maturity, had been the fruit of the continual practice of many years, which the Peloponnesians would not even find the means of cultivating in the face of a superior enemy. [Trinity College Fellowships, 1846.]

141. THE oration however on the question of the Persian war shews that he was much less intent on making a display of eloquence than on offering useful advice. It is calm, simple, grave, statesman-like, indicating the outlines of the policy which he ever after continued to recommend. He points out the danger to which Athens would expose herself, if, relying on uncertain rumours, she should rush into a war in which Persia might be able to combine the other maritime Greek states against her. But he urges the necessity that she should immediately place herself in a strong defensive posture, not more against the attack with which she had been threatened, than against those which might be made on her from other quarters which were avowedly hostile.

142.

[St John Port Latin Exhibition, 1846.]

AFTER bidding adieu to her mourning attendants, with a sad heart, and eyes bathed in tears, Mary left that kingdom, the short but only scene of her life in which fortune smiled upon her. While the French coast

continued in sight, she intently gazed upon it, and musing, in a thoughtful posture, on that height of fortune whence she had fallen, and presaging, perhaps, the disasters and calamities which embittered the remainder of her days, she sighed often, and cried out, "Farewell, France! Farewell, beloved country, which I shall never more behold!" Even when the darkness of the night had hid the land from her view, she would neither retire to the cabin, nor taste food, but commanding a couch to be placed on the deck, she there waited the return of day with the utmost impatience. Fortune soothed her on this occasion; the galley made little way during the night. In the morning, the coast of France was still within sight, and she continued to feed her melancholy with the prospect; and, as long as her eyes could distinguish it, to utter the same tender expressions of regret.

143.

[Classical Tripos, 1847.]

EMPLOYMENT is much more constant in some trades than in others. In the greater part of manufactures, a journeyman may be pretty sure of employment almost every day in the year that he is able to work. A mason or bricklayer, on the contrary, can work neither in hard frost nor in foul weather, and his employment at all other times depends upon the occasional calls of his customers. He is liable, in consequence, to be frequently without any. What he earns, therefore, while he is employed, must not only maintain him while he is idle, but make him some compensation for those anxious and desponding moments which the thought of so precarious a situation must sometimes occasion. Where the computed earnings of the greater part of manufacturers, accordingly, are nearly upon a level with

the day wages of common labourers, those of masons and bricklayers are generally from one half more to double those wages. [Classical Tripos, 1847.]

144. THE sentiments which he excited in the breasts of the spectators were various as the view they took of the events which had caused so great a change in the state of Athens since his last departure. The majority however regarded him as an injured man, the victim of the envy and animosity of his ambitious and turbulent rivals, who had first denied him an opportunity of vindicating his innocence, and then had misled the people to drive him into exile. "It was his misfortune rather than his fault, that he had been obliged to take refuge amongst the enemies of his country: who had shown by their treatment of him how little they believed his heart to be with them, how much they dreaded his unalterable attachment to Athens."

145.

[Magdalene College Scholarships, 1847.]

SURELY it is great injustice to impute the mischiefe contrived against worthy men, to their own proud carriage, or some other ill deserving. For though it often happen, that small vices do serve to counterpoise great vertues; (the sense of evill being more quick and lasting than of good) yet he shall bewray a very foolish malice, that, wanting other testimonie, will thinke it a part of wisedome, to finde good reason of the evills done to vertuous men, which oftentimes have no other cause than vertue itselfe. Eumenes, among many excellent qualities, was noted to be of singular courtesie, of a very sweet conversation among his friends, and carefull by all gentle meanes to winne their love, that seemed to beare

him any secret ill affection. It was his meere vertue that overthrew him, which even they that sought his life acknowledged, [Trinity Hall, 1847.]

146. Ir is with nations as with individuals. Nothing is so strong a tie of amity between nation and nation as correspondence in laws, customs, manners, and habits of life. They have more than the force of treaties in themselves. They are obligations written in the heart. They approximate men to men, without their knowledge, and sometimes against their intentions. The secret, unseen, but irrefragable bond of habitual intercourse, holds them together, even when their perverse and litigious nature sets them to equivocate, scuffle, and fight about the terms of their written obligations.

[Magdalene College, 1847.]

147. WE can never think of the elements, without reflecting upon the number of distinct uses which are consolidated in the same substance. The air supplies the lungs, supports fire, conveys sound, reflects light, diffuses smells, gives rain, wafts ships, bears up birds. 'Eέ ❝daros тà távra water, besides maintaining its own inhabitants, is the universal nourisher of plants, and through them of terrestrial animals; is the basis of their juices and fluids; dilutes their food; quenches their thirst, floats their burdens. Fire warms, dissolves, enlightens; is the great promoter of vegetation and life, if not necessary to the support of both. We might enlarge to almost any length we pleased, upon each of these uses; but it appears to me almost sufficient to state them. [Christ's College Voluntary Classical, 1847.]

148.

On the second day after his landing, and be

fore he had time for any thing, but to disperse some light-armed Arabs who molested his troops on their march, the clouds began to gather, and the heavens to appear with a fierce and threatening aspect. Towards evening rain began to fall, accompanied with violent wind: and the rage of the tempest increasing during the night, the soldiers, who had brought nothing ashore but their arms, remained exposed to all its fury, without tents, or shelter, or cover of any kind. The ground was soon so wet that they could not lie down on it: their camp, being in a low situation, was overflowed with water, and they sunk at every step to the ancles in mud: while the wind blew with such impetuosity, that, to prevent their falling, they were obliged to thrust their spears into the ground, and to support themselves by taking hold of them. [Jesus College, 1847.]

149. P. How say you, Hylas, can you see a thing which is at the same time unseen? H. No, that were a contradiction. P. Is it not as great a contradiction to talk of conceiving a thing which is unconceived? H. It is. P. The tree or house therefore which you think of is conceived by you? H. How should it be otherwise? P. And what is conceived is surely in the mind? H. Without question that which is conceived is in the mind. P. How then came you to say you conceived a house or tree existing independent and out of all minds whatever? H. That was, I own, an oversight. [St John's College, 1847.]

150. HE said, speaking of those persons who want not means to enquire, and abilities to judge, that it was not a greater happiness to inherit a good religion, than

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