fill up the life of man.

Health and peace a moderate fortune and

a few friends sum up the clements of earthly felicity.

II. Sensuality contaminates the body depresses the understanding deadens the moral feelings and degrades man from his rank in creation. The path of piety and virtue pursued with a firm and constant spirit will assuredly lead to happiness. Peace of mind being secured we may smile at misfortunes. To say the least they have betrayed great want of prudence.

III. Continue my dear child to make virtue thy principal study. To you my worthy benefactors am I indebted under Providence for all I enjoy. Come then companions of my toils let us take fresh courage persevere and hope to the end. Hope the balm of life soothes us under every misfortune. The patriarch Joseph is an illustrious example of chastity resignation and filial affection.

IV. He who is a stranger to industry may possess but he cannot enjoy. The goods of this world were given to man for his occasional refreshment not for his chief felicity. Though unavoidable calamities make a part yet they make not the chief part of the vexations and sorrows which distress human life.

V. Be assured then that order frugality and economy are the necessary supports of every personal and private virtue. I proceed secondly to point out the proper state of our temper with respect to one another. Gentleness is in truth the great avenue to mutual enjoyment. I shall make some observations first on the external and next on the internal condition of man.

VI. Vice is not of such a nature that we can say to it hitherto shalt thou come and no further. One of the noblest Christian virtues is to love our enemies. Many too confidently say to themselves my mountain stands strong and shall never be removed. We are strictly enjoined not to follow a multitude to do evil.

SECTION II.

SEMICOLON.

I. When a sentence consists of two parts, the one complete in itself, and the other added as an inference, or to give some explanation, they are separated by a semicolon; as, Economy is no disgrace; for it is better to live on a little, than to outlive a great deal.'

A semicolon is sometimes put between two clauses, which have no necessary dependence upon each other: as, 'Straws swim at the surface; but pearls lie at the bottom.'

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II. When a sentence consists of several members, each containing a distinct proposition, yet having a dependence upon some common clause, they are separated by semicolons; as, Philosophers assert that Nature is unlimited in her operations; that she has inexhaustible treasures in reserve; that knowledge will always be progressive; and that all future generations will continue to make discoveries, of which we have not the slightest idea.'

EXERCISES.

Supply the points omitted in the following sentences:I. The passions are the chief destroyers of our peace the storms and tempests of the moral world. Heaven is the region of gentleness and friendship hell of fierceness and animosity. The path of truth is a plain and safe path that of falsehood is a perplexing maze. Levity is frequently the forced production of folly or vice cheerfulness is the natural offspring of wisdom and virtue.

II. That darkness of character where we can see no heart those foldings of art through which no native affection is allowed to penetrate present an object unamiable in every season of life but particularly odious in youth. To give an early preference to honour above gain when they stand in competition to despise every advantage which cannot be attained without dishonest arts to brook no meanness and to stoop to no dissimulation are the indications of a great mind the presages of future eminence and usefulness in life. As there is a worldly happiness which God perceives to be no other than disguised misery as there are worldly honours which in his estimation are reproach so there is a worldly wisdom which in his sight is foolishness.

SECTION III.

COLON.

I. When a sentence consists of two parts, the one complete in itself, and the other containing an additional remark, the sense but not the syntax of which depends

on the former, they are separated by a colon; as, Study to acquire a habit of thinking: no study is more important.'

II. When the sense of several members of a sentence, which are separated from each other by semicolons, depends on the last clause, that clause is generally separated from the others by colon; as, 'A divine legislator uttering his voice from heaven; an almighty governor stretching forth his arm to reward or punish; informing us of perpetual rest prepared hereafter for the righteous, and of indignation and misery awaiting the wicked: these are considerations which overawe the world, support integrity, and check guilt.'

III. When an example or a quotation is introduced, it is sometimes separated from the rest of the sentence by a colon; as, 'He was often heard to say: "I have done with the world, and I am willing to leave it.”

EXERCISES.

Supply the points omitted in the following sentences:

I. Virtue is too lovely to be immured in a cell the world is the sphere of her action. Do not flatter yourself with the hope of perfect happiness there is no such thing in the world. The three great enemies to tranquillity are vice superstition and idleness vice which poisons and disturbs the mind with bad passions superstition which fills it with imaginary terrors idleness which loads it with tediousness and disgust.

II. If he has not been unfaithful to his king if he has not proved a traitor to his country if he has never given cause for such charges as have been preferred against him why then is he afraid to confront his accusers? By acquiring an humble trust in the mercy and favour of God through Jesus Christ by doing or at least endeavouring to do our duty to God and man by cultivating our minds and properly employing our time and thoughts by governing our passions and our temper by correcting all unreasonable expectations from the world and in the midst of worldly business habituating ourselves to calm retreat and serious reflection by such means as these it may be hoped that through the divine blessing our days shall flow in a stream as unruffled as the human state admits.

B

III. All our conduct towards men should be influenced by this important precept "Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you." Philip III. king of Spain when he drew near the end of his days seriously reflecting on his past life and greatly affected with the remembrance of his mispent time expressed his deep regret in these terms "Ah how happy would it have been for me had I spent these twenty-three years that I have held my kingdom in retirement."

SECTION IV.

PERIOD.

I. The period marks the end of a sentence, unless it is interrogative or exclamatory; as, Cultivate the love of truth.'

II. The period is used after abbreviations; as, 'K. C. B., Knight Commander of the Bath.'

EXERCISES.

Supply the points omitted in the following passages:~ I. The absence of evil is a real good peace quiet and exemption from pain should be a continual feast.

The resources of virtue remain entire when the days of trouble come they remain with us in sickness as in health in poverty as in the midst of riches in our dark and solitary hours no less than when surrounded with friends and cheerful society the mind of a good man is a kingdom to him and he can always enjoy it.

If we look around us we shall perceive that the whole universe is full of active powers action is indeed the genius of nature by motion and exertion the system of being is preserved in vigour by its different parts always acting in subordination one to another the perfection of the whole is carried on the heavenly bodies perpetually revolve day and night incessantly repeat their appointed course continual operations are going on in the earth and in the waters nothing stands still.

II. Constantine the Great was advanced to the sole dominion of the Roman empire a D 325 and soon after openly professed the Christian faith.

The letter concludes with this remarkable postscript "PS

Though I am innocent of the charge and have been bitterly persecuted yet I cordially forgive my enemies and persecutors." The last edition of that valuable work was carefully compared with the original MS.

SECTION V.

POINT OF INTERROGATION, &c.

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The point of Interrogation is used after sentences which ask questions; as, Who will accompany me?' The point of Exclamation is used after expressions of emotion; as, ' O Peace! how desirable thou art !' The Dash is used to mark a break or abrupt turn in a sentence; as,

'Here lies the great-False marble, where? Nothing but sordid dust lies here.'

The Parenthesis is used to enclose an explanatory clause or member of a sentence, not absolutely necessary to the sense, but useful in explaining it, or introducing an important idea; as,

Know then this truth (enough for man to know), Virtue alone is happiness below.'

EXERCISES.

Supply the points omitted in the following passages:We wait till to-morrow to be happy alas why not to-day Shall we be younger Are we sure we shall be healthier Will our passions become feebler and our love of the world less

Beauty and strength combined with virtue and piety how lovely in the sight of men how pleasing to Heaven peculiarly pleasing because with every temptation to deviate they voluntarily walk in the path of duty

On the one hand are the divine approbation and immortal honour on the other remember and beware are the stings of conscience and endless infamy

As in riper years all unseasonable returns to the levity of youth ought to be avoided an admonition which equally belongs to both