ان S THE WORKS OF HANNAH MORE. successful progress which struck mankind with wonder, replied, that it was not so much owing to any superior strength of genius, as to an habit of patient thinking, laborious attention, and close application. We must, it is true, make some deductions for the humility of the speaker. Yet it is not overrating its value, to assert that industry is the sturdy and hard working pioneer, who by persevering labour removes obstructions, overcomes difficulties, clears intricacies, and thus facilitates the march, and aids the victories of genius. An exact habit of economy is of the same family with the two foregoing qualities; and like them is the prolific parent of a numerous off spring of virtues. For want of the early ingraftL ing of this practice on its only legitimate stock -a sound principle of integrity-may we not, in too many instances in subsequent life, almost apply to the fatal effects of domestic profuseness, what Tacitus observes of a lavish profligacy in the expenditure of public money-that an exchequer which is exhausted by prodigality will probably be replenished by crimes. It must however be observed that diligent care is to be exercised, that, together with the gradual formation of these and other useful habits, an adequate attention be employed to the forming of the judgment; to the framing such a sound constitution of mind, as shall supply the power of directing all the faculties of the understanding, and all the qualities of the heart, to keep their proper places and due bounds, to observe their just proportions, and maintain their right station, relation, order, and dependence. For instance, while the young person's mind is trained to those habits of attention and industry, which we have been recommending; great care must be used that her judgment be so enlightened as to enable her to form sound notions with regard to what is really worthy her attentive pursuit, without which discriminating power, application would only be actively misemployed; and ardour and industry would but serve to lead her more widely from the right road of truth. Without a correct judgment she would be wasting her activity on what was frivolous, or exhausting it on what was mischievous. Without that ardour and activity we have been recommending she might only be 'weaving spiders' webs;' with it, if destitute of judgment, she would be hatching cockatrices' eggs.' · Those who are early trained to scrupulous punctuality in the division of time, and an exactness to the hours of their childish business, will have learnt how much the economy of time is promoted by habits of punctuality, when they shall enter on the more important business of life. By getting one employment cleared away, exactly as the succeeding employment shall have a claim to be despatched, they will learn two things: that one business must not trench on the time which belongs to another business, and to set a value on those odd quarters of an hour, and even minutes which are so often lost between successive duties, for want of calculation, punctu-ness, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' ality and arrangement. A habit of punctuality is perhaps one of the earliest which the youthful mind may be made capable of receiving; and it is so connected with truth, with morals, and with the general good government of the mind, as to render it important that it should be brought into exercise on the smallest occasions. But I refrain from enlarging on this point as it will be discussed in another part of this work.* It requires perhaps still more sedulity to lay early the first foundation of those interior habits which are grounded on watchfulness against such faults as do not often betray themselves by breaking out into open excess; and which there would therefore be less discredit in judging. It should more particularly make a part of the first elements of education, to try to infuse into the mind that particular principle which stands in opposition to those evil tempers, to which the individual pupil is more immediately addicted. As it cannot be followed up too closely, so it can hardly be set about too early. May we not borrow an important illustration of this truth from the fabulous hero of the Grecian story? He who was one day to perform exploits, which should fill the earth with his renown, began by conquering in his infancy; and it was a preliminary to his delivering the world from monsters in his riper years, that he should set out by strangling the serpents in his cradle. VOL. I. * See Chapter on Definitions. 29 Again, if the judgment be not well informed as to the nature and true ends of temperance, the ill-instructed mind might be led into a superstitious reliance on the merits of self-denial; and resting in the letter of a few outward observances, without any consideration of the spirit of this christian virtue, might be led to infer that the kingdom of heaven was the abstinence from meat and drink,' and not ' peace, and righteous The same well ordered judgment will also be required in superintending and regulating the habit of economy; for extravagance being rather a relative than a positive term, the true art of regulating expense, is not to proportion it to the fashion, or to the opinion or practice of others, but to our own station and to our own circum. stances. Aristippus being accused of extravagance by one who was not rich, because he had given six crowns for a small fish, said to him, Why what would you have given ?'—' Twelve pence,' answered the other. Then,' replied Aristippus, our economy is equal; for six crowns are no more to me than twelve pence are to you.' It is the more important to enlighten the judg ment in this point, because so predominant is the control of custom and fashion, that men of unfixed principle are driven to borrow other peoples' judgment of them, before they can venture to determine whether they themselves are rich or happy. These vain slaves to human opinion do not so often say, How ought I to act? or, What ought I to spend ? as, What does the world think I ought to do? What do others think I ought to spend ? There is also a perpetual call for the interfe rence of the judgment in settling the true notion of what meekness is, before we can adopt the practice without falling into error. We must apprize those on whose minds we are inculcating this amiable virtue, of the broad line of disU u have here nothing to do) has been, that he was so severe a father as to have compelled his daughters, after he was blind, to read aloud to him, for his sole pleasure, Greek and Latin authors, of which they did not understand a word. But this is in fact nothing more than an instance of the strict domestic regulations of the age in which Milton lived; and should not be brought forward as a proof of the severity of his individual temper. Nor indeed in any case should it tinction between Christian meekness and that | character (for with his political character we well-bred tone and gentle manner which passes current for it in the world. We must teach them also to distinguish between an humble opinion of our own ability to judge, and servile dereliction of truth and principle, in order to purchase the poor praise of indiscriminate compliance and yielding softness. We must lead them to distinguish accurately between honesty and obstinacy, between perseverance and perverseness, between firmness and prejudice. We must convince them that it is not meekness, but base-ever be considered as an hardship for an affecness, when through a dishonest dread of offending the prosperous, or displeasing the powerful, we forbear to recommend, or refuse to support, those whom it is our duty to recommend or to support. That it is selfishness and not meekness, when through fear of forfeiting any portion of our reputation, or risking our own favour with others, we refuse to bear our testimony to suspected worth or discredited virtue.* CHAP. VII. Filial obedience not the character of the age.-A comparison with the preceding age in this respect.-Those who cultivate the mind advised to study the nature of the soil.-Unpromising children often make strong characters.-Teachers too apt to devote their pains almost exclusively to children of parts. tionate child to amuse an afflicted parent, even though it should be attended with a heavier sacrifice of her own pleasure than that produced in the present instance.* It Is the author then inculcating the harsh doctrine of paternal austerity? By no means. drives the gentle spirit to artifice, and the rugged to despair. It generates deceit and cunning, the most hopeless and hateful in the whole catalogue of female failings. Ungoverned anger in the teacher, and inability to discriminate between venial errors and premeditated offence, though they may lead a timid creature to hide wrong tempers, or to conceal bad actions, will other. The dread of severity will drive terrified not help her to subdue the one or correct the children to seek, not for reformation, but for impunity. A readiness to forgive them promotes frankness: and we should, above all things, encourage them to be frank, in order to come at their faults. They have not more faults for being open, they only discover more; and to know the worst of the character we have to regulate will enable us to make it better. Discipline, however, is not cruelty, and restraint is not severity. A discriminating teacher will appreciate the individual character of each pupil, in order to appropriate her management. We must strengthen the feeble, while we repel the bold. We cannot educate by a re AMONG the real improvements of modern times, and they are not a few, it is to be feared that the growth of filial obedience cannot be included. Who can for bear observing and regretting in a variety of instances, that not only sons but daughters have adopted something of that spirit of independence, and disdain of control, which characterize the times? And is it not too generally obvious that domestic manners are not slightly tinctured with the prevailing hueceipt; for after studying the best rules, and of public principles? The rights of man have been discussed, till we are somewhat wearied with the discussion. To these have been opposed, as the next stage in the progress of illumination, and with more presumption than prudence, the rights of women. It follows, accord. ing to the natural progression of human things, that the next influx of that irradiation which our enlighteners are pouring in upon us, will illuminate the world with grave descants on the rights of youth, the rights of children, the rights of babies! This revolutionary spirit in families suggests the remark, that among the faults with which it had been too much the fashion of recent times to load the memory of the incomparable Milton, one of the charges brought against his private after digesting them into the best system, much must depend on contingent circumstances, for that which is good may yet be inapplicable. The cultivator of the human mind must, like the gardener, study diversities of soil, or he may plant diligently and water faithfully with little fruit. The skilful labourer knows that even where the surface is not particularly promising, there is often a rough strong ground which will amply repay the trouble of breaking it up; yet we are often most taken with a soft surface, though it conceal a shallow depth, because it promises present reward and little trouble. But strong and pertinacious tempers, of which per *In spite of this too prevailing spirit, and at a time when, by an inverted state of society, sacrifices of ease and pleasure are rather exacted by children from parents, than required by parents from children, numberless in*To this criminal timidity, madame de Maintenon, a stances might be adduced of filial affection truly honourwoman of parts and piety, sacrificed the ingenious and able to the present period. And the author records with amiable Racine; whom, while she had taste enough to pleasure, that she has seen amiable young ladies of high admire, she had not the generosity to defend, when the rank conducting the steps of a blind but illustrious paroyal favour was withdrawn from him. A still darker rent with true filial fondness; and has often contemplacloud hangs over her fame, on account of the selfish neuted, in another family, the interesting attentions of trality she maintained in not interposing her good offices between the resentments of the king and the sufferings of the Hugunots. It is a heavy aggravation of her fault, that she herself had been educated in the faith of these persecuted people daughters who were both hands and eyes to an infirm and nearly blind father. It is but justice to repeat that these examples are not taken from that middle rank of life which Milton filled, but from the daughters of the highest officers in the state. E haps obstinacy is the leading vice, under skilful management often turn out steady and sterling characters; while from softer clay a firm and vigorous virtue is but seldom produced. Pertinacity is often principle, which wants nothing but to be led to its true object; while the uniformly yielding, and universally accommodating spirit, is not seldom the result of a feeble tone of morals, of a temper eager for praise and acting for reward. But these revolutions in character cannot be effected by a mere education. Plutarch had observed that the medical science would never be brought to perfection till poisons should be converted into physic. What our late improvers in natural science have done in the medical world, by converting the most deadly ingredients into instruments of life and health, Christianity with a sort of divine alchymy has effected in the mo. ral world, by that transmutation which makes those passions which have been working for sin become active in the cause of religion. The violent temper of Saul of Tarsus, which was 'exceedingly mad' against the saints of God, did God see fit to convert into that burning zeal which enabled Paul the apostle to labour so un. remittingly for the conversion of the gentile world. Christianity indeed does not so much give us new affections or faculties, as give a new direction to those we already have. She changes that sorrow of the world which worketh death into 'godly sorrow which worketh repentance.' She changes our anger against the persons we dislike into hatred of their sins. The fear of man which worketh a snare,' she transmutes into that fear of God which worketh salvation.' That religion does not extinguish the passions, but only alters their object, the animated expressions of the fervid apostle confirm-Yea, what fearfulness; yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what indignation; yea, what fear; yea, what vehement desire; yea, what zeal; yea, what revenge.* · they may enjoy at the present, lest they should be taken out of the world without having tasted any of its delights. But a slight degree of observation would prove that this is an error in judgment as well as in principle. For omitting any considerations respecting their future welfare, and entering only into their immediate interests; it is an indisputable fact that children who know no control, whose faults encounter no contradiction, and whose humours experience constant indulgence, grow more irritable and capricious, invent wants, create desires, lose all relish for the pleasures which they know they may reckon upon; and become perhaps more miserable than even those unfortunate children who labour under the more obvious and more commiserated misfortune of suffering under the tyranny of unkind parents. An early habitual restraint is peculiarly important to the future character and happiness of women. A judicious, unrelaxing, but steady and gentle curb on their tempers and passions can alone insure their peace and establish their principles. It is a habit which cannot be adopted too soon, nor persisted in too pertinaciously. They should when very young be inured to contradiction. Instead of hearing their bon mots treasured up and repeated till the guests are tired, and till the children begin to think it dull, when they themselves are not the little heroines of the theme, they should be accustomed to receive but moderate praise for their vivacity or their wit, though they should receive just commendation for such qualities as have more worth than splendour. Patience, diligence, quiet, and unfatigued perseverance, industry, regularity, and economy of time, as these are the dispositions I would la bour to excite, so these are the qualities I would warmly commend. So far from admiring genius, or extolling its prompt effusions, I would rather intimate that excellence, to a certain degree, is in the power of every competitor: that Thus, by some of the most troublesome pas- it is the vanity of over-valuing herself for sup sions of our nature being converted by the bless-posed original powers, and slackening exertion ing of God on a religious education to the side of virtue, a double purpose is effected. Because it is the character of the passions never to observe a neutrality. If they are no longer rebels, they become auxiliaries; and the accession of strength is doubled, because a foe subdued is an ally obtained. For it is the effect of religion on the passions, that when she siezes the enemy's garrison, she does not content herself with defeating its future mischiefs, she does not destroy the works, she does not burn the arsenal and spike the cannon; but the artillery she seizes, she turns to her own use; she attacks in her turn, and plants its whole force against an enemy from whom she has taken it. But while I would deprecate harshness, I would enforce discipline; and that not merely on the ground of religion, but of happiness also. One reason, not seldom brought forward by tender but mistaken mothers as an apology for an unbounded indulgence, especially to weakly children, is, that they probably will not live to enjoy the world when grown up, and that therefore they would not abridge the little pleasure * 2 Corinthians, vii. 1. in consequence of that vanity, which often leave the lively ignorant, and the witty superficial.— A girl who overhears her mother tell the company that she is a genius, and is so quick, that she never thinks of applying to her task till a few minutes before she is to be called to repeat it, will acquire such a confidence in her own abilities, that she will be advancing in conceit as she is falling short in knowledge. Whereas, if she were made to suspect that her want of application rather indicated a deficiency than a superiority in her understanding, she would become industrious in proportion as she became modest; and by thus adding the diligence of the humble to the talents of the ingenious, she might really attain a degree of excellence, which mere quickness of parts, too lazy, because too proud to apply, seldom attains. Girls should be led to distrust their own judg ment; they should learn not to murmur at expostulation; they should be accustomed to expect and to endure opposition. It is a lesson with which the world will not fail to furnish them; and they will not practise it the worse for having learnt it the sooner. It is of the last im forgive his persecutors, to love his enemies, to pray for his murderers with his last breath;these are things which, while they compel us to cry out with the centurion, Truly this was the Son of God,' should remind us, that they are not only adorable but imitable parts of his character. These are not speculative and barren doctrines which he came to preach to Christians, but liv. symbols of their profession; tests of their disci. pleship. These are perfections which we are not barely to contemplate with holy awe and dis. tant admiration, as if they were restricted to the divine nature of our Redeemer; but we must consider them as suited to the human nature also, which he condescended to participate. In contemplating, we must imitate; in admiring we must practise; and in our measure and degree go and do likewise. Elevate your thoughts for one moment to this standard (and you should never allow yourself to be contented with a low. er) and then go, if you can, and teach your chil dren to be mild, and soft, and gentle on worldly grounds, on human motives, as an external attraction, as a decoration to their sex, as an appendage to their rank, as an expression of their good breeding. portance to their happiness, even in this life, | that they should early acquire a submissive temper and a forbearing spirit. They must endure to be thought wrong sometimes, when they cannot but feel they are right. And while they should be anxiously aspiring to do well, they must not expect always to obtain the praise of having done so. But while a gentle demeanour is inculcated, let them not be instructed to prac-ing duties which he meant to entail on them; tise gentleness merely on the low ground of its being decorous, and feminine, and pleasing, and calculated to attract human favour: but let them be carefully taught to cultivate it on the high principle of obedience to Christ; on the practical ground of labouring after conformity to HIM, who, when he proposed himself as a perfect pattern of imitation, did not say, learn of me, for I am great, or wise, or mighty, but learn of me, for I am meek and lowly and who graciously promised that the reward should accompany the practice, by encouragingly adding, and ye shall find rest to your souls. Do not teach them humility on the ordinary ground that vanity is unamiable, and that no one will love them if they are proud; for that will only go to correct the exterior, and make them soft and smiling hypocrites. But inform them, that 'God resisteth the proud,' while them that are meek he shall guide in judgment, and such as are gentle, them shall he teach his way.' In these as in all other cases, an habitual attention to the motives should be carefully substituted in their young hearts, in the place of too much anxiety about the event of actions. Principles, aims, and intentions should be invariably insisted on, as the only true ground of right practice, and they should be carefully guarded against too much solicitude for that human praise which attaches to appearances as much as to realities, to success more than to desert. There is a custom among teachers, which is not the more right for being common; they are apt to bestow an undue proportion of pains on children of the best capacity, as if only geniuses were worthy of attention. They should reflect that in moderate talents, carefully cultivated, we are perhaps to look for the chief happiness and virtue of society. If superlative genius had been generally necessary, its existence would not have been so rare; for Omnipotence could easily have made those talents common which we now consider as extraordinary, had they been necessary to the perfection of his plan. Besides, Let me repeat, without incurring the censure while we are conscientiously instructing chilof tautology, that it will be of vast importance dren of moderate capacity, it is a comfort to renot to let slip the earliest occasions of working flect, that if no labour will raise them to a high gentle manners into an habit on their only true degree in the scale of intellectual distinction, foundation, Christian meekness. For this pur-yet they may be led on to perfection in that road pose I would again urge your calling in the ex-in which a wayfaring man, though simple shall ample of our Redeemer in aid of his precepts. not err.' And when a mother feels disposed to Endeavour to make your pupil feel that all the repine that her family is not likely to exhibit a wonders exhibited in his life do not so over- group of future wits and growing beauties, let whelm the awakened heart with rapture, love, her console herself by looking abroad into the and astonishment, as the perpetual instances of world, where she will quickly perceive that the his humility and meekness, with which the Gos- monopoly of happiness is not engrossed by pel abounds. Stupendous miracles, exercises of beauty, nor that of virtue by genius. infinite power prompted by infinite mercy, are actions which we should naturally enough conceive as growing out of omnipotence and divine perfection: but silence under cruel mockings, patience under reproach, gentleness of demeanor under unparalleled injuries; these are perfections of which unassisted nature not only has no conception in a Divine Being, but at which it would revolt, had not the reality been exemplified by our perfect pattern. Healing the sick, feeding the multitude, restoring the blind, raising the dead, are deeds of which we could form some adequate idea, as necessarily flowing from Almighty goodness: but to wash his disciples' feet-to preach the Gospel to the poor-to renounce not only ease, for that heroes have done on human motives-but to renounce praise, to Perhaps mediocrity of parts was decreed to be the ordinary lot, by way of furnishing a stimulus to industry, and strengthening the motives to virtuous application. For is it not ob vious that moderate abilities, carefully carried to that measure of perfection of which they are capable, often enables their possessors to outstrip, in the race of knowledge and of usefulness, their more brilliant but less persevering competitors? It is with mental endowments, as with other rich gifts of Providence; the inhabitant of the luxuriant southern clime, where nature has done every thing in the way of vegetation, indolently lays hold on this very plea of fertility which should animate his exertions, as a reason for doing nothing himself; so that the soil which teems with such encouraging abun her THE WORKS OF HANNAH MORE. dance leaves the favoured possessor idle, and, comparatively poor: whilst the native of the less genial region, supplying by his labours the In deficiencies of his lot, overtakes his more favoured competitor; by substituting industry for da opulence, he improves the riches of his native dland beyond that which is blessed with warmer Circa suns, and thus vindicates Providence from the to ex charge of partial distribution. 日飯 Apollos water, but it is God must give the in- It is one grand object to give the young probationer just and sober views of the world on which she is about to enter. Instead of making A girl who has docility will seldom be found her bosom bound at the near prospect of emanto want understanding sufficient for all the pur- cipation from her instructors; instead of teachposes of an useful, a happy, and a pious life. ing her young heart to dance with premature And it is as wrong for parents to set out with flutterings as the critical winter draws near in too sanguine a dependence on the figure their which she is to come out; instead of raising a children are to make in life, as it is unreason- tumult in her busy imagination at the approach able to be discouraged at every disappointment. of her first grown up ball, an event held out as Want of success is so far from furnishing a mo- forming the first grand epocha of a female life, tive for relaxing their energy that it is a reason as the period from which a fresh computation, for redoubling it. Let them suspect their own fixing the pleasures and independence of woplans, and reform them; let them distrust their manhood, is to be dated; instead of this, endea own principles, and correct them. The gene- vour to convince her, the world will not turn out rality of parents do too little; some do much, to be that scene of unvarying and never-ending and miss their reward, because they look not to delights which she has perhaps been led to exany strength beyond their own: after much is pect, not only from the sanguine temper and done, much will remain undone : for the entire warm spirits natural to youth, but from the regulation of the heart and affections is not the value she has seen put on those showy accomwork of education alone, but is effected by the plishments which have too probably been fitting operation of divine grace. Will it be account- her for her exhibition in life. Teach her that ed enthusiasm to suggest, that the fervent this world is not a stage for the display of supereffectual prayer of a righteous parent availeth ficial or even of shining talent, but for the strict much?' and to observe that perhaps the reason and sober exercise of fortitude, temperance, why so many anxious mothers fail of success is, meekness, faith, diligence, and self-denial; of because they repose with confidence in their own her due performance of which Christian graces, skill and labour, neglecting to look to Him with- angels will be spectators, and God the judge. out whose blessing they do but labour in vain? Teach her that human life is not a splendid roOn the other hand, is it not to be feared that mance, spangled over with brilliant adventures, some pious parents have fallen into an error of and enriched with extraordinary occurrences, an opposite kind? From a full conviction that and diversified with wonderful incidents; lead human endeavours are vain, and that it is God her not to expect that it will abound with scenes alone who can change the heart, they are which will call extraordinary qualities and wonearnest in their prayers, but not so earnest derful powers into perpetual action; and for in their endeavours.-Such parents should be which, if she acquit herself well, she will be reminded, that if they do not add their exer- rewarded with proportionate fame and certain tions to their prayers, their children are not commendation. But apprize her that human likely to be more benefited than the children life is a true history, many passages of which of those who do not add their prayers to their will be dull, obscure, and uninteresting; some exertions. What God has joined, let no man perhaps tragical; but that whatever gay incipresume to separate. It is the work of God, we dents and pleasing scenes may be interspersed readily acknowledge, to implant religion in the in the progress of the piece, yet, finally 'one heart, and to maintain it there as a ruling prin- event happeneth to all :' to all there is one awful ciple of conduct. And is it not the same God and infallible catastrophe. Apprize her that which causes the corn to grow? Are not our the estimation which mankind forms of merit natural lives constantly preserved by His power? is not always just, nor is its praise very exactly Who will deny that in Him we live, and move, proportioned to desert; tell her that the world and have our being? But how are these works weighs actions in far different scales from the of God carried on? By means which he has ap- | balance of the sanctuary,, and estimates worth pointed. By the labour of the husbandman the corn is made to grow; by food the body is sustained; and by religious instruction God is pleased to work upon the human heart. But unless we diligently plough, and sow, and weed, and manure, have we any right to depend on the refreshing showers and ripening suns of heaven for the blessing of an abundant harvest? As far as we see the ways of God, all his works are carried on by means. It becomes, therefore, our duty to use the means, and trust in God; to remember that God will not work without the means; and that the means can effect nothing without his blessing. Paul may plant, and 29* by a far different standard from that of the Gospel. Apprize her that while her purest intentions may be sometimes calumniated, and her best actions misrepresented, she will on the other hand, be liable to receive commendation on occasions wherein her conscience will tell her she has not deserved it; and that she may be extolled by others for actions for which, if she be honest, she will condemn herself. Do not, however, give her a gloomy and discouraging picture of the world, but rather seek And restrain the imto give her a just and sober view of the part she will have to act in it. petuosity or hope, and cool the ardour of expec |