paration of any kind. A person of this character, though he may sometimes, by the favour of fortune, be successful, will far more frequently be betrayed by his rashness into fatal and irretrievable errors. In a just medium between the timidity which overrates difficulties, and the rashness which overlooks them, lies that spirit of judicious énterprise, which, while it foresees dangers and difficulties in their full magnitude, has at once boldness to encounter, and prudence to guard against them. This quality, combined with Perseverance, forms the truly useful and efficient character, and when aided by distinguished talents and directed to important ends, may be, as it often has been, the means of conferring on mankind the most signal services.*

IV. A fourth quality of great use in the prosecution of our active duties, is Despatch, or the habit of resolving and acting with promptitude. Some persons are subject to such indecision of mind, that they often lose in deliberation the time that should be employed in action. They are frequently kept in a state of

* A fine example of both these qualities is afforded in the character of Columbus. See Robertson's History of America. Book II.

painful suspense, hesitating between two courses of conduct which seem equally eligible, and to which their choice alternately inclines, without finally fixing upon either, till at last the opportunity for action is lost, or the alternative no longer remains. But the man of promptitude determines at once. He lets no interval elapse between the intermission of one employment and the commencement of another, and his resolutions are always followed up by immediate action. In every emergence, he perceives, with short deliberation, the course to be pursued, and enters upon it with an energy which admits of no delay. The advantage thus gained in the saving and improvement of time, is beyond calculation. Those little intervals of time which the man of dilatory habits consumes in deliberation or inaction, amount in the aggregate to a startling sum: and though the behaviour of these two characters may not, at first view, strike us as widely dissimilar, yet if we examine the results of their respective labour after the lapse of any considerable period, we shall find a manifest and most surprising difference.

V. To these active qualities we may, lastly,

add the power of fixing the attention to the employment in which we are engaged. Some persons are subject to a certain roving and desultory turn of mind, which deprives them of all command over the current of their thoughts. They suffer their attention to be led astray by every idle fancy that presents itself. A thousand vague imaginations fill their minds, and divert their faculties from that which ought to employ them. A mind of this description must evidently unfit us for engaging with effect in the active business of life. Unless we resolutely compel our minds to abandon all unprofitable trains of thought, and concentrate all our faculties on the task before us, we shall assuredly attain but little success in any of our undertakings, and very imperfectly discharge the duties of our station.

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CHAP. II.

GENERAL DUTIES OF RESTRAINT.

Were human nature free from any propensity to what is evil, the foregoing precepts which point out what duty requires to be done, might be sufficient for our guidance. But this is evidently not the case. We are subject, by nature, to several passions and propensities, which powerfully actuate us independently of all considerations of duty. Desires and aversions, hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, attachments and dislikes, continually, in turn, possess our breasts, furnishing continual incitements to action, and abundant sources of happiness or woe. These feelings, moreover, are liable to various excesses and irregularities, which call for the restraining and correcting hand of reason. They are often excited by unworthy objects; they sometimes arise from good or evil which has no existence but in our own imaginations; or if their objects be real and legitimate, they sometimes exceed, they some

times fall short of that degree which reason approves. It is in pointing out these excesses and irregularities of our natural passions, and in teaching their due government, that the precepts of morality are chiefly employed; and as the precepts to be given for this purpose consist rather in prohibitions than commands, pointing out what is to be avoided or forborne more than what is to be done, the duties now to be considered may, for that reason, be distinguished from the foregoing by the name of Negative Duties, or Duties of Restraint. For the complete investigation of this class of duties, it is necessary to consider each affection and passion of our nature separately, in order to show the excesses to which it is liable, and the errors to which it may lead. Before, however, we proceed to the particular regulation of each active principle, our attention is required to certain general rules of restraint, which are applicable to all of them collectively, and which may be ranged under the four heads of Prudence, Justice, Veracity, and Moderation.