14. As he was going on with his powerful demonstrations, the judge, in a surprise of soul, stopped him. "Where did you come from, and who are you?"

"I came from Westminster Hall," replied the miller;" my name is Matthew Hale. I am lord chief justice of the King's Bench. I have observed the iniquity of your proceedings this day; therefore, come down from a seat which you are no ways worthy to hold. You are one of the corrupt parties in this iniquitous business. I will come up this moment and try the cause all over again."

He

15. Accordingly, Sir Matthew went up, with his miller's dress and hat on, began the trial from its very commencement, and searched every circumstance of truth and falsehood. evinced the elder brother's title to the estate, from the contradictory evidence of the witnesses, and the false reasoning of the pleaders; unravelied all the sophistry to the very bottom, and gained a complete victory in favor of truth and justice.

LESSON CXIV.

On Happiness.-Sterne.

1. THE great pursuit of man is after happiness; it is the first and strongest desire of his nature;-in every stage of his life he searches for it as for hid treasure; courts it under a thousand different shapes; and, though perpetually disappointedstill persists-runs after and inquires for it afresh-asks every passenger who comes in his way, Who will show him any good;"-who will assist him in the attainment of it, or direct him to the discovery of this great end of all his wishes?

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2. He is told by one to search for it among the more gay and youthful pleasures of life; in scenes of mirth and sprightliness, where happiness ever presides, and is ever to be known by the joy and laughter which he will see at once painted in her looks.

3. A second, with a graver aspect, points out to him the costly dwelling which pride and extravagance have erected, tells the inquirer that the object he is in search of inhabits there, that happiness lives only in company with the great, in the midst of much pomp and outward state. That he will easily find her out by the coat of many colors she has on, and the great luxury and expense of equipage and furniture with which she always sits surrounded.

4. The miser wonders how any one would mislead and wilful ly put him upon so wrong a scent-convinces him that happiness and extravagance never inhabited under the same roof;—that,

if he would not be disappointed in his search, he must look into the plain and thrifty dwelling of the prudent man, who knows and understands the worth of money, and cautiously lays it up against an evil hour. That it is not the prostitution of wealth upon the passions, or the parting with it at all, that constitutes happiness but that it is the keeping it together, and the having and holding it fast to him and his heirs for ever, which are the chief attributes that form this great idol of human worship, to which so much incense is offered up every day.

5. The epicure,* though he easily rectifies so gross a mistake, yet, at the same time, he plunges him, if possible, into a greater; for, hearing the object of his pursuit to be happiness, and knowing of no other happiness than what is seated immediately in his senses he sends the inquirer there; tells him it is in vain to search elsewhere for it, than where nature herself has placed it-in the indulgence and gratification of the appetites, which are given us for that end: and in a word-if he will not take his opinion in the matter-he may trust the word of a much wiser man, who has assured us that there is nothing better in this world, than that a man should eat and drink, and rejoice in his works, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor-for that is his portion.

6. To rescue him from this brutal experiment-ambition takes him by the hand and carries him into the world-shows him all the kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of thempoints out the many ways of advancing his fortune, and raising himself to honor-lays before his eyes all the charms and be witching temptations of power, and asks if there be any happiness in this world like that of being caressed, courted, flattered, and followed.

7. To close all, the philosopher meets him bustling in the full career of his pursuits-stops him-tells him, if he is in search of happiness, he is gone far out of his way :-That this deity has long been banished from noise and tumults, where there was no rest found for her, and has fled into solitude, far from all commerce of the world; and, in a word, if he would find her, he must leave this busy and intriguing scene, and go back to that peaceful scene of retirement and books, from which he first set out.

8. In this circle, too often does a man run, tries all experiments, and generally sits down wearied and dissatisfied with them all at last-in utter despair of ever accomplishing what

✦ Epicure, one excessively fond of eating and drinking.

he wants not knowing what to trust to after so many disap pointments or where to lay the fault; whether in the incapa city of his own nature, or the insufficiency of the enjoyments themselves.

9. There is hardly any subject more exhausted, or which, at one time or other, has afforded more matter for argument and declamation, than this one, of the insufficiency of our enjoyments Scarce a reformed sensualist, from Solomon down to our own days, who has not in some fits of repentance or disappointment uttered some sharp reflection upon the emptiness of human pleasure, and of the vanity of vanities which discovers itself in all the pursuits of mortal man.

10. And though in our pilgrimage through this world-some of us may be so fortunate as to meet with some clear fountains by the way, that may cool for a few moments the heat of this great thirst of happiness-yet our Saviour, who knew the world, though he enjoyed but little of it, tells us, that whosoever drinketh of this water will thirst again; and we all find by experience, that it is so, and by reason, that it always must be so.

LESSON CXV.

On Sincerity.-TILLOTSON.

any

1. TRUTH and sincerity have all the advantages of appearance and many more. If the show of any thing be good for any thing, I am sure the reality is better; for why does man dissemble, or seem to be that which he is not, but because he thinks it good to have the qualities he pretends to? For to counterfeit and dissemble, is to put on the appearance of some real excellency.

2. Now, the best way for a man to seem to be any thing, is really to be what he would seem to be. Besides, it is often as troublesome to support the pretence of a good quality, as to have it; and if a man have it not, it is most likely he will be discovered to want it, and then all his labor to seem to have it is lost. There is something unnatural in painting, which a skilful eye will easily discern from native beauty and complexion.

3. It is hard to personate and act a part long; for where truth is not at the bottom, nature will always be endeavoring to return, and will betray herself at one time or other. Therefore, if any man think it convenient to seem good, let him be so indeed, and then his goodness will appear to every one's satis faction; for truth is convincing, and carries its own light and

evidence along with it, and will not only commend us to every man's conscience, but which is much more, to God, who searcheth our hearts. So that upon all accounts sincerity is true wisdom.

4. Especially as to the affairs of this world, sincerity hath many advantages over all the artificial modes of dissimulation and deceit. It is much the plainer and easier, much the safer and more secure way of dealing in the world: it has less of trouble and difficulty, of entanglement and perplexity, of danger and hazard, in it; it is the shortest and nearest way to our end, carrying us thither in a straight line, and will hold out and last longest.

5. The arts of deceit and cunning continually grow weaker and less effectual and serviceable to those that practise them; whereas integrity gains strength by use, and the more and longer any man practiseth it, the greater service it does him, by confirming his reputation, and encouraging those with whom he hath to do, to repose the greatest confidence in him, which is an unspeakable advantage in business and the affairs of life.

6. A dissembler must always be upon his guard and watch himself carefully, that he do not contradict his own pretensions; for he acts an unnatural part, and therefore must put a continual force and restraint upon himself. Whereas he that acts sincerely hath the easiest task in the world; because he follows nature, and so is put to no trouble and care about his words and actions; he needs not invent any pretences beforehand, nor make excuses afterwards, for any thing he hath said or done.

7. But insincerity is very troublesome to manage; a hypocrite has so many things to attend to, as make his life a very perplexed and intricate thing. A liar hath need of a good memory, lest he contradict at one time what he said at another; but truth is always consistent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out; it is always near at hand, and sits upon our lips; whereas a lie is troublesome, and needs a great many more to make it good.

8. Add to all this, that sincerity is the most compendious wisdom, and an excellent instrument for the speedy despatch of business. It creates confidence in those we have to deal with, saves the labor of many inquiries, and brings things to an issue in a few words. It is like travelling in a plain beaten road, which commonly brings a man sooner to his journey's end, than by-ways, in which men often lose themselves.

9. In a word, whatsoever convenience may be thought to be in falsehood and dissimulation, it is soon over; but the incon

venience of it is perpetual, because it brings a man under an everlasting jealousy and suspicion, so that he is not believed when he speaks truth, nor trusted when perhaps he means honestly. When a man hath once forfeited the reputation of his integrity, nothing will then serve his turn, neither truth nor falsehood.

10. Indeed, if a man were only to deal in the world for a day, and should never have occasion to converse more with mankind, never more need their good opinion or good word, it were then no great matter (as far as respects the affairs of this world) if he spent his reputation all at once, and ventured it at one throw.

11. But if he be to continue in the world, and would have the advantage of reputation whilst he is in it, let him make use of truth and sincerity in all his words and actions, for nothing but this will hold out to the end. All other arts will fail, but truth and integrity will carry a man through, and bear him out to the last.

LESSON CXVI.

Story of Le Fevre.-STERNE.

1. Ir was sometime in the summer of that year in which Dendermond* was taken by the allies, when my uncle Toby was one evening getting his supper, with Trim sitting behind him, at a small sideboard-I say sitting-for in consideration of the corporal's lame knee (which sometimes gave him exquisite pain) when my uncle Toby dined or supped alone, he would never suffer the corporal to stand.

2. And the poor fellow's veneration for his master was such, that, with a proper artillery, my uncle Toby could have taken Dendermond itself, with less trouble than he was able to gain this point over him; for many a time when my uncle Toby supposed the corporal's leg was at rest, he would look back and detect him standing behind him, with the most dutiful respect; this bred more little squabbles betwixt them, than all other causes, for five and twenty years together.

3. He was one evening sitting thus at his supper, when the landlord of a little inn in the village came into the parlor, with an empty phial in his hand, to beg a glass or two of sack: "Tis for a poor gentleman-I think of the army, said the landlord,

A town in the Netherlands.