We study speech, but others we persuade;

We leech-craft learn, but others cure with it; We interpret laws which other men have made, But read not those which in our hearts are writ.

It is because the mind is like the eye,

Through which it gathers knowledge by degrees; Whose rays reflect not, but spread outwardly;

Not seeing itself, when other things it sees.

No, doubtless: for the mind can backward cast
Upon herself her understanding light;

But she is so corrupt and so defac'd,

And her own image doth herself affright:

As is the fable of the lady fair,

Which for her lust was turn'd into a cow; When thirsty to a stream she did repair,

And saw herself transform'd, she wist not how,

At first she startles, then she stands amaz'd;
At last with terror she from thence doth fly,
And loaths the watery glass wherein she gaz'd,
And shuns it still, though she for thirst do die.

Even so man's soul, which did God's image bear, And was at first fair, good, and spotless pure, Since with her sins her beauties blotted were, Doth of all sights her own sight least endure:

For even at first reflection she espies

Such strange chimeras, and such monsters there, Such toys, such antics, and such vanities,

As she retires and shrinks for shame and fear.

And as the man loves least at home to be,

That hath a sluttish house, haunted with sprites; So she, impatient her own faults to see,

Turns from herself, and in strange things delights.

For this, few know themselves: for merchants broke,
View their estate with discontent and pain;
And seas are troubled, when they do revoke
Their flowing waves into themselves again.

And while the face of outward things we find
Pleasing and fair, agreeable and sweet,
These things transport, and carry out the mind,
That with herself herself can never meet.

Yet if Affliction once her wars begin,

And threat the feeble Sense with sword and fire, The mind contracts herself, and shrinketh in, And to herself she gladly doth retire;

As spiders touch'd seek their web's inmost part;
As bees in storms unto their hives return;
As blood in danger gathers to the heart;

As men seek towns, when foes the country burn

If ought can teach us ought, Affliction's looks,
Making us look unto ourselves so near,
Teach us to know ourselves beyond all books,
Or all the learned schools that ever were.

This mistress lately pluck'd me by the ear,

And many a golden lesson hath me taught; Hath made my senses quick, and reason clear, Reform'd my will, and rectified my thought.

So do the winds and thunder cleanse the air;
So working less settle and purge the wine;
So lopp'd and pruned trees do flourish fair;
So doth the fire the drossy gold refine.

Neither Minerva, nor the learned Muse,

Nor rules of art, nor precepts of the wise, Could in my brain those beams of skill infuse,

As but the glance of this dame's angry eyes.

She within lists my ranging mind hath brought,
That now beyond myself I will not go :
Myself am centre of my circling thought,
Only myself I study, learn, and know.

I know my body 's of so frail a kind,

As force without, fevers within, can kill: I know the heavenly nature of my mind, But 'tis corrupted both in wit and will.

I know my soul hath power to know all things,
Yet is she blind and ignorant in all :

I know I'm one of Nature's little kings,

Yet to the least and vilest things am thrall,

I know my life's a pain, and but a span:
I know my sense is mock'd with everything;
And, to conclude, I know myself a man,

Which is a proud and yet a wretched thing.

317. THE LANDLORD AND THE AGENT.

MARIA EDGEWORTH.

[MARIA EDGEWORTH, the daughter of Richard Lovell Edgeworth, has been an author for half a century. She was associated with her father in writing 'Practical Education,' published in 1798. Her novels have survived many changes of fashion and opinions:-her merits, as a delineator of Irish character and habits, always having in view the great cause of social improvement, will give her a high place amongst the writers of the days of George III. The evening of her life is as happy as her long career has been useful.]

My poor master was in great trouble after my lady left us. The execution came down; and everything at Castle Rackrent was seized by the gripers, and my son Jason, to his shame be it spoken, amongst them. I wondered, for the life of me, how he could harden himself to do it; but then he had been studying the law, and had made himself attorney Quirk; so he brought down

at once a heap of accounts upon my master's head. To cash lent, and to ditto, and to ditto, and to ditto, and oats, and bills paid at the milliner's and linen draper's, and many dresses for the fancy balls in Dublin for my lady, and all the bills to the workmen and tradesmen for the scenery of the theatre, and the chandler's and grocer's bills, and tailor's, besides butcher's and baker's, and worse than all, the old one of that base wine merchant's, that wanted to arrest my poor master for the amount on the election day, for which amount Sir Condy afterwards passed his note of hand bearing lawful interest from the date thereof; and the interest and compound interest was now mounted to a terrible deal on many other notes and bonds for money borrowed, and there was besides hush money to the sub-sheriffs, and sheets upon sheets of old and new attorney's bills, with heavy balances, as per former account furnished, brought forward with interest thereon; then there was a powerful deal due to the crown for sixteen years' arrear of quit-rent of the town-lands of Carrick-shaughlin, with driver's fees, and a compliment to the receiver every year for letting the quit-rent run on, to oblige Sir Condy, and Sir Kit afore him. Then there were

bills for spirits and ribands at the election time, and the gentlemen of the committee's accounts unsettled, and their subscription never gathered; and there were cows to be paid for, with the smith and farrier's bills to be set against the rent of the demesne, with calf and hay money; then there was all the servants' wages, since I don't know when, coming due to them, and sums advanced for them by my son Jason for clothes, and boots, and whips, and odd moneys for sundries expended by them in journeys to town and elsewhere, and pocket-money for the master continually, and messengers and postage before his being a parliament man; I can't myself tell you what besides; but this I know, that when the evening came on which Sir Condy had appointed to settle all with my son Jason, and when he comes into the parlor, and sees the sight of bills and load of papers all gathered on the great dining-table for him, he puts his hands before both his eyes, and cried out, "Merciful Jesus! what is it I see before me ?" Then I sets an arm-chair at the table for him, and with a deal of difficulty he sits him down, and my son Jason hands him over the pen and ink to sign to this man's bill and t'other man's bill, all

which he did without making the least objections. Indeed, to give him his due, I never seen a man more fair and honest and easy in all his dealings, from first to last, as Sir Condy, or more willing to pay every man his own as far as he was able, which is as much as any one can do. "Well," says he, joking like with Jason, "I wish we could settle it all with a stroke of my grey goose quill. What signifies making me wade through all this ocean of papers here; can't you now, who understand drawing out an account, debtor and creditor, just sit down here at the corner of the table, and get it done out for me, that I may have a clear view of the balance which is all I need be talking about, you know?" "Very true, Sir Condy: nobody understands business better than yourself," says Jason. "So I've a right to do, being born and bred to the bar," says Sir Condy. Thady, do step out and see are they bringing in the things for the punch, for we've just done all we have to do this evening." I goes out accordingly, and when I came back, Jason was pointing to the balance, which was a terrible sight to my poor master. "Pooh! pooh! pooh!" says he, "here's so many noughts they dazzle my eyes, so they do, and put me in mind of all I suffered, larning of my numeration table, when I was a boy at the day-school along with you, Jason-units, tens, hundreds, tens of hundred. Is the punch ready, Thady?" says he, seeing me. "Immediately; the boy has the jug in his hand; it's coming up stairs, please your honor, as fast as possible," says I, for I saw his honor was tired out of his life; but Jason, very short and cruel, cuts me off with-"Don't be talking of punch, yet a while; it's no time for punch yet a bit-units, tens, hundreds," goes he on, counting over the master's shoulder, units, tens, hundreds, thousands. “A-a-ah hold your hand," cries my master; " where in this wild world am I to find hundreds, or units itself, let alone thousands ?" "The balance has been running on too long," says Jason, sticking to him as I could not have done at the time, if you'd have given both the Indies and Cork to boot; "the balance has been running ɔn too long, and I'm distressed myself on your account, Sir Condy, for money, and the thing must be settled now on the spot, and the balance cleared off," says Jason. "I'll thank you if you'll only show me how," says Sir Condy. "There's but one