MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS.

IF the reader will carry forward in his mind what I have already said on style and the object for which Mr. Paine and Junius wrote, it will greatly aid me in reducing the size of this book. I shall act on the principle of this suggestion, and while I give new matter upon new subjects, the reader will find the parallels greatly strengthened by what has already been said. The reader will also apply the facts already brought forward to the passages I shall hereafter present, so that, like a two-edged sword, it may be made to cut both ways. And first of avarice and the miser:

"Of all the vices avarice is most apt to taint and corrupt the heart."-Let. 27. "As for the common sor

"Could I find a miser whose heart never felt the emotion of a spark of principle, even that man, uninfluenced by every love but did views of avarice,” etc.— the love of money, and ca- Let. 53. pable of no attachment but

"The miser himself sel

to his interest, would and dom lives to enjoy the fruits must, from the frugality of his extortion."-Let. 20, which governs him, con- note. tribute to the defense of the

"I could never have a

country, or he ceases to be doubt in law or reason that

a miser and becomes an a man convicted of a high idiot.

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breach of trust and of a no(131)

"Every passion that acts torious corruption in the upon mankind has a pe- execution of a public office, culiar mode of operation. was and ought to be incaMany of them are tempo- pable of sitting in the same rary and fluctuating; they parliament."-Let. 20. admit of cessation and variety. But avarice is a fixed, uniform passion. It neither abates of its vigor nor changes its object."Crisis, x.

I call attention to that pride of character and personal honor, so conspicuous in both Paine and Junius:

"A man who has no sense "Honor and honesty of honor, has no sense of must not be renounced, alshame."-Let.to Cheetham. though a thousand modes," "Knowing my own heart, etc.-Let. 58. and feeling myself, as I now

"Junius will never dedo, superior to all the skir- scend to dispute with such mish of party, the inveter- a writer as Modestus."-acy of interested, or mis- Let. 29.

taken opponents, I answer "For my own part, my not to falsehood or abuse." lord, I am proud to affirm, -R. M., part ii. that if I had been weak

"Fortified with that enough to form such a proud integrity, that dis- friendship, I would never dain to triumph or to yield, have been base enough to I will advocate the rights betray it."-Let. 9. of man."-Do.

A thousand passages might be selected from both to show this ruling trait of character. The proud, imposing spirit that would dare to undertake the business of a world for the good of mankind, and to tread on the pride of courtiers, and to tell the king, who ruled

over the greatest nation on earth, that nature had only intended him for a good-humored fool, is pre-eminently the leading trait in Junius and Paine. No one can mistake it; no one can fail in finding it; no one can help feeling the force of it. It has never been produced in any other man. The world's history has given us but the one example of it. We search in vain for another parallel. And if Mr. Paine did not write Junius, nature produced twins of the same mental type to do the same work for mankind, and then defeated all her arts and gave the lie to all her laws, by exhibiting the one and forever concealing the other. But surely nature can conceal nothing. Her method is to reveal, not to conceal. She writes the character of man on all he touches, and reveals it in the very language he would employ to conceal it.

It was this proud spirit which gave Paine that contempt for monarchy which he so often expressed. "I have an aversion to monarchy," he says, "as being too debasing to the dignity of man." This is a language which courtiers could not understand, and they would consider it the vain babbling of a mad-man; but it is the very basis of that government which he labored to establish in America and France. This is also the spirit of Junius when he says with such withering sarcasm: "It may be matter of curious speculation to consider, if an honest man were permitted to approach a king, in what terms he would address himself to his sovereign." And after having gained the ear of the king, when he says: "Let it be imagined, no matter how improbable, that he has spirit enough to bid him speak freely and understanding enough to

listen to him with attention. Unacquainted with the vain impertinence of forms, he would deliver his sentiments with dignity and firmness." Here Junius, also, fortified with that proud integrity of character which he held in common with all who would not be enslaved, and which he possessed as the birthright of man, was free to place the dignity of an honest man in antithesis to a weak understanding in a king only supported by the vain impertinence of forms. Paine was too proud to be vain; his pride came up from nature; it was the pride of human worth, and opposed to that vanity of art which always makes pretentions to more worth than nature has conferred. Nature gives us pride, art makes us vain. It was this pride, in opposition to vanity, which Junius expressed in his great battle against the usurpations of government, when he says: "Both liberty and property are precarious unless the possessors have sense and spirit enough to defend them. This is not the language of vanity. If I am a vain man my gratification lies within a narrow circle." That is, "to write for fame and be unknown."

From this pride of character, so strong and peculiar, we may draw no weak conclusion in regard to the authorship of Junius, for the parallel is perfect, and the age in which he wrote gave us nothing like it in any one but Paine. This characteristic gives tone to the whole mind, and a shade of coloring to every faculty. It reflects itself upon the people, and draws therefrom the conclusion that they have more "sense and spirit" than they really possess. It gives a double coloring to hope, paints two bows instead of one, and reduces the time for the establishment of right. It thus produces

more faith in the people than facts will sustain. For

example :

Paine.

Junius.

"I believe there is yet a

"The fraud, hypocrisy, and imposition of govern- spirit of resistance in this ments are now beginning country, which will not to be too well understood submit to be oppressed; to promise them any longer but I am sure there is a career. The farce of mon- fund of good sense in this archy and aristocracy in country which can not be all countries, is following deceived."-Let. 16. that of chivalry, and Mr. "Although the king Burke is dressing for the should continue to support funeral." his present system of government, the period is not very distant, at which you will have the means of redress in your own power; it may be nearer, perhaps, than any of us expect.

"The time is not very distant when England will laugh at itself for sending abroad for a king." &c.

"Within the space of a few years we have seen two revolutions, those of America and France.

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'You are roused at last to a sense of your danger: From both these instances the remedy will soon be in it is evident that the great- your power."-Ded. est forces that can be brought into the field of revolutions, are reason and common interest.

We may hereafter hope to see revolutions or changes in government, produced by the same quiet operation, by which any measure determinable by reason and discussion, is accomplished."-R. of M. Part ii.

"I do not believe that monarchy and aristocracy will continue seven years longer in any of the enlightened countries of Europe."-R. of M. Part ii. Pref.