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London, England, 1820-11-11 00:00:00

will depend on thesi; whom theiteve you must
know. Especially on its prey : for this varies with
the varying seasons. 'Why does it vary ? Here is
a fresh region for inquiry. Why does one brood
of insects come forth for its prey. at erne OMNI, an-
other et another ? You are drawn unconsciously
to look to the habits of these insects, and the mul-
titude of circumstances on which they are de-
pendant. Some of these feed perhaps on particular
species of plants, and their birth, therefore, is timed
to the season of those plants. Again, these plants
lave a particular soil ; tribes of insects are confined
to a particular soil. Those that feed on them will
be attracted to the soil in which they abound. Here
is new connexion, and another part of stature offered
to your curiosity. But your birth migrates ; he
conies from a colder, or he seeks a milder sky ; lie
leads your imagination with I' to study him in
his new situation ; to see hint adapting himself to
new enemies, new prey, new seasons. a new world.
But to regard it under the higher consideration
of its influence on the character of the mind—
another great recommendation of this study. is the
nature of the facts and speculations among which
it engages the mind. It is a study of life, enk.y.
meta, and, in a certain degree, of mind. It is a
study of life. " I am fearfully and wonderfully
made :"—so is every creature that lives. Though
in none does it so impress us as man. because
none i* so well known to us, none is formed to such
high p•nrposes. Bat this feeling, more or leas
stro►►g, must attend the whole wooly of life. To
coritemplate time great powers of self-continuance,
sod self-reproduction, with which it is every where
accompanied; to observe all the functions which
li ii liner to these great purpises ; to know the end-
less varieties of *,ructore, by whit le the same func-
tions are effected in different species—this is to
stud• life. A study whirls cannot but be' of deep
interest to maim, who Sees in all other Creelllfeti, io
a less perfect form, what is perferted in himself :
—who starches in all the rest of nature the secrets,
as far as they may be revealed to hint, of his
own existence. - .

It is, besides, the study of enjoyment. It is a
great hart of the business of the naturslist to sin-
derstand the happiness of the universe. In tarry
creature its whom lie is concerned, this i+ a main
object of his inquiry. What are its pleasures ?
What the provisions for its happiness ? For oat
their pleasures depends much of their habits and
character. But I should rather have said it is the
study of setviation : for what he has to snake I -
self acijusinted with, are desists and affections in
which are blended intimately pleasure mid suf-
fering. I will not etterapt to speak of the tunny
appearances in the manners and conduct of animals,
which cats only be understood by understanding,
and, I will stay, by sympathizing with their feelings;
but I will just mention whit must be uppermost
in every one's thought+ wisen this subject is spoken
of, I mean the maternal love which Is SIo
011 S in so many species. Take this alone. lots.
give all the feelings and thoughts that mast pass
through the iiiintrof a man, who applies himself
earnestly to understand this one feature in the
lives of unreasoning creatures. flow often—for
it is little that can be done by gathering the facts
that others have recorded—how ufteu toast we have
goat and looked at these mothers employed in their
care of their litter or their brood ! How long must
hr have stood watching the endlessly varying mans-
lestations of her love ! now solicitous and diligent
for their sienenance, now changing her nature to
ferocity for their defence, stow merely uttering
itself in caress.s, anal now rising into V11411!31/0111'S
fir their instruction. And these affections which
lie is to study, what are they but the Mlle tares
t which make up in part the soul of man ?
This then is rnomentousin his inquiry—to compare
the same affections in different creatures. resting
in throe on instinct. and in one sou reason.

I have ventured to say, that it is in some sort a
study of mind. by which I mean, of intellect
distinguished from feeling. If you wish to search
and understand the wonders of the human intellect,
you should be careful. I think, nut to begin with
those wonders. The faculties and attributes of that
mind are too high for the rudiments of speculation;
they are oppressive by their greatness ; they are be-
wildering hr their infinite variety. Rut go where
you can tied a part of these faculties, and a moder-
ated operation of their powers. Go to the inferior
creation. Study their mind, and you may find in-
tellect in a form which is within your grasp. The
mind of man studying the mind of man, is like a
giant wrestliiig with a giant. When it takes under
its speculation the intellect of inferior creature. ; it
is the same giant dallying with a child.
Ain I add, that far the lightest consideration
which I should urge. winch almost conmiatidi us
to the investigation of this nature, is, that from every
part of nature there speaks one voice, the voice of re-
ligion ! that the whole universe*** but a manifestat.
of the attributes of its great Creator ! that to look
on the works of that Power, tills the heart with love :
to know them, constrains heart, mind, and soul to
adoration !

prove it better preserver of oor morale. did one
practice in any degree conform itself ti its doctrine,
or our faith to our profession•.
It is salt that our population has greatly and in-
juriously increased. Lord Liverpool was lately said,
in the public piers, to have made Kit assertion in
the House of Lords in confirmation of this opi.
lion, which must have. I think, been incorrect.

1 sin of a different opium's respecting our impel-
lotion : but why is not the fret put at rest by a
census every five or ten years? Hitherto we have
had essentially only one: tOr the first, it is ad-
mitted. did not work well, and that which was or-
dered for Ireland. ',reveal Si quire impracticable."
Let any per.imi take a view of site *owl's from
London to the Land% End, and from London to
Edinburgh. and little or 110 increase will be foiiiiil
in the size tif them. Mossy of the villages will ap-
pear nearly deserted, the churches standing in so-
litude, and in a wretched rime of repair ; the
squire and parson absent. and the whole pariah in
the occupancy of one, or of very few truants.
L-t it be comitlered tl.at loirpla are *verve to
inarrarge, which lowers their cost 113 life, or recep-
t in the world. . .

From the enorniont increase of our national debt,
• new heed of gentlemen and gentlewomen has
sprung up.
There are probably sixty times as many gentle-
men and gentlewomen now, as when our late King
began his reign ; and these must generally sink in
society by marriage, and produce a breed in every
respret infermr in bill • to themselves; to avoid
which they lire in a state of celibacy.
The nary an.' army lure been greatly increased,
whirl', from nor many and distant colonies, arc ill.
suited to promote itivriniony. The various eon.
blishinents which hare, or do exist, and which ape
the army, rear up a race of men called treniteinen,
who wonlil otherwise have been emiihived
industry, and enabled to marry, and provide fur
children.

Lot it further bar comitlered, that ctitbitcy it
forced utmost on Hll 4lottiertec orrvatits.

Against these and 'limber ob tions some of
our manufacturing towns and distr.:cis, and water.
ii;; places are I gist forward.
fly the word Gentleman, we mean ti compound of
birth, fortune, education, eiroiners, character, and
receplion, in which the want of line Or more of these
ingredients may be compensated by an increase iu
the others. It is, or was not e peculiarly appro-
priated to land-owners pos!..e.sing these qualities, or
to those who were admitted to he such pitifessional-
ly ; and whilst that wane was so Irmittd and ap-
propriated, the number was comparatively l'erv,
A land-owner cannot be a perfectly idle im,i,
which the gentleman fund-holdrt may be, mod al.
most necessarily is, and of course almost, a vicious
one, or it contemptibly idle, or frivolously rm.
ployed our, and infinitely inferior to any human
being (trite, usefully and manually employed.
The getitlemart fundholder has endeavoured to
establish the doctrine, and has to a census de-
gree succeeded, that idleness awl gentility are sy-
nonymous words, than winch a more mischievous
dot trine never existed.

fi'llenever people eminent for birth, rank, station,
or fortune, conceive that these advantages were
given to diem for their own selfish individual use
divested of all duties, the order of ',alum is cow).
ferruled, and the necessary consequence may be ex-
peeled. Tlie earnestness with which people of
sufficient calihre solicit seats in the Home of
Lords, to possess a currency without exertion, and
that with *hich the wool bemuses. doubtful of any
just claims to be received as geutlemen, seek the
Weiler degree of baronet, are stroug proofs that
gentility and idleness are considered by assay as
synonymous.
The degree of Baronet was base in its origin, and
could scarcely have existed to this day, had it not
beets for the actual state of the Howse of Com a.
Fur the person, whom all would allow be a gentle-
men, is ashamed to solicit or accept the degree,
however mortified pie may feel at his inferiors in
every point of view obtaining it, and thereby claim-
ing, as far as the thing we call rank am give it, a
pre-eminence over him.
was sorry to are this degree given, dosing the
late war, for professional seriices ; and strange it is,
but it is certainly true, That it was given ax on.
vices, deemed inferior to those for which the red rib.
bon was given. notwitliitanding it gave a higher nook
and was hereditary. Haw the red ribbon will now
Ile estimated, since its very great increase its new
hers, and division into three degrees, time will show.
in the absence of sound morals, religion, and
patriotism, and with an oxpenditure exceeding in a
time of peace by many millions our revenue. can
we blind ourselves by hypocritical cant to expect
that the sins should again tie stopped, the dial go
backward, and * •aeles worked for our preserva-
tion ?

We have one little stay, or rope remainig; a
sense of private personal honour and character is
nut yet extinct among us. But may we not be
compared to painted sepulchres ? Character is
104, tint by the publicity of an offence, lint by
the legal coovi•aiott of it.
No man suspects that money is coarsely given
to Members of oui two Douses of Parliament,
as it is said was done by Sir Robert Walpole; nor
that our Judges, our county, nor even our
town and city Magistrates would receive di-
rect orders from Miiiisters ; but if. when Black•
stone wrote his Commentaries. more than hell
a century ago, the power of the Crown had in-
creased, notwithstanding the stern voice of prero-
gative had yielded to the milder term of influence,
what must it be now, with enormously increased
establishments, and u public debt of a thousand
millions? And let it lie recollected that the very
raising our annual revenue is a most powerful lever.
lit regard t o character. how many men and wo-
men do we all severally know—how many are there
aho are generally and publicly known to have lost
it, yet have a currency; whilst rejection is the lot
of a few intiuitrly less criminal, who may possess
virtues sufficient, in the rye of reason, to cover their
failing. ?
Did the late House of Common*, do any good.
when it ordered the prosecution of Mr. Swann, and
Sir (Manasseh Lopez, blinking the conduct of other
candidates? or even the Judges. when they passed
severe judgments on them ? I wonder that the
words in this canting age. 'I let him wb• is without
sirs cast the first stone," did not check the virtuous
indignation which was expressed on this occasion.