The Sun.
London, England, 1822-03-20 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

LOVERS are in general a vile set of mendicants,
and, like most beggars, very bumble till they gain the objects
of their petition : they then discredit your favours, by the li-
centious abuse of them. If lovers in a manly manner would
solicit a lady's hand, there would be no occasion for all the
whining and mumping of these amorous mendicants, and
openness and honour on both sides would form the basis of
this confidential treaty.
TuToits.—When an ingenious and learned
tutor sits among a dull and heavy class of pupils, exerting
himself to instruct them by all his powers of explanation, he
reminds me of an active rider seated on ' a dull jade of a
horse ; his limbs and whole body are in the utmost state of
activity, yet it is manifest to the spectators that lie gets on very
slowly, and is riding much faster than his horse.
SENTIMENTALITY.—It would be as pernicious
in private life for an individual to act under the direction of his
feelings and sentiments, instead of established moral principles,
as it would be, in public life, for a legislator or lawyer to leave
the rules of law, and determine by his own private opinions of
equity. this dicere et non • dare controuls the greatest powers
of judicature in this country. My Lord Coke (Institut. 4,)
cautions Parliaments " to leave all causes to be measured by
the golden and straight rule of the law, and not by the uncer-
tain and crooked cord of discretion."
-THE WORLD.—There are three ways of treat-
ing the world,—by abusing its views and follies lamenting
them both, or laughing at them. Juvenal did the first, with all
the tribe of satirists. Heraclitus, the philosopher, wept at the
ways of the world, Democritus laughed at them. I prefer the
latter mode-of chewing how very contemptible.l think the world
is in-:general, especially amongst " good kind of people."
VIRTUE.—How many men are virtuous, from
knowing not how many are the temptations to vice in the
world; as many others are very bold,
.from an ignorance of
the danger which may be in the way of their pursuits. Many
men are bullies, because they never met. a- bolder man than
themselves. KnoWledge of the world makes men very quiet,
as they know hbw many there are, from various reasons, in-
clined to be otherwise.

ENIGMAS AND RIDDLES were first made use of
under despotic governments, where persons used to conceal
their meanings, for fear of incurring some tyrannous act of
power against them. At present they are the favourites of those
whose capacity or disposition does not enable or induce them to
speak plainly : knaves hate truth; and fools have no respect for
it, so mystery and roguery govern the world.
ACOUSTICS.—It is well known in the doctrine
of sounds that the softest whisper will travel as ctist as the loud-
est thunder ; so that a little scandal delivered at the table of
Mrs. E. though in the most gentle tones, will travel with amaz-
ing speed to all the tea-tables in the most extensive town.
ELEVATED SITUATIONS.—I lately met a friend
who has arrived to a prosperous state of rank and fortune,
and shaking hands with him found a great coldness in the palm,
and I observed at the same time an appearance of stiffness
in all his gestures. These phenomena were explained to me
by reading an account of persons who have travelled in bal-
loons, and who, in elevated situations, have experienced a great
access of coldness and.rigidity of limbs to take place.
WEALTII.—There is much cant,in the philoso-
phy which decries riches as incapable to make men happy,
and much of the fallacy of this sentiment, as it happens
with regard to other old sayings; consists of the obscurity
or imperfection of language. Wise men - do make them-
selves happy by means of wealth, thOugh riches themselves,
strictly speaking, :cannot make -happiness. - The carpenter's
tools cannot make a table without the skill of the artist : wealth
supplies the wise man with tools, and do not his tools make his
happiness. In this sense the Latin proverb is to be understood
Quisque sum Prtzence Aber."