Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-07-12
ON THE ADVANTAGES AND'THE
DANGERS OF LEARNING.
CHOICE oFBo0As
CONTINUED
CoSTINUED

1t muR be admitted that lome eff thoie
fictitious works have degree Of fold me.
rit, which to the end OF tins VIII triumph
over the partial evils they produce. The
novels OF Richardion and Barney, CT
Hawklworth, Of Johnfon and Goidlmith,
will be read with delisht while The En-
gilfh language exits. Their ingenious
hcticns which 6 teach the paRions TO move
al the command Of realon" which exhi-
BIZ morality in living characters, are
works which the mott enlightened, vir-
tuous, and afsetionate parent, may iasely,
inIuf N 0 The hands of the NOT belovsa,
child. - But it,ll there Can be no doub,
that however innocent the reading OF iuete
works may be, their advantages are fiji
but few. tThele are fmali compared Will.
The dangers and inconvenience which ,iu
ally await them. Too often The reading
even of the m,a ielected and we'll compel.
ed novels slieaa 5es tie mind from work Of
a more uie!ul tendency but the indilcri.
inmate peratal of ,hofe ephemefal produc-
tons which are daily iauing from the
prefs, is often attended with the mott IA:
tai conleqpences TO young perlous Of bolll
fexes.- they impress the mind with fri
vo.ous and romantic IDEAS they ill the
brain with. wild AID ohimerical plans.
they. are the toarce Of thoufand errors,
which. are often not corrected ill after long
and unhappy experience they awakeo.
and nourih the mott dangerous paliions -
they give ialle direction to the lenhbili-.
ty ofthe heart-they foften and enervate
the mind--they give i, a difsus for Other
works, more fold tu; LET'S agreeable--they
render il incapable of clofe attention, OF
ferrous r,edita;;ons--they dearoy thai
energy which is neceGary to rehit temp
tation, to fubdue the appetites, and to full
fl with atiduity and fuecefs the mott i'm
.portant duties Of fociety--ihey miiead,
the mind the more eaGly in the com
mon walks OF life, from the ideas they
impress, being generally exaggerated and
exalted, Without taking inio calculation.
the valuable time which is loft in the pc,
rufal of Euch works, they ARE fsldom il
ever read without fome mental injury
We fhould Therefore read them with grea
circumfp ection and prudence, aud alter a.
very cautious Election. We thould COM
pare them with thoic tranfient connections
which we form with men Of agreeable con-;
verfation, but of a gay cbaratter-ot q.
light and frivolous mind--more brilliant.
than fold, with whom we would not with
TO maintain clols and intimate connection,
fnce in fuch perions we cannot expect to
find, friends, Whole tfeady attachment will
be co eval with life itfe!f.
Finally, as. rhefe arc perfons to whom
we cannot too clolely attach ourfelyes-to'
ALTO there are books, the reading OF which
cannot fail to produce fubfantial benefits,
aad which we ought to prefer to all others.
Such are thofe works, which uniting the.
AJefalwith the agrseabls-initruetion with.
pleafure, fupfly the mind at once with 70.
lid.food and pIealant exercife t!,oie works,
which fprirging from a love of truth and
virtue, treat ofintereling fubiefs which
come home TO out boioms AID daily exPe-
renee. Attic head of this clafs we lhould
place thoie books, whole aim is to.
arengthen and purify our religious pfinci-.
ples-whicf enoble and enlarge our fenti-.
ments, and from the pillars which fupport;
eur virtue and Happiness. Thofe prinei-
pies and fentinents il is impoiiible 10 rem.
| der too pure, TOO enlightened or too firm,
| IS the means ofguarding US from all fnrer-.
| tition, and of making aieful truths 70 IA