, 1880-12-26
LACONIC and EPIGRAMMATIC.
Wise Remarks and Reflections in
Brief Space.
Things Worth Reading and Con-
'sidering.
BY Cotton.

Ills errors A8 MS KnOW1edre. Mai-lnIorluALou
is more hopeless than non-tnformarlon, for
error is always more busy than ignorance L.
norance is a blank sheet on which we may
write; but error Is ecribbied one, on which VIC
must first erase. Ignorance is contented to
stand still with her back to the truth; but error
is more presumptfous, and proceeds In tho samc
direction. Ignorance has no light, but error
follows false one. Tho consequence is that
error, when she retraces her footsteps, has
further to go before she Gun arrive at the truth
than ignorance.
With respect to the authority Of great names.
it should be remembered that he alone deserves
to have any weight or influence with postcrity
who has shown himself superior to the particular
and predominant error Of his 01cn times: who, like
the peak OF Tener1ffe, has hailed the intellectual
sun before its beams havo reached tho horizon
of common minds; who, standing like Socrates,
on the apex Of wisdom, has removed from his
eyes all film of earthly dross, and has forescen
purer law, nobler system, d brighton order Of
things: ia short, promised land! which like
Moses on the top Of Pisgah, he Is permitted to
survey and anticipate for others. without being
himself allowed to enter or to enjoy.
III.
To cite the examples Of history, in order to
animate us to virtue Or to arm US with forfl-
tudc, this 1t is to Gull up the illustrous Dead to
inspire and to improve the living. But the
usage Of those civilinps who citericious authors
ties for worse purposes, and enforce the absurd
est practice by tho oldest precedent, this it is to
Dequeath to us rs an heirloom the errors Of our
forefathcrs, to confer kind Of immortality on
folly, making tho dead moro powerful than
time. and more sagncious than experience, by
subjccting those that are upon the earth to tho
perpetual mai-governmcnt of those that are
beneath It.
A writer, moro splendid than solid, seems to
think that vice may lose half Its guilt By losing
all its 0rossness; I'LL idea suggested. perhaps. by
tho parting anathema fnltninated by Gibbon
said. in whom we're United ail thc malevolence
Of monks without thoir erudinon. and ail tho
sensuality OF !ibertines without, their refine
tho interest of humanity If vice OF every Kind
were moro odious and less attractive; II she
were always exhibited to us, like the drunken
disgusting shape. 1t is fitt,ng that what is foul
within should be foul also without 70 give tue
ssnb!anes Of purityto the m s m OF @
let, and to steal the bridal yestu1cnts of tho
virgin to add more alluremcnt to the seductive
smiles Of the hartot
II those alone who "so,rcd the 1cff,d did reap
the ,chirltrind,' 1t would be well. But the mis-
chief is, that the higot1y the q madness Of amn NIL
thoir victims principally among the innocent
and the unotrending. The cottage is sure to
sue1 r 81 roe
OF power and of authority. and IS gencratcu IN
high places. IL may be compared to that torrent
which originates indeed in the mountain, but
commits its devastation IL the vale.
Great minds had rather deserve contcmpor1-
rco,ls applause without obtuining it rhnn obtain
without deserving it.; il it follow them, it Is we'll,
but they will not dcyiate to follow it. With
inferior minds the reverse is observable; so that
they can command tho tfnttery Of KNIVES Wni1o
living, they care not for the cxecrauons OF nom
est men when dead. Milton neither Inspired to
p,rse,: fA1nc. nor even expected 1t; but ito use
bis own words} his high ambition was ITO leave
SO ,nas wrtsp f Ssr cato ney Ins
observed. He would much rather Tint postcrity
should inquire why no statues wero erected TO
him than uhy they totrc I
VII.
As in Agriculture. he that can produce tho
greatest crop is not tho best farmer, but he that
cnn effect 1t with the least expense; so tn socl-
ETY., he is not the most valuable member who
can bring tho most good, bur he that eau accom-
plish it with the least admfzture Of concomltant
i'll. For let TO man presume to think that he can
devisc any plan Of extensive good, unalloycd and
11nadulterated with evil. This Is the prerogat1ye
OF the Godhcad alone:
The inequalities of life are real things; they
can neither be explained away nor done away.
A levcler, therefore, has long ago teen set down
who, If be could finish his work to-
day, would have to begin it again Tomorrow.
The things thnt constitute these real inequali-
ties are f0ur,-strenKth. talent, rches aud rank.
The TWO former would constitute inequalities in
the rudest state OF nature; the two latter more
properly belong to u state OF society more or
less civilized and refined Perhaps the whole
tour arc ultimately resolvable into power. But,
in the first appreciation 0f this power. mcn are
too apt to be deceived. Nothing, for instance,
is moro common than to see RINK riches pre-
ferred to talent; and yet nothing Is more ab-
tnfC
power than riches might be proved IN va
rious ways-bcil!g go much more indcprfv-
BIZ and SO ,d mnHh M mTro noore W
chance. But the peculiar superiority of tAiene
over riches may be bost discovered front hence:
that tho influence cs talent will always be the
pure, while the intucnce Of riches will always
be the greatest in that government which Is most
talent, we may always infer the soundncss and
vigor OF the commonwealth; but, from the pre-
p,nderanco OF riches, its dotage and dcSeuera-
ton. That talent coufers an inequality of
much higher order thun rank. would appear
frotn various views OF the subject and most par
eue tafnn. f1 this IN many psn h4 man m 5 5af5 nay
ever yet been able to return the compliment by
thanking his rank for bis talent. When Leo
ncrdp da Einc died, li5 sovereign cyc!utsned, -
can make thousand lords, but not one Leonar-
do" Cicero observed to degenerate pdtr1c:1H,
an the first Of ny fGlnln but Hot are nc lttxs
themselves merely OIL their ancestry have. been
compared to pututoes.-au that Is UDyt Of them IL
under the ground perhaps it Is but fair thnr no.
bility should have descended II them, since they
never could have raised themselves 10 it.
: An upright Minister asks, What recommends
q man? a corrupt minister, Who1
x.
The first consideration with 11nave IS how to
help himself; ana the second, how to do it with
an appearance OF helping you DonEsius the
tyrant stripped the statue of Jupiter Olympus OF
d robe OF ranssy gold, aud substituted n cloak OF
wool, saying, Gold Is too cold III winter and too
heavy ia summer,-lt behooves ts to take c1Tc Of
Jupiter.
H.
If hypocrits go to He'll by the road to Hearen,
VIC may carry on the metaphor. and add, that,
rs ali the virtues demand their respective tolls.
the hypocrit has a byway to avoid them, and to
get into the main roud again. And all would
lie well II be could escape the last turnpike In
the journey OF life, where all must pay. where
there is no bypath, and where the toll is death.
XII.
In great matters of public moment, where
both parties arc at stand, and both are punc-
tftious, slight condescensons cost little but arc
worth much. He that yields them is wise, lnas-
much as he purchases guineas with fArthtngs.
4 few drops of oil will set the poiitic1l mllchine
nj work when n tun Of yfne1ur would only cor