tormenting Death, in your Stead.-Should You not 'then unfeignedly love HIM? Study to pleafe HIM? and make it the reigning Endeavour of your Life to glorify HIM?

Here, Theron returned, and the young Student withdrew; after receiving fome affectionate and encouraging Compliments from Afpafio. Who was going to inlarge upon the excellent Tafte of his Friend;" the inftructive Stile of his Pictures; the good Senfe and great Proficiency of his Son. But Theron, far from coveting the Praise, and fully fatisfied with the Consciousness, of acting the becoming Part, prevented his Difcourfe, by ftepping to a Pair of Glafs FoldingDoors: which, thrown open, admitted them into the Study.

A Chimney-Piece of grey Marble, with plain, but bold and protuberant Mouldings, formed a very handfome Appearance. In various little Niches, were fixed elegant Bufts; and on the feveral Inter ftices, hung beautiful Prints; representing many of the most eminently learned Men, who were the Ornaments and Bleffings, both of antient and modern Times. The Shelves, all around, were accommodated, not encumbered with Books. Afpafio, running over the letter'd Backs, obferved a Collection of the most valuable Authors, in History and Natural Philofophy, in Poetry and Divinity.

am

You will easily perceive, faid Theron, that I somewhat fingular in furnishing my Study, as well as in ornamenting the Avenue. My Books are not for Shew, but Ufe; and claim a Regard, rather on Ac

count

count of their Worth, than their Number.-An immenfe Multitude of Volumes, I have always thought, is more likely to embarrass the Attention, than to improve the Understanding. A huge Library feems to resemble a perplexing Labyrinth; and often bewilders the Mind, instead of leading it expeditiously to the Acquifition of Truth.

When People are eager to perufe a Multiplicity of Writings, it frequently happens, that in reading all, they digeft none They tafte fome empty and tranfient Amusement, but collect no folid or lafting Advantage. Their Minds are fomewhat like thofe capacious Looking-Glaffes, which We have feen exposed in the most frequented and populous Streets of London. They receive all Manner of fhadowy Images, but no fubftantial Impreffion. A thoufand Figures pass through them, not one abides in

them.

Our Books, replied Afpafio, as well as our Friends, fhould rather be felect, than numerous. For my Part, I would defire no more than two or three of the most correct and masterly Writers in any Science. Thefe, a Perfon of moderate Capacity may be able to comprehend; and not comprehend only, but enrich his Memory with the choiceft Sentiments, and

make

*The Author of Night-Thoughts has touched this Subject, with great Judgment, and equal Sprightlinefs. Voracious Learning, often overfed, Digefis not into Senfe the motley Meal. This Forager on Other's Wisdom, leaves Her native Farm, her Reafon quite untill'd. With mixt Manure She furfeits the rank Soil, Dung'd but not drefs'd; and rich to Beggary.

make the Substance of their Works his own.-He will, by Repetition and familiar Converse, enter into their Spirit, and acquire their Manner. While a Rambler in reading, does little more than gratify his Fancy, without refining his Tafte, or amending his Heart.

Upon this Afpafio turned Himself; and espied, in one Corner of the Apartment, the celeftial and terreftrial Globes; in another, a large reflecting TeleScope; and on the Top of a Buroe, one or two of the beft Microfcopes.

These Instruments, refumed Theron, have opened an inexhaustible Fund of the finest Entertainments *. They have furnished Us with new Eyes; and brought up, I may venture to fay, a new World into our View.

* Gentlemen of Taste and Seriousness cannot, I think, have a nobler Piece of Furniture for their Studies, than the Microscope and the Telescope, the Orrery and the Air. Pump. This Apparatus would afford them a moft delightful and improving Amusement in a folitary Hour.It would also give them an Opportunity of entertaining their Company, in a truly elegant and very inftructive Manner. It would open a fine and ample Field, for display ing the Glories of GOD the CREATOR, and of GOD the REDEEMER.-As the Discoveries made by these Inftruments, are fo furprising in themselves, and new to the Generality of Mankind, every edifying Hint deduced from fuch Obfervations, would come with a peculiar Recommendation.-This, I am fure, would be a Method of reducing to Practice, what the polite Historian has recorded of the politer Scipio; Elegantiffimo Intervalla Negotiorum Otio difpunxit. Vell. Paterc.-And, I believe, it might be a happy Means of tuning the Soul, to bear a Part in that immortal Hymn; Worthy art Thau, O LORD, to receive Glory, and Honour, and Power; for Thou haft created all Things; and for thy Pleafure they now exift, and were at first created. Rev. iv. LI

View. They give Us a Sight of Wonders, that may feem incredible to the incurious Vulgar, and were utterly unknown to the most inquifitive Sages of Antiquity. They charm the Eye with a Difplay of inimitable Beauties, where nothing worthy of Notice was expected. They throw the Mind into a pleafing Transport of Admiration; and from the meaneft lowest Objects, raise the most amiable and exalted Ideas of the all-glorious CREATOR.

I have often regretted, that such rational and manly Gratifications should be almost universally fupplanted, by the fantastical and childish Amusements in Vogue. Why should not the Contemplation of Nature's furprising Novelties, be as acceptable an Entertainment, as the ftale Diversion of Quadrille; be as refined an Employ for a leisure Hour, as to count the Spots on a Pack of Cards?-The Ladies, I am very fure, might find brighter Colours, and more delicate Ornaments, in the Robes and Head-Drefs of a common Fly; than ever they found amidst the Trinkets of a Toy-Shop. And was the fair Circle of Females once acquainted with the radiant Varnish and rich Studs, that enamel the Cover of a Beatle's Wing; I am apt to think, they would view with lefs Rapture, with more Indifference, perhaps, with a becoming Difdain, all the pretty Fancies of a Beaux's Wardrobe.

A few Days ago, when the accomplished Manilia favoured Us with a Vifit, I fhewed Her, through a magnifying Glass, the Sting of a Bee, the Scale of a Soal, the Wing of a Gnat, and some other beautiful Minims of Nature; together with the Powder, which adheres to our Finger, when We touch the VOL. I,

R

Body

Body of a Moth." Surprifing! cried the young "Lady. What elegant Figures! What enchanting Finery! How perfect the Polifh, and how

high the Finishing, of that little Weapon!-This "Piece of defenfive Armour, how skilfully contrived, " and how curiously wrought! Here, rifing into lit"tle Ridges, like the Boffes of a Buckler; fitted to "repel Injuries. There, fcooped into little Cavi❝ties, defigned, I fuppofe, to diminish its Weight;

that the Coat of Mail may not incumber, even "while it defends, the puny Wearer.-What I "took to be a whitish defpicable Rag, is the neatest "Fan, I ever beheld. Mounted on Sticks + inimit "tably tapering and flender. Tinged with all the "foft and lovely Colours of the most gloffy Mother "of Pearl.-But, what aftonishes me more than all, is the View of that coloured Duft; which your Inftrument has turned into a Cluster of Fea

thers. Every one wrought off with a Regularity "and a Delicacy, that are beyond the Power of "Description. The finest Stroke drawn by the Ita"lian Pen, compared with the extreme Minuteness

of the Shaft, is broad and bulky as an Admi"ral's Maft. A Speck of Leaf-Gold, could it be 66 weighed against the exquifite Attenuations of the "Vane,

-Smalleft Lineaments exact,

In all the Liveries deck't of Summer's Pride,
With Spots of Gold and Purple, Azure and Green.

Milton.

+ Thefe Sticks, are the little Ribs, which fupport, at proper Intervals, the fine tranfparent Membrane of the