and till within the last two or three months could walk a mile or two with tolerable ease.

"As to the quantity of water taken off, I find it to amount, upon the nearest calculation, to twenty-four pints at each operation; for though the first time produced only twelve pints, and in feveral of the latter operations the quantity fell fhort of twentyfour pints, yet I may venture to state it at least at twenty-four pints or three gallons on an average, as in many of the operations I took off from twenty-eight to thirty pints. The number of times I tapped her was in all 155, which brings out in the whole 3720 pints, being 465 gallons, not far fhort of feven hogfheads and an half. As to the authenticity of the whole, your connections with the family, and frequent opportunities of feeing this young lady during her illness, will put it beyond a doubt. I have therefore no more to add, than my wish that the cafe may prove acceptable to the Society. I am, &c."

Sermons by Hugh Blair, D. D. one of the Minifters of the High Church, and Profeffor of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in the University of Edinburgh, Vol. 2d. 5s. Sewed. Cadell.

Dr. Blair has been long confidered as the moft eloquent, if not the most popular preacher among the Scotch Clergy. He may even be faid to be the most popular with one clafs of the people, and that too the most refpectable, though not the most numerous clafs, the men of letters and education, to whofe capacity his fermons feem to be much better adapted than they are to that of the vulgar. Those who have been bred at the Univerfity of Edinburgh, and have attended Lady Yexter's Church, which is properly the Church of the College (and of which Dr. Blair was formerly Minifter) well remember to have heard most of these fermons preached; and what they have heard with admiration from the pulpit, they may now read with equal profit and pleasure in the clofet. The Doctor's chief excellence confifis in a strong and lively imagination, which, however, is never fuffered to run riot, but is always under the direction and controul of the fineft tafte, and the moft found and folid judgment. As a fpecimen, we shall lay before our readers an extract from the beginning of the fixth Sermon, the fubject of which is "The love of Praife."

"For they loved the Praife of Men more than the Praise of God.” John xii. 43.

"The ftate of man on earth is manifeftly defigned for the trial of his virtue. Temptations every where occur; and perpetual

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vigilance and attention are required. There is no paffion, or principle of action in his nature, which, may not, if left to itself, betray him into fome criminal excefs. Corruption gains entrance, not only by thofe paffions which are apparently of dangerous tendency, fuch as covetoufnefs, and love of pleasure; but by means of those alfo which are feemingly the most fair and innocent, fuch as the defire of efteem and praife. Of this the text fuggefts a remarkable inftance. When our Lord appeared in the land of Judæa, the purity of his doctrine, and the evidence of his miracles, acquired him a confiderable number of followers, chiefly among the lower claffes of men. But the Pharifees, who were the leading and fashionable fect, galled with the freedom of his reproofs, decried him as an impoftor. Hence it came to pass, that though fome of the rulers believed in him, yet, because of the Pharifees, they did not confefs him. Rulers, perfons who, by their rank and education, ought to have been fuperior to any popular prejudice, were fo far overawed by the opinions of others, as to stifle their conviction, to diffemble their faith, and to join with the prevailing party in condemning one whom in their hearts they revered: for which, this reafon is given, that they loved the praife of men more than the praife of God. Since, then, the love of praife can mislead men into fuch culpable and dishoneft conduct, let us, with fome attention, examine the nature of this paffion. Let us confider how far it is an allowable principle of action; when it begins to be criminal; and upon what accounts we ought to guard against its acquiring the incire af

cendant.

"We are intended by Providence to be connected with one another in fociety. Single unaffifted individuals could make fmall advances towards any valuable improvement. By means of fociety our wants are fupplied, and our lives rendered comfortable; our capacities are enlarged, and our virtuous affections called forth into proper exercife. In order to confirm our mutual connection, it was neceffary that fome attracting power, which had the effect of drawing men together, and ftrengthening the focial ties, fhould pervade the human fyftem. Nothing could more happily fulfil this purpofe, than our being fo formed as to defire the elteem, and to delight in the good opinion, of each other. Had fuch a propenfity been wanting, and felfish principles left to occupy its place, fociety must have proved an unharmonious and difcordant ftate. Instead of mutual attraction, a repulfive power would have prevailed. Among men who had no regard to the approbation of one another, all intercourfe would have been jarring and offenfive. For the wifeft ends, therefore, the defire of praife was made an original and powerful principle in the human breast.

"To a variety of good purpofes it is fubfervient, and on many occafions co operates with the principle of yirtue. It awakens us from floth, invigorates activity, and ftimulates our afforts to excel.

It has given rife to most of the fplendid, and to many of the ufeful enterprizes of men. It has animated the patriot, and fired the hero. Magnanimity, generofity and fortitude are what all mankind admire. Hence fuch as were actuated by the defire of extenfive fame, have been prompted to deeds which either participated of the fpirit, or at leaft, carried the apperance of diftinguished virtue. The defire of praife is generally connected with all the finer fenfibilities of human nature. It affords a ground on which exhortation, counfel and reproof can work a proper effect. Whereas to be entirely deftitute of this paffion betokens an ignoble mind, on which no moral impreffion is eafily made. Where there is no defire of praife, there will be alfo no fenfe of reproach; and if that be extinguished, one of the principal guards of virtue is removed, and the mind thrown open to many opprobrious purfuits. He whofe countenance never glowed with fhame, and whofe heart never beat at the found of praise, is not destined for any honourable diftinction; is likely to grovel in the fordid quest of gain, or to flumber life away in the indolence of selfish pleasures.

"Abstracted from the fentiments which are connected with the love of praise as a principle of action, the esteem of our fellow-creatures is an object which, on account of the advantages it brings, may be lawfully pursued. It is neceffary to our fuccefs in every fair and honeft undertaking. Not only our private intereft, but our public ufefulnefs, depends in a great measure upon it. The sphere of our influence is contracted or enlarged in proportion to the degree in which we enjoy the good opinion of the public. Men liten with an unwilling ear to one whom they do not honour; while a refpected character adds weight to example, and authority to counfel. To defire the esteem of others for the fake of its effects is not only allowable, but in many cafes is our duty: and to be totally indifferent to praise or cenfure, is so far from being a virtue, that it is a real defect in character.

"But while the love of praife is admitted to be in so many respects a natural and useful principle of action, we are at the fame time to observe that it is entitled to no more than our fecondary regard. It has its boundaries fet; by tranfgreffing which, it is at once transformed from an innocent into a most dangerous paffion. More facred and venerable principles claim the chief direction of human conduct. All the good effects which we have ascribed to the defire of praise, are produced by it when remaining in a fubordinate station. But when paffing its natural line, it becomes the ruling fpring of conduct; when the regard which we pay to the opinions of men, incroaches on that reverence which we owe to the voice of confcience and the fense of duty; the love of praife having then gone out of its proper place, inftead of improving, corrupts; and inftead of elevating, debafes our nature. The proportion which this paffion holds to other principles

principles of action is what renders it either innocent or criminal. The crime with which the Jewish rulers are charged in the text, was not that they loved the praise of men; but that they loved it more than the praife of God.

"Even in cafes where there is no direct competition between our duty and our fancied honour, between the praife of men and the praise of God, the paffion for applaufe may become criminal by occupying the place of a better principle. When vain glory ufurps the throne of virtue; when oftentation produces actions which confcience ought to have dictated; fuch actions, however fpecious, have no claim to moral or religious praise. We know that good deeds done merely to be feen of men lofe their reward with God. If, on occafion of fome trying conjuncture which makes us hesitate concerning our line of conduct, the first question which occurs to us be, not whether an action is right in itself, and fuch as a good man ought to perform, but whether it is fuch as will find acceptance with the world, and be favourable to our fame, the conclufion is too evident that the defire of applause has obtained an undue afcendant. What a wife and good man ought to study, is to preferve his mind free from any fuch folicitude concerning praife as may be in hazard of overcoming his fenfe of duty. The approbation of men he may wish to obtain, as far as is confiftent with the approbation of God. But when both cannot be enjoyed together, there ought to be no fufpence. He is to retire contented with the teftimony of a good confcience; and to fhew by the firmnefs of his behaviour, that, in the caufe of truth and virtue, he is fuperior to all opinion.-Let us now proceed to confider the arguments which fhould fupport fuch a ipirit, and guard us against the improper influence of praise or cenfure in the courfe of our duty.

"In the first place, the praife of men is not an object of any fuch value in itself as to be entitled to become the leading principle of conduct. We degrade our character when we allow it more than fubordinate regard. Like other worldly goods, it is apt to dazzle us with a falfe luftre; but if we would afcertain its true worth, let us reflect both on whom it is bestowed, and from whom it proceeds. Were the applaufe of the world always the reward of merit; were it appropriated to fuch alone as by real abilities, or by worthy actions, are entitled to rife above the crowd, we might juftly be flattered by poffeffing a rare and valuable diftinction. But how far is this from being the case in fact ? How often have the defpicable and the vile, by dexterously catching the favour of the multitude, foared upon the wings of popu lar applaufe, while the virtuous and the deferving have been either buried in obfcurity, or obliged to encounter the attacks of unjuft reproach? The laurels which human praise confers are withered and blafted by the unworthiness of thofe who wear them. Let the man who is vain of public favour be humbled by the reflection that, in the midft of his fuccefs, he is mingled

with a crowd of impoftors and deceivers, of hyprocrites and enthufiafts, of ignorant pretenders and fuperficial reafoners, who, by various arts, have attained as high a rank as himself in temporary fame.

"We may easily be fatisfied that applause will be often shared by the undeferving, if we allow ourselves to confider from whom it proceeds. When it is the approbation of the wife only and the good which is purfued, the love of praife may then be accounted to contain itself within juft bounds, and to run in its proper channel. But the teftimony of the difcerning few, modest and unaffuming as they commonly are, forms but a small part of the public voice. It feldom amounts to more than a whisper, which amidit the general clamour is drowned. When the love of praife has taken poffeffion of the mind, it confines not itself to an object fo limited. It grows into an appetite for indifcriminate praife. And who are they that confer this praife? A mixed multitude of men, who in their whole conduct are guided by humour and caprice, far more than by reafon; who admire falfe appearances, and purfue falfe goods; who inquire fuperficially, and judge rafhly; whofe fentiments are for the moft part erroneous, always changeable, and often inconfiftent. Nor let any one imagine, that by looking above the crowd, and courting the praise of the fashionable and the great, he makes fure of true honour. There are a great vulgar, as well as a fmall. Rank often makes no difference in the understandings of men, or in their judicious distribution of praife. Luxury, pride, and vanity, have frequently as much influence in corrupting the fentiments of the great, as ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice, having in mifleading the opinions of the crowd. And is it to fuch judges as these that you fubmit the fupreme direction of your conduct? Do you stoop to court their favour as your chief distinction, when an object of fo much juster and higher ambition is prefented to you in the praife of God? God is the only unerring judge of what is excellent. His approbation alone is the fubftance, all other praise is but the fhadow, of honour. The character which you bear in his fight is your only real one. How contemptible does it render you to be indifferent with refpect to this, and to be folicitous about a name alone, a fictitious, imaginary character, which has no existence except in the opinions of a few weak and credulous men around you? They fee no farther than the outfide of things. They can judge of you by actions only; and not by the comprehenfive view of all your actions, but by fuch merely as you have had opportunity of bringing forth to public notice. But the Sovereign of the world beholds you in every light in which you can be placed. The filent virtues of a generous purpose and a pious heart attract his notice equally with the moft fplendid deeds. From him you may reap the praife of good actions which you had no opportunity of performing. For he fees them in their principle; he judges of you by your intentions; he knows what you

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