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this inward operation is, to substitute for books of error, those of philosophy, which, aided by the liberty of the press, would destroy the infernal demon of prejudice and superstition, that keeps his foot upon the dejected neck of reason, and like the dark assassin of night, thrusts his angry talons into its mouth, to suppress speech, and stifle the operation of thought and intellect. The moral character of the inhabitants of Italy proves to what an extent the internal operations of the mind and its technical powers may arrive, without producing that capacity of thought, which inverts upon self, and gives birth to wisdom. An Italian will employ a whole life to turn a stone into a wonderful resemblance of man; but it never enters his imagination to employ a moment of his time to render animated intellectual man. There is no nation in the world who have so much aversion to contemplation, if self is the object; a strong proof that the heart must be very corrupt, and home very unpleasant, since they fear so much to approach it.

In England, where contemplation is familiar to almost every mind, industry has been recommended by Mr. Hume, miscalled a philosopher, because it kept man from entering into himself. This dangerous error may delay the birth of Wisdom; but I predict with confidence, that this island will be honored in a very short period with that event, and that wisdom will be nursed by that tranquillity which the moral and physical situation of this country affords over others on the continent, which from their contrasted situation, are exposed to convulsions. This nursling, having attained the size and vigor of adult age, may leave its home and possess force sufficient to combat its enemies, superstition and despotism, in the greater field of humanity upon the continent, of which every part is incompatible with the education of wisdom while in its infancy; For this must be entrusted to a thoughtful and insulated nation, whose secure situation permits such a relaxed state of policy, as leaves thought and its promulgation in a state of absolute freedom.

This, I predict, no country on the continent will be enabled to do, till wisdom shall have triumphed over error, and have totally changed the institutions of mankind; for it is impossible, that there can be peace or happiness upon the earth, while the ridiculous chimera of the imagination shall be the source of sentiment, which is the source of action.

Conception is the only true source of action to lead man to a state of well-being or happiness. The only operation of wisdom should be to improve and enlarge that capacity; and till that is effected, the moral world will continue in its present chaos, till some centre of action is determined, about which humanity may revolve peaceably, though in different orbits. This centre, the Apocalypse of Nature will show, which England, I hope, will protect and promulgate; and I call upon all intelligent minds, in every part of the world, who pant for extension of their existence, to facilitate the means and cooperate for the end proposed, to lead mankind to a state of Intellectual Existence and Enlightened Nature.

SPAIN.

THIS Country possesses many moral and physical advantages a peninsular locality, which facilitates unity and defence, with a fertile soil, and happy climate-the mind of its inhabitants lively and active, and their hearts uncorroded by multiplied and extravagant desires. This activity of thought is entirely occupied by the pleasures of love, mixed with the alloy of inhuman jealousy, and suppressed by the prejudices and menaces of superstition. The heart seems guided by the truth of instinct, to suppress the extravagant desires, which hurry and precipitate other nations into an orbit of activity and industry, which deprives the mind of the calm necessary to contemplation, the medium of conscious existence and intellectual happiness. The errors and terrors of superstition, however, keep thought from reverting to its source, and commencing that internal operation which marks the epoch of regeneration to intellectual existence, and consequently happiness.

This country is characterized for a rebellious audacity against its parent, Nature, by seizing her sceptre, and chaining her powerful agent, the mind of man; and like the parental assassin of the human embryo, it forces hought to a sacrilegious abortion, and deprives man of the means to elevate his species on the scale of animal existence.

O Spaniard! look towards those countries where the glorious sun of truth and liberty shines forth; and though some lands not having the humidity of wisdom and vir tue, have been burnt up, and rendered sterile by heat, prepare your soil by the labor of education and study; call to your assistance the preceptors of those countries, whose improved soil cherished and imbibed the congenial rays, and brought forth the fruit-happiness.

PORTUGAL.

The

THIS Country possesses the physical advantages of soil and climate, which are counterbalanced by a dangerous locality, exposing them to maritime invasions. It is very inferior to its neighbor in moral qualities. The mind possesses a great deal of activity, which is occupied in the enterprizes of commerce, and is amused and suppressed by the errors and terrors of superstition. heart is swollen with multiplied desires, which force it into an orbit of activity, the velocity of whose revolution presents no object separate or perfect to the eye of contemplation, and debases weak minds to that point of exWhere the istence, connected with vegitative matter. faculties of the mind are powerful, as in England, though a superior industry forces the orb of existence to an uncommon velocity, yet the understanding still preserves its contemplation which will ultimately retard its course, and continue it in that slow progressive motion, which forms the point where contemplation enables thought to revert to its source, and produces intellectual existence and perfect happiness.

In the moral constitution of people of this country, the passions have a dreadful preponderance, and destroy all sympathy and probity; and shame or pride, the source whence their neighbors draw a small proportion of these virtues, is unknown to the Portuguese, who feel as much triumph in the ingenuity of falsehood, as the Spaniard would feel shame and apprehension in detection; and the characteristic content of the latter, when natural wants are satisfied, may be contrasted to the union of luxurious and natural wants of the former, which activity serves to nourish, but never seems to satiate.

When the desires of the human heart acquire strength and number, probity becomes an embarrassment, and must be thrown off, that they may acquire rapidity in their course, to overtake the object of their pursuit.

Of this truth, both the existence and the cause are proved by a comparative view of the two nations, Spain and Portugal. The latter forming, as it were, but a broad shore to the ocean, is pervaded in all its parts by commerce, which always brings in its suite avarice, falsehood and discontent; whereas Spain, from its situation, has its interior parts unconnected with the sea, and uncorrupted by the activity of commerce and its baneful attendants; and hence the eulogium of the proverb "Divest a Spaniard of all his virtues and he will form a good Portuguese."

This country seems, however, to be in a progress of improvement, and the maritime situation to which it owes its vices, opens to it, by way of compensation, the means of perfection.

The operations of the great agent of Nature, the human mind, in various countries, is communicated to these people, and this all the rigor of the most damnable tyranny of the inquisition cannot prevent. As the flint in collision with the steel, educes sparks of fire, which, communicated to the tinder, thence to the match, and from the match to the pile of wood, extends that element, the cause of life, comfort and pleasure; so mind in collision with mind, elicits its sparks of light or thought, which expressed in words, transferred to the paper, and from the paper to the press, diffuses wisdom, the intellectual element, which produces that consciousness which alone can be called human existence and happiness.

In the approximation of the moral world to a state of perfection, two dangerous and difficult passes or defiles present themselves-Policy [Politics] and Superstition. In the early stages of the world, when ignorance was universal, the latter defile, thought necessary for the defence of humanity, was strongly guarded; in this more enlightened age, the garrisons have been withdrawn to augment those of policy. Spain and Portugal, by refusing to follow this universal example, prove their inferiority in intellect to the rest of mankind; and show at the

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