disqualified for acts of heroic affection.

It is of great consequence that men should come to think correctly on
this subject. The most snail-blooded man that exists, is not so selfish
as he pretends to be. In spite of all the indifference he professes
towards the good of others, he will sometimes be detected in a very
heretical state of sensibility towards his wife, his child or his
friend; he will shed tears at a tale of distress, and make considerable
sacrifices of his own gratification for the relief of others.

But his creed is a pernicious one. He who for ever thinks, that
his "charity must begin at home," is in great danger of becoming an
indifferent citizen, and of withering those feelings of philanthropy,
which in all sound estimation constitute the crowning glory of man. He
will perhaps have a reasonable affection towards what he calls his own
flesh and blood, and may assist even a stranger in a case of urgent
distress.--But it is dangerous to trifle with the first principles and
sentiments of morality. And this man will scarcely in any case have his
mind prepared to hail the first dawnings of human improvement, and to
regard all that belongs to the welfare of his kind as parcel of his own
particular estate.

The creed of self-love will always have a tendency to make us Frenchmen
in the frivolous part of that character, and Dutchmen in the plodding
and shopkeeping spirit of barter and sale. There is no need that we
should beat down the impulse of heroism in the human character, and
be upon our guard against the effervescences and excess of a generous
sentiment. One of the instructors of my youth was accustomed to say to
his pupils, "Do not be afraid to commit your thoughts to paper in all
the fervour and glow of your first conception: when you come to look at
them the next day, you will find this gone off to a surprising degree."
As this was no ill precept for literary composition, even so in our
actions and moral conduct we shall be in small danger of being too
warm-hearted and too generous.

Modern improvements in education are earnest in recommending to us the
study of facts, and that we should not waste the time of young persons
upon the flights of imagination. But it is to imagination that we
are indebted for our highest enjoyments; it tames the ruggedness of
uncivilised nature, and is the never-failing associate of all the
considerable advances of social man, whether in throwing down the strong
fenc