ok steadily at this
antithesis: the _saint_, that is her soul strengthened by religion,
supported the anguish of her disease with patience and resignation; but
the _woman_, that is her body (for if anything else is meant by the word
woman, it contradicts the former part of the proposition and the passage
is nonsense), was overcome. Why was not this simply expressed; without
playing with the Reader's fancy, to the delusion and dishonour of his
understanding, by a trifling epigramatic point? But alas! ages must pass
away before men will have their eyes open to the beauty and majesty of
Truth, and will be taught to venerate Poetry no further than as she is a
handmaid pure as her mistress--the noblest handmaid in her train!

_(c)_ CELEBRATED EPITAPHS CONSIDERED. _From the Author's Mss_.

I vindicate the rights and dignity of Nature; and as long as I condemn
nothing without assigning reasons not lightly given, I cannot suffer any
individual, however highly and deservedly honoured by my countrymen, to
stand in my way. If my notions are right, the epitaphs of Pope cannot
well be too severely condemned; for not only are they almost wholly
destitute of those universal feelings and simple movements of mind which
we have called for as indispensible, but they are little better than a
tissue of false thoughts, languid and vague expressions, unmeaning
antithesis, and laborious attempts at discrimination. Pope's mind had
been employed chiefly in observation upon the vices and follies of men.
Now, vice and folly are in contradiction with the moral principle which
can never be extinguished in the mind; and therefore, wanting the
contrast, are irregular, capricious, and inconsistent with themselves.
If a man has once said (see _Friend_, No......), 'Evil, be thou my
good!' and has acted accordingly, however strenuous may have been his
adherence to this principle, it will be well known by those who have had
an opportunity of observing him narrowly that there have been perpetual
obliquities in his course; evil passions thwarting each other in various
ways; and now and then, revivals of his better nature, which check him
for a short time or lead him to remeasure his steps:--not to speak of
the various necessities of counterfeiting virtue, which the furtherance
of his schemes will impose upon him, and the division which will be
consequently introduced into his nature.

It is reasonable then that Cicero, when holding up Catiline to
det