MORAL AND LITERARY.

BY

VICESIMUS KNOX, D.D.

MASTER OF TUNBRIDGE SCHOOL, AND LATE FELLOW OF
JOHN'S COLLEGE, OXFORD.

IN THREE VOLUMES

VOL. III.

The Fifteenth Edition.

LIBRAR

HARVARD UNWENITY

AD RUMOREM COMPONIMUR; NEC AD RATIONEM, SED AD

SIMILITUDINEM, VIVIMUS.

SENECA.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. MAWMAN, POULTRY;
R. LEA, GREEK STREET, SOHO; J. WALKER,
PATERNOSTER ROW; AND J. NUNN,
GREAT QUEEN STREET, LIN-
COLN'S INN FIELDS.

-1803.

GILLET, PRINTER, SALISBURY-SQUARE.

No.

CXIX. The Folly of bringing up Children to a learned

Profession, without the Probability of providing them with a

Competency.

CXX. On Decency as the only Motive of our apparent Vir-

tues, and particularly of our religions Behaviour.

CXXI. On the Animosities occasioned in the Country by the

Game Laws.

CXXII. On the Importance of governing the Temper

CXXIII. On the moral Effects of a good Tragedy

CXXIV. On the Influence of Politics, as a Subject of

Conversation, on the State of Literature

CXXV. On Buffoonery in Conversation

CXXVI. On the Style of Xenophon and Plato

CXXVII. On the Advantages derivable from national Ad-

versity

CXXVIII. On some of the false Pretensions and Impositions

of the Artful and Avaricious

CXXIX. On the prevailing Taste in Poetry

CXXX. On the peculiar Danger of falling into Indolence

and retired Life.

CXXXI. On the Manners of a Metropolis

Page

} 63

CXXXII. On Philelphus and Theodore Gaza, polite

Scholars of the fifteenth Century.

CXXXIII. On the Inefficacy of that Style of Speaking and

writing which may be called the Frothy

CXXXIV. On the Genius of Erasmus

CXXXV. On the Education of a Prince·

CXXXVI. Introductory Remarks on the art of Printing

CXXXVII. On the Circumstances which led to the Discovery

of the art of Printing, with miscellaneous Remarks on it

CXXXVIII. On the moral, political, and religious Effects of
Printing; with concluding Remarks

CXXXIX. Cursory Thoughts on Satire and Satirists

CXL. On Logic and Metaphysics

CXLI. On Latin Verse as an Exercise at Schools

CXLII. On the insensibility of the Men to the Charms of a

female Mind cultivated with polite and solid Literature [In a

Letter]

CXLIII. On Parental indulgence

CXLIV. On the Poems attributed to Rowley

CXLV. On the moral Tendency of the Writings of Sterne

CXLVI. On the Weight and Efficacy which Morality may

derive from the Influence and Example of those who are

called the Great.

CXLVII. On the Profligacy and consequent Misery of the

Lower Classes, and on the Means of Prevention

CXLVIII. On some Passages in Aristotle's Rhetoric, with

miscellaneous Remarks on his Style, Genius, and Works

68

73

77

82

86

91

98

108

113

119

123

129

135

139

144

148

155

CXLIX. On the Beauty and Happiness of an open Beha-

viour and an ingenuous Disposition.

CL. A Remedy for Discontent

CLI. On the Utility of religious Ceremonies, and of admitting

Music and external Magnificence in places of Devotion

CLII. On the present State of Parliamentary Eloquence

CLIII. A Life of Letters usually a Life of comparative

Innocence

CLIV. On the Advantage which may be derived to the

tender and pathetic Style, from using the Words and Phrases

of Scripture.

158

163

168

172

178

183

CLV. On Reading merely with a View to Amusement

CLVI. On a Method of Study, written by Joachimus

Fortius Ringelbergius

187

191

195

CLVII. On the Folly of sacrificing Comfort to Taste

CLVIII. On the Example of Henry V. and the bad Effects/

of an Opinion that a profligate Youth is likely to terminate

in a wise Manhood

CLIX. A good Heart necessary to enjoy the Beauties of

Nature

CLX. On Affectation of extreme Delicacy aud Sensibility

CLXI. On true Patience, as distinguished from Insensibility.

CLXII. Cursory Remarks on the Eloquence of the Pulpit.

[In a Letter.]

CLXIII. On the superior Value of solid Accomplishments. A

Dialogue between Cicero and Lord Chesterfield

202

208

212

217

222

228

CLXIV. Conjectures on the Difference between Oriental and

Septentrional, Poetry.

233

CLXV. Cursory Remarks on the Poetry of the Prophets, of

Isaiah in particular, and on the Beauties of biblical Poetry

in general.

236

243

CLXVI. On Preaching and Sermon Writers

261

CLXVII. On the Neglect of ancient Authors. [In a Letter.] 250

CLXVIII. On the Retirement of a countryTown [In a Letter.]252

CLXIX. Cursory Thoughts on Epistolary Writers

CLXX. On the Necessity of Exercise, Amusements, and an

Attention to Health, in a Life of Study. [In a Letter.] 268

CLXXI. On the Merits of Cowley as a Poet

CLXXII. Cursory and General Hints on the Choice of Books 281

CLXXIII. · Cursory Remarks on the Odyssey, on Pope's Tran-

slations, Mr. Spence's Essay, &c.

CLXXIV. Thoughts on the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles,

and several Circumstances respecting the Grecian Drama

CLXXV. Cursory Remarks on some of the Minor English

275

287

290

Poets

293

CLXXVI. Cursory and unconnected Remarks on some of the

Minor Greek Poets

298

CLXXVII. A concluding Essay

309

7

ESSAYS,

MORAL AND LITERARY.

NO. CXIX.-THE FOLLY OF BRINGING UP CHILDREN

TO A LEARNED PROFESSION, WITHOUT THE PROBABILITY OF PROVIDING THEM WITH A COMPETENCY.

THAT admiration is the effect of ignorance, is a truth universally confessed; and nothing so forcibly excites the wonder of the illiterate plebeian, as the character of profound erudition.

Dazzled by the splendor of literary honours, many an honest parent has prevented his son from acquiring a fortune behind the counter, to see him starve in a pulpit.

These reflections were occasioned by meeting an old friend at a coffee-house one evening last week. His looks were meagre, his dress shabby, and he sufficiently apologized for the rustiness of his coat, by the following narrative.

"My father," said he, after some preliminary conversation, was a shoemaker of tolerable busi"ness in London; a very honest man, and very much VOL. III.

B