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their happiness. It requires not the force of panegyric to illustrate the value of politeness, nor the pen of wisdom to show its happy influence; as every person of common observation admits, that by it society is refined, and an agreable sociability established amongst men. To enter therefore into a tedious dissertation thereupon would be useless and entirely foreign to my intention. It is an observation too well confirmed by experience, that when any person gives himself out to be the father of politeness, he must undergo a fiery trial. The envious are ever ready to magnify the most trivial defects into enormous ones—they can even find faults where none really exists; and where a man is a master of all the graces, they are most rancorous. I myself am too conspicuous an example of superiour merit, not to dread a similar fate. Yet neither the apprehension of a calamity so distressing, nor the fear of so shameful an imputation as that of arrogance, shall deter me from doing what I conceive my duty. For to what purpose was genius given to some men, and denied others? Most certainly to be exerted for the benefit of our fellow creatures. If then he who is blessed with so rare a gift, shall impiously with-hold, or turn it aside from its proper course, he so far endeavours to frustrate the intentions of Providence—than which no sacrilege can be greater.