feed about,
    A single lamb thou choosest out,
    Is it not that which seemeth best
    That thou dost take, yet leave the rest? 
    Yes! such thy wont; and, even so,
    With his choice little ones below
    Doth the Good Shepherd deal; he breaks
    Their earthly bands, and homeward takes,
    Early, ere sin hath render’d dim
    The image of the seraphim!”

    Heart-struck, the shepherd home return’d;
    Again within his bosom burn’d
    The light of faith; and, from that day,
    He trode serene life’s onward way.

* * * * *

COMTE.

     Cours de Philosophie Positive, par M. Auguste Comte.

It is pleasant to find in some extreme, uncompromising, eccentric work, written for the complete renovation of man, a new establishment of truth, little else, after all its tempest of thought has swept over the mind, than another confirmation of old, and long-settled, and temperate views.  Our sober philosophy, like some familiar landscape seen after a thunder storm, comes out but the more distinct, the brighter, and the more tranquil, for the bursting cloud and the windy tumult that had passed over its surface.  Some such experience have we just had.  Our Conservative principles, our calm and patient manner of viewing things, have rarely received a stronger corroboration than from the perusal or the extraordinary work of M. Comte—­a work written, assuredly, for no such comfortable purpose, but for the express object (so far as we can at present state it to our readers) of re-organizing political society, by means of an intellectual reformation amongst political thinkers.

We would not be thought to throw an idle sneer at those generous hopes of the future destiny of society which have animated some of the noblest and most vigorous minds.  It is no part of a Conservative philosophy to doubt on the broad question of the further and continuous improvement of mankind.  Nor will the perusal of M. Comte’s work induce, or permit, such a doubt.  But while he leaves with his reader a strong impression of the unceasing development of social man, he leaves a still stronger impression of the futile or mischievous efforts of those—­himself amongst the number—­who are thrusting themselves forward as the peculiar and exclusive advocates of progress and improvement.  He exhibits himself in the attitude of an innovator, as powerless in effect as he is daring to design; whilst, at the same time, he deals a crashing blow (as upon rival machinators) on that malignant party in European politics, whether it call itself liberal or of the movement, whose most distinct aim seems to be to unloose men from the bonds of civil government.  We, too, believe in the silent, irresistible progress of human society, but we believe also that he is best working for posterity, as well as for the welfare of his contemporaries, who promotes order and tranquil effort in his own generation, by means of those elements of order which his own generation supplies.