see for yourself that it is not. Such persons
are thus preferred, sometimes on account of the fairness
of their features, sometimes on account of the sweetness
of their temper, sometimes for the lightheartedness
which creates an atmosphere of joyousness around them,
and insures their never officiously obtruding the
cares and anxieties of this life upon their companions.
Do not, then, attribute to want of intellect those
attractions which only need to be combined with intellect
to become altogether irresistible, but which, however,
I must confess, it may have an insensible influence
in destroying. For instance, the sweetness, of
the temper is seldom increased by increased refinement
of mind; on the contrary, the latter serves to quicken
susceptibility and render perception more acute; and
therefore, unless it is guarded by an accompanying
increase of self-control, it will naturally produce
an alteration for the worse in the temper. This
is one point. For the next, personal beauty may
be injured by want of exercise, neglect of health,
or of due attention to becoming apparel, which errors
are often the results of an injudicious absorption
in intellectual pursuits. Lastly, a thoughtful
nature and habit of mind must of course induce a quicker
perception, and a more frequent contemplation of the
sorrows and dangers of this mortal life, than the
volatile and thoughtless nature and habit of mind have
any temptation to; and thus persons of the former
class are often induced, sometimes usefully, sometimes
unnecessarily, but perhaps always disagreeably, to
intrude the melancholy subjects of their own meditations
upon the persons with whom they associate, often making
their society evidently unpleasant, and, if possible,
carefully avoided. It is, however, unjust to
attribute any of the inconveniences just enumerated
to those intellectual pursuits which, if properly pursued,
would prove effectual in improving, nay, even in bestowing,
intelligence, prudence, tact, and self-control, and
thus preserving from those very inconveniences to
which I have referred above. Be it your care
to win praise and approbation for the habits of life
you have adopted, by showing that such are the effects
they produce in you. By your conduct you may
prove that, if your perceptions have been quickened
and your sensibilities rendered more acute, you have
at the same time, and by the same means, acquired
sufficient self-control to prevent others from suffering
ill-effects from that which would in such a case be
only a fancied improvement in yourself. Further,
let it be your care to bestow more attention than
before on that external form which you are now learning
to estimate as the living, breathing type of that which
is within. Finally, while your increased thoughtfulness
and the developed powers of your reason will give
you an insight in dangers and evils which others never
dream of, be careful to employ your knowledge only
for the improvement or preservation of the happiness