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SECT. LXXVII.

OF TEMPORARY EXHAUSTION.

Just as the morning steals upon the night,
melting the darkness, so their rifing senses
begin to chase away the fumes that mantle
their clearer reafon. Their understanding
begins to fwell, and the approaching tide
will Shortly fill the reasonable fhore
that now lies foul and muddy.

SHAKESPEARE.

To fhew the diminution of fenfibility from increased action, if one hand be put into very warm water, and then immerfed with the other into fubtepid water, to the former this water will appear extremely cold, while to the other hand it will impart an agreeable warmth. For the fame reason we feel a chillness on coming into an atmosphere of a temperate warmth, after having been for fome time in a very clofe apartment. Hence we are unable clearly to distinguish objects, immediately after we have seen a bright flash of lightning pervade the gloom of night. Thus MILTON, in defcribing the

light and glory which flows from the divine prefence and the majesty of God, says,

Dark with exceffive light thy skirts appear.

Here is an idea not only practical in an high degree, but strictly and philosophically just. Extreme light, by overcoming the organs of fight, obliterate all objects, fo as in its effects exactly to resemble darkness. Thus, after having looked at the fetting fun for a fhort time, if we turn our eyes to a lefs fplendid part of the heaven, a dark spot will be perceived exactly refembling the fhape of that bright luminary.

That these phænomena depend upon the exhauftion of fenfibility, may be proved also by looking steadfastly on a area of scarlet filk of about an inch diameter spread on white paper, the fcarlet colour will gradually become fainter, until it entirely vanishes, if the eye be kept uniformly upon it. Or if you look at a surface of light blue, and then place upon it a finaller surface painted of the ultramarine blue, the appearance of the light blue will be nearly obliterated. It is on this account that painters put in their firft fhades darker than a byeftander ignorant of this law would imagine right, and produce the greatest effect by the contrast of shades.

That violent exertions of the mind fatigue the frame

as

as much, if not more, than bodily labour, every day furnishes abundant proof.

During the late war with AMERICA, when it was proposed to continue on hoftilities, Lord CHATHAM, at the close of a very long and animating speech, faid My Lords you cannot conquer AMERICA. No man thinks more highly of my country than I do. I love and honour the English troops. I know their virtues and their valour. I know they can achieve any thing, except impoffibilities. As to the conqueft of AMERICA, I repeat, my lords, it is impoffible. You may fwell every expence and every effort ftill more extravagantly; pile and accumulate every mercenary affistance you can beg or borrow; traffic and barter with every little pitiful German prince that fells his fubjects to the shambles of a foreign power: your efforts are for ever vain and impotent; doubly fo from this mercenary aid on which you rely for it irritates to an incurable refentment the minds of your enemies. To overrun them with the mercenary fons of rapine and plunder, devoting them and their poffeffions to the rapacity of hireling cruelty! If I were an American as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop was landed in my country, I would never lay down my arms: NEVER-NEVER-NEVER.

:

Your army is infected with the contagion of these illiberal allies: the spirit of plunder and of rapine is gone forth among them. I know it, I am informed from the moft experienced officers that our difcipline is deeply wounded. Whilst this is notoriously our finking fituation, AMERICA grows and flourishes: whilft our strength is lowered, their's rifes and improves.

But, my lords, in addition to these disgraces and mifchiefs of our army, the ministers have dared to authorize and affociate to our arms the tomahawk and scalping knife of the favage! have called into civilized alliance the wild and inhuman favage of the wood! have delegated to the mercilefs Indian the defence of difputed rights, and to wage the horrors of his barbarous war against even brethren!

My lords, this enormity cries aloud for redress, and unless thoroughly done away, it will be a ftain on the national character; it is a violation of the constitution; I believe it is against the law.

It is not amongst the leaft of our national misfortunes, that our army is infected with the mercenary spirit of robbery and rapine, for, familiarized to the horrid fcenes. of cruelty, it can no longer boast of the noble and generous principles which dignify a foldier, no longer

VOL. IV.

5 G

fympathize

fympathize with "the dignity of the royal banner," nor feel "the pride, pomp, circumftance of glorious war,"

that make ambition virtue.-What makes ambition virtue?-A fenfe of honour:-but is a fense of honour confiftent with a spirit of plunder, and the practice of murder? Can it flow from mercenary motives? Or can it prompt to cruel deeds?

My lords, the time demands the language of truth: we must not now lay the flattering unction of fervile compliment or blind adulation. In a juft or neceffary war, to maintain the rights or the honour of my country, I would ftrip the fhirt from my back to support it: but in fuch a war as this, unjust in all its principles, impracticable in its means, and ruinous in its confequences, I would not contribute a fingle effort, or a fingle fhilling. In this complicated crifis of danger, weakness at home, and calamity abroad, terrified and infulted by the neighbouring powers; unable to act in AMERICA, or acting only to be destroyed, where is the man with the forehead to fay our affairs are in a hopeful fituation who has the forehead to promife or to hope fuccefs from fuch a fituation, or from perfeverance in those measures that have driven us to it?

But if in an obftinate and infatuated perfeverance in

folly

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