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FRIENDSHIP.--Friendship derives all its beauty and strength from the
qualities of the heart, or from a virtuous or lovely disposition; or
should these be wanting, some shadow of them must be present; it can
never dwell long in a bad heart or mean disposition. It is a passion
limited to the nobler part of the species, for it can never co-exist
with vice or dissimulation. Without virtue, or the supposition of it,
friendship is only a mercenary league, or a tie of interest, which must
of course dissolve when that interest decays, or subsists no longer. It
is a composition of the noblest passions of the mind. A just taste and
love of virtue, good sense, a thorough candour and benignity of heart,
and a generous sympathy of sentiment and affections, are the essential
ingredients of this nobler passion. When it originates from love, and
esteem is strengthened by habit, and mellowed by time, it yields infinite
pleasure, ever new and ever growing. It is the best support amongst the
numerous trials and vicissitudes of life, and gives a relish to most of
our engagements. What can be imagined more comfortable than to have a
friend to console us in afflictions, to advise with in doubtful cases,
and share our felicity? What firmer anchor is there for the mind, tossed
like a vessel on the tumultuous waves of contingencies, than this? It
exalts our nobler passions, and weakens our evil inclinations; it assists
us to run the race of virtue with a steady and undeviating course. From
loving, esteeming, and endeavouring to felicitate particular people, a
more general passion will arise for the whole of mankind. Confined to the
society of a few, we look upon them as the representatives of the many,
and from friendship learn to cultivate philanthropy.--_Sir H. Davy._
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HUMILITY.--An humble man is like a good tree; the more full of fruit the
branches are, the lower they bend themselves.
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No dust affects the eyes so much as gold dust.
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Printed and published every Saturday by GUNN and CAMERON, at the
Office of the General Advertiser, No. 6, Church Lane, College
Green, Dublin. Agents:--R. GROOMBRIDGE, Panyer Alley, Paternoster
Row, London; SIMMS and DINHAM, Exchange Street, Manchester; C.
DAVIES, North John Street, Liverpool; JOHN MENZIES, Prince’s
Street, Edinburgh; and DAVID ROBERTSON, Trongate, Glasgow.