The indulgence of any of the preced ing passions may lead to cruelty : even the coward indulges in this propensity when he can get his enemy into his power with safety to himself. But cruel ty is not merely confined to bodily suf. tering ; a person may be violently cruel by words, insinuations, and suggestions, that will for ever destroy the peace of individuals and families : those may be classed under the terms prejudice and censoriousness : the former is a perverse determination to resist every attempt at conciliation, where offence has been given, and to confute every assertion in favour of the victim by falsehoods and prevarication ; the latter will suffer no thing in the conduct of his enemy to be correct and proper ; he censures each act and each word at every opportuni ty ; and surely nothing eau be more un justifiable and cruel. Desire is a natu ral but uneasy sensation ut the mind ; in one point of view it is a necessary means for the support of the human species, and in others it may be com mendable and exactly the reverse. Tile desire to injure either in person or property is criminal, but a desire to ef fect any commendable purpose deserves all possible encouragement.
Among the minor affections of the mind which are vicious, though not decidedly criminal, we must include peevishness or ill•nature. The person under the in fluence of this miserable feeling is sel dom mischievous, as all his friends and associates are included in his fretful comments, and their general tendency disarms them of their sting. We read the state of his soul in the half angry, hail sorrowful, turn of his features : and we are inclined to pity him as under the influence of an incurable disease : and, in truth, peevishness Mien pm weeds front a morbid affection of the body.
Ingratitude is a species of apathy : Ile that receives a benefit, and is not grate ful in return, must possess an insensibility or apathy by no means to be envied, The latter term, indeed, seems to en ply a total absence of feeling and pas sion, or a faculty of seeing and hearing every occurrence unmoved. It may, however, admit of a doubt, whether the appearance of apathy is not to be trac ed to a perfect command of the external actions of the features and limbs, which disguise the agitation of the mind to the common observer, at the same time that nature performs her operations in the soul without effectual obstruction.
There are other designations of the in temperate passions, or those which injure us in the present state of society, and will certainly produce punishment ; but as they all refer, in some degree, to those already noticed, we shall turn our atten tion to a more pleasing portion of the sub ject. The benevolence of the Creator to wards mankind has been demonstrated by the most unequivocal proofs. This
cannot be disputed or doubted for a moment, when it is remembered, that the first operation of the infant mind is love. The infant recognises its parent, and smiles with inexpressible delight upon her face ; the smile is returned with ten fold interest, and thus commences life and the passions. Were this fact held in constant recollection, the latter would be kept in just subordination, instead of be ing encouraged to defeat the intentions of the divinity.
Upon examining•he features of a hand some child a few weeks after its birth, when in the act of fondling its mother, and that of the latter at the same instant, it will be found that nature has made the human species in a most exquisite mould indeed. On one hand, periect innocence has full possession of the face; un the other, recent illness, a disregard of exter nal affairs, and present happiness, has re stored perfect content. Exquisite pic ture of perfection ! how much is it to be regretted, that perverseness has made it transient. Encouraged as these our first propensities sometimes are, we find the parent attentive and anxious, instructing with eagerness, correcting with gentle ness ; the oflapring venerating, admiring, and emulating ; and all is happiness, com placency, and content. Placid and regu lar lines throughout the countenance point out those happy mortals for imitation, the muscles are never strained and distorted, and tile painter is at a loss how to express the repose and benevolence he essays to copy. .
Love, another sense, descends onestep from the above exalted station, and becomes difficult to be defined. Youth frequently feel a passion tio their oppo site sexes, Munded upon an inexplicable emotion of the soul, which seems blind. ed, and incapable of discrimination. 1,1 this case it, is an impulse without stabili ty, as it frequently happens that the gra tification of the impelling power proves ab surd and injurious ; from which it appears, that love should, in the first instance, be received merely as a hint, the propriety or impropriety of which is to be examin ed by the test of reason, and cherished or rejected according to her dictates. Love, thus confirmed, is a blessing to the pos sessor, as it induces the exercise of every amiable quality towards its object, con sequently, harmonizing and reconciling the soul to independent occurrences. The sensations of this passion are so tranquil, that the features are but little affected ; the eyes sparkle with vivacity, when directed to the person admired, the mouth gently opens, and a serene smile is the only indication of influence on the muscles.