easier to acquire, in order that we may obtain the reputation of virtue at a cheap rate. That simple bravery, then, implies much merit, or much of that merit which a rational being should desire, we think cannot be shown; and if the reader should think differently, we would invite him to consider whether it will always be easy, in awarding the honours of a battle, to determine the preponderance of virtue between the soldier and the horse which carries him. DYMOND'S INQUIRY, &c.

A coward is not necessarily bad, nor a brave man necessarily good. Courage, like other dispositions, may be applied to wicked purposes; it may be injurious to the courageous persons, and injurious to others. If courage makes men less happy-if it injures the comforts, or destroys the property of others-it is not a virtue, but a vice. Guided by prudence and benevolence, courage is virtuous; but if not guided by these, it may be quite the contrary. DR. BOWRING.

One of the convicts of Sing Sing prison (United States), having been subjected to punishment, had vowed the death of Captain Lyonds, at the first opportunity. This threat coming to the Captain's ears, he sent for the convict, received him alone in his bed-chamber, and without appearing to notice anything peculiar in his manner, directed the man to shave him. The convict performed the operation without any attempt at violence. When it was over, Captain Lyonds dismissed him, telling him that he had heard he had threatened his life, but that he knew he would not dare to attempt it, and that he had sent for him alone, and without arms, to let him see how little he feared him.

Courage consists not in hazarding without fear, but in being resolutely minded in a just cause. PLUTARCH.

He that unshrinking and without a groan,
Bears the first wound, may finish all the war
With mere courageous silence, and come off
Conqueror for the man that well conceals
The heavy strokes of fate, he bears them well.

DR. WATTS.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom PSALM XXVII. 1.

shall I be afraid?

God is my strong salvation,
What foe have I to fear?
In darkness and temptation,
My light, my help is near.
Though hosts encamp around me,
Firm to the fight I stand;
What terror can confound me,
With God at my right hand?
Place on the Lord reliance,
My soul with courage wait;
His truth be thine affiance,
When faint and desolate;
His might thine arm shall strengthen,
His love thy joy increase;

Mercy thy days shall lengthen,

The Lord will give thee peace.

JAMES MONTGOMERY.

COURTESY AND KINDNESS.

COURTESY; civility; complaisance.

JOHNSON.

Derived from the French Courtoisie, from whom we have COURTEOUS; also COURTEOUSNESS.

KINDNESS; benevolence; beneficence; good-will; favour; love. JOHNSON.

KINDNESS is derived from the Saxon, Cynne, signifying relation; we say KIN.

Tumultuous wars shall kin with kin, and kind with kind confound.
SHAKSPEARE.

We have also KIND; KINDRED; KINDLY, &c.
"He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

AN ATHENIAN STORY.

In Athens, ere its sun of fame had set,

LUKE VI. 35.

'Midst pomp and show the gazing crowds were met,
(Intent for ever upon something new,)

The mimic wonders of the stage to view.

Lo, where the wide extended circus spreads,
In galleried ranks, its sea of living heads,—
Ranged in close order, rising row on row;
The void arena claims the space below.

The seats were filled-but, ere the shows began
A stranger entered: 'twas an aged man,
And while he sought a place with aspect mild,
The polished young Athenians sat and smiled;
Eyed his confusion with a sidelong glance,
But kept their seats, nor rose on his advance.

Oh! for a burning blush of deeper hue,
To mark the shame of that self-glorious crew;
How poor the produce of fair Learning's tree,
That bears no fruits of sweet humility!
The growth of arts and sciences how vain,
In hearts that feel not for another's pain!

Not so the Spartan youth, whose simpler school
Instilled the plain but salutary rule
Of kindness; and whose honest souls preferred
Truth, to display-performance, to a word.

They in the Cirque had their appointed place,
Distinct from Attica's distinguished race,
And rose with one accord, intent to prove
To honoured age their duty and their love.
Nor did a Spartan youth his seat resume,
Till that old man found due and fitting room.
Then came the sentence of reproof and praise,
Stamped with the sternness of the ancient days.
For standing forth amidst the assembled crowd,
The venerable stranger cried aloud ;—

"The Athenians learn their duty well: but lo!
The Spartans practise what th' Athenians know!"
The words were good; and, in a virtuous cause,
They justly earned a nation's glad applause.
But we have surer words of precept given

In God's own book-the words that came from heaven :-
"Be kind,"*" Be courteous,"† “Be all honour shown,”‡
"Seek others' welfare rather than thine own."§

M.-SATURDAY MAGAZINE.

THE COURTESY OF CHRISTIANITY.-Nothing gives so high a polish as truly religious feelings; they shrink into nothingness all those minor objects which create asperities between man and man; they give from the habit of self-examination, an insight into the heart, a quickness of perception that knows every tender point, and avoids touching it, except to heal, whether its delicacy springs from the virtues, the infirmities, or even

*And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

EPHESIANS IV. 32.

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. 1 PETER III. 8.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.

O'we no man anything, but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. ROMANS XII. 10; XIII. 8.

§ Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

1 CORINTHIANS X. 24.

the vices of our nature. The Christian cannot be proud, vain, or negligent, except in the inverse of his religion, as the Sun of righteousness shines out in his heart, these clouds melt away.

The courtesy of Christianity is equally visible in health and sickness, in retirement as in a crowd, in a cottage as in a palace. Those sudden gusts of adverse or prosperous fortune, so fatal to artificial pretensions, do not throw it off its guard. Like the finest porcelain of the East, when broken in a thousand pieces, every fracture displays new smoothness and polish; and in its shivered state, it best shows the superiority of its beautiful structure over those coarser kinds which are of the earth, earthy.

The courtesy of Christianity is equally solicitous to avoid offending the poor and low, as the rich and great; recollecting that, to the poor the gospel was first preached, and that the Saviour of the world ennobled their situation by choosing it for its own. MRS. FRENCH.

In order to render yourself amiable in society, correct every appearance of harshness in behaviour. Let that courtesy distinguish your demeanour, which springs not so much from studied politeness, as from a mild and gentle heart. BLAIR.

I see in this world two heaps of human happiness and misery; if I can take but the smallest bit from one heap, and add it to the other, I carry a point. If as I go home, a child dropped a halfpenny, and if by giving to it another, I can wipe away its tears, I feel that I have done something. I should be glad indeed to do greater things, but I will not neglect that.

J. NEWTON.

The race of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. From the time that the mother binds the child's head, till the moment that some kind assistant wipes the death-damps from the brow of the dying, we cannot exist without mutual help. All therefore that need aid have a right to ask it of their fellow-mortals; no one who holds the power of granting can refuse it without guilt. Next to enjoying happiness ourselves, is the consciousness of having bestowed it on another. SIR WALTER SCOTT.

Since trifles make the sum of human things,
And half our misery from our foibles springs;
Since life's best joys consist in peace and ease,
And few can love or serve, but all may please;

Oh, let the ungentle spirit learn from hence,
A small unkindness is a great offence:
Large bounties to bestow we wish in vain,
But all may shun the guilt of giving pain.

All worldly joys are less
Than the one joy of doing

MRS. HANNAH MORE.

COVETOUSNESS.

AVARICE; inordinate desire of money; eagerness of gain. JOHNSON.

This word is sometimes taken in a good sense, as in 1 Cor. xii. 31. "Covet earnestly the best gifts," that is spiritual graces. This COVETOUSNESS is good and commendable. But most commonly it is used to imply an eager desire after earthly things, as in Proverbs xxi. 26. "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. He coveteth greedily all the day; but the righteous giveth and spareth not.' COVETOUSNESS is called idolatry, see Col. iii. 5, because the covetous man places that love, confidence, and delight in riches, which are due to God alone. This sin is condemned in all sorts of persons, and is expressly forbidden by the tenth commandment. CRUDEN'S CONCORDANCE.

The French for COVETOUS is Convoiteux, from the verb Convoiter, to CoVET, and to this language we are referred by JOHNSON; there however appears so much affinity between the Latin verb Cupio, to desire, and our word COVET, both in sense and sound, that, in the absence of any decisive evidence or authority, we incline to refer it to that root.

ST. PAUL says, I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. ACTS xx. 33.

For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 TIMOTHY VI. 10.

Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 COR. VI. 10.