The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

l6$ LETTF-SSj TBACTS, l:fc.fcif fiire of the place where it began. Whate\'er bethe foundation of morahty, the nature of the particu- 1iar virtues may be dcfcribed ; the youth are capableof vmderftanding the;!!, though perhaps not able toenter into abftrufe invelligation^ about tlie orig'in ofmoral virtue. To know what virtue is, is ufeful to•nei> in every ilation of life 5 but who is the betterior having heard or underftood a great many fubtiledifputes about its origin ? For our parts, we fhouidnot grudge though the learned profefTor kept thefeentirely to himfelf, or he mrght, for his particularcomfort and fatisfaOiion, communicate his knotty ideasto that one of his fcholars who has moft connectionwith leading men, and has the beft chance to be recommiencledto fucceed him^ and who will either e-fpoufe 6r think himfelf obliged to be at an immenfelabour to deilroy the moral theory of bis predeceffor.,1Thefe different theories may be amufing to contemplativeminds, and for aught we know, there maybe fome truth in each of them, and at bottom theymay be lefs inconfiftent with one another than theyappear to be ; but whether they be or be not incon-/iitent •, whether any of them or none of them is true,v/e will be bold to fay,much time ai^d pains fpent upon it,that no one of them, after foever enabled thaticholar who underftood it belt to reflrain a finglcpaiTion, or to perform one virtuous a6tion. And weihall furcly be thought to have kept within bounds,while we pronounce no more concerning the abovementioneddry parts of fcicnce than one who is cfteemeda good judge has done, with refpeCt to a long andcomplete courfe of univerfity education :" It wouldbe hard to fay what one duty of fociety, or what oneoffice as a citizen, a ftudent is qualified to difcharge oriVdlain, after his clofe application of fo many years."Some of us were the fcholars of an illuflrious teacherof morality, himfelf. a perfe6l and ready matter of