he looks back on them in a lachrymose, sentimental manner, with the smallest symptom either of boasting or whining.'

Yet, universal as it is, we are not wise unless we conquer it. We must go out of self to judge self, or we shall be ever bewitched by toys and gewgaws, and made blind in our own despite. When Maria, in the 'Twelfth Night' of Shakspeare, wishes to punish Malvolio, she gets on his blind side by his egotism. And yet there can be little doubt that Malvolio is a very wise and capable man when his egotism is laid aside; but with it he is ‘an affection'd (affected) ass, that cons state without book, and utters it by great swarths; the best persuaded of himself, so crammed, as he thinks, with excellences, that it is his ground of faith, that all that look on him love him; and on that vice in him will my revenge find notable cause to work.'

We laugh at the comedy, but are ourselves guilty of the motive which is its groundwork. Many of us being young, still think, after many rebuffs, that we are pleasant fellows, and are pretty sure to be welcomed in any company. There is not a man of us but believes in his heart of hearts that he could win the affections of the best, prettiest, and finest girl in the world, if he had fair chance and time to propose to her. Tell B that A has really a natural antipathy to him, and thinks him odious; and he says, 'Hate me! Come, hang it, now, that is too absurd.'

Every man believes in his personal influence.

The busi

ness can never go on without him. The boys that are to succeed him will overthrow all that he has built up; 'the mice will play when the cat's away;' there will be quite a hole in the world when he falls through. But time should gently wean us of all that it should teach us the best lesson, and the last-to distrust ourselves, to know our own weaknesses, to be generous to the weaknesses of others, and to praise and acknowledge their goodness and wisdom. The whole task of life is to conquer self; the whole wisdom is to know self. Finally, self-abasement and self-judgment are so highly rated, that the remission of all other judgment is awarded to them by St. Paul. 'Let a man examine himself,' he writes; for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.' It may be that the last Grea Judgment of all will be that made possible by true light and knowledge, and will be passed with regard to ourselves upon ourselves.

THE SUBJECT CONTINUED.

'I'-- Self and its Importance-Conscience.

T is the chief concern of each and of all of With that personal pronoun for a title, there is no knowing what the subject of an

us.

essay may be; it may be upon egotism, selfishness, idiosyncrasy, the journal in which the article appears, or upon the peculiarities of man or men. Hartley Coleridge would have written the sweetest and most heart-piercing of verses upon it; and Hazlitt would have given us a rare discourse respecting his own inner feelings upon personal peculiarities; Montaigne would have urged that he did not like roast pork, nor to say prayers standing, or would have told a ridiculous story about the strength of his father's thumbs. These might very well come in as concerning 'I.' What we at present are about to do is to write about the conscience, that kingdom within our kingdom, the inner spiritual force.