How Different Is The Ready Hand, Tearful

Bright Was The Summer Of 1296. The War Which Had Desolated Scotland Was Then At An End.

The Flatterer Easily Insinuates Himself Into The Closet, While Honest Merit Stands Shivering In The Hall Or Antechamber.

Lachrymal Counsellors, With One Foot In The Cave Of Despair, And The Other Invading The Peace Of Their Friends, Are The Paralyzers Of Action, The Pests Of Society, And The Subtlest Homicides In The World; They Poison With A Tear; And Convey A Dagger To The Heart While They Press You To Their Bosoms.

Virtue Is Despotic; Life, Reputation, Every Earthly Good, Must Be Surrendered At Her Voice. The Law May Seem Hard, But It Is The Guardian Of What It Commands; And Is The Only Sure Defence Of Happiness.

Beauty Of Form Affects The Mind, But Then It Must Be Understood That It Is Not The Mere Shell That We Admire; We Are Attracted By The Idea That This Shell Is Only A Beautiful Case Adjusted To The Shape And Value Of A Still More Beautiful Pearl Within. The Perfection Of Outward Loveliness Is The Soul Shining Through Its Crystalline Covering.