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good Creator desires that all His creatures should be happy, and therefore all may be good if they will (and herein, it may be remarked in passing, lies the true ground of equality amongst men.) High talent, therefore, being a rarer gift, excites more attention, and so causes the names of its possessors to be recorded and sent down to posterity. A third reason for there being fewer instances on record of distinguished goodness, is, alas! that in the history of the world thus far, there seems to have been much more mind than heart, much more intellect than love, much more of knowledge, science, mental power, than of disinterestedness, kindness, and charity. And the reason is plain. Intellect, talent, are gifts forced upon men—their Maker allows them no choice about it—because otherwise the business of the world could not be carried on: but it is not so with goodness,—it is left to every man to be good or not as he will; and too many, alas! have abused this liberty, and chosen the worse and the sadder part. Moreover, it accords with man's own inclination, with his pride and self-love, to have and to cherish intellectual ability, because it brings him distinction. Consequently, the possessors of talent have, in general, been only too willing to cultivate and display it to the utmost: and therefore the world has seen an abundance of it, both in ancient and in modern times. But to be GOOD, does not accord with man's natural inclination—at least in the depraved state in which his nature is, at the presmt day. For to be such, requires self-mortification and self-conquest: and it is much easier to exercise intellectual power in conquering others, than moral in mastering ourselves: Alexander and Cæsar could conquer everything,—except their own spirits.