The follies and vices of mankind, their struggles against inclination, and their rare attempts in favour of virtue, must continually be the subject of reflection, to those who consider them, from their powers, as distinct, from the other animals of creation. Can it be doubtful to the reasonable man, whether he ought to view them in a serious or a ludicrous light, whether he ought to assume the character of Democritus or Heraclitus?—Be it as it may, it seldom happens, but, that train of thought, gradually brings on a serious and a melancholy mood.—At such a time the mass of mankind, appear like other animals or even like myriads of insects, rolling and struggling and toiling for objects which we cannot perceive, apparently without any thing to be attained, but to be kept in motion, until they are again mingled with the mass from which they were generated.—View'd individually the greater part are trifling away their lives as they would fire a squib, heedless how soon it may burst, to the danger of the hand which holds it; thinking only of the present, unconscious and unworthy of the dignity of their nature, which would lead them at least, to reflect upon the wonders of their existence, the importance of a futurity, and their dependance on an all-pure, infinitely incomprehensible Deity.

From whence proceeds this thoughtlessness? Let Us endeavour to discover, by taking a single object, draw it aside from the Crowd, fix it in the focus, and with microscopic eyes, penetrate into and examine the motives and objects of his life.—This appears to be a young subject; so much the better there are thousands such, they must have all been young; and it is less capable of hiding its faults and deceiving; and could We hope to make any impression on the rest by an exposure, this gives us the best chance of success.