ed upon it; but the consequences of early impressions are of too serious a nature to be lightly dismissed.

Philosophy had no sooner explained the opitical defect of squinting, than a reformation took place in every nursery, and the position of every cradle was carefully attended to. Is the mind, then, so comparitively unimportant? Or are the impressions made upon it by strong and powerful sensation, to a certainty, less durable than those made upon the optic nerve? A very little reflection will convince us of the contrary. Adieu.

LETTER IV.

ASSOCIATIONS OF AVERSION CONTINUED.

Danger of early inspired antipathies—The nature of preju dice examined. Its injurious effects upon the mind.—Examples and observations.

HAVING noticed, at sufficient length, the effect of those violent sensations of terror which are too often inflicted on the infant mind, let us now discuss the subject of aversions and antipathies to particular objects which we have been accustomed, without hesitation, to attribute to Nature.

When we take a view of the instinctive faculties of animals, and observe how admirably they are adapted to the preservation of the species and the individual, according to its situation and circumstances: and when we consider how much, in the infancy of society, Man must be inevitably exposed to danger, from the bite of noxious animals; it does not, at first view, seem inconsistent with the order of Providence, that he should be provided with a similar defence, and be taught by natural antipathy to avoid what is hurtful. But is this actually the case? And does it not rather appear, that the principle of imitation, so deeply implanted in our natures, and so suited to the circumstances of man as a social animal, is intended by our wise Creator, as a substitute for that instinct in which the inferior orders of creation have so much the advantage of us? That this is indeed the case, evidently, as I

think, appears from the conduct of individuals; which, with regard to the objects of aversion, is so far from being guided by the steady and unerring impulse of instinct, that it most frequently seems the offspring of unaccountable caprice. To those, indeed, who have observed the power of sympathy and the influence of imitation, it will not be unaccountable. Let a child see a frog for the first time in company with a person who has no aversion to the species, who praises the beauty of its skin, admires its agility, and mentions its inoffensiveness with sympathy and tenderness; the child will be delighted with its appearance, and attach to it no more idea of disgust than he does to that of a robbin read-breast. But alter these circumstances, and let him at the first sight of the frog hear a shriek of terror from his mamma, or some female friend; let him see her run from it with abhorrence and hear her mention it with disgust, and it is ten to one the association thus formed will remain fixed for life.

While sitting in an alcove in a friend's garden last summer, I saw a darling little girl, whose mind had been happily preserved from the early dominion of prejudice, busily employed in collecting pebbles (as I thought) and putting them in her frock, which she had gathered up and held in one hand as a receptacle for her treasure. Observing me, she came running towards me with a joyful countenance; "See!" cried she, "see! what a number of beautiful creatures I have got here!" emptying at the same time the contents of her lap upon mine- -a number of large black beetles! I confess I could have excused the present; nor

could I behold the harmless creatures crawling on me, without shuddering. I had however resolution enough to conceal my sensations; and after thanking my little friend for her kindness, begged she would replace them in her frock, that she might put them down where she had found them, so that they might find their way to their families. Delighted with the employment, in which I could not prevail on myself to assist her, she soon freed me from my disagreeable companions; and while I watched the expression of her animated countenance, I could not help reflecting on the injury I had sustained from that early association which could still thus operate upon my mind in defiance of the control of reason. An aversion to black beetles, it is true, will not often interfere with our happiness, or with the comfort of those with whom we associate; but why, in any instance, should we injure the mind by false and fictitious prejudices? The recurrence of these painful sensations, and what sensations more painful than those of fear and aversion? deduct much from the pleasure of life. They mislead the understanding and warp the judgment, and are consequently injurious to the sanity of the mind; and yet how little are they guarded against in education? Suffer me, then, my Friend, to recommend it to your consideration. Watch, I beseech you, the early operation of the mind; and if you observe any symptom of its having caught by contagion any of those antipathies so falsely denominated natural, make it your business, by counteracting, to destroy the association which excited them. In the education of brutes we see this done every day with success;

and, indeed, from the education of brutes many useful hints on the subject of association might be derived; nor where they offer, ought we to scorn to avail ourselves of them. (B)*

Besides these false and foolish antipathies to certain objects of sense, which are at an early period fixed in the mind, there are others more indistinct and undefined, which, instead of guarding against, we are often at pains to instil for our amusement, without considering the consequences to which they may probably lead.

Before we proceed to their investigation, it may be proper to make a few previous remarks on the nature and tendency of prejudice in general.

Prejudice may, I think, be defined, to be desire or aversion attached to certain objects or opinions by means of strong but unexamined associations. To render virtue the object of love, and vice the object of hatred, is the aim and end of moral education. But if infinite pains be not taken to guard the mind against hasty and precipitate judgments, it will of ten associate with the ideas of vice and virtue circumstances that are foreign and indifferent; and by this means, love and hatred will be improperly

called forth.

The religious and political opinions of the greater part of mankind having been embraced without much previous examination, are persevered in merely by means of their having been strongly associated with the ideas of propriety, utility, or truth. Accustomed from infancy to consider the sect or party in which we have been educated, as

See Note 2d, at the end of the Volume.