propriety, I doubt not but they will meet with your approbation. In the mean while, a more agreeable field of speculation is ready to open itself to our view. At present I shall conclude, with assuring you, that, with every sentiment of respect and esteem,

I am, dear Sir, your's, &c.

LETTER III.

J. B.

DEAR SIR,

A CURIOUS and interesting subject of speculation now presents itself to our view, in which a judicious perusal of history eminently contributes to develope the nature of the human mind, and to rectify our ideas and opinions.

While the philosopher contemplates the almost endless variety of political and religious establishments, existing in the world, and the current opinions of mankind in different agès, and in different countries, history, in an eminent degree, comes to his aid; and by enlarging his views, and extending his ideas, extinguishes those illiberal prejudices which narrow the mind, which deaden the feelings, and obscure the understanding. Error and prejudice have an almost universal influence over the minds of men; and it is only

in proportion to the light conveyed to the mind, by general information and extensive views of things, that this influence is weakened or annihilated. Certain prepossessions take hold of our minds, and domineer over our reason, from our infancy, from the first dawn of thoughts. They are inspired by systems and establishments, by received customs, by current opinions, and by the conversation and the authority of those who are the nearest and dearest to us, and have the greatest influence over us. Every nation, every religious sect, every class of society, has prejudices peculiar to itself: these prejudices are strengthened by various circumstances; they acquire a deeper root from the books we read, the country we live in, the persons with whom we converse, the station of life in which we are placed, and a thousand other incidents. If we should select a certain number of children, of capacities as nearly equal as possible, (for a perfect equality in this respect, perhaps, does not exist) if we should give them all the same education, and place them in the same station of life, whatever trifling difference might be observed in their understandings or acquirements owing to the different degrees of their application and intellectual exertion, or other incidental circumstances, we should still find in all of them (more or less) the same views, the same prejudices, the same current opinions and general ideas. But if, on the contrary, they should be differently educated and disposed ofif one should be made a soldier-another a sailor,

-the third an husbandman-the fourth a merchant-if another should be placed in a monastery, and enter into one of the religious orders of the church of Rome-another become a minister of some protestant church-if another should be sent into a Mahometan country, and, after a suitable education, become a Mufti of the mussulman religion-if another should be educated among the Bramins of India and the mind of another be formed among the Lamas of Thibettian Tartary, or among the disciples of Confucius, or the worshippers of Foe, in China or Japan, we should then see in their different prejudices, current opinions, and general ideas, the full force and influence of external and adventitious circumstances upon the human intellect. If the minds of men could be rendered visible, what different pictures would those persons, in their maturer years, display! They would exhibit, in the most luminous, the most distinct, and the most striking point of view, the full power and effect of national, political, and religious prejudices upon the human mind. These prejudices, diversified by a thousand different shades, some more faintly, others more strongly marked, influence, in, a greater or less degree, almost every individual of the human race; but more especially the vulgar and illiterate, the slaves of systems, opinions, and fashions; and their influence is hostile to the improvement of the human mind, as well as to true religion and christian charity. They foster ignorance, and engender pride, and

strongly tend to weaken or destroy that universal philanthropy so forcibly inculcated by the great Author of the Christian religion.

Nothing has a greater tendency to eradicate narrow and illiberal prejudices than a general acquaintance with those circumstances and events, which, at different periods, have taken place in the world, and which have, in so decisive a manner, determined the condition and opinions of mankind; and this knowledge the judicious perusal of ancient and modern history communicates. Hence arise extensive views and just ideas, with which the spirit of persecution and intolerance is incompatible. While the bigotted Protestant condemns, perhaps without examination, what he calls the absurdities of the church of Rome; and the bigotted catholic anathematizes the Protestant who refuses obedience to what the other deems the infallible church; while the Calvinist condemns the Arminian, and the Arminian the Calvinist, because they happen to think differently respecting the mysterious plan of redemption, and of the divine decrees; while bigots of every persuasion condemn and persecute one another, the enlightened philanthropist, of whatever denomination he may be, sees in every man a brother; and regards the whole collective mass of mankind as one vast family, the children of one common Father. While the bigot breathes nothing but intolerance and persecution against those who happen to have opinions different from

himself, the enlightened and benevolent christian considers the different nations of mankind as living under different dispensations, and resigns them all into the hands of the divine Being, who rules and disposes all things as he thinks fit, and in a manner which our feeble reason is not able to comprehend.

Confident that these remarks will meet with your approbation, and that your sentiments relative to this subject will perfectly coincide with mine,

I am, Sir, your's, &c.

LETTER IV.

J. B.

SIR,

FROM a judicious and methodical study of history more advantages will be derived than can readily be enumerated; but to pursue this kind of study, in such a manner as may enable us to derive instruction and authentic information from it, we ought carefully to be on our guard against the mistakes as well as the impositions of historians. History is a noble and useful, but a very defective branch of literature. If we consider with what difficulty we arrive at the truth, in regard to affairs which are transacted in our own times, when the art of printing, so conducive to the general diffusion of knowledge, has open