The Book of Symbols: A Series of Seventy-five Short Essays on Morals, Religion, and Philosophy : Each Essay Illustrating an Ancient Symbol Or Moral Precept

Robert Mushet

Chapman and Hall, 1847 - Ethics, Ancient - 506 pages

Contents

• The Love of Knowledge its Pleasures and Advantages 1: 3
• Ancient Education Silence and Loquacity the Re served Habit of Authors c: 15
• The Desire of Fame: 21
• The Love of Truth: 27
• On Solitude: 32
• On Death and the Immortality of the Soul Metemp sychosis and the Ancient Doctrine of Emanation and Absorption: 44
• On Preparation for Death: 61
• On the Value of Time: 67
• On Industry: 72
• On Trifling: 82
• On Early Rising a Vision of Disembodied Spirits and a Rhapsody: 89
• Propriety of Times and Seasons the Effect of the Body on the Intellect Literary Pursuits 66: 99
• Style and Strictures on the Literature of the Age: 106
• On an Active Life the Summum Bonum and a De fence of Epicurus: 114
• On Peace: 125
• On Anger and Malice: 130
• On the Practice of Virtue: 133
• On the Passion of Revenge the Virtue of Fortitude and on Duelling: 140
• On the Virtue of Mercy or Compassion the Theory and Practice of Religion contrasted Ancient Mo ralists and Modern Christians compared: 148
• On Benevolence: 155

Popular passages

Page 176 - The oracles are dumb, No voice or hideous hum Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving. Apollo from his shrine Can no more divine With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving. No nightly trance, or breathed spell, Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.

Page 296 - tis said) Before was never made, But when of old the sons of morning sung, While the Creator great His constellations set, And the well-balanced world on hinges hung. And cast the dark foundations deep, And bid the weltering waves their oozy channel keep.

Page 178 - Because you are not merry : and 'twere as easy For you to laugh and leap and say you are merry, Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed Janus, Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time : Some that will evermore peep through their eyes And laugh like parrots at a bag-piper, And other of such vinegar aspect That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile, Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.

Page 295 - That the mighty Pan Was kindly come to live with them below ; Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep.

Page 6 - This worthless present was designed you long before it was a play; when it was only a confused mass of thoughts, tumbling over one another in the dark; when the fancy was yet in its first work, moving the sleeping images of things towards the light, there to be distinguished, and then either chosen or rejected by the judgment; it was yours, my Lord, before I could call it mine.

Page 65 - The sense of death is most in apprehension ; And the poor beetle that we tread upon, In corporal sufferance finds a pang as great As when a giant dies.

Page 26 - SOME in their discourse desire rather commendation of wit in being able to hold all arguments than of judgment in discerning what is true, as if it were a praise to know what might be said and not what should be thought.

Page 386 - Eas'd of her load, subjection grows more light, And poverty looks cheerful in thy sight: Thou mak'st the gloomy face of nature gay, Giv'st beauty to the sun, and pleasure to the day.

Page 291 - He that has light within his own clear breast May sit i' the centre, and enjoy bright day, But he that hides a dark soul, and foul thoughts Benighted walks under the midday sun; Himself is his own dungeon.

Page 172 - O foolishness of men ! that lend their ears To those budge doctors of the Stoic fur, And fetch their precepts from the Cynic tub, Praising the lean and sallow Abstinence...

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Book of Symbols: A Series of Seventy-five Short Essays on Morals, Religion, and Philosophy : Each Essay Illustrating an Ancient Symbol Or Moral Precept
• Author: Robert Mushet
• Edition: 2
• Publisher: Chapman and Hall, 1847
• Original from: the New York Public Library
• Digitized: Jul 25, 2006
• Length: 506 pages