paths of virtue and learning decreases as we advance.”  Or:  “The roughnesses encountered in the paths of virtue and learning diminish as we advance.”—­Id. “There is nothing which more promotes knowledge, than do steady application and habitual observation.”—­Id. “Virtue confers on man the highest dignity of which he is capable; it should therefore be the chief object of his desire.”—­Id. and Merchant cor. “The supreme Author of our being has so formed the human soul, that nothing but himself can be its last, adequate, and proper happiness.”—­Addison and Blair cor. “The inhabitants of China laugh at the plantations of our Europeans:  ‘Because,’ say they, ’any one may place trees in equal rows and uniform figures.’”—­Iid. “The divine laws are not to be reversed by those of men.”—­L.  Murray cor. “In both of these examples, the relative which and the verb was are understood.”—­Id. et al. cor. “The Greek and Latin languages, though for many reasons they cannot be called dialects of one and the same tongue, are nevertheless closely connected.”—­Dr. Murray cor. “To ascertain and settle whether a white rose or a red breathes the sweetest fragrance.”  Or thus:  “To ascertain and settle which of the two breathes the sweeter fragrance, a white rose or a red one.”—­J.  Q. Adams cor. “To which he can afford to devote but little of his time and labour.”—­Dr. Blair cor.

   “Avoid extremes; and shun the fault of such
    As still are pleased too little or too much.”—­Pope cor.

LESSON XI.—­OF BAD PHRASES.

“He might as well leave his vessel to the direction of the winds.”—­South cor. “Without good-nature and gratitude, men might as well live in a wilderness as in society.”—­L’Estrange cor. “And, for this reason, such lines very seldom occur together.”—­Dr. Blair cor. “His greatness did not make him happy.”—­Crombie cor. “Let that which tends to cool your love, be judged in all.”—­Crisp cor. “It is worth observing, that there is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.”—­Bacon cor. “Accent dignifies the syllable on which it is laid, and makes it more audible than the rest.”—­Sheridan and Murray cor. “Before he proceeds to argue on either side.”—­Dr. Blair cor. “The general change of manners, throughout Europe.”—­Id. “The sweetness and beauty of Virgil’s numbers, through all his works.”—­Id. “The French writers of sermons, study neatness and elegance in the division of their discourses.”—­Id. “This seldom fails to prove a refrigerant to passion.”—­Id. “But