we shall be tempted to forego all our plans, to indulge in no future
wishes, and, in short, to live on in torpid apathy.

Books are at last the best companions: they instruct us in silence without
any display of superiority, and they attend the pace of each man's
capacity, without reproaching him for his want of comprehension.

A disgust of life frequently proceeds from sheer vanity, or a wish to be
supposed incapable of deriving gratification from the ordinary routine of
happiness.

It sometimes happens that with men as well as animals, that evidences of
spirit are only the effect of excited fear.

(_To be continued_.)

* * * * *


THE LAW INSTITUTION.[1]


(At the time of our last publication we were not aware that any
architectural details of the building in Chancery-lane had appeared. We
now find that the _Legal Observer_ contained such description in March
last, "collected," says the editor, "with some pains and trouble." A
correspondent dropped the _Observer_ leaf into our letter-box in the
course of last week; but, unfortunately, the communication did not reach
us in time for insertion with our Engraving. Good news, we know, usually
comes upon crutches, but we hope our thanks will reach this correspondent