Page:Essays and phantasies by James Thomson.djvu/77

 universal enterprise, complete journey for himself or themselves), and straightway proceed to carry out the faultless process which his or their perfect wisdom and goodness will dictate.

It is obvious that if every human being now alive should forthwith read this my humble essay, and be persuaded by its evident reasonableness, and without loss of time make himself or herself perfect, then no other machinery would be required to accomplish the universal reform of human nature here proposed. Such immediate consummation is devoutly to be wished; but if I professed any hope of it I might be accused of an over-sanguine temperament; an imputation I am extremely anxious to avoid, knowing how it has retarded the triumph of every zealous reformer. I am therefore led to consider the best commonplace practical means, such as we are all familiar with in our daily life, of quickly attaining the end in view.

Let us suppose that there are three persons virtuous and intelligent among those who peruse this paper. I am aware that the estimate is very high, and would be quite extravagant in the case of almost any other periodical; and I certainly, for instance, would not venture to suppose such a great number among the readers of London's D. T. (which initials are commonly used to denote Delirium Tremens), although it assures us that it has the largest circulation in the world (it and our circumambient air, I presume; and which is the more windy let the great God of Flatulence judge). But I have been assured by various disinterested people connected with the National Reformer, such as the editor, the sub-editors, the publisher, the printer, and more