tom of saying grace at meals s origin in times of ter-state of man, riumper a season of sinence, a lucky booty of deers or goats flesurally be used, per is not oto be understood, ing -- sicular expression of to it, distinct from t implied and silent gratitude ed to enter upon t of ts and good tence. I o I am disposed to say grace upon ty ot a form for setting out upon a pleasant s -- a grace before Milton -- a grace before Sional exercise proper to be said before reading t, tual o tary ceremony of manducation, I sions to tension to a nicical, and perc ical, liturgy, noion of Utopian Rabelaesian Cians, no matter where assembled.

    tion before eating s beauty at a poor mans table, or at tive repasts of c is  t man, , sits doo  sense of t feebly acted by to ing a dinner could never, but by some extreme tered. tenance -- is barely contemplated by terally heir courses are perennial.

    Again, t diet seems ttest to be preceded by t imulative to appetite, leaves t free for foreign considerations. A man may feel tily tton urnips, and o reflect upon titution of eating; ion of mind, inconsistent  turtle. e (a rarus  ricables, eaming up trils, and moistening ts racted c troduction of t ceremony to be unseasonable. it seems impertinent to interpose a religious sentiment. It is a confusion of purpose to mutter out praises from a mout ers. ts of epicurism put out tle flame of devotion. tercepts it for akes aion bets. You are startled at tice of returning t ? -- for oo mucarve. It is to praise the Gods amiss.

    I , scarce consciously per in clergymen and ot of sances ional tone put on for a fe rid of some uneasy sensation of  t te, or  most conscientious in ty; but  in  mind tibility of tional gratitude.

    I ians sit do table, like o troug remembering t doites must run riot, and t pamper t and  are ransacked, I ion to a fitter season, e is laid; emperate diet and restricted distony and surfeiting are no proper occasions for t,  ure better, o t a blessing. e may be gratefully sensible of t is a meaner and inferior gratitude: but t of tenance, not relis delicacies; t t frame or composure, I y cion at some great , , in all probability, t tient o commence ttle sense of true temperance) as t is  feel ions a little clouded, teams mingling ing tar sacrifice.

    t satire upon full tables and surfeits is t emptation in the wilderness:

    A table richly spread in regal mode,

    its of noblest sort

    And savour; beasts of chase, or fowl of game,

    In pastry built, or from t, or boiled,

    Gris-amber-steamed; all fish from sea or shore,

    Fres or purling brook, for which was drained

    Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Afric coast.

    tempter, I  you, t tes  tory preface of a benediction. to  graces  s  Cambridge? temptation fitter for a  is too civic and culinary, and ts altogetion of t deep, abstracted, y artillery of sauces, ion to ts and plain .  disturbed  augter. to temperate fantasies of t sort of feasts presented themselves ? -- he dreamed indeed,

    -- As appetite is  to dream,

    Of meats and drinks, natures refres s.

    But s? --

    , ood,

    And saheir horny beaks

    Food to Elijah bringing, even and morn;

    taugo abstain from :

    also how he fled

    Into t, and

    Under a juniper; then how awaked

    he coals prepared,

    And by t,

    And ate time after repose,

    trengty days:

    Sometimes, t ook,

    Or as a guest  his pulse.

    Noton is finelier fancied temperate dreams of to s, troduction of  fitting and pertinent?

    tically I am no enemy to graces; but practically I o (before meat especially) to involve sometites, of one or anot spurs to our reason,  feebly set about t ends of preserving and continuing t blessings to be contemplated at a distance itude; but t of appetite (t fit season for t exercise. t tion, itle to tory prefaces. I  grace, and tions to t and drink folloo be less passionate and sensual ttons nor , as a s  ances. tizen in ucker, I cannot imagine it a surplice.

    I am no Quaker at my food. I confess I am not indifferent to t. tuous morsels of deers fles made to be received e services. I e a man ing not to kno aste in ters. I sinctively from one er in tastes for food. C----  a man cannot  certain but . it innocence, I confess a less and less relises. table tribe  t ick to asparagus, o inspire gentle ts. I am impatient and querulous under culinary disappointments, as to come  tance, expecting some savoury mess, and to find one quite tasteless and sapidless. Butter ill melted -- t commonest of kitcs me beside my tenour. -- to make inarticulate animal noises over a favourite food. as te proper to be preceded by tter to postpone ions to a season emplated urbation? I quarrel astes, nor  my t t ty and feasting. But as ttle in tures so to grace t  secretly kissing o some great fision of no ark but t tureen before  preluding strains to ts of angels and co ts and severer repasts of treuse; to t not slenderly acknoion of t at t mood, less timed and tuned to tter befitting organs  on. e sit too long at our meals, or are too curious in tudy of too disordered in our application to too great a portion of to our so be able o say grace. to be t ion is to add o injustice. A lurking sense of trut makes ty so cold and spiritless a service at most tables. In  seen t never settled question arise, as to  belike of next auty from years or gravity, s tter of compliment, eac uno s ty from his own shoulders?

    I once drank tea in company  divines of different persuasions, une to introduce to eac time t evening. Before t cup  it to ty,  seems it is tom aries to put up a s prayer before t at first quite appre upon an explanation, tle less importance  it  a custom knoary or tea-grace oget spirit mig Lucian ed ts, of o eac of performing or omitting a sacrifice, -- time, doubtful of ant nostrils ools) going a his supper.

    A s form upon t to  reverence; a long one, I am afraid, cannot escape tinence. I do not quite approve of tic conciseness  equivocal  my pleasant scuned for a grace used to inquire, first slyly leering doable, quot;Is t; -- significantly adding, quot;t; Nor do I t sce pertinent,  ion of benefits t aion unc illis erat locus. I remember  to it to reconcile t;good creatures,quot; upon  before us, anding t expression in a loil some one recalled a legend, allers  to s of roast meat upon tly boards, till some pious benefactor, commiserating tes, of ted our fless, and gave us -- roead of mutton.