A Definition Of Wisdom

Thero aro many currnt definitions of wisdom. Arcbbishop Whately considered i bo a ready pcrception of analogies, ■which was good as far as it went, but it enly went half way. Ho should havo sdded, and discrimination of differences. In other words, wisdom is the discriminaron of things compatible and incompati ble. Evon now our definition is iiot ïully complete. It needs a further addition, namcly, and tho correct appreciation of relativo values. Wisdom is the description of things compatible and incompatible, and the correct appreciation of relative values. Observo at sensible man in the ordínary transactions of life, the purchaso of prop erty, cboico of a resdáence, etc. He fwst puts clearly beforo himsolf a possible desiderátum, containing no incompatible or contradictory elements ; thcn, as it rarely happens that even this limited and qualificd idea can be fully attained, he decides which of tho advantages oft'orod by the rarious objects at his option are tho most valuablo, andi which of tho accompanying defecls the least nsisehievons. So, too, in our Judgment of individuals. The French have a phrase, II a défaut de ton enractire, as if a certain intellectual and moral organization, with distinct merits, mmut also be the subject to distinct corresponding faults. When a man possessos aliont virtuos, we must not bc in liaste to blaiuo him for eTors which ure possibly tho excesses of his good qualities. Still less should we arraign him for not having other good qualities antagonistio to or oven incompatible with those which he has. ín tho samo way, when an important po-litical or social chango is proposod, we must considor whetlier any of its alleged advantages are inconsistent with ono another ; noxt, whether thoy are réreconcilable with any advantages admittetl to accompany the present state of things ; finally, whether the new special benefits ure on tho whole so valuable as to more than counterbalance the loss which may fte sustained by tho subversión of tho