ment in which he changes his mind. An
absent-minded friend of mine went upstairs the other day to prepare for
a social function. To the consternation of his unhappy wife he came
down again wearing his old gardening suit. A man may quite easily make
a mistake. Before he enters upon the process of robing he must be sure
of three things: (1) He must be quite clear that the clothes he
proposes to doff are unsuitable. (2) He must be sure that his wardrobe
contains more appropriate apparel. (3) And he must be certain that the
folded garments that he takes from the drawer are actually those that
he made up his mind to wear. It is a good thing, similarly, to change
one's mind. But the thing must be done very deliberately, and even
with scientific precision, or a man may make himself perfectly
ridiculous. Let me produce a pair of illustrations, one from Boswell,
which is good; and one from the Bible, which is better.

(1) Dr. Samuel Johnson was a frequent visitor at the house of Mr.
Richardson, the famous novelist. One day, whilst Johnson was there,
Hogarth called. Hogarth soon started a discussion with Mr. Richardson
as to the justice of the execution of Dr. Cameron. 'While he was
talking, he perceived a person standing at a window in the room,
shaking his head, and rolling himself about in a strange, ridiculous
manner. He concluded that he was _an idiot_, whom his relations had
put under the care of Mr. Richardson, as being a very good man. To his
great surprise, however, this figure stalked forwards to where he and
Mr. Richardson were sitting, and all at once took up the argument. He
displayed such a power of eloquence that Hogarth looked at him with
astonishment, and actually imagined that he was _inspired_.' Thus far
Boswell.

(2) Paul was shipwrecked, as everybody knows, at Malta. He was
gathering sticks for the fire, when a viper, thawed by the warm flesh
and the fierce flame, fastened on his finger. When the natives saw the
snake hanging on his hand, they regarded it as a judgement, and said
that no doubt he was a _murderer_. But when they saw that he was none
the worse for the bite, 'they changed their minds, and said that he was
_a god_!'

Hogarth thought Johnson was a _lunatic_. He changed his mind, and said
he was _inspired_!

The Maltese thought Paul was a _murderer_. They changed their minds,
and said he was a _god_!

They were all wrong, and always wrong. It is the case of my poor
abse