people. The spirit of beauty, virtue, and morality, which breathed in this ancient piece of Eastern instruction, was such, that a gentleman, who had then resided on the borders of China for some years, sent a translation of it to England, which translation forms the volume entitled "The Economy of Human Life," etc.

The second was a book, printed in the year 1692, called "The Redemption of Time; the Duty and Wisdom of Christians in Evil Days, or a Practical Discourse, showing what special opportunities ought to be redeemed, what misspences of Time are to be avoided; with convincing reasons, quickening motives, and proper directions for the right improvement of precious time. By John Wade, Minister of Hammersmith."

During my Grandmother's life-time, I had taken little notice of these volumes. But after her death, and when my own maturer years and riper knowledge enabled me to appreciate many of those womanly and Christian virtues which she had displayed in her life, I became anxious to examine them; and upon doing so, found in them gems of thought, and treasures of truth, which made a great impression upon me, and led me to a fuller understanding of the high qualities of mind which my deceased Grandmother had possessed.

To the careful perusal of these books, and to serious reflection upon their teaching, I owe the deep interest in this subject which led me to search in every channel for other works, and to examine nearly all the theories and systems for the Economy of Time that have hitherto been published. This volume will be found to contain a great amount of matter which could not have been obtained, except as the result of extensive reading upon the lives and opinions of the many excellent men whose theories and examples are given.

The whole of the " Economy of Human Life," is printed in

small type, in detached portions, as headings to my own chapters. The quotations at the heads of the pages are selected passages from the Rev. Mr. Wade's invaluable work. The reader has, therefore, in this little volume, the complete "Economy of Human Life, by the Ancient Bramin," the choicest passages of "The Redemption of Time," the Examples, Opinions, and Systems of many very eminent persons, and a theory constructed by myself, after much reflection thereon. I venture to hope that the few hours required for the perusal of "Life Doubled by the Economy of Time," will be found to be one of the most fruitful examples of the right application of Time, which should ever be expended in the pursuit of good; and that, from the moment when the Reader completes the perusal of this volume, he will begin to practice that Economy of his most precious possession, which must result in his becoming richer, wiser, and happier.

London, 1858.

"To live much in a little Time is, in a manner, as good as if the very time past were lived over again."

LIFE DOUBLED BY THE ECONOMY OF TIME.

INDUSTRY.

"Since the days that are past are gone for ever, and those that are to come may not come to thee; it behoveth thee, O Man, to employ the present Time, without regretting the loss of that which is past, or too much depending on that which

is to come.

"This instant is thine, the next is in the womb of futurity, and thou knowest not what it may bring forth.

"Whatsoever thou resolvest to do, do it quickly; defer not tili the evening what the morning may accomplish.

"Idleness is the parent of want and of pain; but the labour of virtue bringeth forth pleasure.

"The hand of diligence defeateth want; prosperity and success are the industrious man's attendants.

"Who is he that hath acquired wealth, that hath risen to power, that hath clothed himself with honour, that is spoken of in the city with praise, and that standeth before the king in his counsel? Even he that hath shut out Idleness from his house, and hath said, Sloth, thou art mine enemy.

"He rises up early, and lyeth down late; he exerciseth his mind with contemplation, and his body with action, and preserveth the health of both.

"The slothful man is a burthen to himself, his hours hang heavy on his head; he loitereth about, and knoweth not what he would do.

"His days pass away like the shadow of a cloud, and he leaveth behind him no mark for remembrance.

"His body is diseased for want of exercise; he wisheth for action, but hath not power to move; his mind is in darkness, his thoughts are confused, he longeth for knowledge, but hath no application. He would eat of the almond, but hateth the trouble of breaking its shell.

"His house is in disorder, his servants are wasteful and riotous, and he runneth on towards ruin; he seeth it with his eyes, he heareth it with his ears, he shaketh his head, and wisheth, but hath no resolution; till ruin cometh upon him like a whirlwind, and shame and repentance descend with him to the grave."-The Ancient Bramin.

I. TIME.

PHILOSOPHERS tell us that the first rays of morning, and the last rays of evening light, are received by the atmosphere in its highest regions, and by it bent towards the earth.

Thus we have the dawn of morning before the sun

"It is, in some sense, as if the same Time were returned into our hands, because that which should have been done, but was neglected, is at length accomplished."

emerges from the horizon, and the twilight of evening lingers on the earth after the sun has set. Metaphorically, the earth may be said to be so fond of light, that, like an anxious lover watching the coming or the departure of his betrothed, it imagines the image of the beloved object before her appearance, and retains an impression of her lineaments after the object of adoration has departed.

This far-reaching of the eye of Nature, to catch the first and retain the last influences of light, is a grand lesson to man—a lesson which is the more impressive because it has been repeated every day, from the time when this great globe was first made to revolve upon its centre, and placed by an Almighty hand in solemn allegiance to the sun. The application of that sublime lesson to the practical purposes of life, is to be the theme of these pages.

Let us stand upon the summit of a mountain, and watch the sunrise. The deep blackness of night, relieved only by the twinkling of stars, as the passing clouds shift the veil that obscures the sky, begins to yield, and, through the dark grey mists, forms of hills, trees, and houses steak upon the view. One by one, rich streaks of light spread across the horizon, and the thick clouds, that seemed at first. to combine against the coming of the great ruler of the day, yield their resistance, break into light fleecy forms, and reflect the splendour which they at first opposed.

The gladsome bird is the first to greet the light; shaking the dew from his feathers, he sings a joyful song, as he flies to and from his nest, bearing welcome bits of food to his unfledged young. The husbandman is as early as the bird;

"Neither is this any encouragement to a wicked person to lose the present Time because it may be redeemed again after a sort; for they that thus redeem it must pay full dear for it."

soon the smack of the whip, and the rumble of the wheel, are heard in the valley; cottage chimneys send up their white smoke from newly-kindled fires; the maid goes forth to milk the peaceful kine, and thousands of winged things come forth to rejoice in the sunshine; the butterfly is sipping nectar from the flowers; and the bee has already wandered from his hive, and is now returning to increase his store.

But the city is still asleep. The watchman goes wearily over his beat for the last time; the children of vice, shamed by the pure sunlight, hurry home to their miserable dwellings, and fall into a state of stupor just at the hour when Nature is awakening to activity and joy.

At length even the city awakes. The shutters and blinds, which kept out the light of morning, are one by one removed. There are sweeping, scrubbing, and rubbing; windows must be cleaned, counters rubbed down, fires lighted, and parlours dusted. By the time the milk has reached the city, some thousands of people, who were rolling heavily upon their beds when the milk-maid went forth to where the cows awaited her coming, are up and ready for their breakfasts.

The city, when once awakened, is soon full of life; and as far as the mere achievement of labour is concerned, will outstrip the country, which awoke so long before it. There are steamboats on the river, omnibuses in the streets, and trains from the suburbs, bringing collectively tens of thousands into the great marts of industry, to transact the business of the day. With the exception of a small