He is a judge passing sentence upon persons and things without justice or charity. Benevolent works in Church or State are failures unless he has been a prominent party in their execution. Personal motives are weighed in the balance and found wanting. Thoughts, ere they are expressed, are even seen and censured. Actions are pronounced false and defective. Appearances are judged as realities, and realities as nonentities. Things straight are seen as crooked, and things beautiful as deformed. Where wiser men perceive order, strength, utility, he perceives confusion, weakness, and uselessness. An enterprise of which the community approve and co-operate in he stands aloof from, and satisfies his unhappy disposition with carping criticisms and ungenerous censures. A neighbour who does not reach his standard of moral excellence in character and action he pronounces lax in principles and delinquent in life. One who does not agree with him in his peculiar views of some disputed doctrine of Christian faith or principle of Church discipline he judges to be little better than a heretic or a heathen. It seems the instinct of his nature to find fault. He hears no preacher, reads no book, looks upon no work of art, without some expression of disapproval. God, Providence, the Bible, Religion, do not escape his sharp and keen criticisms. His perception is so fine and his taste so exquisite that points of failure which a generous mind would overlook he discerns and speaks of with unfailing fidelity. He would at any time rather rub his nose against a thistle than smell at a flower. "Mr. Smith is a very excellent man," said a friend of mine one day in conversation to Mr. Pepper. "Yes, he may be," said Pepper in an indifferent way; "but perhaps you don't know him as well as I do." "What a noble gift of Lord Hill to the town of Shenton, that park of one thousand acres!" "True, it was; but what were his motives in its bestowment? Did he not expect to gain more than its value in certain ways that I need not mention?" "How sad that the family of Hobson have come into such circumstances." "It is only a judgment upon them for the old man's sins." "Have you heard that young Dumas has entered the ministry?" "Yes, and what for? Only for the loaves and fishes." "What a kind Providence it was that provided so suitably for widow Bonsor and her family." "Providence, indeed! Was it not rather the benevolence of Mr. Lord and his friend Squance?" "What an admirable picture that is in Mr. Robinson's window in Bond Street. It is a splendid piece of workmanship. Don't you think so?" "A bad sky--very bad! Cold as winter. That trunk of a tree on the right is as stiff and formal as a sign-post. It spoils the whole picture." "Then you don't like it?" "There are a few good points in it; but it is full of faults." "The Rev. Mr. Benson, of Queen's-road Church, is, in my judgment, an eloquent and powerful preacher. Don't you think so, Mr. Pepper?"