The Blessings of Captivity

Every fresh acquaintance with cupidity, spite, idolatry and craven want of sympathy, with that willful credulity become nearly universal, and most especially with the ongoing desolation of the Earth--in short with the glories of modern life-leads not only to a renewed belief in the justice of providence, but also to profound gratitude for unpretending mediocrity, wherever it may be found, even within the covers of this book.