ITS

NATURE, SOURCE & INFLUENCE.

A PRIZE ESSAY.

WITH AN

INTRODUCTION BY THE REV. W. MARSH, DD.,

Incumbent of St. Mary's Church, Leamington.

BY WILLIAM REEVES.

LEAMINGTON:

PUBLISHED BY JOHN BECK, ADVERTISER OFFICE

LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO.

1850.

то

THE RIGHT HON. CHANDOS BARON LEIGH,

OF STONELEIGH,

THE MUNIFICENT PATRON OF THE

LEAMINGTON LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION,

ALIKE DISTINGUISHED

FOR THE AMIABLE CONSISTENCY OF HIS CHARACTER,

AND HIS LITERARY EXCELLENCE,

THE FOLLOWING PAGES,

(WITH HIS LORDSHIP'S KIND PERMISSION,)

ARE RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED,

BY HIS HUMBLE SERVANT,

THE AUTHOR,

PREFACE.

In the spring of the year 1849, the Committee of the Leamington Literary and Scientific Institution, offered two prizes, one of five guineas, (with twenty copies of the work, in case it was published,) and another of three guineas, for the two best essays on "Contentment." The competition for the prizes was in no respect limited to their own immediate locality, and a period of six months was allowed for the composition of the essays. The Rev. Wm. Marsh, D.D., Honorary Canon of Worcester, Incumbent of St. Mary's Church, Leamington, and President of the Institution; the Rev. J. H. Smith, Incumbent of Milverton Episcopal Chapel, and the Rev. W. Cleaver, one of the vice-presidents of the Institution, were selected as adjudicators of the prizes.

The present essay was awarded the first prize of five guineas by the adjudicators; and the publisher, with