necessarily be eventful; particularly, if his pen has been accustomed to move in unison with the feelings of his heart.

Of the men who have rendered themselves famous by originality of thought, boldness of conception, and ingenuity in political disquisition, none have attracted more attention than THOMAS PAINE. His fame, as a political writer, has extended to every part of the civilized world; and, were he now living, he might almost traverse the globe and say, "wherever I

go, my name has gone before me."

It is somewhat singular that so great a length of time should have elapsed, since the death of Mr. PAINE, without a single author, either in Europe or America, attempting to give an impartial and faithful account of his life. Different reasons may be assigned for the silence of his English admirers, but in the land of freedom, in the land where his principles have flourished and triumphed, in the land which almost owes its form of government to his genius, a person would have thought some honest biographer would have raised an avenging pen against the calumniators who have endeavoured to blacken his name. In the country where literature is a real republic, where the press is neither shackled by despotic

laws, nor corrupted by treacherous ministers, we are naturally led to suppose that tyranny would scarcely have found a supporter, or superstition an advocate. But the silence which has been observed towards the falsehoods that have been propagated against the character of Mr. PAINE is a proof that letters may be venal without being corrupt.

THOMAS PAINE, the subject of these memoirs, was born at Thetford, in the county of Norfolk, on the 29th of January, 1737. His parents

were obscure as to birth, having nothing to depend upon, except what was derived from their own industry. His father, Joseph Paine, was a member of the society of Quakers, a person of sober habits and good moral character: he obtained a decent, but humble livelihood by following his trade, which was that of a staymaker. The maiden name of his mother was Frances Cocke, the daughter of an attorney at Thetford, and a member of the established church. It was probably owing to the disagreement in the religious tenets of his parents that Paine was never baptized. He was, however, privately named, and through the pious care of his aunt, he was afterwards confirmed by the Bishop of Norwich.

At an early age, Paine was sent to the free

school at Thetford, where he was taught reading, writing, and accompts. Before he left this school, he likewise obtained a slight knowledge of the Latin tongue, but from the aversion or contempt which he subsequently acquired for the study of the dead languages, or from want of opportunity, it does not appear that they ever became the object of settled attention.

It does not seem, or at least it is not known, that, during his boyhood, he exhibited any peculiar signs of that genius which was afterwards to exalt him to the very pinnacle of political fame. But from a passage in the Age of Reason, it is evident, that however matured in judgment he might be before he became a politician, his first impressions on the subject of religion were made at a very early period of his life*.

"From the time I was capable of conceiving an idea, and acting upon it by reflection, I either doubted the truth of the Christian system, or thought it to be a strange affair; I scarcely knew which it was: but I well remember, when about seven or eight years of age, hearing a sermon read by a relation of mine, who was a great devotee of the church, upon the subject of what is called redemption by the Son of God. After the sermon was ended, I went into the garden, and as I was going down the garden steps, (for I perfectly

At the age of thirteen he was taken from school by his father, who, unable from his circumstances to apprentice him to any other trade, employed him as an assistant in the business of staymaking. Whether he was ever bound apprentice does not appear, nor is it a matter of much consequence. The sedentary shop-board had few attractions for our author, and he left it the first opportunity. After remaining with his father about three years, he left his native town, and proceeded to London, where he doubtless hoped to better his circumstances, conceiving, as many had done before him, that the metropolis was the only place where a youth can

recollect the spot) I revolted at the recollection of what I had heard, and thought to myself that it was making God Almighty act like a passionate man that killed his son, when he could not revenge himself any other way; and as I was sure a man would be hanged, that did such a thing, I could not see for what purpose they preached such sermons. This was not one of those kind of thoughts that had any thing in it of childish levity; it was to me a serious reflection, arising from the idea I had, that God was too good to do such an action, and also too almighty to be under any necessity of doing it. I believe in the same manner to this moment; and I moreover believe, that any system of religion, that has any thing in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be a true system.”—Age of Reason, Part I. p. 37.

attain a proper knowledge of the world, and the only scene where natural talent can find an opportunity of displaying itself to the best advantage. His mind, which nature appears to have formed for enterprize, was of too aspiring a turn to be restricted to the limits of a provincial town, or to brook the idea of being confined for life to a business which would not only have cramped his genius, but which at best would have afforded him but a scanty livelihood. His prospects in London, however, do not seem to have been at first much more inviting than those he had left in the country. On his arrival, he found himself without either friends or money, and destitute of the means of procuring any, except by again having recourse to the business he had just deserted. He applied to a Mr. Morris, a staymaker, in Hanover Street, Long Acre, of whom he pro cured employment for some weeks. From London he went to Dover, where he worked at his business for a short time, with a Mr. Grace..

How long a time elapsed from the period of his leaving his father to his quitting Mr. Grace. does not appear, nor, if known, would it be a matter of much interest. Probably, not more than two or three months. Finding himself baffled in the expectations he had formed on quitting