in general. The ladies had formed their conclufion, that it was monstrous pleasant, and the gentleman his, that it was monftrous dear.

I

N° 42.

N° 42.

WHE

SATURDAY, June 19. 1779.

HEN I firft undertook this publica tion, it was fuggefted by fome of my friends, and, indeed, accorded entirely with my own ideas, that there fhould be nothing of religion in it. There is a facredness in the fubject, that might seem profaned by its introduction into a work, which, to be extenfively read, muft fometimes be ludicrous, and often ironical. This confideration will apply, in the strongest manner, to any thing myftic or controverfial; but it may, perhaps, admit of an exception, when religion is only introdu ced as a feeling, not a fyftem, as appealing to the fentiments of the heart, not to the difquifitions of the head. The following story holds it up in that light, and is, therefore, I think, admiffible into the MIRROR. It was fent to my editor as a tranflation from the French. Of this my readers will judge. Perhaps they might be apt to fufpect, without any fuggeftion from me, that it is an original, not a tranflation. Indeed, I cannot help thinking,

D 3

ing, that it contains in it much of that picturefque defcription, and that power of awakening the tender feelings, which fo remarkably diftinguish the compofition of a gentleman whofe writings I have often read with pleafure. But, be that as it may, as I felt myself interested in the narrative, and believed that it would affect my readers in the like manner, I have ventured to give it entire as I received it, though it will take up the room of three fucceffive papers.

S

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

SIR,

More

Ore than forty years ago, an English philofopher, whofe works have fince been read and admired by all Europe, refided at a little town in France. Some difappointments in his native country had first driven him abroad, and he was afterwards induced to remain there, from having found in this retreat, where the connections even of nation and language were avoided, a perfect feclufion and retirement highly favourable to the developement of abstract fubjects, in which he excelled all the writers of his time.

Perhaps,

Perhaps, in the structure of fuch a mind as Mr- -'s, the finer and more delicate fenfibilities are feldom known to have place, or, if originally implanted there, are in a great measure extinguished by the exertions of intenfe ftudy and pround investigation. Hence the idea of philofophy and unfeelingness being united, has become proverbial, and, in common language, the former word is often used to exprefs the latter. Our philofopher has been cenfured by fome as deficient in warmth and feeling; but the mildness of his manners has been allowed by all; and it is certain that, if he was not eafily melted into compaffion, it was, at leaft, not difficult to awaken his benevolence.

One morning, while he fat bufied in those fpeculations which afterwards aftonished the world, an old female domeftic, who ferved him for a house-keeper, brought him word, that an elderly gentleman and his daughter had arrived in the village, the preceding evening, on their way to fome diftant country, and that the father had been fuddenly seized in the night with a dangerous diforder, which the people of the inn where they lodged feared would prove mortal: that he had been

fent

fent for, as having fome knowledge in medicine, the village-furgeon being then abfent, and that it was truly piteous to fee the good old man, who seemed not fo much afflicted by his own diftrefs, as by that which it caused to his daughter. Her mafter laid afide the vo lume in his hand, and broke off the chain of ideas it had infpired. His night-gown was exchanged for a coat, and he followed his gouvernante to the fick man's apartment.

'Twas the best in the little inn where they lay, but a paltry one notwithstanding. Mr was obliged to ftoop as he entered it. It was floored with earth, and above were the joifts not plaftered, and hung with cobwebs.

On a flock-bed, at one end, lay the old

man he came to vifit; at the foot of it fat his daughter. She was dreffed in a clean white bed-gown; her dark locks hung loosely over it as the bent forward, watching the languid looks of her father.- Mr and his

houfe keeper had ftood fome moments in the room, without the young lady's being fenfible of their entering it." Mademoiselle !" faid the old woman at laft, in a foft tone - She turned, and fhowed one of the fineft faces in the world-It was touched, not spoiled with

forrow;