relations, and friends; and spreads itself over the whole circle of social and domestic life I mean not that it imports a promiscuous undistinguished affection,which gives every man an equal title to our love. Charity, if we should endeavour to carry it so far, would be rendered an impracticable virtue; and would resolve itself into mere words, without affecting the heart. True charity attempts not to shut our eyes to the distinction between good and bad men; nor to warm our hearts equally to those who befriend, and those who injure us. It reserves our esteem for good men, and our complacency for our friends. Towards our enemies it inspires forgiveness, humanity, and a solicitude for their welfare. It breathes univer、 sal candour, and liberality of sentiment. It forms gentleness oftemper, and dictates affability of manners. It prompts corresponding sympathies with them who rejoice, and them whe weep. It teaches us to slight and despise no man. Charity is the comforter of the afflicted, the protector of the oppressed, the reconciler of differences, the intercessor for offenders. It is faithfulness in the friend, public spirit in the magistrate, equity and patience in the judge, moderation in the sovereign, and loyalty in the subject. In parents, it is care and attention; in children, it is reverence and submission. In a word, It is the soul of social life. It is the sun that enlivens and cheers the abodes of men. It is "like the dew of Hermon," says the Psalmist, "and the dew that descended on the mountains of Zion, where the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

SECTION VIII.

Prosperity is redoubled to a good man.

BLAIR

NONE but the temperate, the regular, and the virtuous, know how to enjoy prosperity. They bring to its comforts the manly relish of a sound uncorrupted mind. They stop at the proper point, before enjoyment degenerates into disgust, and pleasure is converted into pain. They are strangers to those complaints which flow from spleen, caprice, and all the fantastical distresses of a vitiated mind. While riotous indulgence enervates both the body and the mind, purity and virtue heighten all the powers of human fruition.

Feeble are all pleasures in which the heart has no share. The selfish gratifications of the bad, are both narrow in their circle, and short in their duration. But prosperity is e doubled to a good man, by his generous use of it. It is reflected back upon him from every one whom he makes happy,

In the intercourse of domestic affection, in the attachment of friends, the gratitude of dependants, the esteem and good-will of all who know him, he sees blessings multiplied round him, on every side. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless, and hum that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish caine upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing with joy. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame: I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out."-Thus, while the righte ons man flourishes like a tree planted by the rivers of water. he brings forth also his fruit in its season: and that fruit he brings forth, not for himself alone. He flourishes, not like a tree in some solitary desert, which scatters its blossoms to the wind, and communicates neither fruit nor shade to any liv thing: but like a tree in the midst of an inhabited cour which to some affords friendly shelter, to others fruit; v not only is admired by all for its beauty; but blessed b traveller for the shade, and by the hungry for the s ance it hath given.

SECTION IX.

On the beauties of the Psalms, GREATNESS Confers no exemption from the cares an rows of life: its share of them frequently bears a melan proportion to its exaltation. This the monarch of Isra perienced. He sought in piety, that peace which he not find in empire; and alleviated the disquietudes of with the exercises of devotion. His invaluable Psalms those comforts to others, which they afforded to h Composed upon particular occasions, yet designed for ral use; delivered out as services for Israelites unde. Law, yet no less adapted to the circumstances of Chris under the Gospel; they present religion to us in the most gaging dress; communicating truths which philosophy could never investigate, in a style which poetry can never equal; while history is made the vehicle of prophecy, and creation lends all its charms to paint the glories of redemption. Calculated alike to profit and to please, they inform the under standing,elevate the affections, and entertain the imagination. Indited under the influence of 1, to whom all hearts arę known, and all events foreknown, they suit mankind in all situations; grateful as the manna which descended from apove, and conformed itself to every palate.

The fairest productions of human wit, after a few pern sals, like gathered flowers, wither in our hands, and lose their fragrancy: but these unfading plants of paradise become, as we are accustomed to them, still more and more beautiful; their bloom appears to be daily heightened; fresh odours are emitted, and new sweets extracted from them. He who has once tasted their excellences, will desire to taste them a gain; and he who tastes them oftenest, will relish them best. And now, could the author flatter himself, that any one would take half the pleasure in reading his work, which he has taken in writing it, he would not fear the loss of his labour. The employment detached him from the bustle and hurry of life, the din of politics, and the noise of folly. Vanity and vexation flew away for a season; care and disquietude came not near his dwelling. He arose, fresh as the morning, to his task; the silence of the night invited him to pursue it; and he can truly say, that food and rest were not preferred before it. Every psalm improved infinitely upon his acquaintance with it, and no one gave him uneasiness but the last : for then he grieved that his work was done. Happier hours than those which have been spent in these meditations on the songs of Sion, he never expects to see in this world. Very pleasantly did they pass; they moved smoothly and swiftly along for when thus engaged, he counted no time. They are gone, but they have left a relish and a fragrance upon the mind; and the remembrance of them is sweet.

:

SECTION X.

Character of ALFRED, king of England.

NORKE

THE merit of this prince, both in private and public life, may, with advantage, be set in opposition to that of any mo narch or citizen, which the annals of any age, or any nation, can present to us. He seems, indeed, to be the complete model of that perfect character, which, under the denomination of a sage or wise man, the philosophers have been fond of delineating, rather as a fiction of their imagination, than in hopes of ever seeing it reduced to practice: so happily were all his virtues tempered together; so justly were they plended; and so powerfully did each prevent the other from exceeding its proper bounds.

He knew how to conciliate the most enterprising spirit with the coolest moderation; the most obstinate perseverance, with the easiest flexibility; the most severe justice, with the greatst leuity; the greatest rigour in command, with the

greatest affability of deportment; the highest capacity and inclination for science, with the most shining talents for action.

Nature also, as if desirous that so bright a production of her skill should be set in the fairest light, had bestowed on him all bodily accomplishments; vigour of limbs, dignity of shape and air, and a pleasant, engaging, and open countenance. By living in that barbarous age, he was deprived of historians worthy to transmit his fame to posterity; and we wish to see him delineated in more lively colours, and with more particular strokes, that we might at least perceive some of those small specks and blemishes, from which, as a man, it is impossible he could be entirely exempted.

SECTION XI.

Character of Queen Elizabeth.

HUME.

THERE are few personages in history, who have been more exposed to the calumny of enemies, and the adulation o friends, than queen Elizabeth ; and yet there scarcely is any. whose reputation has been more certainly determined by the tinanimous consent of posterity. The unusual length of hei ädministration, and the strong features of her character, were able to overcome all prejudices; and, obliging her detractors to abate much of their invectives, and her admirers somewhat of their panegyrics, have, at last, in spite of political factions, and what is more, of religious animosities, produced a uniform judgment with regard to her conduct. Her vigour, her constancy, her magnanimity, her penetration, vigilance, and address, are allowed to merit the highest praises; and appear not to have been surpassed by any person who ever filled a throne: a conduct less rigorous, less imperious, thore sincere, more indulgent to her people, would have been requisite to form a perfect character. By the force of her mind, she controlled all her more active, and stronger qualities; and prevented them from running into excess. Her heroism was exempted from all temerity; her frugality from avarice; her friendship from partiality; her enterprise from turbulency and a vain ambition. She guarded not herself, with equal care, or equal success, from less infirmities; the rivalship of beauty, the desire of admira tion, the jealousy of love, and the sallies of anger.

Her singular talents for government, were founded equally on her temper and on her capacity. Endowed with a great Command over herself, she soon obtained an uncontlled scendency over the people. Few sovereigns of England sue

Part 1. ceciled to the throne in more difficult circumstances; and gone ever conducted the government with so uniform success and felicityThough unacquainted with the practice of toleration, the true secret for managing religious factions, she preserved her people, by her superior prudence, from those confusions in which theological controversy had involved all the neighbouring nations; and though her enemies were the most powerful princes of Europe, the most active, the most enterprising, the least scrupulous, she was able, by her vigur, to make deep impressions on their state; her own greatmeanwhile remaining untouched and unimpaired./

e wise ministers and brave men who flourished during eign, share the praise of her success; but, instead of ing the applause due to her, they make great addition They owed, all of them, their advancement to her they were supported by her constancy; and, with al bility, they were never able to acquire an undue as cy over her. In her family, in her court, in hor king he remained equally mistress. The force of the ten assions was great over her, but the force of her min Il superior and the combat which her victory visi st her, serves only to display the firmness of her re n, and the loftiness of her ambitious sentiments. e fame of this princess, though it has surmounted th dices both of faction and of bigotry, yet lics still expose other prejudice, which is more durable, because mor ral; and which, according to the different views in whic survey her, is capable either of exalting beyond measure or diminishing, the lustre of her character. This prejudic is founded on the consideration of her sex. When we conten plate her as a woman, we are apt to be struck with th highest admiration of her qualities and extensive capacity but we are also apt to require some more ecfiness of dispe sition, some greater lenity of temper, some of those amiabl weaknesses by which her sex is distinguished. But the tru method of estimating her merit, is, to lay aside all these con siderations, and to consider her merely as a rational being* placed in authority, and intrusted with the government mankind.

SECTION XII.

The slavery of rice,

HUME.

THE slavery produced by vice appears in the dependence under which it brings the sinner, to circumstances of externa