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I took up a pen-I laid it down again-my hand trembled the devil was in me.

I know as well as any one he is an adversary, whom if we refist he will fly from us--but I feldom refift him at all; from a terror that, though I may conquer, I may ftill get a hurt in the combat-fo I give up the triumph for fecurity; and instead of thinking to make him fly, I generally fly myself.

The fair fille de chambre came close up to the bureau where I was looking for a card-fir ft took up the pen I caft down, then offer'd to hold me the ink; she offered it so sweetly, I was going to accept it—but I durft not-I have nothing, my dear, faid I, to write upon. -Write it, faid fhé, fimply, upon any thing

I was just going to cry out, Then I will write, fair girl! upon thy lips.

If I do, faid I, I fhall periffo I took her by the hand, and led her to the door, aud begg'd fhe would not forget the leffon I had given her-She faid, indeed fhe would not-and as he uttered it with fome earnestnefs, fhe turn'd about, and gave me both her hands, closed together, into mine-it was impoffible not to compress them in that fituation -I wish'd to let them go; and all the time I held them, I kept arguing within myself against it—and still I held them -In two minutes I found I had the battle to fight over again—and felt my legs and every limb about me tremble at the idea.

on.

The foot of the bed was within a yard and a half of the place where we were ftanding-I had still

hold of her hands-and how it happened I can give no account, but I neither afk'd her-nor drew hernor did I think of the bed-but so it did happen, we both fat down.

I'll juft fhew you, faid the fair fille de chambre, the little purfe I have been making to-day to hold your crown. So fhe put her hand into her right pocket, which was next to me, and felt for it fome time-then into the left" She had loft it.". -I never bore expectation more quietly-it was in her right pocket at laft-she pull'd it out: it was of green taffety, lined with a little bit of white quilted fatin, and juft big enough to hold the crown-fhe put it into my hand;it was pretty; and I held it ten minutes, with the back of my hand resting upon her lap-looking fometimes at the purse, fometimes on one fide of it.

A ftitch or two had broke out in the gathers of my ftock-the fair fille de chambre, without faying a word, took out her little housewife, threaded a fmall needle, and few'd it up-1 forefaw it would hazard the glory of the day, and as she pass'd her hand in filence across and across my neck in the manœuvre, I felt the laurels fhake which fancy had wreath'd about my head.

A strap had given way in her walk, and the buckle of her fhoe was juft falling off-See, faid the fille de chambre, holding up her foot.-I could not from my foul but faften the buckle in return, and putting in the ftrap and lifting up the other foot with it, when 1 had done, to fee both were right-in doing it too

fuddenly-it unavoidably threw the fair fille de chambre

off her center-and then

SENT. JOURNEY, P. 174.

YES

THE CONQUEST.

ES—and then-Ye whofe clay-cold heads and lukewarm hearts can argue down or mask your paffions, tell me, what trefpafs is it that man should have them? or how his fpirit ftands answerable to the Father of spirits, but for his conduct under them?

If Nature has fo wove her web of kindness, that fome threads of love and defire are entangled with the piece-must the whole web rent in drawing them out? Whip me fuch ftoics, great Governor of nature! faid I to myself Wherever thy providence fhall place me for the trial of my virtue-whatever is my danger -whatever is my fituation-let me feel the movements which rife out of it, and which belong to me as a man- and if I govern them as a good one, I will trust the iffues to thy juftice: for thou hast made us, and not we ourselves.

As I finish'd my addrefs, I raised the fair fille de chambre up by the hand, and let her out of the room she stood by me 'till I lock'd the door and

put

the key in my pocket-and then the victory being quite decifive-and not 'till then, I prefs'd my lips to her cheek, and, taking her by the hand, led her fafe to the gate of the hotel.

SENT. JOURNEY, P. 179.

APPLICATION OF RICHES.

OW GOD did intend them,-may as well be known from an appeal to your own hearts, and the infcription you fhall read there,-as from any chapter and verfe I might cite upon the fubject Let us then for a moment turn our eyes that way, and confider the traces which even the most infenfible man may have proof of, from what we may perceive fpringing up within him from fome cafual act of f generofity; and though this is a pleasure which properly belongs to the good, yet let him try the experiment; -let him comfort the captive, or cover the naked with a garment, and he will feel what is meant by that moral delight arifing in the mind from the confcience of a humane action.

But to know it right we must call upon the com paffionate; cruelty gives evidence unwillingly, and feels the pleasure but imperfectly; for this, like all other pleasures, is of a relative nature, and confequently the enjoyment of it requires fome qualification in the faculty, as much as the enjoyment of any other

N

good does: there must be something antecedent in the difpofition and temper which will render that good, -a good to that individual; otherwife, though 'tis true it may be poffeffed,-yet it never can be enjoyed. SERM, XXIII. P. 162.

REASON.

THE THE judgments of the more difinterefted and impartial of us, receive no fmall tincture from our affections: we generally confult them in all the doubtful points; and it happens well if the matter in question is not almost settled before the arbitrator is called into the debate ;-but in the more flagrant instances, where the paffions govern the whole man, 'tis melancholy to fee the office to which reafon, the great prerogative of his nature, is reduced: ferving the lower appetites in the dishonest drudgery of finding out arguments to justify the present pursuit.

To judge rightly of our own worth, we should retire a little from the world, to fee its pleafures-and pains too, in their proper fize and dimenfions: this, no doubt, was the reafon St. Paul, when he intended to convert Felix, began his difcourfe upon the day of judgment, on purpose to take the heart from off this world and its pleasures, which dishonour the underftanding, fo as to turn the wifeft of men into fools and children.