enjoyments; but either by reafon of their emptinefs, or the natural inquietude of the mind, we have no fooner gained one point, but we extend our hopes to another. We still find new inviting fcenes and landfcapes, lying behind those which at a distance terminated our view,

IF we hope for what we are not likely to poffefs, we act and think in vain, and make life a greater dream and shadow than it really is.

An Autumnal Reflection.
In fading grandeur, lo! the trees.
Their tarnish'd honour shed;
While every leaf-compelling breeze
Lays their dim verdure dead.
Ere while they fhot a vig'rous length,
Of flow'rs, and fruit, and green;
Now, fhorn of beauty and of ftrength,
They ftand a fhatter'd fcene!
Ere long the genial breath of fpring
Shall all their charms renew;

And flow'rs, and fruit, and foliage bring,
All pleafing to the view!

Thus round and round the feafons roll,
In one harmonious course,

And pour convictions on the foul
With unremitting force.

Not fuch is man's appointed fate-
One fpring alone he knows!
One fummer, one autumnal ftate,
One winter's dead repofe.
Yet, not the dreary fleep of death,
Shall e'er his pow'rs destroy,
But man fhall draw immortal breath
In endless pain or joy.
Important thought ?-oh mortal! hear
On what thy peace depends;

The voice of truth invites thine ear,

And this the voice fhe fends.

"When virtue glows with youthful charms,

How bright the vernal skies!

When

THERE is nothing in nature unworthy of a wise man's regard, because the most inferior of all her productions, may, in fome light or another, be made`inftrumental to his improvement.

THERE is fuch a close affinity between a proper cultivation of a flower garden, and a right difcipline of the mind, that it appears difficult for a rightly thoughtful perfon, that has made any proficiency in the one, to avoid paying a due attention to the other. That induftry and care which are fo requifite to cleanse a garden from all forts of weeds, will naturally fuggeft to him how much more expedient it would be to exert the fame diligence in eradicating all forts of prejudices, follies and vices, from the mind; where they will be as fure to prevail, without a great deal of care and correction, as common weeds in a neglected piece of ground. And as it requires more pains to extirpate fome weeds than others, according as they are more firmly fixt, more numerous, or more naturalized to the foil; fo those faults will be found the most difficult to be fuppreffed, which have been of the longest growth, and taken the deepest root; which are more predominate in number, and moft congenial to the conftitution.

IF our common life is not a common courfe of humility, felf-denial, renunciation of the world, poverty

of

of fpirit, and Heavenly affection, we do not live the lives of Chriftians.

WEAK and imperfect men, fhall, notwithstanding their frailties and defects, be received, as having pleafed God, if they have done their utmost to please him.

THE rewards of charity, piety, and humility, will be given to those whofe lives have been careful labour to exercife the fe virtues in as high a degree as they could

VALUE no man but for his probity, and living up to the rules of piety and juftice. If integrity does not make you profperous, it will at leaft keep you from being miferable; for no man can be truly religious, that is not likewife confcientiously juft and honeft.

A SOUND faith is the best divinity; a good confcience the best law; and temperance the best phyfic.

A Soliloquy on Death.

TO die, is but to take a last farewel

Of life, and all its tranfitory cares;

To close our eyes, and fhut out day for ever.

Thus much we know: And that this frail existence
Shall to its fifter earth again return,

To pulverize, and be diffolv'd to nought.
To die (however awful feems the found)
Is but to lay us peaceful down to rest,
Sink into fleep, and waken in eternity.

Whence then proceeds this coward fear of death,
Thefe confcience-working pangs that plague us all,
And make us fink, e'en to the grave itself,
At the bare mention? Has not that Great Cause,
The Eternal One, whose wisdom cannot err,
From the beginning of the earliest time,
Declar'd, that man and all his race should die ?
'Tis the effential paffsport that must bring
(No matter when, or how, or foon, or late)

All

All nature to that never-ending state,
Which immortality alone can give.

The foul, then, as inftructed from above,
Soon as it quits its lifelefs, clay-cold corfe,
Mounts on the borrow'd filver plumes of Heav'n,
Thro' chequ❜ring clouds, and foars above the ftars.
But, oh! who dare inquire its fate decreed?
For Heav'n that knowledge interdicts to man,
And ftupifies the bufy, wand'ring fenfe,
That may attempt this fecret to explore.

GRANTI may ever, at the morning ray,
Open with pray'r the confecrated day;
Tune thy great praife, and bid my foul arife,
And with the mounting fun afcend the skies;
As that advances, let my zeal improve,
And glow with ardour of confummate love;
Nor ceafe at eve, but with the fetting fun
My endless worship shall be still begun.

Extract from Young's Laft Day.

HAVE angels finn'd, and fhall not man beware?
How fhall a fon of earth decline the fnare?

Not folded arms, and flackness of the mind,
Can promise for the fafety of mankind;

None are fupinely good: Thro' care and pain,
And various toils, the fteep afcent we gain.
This is the scene of combat, not of rest,
Man's is laborious happiness at beft;

On this fide death his dangers never cease,
His joys are joys of conqueft, crown'd with peace.

MISCELLANIE S,

MORAL AND INSTRUCTIVE,

1 N

PROSE AND VERSE,

COLLECTED FROM

VARIOUS AUTHORS,

FOR THE

USE OF SCHOOLS,

AND IMPROVEMENT OF YOUNG PERSONS

OF BOTH SEXES.

Quo femel eft imbuta recens fervabit odorem
Tefta diu.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY

J. PHILLIPS, GEORGE YARD, LOMBARD STREET,

M, DCC,XCIII.

HOR.