THE wife, the juft, the pious, and the brave, MANKIND are all of the fame nature; our bodies are made of the fame clay, and our fouls by the fame hand; the difference between rich and poor comes not from nature or merit, but from the ordination of Providence. Some are born to no other estate than that of their brethren's / charity, that they may practife patience; and others to abundance, that they may exercise charity; fo that the virtue of these ftand indebted to the mifery of those, and the giver is no lefs obliged than the receiver. THE joys of parents are fecret, and so are their griefs and fears they cannot utter the one, nor will they exprefs the other. Children fweeten labour, but they make misfortunes more bitter; they increase the cares of life, but they mitigate the remembrance of death. THE moft illiterate man who is touched with devotion, and ufes frequent exercifes of it, contracts a certain greatnefs of mind, mingled with a noble fimplicity, that raises him above those of the fame condition, and there is an indelible mark of goodness in those who fincerely poffefs it. MEN are all brethren, and yet they worry one another: the favage beafls are lefs cruel than they are to each other. The lions never make war with lions, nor the tygers with tygers, nor do they fall on any creature of their own fpecies. Man alone, in despite of his reafon, does that which beafts that are void of it never did.. GOODNESS is a perfection of itfelf, though it were without any great degree of knowledge or power;-a poor man, and one that is ignorant in comparison of others, may yet be a very good man; but power and knowledge, feparated from goodness, are not perfections, but may be applied to the worst and most mischievous purposes. [ IT will ever be the wisdom of every person not only to avoid the odious practice of evil-speaking, but to make a refolution to have no concern with those who are given to it. WITHOUT peace of mind there can be no fuch thing as happiness; nor can there be any peace of mind where there is a fenfe of guilt, which is naturally accompanied with apprehenfions of danger. THOUGHTS in HEALTH, WHEN fickness fhall affail my nobleft part, A pious WISH on reading the above. WHEN the pale monarch aims his dreadful dart, When inftant bord'ring on the gloomy grave, TIME is like a verb, that can only be used in the prefent tense. HAPPY is he who, eftranged from the tumultucus buftle of the world, enjoys the fweets of a delightful solitude, and whofe principal conversation confifts of an agreeable intercourse with himself. The teftimonies of a good confcience make him view with contempt the follies and vanities of the world. His fole ambition is centered in mental tranquility; he neither fears the inconftancy of fortune, nor the caprices of fate; he contemns riches, and despises the tranfitory grandeurs of the earth. His correfpondence is with heaven, whither his thoughts inceffantly carry him. He has no defires for the things of this world, becaufe he is acquainted with their transitory duration. He fighs for celestial objects, to which all his views are confined. In a word, he waits for death without either defigning or fearing it. LAVISH not your affection on any one unworthy of it; but act with prudence, modefty, and referve. There, and there only, place your efteem, where religion and virtue actuate the man; for with fuch a one alone you may reasonably expect to be comfortable and happy. IT is probable, that the rational foul is infufed with the life; and that like fire, buried as it were under too great a quantity of green wood, it cannot exert its power at first, AVOID all indecent arts in the pursuit of a fortune; all unlawful methods in felf-prefervation; and every gratification that militates with reafon and benevolence. WELL order'd home, man's beft delight to make IT is a wifer part to prepare the foul for adverfity, than to be planning and toiling to prevent it. RELIGION is the best armour, but the worst cloak. On feeing a YOUNG WOMAN interred. REASON may footh, but ftrives in vain to heal The pang which fifters, friends, and parents feel, When thus the fair, the young, their joy, their truft, Eludes their grafp, and moulders in the duft. Faith, faith alone, those balfams can fupply, That faith which tells us we fhall never die! Which tells us death his conquefts fhall restore, And all the juft fhall meet to part no more! BEAUTIES are very apt to forget that all perfonal charms are of a perishable nature. LEARN that great maxim to pursue, Extract from the HISTORY of the CITY of MARSEILLES. ABOUT the conclufion of the last century, Nicholas Compian, a native of Marfeilles, embarked on board a fhip belonging to that port, and bound to Egypt. Unfortunately he was taken, together with the vefel and other paflengers, by a Barbary rover, and carried into Tripoli, where he was purchased as a flave by a wealthy inhabitant of that city. Notwithstanding the mildeft treatment, Compian could not brock his prefent fituation; every moment of his life was embittered by the recollection of what he had left behind him, perhaps for ever-his country and relations. One day his master, who had tried in vain to comfort him, addreffed him in thefe words: " Pledge me thy word of honour, and promife to return, if I give thee leave to go to Marfeilles to vifit thy brethren, and fettle thy family concerns: may the Almighty guide thy fteps, and bring thee back in health!" Compian joyfully accepted of the kind offer; went back into his own country; and in VOL. II. M fpite spite of the allurements of his friends, especially the prayers and tears of a beloved wife and children, he, like another Regulus, returned to the place of his captivity. On his arrival at his mafter's houfe, he found him overwhelmed with the deepest forrow, lamenting over his almost expiring wife, whom he loved tenderly. Chriftian, (faid the good man, on Compian's firft entering the room) thou comeít in good time to my aid; thou feeft my affliction, heaven hath fent thee back, pray to thy God for my wife, and myself, for he must be moved by the fupplications of a righteous man." Compian fell on his knees, and proftrate by the fide of the good Muffulman, fervently prayed, like the son of Tobias, on the firft night of his wedding. The ardent wishes of those two honeft creatures were heard; every day the wife grew better; and when entirely restored to health, the grateful mafter spoke thus to his flave: Hear me, Chriftian, thou haft no longer cause to grieve on my account, nor thine. I wish thou couldft live with me, and take my daughter to thy wife; but both thy religion and mine forbid it. Its laws must be obeyed, though ever fo contrary to my inclination. Hear me to the end, and do not interrupt me with thy thanks; I deferve them not yet, and wish it were in my power to merit them. One good I can freely bestow upon thee; it is thy liberty. This is not enough for me: I have ordered a fhip to be laden with corn; it belongs to thee. Depart, fince it is the will of heaven that thou thouldft leave me. Thou must not return empty-handed to thy countrymen; let them all be my friends, as I am and hall ever remain thine." The fact, as above related, is vouched to by the fon of the late M. Compian, who, till his death, kept up a conftant intercourse with his worthy friend of Tripoli. And this man was a Turk! an Infidel! Go thou, proud Chriftian, and do likewife! - STILL fix on heav'n a firm but humble eye; BLEAK |