ever I attended you at dinner, did not you fay, again and again, that Kings, Princes, and Prime Minifters, were all worfe than pick-pockets? And yet now you would go for to hang me, for having only civilly afked a few guineas, to make up a little matter of lofs, I had had in the Lottery. I wonder you a'nt afhamed to turn fo against your own words." "No, Timothy," returned the philofopher; "my opinions are not fo eafily changed. No man, ever yet convinced me of being in an error. You have only to regret your having lived in a dark age, when vulgar prejudices fo far prevail, as to confider laws as neceffary to the wellbeing of fociety.-But be comforted, Timothy! The age of reafon approaches. That glorious æra is faft advancing, in which every man fhall do that which is right in his own eyes, and the fear of the gallows fhall have as little influence, as the fear of hell."

"Ah! that I had kept to my good grandmother's wholesome doctrine of hell and damnation!" (exclaimed the poor wretch, whom the Juftice's men were now dragging back to prifon)" I fhould not now be at the mercy of a false friend, who laughed me out of the fear of Godand now leaves me to the mercy of the

gallows!" He continued to fpeak, but we could no longer hear. He was dragged to his prifon, and we having made our obedience to the Magiftrate, departed. I have been enabled thus circumftantially, to detail the particulars of this curious converfation, from the politeness of the Magiftrate's nephew, who was fo kind as to furnish me with a copy of his notes, taken down in, what is called, Short Hand.

It is poffible, that much of it may ap pear to you unintelligible; but be not difcouraged. How fhould our unenlightened minds, expect to understand the language of philofophers, fince from all I can learn, they feldom thoroughly underftand themselves?

On returning to the Inn, I found the horfes in waiting, the gentlemens' were alfo in readinefs, and we proceeded in company to Ardent Hall. My reception from the Baronet, was very còrdial. That of his Lady, was moft frigidly polite. Her daughter, did not feem to remember ever having feen me before; but the elder Mifs Ardent, fhook me by the hand, with a degree of franknefs, as mafculine as her understanding.

The converfation of the evening, turned upon the fame topics, that had been difcuffed before the Magiftrate, Mr. Axiom

and Mr. Puzzledorf doing little more than support the opinions they had formerly advanced. Sir Caprice Ardent, feemed, in general, difpofed to agree with the laft fpeaker; and Doctor Sceptic, who made one of the party, made a point of agreeing with none.-Mifs Ardent retired to write letters, and her Ladyship and her daughter, remained as filent as did the friend of Maandaara.

O Sheermaal!-Wife and learned Bramin!-May thy meek and generous pirit, pardon the prefumption of my ignorance, which refufing to confide in thy experience, perifhed in cherishing the ill-founded notion, that all the people of England were Chriftians!-With all humility, I now retract my error: and confefs-that of the many religione prevalent in this ftrange country, Christianity (as it is fet forth in the Shafter) has the fmalleft number of votaries: and, according to the accounts of my new friend, is faft journeying to oblivion.

Much do the Philofophers exult, in expofing the weaknefs and wickedness of Its authors. These artful and defigning men, who having entered into a combination to lead the moft virtuous lives, having bound themselves to the practice of fortitude and forbearance, meekness

and magnanimity, piety towards God, and benevolence to all mankind, weakly and foolishly, refufed to take to themselves any merit for their conduct; and renouncing all worldly honours and interests, refigned themselves to perfecution, pains, tortures, and death, in fupport of the truth. of their doctrines.

All this appears very foolish in the eyes of the Philofophers; who, judging of others by themselves, pronounce fo much felf-denial, fortitude, and forbearance, to be utterly impoffible. The God of the Chriftians, appears in their eyes, as very reasonable, in exacting purity of heart and humility from his votaries. They therefore, think it is doing much fervice to mankind, to free them from these uneafy reftraints, and to lead them to the worship of Dewiah, that are not quite fo unreasonable.

To make the attempt, is all that is neceffary, towards obtaining the appellation of Philofopher.

On examining the Cofha, I found, indeed, that the word Philofopher, was faid to fignify, "a man deep in knowledge, either moral or natural"-but from my own experience, I can pronounce the definition to be nugatory and that those

*Dictionary.

who ufually call themselves fuch, are men, who, without much knowledge, either moral or natural, entertain a high idea of their own fuperiority, from having the temerity to reject whatever has the fanction of experience, and common sense.

The poojah of Philofophers is performed to certain Idols, called Syftems. The faith of each fyftem has been promulgated by the prieft, who either firft formed the Idol, or firft fet it up to receive the poojah of the credulous. This faith, is received by the votary of the fyftem with undoubting confidence, and defended with the fervency of pious zeal. It must be confeffed, that this zeal, fometimes carries the Philofophers to a pitch of intolerance, that is repugnant to the feelings of a Hindoo. Never did the moft bigoted derveish of the Muffulmans,, betray more abhorrence at the fight of the Idols of the Pagoda, than is evinced by the worshipper of system towards a Chriftian prieft! And yet, fo far are the latter from returning any portion of this difiike, that the majority of them

The antipathy of the Muffulmans to every fpecies of Idolatry, is ftill the occafion of frequent difturbance to the Hindoos, in the performance of the fuperftitious ceremonies of their religion.