over the keys of her harpsichord with the most aftonishing rapidity-little comfort would it have given to the heart of her fick hufband.

In an understanding enriched by the accumulations of Wisdom, a temper regulated by the precepts of Chriftianity, and a heart replete with tenderness, Sir Philip found a more folid refource. By these endowments, was his Lady enabled to manage the affairs of her family, and the concerns of his eftate; to watch over the education of her children; and, by the unremitting attentions of endearing affection, to cheer the fpirits that were broken by confinement, and foothe the fufferings of a bed of pain. Nor was the performance of thefe multifarious duties the fudden effect of a fhort-lived energy. During the fix years in which her husband lingered under the partial dominion of death, the fortitude of his Lady remained unfhaken, her perfeverance unabated, and when at length his foul was fuffered to depart from the decayed manfion of mortality, though her heart was poffeffed with too much fenfibility, not to feel with forrow the ftroke of feparation, the affured hope of a re-union with the object of her affections, in the regions of immortality, afforded confolation to her wounded

mind.-Yes Maandaara, notwithstanding all I have faid in favour of this excellent woman, truth obliges me to confess, that the powers of her mind are not fuffi-, ciently enlarged to embrace the doctrines of Atheism! She is blind enough, not to perceive the evident fuperiority of any of the fyftems of the philofophers to the Chriftian faith; and weakly af ferts, that if all that was taught by Jefus Chrift and his Apoftles, was generally practifed, it would be no great injury to the happiness of fociety.-She takes great pleasure in the contemplation of a future ftate, and carries her prejudices fo far as to declare, that the, confiders the account of it, as given in Scripture, as little lefs eafy of belief, than the fyftem of Mr. Puzzledorf; and that fhe finds it more fatisfactory to reft her hopes on the promises of her Saviour, than on the permanent existence of the little imperishable ftamina at the top of the nofe!!

Not contented with making the precepts and doctrines of Chriftianity the guide of her own conduct, fhe has endeavoured to inftill them into the minds of her children; and fo well has she fucceeded, that her eldest son, at the age of nineteen, though poffeffed of an uncommon degree of learning, fenfe, and fpirit

is not afhamed to confefs that he is a Chriftian!

Alas! my friend, how fhall I inform you of the events of this morning?—The number of philofophers is diminished! The promifing fprout of Infidelity, whose early genius gave fuch hopes of future greatnefs-he, by the prowess of whose pen, it was expected that religion should be routed from the world-the nephew of Doctor Sceptic-this morning, took the privilege of a philofopher, and fhot himfelf through the head!

As I find upon enquiry, that this is a privilege which is often claimed, and a practice, that is very common with the philofophers of England, I fuppose it is found to be conducive to general utility, and agreeable to the eternal and neceffary congruity and fitnefs of things.

The exifting circumftances which impelled this young man to make fo philofophical an exit, have been, to all appearance, fully explained; and as you may have fome curiofity concerning them, I fhall briefly flate them for your perufal. It appears that his father, a man of rigid morals and auftere devotion, who lived in the exercife of much piety towards God, and much charity to his fellow-creatures, fome years ago, re

ceived into his family the orphan niece of his wife. She was educated with his own children, and fhared with them the benefit of his inftru&tions and the tenderness of his paternal love. Her beauty made an early impreffion upon the heart of her coufin, and fuch was her merit in the eyes of the old man, that, preferring the happiness of his fon, to the aggrandizement of his family, hè confented, that their union fhould take place, as foon as the young man fhould have attained his one and twentieth year. It was agreed, that he fhould employ the interval in what is called an attendance upon the Temple; and, according to a previous invitation from his uncle, Doctor Sceptic, fhould during that period take up his refidence at his houfe, in the capital.-There the young man had not long 1efided, till a new light burft upon his eyes; he faw things as he had never feen them before: faw that religion was a bug-bear, made to keep the vulgar in awe :-faw that his father was a fool; and, as I have before mentioned, learnt to laugh at his prejudices, and his piety, in a very edifying

manner.

In the fummer, he returned into the country; found his coufin lovely and affectionate as ever, and had no great difficulty in initiating her into all the

myfteries of Scepticism. They both found it a charming thing to be fo much wifer than their inftructors; and wondered they could fo long have been blinded by prejudices, whofe abfurdities were fo obvious. The young man went again to town, became every day more enlightened, and foon difcovered that marriage was a piece of prieft craft-an ignoble bondage-a chain, which no man of honour fhould fubmit to wear.

He haftened to return to the country, to communicate to his coufin this important difcovery. Finding fome difficulty in convincing her underftanding of the truth of this new doctrine, he applied to the softness of her heart; he pretended to doubt of her affection, appealed to her generofity, and-completed her ruin.

Still the poor girl was not fufficiently convinced of the propriety of her conduct, not to entertain fome doubts and apprehenfions, which the young philofopher foon grew tired of hearing. Finding that their connection could not be much longer concealed, fhe grew more importunate, and he liftened to her importunity with increased indifference. At length, to avoid her remonftrances, he came to Ardent Hall, where he had been introduced by his Uncle, who made