the offer of his fervices to affift Sir Caprice in writing his Book upon the Supremacy of Reafon, with which the Baronet is foon to enlighten the world.The young man willingly engaged in the task. But fatal are the effects of early prejudices to the peace of a philofopher! His thoughts became gloomy; his fpeech has often of late been incoherent; and every action betrayed the reftleffness of a mind at war with itfelf. Even his zeal againft the advocates of Chriftianity, had in it a degree of bitternefs which fhewed that they ftill retained an authority over his mind, at which, though his pride revolted, his understanding could not conquer.

For the laft few days, he had appeared to exert more than ufual fpirits. He laughed, when he had no occafion; talked, when he had nothing to fay; and fedulously fought the company of the Ladies, whom he had before neglected with the frigidity of indifference. Yesterday evening, his fpirits were raised to a pitch which gave reafon to fufpect intoxication. When he retired to his chamber, it appears that he did not go to bed, but employed himfelf in writing letters to his father, all of which he had again torn, and scattered about the room. At four o'clock in the morning, the re

port of a pistol was heard: the family were inftantly alarmed; the door of his chamber was broken open; and, on entering it, the first object that prefented itself to view, was the lifeless corfe of the young philofopher, extended on the floor.

On the table at which he had been writing, lay two letters. The first was from his father, and feelingly defcriptive of the agony of a parent's heart, on the first discovery of a fon's unworthinefs. The other was from his coufin. It pourtrayed the picture of a virtuous mind, ftruggling with the dread of infamy, bitterly regretting the lofs of peace and felf-refped and gently reproaching the author of its calamities, for depriving her of that hope which is the resource of the wretched, the comfort of the penitent, and the fovereign balm for the evils of life! "To her," fhe faid, hope was a fhadow, which had paffed away. Once, there was a time, when fhe could have fmiled at calamity, endured the feverity of pain with unfhrinking refignation, and, fupported by faith, have cheerfully refigned her foul into the bofom of her Creator. Now, doubt and darkness fat upon the realm of death; fhe feared to die, but fhe had not courage to live.-Death," fhe

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faid, "was the only refuge of defpair; to it fhe fled, to fave her from the reproaches of the world, and the torments of her own perturbed mind"-and with an affecting apoftrophe to the days of unspotted innocence, this unhappy creature concludes her melancholy epiftle; which, it feems, fhe had no fooner written, than she put an end to her éxiftence, by plunging into the fea!

Such has been the effects of performing poojah to Syftem, in the family of the Sceptics!

Ah! how little do the Chriftians of this country confider the nature and extent of the obligations they are under to those enlightened men, whofe indefatigable endeavour it is, to free them from the narrow prejudices of their religion! O, ye incomparable moralifts, who fo freely blow out your own brains, from a fenfe of general utility, little doth the world confider how much it is indebted to your labours!

Reverence to Ganefa!

The previous arguments of the philo fophers in praife of fuicide, had not fufficiently enlightened the minds of the family of Ardent-Hall, to prevent their regarding the death of young Sceptic as a melancholy cataftrophe! Though the difference of character give a variety

to the expreffion of their feelings, all appeared to feel. The fhock was univerfal.

any

The worshippers of Syftem, and the votaries of Chriftianity, appeared, indeed, to be affected in a very oppofite manner. The former, who had, till this event, been fo clamorous in fupport of the pretenfions of their Idols, were all at once ftruck dumb. Not one appeal was now made to exifting circumftances. Not one ray of hope darted from the age of reafon. Nor did either general utility, or the fitness of things, appear in this juncture, to afford comfort to their votaries. But while the lips of the philofophers were fealed in filence, thofe of the Chriftian religionifts were opened. Their prejudices, indeed, appeared to have gained fresh ftrength thefe préjudices, which are calculated to fofter the fenfibility of the tender heart, and to encrease the feelings of fympathy, feemed likewife endowed with power to fupport their votaries in the hour of affliction, to foften the rigour of anguish, and to preferve from the tyranny of despair.

It must be confeffed, that Lady Grey, amiable as fhe is, had not fufficient greatnefs of mind to applaud the heroifm of the young philofopher, or to speak of his laft action-but with a mixture of

y, horror, and regret.

With much

feeling, did fhe deplore his having ever imbibed the liberal opinions that led to the deftruction of his wife; the murder of his child; his own death, and the mifery of his family.

The confolation of that unhappy family was the first object of her concern. Having feen Lady Ardent and the young Ladies fet off for the houfe of a friend, to which they had been invited on the firft accounts of the melancholy event; fhe haftened to the house of affliction; there to mingle the tears of fympathy; to speak comfort to the wounded heart; and, by fharing in its forrows, to leffen their feverity. Such, Maandaara, are the offices pointed out by the prejudices of Chriftianity!

Deeming it improper at fuch a juncture, to incommode the family by the prefence of a ftranger, I took my leave of Sir Caprice Ardent, and left the Hall, impreffed with a deep fenfe of the kind. nefs and hofpitality I had experienced beneath its roof.

Full of melancholy, I proceeded, without having fully determined on the route I was to pursue.. To London, I was averfe to return, and yet knew not how otherwife to dispose of myself. As I was debating this point with myfelf, while