Having heard that the first day of the

*

week, Audeetye-war, was appointed for attending the worship of the deity in publick, I expressed to Delomond my wish of being present at the solemnity. He declined accompanying me; but sent to a Lady of his acquaintance to beg she would accommodate me with a seat in her pew. These pews, are little inclosures, into which the greatest part of the temple is sub-divided. We walked up to that which belonged to this Bibby, preceded by one of her servants, who opened the door of the pew, and followed by another in the same livery who carried the books of prayer, with which having presented us, he retired. I have already observed to you, how scrupulously the English Christians adhere to those precepts of their Shaster, which seem to discountenance the outward appearance of a religious senti

*It is very remarkable, that the days of the week are named in the Shanscrit language from the same planets to which they were assigned by the Greeks and Romans.

ment; and so rigorously do they abstain from the display of these delightful emotions, that they who will thankfully acknowledge most trifling obligation conferred upon them by the meanest of their fellow-creatures, would blush to be suspected of gratitude to the beneficent Governour of the Universe! Instead of behaving in this temple as if they had assembled together to send up their united tribute of praise, thanksgiving, and humble supplication to the Most High, so successfully did they affect the concealment of their devotional sentiments, that no one would have suspected they had met together for any other purpose but that of staring at each other's dress! I must, however, make an exception in regard to a small number of people, very plainly habited, who stood during the service in a part of the church called the aisle; these appeared not to have arrived at such a state of perfection. They could not affect indifference, as they joined in the petition for averting the punishment of sins; nor conceal the interest they had

in the glad tidings of eternal happiness. They listened with peculiar complacency to the accounts of him who "came to preach the gospel to the poor," and the hopes of his favour seemed to irradiate with joy the bosom of resignation. A female of advanced life, in whom all these emotions were discernable, particularly arrested my attention. The paleness of her countenance spoke her want of health, and the lines which sorrow had traced in it accorded with the sable weeds of widow-hood which she wore. She appeared ready to faint from the fatigue of long standing, and made a modest application to a person, who seemed to act as porter of the pews, for admittance into one of them. To my astonishment, she met with a refusal; nor did any one of the gorgeously apparelled Christians, whe sat in them, appear to be any way concerned for her situation; indeed they all seemed to regard those who worshipped God from the aisle, as if they had been beings of an inferiour race. I was, however, well convinced,

that Christianity admits of no such distinctions; and supposing the Christian Lady who sat by me, though her eyes were roving to all parts of the temple, was, in reality, too much engaged in her devotions to observe what passed, I took the liberty of acting for her, and opening the door of the pew, invited the poor sick stranger to a seat. At that moment the priest was prefering a petition, in favour of all "fatherless children, and widows, and all who are desolate and oppressed" to which the great Lady had just uttered the response of, "We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord!"-when observing the poor woman by her side, her face instantly flushed a deep crimson ; rage and indignation darted from her eyes, and telling the fainting stranger that "she was very impudent for daring to intrude herself into her presence," she turned her out into the aisle. I was weak enough to be shocked at the behaviour of this well-dressed votary of Christianity. Ah! thought I, can it be, that this woman should be so conscious of her

superiority in every thing which constitutes distinction in the eye of the Omnipotent, as to consider herself worthy of sitting in his presence, while she spurns from her own the humble child of poverty and affliction?

I HAVE just returned from my first visit to Doctor Severan, the gentleman to whose attentions Grey has most particularly recommended me; nor could he, according to the opinion of Delomond, have done me a more essential service. My accomplished friend, who was, it seems, the companion of his youthful studies, tells me, that at the university it appeared evident that he was born to be the ornament of Science. Whilst other young men were pursuing the gaudy phantom of pleasure, his time was occupied in investigating the Laws of Nature, in tearing the choicest secrets from her reluctant bosom, or in tracing her foot-steps through