experience of those who are most exempt from the phyfical evils of life, lead us to form fuch a conclufion? I am fure it does not. And what is the prefent confequence of fuch doctrines to the objects of your benevolent regard? To infufe additional gall into the bitter cup of poverty, to add to the burden of human miferies a load of discontent! How different that fyftem of equality preached by Him who emphatically announced himself the friend of the poor and needy! What are riches, or honours, or even the lefs equivocal bleffings of liberty and independence, compared with the glorious certainty of the favour of Gov, and the enjoyment f immortal happiness? By this hope have millions been fupported under the preffure of calamities which your fyftem could never reach; for in it alone ist found a cure for the forrows of the heart. The love of glory and the defire of fame have fometimes, it is true, animated their votaries into a contempt for the evils of pain, and even of death itself; but from the influence of this principle the many must ever be excluded. The man who cherishes it, and is by his fituation thrown into obfcurity, where his fufferings are unnoticed, or regarded with contempt, must be miserable; but abfolute mifery can never in any fituation be the lot of the Christian." After fome little hesitation, the truth of Mr. Sydney's affertion was acknowledged by Mr. Myope; ftill, however, the enormous evils attendant on the present state of fociety afforded him an ample field for expatiation and cenfure. Thefe Mr. Sydney canvaffed one by one, as they were pointed out by the philofopher. Some he traced to caufes very different from those from which Mr. Myope had deduced them; fome he proved to have confequences less injurious than thofe affigned them; and others he candidly gave up, as fubjects of regret and mortification to every thinking mind; mind; while he evidently fhewed, that not an evil complained of could have existence in a fociety, where the fpirit of Christianity was the ruling principle of every heart. The impreffion he made upon his learned adverfary was gradual, but it was strong; and at every fucceffive converfation he found him lefs tenacious of his former theory, and more inclined to admit the proofs of the truth of that doctrine which alone, "Amid life's pains, abafements, emptiness, "The foul can comfort, elevate, and fill; "Which only, and which amply, this performs; "Lifts us above life's pains, her joys above! "Their terrors those, and these their luftre lofe; Eternity depending covers all.' ** It was on his return from one of these conferences that Mr. Sydney learned the fituation of Julia. It immediately occurred to him, that an incident fo ftriking was more likely to produce an effect on the mind of Bridgetina than any argument that could poffibly be made ufe of. Mrs. Fielding readily entered into his views, and impatiently waited to know the result of the interview they then projected, and from which they expected the most falutary effects. How far their expectations were anfwered shall appear hereafter. CHAP. CHAP. XIII. "Proftrate fell "Before him reverent, and there confefs'd "Humbly their faults, and pardon begg'd with tears, MILTON. THE HE flumbers of Julia were not refreshing. She awoke languid and oppreffed, but perfectly restored to her recollection. Harriet, for whom a bed had been provided in an adjoining room, had retired to fnatch a fhort repofe; and Henry had some hours before been obliged to go to the other end of the town; fo that on awaking, the nurse was the only person near her. To her fhe addreffed herself in low and trembling accents, "Pray, pray, good woman, be fo kind as to inform me where VOL. III. U |