A vain man is, generally, ftill vainer, than the vaineft female. Mr. John Wefley, for example, declares himself to be "the greatest minifter in the world." I do him the juftice to believe, that, in permitting this declaration to pafs the prefs, his avowed vanity was the honeft trumpeter of his heart. But how few others will fubfcribe to his opinion! There is more learning, in one hair of my head, faid the felf-enamoured Paracelfus, than in all the univerfities together. Who ever queftioned, herein, the fincerity of that pratling empiric? But who does not more than queftion the reality of those great qualities, on which he fo extravagantly and fo ridiculously valued himself?-When a bookfeller, defirous to prefix an engraving of Julius Scaliger to one of that critic's publications, requested him to fit for a likeness; Julius modeftly answered, If the artift can collect the feveral graces of Maffiniffa, of Xenophon, and of Plato, he may then be able to give the world fome faint idea of my perfon. If Scaliger was in love with his own outward man, Dr. Richard Bentley was no lefs fo with his own intellectual improvements. Mr. Waffe (faid the doctor, very gravely) will be the greatest scholar in England, when I am dead.-Peter Aretin had a medal ftruck, at his own expence, exhibiting his own profile; encircled with this humble infcription: il divino Aretino, i. e. the divine Aretin*. When I reflect on fuch inftances of felf-idolatry, as thefe, they remind 'me of Congreve's obfervation: "If happiness in felf-content is plac'd, We *In fetting Mr. Wefley at the head of these felf-admiring gentlemen, I by no means intend to infinuate, that he ftands on a level with the lowest of them, in any one article; that of vanity and conceit, alone, excepted. Miitake ime not, therefore, as though I meant to put him, abfolutely, into the company of fuch men as Paracelfus, Scaliger, Bentley, and Aretin. + True happinefs, however, is not placed in "felf-content:" tarifes from a comfortable apprehenfion of our reconciliation to God We have taken a furvey of love, in more of its terminations than one. Let us, for a moment, adyeft to its oppofite. In revolving the defcription, which the celebrated Dr. John Ponet, bishop of Winchefter, has given us of his Popish predeceffor in that fee, I have been prone to furmife, that the latter might really appear as hideoufly frightful, in the eyes of the former, as the following written picture reprefents him to have done. "This doctor," fays bithop Ponet, fpeaking of Stephen Gardiner, has a fwart colour, hanging look, frowning brows, eyes, an inch within his head; a nofe, hooked like a buzzard; noftrils like an horfe, ever fnuffing into the wind; a fparrow mouth, great paws, like the devil's. Talons on his feet, like a gripe [i. e. like a gryphon], two inches longer than natural toes; and fo tied to with finews, that he cannot abide to be touched, nor fcarce fuffer them to touch the ftones. And nature, having thus fhaped the form of an old monfter, gave him a vengeable wit, which, at Cambridge, by labour and diligence, he made a great deal worfe: and brought up many in that faculty*." Such was bishop Gardiner, according to bifhop Ponet's view of him. Notwithstanding which, this identical Gardiner might feem, in his own eyes, and in the eyes of queen Mary and others of his friends, a portly, perfonable prelate. To be ferious. Let me, by way of needful and fincere apology, for a difquifition which has extended to an unexpected length, obferve; that, in fifting the queftion, it was neceffary to recur to first principles, and to furvey the argument in various points of view. Let me, moreover, add; that, in God by the blood and righteoufnefs of his fon. Hence, a good man fball be fatisfied [not with, but] from himfelf: Prov. xiv. 14. viz. from within: or from the inward teftimony of the Holy Spirit, witneffing to his confcience that he is a child of God. Rom. viii. 16. Biogr. Dict. vol. v. p. 307.-Article, Gardiner. K 3 all all I have delivered on the fubject, I do but exprefs my own sense of it, without the leaft aim of dictating to others or of prefumptuously feeking to obtrude my philofophic (any more than my religious) creed, on fuch perfons as may honour thefe pages with perufal. Upon the whole, I conclude, with Mr. Locke* that"The infinitely wife Contriver of us, and of all things about us, has fitted our fenfes, faculties, and organs, to the conveniences of life, and to the bufinefs we have to do. Such a knowledge as this, which is fuited to our prefent condition, we want not faculties to attain. But, were our fenfes altered, and made much quicker and acuter, the appearances and outward fcheme of things would have quite another face to us: and, I am apt to think, would be inconfiftent with our being, or at least well-being, in this part of the universe which we inhabit." Effay on Und. book ii. chap. 23. COLLEC THE following letters were written by the author without the leaft view to publication, but foon after his decease, by the advice of friends, fome of them were deemed proper to be printed. It fhould have been notified at the time, that they were fudden thoughts committed to paper without correction. For in a book that the rough draught of the letters were inferted, a memorandum was made, verbatim, as follows: "In looking among fome old papers, I met with the copies of a few letters, which I had formerly written, and which I defigned to enter, either in this or fome other plain paper book, by way of preferv ing them, for my own future fatisfaction, if Providence fhould please to preserve my life." "The finding of thofe, fuggefted to me the hint of taking foul copies of fuch letters as are any way interefting. I may, hereafter, write to particular friends, before I draw them out fair for the poft. If I live, they may be of ufe to myfelf; if not, they can do me no hurt." Broad Hembury, O&. 1, 1772. A. T. The chief value of this collection, lies in the exhibition it gives of the diftinguished merit, and pious occupation that followed the writer of them in his private correfpondence. They are interspersed with feveral obfervations on religion and human life, and fhew a heart penetrated with truth, endeavouring to perfuade others, accompanied with fprightlinefs of wit, folidity of judgment, extent of knowledge, and elegance of tafte, joined with all the undefineable eafe, and familiarity of the most unreferved converfation, which takes off that infipidnefs of a laboured stiffness that often attends the epiftolary intercourse of many very fenfible perfons. EDITOR. K 4 LET Mr. E. LETTER I. EVER DEAR SIR, Fen Ottery, March 6, 1767. WILL my honoured friend forgive me, if, from a kind impatience to be informed of his welfare, I take the liberty to enquire how he does? Though writing letters is one of the things, which, in general, I am leaft fond of, yet I cannot forbear, dear fir, to prefent you and Mrs. with my refpects, and to with you the joys of believing, and the comforts of the holy fpirit. I have been returned into Devonshire about a fortnight: Mr. is at London, attending the fervice of parliament; fo that I cannot, very readily, get my letter franked. I am glad, notwithstanding, that he is abfent, as he was one of the two hundred and fix members, who, this day fe'nnight, carried the vote for the reduction of the land-tax, in oppofition (as he writes nie word) to one hundred and eighty-eight, who were for keeping it up to four fhillings. But, to come to matters of infinitely greater importance, I hope, fir, you are enabled to truft your foul to Chrift, and to caft your care on God. Satan, no doubt, will be ever ready to bring in the indictment, and confcience cannot help pleading guilty to a great part of the charge: but remember, that your judge is, at the very fame time, your advocate and Saviour. He is a lover of your foul, and was the propitiation for your fins ; they cannot be too numerous, nor too heinous, for mercy like his to pardon, nor for merit like his to cover. Only flee to him for refuge, fly to the hiding place of his righteoufnefs, death and interceffion and. |