“ WHEN a man narrowly scrutinizes into his own heart, how little satisfaction arises from such an inspection! His goodness many times extends no further than to languid and impotent resolutions; whence he hath the mortification to see, that his virtue is daily perishing in its bloffoms ”

“ Among the many who paid their addresses to this very accomplished young lady, was Philander, a gentleman who, to an agreeable appearance, added the more engaging qualifications of the mind. He, though perhaps inferior in point of fortune to almost every one of her admirers, gained her intire affection, and they agreed by mutual promises, to be one another's for life.
A father frequently is not the first person who is acquainted with such attachments in his family. ”

“ The innkeeper told him, that the Officer was well, and had set out early in the morning on his return to the army. It is impossible, rejoined the Abbe with a smile. That very Officer will most assuredly dine with you to day, and give you such a history of your son, as must be productive to yon of a degree of joy, very little inferior to rapture. The landlord was astonished at these mysterious words, and asked his brother, if he was formerly acquainted with the gentleman. To which the minister made answer in the affirmative. Who is he? said the innkeeper with great emotion. ”

“ In the progress whereof the French compelled into the service a multitude of young fellows, who were averse to the profession of arms. It unhappily fell out, that the innkeeper's youngest boy, a lad about sixteen years of age, was seized upon by a recruiting party, and hurried into Flanders. The distress of the poor father at this melancholy incident, would probably have been insupportable, if his brother, who was the minister of the parish, had not used every argument, which reason and religion suggested, to alleviate the pangs of the bereaved parent. ”

“ He was a man in whose breast avarice had gained considerable ground, and whose heart was, in a great measure, callous to the tender feelings of paternal affection: as it is reported of him, that he would often, when speaking on the subject of marriage, ridicule that famous saying of Themistocles, namely, "that he would much rather marry his daughter to a man of merit, though poor, than to one who was rich without it," by observing, that if he had his daughter married to a man of fortune, he did not care whether he had merit or not. ”

“ In such a situation the heart of the one is in that of the other; they think and act even in concert, and are often on the point of saying the same thing. No existence is truly so precious as that of two married persons who love each other ”

“ I beseech you to recollect the features of the military gentleman. Pray tell me, if you cannot trace out the lineaments of your darling son, uuder the badge of distinguished merit. This eclaircissement had nearly proved fatal to the landlord, who turned very pale, trembled in every joint, and immediately sunk down in a swoon. The aged churchman blamed himself for the temerity of his proceedings, and wished a thousand times, that he had suppressed this affecting part of his narrative. ”

“ How much do you think such an union would degrade you? He is a person entirely beneath your station, and consequently unworthy of your smallest notice, when a matrimonial affair comes under consideration! Besides, I hope you will remember that Superbo is at your service; and, as he is a gentleman of station, I expect you are to comply with his desires."—"My dear father (replied she trembling) , I never did intend to marry Philander without giving you previous information; and since you have now mentioned such an affair, I ingenuously confess that I love him above every other person ”

“ It is a common observation, that neither the best of men are exempt from faults and follies, nor the worst altogether destitute of worth and virtue. But sometimes there is such a mixture of good and bad qualities, so great a contrariety both of sentiment and conduct in the same individual ”

“ That money, however, is the efficient cause of an innumerable train of human miseries, is a truth that need only be named. What but the introduction of luxury, the inseparable concomitant of riches, by the great Cyrus himself, rendered his hardy followers effeminate, and in the sequel proved the subversion of his extensive empire? ”

“ Others ascribe all our errors and defects to the fall, and thereby impute to the first parents of mankind, the moral evil discoverable in the species. But without entering upon a discuffion of these subjects, I would observe that the human mind in its present state wears the appearance of an ancient superb structure, which hath formerly been injured, and defaced by hostile fury. ”

“ Passions are clamorous, temptations are numerous, and reason too frequently is of insufficient force to silence the former, and to repel the latter. Thus his breast resembles a chaos, where discord, darkness, and confusion maintain their empire, and triumph over the boasted authority of man. ”

“ To all which the Abbe subjoined, that this worthy and amiable child had brought his indigent father a purse of money, to obviate his present necessities, and to prevent future anxieties.
Scarce had the uncle mentioned this superlative instance of filial goodness, before the innkeeper dropped to the ground, writhed with frightful convulsions, while the ecclesiastic looked with inconceivable surprize upon the servants, who stood speechless round their seemingly dying master. ”

“ It seemed that the eldest son was the first who proposed the destruction of the officer. The father heard the overture with detestation; but the young man having bound himself in a joint bond with his father for the payment of a large sum of money, and hourly expecting his parent and himself to be thrown into a jail, urged the necessity of making the soldier's purse their own property, as the only expedient to secure themselves from the miseries of confinement. ”

“ She was, however, inflexible, and told them in plain terms, that since Philander was prevented from enjoying her, none else ever should. She moreover comforted hertelf, that so soon as an opportunity offered of writing to him, she would then clear up the whole affair, by letting him know that every thing was carried on contrary to her inclination, and that lie still, above every other person, was dear to her. ”

“ But since he could not retract his story, he cherished hopes, that a fuller explanation of every circumstance might deliver his brother's mind from this distraction of contending passions. Wherefore, when the unhappy man was recovered from his fits, the minister tenderly intreated him to compose the turbulency of his thoughts; and further informed him, that his son, by a late signal display of valour, had been rewarded with an hundred louis d'ores and a lieutenancy. That the dear youth, noticing the officious assiduity of his father, presently inferred from thence his parent's ignorance of him ”

“ I cannot, indeed, speak from experience: but surely "the great secret of being happy in the married state consists not so much in being affluent as in loving each other well; in that case all things must conform themfelves to our desires. This must produce a sweetness which will absorb all the vexations of life. ”

“ RICHES, when possessed by the benevolent man, are, perhaps, one of the greatest of human blessings. To supply the wants of the forlorn widow and fatherless, and those, who from affluence, by some unforeseen misfortune, are reduced to misery and want, are actions that even angels would delight to perform ”

“ But, above all, I beg you will consider that I have engaged myself, by the strongest promises, to be his for life; and I have heard it said, "that a young man and woman who have come under free, voluntary, mutual promises, whether verbal or written, are actually married, even though they should never come together, and the defaulter, if ever married, lives in adultery. ”

“ Disappointed, and displeased with the picture, which his own bosom exhibits of himself, he is naturally led to enquire into the cause of this involuntary deformity Some writers have endeavoured to solve all difficulties by affirming, that the creation of such a strange compound as man, was necessary, to preserve a due scale and gradation of Beings. ”