hold out her arm, looked for it: Mr. Montague and myself did the fame very earnestly; and on her hand I faw a colour rife a little ruddy, and run for the length of an inch upon her vein, and in that a great many red specks; and they contracted into letters which made a diftinct word; and it was the fame the fpake, "Jofeph."

This mark the Jefuit faid the Devil promifed when he went out he would make; and from the time he promifed this, to this day, was four months. This, as I live, I faw; nor could I find the leaft argument to question the reality of this miracle. The priest then told us, that the Devil would have wrote his own name when he went out, but that he enjoined him to write "Jofeph;" for to that faint the priest had addreffed himfelf with a vow, to have his aid in the expelling of him. Whilft we were in admiration, the came to herself, and pulled her hand from us, and killed the mark, and fell to

prayers and, whilft he was at her devotion, I went to fee the exorcifm of her that bound herfelf to the form when this exorcifm was a-doing. To fay more of which, than it was strange and above nature, were to trouble you, and foul paper to fay lefs, a lie. All that I have written here of the last woman, about the name, I have, by precedent of Mr. Montague, let my hand to, and fo did all the priests that faw it; and it is fent to the King of France, and will be printed +. Then I hope you will believe it, or at leaft ways fay there are more liars than myself, and greater, though there be none more your humble fervant than

THO. KILLIGREW.

If you intend me the honour of a letter, you may fend it to Mr. Montague, and he will convey it to me to Venice, where your humble fervant will remain all this winter.

ISOCRAT.

MAN, in his progrefs through life, meets with many difappointments and afflictions. Unforefeen occurrences continually blight his fondet hopes, and remove his prefent enjoyments. In the morning of life, ignorant of the viciffitudes of this world, he looks forward to happiness and, cale; at noon, he finds himself befet with trials upon every fide; and in the evening, he fits down in quiet, and, fumming up the teftimony of experience, pronounces all fublunary delires to be vanity and vexation of Spirit.

Upon fome men, indeed, calamities fall in more frequent numbers, and with a more opprelive weight, than upon others; but, either in a more fevere, or a more tparing degree, they happen to all men. Different indivi

* Pere Surin.

duals fupport themfelves under afflic tions in a very different manner. Whilst fome yield to them with the molt dastardly fubmiffion, others meet them with the firmeft fortitude. There are few that can fultain the onfet with spirit or fuccefs, until time moves on and leads forth the difheartened forces of the breaft. In the facred history we are, indeed, prefented with an inftance of one man, who, though plunged at once from the fummit of human blifs to the lowest depths of complicated mifery, could not be provoked to a fingle expreffion of complaint; but, on the contrary, amidft all his furrounding difficulties, ftill preferved the most exalted fenfe of duty, ftill cherifhed the livelieft fentiments of gratitude for the bleffings which he had

before

before received. Though modern times cannot boat fo uncommon an exemplar of patience, yet there are not wanting, I hope, even in our own days, men who poffefs this virtue in no inconfiderable degree.

Out of the many arguments which might be brought forward to recommend a cheerful acquiefcence in the difpenfations of Providence, I fhall felect only a few.

Firft, It is certain, that we owe to the free goodness of our Creator all the bleffings which we ever enjoyed. Whenever we are troubled by the privation of any good, we thould call in the affiftance of our reafon; and we fhould then be taught, that it is our duty to refign that which is not our own with equanimity, instead of breaking out into reproachful complaints, or indulging in stupid defpondency; nay more, that we fhould exprefs our gratitude for the fruition of it, with which we have been fo long favoured, rather than fullenly regret the lofs. We had no claims upon the bounty of the gracious Donor: the difcontinuance of that bounty is, therefore, no injustice on his part, no hardship on

ours.

Secondly, As we are helplefs beings, dependent entirely upon our Maker, he has an indifputable right to deal with us as he pleafes. But it is to be obferved, that no inftance of his conduct towards us needs to be defended upon that ground; every infliction which we undergo is called for by our mifconduct. If at any time we should be preffed by any difpenfation, which may appear to us fevere, let us but call to mind, how frequently we have violated the will of our Benefactor, even whilft he was pouring down his favours upon us with an unfparing hand, and the review of our ingratitude and worthleffuefs, and of his munificence and forbearance, will immediately fi. lence our complaints, and convince us, that our chaftifement is very far from being proportionate to our guilt. Thirdly, It cannot be denied, that we have it in our power to lighten the weight of every calamity that befalls us by firmness in fupporting our felves under it. He who pores over his mifortunes, will be perpetually difcover. ing fresh circumftances of aggravatin: as the fnow-ball is increafed the farther it is rolled, fo calamity receives continual augmentations the more it is tofled

about in the mind. When, therefore, we refolve to receive the aggrefflions of misfortune with fortitude, we not only conform to the dictates of our duty, but confult wifely our own happiness.

Fourthly, When we fubmit ourselves to afflictions with readinefs, we may be affured, that we are pleafing Him whofe pleafure thould be the ftudy of our lives. A cheerful fubmiflion to his will he cannot but regard as a proof of dutiful obedience. Were no croffes to happen to us, but a continual fucceffion of gratifications to be prefented to us, one of the most material purposes of our existence would not be answered; our firmness against temptations, and our patience under fufferings, would not be proved; and man would want an opportunity of recommending himfelf to his Maker by the difcreet government of himself under circumftances of difficulty. Innocence would be no merit, if there were no tempta tion to guilt. But if the feverest trials cannot drive us from the path of rectitude, or effice from our minds the impreffion that it is the prerogative of the great Author of the Universe to treat his creatures according to his pleafure, this cordial acquiefcence in his will, this overruling fenfe of his fupremacy, muft furely be acceptable in his fight.

It might have been added, as an argument in favour of refignation, that afHictions, however hurtful they may appear to the fuperficial obferver, are not without their utility, but, on the contrary, are very frequently productive of the most important advantages.

Nothing is more dangerous to man than an uninterrupted train of profperity. A fpeculator, unacquainted with the depravity of the world, might very reafonably fuppofe, that the gratitude of man would endeavour to keep pace with the liberality of his Maker, and that the more he was loaded with kindnefes, the more warm he would be come in his devotion, the more conftant in his virtue. But the fact is deplorably the reverfe. The bounty of Heaven, inftead of awakening gene-. rous fentiments in his breast, and ftimulating his endeavours to deserve it, has too frequently the effect of introducing a forgetfulness and neglect of Him from whom all his enjoyments proceed, and of lulling him into lupinenefs and a mistaken fecurity. The tide

of the world bears him down the stream of vice, nor gives him time either to reflect, how far he has proceeded from the pot whence he first started, or to anticipate the frightful abyfs to which the torrent haftens. The duty which once he held facred, he now rejects as the incumbrance of the formalift; and the tranfgreffion at which he once would have revolted, he now becomes familiar with, and fets down as merely a trivial indulgence. But let affliction prefent itself, and the fcene is changed. When fickness preys upon his body, or distress haraffes his mind, the mist is now removed which before beclouded his eyes, and he is enabled to difcern with accuracy; Vice is beheld in all her deformity, and Virtue bears her wonted appearance of loveliness and fimplicity. The reflection which his fituation preffes upon his mind, brings his guilt before him, and leads him to contrition and remorfe; and thefe, in their turn, elicit the most ferious refolutions of future amendment.

Afflictions are of fervice to us in another point of view. Without them, the gratifications of this world would become fo habitual to us, that they would faften to our affections, our taste would be moulded after an earthly form, and the delights of futurity, which are promised to the faithful, to us would want their favour. Calamity, on the contrary, points out to us the emptiness and inftability of all temporal pleasures, and directs us to build our hopes upon a more folid foundation-a foundation which cannot be fhaken by the ftorms of life, or even the final concuffion of nature.

Perhaps no difpenfation of Providence is fo trying to the fortitude of the human breaft, as the lofs of a faithful and endeared friend. This event wounds the heart in its tendereft place. Many a man, whofe courage could not be daunted by difeafe or adverfity, when the partner of his affections is torn from him, will now forget all his prowefs, and furrender himself to the bittereft grief. Sorrow of this kind evinces a tenderness of fenfibility and a fincerity of affection which cannot be too much commended. But still, like every thing elfe, it must be con

fined within its proper bounds. The philofophic mind, after giving vent to thofe first effufions, which are too violent to be checked, will remember, that to encourage the influence of melancholy and forrow is to murmur against the fovereign Disposer of Events; that mortality is a property of man; and that a very few years, at moft, can separate the mourner from his friend. The best and most advantageous tribute of respect that we can pay to the memory of one whofe worth commanded our esteem, is to obferve the track which he purfued; where he failed, to profit by his example, and avoid his errors; and where he excelled, to afpire to an imitation of his virtues.

The wantonnefs of fophifm, or the blindnefs of ignorance. not unfrequently confounds Refignation with Apathy: but nothing is more unjust than this indifcriminate affociation of things which differ effentially in their nature. Refignafion does not confift in a want of fenfibility, but in a pru. dent coercion of its effects; apathy is a perfect indifference to every pal fion, and always argues a corruptness of heart. The latter ftops up every inlet of pleasure, and renders human life a dreary and wearifome existence, not enlivened by the fruition of today, not relieved by the anticipation of the morrow. But the former gives us a relifh for every enjoyment, and provides us with a balm for every wound. In fhort, the man who, from a principle of religion, has reduced all his paflions into a state of fubordination, fo as to be able to bear afflictions with fortitude, is truly happy when chaftened by the ruthless hand of calamity, he confoles himself with the reflection, that he has a friend in him who difpofes of every event, who is acquainted with his imbecility, and will not fuffer him to be afflicted beyond what he is able to bear, by whom he fhall be carried through every trial in this life, and by whom his fortitude and virtue shall be abundantly requited in the next.

Chefter, February the 8th, 1803.

AURELIUS.

TREEF