ted in the fame individual, they think themselves at liberty to indulge their feelings to the utmoft. Fear and hatred then combine with difguft to produce a fervour of abhorrence, in many cafes to be compared only to that fenfation with which the fight of a venemous reptile infpires

us.

A REGARD to fafety, therefore, as well as to duty, fhould prompt the deformed to cultivate the good opinion of mankind with more than common affiduity; and this is beft done by cherishing real benevolence, which alone, by a provifion of nature in favour of truth, has the power of exciting reciprocal fentiments in the breasts of others. I am fenfible, however, that this precept is more eafily delivered than obferved; for to preferve an uniform placidity of temper, while a conftant fource of irritation remains in the mind, is fcarcely to be expected from human infirmity. It will be more to the purpose, if we endeavour to remove the root of the evil, by fhewing that deformity is by no means fo great a misfortune as is generally imagined; that its importance in the fcale of qualities and circumftances is, upon the whole, inconfiderable; and that its exiftence is in no cafe incompatible with the highest degree of affection and refpect which it is poffible to attain; not even with the paffion of love, from which at leaft, as the fubjects of it in others, the deformed would feem to be excluded. It is highly requifite that juft notions fhould be entertained on this fubject, as the perfons who are beft qualified to redeem their corporeal defects, by endowments of mind, are thofe on whom an evil that addreffes itfelf folely to the imagination makes the deepeft impreffion. A man of this cha racter is very apt to view his deformity, as an exclufion from all that is valuable and delightful in

human exiftence; and to conceive of himself as a kind of outcaft, cut off by the fentence of nature from the common charities of life, and from every finer fentiment that digfies and adorns our nature. That fuch ideas are falfe and exaggerated, and that they imply defective obfervation and ignorance of human nature, will I hope be evident from a fhort investigation.

THERE are feveral circumftances, which the deformed feem to lofe fight of in thofe complaints which they fometimes commit to the ear of friendship. Of these the most obvious and important is the power of cuftom;-the great inftrument employed by nature to equalize the conditions of mankind; an object which the seems carefully to have ftudied, and whatever our felf love may fuggeft, which fhe has, in a confiderable degree, attained. Custom diminishes the influence both of beauty and of deformity, and at laft reduces them nearly to a level. It is indeed hardly poffible for any one to avoid remarking how completely the greateft deformity of countenance is overlooked and forgotten after a fhort acquaintance; efpecially, where there are agreeable qualities of mind to counteract its impreffion. On this principle, by which the beauty is prompted to fhade her charms from the public eye, the fons and daughters of deformity ought boldly to bring their defects into view, in order that those with whom they affociate may the fooner arrive at the state of indifference. The lefs they feem to think of their misfortune, the more quickly will others forget it. By this magnanimous policy, they will at the fame time avoid the many aukward tricks contracted by those who are constantly endeavouring to hide defects impoffible to be consealed; which endeavours only

ferve to draw more particular at

tention.

BESIDES Custom, there is another principle, which probably has a confiderable influence in reconciling us to deformity. In proportion as we become familiar with the countenance, we acquire a knowledge of its peculiar modes of expreffion; and hence are often enabled to difcern benevolence, where we at firft thought we faw only malignity. It not unfrequently happens, that a countenance which, at a distance, appeared harth and forbidding, fhall gradually foften, on a nearer approach, into fomething highly benignant and engaging, Deformity is always occafioned by an irregularity in the larger features, and feldom extends to thofe minute lineaments, which are more immediately fubject to the mind, and in which the moral expreffion feems chiefly to refide. To this we may add, the progreffive effect of habitual good humour, in moulding the looks to a conformable expreffion; which is univerfally admitted to be confiderable, and is perhaps ftill greater than is commonly apprehended. The funthine of the mind will at last break through the cloudieft features. The elegant but myftical genius of Lavater has both illuftrated and obfcured this fubject; but if we diveft his doctrine of the paradoxical form in which he has tated it, we may, I prefume, reduce it to this plain and rational pofition-that a homely countenance, though it can never produce the appropriate effect of beauty, may yet be the external index of fo many amiable qualities, of fo much of the good and fair' in the mind within, as to be on the whole, a highly pleafing object to every man of taste and virtue.

Ir is a common error with deformed people, and men advanced in life, to fuppofe themselves inca

pable of being beloved. The ob fervations already made may have tended to remove this prejudice; but in order more diftinctly to perceive its fallacy, it will be of ufe to attend for a moment to the process by which the affections are generated in the mind. According to the fytem of Hartley, which af fords by far the most fatisfactory explication of the mental phenome na that has yet been given, the various impreffions we receive from thofe with whom we affociate, coalefce into one complex feeling, which is accompanied either with attachment or avertion, according to the predominance of pleafing or painful ideas.. This feeling be comes infeparably conne&ted with the idea of the individual, and arifes in our minds whenever he is the object of our attention; fo that every thing belonging to him is viewed through this medium, and neceffarily receives a tinge of its prevailing colour. Hence it is, that we are able to form fuch entire and powerful attachments, notwithilanding all the faults and imperfections with which human nature is checquered. For although fome difa. greeable feelings, arifing from moral or perfonal defects, thould blend themfelves with the idea of those whom we love, yet as they exist not in a feparate ftate, but are combined with more powerful impreffions of a pleafing kind, they in a great meafure lofe their proper effect; they perhaps diminish the fum total of complacency, but being the fmaller part, they leave a balance of pure pleasure behind. Common obfervation confirms this theory. The lover is blind to the faults of his miftrets, or if he at all perceives them, he loves them as a part of her; they form an infeparable part of the idea which he cherishes in his bofom, and he is often difpofed to afcribe to them a certain unac

count

countable charm, which gives them he knows not what of graceful and becoming. It is not too much to affirm, that homelinefs may be, and often is, in this manner, converted into beauty by the transforming power of a lover's imagination. Every perfon knows, that beauty is only one of the caufes which excite affection; that elegant accomplishments, good humour, wit, the arts of pleafing converfationwhatever, in fhort, ferves to connect agreeable feelings with the prefence or recollection of the individual, also tend to produce it. It were highly unreafonable to fuppofe, that the fingle disadvantage of perfon or of age, muft neceffarily overcome a combination of thefe caufes; and in fact, inftances to the contrary fo frequently occur in common life, as to have drawn upon the fair fex, an imputation of whimficalnefs from fuperficial obfervers. Our immortal dramatist has never been accused of violating the probability of nature, by the affection of Defdemona for the Moor Othello. With his ufual knowledge of the human mind, he has affigned two moral caufes amply competent to this effect; pity, and the admiration of valour; to which we may add eloquence, perhaps not the leaft powerful of the three. It is not, however, neceffary for our purpofe to infift on this point. It is a fufficient confolation to the deformed to know, that all which a wife man can defire, may be theirs; that they are capable of infpiring that calm and rational affection, which is the true foundation of domestic happiness, and which, being fixed on moral qualities, is not liable to decay with years, or to pall by fatiety.

Ir may be thought after all, that confolation of this kind is very little needed by thofe to whom it is addreffed, and that fuch obfervaVOL. LXV.

tions as the foregoing will be rather detrimental than useful, by encreafing that abfurd perfonal vanity for which they are already fo remarkable. That deformed people are peculiarly subject to vanity, is an opinion very generally entertained, and in fpite of its evident improbability, not without some foundation in appearances. A little reflection must however convince us, that this is entirely a misapprehenfion, occafioned by our not adverting to the fact, that ftates of mind, apparently fimilar, fometimes arife from contrary caufes. Thus, the handfome and the deformed are both much occupied about their perfons; but from motives precisely oppofite; the one, because he is confcious of being an agreeable ob. ject in the fight of mankind; the other, because he feels that he is the reverse. Both are fond of dress, and equally eager to adopt every new ornament; but in the former, this proceeds from a defire to encreafe his attractions in the latter, from a wifh to palliate or conceal his defects. Their actions are therefore fimilar, and hence are afcribed to the fame motive; though in the one, vanity or conceit is the moving principle; in the other, perhaps too deep a fenfe of inferiority. It must be acknowledged however, that this principle in the minds of the deformed, by keeping the attention conftantly fixed on the perional ap pearance, produces many of the effects of vanity. In its excefs, it is the great fource of their unhap pinefs; its ufual effect being either a total want of firmmefs and felf poffeffion, in fo much that, like bafhful children, they are hardly able to look up to meet the eye of a ftranger; or an irritable jealoufy of temper, which is conftantly watching the looks of others for fymptoms of contempt or ridicule, and finds matter of reientment and D

:

com

complaint in the most innocent circumstances. The only effectual remedy against it, is a juft and manly confidence in the fuperiority of the mind over the body; together

with an affiduous cultivation of thofe intellectual and moral graces, which form the beft counterpoife to corporeal imperfections.

"PROVIDENCE, thou art unjuft." It was exclaimed in a defperate tone, by a man betwixt 60 and 70 years of age. He was fit ting on a tone at the end of the street, immersed in deep meditation. His clothes were much worn, and in his countenance was depict. ed poverty and extreme grief. I gently enquired into the caufe of his forrows. He rofe up, and requefted me to accompany him. I followed him into a miferable a. partment. Here I beheld a young woman pale and emaciated, reco. vering flowly from the effects of a fevere fever. There was a delicacy in her manners, extremely interesting. She was at the fide of a bed, adminiftering fome medicines to her mother, whofe recovery was hardly expected. Their laft farthing had been expended the preceding day, and in order to obtain a little fuftenance for his wife and daughter, the old man had gone out for the first time, when I beheld him, with the intention of afking charity. I fighed at the affecting fcene. The old man fighed alfo-took me to the window-and pointed to the opposite house. It was a stately dwelling. Elegant carriages were hurrying to the door. The found

of mirth and jollity was loud. Within, extravagance feemed to reign. I well understood the old man's meaning, and felt keenly the ftriking contraft. The proprietor

of that houfe, faid the old man, was the fon of one of my father's fervants. I took a liking to the boy, and bestowed on him a liberal education. We for fometime carried on together an extenfive trade, but differed. By his villainous exertions, I am reduced to my prefent diftreffed ftate. You complained that I was accufing providedce; can you be surprised that I did fo, when you thus fee the generous man afflicted, while the ungrateful man flourisheth, and trampleth on the neck of his benefactor. His reafoning bewildered me, and his arguments I could not refute. But I was fenfible, that it was not a time for argument, while a family were ftarving. My riches were abundant. I procured phyficians, and the family recovered. I placed them in a comfortable fituation. I regained to the old man great part of the fortune which had been wrefted from him by an unfeeling wretch. That wretch now feels the utmoft anguish. Excefs has wrecked his conftitution. His hypocrify

and

and bafenefs are known to the world. His riches are returned to the right owner. He lies on his death-bed, with not a fingle confolation-the reflection that the widow and the orphan were fupported by his beneficence, cannot cheer his dark defponding foul.-The old man pities his condition, and even

adminifters to his relief. He regrets, that he ever exclaimed, "Providence, thou art unjust." He admires the ways of God to manHe is convinced, that we should never repine; and that "although weeping may endure for a night, yet, to the righteous, joy cometh in the morning." C. R.

SIR,

I OBSERVE in your Magazine for September, a paper by a Diffenter, in anfwer to an Effay by Lælius, on the Neceffity of an Established Religion. The writer pays his antagonift the compliment of having refrained from any acrimonious or illiberal infinuation against the motives of thofe whofe fentiments differ from his own. I have always confidered it as extremely unfair to impute to any man intentions which he difavows, or to reprefent every diverfity of fentiment as the effect of fome finifter motive. But, Sir, there are fome cafes, in which it is difficult to separate the attempt from the motive which has given rife to it; and in this age of innovation, when fo many attempts are made to overturn all thofe inftitu tions, whether of a civil or religious nature, which are venerable from their antiquity, whofe utility has ftood the test of experience, and been confirmed by the voice of ages, I own, I am apt to fufpect the motives of thofe who appear anxious to controvert the general fentiments, both of ancient and mo

dern times. I do not wish, however, to afcribe to the writer in question, any improper motives, but furely the Diffenter muft know, that the fentiments which he avows, are repugnant to the general opinions of mankind, and will be regarded at least with a fufpicious eye, by every perfon not infected with thofe principles whose operation is found to be fo hoftile to the peace and good order of fociety. The tendency of every attempt to bring the religious eftablishments of the country into difrepute with the great body of the people, must be extremely obvious, and deferves to be watched against with the greateft care.

Ir is not the design of this paper to undertake a complete vindication of religious establishments, I only wish to make a few observations on what the Diffenter has advanced on the fubject.

AFTER fome remarks on the nature and proper province of government, which I fhall not stay to examine, he undertakes to fhew, "that religious establishments tend to obDz

ftruct