period fhe wrote also many letters, always affecting, and frequently fublime. They were couched in expreffions of the fame defire speedily to reunite her foul with the Author of her days. The laft words that my dear, my well-beloved child uttered, amidst the most painful agonies, were these "To-day I shall taste the joys of Heaven!"* How * The meek, calm, and pious refignation with which this amiable girl is defcribed to have endured the afflictions of life, and defied the torments of death, will perhaps bring to mind the fentiments of that fublime Ode by Mr. Pope, of "A dying Chriftian to his Soul. "Vital fpark of heavenly flame! Quit, oh quit this mortal frame! "Oh the pain, the blifs of dying! "Hark! they whisper; Angels fay, "Sifter Spirit, come away! Steals my fenfes, fhuts my fight, "Drowns my spirits, draws my breath? "The world recedes! it difappeares! "Heav'n opens on my eyes, my ears "O, Grave! where is thy Victory? "O, Death! where is thy Sting? How unworthy of this bright example should we be, if, after having feen the fevereft fufferings fuftained by a female in the earliest period of life, and of the weakest constitution, we permitted our minds to be dejected by misfortunes which courage might enable us to furmount! a female who, under the anguish of inexpreffible torments, never permitted a figh or complaint to escape from her lips; but submitted with filent refignation to the will of Heaven, in hope of meeting with reward hereafter. She was ever active, invariably mild, and always compaffionate to the miferies of others. But we, who have before our eyes the fublime inftructions which a character thus virtuous and noble has here given us, we, who, like her, aspire to a seat in the manfions of the bleffed, refuse the smallest sacrifice, make no endeavour to ftem with courage the torrent of adverfity, or to acquire that degree of patience and refignation, which a ftrict examination of our own hearts, and a filent communion with God, would certainly afford. SENSIBLE and unfortunate beings! the flight misfortunes by which you are now oppreffed, and driven to defpair, (for light, indeed, they are, when compared with mine,) will ultimately raise your minds above the low confiderations of the world, and give a strength to your power which you now conceive conceive to be impoffible. You now think yourfelves funk into the deepest abyss of suffering and forrow; but the time will foon arrive, when you will perceive yourselves in that happy ftate in which the mind verges from earth, and fixes its attention on heaven. You will then enjoy a calm repose, be susceptible of pleasures equally substantial and fublime, and poffefs, in lieu of tumultuous anxieties for life, the ferene and comfortable hope of immortality. Bleffed, fupremely blessed, is he who knows the value of retirement and tranquillity, who is capable of enjoying the filence of the groves, and all the pleasures of rural Solitude. The foul then taftes celestial delight, even under the deepeft impreffions of forrow and dejection; regains its ftrength, collects new courage, and acts with perfect freedom. The eye then looks with fortitude on the tranfient fufferings of disease; the mind no longer feels a dread of being alone; and we learn to cultivate, during the remainder of our lives, a bed of roses round even the tomb of death. Explorant adverfa viros, perque afpera duro "Nittitur ad laudem virtus interrita clivo." THESE SILIUS ITALICUS. "But oft Adverfity exalts the mind; And fearless Virtue may from perils find "Some means, howe'er deprefs'd, her head to raise, "And reach the heights of never-ending praise." THESE reflections upon the general Advantages refulting from rational Solitude and occafional Retirement, bring me next to this important queftion, "Whether it is easier to live virtuously in Solitude or in the World?" CHAPTER THE FIFTH. THE QUESTION, WHETHER IT IS EASIER TO LIVE VIRTUOUSLY IN SOLITUDE, OR IN THE WORLD, CONSIDERED. THE virtues when they are practised in society, are not practifed merely from a fenfe of duty. The Clergy afford inftruction to the ignorant, and confolation to the afflicted. The Lawyers protect the innocent, and vindicate the injured. The Phyficians vifit the fick, and adminifter relief to their complaints, whether real or imaginary. But not, as they would infinuate, from charitable feelings, and for the fake of humanity. Inftruction, confolation, protection, and health, are in such cases afforded not from any particular bias of the heart towards their respective objects, but from a sense of duty which the profeffors of Law, Divinity, Phyfic, refpectively entertain; a duty imposed upon them by their peculiar flations in society; and which it would be difgraceful in them not to perform. The words, "your known humanity," words which 2 and |