mined, and it passed current with most of his. friends and acquaintances. But there was a secret reason scarcely known to himself, which lay at the root of all his prejudices and rejection of the Gospel, namely, the purity of its moral precepts. In the emphatical language of Scripture," he loved darkness rather than light, because his deeds were evil;" and he feared to come to the light lest they should be reproved. He well knew that the ten commandments, if truly the words of God, and especially the spiritual explanation of them given by our Saviour, must condemn his conduct and inclinations. It therefore appeared to him to be his interest to disbelieve Christianity entirely. He wished the Bible might be false; and every adept in moral ⚫ science knows how easily the understanding may be made the dupe of inclination.

So much had Mr. D-- ingratiated himself into the affections of Sir Charles, that upon his return from the University he requested his society as inmate in his family mansion-house, of which he then took possession. At the same time he heaped so many pecuniary favours upon this muchesteemed friend, as to free him from the necessity of pursuing his former occupation of instructing youth, and at the age of sixty he enjoyed that happy independence, which men of learning too often seek in vain. As Mr. D-

had no domestic attachments, nor any impediments, to render Sir Charles's proposal inconvenient, he accepted it. The two gentlemen were so united in taste and opinion, that every day seemed to increase their mutual friendship.

The same love of study had followed Sir Charles to the University, which had so distinguished his juvenile years. He now applied closely to the mathematics, and his whole mind was engrossed by that sublime and intricate science. This study was productive of one good effect. It secured him from many temptations, to which the indolent and careless are exposed in a college--dissipation and immoral practices. But then, on the other hand, it made him sceptical and controversial, consequently more than ever indisposed to the reception of revealed truth.

In compliance with the rules of the college, he sometimes attended divine service in the chapel: the prayer-book was then necessarily obtruded on his notice. He hastily considered its contents, making no reference to the Bible, from whence it professed to draw all its doctrines, ran over, in the same cursory manner, the articles of the church of England, to which even the student is required to subscribe, and then made no scruple to pronounce the whole a jumble of mysterious inconsistencies,

proper in a political sense, perhaps, to be retained, but being incapable of demonstration, unworthy the serious regard, much less assent, of the man of reason and reflection. He expressed his sentiments to a young friend, designed for the church, on this subject. "Leave," said he," the dignities of the established church to the weak enthusiast, or the mercenary scholar, who will meanly accept of her emoluments as a compensation for the forfeiture of his integrity." His young friend replied, "he would willingly do so, but that he was bound by the wishes, nay, commands, of his friends; that a handsome living was provided for him, and no other mode of subsistence could be allowed him by his family. He said, he hoped, in a good degree, to preserve his integrity, since he had been informed, by many excellent judges of the subject, that the articles, and even the prayers, of the church, which appeared to him, as well as Sir Charles, extremely exceptionable, might be so softened and explained as to make them speak a very different language from their apparent meaning: and that, at any rate, there was no necessity for making them the ground-work of preaching, since a plain moral discourse was all that an enlightened churchman was expected to deliver by any congregation tolerably genteel. The three principal authors Sir Charles (on the

recommendation of some of his college acquaintance) chose, for the amusement of his leisure hours, were Shaftsbury, Hume, and Voltaire. The wit and elegance of these authors were calculated to impress his youthful mind with sentiments of enthusiastic admiration. The admiration, their style of composition, must necessarily excite, in an accomplished mind, susceptible to the beauties of fine writing, was succeeded by an unqualified adoption of their sentiments. Men so witty, so learned, and so eloquent, could not, Sir Charles supposed, be erroneous in their opinions and judgment, and not perusing authors on the other side of the question, possessed of equal wit, learning, and eloquence, he was ready to exclaim, in the language of Job to his reproaching friends, "no doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you."

It is not surprising, considering the disadvantages which attended the early part of Sir Charles's life respecting religious instruction, and his subsequent perusal of deistical writers, that he should leave college, not only at despiser of Christianity, but an opposer also. He resolved, as far as lay in his power, to counteract principles, which he was persuaded were absurd, and even detrimental to the happiness of society. "If such were really his senti

ments," exclaims the candid reader, "we must acquit him of all blame in this resolution." By no means. He had examined but one side of the question, consequently his conclusions were highly illiberal. He should have considered too, that his extreme youth and inexperience rendered him an unfit judge in questions of such magnitude, where age and wisdom had, for many centuries, declared against his sentiments; he, therefore, was deficient in modesty, that grace so essential to youth; and he was rash and precipitate in taking up arms against a system established by the laws of his country, before he had well considered the consequences of such a warfare. At the age of twenty-one Sir Charles left college, and, as we observed before, took possession of his family mansion, and requested the society of Mr. D-, at least till he wished to exchange the batchelor for the married state, which at present was not his inclination. It is unnecessary to mention the respect and attention he received from his numerous friends and relatives, since every reader may easily conceive what high rank, and ample fortune, will ever attract. The love of pleasure was not his darling passion, but men of literature were his most welcome guests. He was well disposed to act the part of a useful member in society; but his total ignorance of the world,