the same of his horses and of his garden-with only this difference:—The colt-breaker was required to know his business-while the children were less expertly broken; and the trees and flowers received, from the hands of a skilful gardener, such treatment as was best adapted, according to their varieties, to bring them to perfection-while the children (whose dispositions and capabilities were exactly alike, though their forms and faces differed greatly) were all educated on one plan, by a less sensible person. In spite of this, one of his daughters dared to unite herself to one who, she believed, loved her. She was deceived: and her "affectionate father" allowed her to die miserably in a hospital-because she was not a proper behaved hypocrite. "It was quite good enough for her, and all like her," who presumed to act naturally and truthfully. His eldest son was cut off with a shilling, for disgracing his family by marrying a tradesman's daughter, who made him very happy. Strange way some parents have of showing their affection!

"A faithful Friend:"-Sir Francis had not a friend. Sir Francis was not a friend to any body. It is not friendship, but speculative selfishness, that invites guests to a dinner party. Is there ever a welcome for the dull or sorrowful? Sir Francis kept open house and a splendid table for all whose conversation was likely to be worth the cost of their dinner but he never outraged the propriety of the most trivial world-custom for a "friend's" sake. He never went out of his way for any one.

"A considerate Landlord:"Very considerate! He kept no agent; but regularly collected his own rents. If a tenant was too poor to pay, he had notice to quit; and Sir Francis felt happy that "he had never put a distress into the house of any one." One honest fellow I knew, who had been excused a whole quarter's rent by Sir Francis. He then had notice to quit, and was allowed to take his little furniture with him: every body praised the humanity of his landlord. The only house he could procure was the property of a man who gave him house-room till he had acquired a legal claim over his goods, and then, as he could not pay the whole of his rent, turned him out of doors, to perish in the cold. Sir Francis had nothing to do with this. It was not to be expected that he should allow a man to live rent-free on his estate: though it might be hard to say, what right the baronet, who never premeditatedly did good to any, had to be proprietor of an estate ten miles in circuit, while those, who had laboured unremittingly on that very estate, possessed neither land nor shelter, and were less cared for than even the baronet's dogs. Yet he was a considerate landlord.

"And, to sum up all, A SINCERE CHRISTIAN":-I do not dispute it. Sir Francis "believed" all the thirty-nine articles of the English reformed church. He had never read them; but his father had: and that is quite enough in matters of religion, albeit we do not so closely copy our fathers in the cut of our clothes, or in other affairs of as much importance. He knew that the most essential of those articles were tithes and church-rates, for the support of bishops, belfries, organists, and pew-openers. He was certainly sincere! He went to church every Sunday, in his own carriage, with all becoming humility, with two footmen behind him. Though the coachman and footmen did therefore lose a part of the service (only the Confession, the Absolution, and the Blessing), this was not the consequence of their master's Christianity. Besides, they could not pretend to so much religion as a gentleman. He, who wears another's livery, cannot be more than half a man. Very devoutly, every Sunday, on entering church, Sir Francis looked at the lining of his hat. Never did he omit to feel very miserable at the times appointed by the Rubrick; and his heart was as regularly disburthened at the proper moments of thanksgiving. He did not sing: his voice was not musical. The parson performs prayer: why should not the clerk and the charity-children, with the aid of the organist and organ-blower, do the praise, "to the glory of God"? Meanwhile the sincere Christian looks at the words in the Psalm-book, and, between the verses, takes snuff. Once a month he repented him of his sins, and intended to lead a new life: which repentance and intention almost out

lasted the flavour of the sacramental wine that evidenced before God his "love and charity towards his neighbours." Many of those neighbours were conscientious dissenters: and never, in that parish, was there a church-rate collected, without violating the consciences or trampling upon the miseries of those who were unwilling or unable to pay for that which should be given "not grudgingly nor of necessity." Yet was the communicant "a sincere Christian." Nor was his faith without works. Sir Francis subscribed to all the charities in his neighbourhood; and his name was published at the head of the list. Not that this was the motive for his benefactions-but it would look so, if he did not: for as good a reason he subscribed to the county races. He was "a sincere Christian." How meekly and christianly did he bear injuries, who ruined his brother by a vexatious law-suit! How humble was the man who would have frowned at the Lord's table, if the honest pauper had dared to kneel beside him! How Christ-like the imitator of the "young lawyer," who turned his back upon Christ, very sorrowfully, because he had great possessions, and could not share them with his destitute brethren! Yet Sir Francis was sincere in his Christianity. Moreover, he was naturally kindhearted, and unwilling to do harm to any one; but he had been drilled into a certain mechanical habit, and had not sufficient moral courage to disobey the orders of his commanding officer-Opinion, nor, perhaps, was he clear-sighted enough to perceive the injustice of those orders, which he followed implicitly and, so far as he gave himself the trouble of thinking about them, conscientiously. I do not mean to impeach his sincerity; I would only remark that, like very many other "sincere Christians", his conduct in almost all cases was the very opposite of Christ's.

A GOOD LIFE IS BETTER THAN AN EPITAPH.

REVELATIONS OF TRUTH.

CHAP. XX.

THE thoughts of One who believeth in the Almighty Spirit of Truth: the utterance of the thoughts of One who looketh for the Advent of Love.

Hallowed be thy name: thy will be done!

Riches beget riches: neither shall benevolence be unproductive.

There is a stream beneath the deepest ice: though the ice of oppression be never so thick, the current of Liberty shall not cease to flow.

As the frosts of winter flee away before the glance of the sun even so shall the ice of tyranny melt and vanish away.

He, who oppresseth his neighbour, robbeth his own children: he who despoileth another, pointeth a poisoned arrow to his own breast.

Whoso enslaveth his brethren, teacheth a stronger to enslave him: and the strongest in his turn may wear the irons of captivity.

Where distrust reigneth, Love is exiled: and where Love is not, the doom of evil abideth.

Let every one improve himself, waiting not for the backwardness of others: were every swallow to linger, saying, Another shall lead the way-they would all perish in the winters of the North.

Assist the advance of thy brethren: but and if they halt?-What is that to thee? To their own master they must stand or fall. Tarry not thou! Follow not a multitude to do evil: though the whole world be leagued together to commit wrong, yet swim not with the stream of iniquity.

Dash not the dew-drop from the chalice of the flower: check not the pure tear of compassion which springeth up from the depth of the heart, as the dew ariseth from the bosom of the earth.

He, that aideth the sufferers, shall be rewarded: and the man whose charity judgeth not another, blessed is he!

Assist thy brethren, though it be to thine own injury: so shalt thou deserve help in the time of need.

Water the drooping plant: as it again puts forth its blossoms, their fragrance shall reward thy care.

Trample not upon the worm that crawleth across thy path: cower not before the fury of the tempest.

The autumnal wind sweepeth over the forest, stripping the trees of their foliage: so fall away man's summer friends at the howling of the blasts of calamity.

Oaths are a needless tax upon the just and the wicked laugh them to scorn. The lips that utter falsehood are the lips of insanity: he, who lieth, blasphemeth.

The birthright of man is Liberty: cursed is he who would deprive him of his inheritance.

Cursed is he who planteth his foot upon the neck of his fellow-man: cursed is he who boweth down his neck to slavery.

Blessed is he who breaketh the sword of oppression: blessed, thrice blessed shall he be, whose hand shall bury the implements of war.

He, who loveth his neighbour, is loved of the Lord: he, who loveth not, is accursed both of God and man.

He is his own enemy, who careth not for himself: he, who careth only for himself, is the enemy of his kind.

The sow rolleth herself in the mud and filth: so walloweth the worldly man in the mire of selfish enjoyments.

Earth to the earthly, and dust to the body that was formed therefrom: but the aspirations of the soul are far above them.

Is there a man beloved of the Lord: it is he who improveth his own soul, who loveth another as himself.

The mists arise from the earth, and in fertilizing showers return again into its bosom: even so the Love that man sheddeth abroad upon his kind is repaid by Happiness showered abundantly upon his head.

LOVE, THE OFFSPRING OF JUSTICE, IS THE BEGINNING OF ALL GOOD: LOVE THE TWIN-BROTHER OF LIBERTY, IS THE CONSUMMATION OF