God. When notice was given him that the crowd of people attending from different parts caufed great inconvenience to the inhabitants, who could not fafely get to their feats, he received it in the most placid manner, and faid, "he was willing to relinquifh an office which he had faithfully performed, hoping that his doctrine had been Christian, and owning the inconvenience which had attended the parishioners." In 1755, Mr. Romaine published A Comment on the 107th Pfalm.' His profeffed admirers beheld in his interpretations the truly evangelical critic and commentator; the opponents of the Hutchinfonian divinity pronounced them to be wild and fanatical; and those who wished moft to cultivate the spirit of Chriftian charity, lamented that the author had bestowed fo much abuse on the clergy of the established church, for preaching up morality. An Anfwer to the Rev. Mr. Romaine's Comment,' contained a modeft and candid vindication of the literal fense and meaning of this Pfalm, in confutation of our author's fanciful interpretations; and, in An Apology for the Clergy,' an attempt was made to fhow, that the mode of preaching and writing adopted by Mr. Romaine, and cther popular preachers, had a very dangerous tendency *. About this time, Mr. Romaine was appointed profeffor of aftronomy in Grefham college. If his conduct in this profefforship did not heighten his reputation as a philofopher, it evinced, at least, his zeal for his Hutchinfonian principles. He difputed,' fays Mr. Cadogan, fome parts of the Newtonian philofophy with a boldness and banter, which were not likely to be well received, when derogating from the honour of a man, who was held little less than divine. And as he ob ferved in the mathematics, aftronomy, and geometry of the day, a difference in their demonstrations of no less than 121,000,000 of miles,' fo he spoke of the modern divinity as bringing you no nearer than 121,000,000 of miles fhort of heaven.'-How near to religious bigotry and fpiritual prefumption this laft obfervation may be, it is neither our province nor our inclination to calculate. But whatever reputation Mr. Romaine might lofe in the city of London, as profeffor of Gresham college, was amply regained by his able oppofition, about this period, to the famous Jew Bill. All his writings on this fubject were collected by himself in a pamphlet, which was reprinted by the citizens of London in the year 1753. In February 1755, Mr. Romaine married mifs Price; who furvives him, and by whom he had two fons, the fecond of whom, who was bred to the military profeffion, obtained the rank of captain, and died at Trincomale, in the island of Ceylon, in May 1782. On quitting his fituation in St. George's Hanover-fquare, in 1756; Mr. Romaine became curate and morning preacher at St. Olave's, Southwark, and continued in it to the year 1759 On quitting St. Olave's, he became morning preacher, for near two years, at St. Bartholomew the Great, near Weft Smithfield. In 1764, he was chofen by the inhabitants of the united parishes of St. Andrew Wardrobe, and St. Ann's Blackfriars, to be their rector, the right of presentation, which is vefted in the crown and in the parishioners alternately, then belonging to the latter. This election produced a fuit in chancery, which was decided in his favour, in 1766. In this laft fituation, Mr. Romaine continued many years, and was con *Befide the fingle Sermons, Calafio's Concordance, and this Comment in the 197th Pfalm, Mr. Romaine published, in the courfe of his life, 1. Twelve Sermons upon Solomon's Song, 1759.-2. Twelve Difcourfes upon the Law and Gospel, 1760.3. The Life of Faith, 1763.-4. The Scripture Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, 1765.-5. The Walk of Faith, 2 vol. 1871.-6. An Effay on Pfalmody, 1775-7. The Triumph of Faith. fidered as a man of eminent piety and usefulness. His popularity was employed, not only to awaken in his auditors a fenfe of religion, according to the views which he entertained of it, as the Gospel of Jefus Chrift, but to contribute to the utmost of his power to relieve the wants of his fellow creatures. His preaching, no doubt, was efficacious in forming great numbers to habits of piety and virtue, for however Mr. Romaine, and the preachers who appropriate to themfelves the title of evangelical minifters, may seem to derogate from good works, it is certain that many (and it is to be prefumed that most of them, confider holiness of life as effential to evince the reality and fincerity of their faith in Jefus. That Mr. Romaine's preaching did not give univerfal fatisfaction, is evident from his difmiffion from the church of St. George, Hanover-fquare, and the oppofition he met with on the lectureship of St. Dunstan's. In 1769, he preached a fermon in the parish church of St. Chad, Shrewsbury, which gave particular offence to the minifter of that church, Dr. William Adams, who had obtained great reputation by his excellent answer to Hume's Effay on Miracles. This gentleman thought it requifite to obviate what he conceived to be the pernicious effects of Mr. Romaine's doctrines, by preaching at St. Chad, and printing foon after, a fermon, entitled, A Teft of true and false Doctrines.' His preface will beft explain the ground of his complaint against Mr. Romaine : The following difcourfe,' fays the doctor, was occafioned by a fermon preached in my church, fo contrary to the fentiments of religion which I wish to imprint, and am always inculcating on the minds of my hearers, that I thought myself obliged, on the first opportunity, to give my teftimony against it. The preacher is a perfon of known learning, and (as I am informed) a principal leader among thofe who are called methodists. The particular tenets which gave this of4 fence, and the rafh unguarded terms in which they were expreffed, I forbear to mention. They are too well remembered by many of those who heard them; and it is probable that this difcourfe will fall into the hands of few others. It is now published at the request of many; not with a view to inflame the minds of angry and contentious men, or to kindle an unchriftian Spirit of ftrife and bitterness against the teachers of these doctrines. On the contrary, there is no one, as all who know me will teftify, more forward than I have ever been, to do juftice to their good intentions; to the piety and other virtues of those that patronize them; and even to the exemplary zeal in their parochial duties, of many of their pastors: one, as all who hear me will testify, more careful to inculcate the duties of candour and forbearance, and the most extenfive charity to thofe who differ in opinion from us. But when the first principles of religion feem to be deferted, and the firft duties of it fuperfeded as fruitless and unneceffary; when the goodness and moral attributes of the Deity are indirectly arraigned, and this with an undoubting confidence, and air imperious and decifive, tending to blind the minds, and furprise the credulity of the vulgar (to which I have more than once been an earwitnefs in my own church) it cannot be unbecoming me to warn those with whom I am concerned, against being deceived with vain words, no against haftily believing that their own paftor is a fetter-forth of false doctrines, and preaches another gofpel instead of that of Chrift, when he teaches them, as he always does, that religion is defigned to enforce the practice of piety and all good works, and that the end of all its doctrines and inftitutions, as well as of its precepts, is holiness of life.' Few preachers ever produced more by their fermons, for the support of charity schools, and for other beneve lent purposes, than did Mr. Romaine. His ufeful labours were, at last, ter minated by his death at the house of his friend, Mr. Whitridge, at Ballam Hill, near Clapham, on Sunday, July 26, 1795. During his illness, which lafted feven weeks, his zeal, his faith, his animated views of immortality, accorded with the uniform example of his life, and evinced, 'in the gradual approaches of death, the hope, and confolation, and triumph of a Chriftian. His remains were interred, on Monday, Auguft 3, in the rectory vault of Blackfriars church: the funeral proceffion from Ballam Hill, which confifted of near fifty coaches, filled by his numerous friends and admirers, being attended from the foot of Black Sir, IN friars-bridge by the parish beadles, and the children of the charity school, and preceded by the city marshals, with their men, on horfeback; the latter having been ordered out by the right honourable Thomas Skinner, the lord-mayor, as his token of respect to the memory of a man, who, during the courfe of a long and laborious life, had sustained a character at oncè eminent and useful. A handfome monument, we underftand, is to be erected to his memory in Blackfriars church; and a pofthumous edition of his letters is preparing for the prefs. FARTHER THOUGHTS ON VARIETY. nefs. N your Magazine for September, language, drefs, and general conduct, which is just come to hand, I have we perceive variety in all her wantonread a paper, entitled Thoughts on Variety,' and as it is a fubject which has fometimes engaged my attention, I am induced to fend you a few more thoughts on it, although with no defign to interfere with your correfpondent's turn of thinking. It is a copious fubject, and not easily exhausted. There is nothing in man fo fingular as the defire he poffeffes for variety, and nothing feems to come more eafily or naturally. That it is, therefore, useful, may be allowed, and where it is otherwife, where it is hurtful and deftroys all perfeverance and refolution, we may fuppofe that it has fallen into excefs. In this country, as will probably be the cafe with every country, which fhall enjoy fo great a portion of liberty for fo long a time, it has occafioned that immenfe variety of character which has induced foreigners to obferve that the nation at large has no character at all. Every man being at perfect liberty to exert his faculties and purfue his whims in the manner moft agreeable to himself, there has always fprung up a race of men called Oddities, in whofe manners, It is probable that, to the defire after variety, we owe our best seamen. Youth are rarely made acquainted, or indeed can be made acquainted with the various risks and inconveniencies attending this mode of life, but from the reports of those who have enjoyed it, they conceive that an incessant change of adventures, and objects, form the whole of it, and to no profeffion do young men fly with more eagerness, fo that it is often the cause of their violating their duty to their parents, and running from them, without any criminal intention to give uneafinefs, but from that restleffness of difpofition, which in more advanced and fober life, we term a defire for variety. The number of men who are advocates for a retired, quiet, placid and uniform life, are but few, and generally compofed of those who only deceive themselves, and foon find that fuch a life is incompatible with their real difpofitions. Among these we fometimes fee men who fancy their happinefs would confift in being released from the cares of business, but having then no fource of variety, their misery begins. Befide the ordinary cares of each man's bufinefs, which one would fuppofe might afford fufficient variety to prevent life from standing still, there are not a few objects upon which men exercise their attention at leisure hours, and which supply them with a fresh ftock of hopes and fears. Of these perhaps the most prominent is the ftudy of politics, if that may be called a ftudy, which confifts chiefly in reading the newspapers and converfing on fubjects, with which few are very intimately acquainted. This character has been often delineated in our periodical writings with great force of humour. It is certainly wonderful with what eagerness men embark in the difcuffion of political fubjects, who are but fcantily provided with knowledge for the fuperintendence of their own affairs, and how zealously they facrifice the latter, that they may pay a proper attention to the weightier matters of peace and war, foreign treaties and alliances. Forgetting the bufinefs of the Royal Exchange, they are adjusting the differences of crowned heads, providing for the fucceffion of royal families, or tracing the progrefs of an army through places, the very names of which they are unable to pronounce. It will eafily be fuppofed that as this subject is capable of a greater variety than any other, it will be purfued more generally by those who are afraid of thinking too much upon one thing. In matrimonial alliances there arifes another fource of variety, in difference of temper, and the inceffant ftruggle for fuperiority of understanding or of authority. The acceffion of a numerous progeny cannot fail to add greatly to the fame fource of pleafure; and as they grow up, the different tempers, purfuits, difpofitions, and courfe of life, cannot fail to keep the minds of the parents from all danger of ftagnation. Hence we have but a forry opinion of a quiet, harmlefs, placid man, who never troubles his head about his family; but beftows much praise upon an active, lively, buftling, pains-taking woman, who is ever at fome new employment, and goes to reft with all the fatigue of a day-labourer. I need fcarcely add, that with a woman of this description, the few articles of fcouring, cleaning and washing, with occafional obfervations on dirtying, are fufficient to provide a most pleasing variety for two thirds of the year at least. alfo Among the collateral helps to neceffary bufinefs among men, may be reckoned a taste or knack at fome fpecies of amusement, fuch as shooting, hunting or fishing. These fill up certain days and hours with a variety of adventures, which are at least marvellous and entertaining in the relation, and contribute wonderfully to circulate the animal fpirits. If now and then accompanied with a broken limb, they have been found ferviceable, and the patient, for years afterwards, finds an agreeable variety in telling the fame ftory over and over again, and the oftener he tells it, the more he recollects fome little variety of incident, which did not occur to him before. The pursuit of variety, I am afraid, has led fome of my countrymen into a mode of gratification which I cannot fo well approve; I mean an eagerness to go to law, upon every trifling difference, and to give a whole court four or five hours trouble about a point, which any two men of plain fenfe might have fettled in as many minutes. If this proceeds from a mere defire after variety, I know few better prefcriptions for this thirft. A law-fuit is a perpetual fource of variety, from the attorney's first notice to the fettling the bill of cofts, and prefents us with an inceffant Aluctuation of fears, hopes, doubts, rancour, refentment, fufpicion, discovery, dulinefs, acuteness, and every thing that can keep the thoughts in motion. It is likewife an enemy to fleep and contentment, and produces a mental ague which must keep the patient in a perpetual ftate of change. Speculation may alto be mentioned Hh as another fource of variety. There is in most trades a regular rotine, uniform, calm and mechanical, too much fo for a genuine lover of variety. He therefore steps out of it, and embarks in fome grand and unheard of fcheme which is to end all his dull cares at once, and enable him to loofen the chain, which ties him to one even and unvarying tract. Of thefe fpeculations, the greater part are unfortunate, which, however, is no argument against them, on the fcore of variety: this is equally promoted whether they fail or fucceed. Indeed I don't know whether the complete fuccefs of any of them would not create an uniformity that might be hurtful. Of this, however, there is but little danger, and in the mean time a fucceffion of trials and experiments, the pains that are taken to discover where the error lay, and the invention that is employed to find out a new fcheme, are all fources of infinite variety, not confined to the projector himfelf only, but communicable to his friends, and even to the public at large, who, by partaking of his hopes and fears, his eagerness and his difappointment, are generously admitted to a fhare of the bleffings of variety. I fall only add, and that by way of hint, that there is fome reason for thinking that certain perfons deviate from the path of propriety and justice for the fake of variety. This must be accounted a very great abuse of a natural paffion; but when we fee men affect to be worse than they are, and to utter bad opinions which they do not believe, enter into follies for which they have no relish, and relinquish the conduct which their reafon must approve, merely that they may show how various and verfatile they can be, what are we to conclude, but that they have not confidered how infinite in number and variety the charms of virtue are, how new and ftriking the opportunities are to exalt a character by acts of wisdom and goodness, and that if hopes and fears are necessary to promote the activity of the mind, they cannot be derived from a fource more redundant in variety, than the rewards held out to virtue and the punishment denounced against vice. Thefe are a few reflections, which occurred to me previous to reading your correfpondent's letter. If you are not tired of the fubject, I hope they will be admitted, if upon no other, at least upon the ground of contributing a little to the variety of which your miscellany is compofed. I am, &c. P. T. On the SAMENESS and DULLNESS of certain FASHIONABLE FOLLIES. I T has been obferved, that the effect of fudden riches upon manners is nearly the fame in all mankind. It is a reverfe of fituation for which men feem fo unprepared, as to borrow from others the conduct they are to adopt, whereas in a reverfe of fortune of the calamitous kind, the mind fhrinks within itself, derives fupport from its own refources, or is abandoned to defpair in filence and in folitude. It is not eafy to fay why we are not equally prepared to meet reverses which have nearly the fame confequences. Sudden riches and unexpected poverty are to be confidered as among the ftrongeft temptations to do what is wrong, but we feem not equally to guard againft them, and we even feem to entertain an opinion that the rich may be wicked with impunity, while the crimes of poverty ought never to go unpunished. Nothing, however, is more honourable to our natures, than the patience and firmnefs with which men in general bear a calamitous reverfe of fortune, the expedition with which they extricate themfelves from difficulties, and the clofe watch they keep over the moral conduct in circumftances of great intricacy and diftrefs. It is, indeed, a nice point to balance the paffions in this fituation, to fumble |