as it is, in his place. I have been looking over some of tism, so neither can the cant of fanaticism, or hypomy marginal pencilled notes on Gibbon, and rubbing crisy, or of both-for so far from being incompatible, them out. I had thought to burn the book, but the they are generally found united in the same character, Quarterly Review and Professor Porson have furnished (may God in his mercy preserve and defend us from the antidote to his poison, whether in the shape of infi- both!) disgust the pious with true religion. delity or obscenity. See Review of Gibbon's posthumous works. "Lust hard by Hate," and I will come, so help me God! Is it madness to prefer your new house in fee simple, to a clay cottage, of which I am tenant at will, and may be turned out at a moment's warning, and even without it, and out of which I know I must be turned in a few years certainly? Mine has been no sudden change of opinion. I can refer to a record showing, on my part, a desire of more than nine years standing to partake of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; although, for two and twenty years preceding, my feet had never crossed the threshhold of the house of prayer. This desire I was restrained from indulging, by the fear of eating and drinking unrighteously; and although that fear hath been cast out by perfect love, I have never yet gone to the altar-neither have I been present at the perform ance of divine service, unless indeed I may so call my reading the Liturgy of our Church and some chapters of the Bible to my poor negroes on Sundays. Such passages as I think require it, and which I feel competent to explain, I comment upon, enforcing as far as possi ble, and dwelling upon those texts especially that enjoin the indispensable accompaniment of a good life as the touchstone of the true faith. The sermon from the Paul to the Ephesians, chap. vi,-the general Epistle of James, and the first Epistle of John-these are my chief texts. It is now midnight. May God watch over our sleep-mount, and the Evangelists generally-the Epistle of over our helpless, naked condition, and protect us as well from the insect that carries death in his sting, as from the more feared but not so obvious dangers with which life is beset; and if he should come this night (as come he will) like a thief, may we be ready to stand in his presence and plead not our merits, but his stripes, by whom we are made whole. J. R. of R. MY GOOD FRIEND-I am sorry that Quashee should intrude upon you unreasonably. The old man, I suppose, knows the pleasure I take in your letters, and therefore feels anxious to procure his master the gratification. I cannot, however, express sorrow, for I do not feel it, at the impression which you tell me my last letter made upon you. May it lead to the same happy consequences that I have experienced, which I now feel in that sunshine of the heart, which the peace of God, that passeth all understanding, alone can bestow. The consummation of my conversion—I use the word in its strictest sense-is owing to a variety of causes, but chiefly to the conviction, unwillingly forced upon me, that the very few friends which an unprosperous life (the fruit of an ungovernable temper) had left me, were daily losing their hold upon me in a firmer grasp of ambition, avarice, or sensuality. I am not sure that to complete the anti-climax, avarice should not have been last; for although, in some of its effects, debauchery be more disgusting than avarice, yet as it regards the unhappy victim, this last is more to be dreaded. Dissipation, as well as power or prosperity, hardens the heart, but avarice deadens it to every feeling but the thirst for riches. Avarice alone could have produced the slave trade. Avarice alone can drive, as it does drive, this infernal traffic, and the wretched victims of it, like so many post-horses whipped to death in a mail-coach. Ambition has its cover-sluts, in the pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war; but where are the trophies of avarice? The handcuff, the manacle, and the blood-stained cowhide! What man is worse received in society for being a hard master? Who denies the hand of a sister or daughter to such monsters ?-nay, they have even appeared in "the abused shape of the vilest of women." I say nothing of India, or Amboyna—of Cortes, or Pizarro. When I was last in your town I was inexpressibly shocked, (and perhaps I am partly indebted to the cir cumstance for accelerating my emancipation,) to hear, on the threshold of the temple of the least erect of all the spirits that fell from heaven, these words spoken: Your imputing such sentiments to a heated imagination, does not surprise me, who have been bred in the school of Hobbes, and Bayle, and Shaftesbury, and Bolingbroke, and Hume, and Voltaire, and Gibbon; who have cultivated the sceptical philosophy from my vain-glorious boyhood-I might almost say childhood; and who have felt all that unutterable disgust which hypocrisy, and cant, and fanaticism, never fail to "I don't want the Holy Ghost (I shudder while I excite in men of education and refinement, superadded write,) or any other spirit in me. If these doctrines to our natural repugnance to Christianity. I am not, are true, [St. Paul's] there was no need for Wesley even now, insensible to this impression; but as the and Whitfield to have separated from the church. The excesses of her friends (real or pretended) can never Methodists are right, and the Church wrong. I want alienate the votary of liberty from a free form of go-to see the old church," &c. &c.—that is, such as this vernment, and enlist him under the banners of despo- diocese was under Bishop Terrick, when wine-bibbing and buck-parsons were sent out to preach "a dry "Fanaticism. Let us exhibit her as she is, equally แ every attempt at encroachment on the part of the "Church-the Clergy especially—on the rights of con"science. I attribute, in a very great degree, my long 'estrangement from God, to my abhorrence of PrelatiBy the way, this term Methodist in religion is of vast "cal pride and Puritanical preciseness; to Ecclesiasticompass and effect-like Tory in politics—or Aristocrate "cal tyranny, whether Roman Catholic or Protestantin Paris, "with the lamp-post for its second," some five "whether of Harry V, or Harry VIII-of Mary or or six and twenty years ago. Dr. Hoge ?-"a Metho-"Elizabeth-of John Knox, or Archbishop Laud-of dist parson." Frank Key?—“a fanatic,” (I heard him "the Cameronians of Scotland, the Jacobins of France, called so not ten days ago,) "a Methodistical whining,"" or the Protestants of Ireland. Should I fail to attend, &c. &c. Wilberforce ?-" a Methodist." Mrs. Hannah "it will arise from a repugnance to submit the religion, More?" ditto." It ought never to be forgotten, that" (or church) any more than the liberty of my country, real converts to Christianity on opposite sides of the "to foreign influence. When I speak of my country, globe, agree at the same moment to the same facts. "I mean the Commonwealth of Virginia. I was born Thus Dr. Hoge and Mr. Key, although strangers, un- "in allegiance to George III-the Bishop of London derstand perfectly what each other feels and believes. "(Terrick !) was my diocesan. My ancestors threw If I were to show a MS. in some unknown tongue to "off the oppressive yoke of the mother country, butú half a dozen persons, strangers to each other, and na-"they never made me subject to New England in mattives of different countries, and they should all give me "ters spiritual or temporal-neither do I mean to become the same translation, could I doubt their acquaintance"so, voluntarily." with the strange language? On the contrary, can I, who am but a smatterer in Greek, believe an impostor, who pretends to a knowledge of that tongue, and who yet cannot tell the meaning of TURTO ? I now read with relish and understand St. Paul's Epistles, which not long since I could not comprehend, even with the help of Mr. Locke's Paraphrase. Taking up, a few days ago, at an "Ordinary," the Life of John Bunyan, which I had never before read, I find an exact coincidence in our feelings on this head, as well as others. I have been up long before day, and write with pain from a sense of duty to you and Mrs. B., in whose welfare I take the most earnest concern. You have my prayers. Give me yours, I pray you. Adieu! J. R. of R. P. S. You make no mention of Leigh. I was on the top of the pinnacle of Otter this day fortnight—a little LETTER III. Your obliging promptitude deserved my speedier thanks, but you will excuse me I am sure, my dear sir, when you learn that I have been for several days confined to my chamber by something very like angina pectoris. It is the most distressing sensation I ever felt, although not the most painful. It is during a remission of its attack that I take up my pen to put some of my nothings upon paper. Very early in life I imbibed an absurd prejudice in favor of Mahomedanism and its votaries. The Crescent had a talismanic effect on my imagination, and I rejoiced in all its triumphs over the Cross, (which I despised,) as I mourned over its defeats; and Mahomet the 2d himself did not more exult than I did when the Crescent was planted on the dome of St. Sophia, and the Cathedral of the Constantines was converted into a Turkish Mosque. To this very day I feel the effects of Peter Randolph's Zanga on a temper naturally impa- Yesterday was a sore day (as I hear) for the War tient of injury, but insatiably vindictive under insult. Department. The official statements from that bureau On the night that I wrote last to you, I scribbled a were exposed in a most mortifying manner, and on the pack of nonsense to Rootes, which serves only to show question in committee of the whole to strike out the first the lightness of my heart. About the same time, in section of the obnoxious bill [i. e. to reject it] the court reply to a question from a friend, I made the following mustered but five or seven affirmatives-and this after remarks, which, as I was weak from long vigilance, I the combined exertions of several of the leading memrequested him to write down, that I might, when at lei-bers, as they are called, in favor of the motion. sure, copy it into my diary. From it you will gather pretty accurately the state of my mind. My question to Mrs. B. related to a book that I had lately read with some amusement-Melincourt. It is not new, but I had not happened to meet with it before. I have been trying to read Southey's Life of Wesley for some days. Upon the whole, I find it a heavy work, although there are some very striking passages, and it abounds in curious information. From 279 to 285, inclusive, of the second volume is very fine. Yesterday I was to have dined with Frank Key, but was not well enough to go. He called here the day before, and we had much talk together. He perseveres in pressing on | him for several days; and when you see Mr. Cunningtowards the goal, and his whole life is spent in endea- ham, present me most kindly to him and his house. vors to do good for his unhappy fellow men. The re sult is, that he enjoys a tranquillity of mind, a sunshine of the soul, that all the Alexanders of the earth can neither confer nor take away. This is a state to which I can never attain. I have made up my mind to suffer like a man condemned to the wheel or the stake--and, strange as you may think it, I could submit without a murmur to pass the rest of my life "in some high, lonely tower, where I might outwatch the Bear with thrice great Hermes ;" and exchange the enjoyments of society for an exemption from the plagues of life. These press me down to the very earth, and to rid myself of them I would gladly purchase an annuity and crawl into some hole, where I might commune with myself and be still. I am glad that the pretty Mrs. F-h is so comfortably established at Mrs. Kemp's. Do I understand you correctly that the C's, Rootes, Gilmer, and Mr. Burwell are of the same party? I should like very much to join it, for (to say nothing of the ladies) R. and G. are two of my favorites. I could be somewhat less miserable there, I am sure, than I find myself here. * If I possessed a taient that I once thought I had, I would try and give you a picture of Washington. The state of things is the strangest imaginable, but I am like a speechless person who has the clearest conception of what he would say, but whose organs refuse to perform their office. There is one striking fact that one can't help seeing at the first glance-that there is no faith among men: the state of political confidence may be compared to that of the commercial world within the last two or three years. I read Mr. Roane's letter with the attention that it deserves. Every thing from his pen on the subject of our laws and institutions excites a profound interest. I was highly gratified at the manner in which it was spoken of in my hearing by one of the best and ablest men in our house. It is indeed high time that the hucksters and money-changers should be cast out of the Temple of Justice. The tone of this communication belongs to another age; but for the date, who could suppose it to have been written in this our day of almost universal political corruption? I did not read the report on the lottery case. The print of the Enquirer is too much for my eyes: and besides I want no argument to satisfy me that the powers which Congress may exercise where they possess exclusive jurisdiction, may not be extended to places where they possess only a limited and concurrent jurisdiction. The very statement of the question settles it, and every additional word is but an incumbrance of help. And now, my dear sir, you may be glad to come to an end of this almost interminable epistle. Shut up in my little "chair-lumbered closet" this cold day, without a soul to speak to or a book to read, you have become the victim of my desolate condition. Indeed, if I had a book I could not read it, having exercised my eyes so unmercifully on John Wesley, that I do not see what I am writing at least not distinctly. My best regards to Mrs. B. I wish I could provoke her to talk. When you see Dudley, tell him I have been trying to write to Sincerely yours, TO A LOCK OF HAIR. BY J. DOGGETT, Jr. Bright auburn lock! which like the wing Of some kind angel sweeping by, Shinest in the sun a glossy thing, As soft as beams from beauty's eye, Thou dost recall, sweet lock, to me, All of the heaven of memory. Thou once did'st shade a marble brow, And listen to a silver tone- Fair lock! I'd rather hold with thee EXAMPLE AND PRECEPT. BY J. K. PAULDING. A fine fashionable mother, one beautiful spring morn ing, walked forth into the city, leading by the hand a little child of five or six years old. The former was dressed in all the fantastic finery of the times; she had a pink bonnet, ornamented with a bird of paradise, shaded with huge bows of wide ribbon; sleeves which caused her taper waist to appear like lean famine supported on either side by overgrown plenty; her gown was of such redundancy of plaits and folds, that a whole family might have been clothed from its super fluities; and while with one hand she led the little girl along, in the other she held a cambric handkerchief worked with various devices, and bordered with rich lace, reported to have cost fifty dollars. The little child was dressed as fine as its mother, for she unfortunately had light curly hair, and was reckoned a beauty. They passed a toy-shop, and the child insisted on going in, where she laid out all the money she had in various purchases that were of no use whatever, in spite of the advice of her mother, who alternately colded and laughed at her for thus wasting her allowance on things so useless. The child seemed to reflect for a few moments, and thus addressed her mother: "Mother, what is the use of those great sleeves you wear?" The mother was silent, for the question puzzled her. "Mother, what is the use of that fine bird on your hat?" The mother was still more at a loss for a reply. "Mother, what is the use of having a worked hand- | assembly, from which we were concealed by a curtain, kerchief, bordered with lace, to wipe your nose?" “Come along,” cried the mother somewhat roughly, as she dragged the little girl out of the toy-shop, "come along, and don't ask so many foolish questions." MISERIES OF BASHFULNESS. A modest woman dressed out in all her finery is the most tremendous object of the whole creation.-She Stoops to Conquer. as yet down. At a given signal the curtain rose and presented to our view a numerous concourse of both sexes, among whom I distinguished my father seated on the front row of seats, prepared no doubt to witness his son's triumph. A sight of his countenance served to increase the confidence I had in my powers, and to dispel the embarrassment I felt on the occasion. The student at the head of the class answered the question put to him with perfect ease and composure-so did the second. I stood third; as soon as my name was called by the examining professor, I felt the blood rush Of all the evils which harass the human family, none with such velocity to my face as nearly to cause blindis perhaps more tormenting or more difficult to be re-ness-my brain reeled-my eyes swam-and although moved, than bashfulness-a feeling sufficient in itself to I perfectly understood the question, my confusion was blast the most promising hopes, and render compara- so great as to hinder utterance. The question was tively useless the most brilliant abilities. To this evil, passed to the next, who was C-; he answered it. from earliest recollection, I have been painfully subject, The mingled shame, mortification, and rage I suffered, and to its influence upon my character and habits, may are indescribable. I retired from the contest, and the be traced the many difficulties I have met with in my prize which I could have gained was awarded to my passage through life. Gifted by nature with a mind abominated enemy. I returned home with my mortiof no ordinary caste, which my modest and retiring fied father, who persuaded me to endeavor to overcome disposition, while it precluded me from the enjoyment the painful and unfortunate failing, which he perceived of society, induced me to cultivate, at an early age would blight my future prospects, by mixing largely in I had acquired a large fund of useful and polite infor- society. In pursuance of this advice, soon after my mation. This circumstance induced my parents to send arrival in my native town, I determined to attend a me to the University of, then the most flourishing large party, at the residence of one of my mother's institution in the country. The first term after my fashionable friends. I suffered acutely from the time arrival passed off drearily enough, but after becoming I received the invitation till the appointed night. At familiarized to the habits of my fellow students, and to length it arrived, and I, attired in my best suit, with the customs of the institution, I became better satisfied no aristocratic touch, rung the door bell. The servant with my situation. Nothing of importance occurred ushered me into a large and splendidly furnished room until the time appointed for the examinations came on. but partially filled. The courage I had summoned for I had applied myself with assiduity and vigilance, and the occasion, like Bob Acre's, "oozed as it were from flattered myself that I had completely mastered the the palms of my hands," and I remained standing in exercises appointed for the occasion. Among the can- the door-way as immovable as if (instead of the gay didates for graduation there was an individual whom I and fashionable assembly who were gazing at my shall designate by the name of C—, and whose con- strange appearance with so much astonishment,) the nection with my narration compels me to mention him. Gorgon Medusa had turned upon me her petrifying He was the son of a southern planter, of immense for- look. The harmonious note which at that moment tune, and to a person of almost faultless beauty united stole from Bennett's eloquent cremona, diverted their great liberality, which his princely fortune enabled him attention from my person and restored me to something to stretch to its farthest limits. As may be imagined like consciousness. I advanced into the room, and was he was quite a lion among the students and ladies. cordially greeted by mine host and his lady, who were Towards this individual I conceived a certain feeling old friends of my family. The dancing now comof dislike from my first introduction, which a more inti-menced, and the rooms gradually filling placed me in a mate acquaintance with his character ripened into ha- rather more comfortable situation. I was, however, far tred. He was proud and overbearing in his deportment from being easy. In order, as I thought, to calm my towards his inferiors, and even amidst his immediate perturbed spirits, I seated myself on a sofa, situated in friends and acquaintance he possessed a certain haughty a corner of one of the rooms. I had remained there but and imperious bearing, indicative of the exalted opinion a short time, when the voice of some one engaged in he entertained respecting his own merits. His mind earnest conversation striking upon my ear, I turned was not remarkable for strength, nevertheless he had my attention in that direction and perceived my late some shrewdness or cunning, which the vulgar are apt triumphant enemy C—, conversing in an animated to mistake for talents. As I have before observed, the strain with Miss the only daughter of the wealthy time for the annual examination had arrived, and no and hospitable owner of the mansion in which we were culprit in the gloomy walls of Newgate dreaded the passing the afternoon. Miss was evidently much fatal toll of St. Sepulchre's bell-the gloomy herald of pleased with the subject as well as the manner of the many a sinner's entrance into eternity-more than I speaker, and he seemed inclined to make the best posdid the arrival of the hour when our exercises were to sible use of the advantage he had gained. They were commence. A large number of ladies and gentlemen however joined by a large number of ladies, who in had been invited, and among the number was my their anxiety to reach Miss - completely surrounded father. At length the University bell tolled the appointed hour, and we were drawn up on a stage in front of the me. Yes I who would sooner march to the cannon's mouth, or attempt to scale the fortress of Gibraltar, than face a female, was literally blockaded-totally flection. Oh! how bitterly did I repent the many opportunities I had omitted of learning the trifling (in the abstract, yet important in reality,) accomplishment which I so much needed then. However, it was now too late to retreat, and I was about to dash forth and perform some random capers, when my companion checked me with the information that my time to dance had not yet come on. To increase the awkwardness of my situation, I discovered myself to be corporeally tipsy, though mentally sober. I was therefore afraid to move, lest I should evince my unlucky and disagreeable situation. As a dernier resort, I resolved to watch the graceful and easy movements of my companions in the dance, and, if possible, to gain some slight information concerning my unenviable employment. At last my turn came round, and with bent knees and clenched hands I advanced. In attempting to make a flourish which was to have been followed by a bow, I lost my balance, and tumbled at full length upon the floor. The roar of laughter which this feat called forth still rings in my ears, and a recollection of the scene always covers my cheeks with blushes. I arose from my incumbent posture and hastily excusing myself to my partner, rushed from the house, heartily wishing for "a lodge in some vast wilderness." surrounded by decidedly "the most awful things in | dance, I would sooner have attempted to solve the nature," a company of full dressed women. C- hieroglyphics inscribed upon an Egyptian obelisk. was perfectly at ease, and enjoyed heartily the dismay Every moment developed new difficulties, and fresh and confusion under which I labored. Perceiving obstacles were cast in my way by every second's rethat the only possible chance of escaping, would be speedy action, I endeavored instinctively to effect a retreat, but in vain. As I arose, I encountered the huge sleeve of a female attired "in all the glaring impotence of dress," which impeded my egress. On attempting to return, I ran foul of a talkative little creature, and left her minus of about half of her head dress. The little lady was in a rage; however, there was no time for delay-so I gave her no apology. At length I reached my seat on the sofa, on which several ladies had seated themselves. After some time, I endeavored to enter into conversation with the damsel who sat next me, hoping that it would afford me some alleviation; but the attempt was abortive. My tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth, and refused to utter whatever ideas I might have had in my brain-through which passed in rapid succession, the last opera-the fancy ball-Shakspeare-Moliere, &c. &c., without affording its wretched owner a theme on which to commence a conversation. In vain I made strenuous exertions to collect my scattered thoughts-the attempt increased my confusion. At last the approach of a servant with a waiter of refreshments opened a passage through which I dashed. The exulting laugh of Creached my ear, as I cleared the little crowd collected around him. In my passage through the room I met a servant bearing a freshly opened bottle of Champaigne. Seizing a glass brimfull with the sparkling liquor 1 tossed it off-another, and another-and then "a change came o'er the spirit of my dream." I was immediately changed from the bashful and timid character in which I had hitherto appeared, to the bold, impudent, easy man of the world. An almost irresistible desire to make female acquaintances seized me, and I was determined to indulge it. Meeting a friend at the moment, I requested him to give me an introduction to every lady in the house. At this sweeping request my friend was surprised beyond measure, knowing well my former disposition. However, not being able to refuse, he led me up to a fresh, rosy-looking Miss, and gave the necessary introduction. I bowed, and in doing so nearly lost my equilibrium. I, however, succeeded in gaining my footing, and commenced conversing. By this time, I had given such unequivocal indications of the effect my Champaigne potation had produced, as to induce my friend to withdraw me from my fair acquaintance and insist upon my taking leave of the "festive scene." But what man has been known to take good advice when he is at all inebriated. I refused to retire, and to disprove the suspicions of my friend, I determined to dance the next cotillion. In accordance with this re solve I wended my way through the crowd till I discovered the lady to whom I had been introduced, and solicited the pleasure of her hand. We stood up to a double cotillion, and at that moment the music struck up. The animating and delightful sensations produced by the wine began to subside, and my mind commenced gradually to comprehend the almost insurmountable difficulties of the situation in which my rashness had placed me. I had no more idea of dancing than a bear just caught from the woods, and as for the figure of the FIRST LOVE. BY J. C. McCABE. MARLOW. There is a thought, still beautiful, though years have roll'd along, Which stirs the wave of memory, and wakes her wonted song Which rustles 'mid the heart's dead flowers like midnight's mournful breeze, And dove-like spreads its soothing wing o'er passion's stormy seas. No crime can dim its purity-no cloud obscure its ray; play, All sweetly hovering o'er the soul, like spirit from above O, 'tis the thought-the holy thought—of boyhood's early love! When years have wrinkled o'er his brow, and furrows traced his cheek, And his once glad voice is trembling now in lapses faint and weak; How thoughtful is his glance, as on his slowly rolling tears, There floats along that fairy form he loved in boyhood's years. And then-O then, that heart (like harp hung up in ruined hall, Untouch'd, save when the night-winds sweep along the mould'ring wall,) It gives a wild tone from its chords, the pilgrim lone to tell, |