letter, and its censures might as well be referred to those to whom it was written, as to us; but the malicious meaning was obvious, and we went no farther. My wife had scarcely patience to hear me to the end, but railed at the writer with unrestrained resentment. Olivia was equally severe, and Sophia seemed perfectly amazed at his baseness. As for my part, it appeared to me one of the vilest instances of unprovoked ingratitude I had met with. Nor could I account for it in any other manner than by imputing it to his desire of detaining my youngest daughter in the country, to have the more frequent opportunities of an interview. In this manner we all sate ruminating upon schemes of vengeance, when our other little boy came running in to tell us that Mr. Burchell was approaching at the other end of the field. It is easier to conceive than describe the complicated sensations which are felt from the pain of a recent injury, and the pleasure of approaching vengeance. Though our intentions were only to upbraid him with his ingratitude; yet it was resolved to do it in a manner that would be parfectly cutting. For this purpose we agreed to meet him with our usual smiles, to chat in the beginning with more than ordinary kindness, to amuse him a little; and then in the midst of the flattering calm to burst upon him like an earthquake, and over. whelm him with the sense of his own baseness. This being resolved upon, my wife undertook to manage the business herself, as she really had some talents for such an undertaking. We saw him approach, he entered, drew a chair, and sate down.“ A "fine day, Mr. Burchell."- "A very fine day, "Doctor; though I fancy we shall have some rain "by the shooting of my corns."--"The shooting of your horns," cried my wife in a loud fit of laughter, and then asked pardon for being fond of a joke." Dear madam," replied he, "I ઃઃ "pardon pardon you with all my heart, for I protest I "should not have thought it a joke had you not "told me."--" Perhaps not, Sir," cried my wife, winking at us, "and yet I dare say you can tell us "how many jokes go to an ounce."-"1 fancy, "madam," returned Burchell, 66 you have been reading a jest book this morning, that ounce of "jokes is so very good a conceit; and yet, madam, "I had rather see half an ounce of understanding.' "I believe you might," cried my wife still smiling at us, though the laugh was against her; " and yet "I have seen some men pretend to understanding "that have very little."-" And no doubt," returned her antagonist "you have known ladies set up for wit that had none."-I quickly began to find that my wife was likely to gain but little at this business; so I resolved to treat him in a style of more severity myself. "Both wit and understanding" cried I, are trifles without integrity; it is "are "That which gives value to every character. The ignorant peasant without fault, is greater than "the philosopher with many; for what is genius or "courage without an heart? An honest man is the "noblest work of God." 66 "I always held that hackney'd maxim of Pope," returned Mr. Burchell, "as very unworthy a man "of genius, and a base desertion of his own su"periority. As the reputation of books is raised "not by their freedom from defect, but the great"ness of their beauties; so should that of men be prized not for their exemption from fault, but the "size of those virtues they are possessed of. The "scholar may want prudence, the statesman may "have pride, and the champion ferocity; but shall "we prefer to these the low mechanic, who laboriously plods through life without censure or applause? We might as well prefer the tame cor"rect paintings of the Flemish school to the erro "neous. "neous, but sublime animations of the Roman "pencil." "Sir," replied I," your present observation is 'just, when there are shining virtues and minute "defects; but when it appears that great vices are opposed in the same mind to as extraordinary vir"tues, such a character deserves contempt." "Perhaps," cried he, " there may be some such "monsters as you describe, of great vices joined to "great virtues; yet in my progress through life, I never yet found one instance of their existence : "on the contrary, I have ever perceived, that "where the mind was capacious, the affections "were good. And indeed Providence seems kindly "our friend in this particular, thus to debilitate the "understanding where the heart is corrupt, and "diminish the power, where there is the will to "do mischief. This rule seems to extend even to "other animals: the little vermin race are ever "treacherous, cruel, and cowardly, whilst those "endowed with strength and power are generous "brave and gentle." "These observaitons sound well," returned I, "and yet it would be easy this moment to point out a man," and I fixed my eye steadfastly upon him, "whose head and heart form a most detestable con"trast. Ay, Sir," continued I, raising my voice, "and I am glad to have this opportunity of de"tecting him in the midst of his fancied security. "Do you know this, Sir, this pocket-book?""Yes, Sir," returned he, with a face of impenetrable assurance, "that pocket-book is mine, and I 66 am glad you have found it."--"And do you "know," cried I, "this letter? Nay, never falter "man; but look me full in the face: I say, do you know this letter ?""That letter,"-returned he, "yes, it was I that wrote that letter."- "And 66 "And how could you," said I, "so basely, so ungratefully presume to write this letter?""And "how came you," replied he, with looks of unparalleled effrontery," so basely to presume to "break open this letter? Don't you know, now, "I could hang you all for this? All that I have to "do is to swear at the next justice's, that you have "been guilty of breaking open the lock of my "pocket-book, and so hang you all up at his door. This piece of unexpected insolence raised me to such a pitch, that I could scarcely govern my passion. Ungrateful wretch, begone, and no longer pol"lute my dwelling with thy baseness: begone, and "never let me see thee again: go from my doors, " and the only punishment I wish thee is an alarmed "conscience, which will be a sufficient tormentor!” so saying, I threw him his pocket-book, which he took up with a smile, and shutting the clasps with the utmost composure, left us, quite astonished at the serenity of his assurance. My wife was particularly enraged that nothing could make him angry, or make him seem ashamed of his villainies. "My "dear," cried I, willing to calm those passions that had been raised too high among us, "we are not "to be surprised that bad men want shame; they only blush at being detected in doing good, but glory in their vices. 66 66 Guilt and shame, says the allegory, were at "first companions, and in the beginning of their journey inseparably kept together. But their "union was soon found to be disagreeable and in"convenient to both; Guilt gave Shame frequent "uneasiness, and Shame often betrayed the secret. "conspiracies of Guilt. After long disagreement "therefore, they at length consented to part for "ever. Guilt boldly walked forward alone, to "overtake Fate, that went before in the shape of "an executioner: but Shame being naturally timo a rous, rous, returned back to keep company with Virtue, "which in the beginning of their journey, they "had left behind. Thus my children, after men "have travelled through a few stages in vice, Shame "forsakes them, and returns back to wait upon the "few virtues they have still remaining." CHAP. XVI, pro The family use art, which is opposed with still greater. WHATEVER might have been Sophia's sensations, the rest of the family was easily consoled for Mr. Burchell's absence by the company of our landlord, whose visits now became more frequent and longer. Though he had been disappointed in curing my daughters the amusements of the town as he designed, he took every opportunity of supplying them with those little recreations which our retirement would admit of. He usually came in the morning, and while my son and I followed our occupations abroad he sat with the family at home, and amused them by describing the town, with every part of which he was particularly acquainted. He could repeat all the observations that were retailed in the atmosphere of the play-houses, and had all the good things of the high wits by rote long before they made their way into the jest-books. The intervals between conversation were employed in teaching my daughters piquet, or sometimes in setting my two little ones to box to make them sharp, as he called it: but the hopes of having him for a son-in-law, in some measure blinded us to all his imperfections. It must be owned that my wife laid a thousand schemes to entrap him; or, to speak more |