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my spirits failed, and all my energies were fled. But as my tongue faltered and my lip quivered in the prayer with which I preceded my sermon, a thought passed over my mind-"'tis the last duty of your ministry; make this moment profitable to your bearers; let your farewell be the address of the pas tor, and convert their sensibilities to their spiritual edification-remember, if you meet no more on earth, you may in the courts of your God hereafter be assembled together in the pavilions of his glory." This transient motion of my mind at once re-assured me, and I rose from my knees invigorated in spirit and strengthened in my purpose. I considered myself as addressing them on the last limits of my being as one who was launching out from the peaceful haven of his first home to seek an untried passage through the ocean of eternity. My soul erected itself into confidence and hope-1 felt how insignificant were all the changes of this life to that which would remove us to the next: this reflection restored firmness to my heart. The task of duty was accomplished. In that of affection, much remained to be done. I found the vestry full of kind friends; their adieus oppressed me, and the exertions which I had made almost amounting to a convulsive effort, had weakened my strength of mind. I could not support the second trial, I could only thank them with my tears for the generous attentions which they heaped upon me. As I passed through the church-yard, the poorer classes of the parish with their children placed themselves near the gate, and in words of cordial expresson, implored God's blessing on my head. I was fain to hasten home, that I might shelter myself from the sbowers of good wishes which fell heavy on my heart, precious as was the balm with which they soothed the anguish of my wounded peace.

The morrow came, on which I was to turn my back upon all that had given interest to my pastoral life, and all that had given hope to my social. Alas! in one hour more the former would for ever cease to act; but the sad recollection would remain, that once I enjoyed the purest participations of the affection of ty flock, and longer had enjoyed them, but for the withering blast of sudden destruction, which blighted all the fattering promise of the latter, and left me to lament in the most poignant convic tions of the bareness of the human

heart, the most afflictive privations that can weigh down the soul. At this instant my too faithful memory traces, in all the foul character of their flagrancy those eventful circumstances which has marked all my subsequent course through life with disappointment and misfortune. Away from me ye unhallowed intruders upon my broken repose! Why should I suffer you to crush with your pestifererous folds my more exalted trust? In those early exercises of my ministry which I call to mind with humble reference to the infirmity of my power, I would find consolation for those facts of misery which crowd upon my recollection, as having given to the cup of joy that once I fondly fancied would never be exhausted, a poisonous bitterness which has caused me to loathe the rememberance of the draught! Procul O procul este, and mingle not with those more sacred contemplations which present to my review the consolatory experience of my earliest ministration in the service of our venerable establishment.

A country Curate, whose professional path is unscathed by the blastings of temporal care, and whose chief pursuit is that which he has most solemnly pledged himself to God and man, to improve to the present and future hap piness of those who are committed to his charge, is a condition highly deserving of his personal content, and earnest consideration.

He is reverenced by the young, esteemed by the old, and looked up to as the valuable friend of both.- His admonitions, both in and out of the pu pit, are regarded as the advice of a conscientious guardian of their happiest ir terests, and he is allowed to cultivate an influence over their conduct which they willingly acknowledge, and affec tionately submit to. The wise and judicious among his flock make his sentiments the standard of their own. The rich respect him, the poor venerate him, and both love him.

Numerous as are his duties, he will be indefatigable in the performance of them.-To confirm the elder, and encourage the younger, to instruct the ignorant, and reclaim the vicious part of his parishioners, will be his constant anxiety, and unwearied employment. The visit of friendship he will make the medium of conciliating the mind of his friend to the adoption of that Christian feeling which may restrain the wanderings of inconsiderateness, or correct

the deviations of thoughtless indul gence in any habit that is incongruous with Christian life.-By the participa tion with the young in their harmless amusements, he will give a profitable turn to their ideas, which may convert them to an appropriation even of their gayest effusions, to some edifying purpose, and, at all events, prevent their aberrations into an unwary forgetfulness of the character which they bear in the community of Christians to which they belong To the sick he will be a ready attendant, a compassionate adviser to the dying he will be the guide and the comforter of the soul.

In these avocations of his pastoral care he will be indefatigable and undeviating, and his intervals of leisure will be applied to the salutary end of rendering himself more capable to fulfil them to the satisfaction of all who claim his attentions, and to the comfort of his own heart.-If he has the sole concern of his cure to himself, he will reflect that he is the intermediate support of his church's cause between the non-resident possessor of the living and his parishioners-and he will always re-, member that he has the most important interests of both in his hand-appointed by the former to discharge faithfully the obligations with which he is in vested, he will be careful to preserve the latter in a due estimation of the benefits which he is commissioned to secure to them. In all things just and faithful, he will provide that his example shall always be consistent with his preceptive authority. It is impossible but that a Curate who thus fulfils the holy and social design of his calling, should be peaceful and happy in himself, and mainly conduce to the peace and happiness of all around him.

Is this a true portrait of what a country Curate ought to be? I believe it is, and also a description of what he may be in every instance of his cha racter. Is this the delineation of what twenty years back the majority of Country Curales were found to be?Let me not answer this question. If it: is not so, I fear that to the defect may be largely attributed that growth of dissent which about such a period manifested itself in so many towns aud villages throughout the kingdom, when meeting houses were seen starting up in every neighbourhood, and even the waste land abutting upon the public roads was appropriated to the erection of

them. I remember well the first symptom of this wandering from the pale of the church, in the country in which my curacy was situated. Much was said about it; but I grieve to add, more was mentioned of the occasion. It was said that the Curate was more frequently seen in the field than in his parishthat the occupation of the huntsman was more his delight than that of the clergyman-that he was fonder of his shooting jacket than of his gown, and more careful of his stud and pointers thau of his parishioners. I will not suppose that it was so extreme a case, but I will take upon me to assert that in whatever cure such instances occurred, it could not be wondered at if the ministry of one so occupied should be as little esteemed as he himself was les sened in the respect of those whom be might have easily preserved in the pale of the national church, by a stricter regard for the impressions of authority, and the reverence of character.

It was not, however, in the faults of others that I was to constitute my claims to the good opinion of my own flock. The evil report to which I allude was matter of deep regret to every friend of the established church-and more especially when it was seen that the reign of prejudice was begun, and a criterion was set up, which was em ployed on all sides of me as a standard of faithfulness and truth, which, overstrained as it was in its application by uncharitable caprice, consisted of to many just indices of correctuess, not to be generally aliowed and referred to.

In the good sense and kind candour ̧ of my charge I knew I could safely depead, and I found in them a constant resource of just opinion and feral discrimination. We still co-operated in all measures calculated to preserve the inviolability of that union which had so long subsisted between us as ini nister and people. The leaven of dis sent had not yet begun to work among us, and no fermentation of distinctious without difference rose in our commu nity. So that when I left them, all was uniform and connected. As far as layin my humble power, I had sought to, meet their claim upon me, and to conform myself both personally and pro fessionally to the example which i have just delineated; and whether I had succeeded or not, I was able to rejoice in all that affection, friendship, and re spect, which it was likely to produce.

Be this however as it may, I can safely assert, that whatever were their satisfactions, I had no cause to complain. But alas! the sunshine of my hope became involved in clouds and darkness; and although I could have been content to have passed my life among them, an adverse coincidence of events denied me such a consummation of my wishes. Yet I have the happiness to recollect that our parting was mutually regretted, and to this hour, imper. fectly as I had fulfilled my task of duty, I have sometimes the unfeigned delight to be accosted by some one of my former cure with the same cordial greet. ing as that with which we were wont to meet when I was their curate, and they were my beloved flock. Nor would I barter this pleasing reflection of mutual remembrance of past days, for all the revenues of the church.

It was on the Friday evening previous to the day of my public farewell, that I had been sitting in the midst of a family in which I was always received as the friend and companion of them all and had been detailing my future plans; I felt more than usually depressed by the circumstances which came under our observation. This family was the one I had been known to the longest, and we had never experienced any intermission of our friendship. heart accomThe feeling excited in my panied me to that home which pass a few hours would be an untemanted roof. Under the influence of a melancholy, that can be better felt than expressed, wy pen traced the bitter current of my thoughts, in the following address to the estimable family whom I had left :—

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Can squeeze the hand, divide the labour'd sigh,

Can breathe the wish unfelt, the vague de

sire,

And prostitute a tear to falsehood's vow. -But Ah! to part from those with whom the soul

Is closely knit in kindred sympathy, To turn our eyes from those, whom friend, ship plants

Within the hallow'd mansion of the heartz -To say farewell,' perhaps for ever too To those whose social converse oft has

cheer'd

The hour of sad despondency: whose wit Has oft unbent the brow of dull reserve And taught e'en sollen discontent, sometimes To wear a smile :-to friends like these to

bid

A long, a last adíeu! Oh! 'tis a pang
That strikes most keenly through the breast

sincere,

And paralyzes every hope of joy!
This then it is to part, to honest minds,
To such as suffer not profession's lip
To trifle with the laws of truth and grati-

tude."

There was not much poetry in these lines, for the sentiment that dictated them was not in itself congenial with the fiction of the imagination. The heart spoke without the aid of ornament-and this is a language of which it may be justly said, it is "When unadorned, adorned the most.”—All was prepared for my departure, and I set off with an inward sorrow that threw a sickly forboding over my journey to the metropolis.

AS

SIR,

(To be continued.)

To the Editor of the European Magazine. London, Oct. 20th, 1818. S a member of the " Society" of “Guardians for the Protection of Trade against Swindlers and Sharpers! it has just come to my knowledge. that the Proprietor of your respectable Magazine, has incurred the high displeasure of the Committee and SubCommittee of that immaculate Institution, and is even threatened to be, nay, horribile dictu! perhaps already is,expelled from the Society!-for the heinous crime of having presumed, (without permission of those high and mighty Potentates,) to make public, in the pages of your Miscellany, the informa tion occasionally transmitted by printed circulars, to the various subscribers, of such persons, as are improper to be ballotted for, as Members, &c. &c.

Now, Sir, it has occurred to me, and all the parties I have consulted coincide with me in opinion, that instead of the puerile threat now levelled at Mr. Asperne, it would have been quite as consistent, and rather more grateful for the Committee to have voted him a piece of plate, for thus aiding its labours by giving a more extended circulation to its notices of suspicious characters, and lending his powerful besom of the European Magazine to assist in cleansing the Augean Stable of “Swindlers and Sharpers."

tages distinct from its rival, and only requires to be more known, to be generally supported; for in any case of robbery or fraud, posting and hand-bills are immediately circulated, offering a reward for the apprehension of the perpetrators, and all prosecutions are carried on and expeuses paid out of the funds of the Society, as well as rewards given to such servants of Members as are the means of apprehending the robbers. But should you, or any of your readers, be desirous of obtaining further information respecting this latter Society, it can be obtained from the Secretary, Mr. Hunt, Bedford-row. In the mean time, I enclose the three last papers of the " Society of Guardians," &c. which shall be followed by the future circulars in succession.

Z.

If the real object of the Society is the support of public credit and public trade, by the destruction of those locusts which prey upon both,-if the motives which influence the Com. mittee's periodical proclamations of whom to shun, and whom to suspect, are I am, &c. only those which ought to guide and Our best thanks are due to our Corgovern men of business,-and lastly, if respondent Z. for his obliging notice and those official announcements merely his communication, as well for the ac contain known, and proved, and at- companying enclosures.-In the line of tested facts, then, upon these pre- conduct pursued by Mr. A. we are happy mises, I do assert, and without a fear of to state, that the reasons attributed to refutation, that Mr. Asperne deserves him by Z. huve been his real, and only the Society's best thanks, for having motives, for acting as he has done, and been it's most powerful co-adjutor in which, though the expulsion alluded to the cause of public good, and for has taken place, will yet continue to having given to its documents an ex-regulate his future proceedings.—EDItent of publicity which they could not otherwise have obtained.

The subscription to this Society is One Guinea per annum, and the number of members according to the list made to May, 1818, amounts to

TOR.

RECIPES.
No. XXI.

TYPHUS FEVER.

R. J. C. Smith obtained 5,000l.

Eight Hundred and Thirty-three; it D from Parliament, for the following

may be hoped, therefore, that some of the members will be so obliging as to state, through the medium of your Miscellany, how this large sum is expended, as I have never received a statement of the funds and expenditure of the Society, nor did I ever learn that it was sent to any of the members, as certainly it ought to be to all, according to the usual procedure in all other Institutions supported like this by subscriptions.

Before I conclude, Sir, allow me to notice another Society partly on the same plan, but in every respect far superior, called the "Society for Frosecuting Felons, Swindlers," &c. iastituted as far back as 1767, ou the suggestions of the celebrated Sir John Fielding; this Society, who hold their getings at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand, on the third Friday in every month, at seven o'clock in the evening, possesses many advan

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Around the village of St. Cyrus the soil is clayey, watered by the North Esk river. Here several remarkable dens and cascades are calculated to repay a visit. Here the renowned castles of Laurieston and Murphy ace to be seen; also the castle of the Kame of Mathers, anciently a place of great strength, now lying in ruins. Benholm Castic, a square tower, hath shared a better fate, and is still kept in good repair, although uninhabited. Inverbervie is a royal burgh, and the only one in the county of Kincardine. Stonehaven, a burgh of barony on the sea coast, is now the ordinary place where the courts are held. This place enjoys the advantage of a fine natural harbour. Here the coast is bold and rugged. In this neighbourhood is Dunnotter Castle, of great antiquity, and forming one of the most majestic ruins in Scotland. This castle is elevated upon a rock of several acres extent, level on the top, and is completely separated from the land, except by a small neck.

ABERDEEN.

We came somewhat late to Aberdeen, and found the inn so full, that we had some difficulty in obtaining admission. Under the name of Aberdeen are comprised two towns, standing about a mile distant from each other, but governed I think by the same magistrates: at the mouth of the river Don is the ancient episcopal city, in which are still to be seen the remains of the cathedral. It has the appearance of a town in decay, having been situated in times when commerce was yet unstudied, with very little attention to the commodities of the harbour. Consists of one street, the buildings of which are more remarkable for their air of antiEurop. Mag. Vol. LXXIV. Oct. 1818.

:

quity than their elegance. The cathedral was founded in 1154, and having. become ruinous, a new one was founded in 1357 by Bishop Alexander of Kinninmouth, and finished by Bishop Elphinstone, being eighty years in building. King's College is the principal ornament of Old Aberdeen; chapel in decay there is a tolerable good library, a common hall, rooms for lectures, and a range of houses for the professors. It was erected by Bishop Elphinstone, and of which Hector Boece, or Boethius, who was a native of Dundee, educated at Paris, but in 1500 recalled by that bishop, was constituted first principal; he might be justly reverenced as one of the revivers of elegant learning. He wrote the history of Scotland, besides several other historical works. His style was elegant, and his genius bright; but its luxuriance often led him into the field of fable and exaggeration.

New Aberdeen is a handsome city; the streets spacious and well paved, and the houses in general large and lofty. It is built by the water-side, and has all the bustle of prosperous trade, and all the show of increasing opulence. The harbour at the mouth of the Dee is defended by a strong stone pier, twelve hundred feet in length, built. of large stones of granite, at the expense of twenty thousand pounds. The Marischal College is in Broad-street, founded in 1593. The celebrated Dr. Beattie was a professor here. The ball is large, and well lighted. One of its ornaments is the picture of Arthur Johnson, who was principal of the college, and who holds among the Latin poets of Scotland the next place to the elegant Buchanan. In the library I was shewn some curiosities; a Hebrew manuscript of exquisite penmanship, and a Latin translation of Aristotle's Politics by Leonardus Aretinus, written in a Roman character with nicety and beauty; which, as the art of printing has made them no longer necessary, In both are not now to be found, these colleges the methods of instruction are nearly the same; the lectures differing only by the accidental difference of diligence or ability in the professors.

The students wear scarlet gowns, and the professors black; which is, I believe, the academical dress in all the Scotch universities, except that of Edinburgh, where the scholars are not distinguished by any particular

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