are pleased to call themselves Christians; nor is this custom less ridiculous than impious, as it is the only crime which human nature is capable of committing, that neither proposes pleasure nor profit for its end.

Of all the nauseous complicated crimes, Which most infest and stigmatize the times, There's none that can with impious oaths com. pare,

Where vice and folly have an equal share,

OPPRESSION.

THERE is a species of oppression that custom (and a bad custom it is) has made too familiar to the inhabitants of this isle, that is, the confinement of the persons of their fellow creatures for debt, &c. under sanction of the law; indeed law is necessary for the protection of our property, and there are men of strict honor, probity, and humanity, in that profession, who do honor to it; but these are not the men who advise arrests, imprisonments, and destruction, that would lay waste a whole family, merely to put money in his purse; such only are the proceedings of the dregs of that profession.

The sentiments of humanity incline us to comfort the miserable, and it is a failing in

the most essential duties, to abandon them in their pressing occasions; but it is almost excess of cruelty to insult them in their misfortunes. A man under any misfortune is to be pitied; if you have not the generosity to lend him your hand to retrieve him, do not add a new weight to his disgrace to sink him utterly. And yet men are so brutal and unmerciful, as to load a man with the most severe censure, who is unfortunate. The first tho't that occurs, is, to dive into the reason of his distress. They neither offer in his behalf the misfortunes of the times, nor the posture of affairs and conjecture of things, but will absolutely have him guilty of meriting all that has befallen him, and invent a thousand malicious stories to dircredit and ruin him beyond recovery. Detestable practice! Can such persons call themselves men? No! their actions are too evident a proof of the brutal, instead of the rational mind. The wounded porpoise is pursued to absolute destruction by his fellow fish, and the stricken deer is denied shelter by his most customary associates; but surely such practices must forfeit all title to humanity.

How justly does Mr. Somerville, in his Chase, compare such persons to a pack of hounds worrying one of their wounded species to death.

Panting, half dead, the conquer'd champion lies, Then sudden all the base, ignoble crowd, Loud clam'ring seize the helpless worried wretch,

And thirsting for his blood, drag diff'rent ways His mangled carcase on th' ensanguin'd plain. O beasts!—of pity void! t' oppress the weakTo point your vengeance at the friendless head, And with one mutual cry insult the fallen! Emblem too just of man's degenerate race.

Even the honest heart, that never knew what it was to owe, and unable to answer the due demand, can scarce form an idea of what it is to breathe the air at the mercy of another; to labor, to struggle to be just, whilst the cruel world is loading you with the guilt of injustice.

Past enjoyments do not alleviate present evils; whereas the evils a man has endured heighten the present satisfactions.

No man has a thorough taste of prosperity, to whom adversity never happened. It is better to suffer without a cause, than that there should be a cause for our suffering.

It is inhuman and arrogant, to insult over a penitent delinquent.

POLITE

POLITENESS.

OLITENESS taught as an art is ridicu lons; as the expression of liberal sentiments and courteous manners, it is truly valuable.

Politeness is an evenness of soul, which excludes at the same time both insensibility and too much earnestness. It supposes a quick discernment, to perceive immediately the different characters of men and by an easy condescension, adapts itself to each man's taste; not to flatter, but to calm his passions. In a word, it is a forgetting of ourselves, in order to seek whatever may be agreeable in others; but in so delicate a manner as to let them scarce perceive we are so employed: It knows how to contradict with respect, and please without adulation; and is equally remote from an insipid complaisance and a mean familiarity.

Study with care politeness, that must teach
The modish forms of gesture and of speech:
In vain, formality, with matron mien,
And pertness apes her, with familiar grin;
They against nature for applauses strain,
Distort themselves, and give all others pain.
She moves with easy, though with measur'd

pace,

And shows no part of study, but the grace.

Yet ev'n by this, man is but haif refin'd,
Unless philosophy subdues his mind;
'Tis but a varnish that is quickly lost,
When e'er the soul in passion's sea is tost.

There is a politeness of the heart which is confined to no rank, and dependent upon no education; the desire of obliging seldom fails (if joined with delicacy of sentiment) to please, though the stile may differ from that of modern refinement.

True politeness is a science not to be acquired in schools. Nature must bestow a genius and that genius must be improved by reading authors of delicacy and spirit, and heightened by a freedom of conversation with persons of taste. It is an enemy to all kinds of constraint, does every thing with ease, and though certain never to offend, is never at the expense of flattery to oblige.

Be careful to observe the distinction between over-strained complaisance and true politeness,-between false delicacy and true.

He that is truly polite, knows how to contradict with respect, and to please without adulation; and is equally remote from an insipid complaisance, and a low familiarity.

Merit and good breeding will make their way every where. Knowledge will introduce you, and good breeding will endear you to the best of companies; for politeness and good breeding are absolutely necessary to adorn