The of your natural powers, and a firm adherence to the dictates of your rational and intellectual faculties. Reafon ought to be the ground-work in the inculeating of very duty. It is vain and abfurd to en deavour to raise the pallions, before you have convinced the reafon; to excite the tender emotions of the heart, before you have perfuaded the rational faculties of the understanding; or to attempt to fhew the beauty of holiness, before you have fal ly proved the truth of it. All the probable objections, which may be formed against your arguments, ought to be laid open and refuted, before you attempt to move the paffions. Confider! it is by the noble faculty of reafon that man it raised above all other fublunary beings, and only a “little lower than the angels.” faculty of the human mind In the understanding, the principle of reason. This is given you as a guide or by the help of which, you are to proportion your esteem of every thing, according to the degrees of perfection and goodness which you find therein. The right exercife of this ineftimable gift, is the fource of every virtue. There is nothing that can pretend to judge of reafon, but itself; and therefore it is a just remark, that they who fuppofe they can fay moft against it, are forced (like jewellers, who beat true diamonds to powder, to cut and polifh falfe ones with their duft) to make use of it againft itself, if they will ever fay any thing against it that can pretend to be to any purpofe. But in this they cheat themfelves as well as others: for if they that can fay moft against reafon, do it without reafon, they deserve to be neglected; and if they do it with reafon, (as they can never do it with any thing elfe), they difprove themselves; for they ufe it, whilft they difclaim it; and act with as much inconfiftency and contradiction, as if a man should say he cannot fpeak. It is no wonder, indeed, that the votaries of fuperftition, myfticifm, and enthufiafm point all their artillery against reafon, when it is confidered, that the propofitions they advance, will not bear the test of it; but the difpaffionate inquirer must own, that there is no truth of any concern to you, of which reafon is not a very fufficient and competent judge, when it properly falls under her cognifance, and offers itself for her affent. The objects of our faith may indeed be fuperior to human reason, yet they are never contrary to it. God hath appointed reafon for your guide and director; and endowing you with this invaluable privilege, may properly be called the first revelation which God ever rade of himself to mankind. That Chriflianity can never be preferved in its pure and perfect ftate without the use of reafon, appears from the various changes it has undergone, from its earliest establishment, down to the period of its reforma sion. On this perfuafion is grounded that excellent admonition of St Paul to the primitive Chriftians, against being fe duced by vain philofophy (Coloff. ii.); and this, as the ingenious Mr Heathcote well obferves, thews the neceffity of conftantly keeping up the ufe of realon; fince the best, and, indeed, only prefervative again vain philofophy, is a lober exertion It is by this that you are enabled to weigh the confequences of a virtuous and vitious courfe, and to perform, what is required at your hands, a reasonable fervice. Rom. xii. For instance, to prefs either of the two former to eat or drink is a breach of manners; but a tradefinan, or a farmer, must be thus treated, or elfe it will be difficult to perfuade them that they are welcome. Pride, ill-nature, and want of fene, are the three great fources of ill-manners; without fome one of these defects, no man will behave himself ill for want of experience; or of what, in the lan guage of fools, is called knowing the world. I defy sany ope to affigh an incident whereiz On Good-manners and good-breeding. Aug. 1762. Therefore I infift that good-fenfe is the FI of The impertinencies of this ceremonial behaviour are no where better feen, than at thofe tables where ladies prefide who value themselves upon account of their good-breeding; where a man muft reckon upon pailing an hour without doing any one thing he hath a mind to; unlets he will be fo hardy as to break through all the fettled decorum of the family. She determineth what he loveth beft, and how much he fhall eat; and if the mafter of the houfe happeneth to be of the fame difpofition, he proceedeth in the fame tyrannical manner to prefcribe in the drinking part; at the fame time you are under SEL 3 a thousand 3 pologies for your entertainment. And But, befides all this, it would be end- Monf. Buys, the Dutch envoy, whofe politics and manners were much of a fize, brought a fon with him, about thirteen years old, to a great table at court. The boy and his father, whatever they put on their plates, they first offered round in order, to every perion in the company; fo that we could not get a minute's quiet during the whole dinner. At last their two plates happened to encounter; and with fo much violence, that being china, they broke in twenty pieces, and itained half the company with wet fweetmeats and cream. There is a pedantry in manners, as in all arts and fciences; and fometimes in trades. Pedantry is properly the overrating any kind of knowledge we pretend to. And if that kind of knowledge be a trifle in itself, the pedantry is the greater. For which reafon I look upon fiddlers, dancing-mafters, heralds, mailers of the ceremonies, &c. to be greater pedants than Lipfius, or the elder Scaliger. With thele kind of pedants, the court, while I knew it, was always plentifully stocked; I mean from the gentleman-ulher (at 3 K 2 leaft) inclusive, downward to the gentle man man-porter; who are, generally fpeaking, the most infignificant race of people that this island can afford, and with the imalleft tincture of good-manners; which is the only trade they profefs. For being wholly illiterate, and converfing chiefly with each other, they reduce the whole fyftem of breeding within the forms and circles of their feveral offices: and as they are below the notice of minifters, they live and die in court under all revolutions, with great obfequioufnefs to thofe who are in any degree of credit or favour, and with rudeness or infolence to every body elfe. From whence I have long concluded, that good-manners are not a plant of the court-growth: for if they were, thofe people who have understandings directly of a level for fuch acquirements, and who have ferved fuch long apprentice/hips to nothing elfe, would certainly have picked them up.. For as to the great officers who attend the prince's perfon or councils, or prefide in his family, they are a tranfient body, who have no better a title to goodmanners than their neighbours, nor will probably have recourfe to gentlemen-uhers for inftruction: fo that I know little to be learned at court upon this head, except in the material circumftance of drels; wherein the authority of the maids of honour must indeed be allowed to be almost equal to that of a favourite actress. I remember a paffage my Lord Bolingbroke told me, that going to receive Prince Eugene of Savoy at his landing, in order to conduct him immediately to the Queen, the Prince faid he was much concerned that he could not fee her Majefty that night; for M. Hoffman (who was then by) had affured his Highness, that he could not be admitted into her prefence with a tied-up periwig; that his equipage was not arrived, and that he had endeavoured in vain to borrow a long one among all his valets and pages. My Lord turned the matter to a jeft, and brought the Prince to her Majefty; for which he was highly cenfured by the whole tribe of gentlemen-ufhers; among whom M. Hoffman, an old dull refident of the Emperor's, had picked up this material point of ceremony; and which, I believe, was the best leffon he had learned in five and twenty years refidence. I make a difference between good-manners and good-breeding; although, in order to vary my expreffion, I am fometimes forced to confound them. By the Erft, I only understand the art of remem bering, and applying, certain settled forms of general behaviour. But goodbreeding is of a much larger extent: for befides an uncommon degree of literature, fufficient to qualify a gentleman for read ing a play, or a political pamphlet, it taketh in a great compafs of knowledge no less than that of dancing, fighting, gaming, making the circle of Italy, ri ding the great horfe, and fpeaking French not to mention fome other fecondary ori fubaltern accomplishments, which are more eafily acquired. So that the differ ence between good-breeding and goodmanners lieth in this, that the former cannot be attained to by the best unders ftandings without ftudy and labour, whereas a tolerable degree of reafon will inftrut us in every part of good-manners without other affistance. I can think of nothing more useful upon this fubject, than to point out fome particulars wherein the very effentials of good manners are concerned, the neglect or perverting of which doth very much difturb the good commerce of the world, by introducing a traffick of mutual uneafinefs in moft companies. First, a neceffary part of good-manners is a punctual obfervance of time at our own dwellings, or those of others, or at third places; whether upon matters of civility, bufinefs, or diversion: which rule, though it be a plain dictate of common reafon, yet the greateft minifter I ever knew, was the greateft trefpaffer against it; by which all his bufinefs doubled upon him, and placed him in a continual arrear. Upon which I often used to rally him, as deficient in point of good-manners. I have known more than one ambaffador, and fecretary of state, with a very moderate portion of intellectuals, execute their offices with good fuccefs and applaufe by the mere force of exactnefs and regularity. If you duly obferve time for the fervice of another, it doubles the obligation; if upon your own vaccount, it would be manifeft folly, as well as ingratitude, to neglect it; if both are concerned, to make your equal or inferior attend on you to his own disadvantage, is pride and injuftice. Ignorance of forms cannot properly be ftyled ill-manners; because forms are fubject to frequent changes; and confequently being not founded upon reafon, are beneath a wife man's regardǝBefides, they vary in every country; and, after a fhort period of time, very fre quently ! sently in the fame: fo that a man who From the Mercure de France, April 1762. the month of June 1761, two young girls of the island of Noirmontier, eeking for thells in the crevices of the ocks, one of them difcovered, in a kind of natural grotto, an animal of a human form: which, as foon as it faw the girl, erected its head, leaning at the fame time on its hands. The girl called to the other; who having a long knife, ftruck it into the animal; which, upon being wounded, groaned like a human perfon. The two girls cut off its hands; which had fingers and nails quite formed, with webs between the fingers. The furgeon of the island went to see it. The account he gives is, that it was as big as the largest man; that its skin was white, refembling that of a drowned perfon; that it had the breafts of a full-chefted woman; a flat nole, a large mouth, the chin adorned with a kind of beard, form. ed of fine fhells; and over the whole body, tufts of fimilar white fhells. It had the tail of a fish, and at the extremity of it a kind of feet. From the London papers, Fune 1762. As a proper fupplement to the monster found among the rocks of Noirmontier, I fend you the following account of a much more wonderful one caught on the coaft of England, which, for the greater authenticity, I fall give in the very words of the record from which this relation is -taken.m "In the fixt yeare of King John's raigne, at Oreford in Suffolke, a fihe was 425 taken by fifhers in thyr nettes, as they were at fea, referabling in fhape a wilde or fauage man, whom they prefented vnto Sir Bartholemew de Glanuille, Knt, that had then the keeping of the caftell of Oreford in Suffolk. Naked he was, and in all his limmes and members refembling the right proportion of a man. Hee had heares alfo in the vfval partes of his bodie, albeit that on the crowne of his head hee was balde: His beard was fide and rugged, and his breat uerie hearie. The Knight caused him to be kept certaine dayes and nightes from the fea; meate fet afore him he greedily deuoured; and eate fille both rawe and fodde. Thofe that were rawe hee preffed in his hande tyll he had thruit out all the moyfture, and fo then hee did eate them. Hee woulde not or coulde not utter any' fpeeche, although to trye him they hung him vppe by the heeles, and myferably tormented him. He woulde gette him to his couche at the fetting of the funne, and ryfe agayne when it role. One day they brought him to the haven, and fuffered him to go into the fea; but, to be fure he fhoulde not escape from them, they fette three ranks of mightie ftronge nettes before him, fo as to catche him agayne at their pleasure, (as they ymagined), but heeft reyght wayes dyuing downe to the bottome of the water, gotte paft all the nettes, and coming vppe thewed himself to them agayne, that stoode wayting for him, and dowking dyuerfe tymes vnder water, and comming vppe agayne, hee behelde them on the hore that toode ftill looking at him, who feemed as it were to mocke them, for that he had deceiued them, and gotte paft theyr nettes. At length, after hee had thus played him a great while in the water, and that there was no more hope of his returne, hee came to them agayne of his owne accorde, fwimming through the water, and remayned wyth them two monthes after. But finallie, when he was thus negligently looked to, and nowe feemed not to be regarded, hee fedue fecretlye to the fea, and was neuer after feene nor hearde of." As I am no naturalift, fays the tranfcriber of this account, I neither pretend to affirm or deny the truth of these things; but thus much I can aver for certain, that about fifteen years ago, I my.elf faw what was called a fea-inonfter abroad, the upper parts of which, quite down to the navel, refembled thofe of a child, ex cepting epting that the fingers of both hands were webbed, and the hair of the head rather coarfer and more weedy than that of an infant. Beneath the navel it terminated into a fill. The account given of it was, that it was taken on the coaft of Manilla in New Spain, where it was discovered sporting in the water, in company with its damn. The mariners who caught it, preferved it alive in fea-water for a few days, but fill pining after the dam, it foon expired. When I faw it, it was in a glafs vafe, filled with spirits, about two feet long, and had all the appearance of being no impofture. I have been further told, as a proof of its reality, that it was examined by the royal academy of fciences at Paris, who, on opening the body, found part of the intrails ftill remaining in it, which thofe who had been employed to imbowel it before, had left, it feems, behind. [Our readers have formerly [xx. 588.] feen Capt. Whitbourne's account of this animal, with a cut; and other [i. 185.] accounts.] Extract of a letter, dated, Thoulouse, Jan. 24. Ι Cannot as yet fay much to you concerning this city, where I arrived only a few days ago. Its extent is confiderable; its commerce scarcely worth mention ing; its inhabitants chiefly compofed of the nobility, gentry, and lawyers of the province; fo that you need not wonder when I tell you, that it is far from being in a rich or flourishing ftate. The blind religious zeal, or, to speak more properly, the spirit of fanaticifin and perfecution that has always reigned in this place, is at prefent exerting itself with the moft unjust and unrelenting fury, against a Proteftant family, whofe difinal ftory is as follows. Mr John Calas, a merchant of unblemifhed reputation, is fo unhappy as to have had a fon, who thought proper to hang himself in the month of October 1761, without any body's being able even to guefs at the motive that impelled him to this defperate measure. After having fupped with the family, and one of his intimate friends, named Laveiffe, he stepped down into his father's warehoufe, and ha ving contrived the means of fixing a cord between the two leaves of a folding door that feparated the warehoufe from the fhop, he executed the horrid deed already mentioned. About two hours afterwards, as Mr Laveifle was retiring, conducted to the door by another of the fons of Mr Culas, 1 they perceived that the door of the w houle was open, and stepping in, were ta ed with horror at the fight of the wretes t youth hanging. They raised a hide ปี cry, which immediately alarmed the mily. The father ran to the place, a beheld, full of aftonithinent and ange. the melancholy fpectace. The other d dren ran inftantly for a furgeon, to le there were yet any means left of recali: to life their unhappy brother. They geon arrives, and finds the body alice cold, and void of the least remaining ipa of life. In the mean time, the grie the afflicted family, and the noile a a hurry of this difmal fcene, drew agro croud of people before the door; w were foon informed of the matter. Ta I fheriffs came to the houfe of Mr Cd4 : and took minutes of all that had palat While they were thus employed, a va was heard crying from the midst of t multitude, that young Calas had hea ftrangled by his parents, to prevent embracing the Romish religion, to wha (according to this unknown voice) he ha a fecret inclination. On the strength i this vague uncertain clamour, supporte by no legal evidence, the father, mother, and brother of the deceafed, toget with Mr Laveiffe, and the maid-ferva of the houfe, were committed to the p blic prifon. The next day this tragic ftory was spread through the whole c and all was in uproar and confufion. Ma lignant bigotry was zealously at work ta clothe it in the blackest colours, to the difadvantage of the unhappy family, who religion drew upon them a general indig nation, and fhut up against them the bowels of compaffion which their affliction must have excited, had not the feelings humanity been fuppreffed by the infern! fpirit of perfecution. The credulous mul titude fwallowed with avidity the barba rous calumnies that were forged again! them; and, without even the fhadow c a proof, they were univerfally fuppofed to have committed a crime, which nothing but the highest frenzy and diftraction could fuggeft. Every one was perfuaded that Calas had died a martyr to Popery; and, in confequence thereof, he was buried with folemn pomp in confecrated ground, and the funeral rites of the church of Rome were performed at his interntent [36?}/ At the fame time, all neceffary prepara“, tions were made for the trial of the pre tended criminals, and informations taken, but with fuch precipitation, animofity |