der it by turns. Guard it by entails and settlements as we will, the moft affluent plenty may be ftripp'd, and find all its worldly comforts, like fo many withered leaves dropping from us ;-the crowns of princes may be fhaken; and the greatest that ever awed the world, have looked back and moralized upon the turn of the wheel.

That which has happened to one, may happen to every man and therefore that excellent rule of our SAVIOUR, in acts of benevolence, as well as every thing else, should govern us; that wh_tsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye alfo unto them,

Haft thou ever lain upon the bed of languishing, or laboured under a distemper which threatened thy life? Call to mind thy forrowful and penfive spirit at that time, and fay, What it was that made the thoughts of death fo bitter?—f thou hast children,—I affirm it, the bitterness of death lay there! If unbrought up, and unprovided for, What will become of them? Where will they find a friend when I am gone? Who will stand up for them, and plead their cause against the wicked?

Bleffed Gop to thee, who art a father to the fatherlefs, and husband to the widow, I entrust them.

Haft thou ever fuftained any confiderable flock in thy fortune? or, has the fcantinefs of thy condition hurried thee into great ftraits, and brought thee almoft to distraction? Confider what was it that spread sable in that wilderness of thought,-who made thy

cup to overflow? Was it not a friend of confolation who ftepped in, faw thee embarraffed with tender p edges of thy love, and the partner of thy cares, took them under his protection ?—Heaven! thou wil reward him for it!-and freed thee from all the terrifying apprehenfions of a parent's love?

Haft thou

-But how fhall I ask a queftion which muft bring tears into fo many eyes?-Haft thou ever been wounded in a more affecting manner ftill, by the lofs of a most obliging friend,-or been torn away from the embraces of a dear and promising child by the ftroke of death? Bitter remembrance! nature droops at it but nature is the fame in all conditions and lots of life.—A child thrust forth in an evil hour, without food, without raiment, bereft of inftruction, and the means of its falvation, is a subject of more tender heart-aches, and will awaken every power of nature: -as we have felt for ourselves,-let us feel for CHRIST'S fake-let us feel for theirs.

SERM. XXIII. P. 164.

CRITICISM.

OW did Garrick speak the foliloquy last night?

HOW

-Oh, against all rule--my Lord--most ungrammatically! betwixt the fubftantive and the adjective,

which should agree together in number, case, and gender, he made a breach thus, ftopping, as if the point wanted fettling ;—and betwixt the nominative case, which your Lordship knows fhould govern the verb, he fufpended his voice in the epilogue a dozen times, three feconds and three fifths by a ftop-watch, my Lord, each time-Admirable grammarian!-but in fufpending his voice was the fenfe fufpended likewife? did no expreffion of attitude or countenance the chafm? Was the eye filent? Did you narrowly look!-I look'd only at the ftop-watch, my Lord. Excellent obferver!

fill up

And what of this new book the whole world makes fuch a noise about? Oh! 'tis out of all plumb, my Lord, quite an irregular thing!--not one of the angles at the four corners was a right-angle.—I had my rule and compaffes, &c. my Lord, in my pocket! Excellent critic!

And for the epic poem your Lordship bid me look at-upon taking the length, breadth, height, and depth of it, and trying them at home upon an exa fcale of Bolu's 'tis out, my Lord, in every one of its dimenfions.-Admirable connoiffeur !-And did you step in, to take a look at the grand picture in your way back?—'Tis a melancholy daub! my Lord; not one principle of the pyramid in any one group-and what a price!--for there is nothing of the colouring of Titian-the expreffion of Rubens-the grace of Raphael -the purity of Dominichino-the corregiefcity of Corregio-the learning of Pouffin the airs of Guido-the

taste of Carrachio-or the grand contour of Angelo. -Gránt me patience, just Heaven!—Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world-though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst-the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!

I would go fifty miles on foot to kifs the hand of that man whofe generous heart will give up the reins of his imagination into his author's hands- be pleafed he knows not why, and cares not wherefore.

T. SHANDY, VOL. II. P. 25

EPITAPH ON A LADY.

COLUMNS and labour'd urns but vainly flow

An idle fcene of decorated woe.

The fweet companion, and the friend fincere,
Need no mechanic help to force a tear.
In heart-felt numbers, never meant to fhine;
Twill flow eternal o'er a hearse like thine;

"Twill flow whilft gentle goodness has one friend,
Or kindred tempers have a tear to lend.

LETTER XEE.

W

DEATH-BED REPENTANCE.

HEN the edge of appetite is worn down, and the spirits of youthful days are cooled, which hurried us on in a circle of pleasure and impertinence,-then reafon and reflection will have the weight which they deserve-afflictions, or the bed of ficknefs, will fupply the place of confcience ;-and if they should fail,-old age will overtake us at laft,and fhew us the past pursuits of life,—and force us to look upon them in their true point of view. If there be any thing more to caft a cloud upon fo melancholy a profpect as this fhews us, it is furely the difficulty and hazard of having all the work of the day to perform in the last hour: of making an atonement to GOD when we have no facrifice to offer him, but the dregs and infirmities of thofe days, when we could: have no pleasure in them. Whatever stress some may lay upon it a death-bed repentance is but a weak andə flender plank to truft our all upon.

SERMON XXXVII. P. 142