oratory, of professing ourselves instructed by it, and of inviting him to come kindly amongst and partake with us in the same dish, throwing all unfriendly feelings into the back ground; did not we find him as ready to come as we could wish? Yes, and have we not brought him to sit down side by side with those he used to hold in the greatest abhorrence, and sip with them out of the same bowl, and fall into their talk, and into their plans, and all because forsooth he would not be thought illiberal, or narrow-minded, or unfriendly; and thus you see that he is become as it were a cypher as it regards his own party; just a nothing at all, and worse in truth than nothing, as it affects them, and all the while thinking himself the most loyal of all his master's servants.'

It

True, very true, what you say is only the very truth,' answered the steward; and no doubt this new freak of liberality, or whatever else you may please to call it, is the very best decree our master ever invented, and surely his brain is fertile in decrees, and his mind full of wisdom. quite vanquishes the other party, and that with their own weapons too, for if they vaunt themselves as they are fond to do of their charity, we beat them out and out at that work, for whilst they are willing to help all who come to them in the name of their master, we profess to love, and patronise, and assist those that come to us in no name at all, their very want of merit rendering

them more deserving of our benevolence. And the best is that all these fools are deceived with our seeming, whilst the wise ones laugh in their sleeves to see the enemy thus vanquished by their own weapons. And should not those laugh that win? and who can deny that we are the winners now; for how many of the servants in this house, who were once ready in the time of persecution, and when you were for trying harsh measures with them, were ready as I say to lay down their lives for him they call their Lord, now that this liberality has been rung awhile in their ears, would take the fiercest enemy of their master by the hand, saying, Worthy brother, well met, welcome to my heart; let us join hands for the present work, and let us cover all past disagreements with an earthen pot, and let them lie there till we have finished the business, or have enjoyed the entertainment for which we are come together.' Well,' continued the housekeeper,' such being the case, see you not the thing at which I would aim, with respect to this young man.' And so,

said the steward, you would have us try a shew of kindness towards him. Well,-be it so, I will leave the affair in your hands, and from me it shall receive no hindrance.'

Mr. Fitzadam then, as he that heard all this afterwards informed me, entered upon a somewhat long and grave discussion on the politics of the family; wherein he stated, how that his

E

master (that is the enemy of the Lord), having lately been made aware that the adverse party was growing in strength, and that open opposition tended rather to augment the spirit, than to break it, had suggested a change of measures, and had in consequence directed his own friends to assume the sheep's clothing, and to pretend a sort of conversion to the principles of the opposite side, at least to such parts of their creed and opinions as might not too greatly shock those on their own side who were not to be entirely trusted with the whole of their plans on this account, and with this view they had lately affected to adopt those feelings of the enemy, which were generally popular among the lower classes; for example, humility towards inferiors, benevolence towards our fellow-creatures, toleration as it regarded opinions, and universal love towards all mankind. And as they did not at the same time even affect to adopt those principles by which these kindly feelings are kept in purity, and directed into their proper channels, all of which tended to augment the glory of the master, they presently succeeded in their object, which was to convert humility into baseness, benevolence into profusion, toleration into a total neglect of all law, and universal love into profligacy, thus breaking down all boundaries of good and evil,'

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! " Isaiah v. 20.

and by their fair seeming, doing more injury apparently to the cause of the master, than fire, and sword, and open warfare could ever have effected. The steward having finished this statement, and concluded to the following purpose, at the same time sipping his wine with that air of satisfaction, which he always wore when congratulating himself on his own shrewdness. Since we have,' said he,' at the suggestion of our master, sported the enemy's colours, and cried peace, brotherhood, liberality, and good fellowship, encouraging what offends the enemy under the pretext of charity, and talking treason under the cloak of liberality, we have gained many a point, which by our old course of severity, we should never have obtained. Why should we now hold back or change our policy?'

'And then,' added he, 'to observe how the foolish ones swallow the bait, and whilst we are playing fast and lose with them in the stream, with our hooks in their mouths, to hear them talk of their loyalty to their old master, and their services, and their merits, and their good works, and the reward which awaits them, would excite mirth in the very dead.' The intendant now filled his glass again, and having drank to the prosperity of his master, walked out of the room, commending the young stranger, (meaning me,) to the especial care of his companion. All this I was afterwards told by the young man who was waiting in the

room, viz. the same who had shown me to my uncle's apartment; and he also told me more, for he said that the steward was scarcely gone out, before the housekeeper directed him to set the room to rights, and put out her tea-table, with cakes and other dainty morsels, such as she always kept by her in her closets in the wall; which being accomplished, she bade him go to the chaplain, saying that she hoped to have the honour of his company to take tea with her that afternoon; which message being duly carried, the doctor only stayed to change his dress before he obeyed the summons, for, as he was accustomed to say, who knows but that my conversation may be beneficial to the housekeeper, and that I may be made the means of bringing her to a more proper way of thinking respecting the real master of this family?

Now by the time that the chaplain arrived, Madame le Monde had gathered her daughters about her, and they were all sitting round the fire, the tea-table being in the midst of them, and they being tutored by their mother, were ready to receive the doctor with their best smiles, and with many honied speeches, such as few men can listen unto, and keep that sobriety of mind which is needful in the guidance of life. Nevertheless

1 "For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil." Prov. v. 3.

"It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to search their own glory is not glory." Prov. xxv. 27.