laugh was against her; " and yet I have feen "fome men pretend to understanding that have "very little."" And, no doubt," replied her antagonist," you have known ladies fet up for "wit that had none."--I quickly began to find that my wife was likely to gain but little at this bufinefs; fo I refolved to treat him in a style of more severity myself. "Both wit and under"ftanding," cried I," are trifles, without inte"grity: it is that which gives value to every "character. The ignorant peasant, without "fault, is greater than the philofopher with ma"ny; for what is genius or courage without an "heart! An honeft man is the nobleft work of "God." "I always held that favourite maxim of Pope," returned Mr. Burchell, " as very unworthy a man of genius, and a base desertion of his "own fuperiority. As the reputation of books "is raifed, not by their freedom from defect, but "the greatnefs of their beauties; fo fhould that "of men be prized, not for their exemption "from fault, but the fize of thofe virtues they "" are poffeffed of. The fcholar may want pru"dence, the fatefman may have pride, and "the champion ferocity; but fhall we prefer to "these men the low mechanick, who laboriouf" ly plods on through life, without censure or "applause? We might as well prefer the tame "correct paintings of the Flemish school, to the "erroneous, but fublime animations of the Ro"man pencil." " Sir," "Sir," replied 1, your prefent obfervation "is juft, when there are shining virtues and mi"nute defects; but when it appears, that great "vices are opposed in the fame mind to as extraordinary virtues, fuch a character deserves con66 tempt." "Perhaps," cried he, " there may be fome "fuch monsters as you defcribe, of great vices "joined to great virtues; yet, in my progress "through life, I never yet found one inftance of "their existence: on the contrary, I have ever "perceived, that, where the mind was capacious, "the affections were good. And, indeed, Pro❝vidence feems kindly our friend in this parti"cular, thus to debilitate the understanding, "where the heart is corrupt, and diminish the 86 power, where there is the will to do mischief. "This rule feems to extend even to other ani"mals: the little vermin race are ever treacher"ous, cruel, and cowardly; whilft thofe endow "ed with strength and power, are generous, brave, " and gentle." "These observations found well," returned I; "and yet, it would be eafy this moment to point "out a man," and I fixed my eye ftedfastly upon him, "whofe head and heart form a moft de"teftable contraft." "Ay, Sir," continued I, raising my voice," and I am glad to have this op"portunity of detecting him in the midst of his "fancied fecurity. Do you know this, Sir, this "pocket-book ?"—" Yes, Sir," returned he, with a face of impenetrable affurance," that VOL. I. E "pocket-book is mine; and I am glad you have "found it.". "And do you know," cried I, "this letter?" Nay, never falter, man; but "look me full in the face: I fay, do you know "this letter ?" "That letter," returned he; " yes; it was I that wrote that letter." "And how could you," faid I, "fo bafely, fo "" ungratefully, presume to write this letter?". "And how came you," replied he, with looks of unparalleled effrontery, " so basely to presume "to break open this letter? Don't you know, now, I could hang you all for this? All that "I have to do, is to fwear at the next juftice's, "that you have been guilty of breaking open the "lock of my pocket-book, and fo hang you all up "at his door." This piece of unexpected infolence raised me to such a pitch, that I could fcarce govern my paffion. "Ungrateful wretch, "be gone, and no longer pollute my dwelling with thy baseness. Be gone, and never let me "fee thee again: go from my doors; and the 66 only punishment I wish thee, is an alarmed "confcience, which will be a fufficient tormen"tor !" So faying, I threw him his pocket-book, which he took up with a smile, and, shutting the clafps with the utmost compofure, left us, quite aftonished at the ferenity of his affurance. My wife was particularly enraged, that nothing could make him angry, or make him feem afhamed of his villanies. "My dear," cried I, willing to calm those paffions that had been raised too high among us, "we are not to be surprised that bad men "men want fhame; they only blush at being "detected in doing good, but glory in their "vices." "Guilt and Shame, fays the allegory, were at "first companions, and, in the beginning of their "journey, infeparably kept together. But their "union was foon found to be difagreeable, and "inconvenient to both: Guilt gave Shame fre<6 quent uneafinefs; and Shame often betrayed "the fecret confpiracies of Guilt. After long "difagreement, therefore, they at length con"fented to part for ever. Guilt boldly walked "forward alone, to overtake Fate that went be"fore, in the fhape of an executioner but "Shame being naturally timorous, returned back "to keep company with Virtue, which, in the "beginning of their journey, they had left be"hind. Thus, my children, after men have tra"velled through a few ftages in vice, they no "longer continue to have fhame at doing evil, "and fhame attends only upon their virtues." CHAP. XVI. The family ufe art, which is oppofed with ftill greater. WHATEVER might have been Sophia's fen fations, the rest of the family was cafily confoled for Mr. Burchell's abfence, by the company of our landlord, whofe vifits now be E 2 came came more frequent, and longer. Though he had been disappointed in procuring my daughters the amusements of the town, as he defigned, he took every opportunity of fupplying them with thofe little recreations which our retirement would admit of. He ufually came in the morning; and while my fon and I followed our occupations abroad, he fat with the family at home, and amused them, by describing the town, with every part of which he was particularly acquainted. He could repeat all the obfervations that were retailed in the atmosphere of the playhouses; and had all the good things of the high wits by rote, long before they made way into the jeft-books. The intervals between conversation were employed in teaching my daughters piquet, or fometimes in fetting my two little ones to box, to make them sharp, as he called it: but the hopes of having him for a son-in-law, in some measure blinded us to all his defects. It must be owned, that wife laid a thousand schemes to enmy trap him, or, to speak it more tenderly, ufed every art, to magnify the merit of her daughter. If the cakes at tea eat short and crifp, they were made by Olivia; if the gooseberry wine was well knit, the gooseberries were of her gathering; it was her fingers gave the pickles their peculiar green; and, in the compofition of a pudding, her judgment was infallible. Then the poor woman would fometimes tell the Squire, that the thought him and Olivia extremely like each other, and would bid both ftand up, to fee which was |