not indeed very long before Rose was pointedly asked, what she thought of the Steward for a husband? she avoided giving a decisive answer, and ran all in tears to the friend of her youth, whose hands dropped motionless at the hearing of the news. He gave for some time vent to his feelings; but recollected himself at last, and represented to the afflicted maiden, that they had, in fact, no right to complain, since the match was unobjectionable, and such a one as few families would decline.

Rose offered, nevertheless, to bring over her parents by way of entreaties, and by declaring that she would never marry any other man but him: much would most likely have been said yet on both sides, but they were interrupted by a suppressed cough, which issued from an outbuilding; and for a considerable time after, they were severally so much taken with the performance of their respective duty, that no private meeting could be arranged. The occasion for this particular engagement, and the general vivacity on the farm, was the approaching Harvest Feast, which Hardman had always celebrated in a splendid manner, but for which, he invited now more guests and made greater preparations than ever.

Cattle had been fattened on purpose; the cellar was unusually well filled, and for nearly a fortnight nothing else had been talked of, but the arrangements which were to take place. Dame Hardman went very cheerfully through her business; but Rose did not delight in her's, as in former years: her father, on the contrary, was full of life and spirit, and one might easily perceive, that the days passed on too slowly for his wishes; he moved and removed nearly every thing in the house, and came, quite against his custom, to look at what was going on in the pantry and kitchen, as if afraid that something might be forgotten, or not be made rich and good enough.,

Meinhold did not blame the good man; but he could have wished not to be made a witness to these doings: he had actually solicited for leave of absence, or even a total dismission; because his master had indeed bestowed on him all due praise for past services, and accompanied his speech with a very handsome present; but

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he had given him to understand at the same time, that he was now of an age to look out for his own home, and that with his acquired knowledge, and a little assistance from a friend, he would be able to get on in the world. The young man had taken this as a civil way of turning him off; and putting on the best face he could, he had offered to set out immediately, and to see what he might be able to begin ; but Hardman replied, that he could not well spare him yet, and wanted him at any rate to stop during the Feast. The feared and expected morning broke on: the mother covered some of the tables with cups and saucers, whilst the father busied himself with placing on others the various cakes and rolls. Rose had quite enough to do with herself, and could not get on at all, because, in her anxiety and agitation, she always dropped one thing, whilst she was taking up another. Meinhold had gathered the fruit from some favourite trees, and separating the nicest for the particular use of his beloved, he brought her the produce of his labour, and added, with a sigh, that it was for the last time; but she shook her head, and silently pressing his hand, she hastened from him to hide her

tears.

A stylish rider made now his appearance, and lo! it was the Steward; coaches full of townspeople soon followed, and then the neighbours, on horse and on foot. All were friendly received, but none more so than Meinhold's mother, who had been sent for without her son's knowledge. The prepared refreshments were then put into quick circulation, whilst much was said about trouble and honour, nice cakes and fine weather; until a third ringing of the church bells gave the signal for departure. Meinhold was a pious youth, and could generally repeat the best part of the sermon on a Sunday afternoon; but this time he had completely forgotten it, although it was praised by every one for its shortness. The clergyman and family joined after the service was over, and the company enjoyed a short walk through the highly cultivated fields and well-stocked orchards of the farm.

Dinner was ready to be served, when the young Baron came galloping into the yard, and invited himself

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of living; they remained in their own sphere, and their increasing wealth displayed itself merely in their liberality towards poor neighbours, and at the usual festivity of Harvest Home.

THIS declaration of the great English philosopher, no less simple than sublime, has been frequently repeated, yet, like our Saviour's Prayer introduced so often in the liturgy, it cannot pall by repetition. To impugn its veracity has been the effort of many a weak and wicked mind, in this age of reason and scepticism.

Treading in the footsteps of the Ancient, who set fire to the temple of Diana, that he might be at least remembered by posterity, these modern sophists care not how wild or pestiferous be their doctrines, so they riot for a while in a wretched notoriety, and leave a name behind; too base to be remembered, if too signal to be forgotten. There is an able comment in the writings of Lord Verulam, on that passage in the Psalms, The Fool hath said in his heart, there is no God;' that he said it simply, but did not, could not, think so. Thus it has been argued, that the precepts of our religion, more lofty than for human intellect to have conceived, and more pure than for human imperfection to attain, are little else than a compendium of ancient philosophy; that they

cated, and add less to our present or future happiness. It may not be a study devoid of interest, to prove the fallacy of such an assertion, to show by example how vast the distinction is, between the commands of a teacher sent from God, and the monitions of uninspired men. Such themes, however fevered they may feel to the pulse of fashion, or unsuited to novelty of argument, are still of high utility, evincing, as they do, the incomparable excellence of our faith, that with minds unswayed by startling heresies, we may be gathered to our fathers. The Roman edict called upon citizens of every age, on the nerveless stripling and worn-down veteran, to arm 'pro

aris focisque' in defence of their altars and their homes; nor at the present æra may we hunt for a parallel. Granting to the philosophers of Greece and Rome, far more ability than has descended to their successors; allowing them every praise for sublimity of reasoning, and acuteness of wit; admitting that their morality has sometimes ascended to the very heaven of instruction; yet, in the contrast, it will be but as dust in the balance; our creed of duty will rise to the wisdom of omniscience, and theirs, comparatively speaking, dwindle down into

foolishness.

The first point which rivets our attention in the moral jurisdiction of the Ancients, is their want of forgiveness of injuries. Isocrates, in his treatise for the instruction of youth, thus admonishes them: "Account it equally base to be outdone by your enemies in evil deeds, as to be overcome by your friends in benefits." Aristotle also declares: "That he seems to want the feelings of a man, whoever does not prosecute his revenge; for to bear contumely with patience, is the part of a slave." What a different spirit breathe the words of our great Lawgiver: Forgive your enemies; pray for them that curse you; pardon a brother that offendeth, not seven times only, but seventy times seven." In our present state of probation, where passion so often obtains the mastery, such feelings cannot, to their full extent, be looked for, however ardently they might be desired. Yet, as Paley justly argues, if such disposition be unattainable, so is all perfection. Ought then a moralist to recom

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one funeral pile, they would have buried him with their immensity.

Not less dissimilar are the ordinances of the Christian revelation, which demand from its followers humility, an exclusion of regard to worldly glory, and regulation of the thoughts. Take pride away, the pride of apathy and stoicism, from philosophy, and you despoil her of her purple robe. To whom were the lectures of their teachers in wisdom directed, but to the higher and learned classes of the community? the poor, that lay darkling in ignorance, had no pretensions to their imperial notice. "Like the rays of the morning, they courted the mountain tops, and left the valleys unilluminated." On Greece alone, they deigned to impart cultivation; scarcely less arrogant than the Chinese of modern times, who, when shewn a chart of the universe, deemed Europe and Asia part of their territory; the rest of their fellow men they suffered to be enslaved at pleasure, and emphatically styled Barbarians. The professors of our religion have traversed seas to enlighten the savage; have loosed the fetters of the slave; have explored the sordid shed of want and misery! Equally arrogant was their private demeanour, their selfadulatory precepts: basking in the sunshine of complacency, they saw no shadow of repentance; the veil that hid the inner vices of the man, was not, as yet, rent in twain: they heaved no sigh for past offences, nor shed one little tear over guilty fallen nature. Garus, described by Xenophon as a model for princes, is introduced, on the bed of death, thanking their gods with a sort of pharisaical exultation for their having revealed to him what was right or wrong in conduct; and for his having implicitly obeyed them. Laughter would be irrevelant in an essay of this nature, else had I quoted the three errors which Cato reproved himself for having committed in the course of a long and active life. Sublime in ignorance! Had all his transgressions been heaped up, like

With a system of morals thus deficient, what was their opinion of the Deity? what their form of devotion? Not the statue mentioned by Daniel, with its head of gold, and its feet of iron and clay, could be formed of more dissonant materials. Well might they raise, in the centre of Athens, a temple to the unknown God: to them he had ever been unknown. Some (for I will use the words of an enlightened heathen) totally denied that there were any gods; others deemed, they took no interest in affairs of earth: a chosen few accounted the Deity, in goodness most excellent, in power infinite. Of this few was Socrates. It is delightful to view this truly great man in his prison, immediately before drinking the fatal poison. We behold him consoling his friends on their bereavement; admonishing them, that to walk in his steps would be the best proof of honouring his memory; and when questioned concerning the mode of interment, answering with a smile, As you will, if indeed I do not escape you.' His last act, humanity would strive to conceal. He directed a sacrifice to Esculapius, thus confirming what had been previously intimated, that he bowed down before the golden images which the citizens of Athens set up; a pantheon of idols, whom they first endowed with the basest properties of mortality, and then derided on the stage, without thinking, that had Jove been such as represented, the thunder would have riven their tenements, and taken a just vengeance on their guilty head. No wonder their religion was an idle tissue of ceremonies, a mere triade of sacrifice. The lusts of the wise were chained down by superstition; the passions of the ignorant ravened without control. He that offered the richest oblation, was regarded as the peculiar favourite of heaven. Happy faith for the wealthy! they might riot in excess, might ride over the bending mendicant, nor cast one look behind; or if they did, had simply to bear some hecatombs to the altar; and the poor wretch, who could present none other than an humble heart, was to be trampled on unheeded. Livy gives us the shuddering detail of the temples at Rome being polluted with human vic