years, come from the dark entry I have men- tainment After we were all feated, he went to his The enter ftore-house, and in a few minutes brought the Solitary out a clean, fine cloth, two prodigious lob- gave us. fters he had taken that afternoon, fome extremely good pickled falmon, quite high in fpices, delicat white fea-biskets, a flask of oyl, a decanter of fresh water, two bottles of Madeira, vinegar, falt and pepper. He placed them all on the table, with china-plates, and handsome knives and forks. He then requefted us to approach, and participat of the beft fupper his rock afforded: But before he touched any thing on the table, he pulled off his turban, and lifting up his hands fayed, Give us this day our daily bread. He then helped us in the most plentiful manner to his meat and drink, and fhewed a politeness and goodness, a chearfulness and an understanding, that we little expected to find on the amazing fpot. He talked as one that had been well acquainted with men and things, and books, and that had always delighted in doing good. He spoke many ferious pleasantrys, and with humour was pleased to make me an offer of his kingdom. I should reign with him, and be the queen of folitude. When fupper was ended, he again took off his turban, and standing up, with lifted hands he sayed Hallowed be thy name. Then filling the glaffes bumper high, he made us drink Great George the Second, and that the auguft house of Hanover may ever flourish, for the defence of the reformation, and the downfal of popery. And now, ladys, (the folitary continued) to make my entertainment as agreeable as I am able, I will give you my strange story. I fee in your faces a defire to hear it. I know you are amazed at every thing you have feen. You wonder who I am, how I came to this folitude, and how I continue to live fo well in it. Here begins then the history of Alvarez the Solitary. My name, ladys, is Alvarez Duroure. I am the fon of a priest, the grandfon of a priest, The history the Solita ry. prieft, the great-grandfon of a priest, and I was once a priest myself, for fome years of of Alvarez my life. My father made me a parfon, and to add importance to the indelible character, not only purchased for me a rich living, but left me a hundred thousand pounds, when he defcended to the grave. For two years after, I was as orthodox an apostle as you can find in any of the cathedrals, and in a clamorous manner, for many a Sunday morning, did my best to confirm the people in the religion of St. Athanafius, with all the train of abfurditys in reason, and the impietys in worship attending it. Inftead of preaching honefty and charity, a holy feverity, and facred purity, and telling the flock, that they must ask of the Father, as the Son directs, my fermons were a defence of the mysterys; and my conclufion evermore, there is one in three, and three in one, of equal majesty, power, and glory. But at the end of the time mentioned, it happened, that by accident, I was confined to a place where I had nothing to read but the learned men on the other fide of the question, and by their divine writings was convinced, that I had been a fenfelefs fellow, and a great finner, for defending the creed of the bishop of Alexandria. I faw, ladys, in the glorious works of the unitarian authors, that the thing called the theology of Athanafus is inconfiftent with common fenfe, and with the doctrines of our holy religion; that it is against the light of nature and revelation, and had not a text or teftimony for it, that was authoritative and cogent: that the facred letters were plane, clear, and strong, for the fupreme divinity of the Father, and affirmed Chrift to be the firft Being God created. And now, ladys, being fenfible, that I had been imposed on by church-leaders and commentators, and that I could not, with a safe conscience, continue longer on the side of those people, who had the general light of nature and common fenfe, and the voice of Jefus Chrift against them, I determined to comply with the plane demands of confcience, and fincerity, and become a theift, as I must answer it to our common Lord another day, when political, prudential, and temporal regards will not be admitted as plea. For this reafon I fold my living immediately, and then tore off my canonicals. I put myfelf into a military drefs, and went to travel. I vifited all the courts of Europe, even the Pope's and the Grand Seignior's. From Conftantinople I paffed to the east, and from thence journeyed to the center of Afric, to fee Prefter John. This rout took up seven years, and coft many thousand pounds. I was twenty-seven years old when I left Eng land, land, and in the last month of thirty-four, when I arrived at Marseilles in the fouth of France. All this time I had no thought of marrying. On the contrary, I had refolved against the matrimonial state, and determined to live as St. Paul advised me, that is without a wife. racter. But beauty is stronger than man. Les graces Mifs Delfont eloquentes, & les charmes tous puiffans lon's cha que le ciel a placés dans vos yeux & dans votre bouche. I became acquainted with a French lady, in my way to Paris, who equaled the delicacy of the Medicean Venus in every charm of body; and fo far as any mortal can reach the greatness of the perfect moral character, was without weakness and imperfection. All that is just in society, or lovely in our fyftem, whatever is decent in company, or beautiful in arts, Belvidera Dellon was mistress of. She had learned from philofophy the order of nature; from breeding, the order of human life; and upon every useful, every agreeable fubject, fhe talked fo perfpicuously, and beautifully, that it was the most delightful entertainment to hear her. She was likewife of my own religion, a pure theift, and in agreement with the voice of natural, the patriarchal, the Jewish, and the original chriftian religion, worshiped only one eternal Being, the one eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Christ. The de crees |