this bleffed woman confift folely in dealing out her doles to the poor and miferable. She was always ready and forward to promote the intereft and happiness of every one. She found a pleasure in performing all the friendly offices, and had a fettled love to all mankind.

When this lady was travelling with her father over Europe, fhe became acquainted with fome noble nuns in feveral monafterys, and was so pleased with the goodness of their lives, that the determined to found a reclufe fociety of proteftants as foon as it was in her power; and immediately after her father's death, proposed the scheme of her Inftituto to fome ladys of her acquaintance of several nations. As they were all her admirers, and faw the defign the most rational and agreeable thing in the world, they came into it at

once.

A beautiful cloyster was built on her eftate in Richmondshire, and a charming fummer vill in the Green Island, which was her father's property. In these fine folitudes, thofe agreeable women of diftinction and large fortunes, paffed their lives in the happyest manner. They renounced custom and false notions, the propenfitys and entrys, the noise and fplendor of the world, and in the flowery retreat, preferved the fupremacy of confcience, and enjoyed the nobleft, rational Z 2

de

delights. They confecrated their lives to religion, and devoted their best fervices to the moft glorious of immortal beings; they offered up their choiceft affections to the Lord of all the worlds.

Happy fociety! I believe there is nothing like it upon earth. Reafon and revelation, good fenfe and good breeding, good humor and plentiful fortunes, are there united, to compleat the felicity of mortals. Their religion is the pure worship of the univerfal Father, without the leaft tincture of Athanafian corruption; not even fo much as the authors of the Efay on Spirit, and the fequel to that Effay are willing to allow the adverfary (a): And as they have no morofe fuperior, with a defpotic authority, to cross and

per

(a) You have read before now, I fuppofe, that extraordinary pamphlet, called An Effay on Spirit, and another called, A Sequel to the Effay on Spirit, by different writers, as they are pieces written with learning and candor, and of confequence worthy of a serious confideration. But as to the first of them, if the vindicator of the chronology of the Hebrew Bible was the author of it, then this right reverend writer is quite wrong in what he fays of the lawfulnefs of praying to the Son and Holy Spirit, when his lordship condemns the doctrine of the equality of them to the Father. See a very good thing, written by Richard Mofely of Knightsbridge, Efq; which is called, A Letter to the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Clogher and at the end of this is another

year

perplex them, but exercife that office the about in their turns, fince the death of Mrs. Harcourt; are under no vow of celibacy, to fupprefs a legal inclination; nor obliged to continue members any longer than they please, but may quit the fociety at any time, upon forfeiting only one hundred pounds, entrance-money payed down on coming in, or commencing Eleve; which money is given to encrease the fund for the support of the house; and that while they do remain in the fodality, they live in an elegant man

another letter, by the fame hand, to the Earl of Orrery; which was defigned to rectify his lordship in an important cafe he is greatly miftaken in; notwithstanding his lordship's name is Praife, as Dr. Hill, the Infpector, in his late dedication, phrases it.

As to the Sequel to the Effay, the author of it seems to me not totally difpoffeffed of the orthodox fpirit. Prejudice, and partiality for a fyftem, have not totally done with him, or he would fee in the New Teftament, that the Father, of whom are all things, one infinite intelligent Spirit, one Perfon, is God alone, the only true God; and Chrift Jefus, our ever-blefied redeemer, no more than the temporary minister of this fovereign Being; a man approved of God among us by miracles which God did by him (Acts ii. 22.) whom God raised from the dead, and exalted at his right-hand, on account of his fpotlefs virtue and perfect obedience: having begotten him for our falvation, to promote greatness, glory, and happiness in the world; and made him as God in refemblance, which is as much as is confiftent with the nature of fuch a derived Being as Jefus Chrift is. This is fcripture. There is a defect the organ that cannot fee it.

in

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ner,

ner, fuitable to their condition, and have mufic, painting, reading, fine works, and the best of converfation, for their amusement; no hours can be paffed more delightfully in this lower hemifphere. Happy, hapThe most rational and excel

py women.

lent things of every kind they enjoy in this life, and by the fimplicity of their religion, and the piety of their manners, are able to approve their hearts every moment, and to rejoyce continually and be fecure. Their righteousness is ever ready to be brought forth as the light, and their judgment as the noon-day. They have schemed out uninterrupted joys for themselves in this first state, a fine variety of the nobleft pleasures, and when the important revolution comes, without diffidence can appeal to that great arbiter who irresistibly governs the world, and is to determine the final ftate of every creature. There is sense in fuch an Inftituto. It is the most perfect of all the human plans I know.

The conftitution of the house will not admit more than twenty-four members, and twelve boarders (a), and of consequence

very

(a) The boarders are not children, but women of distinction and large fortunes, virgins or widows, who chufe to live with thefe happy ladys, on payment of a a hundred pounds a year to the houfe: they admit no children among themselves, but fupport a fchool of

very few, who can afford it, can get in there, if they were approved. But, I think for myself, that if our young women of diftinction and great fortunes, would form themselves into focieties, upon the plan these reclufes live by, uniting into companys for focial enjoyment, and appropriating their time to calm confideration, and the wor fhip of God, and to letters, and the pleasure of the imitative arts; without any obligation to fequefter themselves for life, but at liberty to act as eternal truth, and the reafon of things directs them; to go into the world when they please, and even quit the fociety for a married life, if fancy should represent a wedlock as a more improved state of moral perfection; only leaving fo much caution-money behind them, as is a reasonable emolument to the house, and defigned to fecure the perpetuity of the society; I imagine in fuch cafe, in this way of living

twelve poor girls, who have an apartment in the cloy fter, and a table kept for them. There is a ftable of fine horfes kept for the ladys who board, and the conftituents, to ride out every day, if they please, fo they do not miss the hours of chapel, where the prayers begin at nine in the morning, and three in the afternoon, and are performed by a worthy clergyman, They ufe a liturgy compofed by Mrs. Harcourt, and by her made to accord with the Catachefis Racoviana, publifhed by Vifovatius, and corrected by Crellius, edit. 1680. This fhews they are ftrict Socinians: And Soci=nianifm fairly represented, is the true gospel of Christ.