An account

ple of Scalpa.

And as they had fifh and eggs much more than their number could confume; and potatoes and oats, and good water on the isle; with a multitude of goats, and a few sheep to keep them warm, they had all the happinefs they wished for in this world.

Happy mortals, to be fure, these Scalof the peo- pians are! With few utilities, and not one elegancy of life, they fenfe more real felicities than wealth and grandeur can yield. Strangers to luxury and vice, and free from the chains and weights of ftrong paffions and prevailing customs, they are ever true to nature, and to one another. Without books and learning, they are always reasonable, and offer up their particular interefts to the good of the fociety. They live in everlasting union. They only labour for what is neceffary. They never feel that anguifh and vexation of fpirit, which fprings from the business, the delights and the factions of our world. They have not an idea of gallantry, and an overreaching cunning. They have no notion of that common man with us, the man

without honor, without faith, without honefty; who strives to deceive by system, and rejoyces in deftruction, when he can evade human juftice; the calm, thinking, close, fecret villain, who never minds the hints of confcience, yet can seem pained at the wicked actions of another: But, on the contrary, are modeft, virtuous, and tender-hearted among

them

themselves; and to ftrangers ever courteous and forward to do the kindeft offices. Their I whole life is that fimplicity the poets have feigned of golden ages; and let what will befal them, fo much as one impatient murmur they never utter. They are the moft refigned people to the will of heaven that I have ever been acquainted with, and however the year turns out, fortunat or unfortunat, fruitful or barren, they maintain a conftant thankfulness for fuch bounties as providence fees fit to beftow on them.

They profefs the proteftant religion, tho the prefent generation never faw a minifter among them, nor have a bible in the island. They have the most effential texts by tradi tion handed down from one to the other, and repeat them very exactly. By this poor means they are better livers than the generality of polifhed chriftians, who have the facred letters in their houses, and labored difcourfes from the doctors.

In London, in Paris, in Edinburgh, in Dublin, in our very villages, what do we fee; for the most part, but mankind in the most depraved ftate prophanenefs, intempes rance, and debauchery, the moft confummat impudence, confidence, and rudeness, diffimulation, falfhood, and cruelty, vanity, and love of pleafure in fome, an amazing avarice in others, and fuch exceffes and extravagancies of every kind, that were a ftranger from fome

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fome neighbouring planet to come among us, and obferve our actors, he might conclude, till better informed, that men were fo far from having a gofpel to aid their feeble reafon, and fill their fouls with every holy affection and difpofition; to bring them, by denuntiations of unfpeakable woes, and promifes of unutterable eternal blifs, to an earneftnefs and intenfenefs in every generous and fpiritual act; to a life of virtue and charity, in refpect of our neighbour and ourselves; and of devotion the moft fervent and inworking, to our continual benefactor, the bleffed God; that it looked rather as if we were the offfpring of an evil principle, and were produced to answer the lowest and worst of purpofes. There is indeed but little true piety and true goodness in our great cities, and our little villages. The multitude is amazingly wicked. Even profeffors are indifferent and lukewarm, But in Scalpa, they are like the good fouls in the first chriftian church, at Jerufalem, and have the most fincere and unreferved devotedness to God. It is beautiful to fee how thefe poor, unlettered people have tranfcribed the moral excellencies of the Deity into the temper of their fouls, and captivated every thought to the obedience of Chrift. The good old man, with whom we fupped, told us they placed their fupreme truft and dependence upon the Father of the univerfe, because he was independent and all, fufficient: They feared him 811

-him, because he was the greatest and most powerful of Beings: And they loved him rand centered in him, because he was infinite fulness and abfolute perfection. What could the greatest doctor of the English or the Latin church fay better? And yet, as before obferved, they never had a teacher, or faw a paftor Not have they a New Testament in their country. They have only by rote a great number of texts from the gospels and epiftles,which they repeat with an astonishing exactness, and teach their children.

worship of

The public worship of this people did The public likewife furprise me very greatly, and give scalpa. me much pleasure. They all met the Sunday morning we were there in a large open fhed, in the middle: of their town; and in this place one of the men appointed to minifter, on account of the goodness of his voice, repeated the Apoftles Creed; to which the people all cryed out, Amen : Then they fell on their knees, and with great devotion fayed the Lord's Prayer: This done, their minifter recited the Ten Commandments, and then the young people, the youths and maidens, ftanding out in a .row, repeated audibly, one after another, two or three portions of an epiftle, till they .had gane through all the texts of it that are known to this church. They named the chapters and verfe: and the manner of the whole was this.

The first who began fayed-It is written in the Epiftle of Paul the Apostle, to the Galatians, Grace be to you, and -peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jefus Chrift, who gave himself for our fins, that he might deliver us from this prefent evil world, according to the will of God, and our Father. To whom be glory for ever and ever; Amen. Chapter i. ver. 3, 4, 5. ·

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The next: I am a crucifyed with Chrift; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Chrift liveth. in me: And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Chap. ii. ver. 20.

The third: O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whofe eyes. Jefus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucifyed among you: Chapter iii. ver. 10.

4. When the fulness of time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a woman, under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons. And because ye are fons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his fon into your hearts, crying, Abba Father. Wherefore thou art no more a fervant but a fon; and if a fon, then an heir of God. Chapter iv. ver. 4, 5, 6, 7,

5. This