engaging; a discretion that always charms ; and as Mrs. Benlow loves, and mifs Chawcer not only loves, but ftudys to please, there is nothing like them in the territorys of friendfhip, within this lower hemifphere (a).

The history

Elife Janfon is a French lady, the daughter of an illuftrious family in Franche Comté. Janfon. She was born with an understanding the most lively, fruitful, and comprehenfive, and had the best education that her country affords bestowed on her. This enables her to talk well upon many fubjects, and makes her happily become every thing the fays and does. She has a head well turned for romance, and thinks Calprenede (b) a valuable writer. She told me there were more good leffons in D'urfé (c) than in St. Thomas Aquinas,

(a) As Mr. Hatchett is ftill living, and never heared what became of his niece from the day she left him, in the year 1737, I imagine, that, orthodox as he is, fworn against her, and tho, if I am rightly informed, he has made the reverend Mr. Fen, (his chaplain) his heir; yet, he would be glad to know, that the is now more happy, than even he could have made her in this world. That holy unitarian religion, which procured her his indignation, has, by the band of providence, raised up to her as powerful a friend.

(b) Gentihomme de Perigord, the author of Cleopatra, Caffandra, Sylvandre, and the first part of Pharamond.

(c) Honoré D'urfé marquis of Valromey, and au thor of that fine romance, called Aftrea. He dyed the

Aquinas, and the mafter of the fentences. Such readings have given her an entertaining imagination, and improved a fancy naturally fine. If the fees an old poft in a castle, ruin, or hall, fhe can turn it into an enchanted knight, and give his fine history with a matchlefs invention. There is an ancient Rocovian minifter in Mrs. Benlow's houfe, whom this lady keeps to read the reformed liturgy of the church of England to her family night and morning (a), and this

gentle

11th of Feb. 1567. The famous Huet, bishop of Avranches, who writ fo many learned books, and died Jan. 26, 1721, etant âgé de 91. Ans, was fo delighted with Aftrea, that by often reading the happy adventures of the thepherds and fhepherdeffes on the banks of the river Linion, his fancy was raifed to write Diana de Caftro. And before that, he had tranflated from the Greek into Latin, the Amours of Daphnis and Chloe. The laft was not published.

(a) By the reformed liturgy of the church of England I mean, the liturgy reduced nearer to the primitive ftandard by Mr. Whifton. The prayers are altered only in fuch places as are shockingly Athanafian; and the litany in the beginning only, to this chriftian form O God our heavenly Father, the creator and preferver of all things, have mercy upon us miferable finners. By the direction and guidance of the holy fpirit the comforter, have mercy upon us miferable finners. Remember not, ô Lord, etc.... . Spare thy people whom thou haft redeemed with thy Son's most precious blood,

etc.

Thus does this primitive liturgy run, agreeable to the New Teflament, contrary to the religion of Athanafius ;

whofe

gentleman mifs Janfon has transformed, in a romance she hath written, into another Adamas, the good Druid in Aftrea. Every character that hath appeared at Hali-farm, fince her time, she has brought into her book, under romantic names, and described them and their transactions, with great exactness and a fine fancy, as people of the fabulous times. Her great benefactress especially, Mrs. Benlow with whom fhe lives, fhe has celebrated in a juft and beautiful way, under the name of Florifbella the Good. The ro

whofe religion is of no more obligation upon us than the religion of John Pig; which is written upon a high ftone pillar by the way fide near the borders of Scotland. And if this chriftian liturgy was received into our churches, there need be no more talk of what particulars we are to reform in ; no more difputes between free and candid difquifitions and their oppofers; the bishop of Clogher and his enemys. All would be well: and thousands of banished chriftians from our churches, by the antichristianity of Athanafius, would return to them, and attend the public worship. I am one of them. But as this will not be this century, we muft continue to live in a state of fegregation. The great and good old Whifton, author of this primitive liturgy, was born Dec. 9, 1667 —and dyed Aug. 22. 1752. aged 85. He entred in Clare Hall, Cambridge. He fucceeded Sir Ifaac Newton, as mathematical profeffor in the univerfity, A. D. 1701, by the recommendation of Sir Ifaac, who then refigned. Some years before his death, he became a member of Dr. Fofter's baptift meeting. He outlived his cruelleft enemy, old Ahton, late mafter of Jefus College, Cambridge.

mance is entitled, The hiftory of Floribella the Good, Queen of the Northern bills. This thing may appear one day, when the actors in those sheets are all layed low.

One would hardly think such a head had much care about a right and a wrong in a religion: that it would ever think of quitting a country, a family, opulence and admiration, for defpifed truth, obfcurity, and bad fortune. This was however the case of mifs Janson, and her behaviour proves that, the brightest imagination is confiftent with folid thinking that the finest fancy but perfectionats found reason. We owe more than we think we do to imagination. This made Fontenelle fay of Malbranche, who cenfured this faculty, that the philofopher had a strong and lively fancy that affifted him ungrateful as he was, without his knowledge, and adorned his reafon without feeming to appear.

The fancy of Elife does indeed appear upon all occafions, but then, he has ever kept it the fervant of reason, and made its principal business be, to light her understanding on, in the investigation of truth. She had fome how or other got a little glimpfe of the cheat in the holy Roman catholic religion fhe was carefully brought up in by her zealous parents, and having noticed that feveral religious follies were covered under the incom

prehen

prehenfibleness of fupreme wifdom, she thought it her duty to inquire into these matters, and be cautious of doing wrong, in her thoughts, to the oppreffed party, which had already the powers of the world (where fhe then was), and the current of opinion, against it.

To this purpose, when fhe went up to Paris with her mother, fhe collected as many books in defence of the religion of Poteftants, and against the corruptions of Rome, as she could find in that city, and amidst all the gayetys of her life, fet apart fome hours of her time every day for reading the plead ings against the Romish faith. She began with Paoli Sarpi, and was quite charmed with that glorious work. She had before read the two jesuits (a), and as they told

her

(a) The two jefuits who writ against Father Paul are Pallavicini Sforza, who was made a cardinal by Alexander the 7th en 1657; and Henricus Scipio of Meffina.

Pallavicini's hiftory of the council of Trent is an elegant apology for the vices of the court of Rome. The cardinal attempts to prove that, what ferved the church in its infancy, will not do now for the fupport of the holy monarch, but it requires ftronger food, and motives that prevail more on the appetites and interefts of frail men. It is grown older and wifer, and must have the emoluments of the datary, its privileges, indulgencys, difpenfations, exemptions, pluralitys, and non-refidencys; all that greatnefs and power, which the factious

E 3

and