In the courfe of my late excurfion to the country, I have feen fome inftances of the evil 'complained of by my correfpondent, which equally furprifed and grieved me. The proprietor of a country parish, if he has the true pride and feeling of his station, will confider himself, as a kind of fovereign of the domain; bound, like all other fovereigns, as much for his own fake as for theirs, to promote the interefts anđ the happiness of his people. So much of both depend on the choice of their paftor, that perhaps there is no appointment which he has the power of making, more material to the profperity and good order of his eftate. The advantages of rational religion, or the evils which arise from its abuse, which are often the effects of a proper or improper nomination of a clergyman, form a character of the people of a district not more important to their morals and eternal interefts, than to their temporal welfare and profperity.

I was very much pleased, in my late vifit at Colonel Cauftic's, with the appearance and deportment of the clergyman of his parish, who was a frequent vifitor of my friend's and his fifter's.

The

The Colonel, after drawing his character in a very favourable way, concluded with telling me, that he had seen something of the world, having officiated in the early part of his life as the chaplain of a regiment. To this circumftance, I confefs, I was inclined to impute fome of the Colonel's predilection in his favour; but a little acquaintance with him convinced me, that he had done the good man no more than justice in his eulogium. There was fomething of a placid dignity in his afpect; of a politenefs, not of form, but of fentiment, in his manner; of a mildnefs, undebased by flattery, in his conversation, equally pleafing and respectable. He had now no family, as Mifs Cauftic informed me, having had the misfortune to lose his wife, and two children she had brought him, a good many years ago. But his parishioners are his family, faid fhe. His look. indeed was parental, with fomething above the cares, but not the charities of this world; and over a cast of seriousness, and perhaps melancholy, that feemed to be referved for himfelf, there was an easy chearfulness, and now and then a gaiety, that fpoke to the innocent pleasures of life a lan guage of kindnefs and indulgence.

""Tis the religion of a gentleman," faid Colo-nel Cauftic.-"'Tis the religion of a philofo pher," faid I.-"'Tis fomething more ufeful than either,"

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either," said his fifter.

"Did you know his labours as I have fometimes occafion to do! The composer of differences; the promoter of peace and of contentment; the encourager of industry, fobriety, and all the virtues that make the lower ranks profperous and happy. He gives to religion a certain gracioufnefs which allures to its fervice, yet in his own conduct he takes lefs indulgence than many that preach its terrors. The duties of his function are his pleasures, and his doctrine is, that every man will experience the fame thing, if he brings his mind fairly to the trial: That to fill our ftation well is in every ftation to be happy.”

"The great and the wealthy, I have heard the good man fay," continued the excellent fifter of my friend, " to whom refinement and fancy open a thousand fources of delight, do not make the proper allowance for the inferior rank of men. That rank has scarce any exercise of mind or imagination but one, and that one is religion; we are not to wonder if it fometimes wanders into the gloom of fuperftition, or the wilds of enthufiafm. To keep this principle warm but pure, to teach it as the gospel has taught it, the mother of good works,' as encouraging, not excufing our duties, the guide at the fame time, and the sweetner of life: To difpenfe this facred treasure as

the

the balm of diftrefs, the cordial of disease, the conqueror of death! These are the privileges which I enjoy, which I hope I have used for the good of my people: They have hitherto fhed fatisfaction on my life, and I truft will smooth its clofe !"

"'Tis the religion of a Chriftian!" faid Mifs Cauftic.

Z

No 41. SATURDAY, Nov. 12. 1785.

Pandere res alta nocte et caligine merfas. VIRG.

To the AUTHOR of the LOUNGER,

T

SIR,

HOUGH the prefent age is undoubtedly poffeffed of a great deal of knowledge and fcience of which former periods could not boaft, yet it muft, on the other hand, be allowed, that we are apt to plume ourselves upon our acquirements fully as much as we are entitled to. We pretend a fuperiority over ancient times, not only on account of the discoveries we have made, but of the prejudices we have overcome, and fmile with a contemptuous felf-importance on the eafy faith of our ancestors.

Of this latter fort is the credit which almost every modern takes for a total disbelief of fpirits, apparitions, and witches. Not a school-boy nowa-days who does not laugh at the existence of witchcraft and forcery; and, if he has ever heard of the ftatute-book, he filences every argument,

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