STUDY VII. 8l 



the Indians promifes pleafure in this world ; that 

 of the Jews, riches; that of the Turks, conqueft: 

 ours enjoins the pracftice of virtue, and promifes 

 the reward of it in Heaven. Chriftianity alone 

 knew that our unbounded paffions were of divine 

 original. It has not limited love, in the heart of Man, 

 to wife and children, but extends it to all Man- 

 kind : it circumfcribes not ambition to the fphere 

 of a party, to the glory of one Nation, but has 

 dircded it to Heaven and Immortality : Our Re- 

 ligion intended that our paffions fliould miniiler 

 as wings to our virtues *. So far from uniting us 



on 



* Religion alone gives a fiiblime charafter to our paffions. 

 It difFufes charms ineffable over innocence, and communicates 

 a divine majefty to grief. Of this I beg leave to quote two in- 

 llances. The one is extrafted from an account, not in very 

 high eftimation, of the Ifland of St. Erini, (chap, xii.) by Fa- 

 ther Francis Richard^ a jefuit-miffionary ; but which contains 

 fome things that pleafe me from their native fimplicity. Of the 

 other I was an eye-witnefs. 



" After dinner,'' fays Father Richard, " I retired to St. 

 *' George's, which is the principal Church of the Ifland of 

 ** Stamphalia. There one of the Papas prefented to me a book 

 *' of the Gofpels, in order to difcover if I could read their lan- 

 " guage as well as I fpake it. Another came and afked me, 

 * whether our holy father the Pope were a married man. But 

 " I was ftill more amufed by the queftion of an old woman, 

 *' who, after looking fteadily at me for a confiderable time, be- 

 *' fought me to tell her if 1 really believed in GOD and in the 

 *' Holy Trinity. Yes, faid I, and to give her full aflurance of 



VOL. u. « '* it. 



