ss 
“supportable. 
3811.] 
and on this platform did Moses lay the 
foundation of the Jewish commonwealth, 
It is the language of Nature: it is the 
voice of God, 
Shall we not then hail the laying of the 
first stone in the realms of Britain? 
Shall we not regard the religious edu- 
eation of our tellow-subjects, as the 
pledge of our country’s salvation? Do 
we not foresee observers of the laws, 
and dauntless defenders of them, in every 
man who confesses the name of Christ, 
and stedfastly resolves to bear witness to 
his “ faith,” by his ‘ works?” To these 
men, to cons subjects of Jesus, I look 
for the regeneration of this nation; I 
regard them as the ark of its strength. 
They are the men who will stand by the 
constitution, the king, the country, to 
the last droy of their blood: they are the 
men who, through the blessings of God, 
{who ever yet protected a righteous 
nation) will maintain the being of Eng- 
land, and the glory of its crown, against 
all that ambition would dare, all that 
usurpation would assume, all that 
treachery would. attempt. ‘ God is on 
theirgside, and the gates of hell cannot 
prove ogzinst them.” Ti P. 
To thie! pie mbajthbly Magazine. 
is Peinething so soothing to 
rT the vanity of mankind in the re 
spect aid adulation which riches com- 
mand, “that those accidents which de- 
prive us of them, are, of all misfortunes, 
the most keenly felt, and the most sin- 
cerely sympathised. Our grief for the 
loss of a friend is soon dispelled by the 
variety of other enjoyments which we 
possess, but of that of our fortune every 
occurrence reminds us. The gifts of 
fortune may indeed be despised by the 
philosopher, who has never enjoyed 
them; but he only can appreciate 
their value, who has been deprived of 
them. Men who have been accustomed 
through life to the luxury of a palace, 
will no more be reconciled to the po- 
verty of a cottage by philosophic decla- 
gation on the vanity of riches, than ex- 
perience relief from a fit of the gout, by 
affecting the insensibility of a stoic. 
Religion alone, the balm which heals 
all our wounds, can render the change 
Yo him who has lost his 
portion in this world, the hope of re- 
“ward beyond the grave is the only con- 
gelation. 
: sf was led to these reflections by a 
” 
Slory of Melissa, 
_ tried to uphold the grandeur of Athens : 
221 
visit which I received a few days ayo 
from a lady who for many years has 
acted a conspicuous part on the theatre 
of fashion. Melissa is the daughter of a 
clergyman in the west of England, who, 
dying young, left her, when she was 
scarcely oneeand-twenty, in possession 
of a fortune, which by proper manage- 
ment would have supplied all the ne- 
cessaries of life, and have afforded some 
of its superfluities. Fraught with no- 
tions of the felicity of a ‘London life, 
Melissa quitted Devonshire as soon as 
she had arranged her affairs, and took a 
splendid house in Gloucester-place. ° A 
stranger to the customs of the world, 
and totally ignorant of the value of mo~ 
ney, the system of expence which she 
adopted would quickly have reduced her 
to beyggary, had not her beauty and 
good-nature attracted the notice of a 
young gentleman of large fortune, and 
induced him to marry her.- 
Melissa was now in possession of every 
blessing which her heart could wish. 
She whirled in the vortex of dissipation, 
and was the object of general admira- 
tion at routs, theatres, and concerts. 
For some time her felicity was uncloud= 
ed; but as perfect happiness is not pre- 
per for man in his present state, Melissa 
experienced a reverse of fortune by dis- 
covering the infidelity of her husband, 
for whom, with all her dissipation, she 
entertained a very serious affection. 
Florio, who bad no other object in 
marrying, than the possession of the 
person of his wife, no sooner found him- 
self uncontrolled master of that, than he 
began to find the beauty of other women 
equally attractive. As Melissa brought 
him no fortune, he thought himself at 
liberty to place his affections where he 
chose ; and, as he was determined nok 
to be very “scrupulous in observing the 
conduct of his wife, he saw no reason 
why he should put any restraint on bis 
own. 
For some time his gallantries were 
undiscovered. His conduct was however 
s0 notorious that it could not long escape 
the observation of Melissa, who glittered 
in his own circle. Dark surmises first 
made her uneasy, malicious insinuations 
roused her jealousy, the coldness of her 
husband strengthened her fears, and an 
assignation ata masquerade, to which 
she was an eye-witness, removed every 
doubt of his inconstancy. 
This was a dreadful affliction to Me- 
lissa. It affected her very deeply ; but, 
far from recriminating on her ava 
sie 
