284 i 
dance of one country and the wants of another 
were made known, and he received from one 
its redundancies, and supplied the wants of 
theother. Heacted upon solid information, 
mpde-no random adventures, and indulged in 
no aity speculations. Many of those who 
now call themselves merchants, purchase 
goods upon artificial credit or securities, and 
without orders, without correspondence, with- 
out knowledge of markets, send them, under 
the direction of chance, to find purchasers in 
lands to them unknown. ‘The consequences 
Nave been, that purchasers cguld not be found, 
debts could not be paid, and poverty and rin 
have not only fallen upon themselves, but up- 
on those who had confided inthem. How 
different the old merchant and the new. 
«¢Look.at that picture and at this!" Mr. 
— Relph, who was dong a merchant; was of the 
old British class. Patient industry and de- 
cent care were, in his mind, the oaly safe and 
honourable road to wealth, He knew that 
he who. would approach, as near as man is 
allowed to approach, the Temple of Happi- 
ness, must doit by measvred steps; that wealth 
if procured, cannot be enjoyed except with mo- 
deration, and that whatever keeps the active 
and mental powers of man employed bids fairest 
tosecyre and preserve his comfort. He, therey 
fore avoided those desperate risques, which 
create extreme: anxiety, and confided in the 
regular, steady, and sober exertions of indus- 
try. He disliked all. show and ostentation, 
not only because he regarded them as destruc- 
tive of comfort, as exciting envy and every 
malignant passion, but because he regarded 
with displeasure all that false appearance of 
respect and attention which are called forth 
by them. He saw, with disgust, our mercan+ 
tile men attempting to dival: in appearance 
and expence, our nobility, and ‘he wished each 
order inthe community to keep | its own place. 
The foolish fashion of writing every man, 
who is supposed to be in good circumstances, 
an esquire, was very offensive to him, and he 
often expressed his dislike of it, when ad- 
dressed under that title. Mr. Relph had early 
cultivated a taste for reading, which all the 
occupation’ of business, in his most active 
years, never prevented him from indulging; 
and this taste wasa source of great and con- 
tinued pleasure to him, after his retirement 
from active life. Afrer his sight became too. 
imperfect to admit him tocontinue this exer- 
cise, an affectionate relative read to him, 
many hours in every day, and thus contribu-, 
ted to make his retiren:ent delightful, when 
in hewlth, and relieved often the tedium of 
pain and sickness. By the perusal of num- 
berless voyages and travels, and the help of 
a miost retentive memory, ke had made him- 
self so well acquainted with foreign countries, 
that some, who have heard him converse, ima- 
gined be had spent part of his lite in those 
gountries about which he discoureed so intel- 
- Fr: = 
Aecount of the late Mr. John Relph. 
[April 1, a 
He had read the history of bis owa 
country with great attentiop, recollected it 
minutely, and considered it 2s the best 
ligently, 
governed of amy country in the world. His 
parents were Protestant Dissenters, and he 
was educated in their faith, but in religion, 
too, he was an enquirer 5 and from conviction 
continued a dissenter, inclining, in theology, 
to the arian hypothesis. Dr. Benson was his 
relation, and he became an early communi 
cant with the society, over which he presi 
ded, of Dr. Lardner (the best man and the 
soundest scholar which any church can boast} 
and Dr. Benson, he always spoke with vene- 
ration, and the most affectionate remembrance, 
for they were his earliest friends in London, 
Their different opinions on. some points’ 
weighed nothing in his estimation of. their 
characters ; for every good man he esteemedy 
never suffering himself to be biassed, by any 
approximation to his own opinions. He held 
kis own opinioys with firmness, but made. 
them no matter of contention and strife. Even 
when old, when men are most commonly 
tenacious of their religious notions, he held 
his imperfect charity, never making them the, 
means of weakening his friendly feelings to 
others. We ought not to adopt the opinions 
of any man because he_is wise or learned, 
for wise and learned me to be found in, 
every different church, with all its pecu- 
liarity of sentiment, but this very circum 
stance abould teach us to respect, and love; 
ail excellent men, whatever oniuies they 
hold. The Catholics can boast of a Pascal, 
the Church of England a Jeremy Taylory; 
the Calvinists a Watts, the Ariaus a Price 
the Unitarians a Lardner, the De 
Anthony Collins and a Hu Ou 
this to teach us to regard what we 
errors of excellent. men, rather ¢ n 
of our nature than of individuals, a 
duce us-to regard with equal love, these who, 
are equally examples of virtue? Mr. Relph, 
was what every dissenter professes to be, a 
real friend to the right of private judgment, 
and he could see the exercise of it in opposi-. 
tion to himself with pleasure. In polities, as 
in religion, he held his opinions with perfect 
charity. He was decidedly a whig.of the old 
school, and the vast events which passed be-, 
fore him, never altered his opinion. Against 
the majority of the dissenters, with the truly 
great, and truly amiable Dr, Price, .at their 
head, he was unfriendly to the American 
Revolution ; and the French Revolution, had 
no charms with bim. Yet was*he intimate 
with those who felt the most violently in 
Opposition to him on those subjects; for he, 
tolerated any opinions in good men; perhaps. 
no man was ever nyore free from intolerance, 
of opinion than he was. This is of itself na 
mean distinction, po ambiguous character of 
a superior amind! His private morals were 
unsullied, He was married, and badichildasa, 
wag 
