MISCELLANEOUS FSSAYS. 



395 



scarcely assign him a place superior 

 to Smollet's ; I mean not with re- 

 spect to composition, but as to aii- 

 thenti&ity and materials. Both of 

 them seem to have compiled from 

 the actus diurnt, or newspapers of 

 the day, and to merit equal autho- 

 rity with those crude and hasty 

 chronicles. If the one has lived 

 for eighteen centuries, while the 

 other possibly may not for one, it 

 has perhaps been owing to the 

 charms of his composition, not to 

 the dignity of his history. 



If these remarks shall in any de- 

 gree tend to ascertain the rank of 

 this famed historian in the scale of 

 history, or rather by calling tlie at- 

 tention of more accurate observers 

 to the general complexion of his 

 works, to induce them to ascertain 

 it, they will have an importance 

 which at this remote time they 

 could not borrow from the subject 

 itself. They may, perhaps, also 

 derive some additional claim to at- 

 tention, from the circumstance of a 

 celebrated attack having been lately 

 made by Mr. Whitaker, of Man- 

 chester, on the authenticity of his 

 rival historian, in a comparison be- 

 tween Tacitus and Gibbon. 



/Icciiun' of a singular chil from the 

 Looker-on, a periodical paper, ly 

 the rev. Simon Olive Branchy 

 yl.M. 



I Regard it as the most fortunate 

 occurrence of my life, that 1 am 

 surrounded by a worthy set of pa- 

 rishioners who all study to make my 

 residence among them the most 

 agreeable in the world. It is true, 

 indeed, I had the advantage of suc- 

 ceeding to a rector who was not of 

 the same contented turn, and was 

 more frequently at issue vith his 



brethren on a point of law, than 3 

 point of doctrine. My placid tem- 

 per was no sooner discovered, than 

 it gained me the hearts of most of 

 my flock ; and I observe that this 

 friendly disposition towards me is 

 hourly improving in them, as they 

 find they can reckon xipon a conti- 

 nuance of this content and tranqui- 

 lity on my part. 



I have often thought that a small 

 augmentation of tithes is dearly 

 purchased by the sacrifice of thii 

 mutual cordiality and confidence. 

 There is something in the consci- 

 ousness that others share our joys and 

 enter into our feelings, and that 

 our health add happi.iess are a real 

 concern to our neighbours, which 

 cherishes the soul, and seems to di- 

 late its capacities : I glow with 

 satisfaction, vlien, after some days 

 confinement, I see sincere congra- 

 tulations in the looks of every 

 one I meet : methinks at that mo- 

 ment I love myself the more for 

 their sakes ; and the delight of my 

 honest parishioners is multiplied 

 into my own. 



Since I have been settled here, 

 we have been gradually forming 

 ourselves into a society that has • 

 sometliing novel in its principle and 

 constitution. Our number is six- 

 teen, and includes many of the 

 principal gentlemen in the neigh- 

 bourhood. We have a discipline 

 among us, the object of which is, 

 to promote the ends of company 

 and conversation, by maintaining 

 the most perfect order, sobriety, 

 and peace. My quiet l)chavioiir, 

 and known habits of complacency, 

 Ijave raised me, though with some 

 reluctance on my part, to the place 

 ot perpetual president. 



The fundamental article of our 



cor.'titution, is the prohibition of 



• every 



