68. Letters on the Wife proposed to Sir 69. On Fenelon's Demonstration of the 70. Analogy between St. Paul's and the Christian Church-Narrowness of 71. Observations on the Increase of Lions 72. On the Oxford Terræ-filius-Abuse of 73. On the improper Interference of Pa- rents in the Disposal of their Chil- dren-Letters on Passion-Peevish- 76. Endeavour to reconcile the Landed 77. On the Shortsightedness of Critics, 78. Receipt to make an Epic Poem 79. On the Miseries of the Poor-Recom- 80. Strictures on the Examiner 81. Soliloquy of an Athenian Libertine- Prayer of one who had been a Li- 82. Death and Character of Peer the Co- median 83. On Happiness-obstructed by the Free- 84. Silly Habits of Coffee-house Orators- 85. On Scandal-Letter from a Sufferer BERKELEY STEELE BERKELEY STEELE 87. General Taste for Intrigue-Immora- lity of Servants; Character of a Master 88. Superiority of the Christian Ideas of the Being and Attributes of a God 89. Christian Ideas of a future State..... 90. Strictures on the Examiner-Letter to one of the Writers in the Guardian 91. Account of the Short Club.......... 92. The same-Characters of the Members cees WOTTON Virtuoso on the Terræ-filius.. 96. A proposal for Honorary Rewards- 97. Letter from Simon Softly, complain- ing of a Widow-Advice to him.... 98. Notice of the Tatler and Spectator- Scheme of a Lion's Head at Button's 99. Essay on National Justice-a Persian 100. On the Tucker-naked Necks-Laws of Lycurgus-Position of Venus............. 101. Letters from France-Gaiety of the 102. Variableness of the English Climate- 103. On the Fireworks-serious Reflections 104. Story of a French Gentleman-Let- ter on the Manners of the French .. 105. Exhibition of the Charity Children- Proposals to extend our Charities 106. Vision of Aurelia with a Window in 107. Letter from a Projector, offering him- 111. Improper Conduct of the British 112. Art of Flying-Letter from Dæda- lus-Remarks on modern Dædalists 113. Letter from a Citizen in his Honey- 114. Erection of the Lion's Head-Re- marks on Lions-on Petticoats...... 115. On Criticism-Strada's Prolusion 117. Happiness of living under the Protec- 118. Information from a Lioness-Offer of 121. Account of the Silent Club, PEARCE; IT is usual with polemical writers to object ill designs to their adversaries. This turns their arguments into satire, which, instead of showing an error in the understanding, tends only to expose the morals of those they write against. I shall no. act after this manner with respect to the freethinkers. Virtue, and the happiness of society, are the great ends which all men ought to promote, and some of that sect would be thought to have at heart above the rest of mankind. But supposing those who make that profession to carry on a good design in the simplicity of their hearts, and according to their best knowledge, yet it is much to be feared, those well meaning souls, while they endeavoured to recommend virtue, have in reality been advancing the interests of vice; which as I take to proceed from their ignorance of human nature, we may hope, when they become sensible of their mistake, they will, in consequence of that beneficent principle they pretend to act upon, reform their practice for the future. The sages, whom I have in my eye, speak of virtue as the most amiable thing in the world; but at the same time that they extol her beauty, they take care to lessen her portion. Such innocent creatures are they, and so great strangers to the world, that they think this a likely method to increase the number of her admirers. Virtue has in herself the most engaging charms ; and Christianity, as it places her in the strongest light, and adorned with all her native attractions, so it kindles a new fire in the soul, by adding to them the unutterable rewards which attend her votaries in an eternal state. Or, if there are men of a saturnine and heavy complexion, who are not easily lifted up by hope, there is the prospect of everlasting punishments to agitate their souls, and frighten them into the practice of virtue, and an aversion from vice. Whereas your sober Free-thinkers tell you, that virtue indeed is beautiful, and vice deformed; the former deserves your love, and the latter your abhorrence; but then it is for their own sake, or on account of the good and evil which immediately attend them, and are inseparable from their respective natures. As for the immortality of the soul, or eternal punishments and rewards, those are openly ridiculed, or rendered suspicious by the most sly and laboured artifice. I will not say these men act treacherously in the cause of virtue; but will any one deny that they act foolishly, who pretend to advance the interest of |