purpose, all trying time can alone determine.

But if the

noble lord means that mushroom popularity, which is raised without merit, and loft without a crime, he is much mistaken in his opinion. I defy the noble lord to point out a fingle action of my life, in which the popularity of the times ever had the smallest influence on my determinations. I thank God I have a more permanent and fteady rule for my conduct, the dictates of my own breast. Those who have foregone that pleafing adviser, and given up their mind to be the flave of every popular impulfe, I fincerely pity: I pity them still more, if their vanity leads them to mistake the fhouts of a mob, for the trumpet of fame. Experience might inform them, that many, who have been faluted with the huzzas of a crowd one day, have received their execrations the next; and many, who, by the popularity of their times, have been held up as spotlefs patriots, have, neverthelefs, appeared upon the hiftorian's page, when truth has triumphed over delufion, the affaffins of liberty. Why then the noble lord can think I am ambitious of prefent popularity, that echo of folly, and fhadow of renown, I am at a lofs to determine Befides, I do not know that the bill now before your lordships will be popular it depends much upon the caprice of the day. It may not be popular to compel people to pay their debts; and, in that cafe, the present must be a very unpopular bill. It may not be popular neither to take away any of the privileges of parliament; for I very well remember, and many of your lordships may remember, that, not long ago, the popular cry was for the extenfion of privilege; and fo far did they carry it at that time, that it was faid, the privilege protected members even in criminal actions; nay, fuch was the power of popular prejudices over weak minds, that the very decifions of fome of the courts were tinctured with that doctrine. It was undoubtedly an abominable doctrine; I thought fo then, and I think fo ftill; but, nevertheless, it was a popular doctrine, and came immediately from those who are called the friends of liberty; how defervedly, time will fhow. True liberty, in my opinion, can only exift when juftice is equally adminiftered to all; to the king and to the beggar. Where is the juftice, then, or where is the law that protects a member of parliament more than any other man, from the punishment due to his crimes? The laws of this country allow of no place, nor any employment to be a fanctuary for crimes; and where I have the honour to fit as judge, neither

royal favour, nor popular applause, fhall protect the guilty.

I have now only to beg pardon for having employed fo much of your lordships' time; and I am sorry a bill, fraught with fo many good confequences, has not met with an abler advocate but I doubt not your lordships' determination will convince the world, that a bill, calculated to contribute fo much to the equal diftribution of juftice as the present, requires with your lordships but very little support.

:

SECTION V.

An Addrefs to young Perfons.

I INTEND, in this addrefs, to show you the importance of beginning early to give serious attention to your conduct. As foon as you are capable of reflection, you must perceive that there is a right and a wrong in human actions. You fee, that thofe who are born with the fame advantages of fortune, are not all equally profperous in the courfe of life. While fome of them, by wife and steady conduct, attain diftinction in the worid, and pass their days with comfort and honour; others, of the fame rank, by mean and vicious behaviour, forfeit the advantages of their birth; involve themselves in much mifery; and end in being a difgrace to their friends, and a burden on fociety. Early, then, may you learn, that it is not on the external condition in which you find yourfelves placed, but on the part which you are to act, that your welfare or unhappiness, your honour or infamy, depends. Now, when beginning to act that part, what can be of greater moment, than to regulate your plan of conduct with the most serious attention, before you have yet committed any fatal or irretrievable errors? If, inftead of exerting reflection for this valuable purpofe, you deliver yourselves up, at fo critical a time, to floth and pleasures; if you refufe to listen to any counsellor but humour, or to attend to any pursuit except that of amufement; if you allow yourselves to float loofe and careless on the tide of life, ready to receive any direction which the current of fashion may chance to give you; what can you expect to follow from fuch beginnings? While fo many around you are undergoing the fad confequences of a like indifcretion, for what reafon fhall not those confequences extend to you? Shall you attain fuccefs without that preparation, and efcape dangers with it that precaution, which are required of others? Shall

pinefs grow up to you, of its own accord, and folicit your acceptance, when, to the rest of mankind, it is the fruit of long cultivation, and the acquifition of labour and care? Deceive not yourselves with thofe arrogant hopes. Whatever be your rank, Providence will not, for your fake, reverse its established order. The Author of your being hath enjoined you to "take heed to your ways; to ponder the paths of your feet; to remember your Creator in the days of your youth." He hath decreed, that they only "who feek after wisdom, fhall find it; that fcols fhall be afflicted, because of their tranfgreffions; and that whoever refuseth inftruction, fhall deftroy his own foul." By liftening to thefe admonitions, and tempering the vivacity of youth with a proper mixture of ferious thought, you may enfure cheerfulness for the reft of life; but by delivering yourfelves up at prefent to giddinefs and levity, you lay the foundation of latting heaviness of heart.

When you look forward to thofe plans of life, which either your circumftances have fuggefted, or your friends have propofed, you will not hesitate to acknowledge, that in order to pursue them with advantage, fome previous difcipline. is requifite. Be affured, that whatever is to be your profeffion, no education is more neceffary to your fuccefs, than the acquirement of virtuous difpofitions and habits. This is the univerfal preparation for every character, and every ftation in life. Bad as the world is, refpect is always paid to virtue. In the ufual courfe of human affairs, it will be found, that a plain understanding, joined with acknowledged worth, contributes more to profperity, than the brightest parts without probity or honour. Whether fcience, or bufinefs, or public life, be your aim, virtue ftill enters, for a principal fhare, into all those great departments of fociety. It is connected with eminence, in every liberal art; with reputation, in every branch of fair and ufeful bufinefs; with diftinction, in every public ftation. The vigour which it gives the mind, and the weight which it adds to character; the generous fentiments which it breathes; the undaunted fpirit which it infpires; the ardour of diligence which it quickens; the freedom which it procures from pernicious and difhonourable advocations are the foundations of all that is highly honourable, or greatly fuccefsful among men.

Whatever ornamental or engaging endowments you now

irtue is a neceffery requifite, in order to their thin

ing with proper luftre. Feeble are the attractions of the fairest form, if it be fufpected that nothing within correlponds to the pleafing appearance without. Short are the triumphs of wit, when it is supposed to be the vehicle of malice. By whatever means you may at first attract the attention, you can hold the esteem, and fecure the hearts of others, only by amiable difpofitions, and the accomplishments of the mind. Thefe are the qualities whofe influence will last, when the luftre of all that once sparkled and dazzled has paffed away.

Let not then the featon of youth be barren of improvements, fo effential to your future felicity and honour. Now is the feed-time of life; and according to "what you fow, you shall reap." Your character is now, under Divine affiftance, of your own forming; your fate is, in fome measure, put into your own hands. Your nature is as yet pliant and foft. Habits have not established their dominion. Prejudices have not pre-occupied your understanding. The world has not had time to contract and debafe your affections. All your powers are more vigorous, difembarraffed, and free, than they will be at any future period. Whatever impulfe you now give to your defires and paffions, the direction is likely to continue. It will form the channel in which your life is to run; nay, it may determine its everlafting iffue. Confider then the employment of this important period, as the highest trust which fhall ever be committed to you; as, in a great measure, decifive of your happiness, in time, and in eternity. As in the fucceffion of the seasons, each, by the invariable laws of nature, affects the productions of what is next in course; fo, in human life, every period of our age, according as it is well or ill spent, influences the happiness of that which is to follow. Virtuous youth gradually brings forward accomplished and flourithing manhood; and fuch manhood paffes of itself, without uneafiness, into refpectable and tranquil old age. But when nature is turned out of its regular course, diforder takes place in the moral, just as in the vegetable world. If the fpring put forth no bloffoms, in fummer there will be no beauty, and in autumn, no fruit: fo if youth be trifled away without improvement, manhood will probably be contemptible, and old age miferable. If the beginnings of life have been vanity," its latter end can fearcely be any other than "vexation of fpirit."

I fhall finish this addrefs, with calling your attention to that dependence on the bleffing of Heaven, which, amidst all your endeavours after improvement, you ought continually to preferve. It is too common with the young, even when they refolve to tread the path of virtue and honour, to fet out with prefumptuous confidence in themfelves. Trufting to their own abilities for carrying them fuccefsfully through life, they are careless of applying to God, or of deriving any affiftance from what they are apt to reckon the gloomy difcipline of religion. Alas! how little do they know the dangers which await them? Neither human wifdom, nor human virtue, unfupported by religion, is equal to the trying fituations which often occur in life. By the fhock of temptation, how frequently have the most virtuous intentions been overthrown? Under the preffure of difafter, how often has the greatest conftancy funk! "Every good, and every perfect gift, is from above." Wisdom and virtue, as well as "riches and honour, come from God." Deftitute of his favour, you are in no better fituation, with all your boafted abilities, than orphans left to wander in a tracklefs defert, without any guide to conduct them, or any fhelter to cover them from the gathering ftorm. Correct, then, this ill-founded arrogance. Expect not, that your happiness can be independent of Him who made you. By faith and repentance, apply to the Redeemer of the world. By piety and prayer, feek the protection of the God of heaven. I conclude with the folemn words, in which a great prince delivered his dying charge to his fon; words which every young perfon ought to confider as addreffed to himself, and to engrave deeply on his heart : "Solomon, my fon, know thou the God of thy fathers; and ferve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. For the Lord fear cheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou feek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forfake him, he will caft thee off forever."

CHAP. IX.

PROMISCUOUS PIECES.

SECTION I.

BLAIR.

Earthquake at Calabria, in the Year 1638. AN account of this dreadful earthquake is given by the elebrated father Kircher. It happened whilft he was